Talk:I'm My Own Grandpa

Genealogical diagram

I've thought of adding a convenient genealogical diagram, but it's hard to do without crossing lines... AnonMoos 08:16, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

Here's one:

Yes, I think a diagram would be helpful, but the original parents should also at least be implied. Here is an attempt at an improvement:

Not until drawing this did I notice that the "step-grandfather-in-law" in the article is not quite right. The narrator is the stepfather of Readhead, who is the stepmother of the Narrator. No inlawing here, just a step-grandfather. On the other hand, Dad is now the father-in-law of Widow, who is mother-in-law of Dad, so he is his own grandfather-in-law, with no steps. Similarly for the women. –Henning Makholm 20:02, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

I'm actually not sure about the crossed lines. Here's another attempt without crossed lines: -- AnonMoos 08:49, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

Well... I think I like the crossed-lines version better; uncrossing them tends to obscure the basic symmetry of the situation. –Henning Makholm 21:50, 29 April 2007 (UTC)

It's less symmetrical, but it's easier to follow... AnonMoos 09:39, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

Apparently we're not going to reach agreement here. I invite anyone who is not me or AnonMoos to make the decision and insert the diagram they find clearest into the article (or make a third variant!). –Henning Makholm 12:11, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

Is this a possible solution: https://www.migeneticsconnection.org/genomics/family%20history/PedigreeChallenge.htm Derek LeungLM 02:29, 4 February 2012 (UTC)

https://www.migeneticsconnection.org/genomics/family%20history/PedigreeChallenge1.jpg is more or less the same as Image:Im-Own-Grandpa-diagram.gif, except it implies that the narrator's mother is still alive... AnonMoos (talk) 19:45, 4 February 2012 (UTC)

In-law

If you trace relationships up, the Narrator is his own father's mother-in-law's husband. There isn't really a fixed term for that in ordinary English usage, but I think it would be fair to call it a "step-grandfather-in-law" relationship... AnonMoos 08:52, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

I see. I think that what irks me about "step-grandfather-in-law" is that (1) I would prefer the description of the loop that sounds least bizarre, and (2) the song itself does not mention in-law relations, and all the claims it makes make sense when considering only step-parent relations. –Henning Makholm 22:01, 29 April 2007 (UTC)

Well, if you don't like "step-grandfather-in-law", then how about "step-step-grandfather" or "double-step-grandfather"? The point is that there are two deviations from an ordinary grandfather relationship (one's parent's father), while the term "step-grandfather" might imply that there was only one... AnonMoos 10:12, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

The narrator is also his stepmother's stepfather, since the widow's daughter is both his stepmother (wife's daughter) and his stepmother (father's wife) Nik42 00:13, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

Yes. I have now edited the intro to straighten things out, abandoning the "grandfather-with-modifiers" strategy which does not seem to be doable in a way that everybody finds unambiguous. –Henning Makholm 12:06, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

References

The integrated references within the article itself (news paper articles, TV show mentions etc.) are all done very well but a quick check of references at the bottom as in a references section, and notated references, which I am assuming adheres closer to the wikipedia manual of style, are completely lacking. Nagelfar (talk) 20:48, 4 May 2009 (UTC)

I believe that the best reference would be to the original Dan Leno patter that seems to be the basis for the song. Curiously, Dan Leno had abandoned musical accompaniment to his comedy patter, i.e. he had abandoned comedy songs, thus inventing stand-up comedy. The story in this song was one of his sketches. So it was turned full circle and put in song form. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.44.16.87 (talk) 22:49, 22 April 2013 (UTC)

A reference to the Mark Twain work mentioned in this article is missing. A pretty fundamental omission. Anyone know what piece of writing it comes from? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.240.34.255 (talk) 22:33, 5 February 2017 (UTC)

Real-Life

Ron Wood (of The Rolling Stones) once entered into a relationship with a 14-year-old girl, with the consent of her mother. His grown son then married the girl's mother. What does this make them? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.178.228.88 (talk) 01:59, 14 November 2009 (UTC)

Well if Ron then married the 14 year old girl, then it would indeed be exactly like this song (Although note the narrator is actually the equivalent to Ron's SON not him).74.73.142.163 (talk) 02:56, 16 March 2010 (UTC)

Nobody's added Morgan Freeman's recent news to the real life incident section yet 75.87.130.113 (talk) 07:11, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Correction: Not Ron Wood but Bill Wyman according to the article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.44.16.87 (talk) 22:46, 22 April 2013 (UTC)

German version

There is a German version, too. It's by the German language country band "Truck Stop" and is called "Mein Opa das bin ich" (literally "My grandpa that am I"). It's from the 1980's, and you can listen to it here on Youtube. They even use a genealogic diagram like the one in this Wikipedia article, so there's no doubt about it.

German version by Truck Stop

Please include this info into the article. I don't know how. Greetings from Germany 93.219.173.154 (talk) 09:22, 7 January 2012 (UTC)

No doubt about what? Please be more specific. Or do it yourself since you are perfectly able to edit the talk page. --88.65.127.178 (talk) 13:49, 16 September 2017 (UTC)

There is also a somewhat popular song "Mein Stammbaum ist ein Kreis" (my family tree is a circle) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6JgTrgSMrs It's probably not a exact translation, but the idea is the same --80.245.74.251 (talk) 20:52, 20 April 2023 (UTC)

Note

The following was added to the article by B.wiki.nice (talk · contribs) and reverted by ClueBot NG (talk · contribs). Clearly not vandalism, but just as clearly not appropriate for the article as originally presented. I'm leaving it here (with slightly cleaned-up formatting, and an improved reference), in case anyone would like to incorporate it. Phil wink (talk) 19:19, 23 November 2017 (UTC)

1873 Branson's Agricultural Almanac (see page 5)
Mixed.
What's the matter, Bob ?
Sam, who am I ?
Why, you are yourself, Bob Harrison, ain't you ?
No, far from it.
Why, what's the matter ?
Well, sir, I'm so mixed up, I don't know who I am.
Don't take it so hard to heart.
I ain't; I'm taking it in my handkerchief.
Well, sir, what's the matter ?
Why, I am married.
Married ? ha ! ha! ha ! why, sir, you should be happy.
Yes, but I ain't.
Why, all married men are supposed to be happy.
Yes, but how many are so ?
Well, sir, as I said before, don't take it so hard—tell us all about it.
Well, Sam, I'll tell you how it is. You see I married a widder, and this widder had a daughter.
Yes ! I see how it is. You have been making love to this daughter.
No ! worse than that. You see my father was a widower, and he married this daughter, so that makes my father my son-in-law, don't you see how I am mixed up ?
Well, sir, is that all ?
No, I only wish it was. Don't you see my stepdaughther is my stepmother ain't she ? Well, then, her mother is my grandmother, ain't she ? Well, I am married to her, aint I ? So that makes me my own grandfather, doesn't it ?