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Pippi Longstocking
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Pippi Longstocking (Swedish Pippi Långstrump) is a fictional character in a series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren.
She is very unconventional, assertive and extraordinarily strong, being able to lift her horse one-handed without difficulty. She frequently mocks and dupes adults she encounters, an attitude likely to appeal to young readers; however, Pippi usually reserves her worst behavior for the most pompous and condescending of adults.
In 1944, Astrid Lindgren sent the manuscript of the book to Bonnier Publishers but they turned it down, which is considered one of the biggest mistakes in publishing history.
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Encyclopedia
Pippi Longstocking (Swedish Pippi Långstrump) is a fictional character in a series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren.
She is very unconventional, assertive and extraordinarily strong, being able to lift her horse one-handed without difficulty. She frequently mocks and dupes adults she encounters, an attitude likely to appeal to young readers; however, Pippi usually reserves her worst behavior for the most pompous and condescending of adults.
In 1944, Astrid Lindgren sent the manuscript of the book to Bonnier Publishers but they turned it down, which is considered one of the biggest mistakes in publishing history. The manuscript was then sent to and accepted by another publishing company, Rabén and Sjögren. The first four Pippi books were published in 1945–1948, with an additional series of six books published in 1969–1975. Two final stories were printed in 1979 and 2000. The books have been translated in to numerous languages.
Pippi and her world
Pippi claims her full name is Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraimsdaughter Longstocking . Her fiery red hair is worn in braids that are so tightly wound that they stick out sideways from her head.
Pippi lives in a small Swedish village, sharing the house she styles "Villa Villekulla" with her monkey, Mr. Nilsson, and her horse, Little Old Man, but no adults or relatives. She befriends the two children living next-door: Tommy and Annika Settergren. The three have many adventures. Mr. Settergren often disapproves of Pippi's sometimes coarse manners and lack of education, but Mrs. Settergren feels that Pippi would never put Tommy and Annika in harm's way, and that Pippi values her friendship with the pair above almost anything in her life. Pippi's two main possessions are a suitcase full of gold coins (which she used to buy her horse) and a large chest of drawers containing various small treasures.
Though lacking much formal education, Pippi is very intelligent in a common-sense fashion, has a well-honed sense of justice and fair play, and has learned from a wide variety of experiences. She will show respect (though still in her own unique style) for adults who treat her and other children fairly. Her attitude towards the worst of adults (from a child's viewpoint) is often that of a vapid, foolish and babblemouthed child, and few of her targets do not realize just how sharp and crafty Pippi is until she's made fools of them. Pippi has an amazing talent for spinning tall tales, although she normally does not lie with malicious intent; rather, she tells truth in the form of humorously strange stories.
As shown in several of the movies, Pippi is also a superb swimmer; if and when she feels the need, she'll think nothing of taking a plunge while fully clothed (in her short patchwork dress, with oversized shoes and mismatched thigh-high stockings).
Pippi is the daughter of seafarer Ephraim Longstocking, captain of the sailing ship Hoptoad (Hoppetossa in Swedish), from whom Pippi inherited her common sense and incredible strength, being the only person known who can match Pippi in physical ability. Captain Longstocking originally bought Villa Villekulla to give his daughter a more stable home life than that onboard the ship (though Pippi loves the seafaring life, and is indeed a better sailor and helmsman than most of her father's crew). Pippi retired to the Villa Villekulla after her father was believed lost at sea, determined in her belief that her father was still alive, had been made a cannibal king, and would come to look for her there.
As it turned out, Captain Longstocking was washed ashore upon a South Sea island known as Kurrekurredutt Isle, where he was made the "fat white chief" by its native people. The Captain returned to Sweden to bring Pippi to his new home in the South Seas, but Pippi found herself attached to the Villa and her new friends Tommy and Annika, and decided to stay where she was, though she and the children sometimes took trips with her father aboard the Hoptoad, including a trip to Kurrekurredutt where she was confirmed as the "fat white chief's" daughter, Princess Pippilotta.
Pippi's unusual strength
Pippi's strength has been described in various ways:
- "The strongest human being in the world."
- "She is so strong you won't believe it!"
- In one of the books, she is described as having "The strength of ten policemen."
- On a VHS cover she is described as "The Girl With The Strength Of Superman"
She is also seen in the various movies picking up a horse (the books often mention Pippi moving her horse Little Old Man by carrying him from one place to another), a car, weights/barbells weighing over 1,000 pounds, a weightlifter carrying weights/barbells weighing over 1,000 pounds; she also pulls bars out of a jail window and throws pirates across a room.
Books
There are three full length Pippi Longstocking books:
- 1945: Pippi Longstocking
- 1946: Pippi Goes on Board
- 1948: Pippi in the South Seas
There were three original picture books that were translated into English:
- 1971: Pippi on the Run
- 1950: Pippi's After Christmas Party
- 2001: Pippi Longstocking in the Park
There are many picture books and short books based on chapter excerpts from the original three.
Karin Lindgren
Karin was extremely loved by her mother Astrid, so much so that Astrid wrote the book Pippi Longstocking for her, for her birthday.
When Karin was young she looked nothing like Pippi, to the readers' surprise. Karin had light blonde hair, not a freckle on her face, and she was quite nicely dressed. Karin's personality was much like Pippi's but toned down. It is questioned if the character Annika was perhaps heavily based on Karin.
Karin is friends with actress Inger Nilsson who played Pippi on television and in movies.
Adaptations
The 1949 movie
The first movie adaptation of Pippi Longstocking was filmed in 1949. The film was based on three of the books, but several storylines were changed and characters were removed and added. Pippi's character was played by Viveca Serlachius, who made 10 other movies between 1944 and 1954. It was directed by Per Gunvall and released on October 20, 1950.
The 1969 version
A Swedish Pippi Longstocking television series was created based on the books in 1969. The first episode was broadcast on Sveriges Radio TV in February 1969. The production was a Swedish-West German co-production and several German actors had roles in the series.
As Astrid Lindgren was unhappy with the 1949 adaptation, she wrote the script herself for this version. The series was directed by Olle Hellbom who also directed several other Astrid Lindgren adaptations. Inger Nilsson gave a confident oddball performance that was uncommonly consistent and eccentric for a child actress.
This version is the most well known version in Sweden and has been repeated numerous times by SR/SVT. In other European countries this is the most favored version of Pippi Longstocking.
The Swedish series was re-edited as four dubbed feature films for U.S. distribution: Pippi Longstocking (1969), Pippi Goes on Board (1969), Pippi in the South Seas (Pippi Långstrump på de sju haven, 1970), and Pippi on the Run (På rymmen med Pippi Långstrump, 1970). They became weekend television staples in several cities in America throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The original TV series, newly dubbed using British actors, became available on DVD in 2002.
The Soviet television film
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A Mosfilm television film version was released in 1982 produced by Margaret Mikalan, starring Mikhail Boyarsky, Lev Durov and Tatiana Vasilieva.
The American feature film
An American feature film version from Columbia Pictures was released in 1988, directed by British veteran director Ken Annakin, starring Tami Erin as Pippi with Eileen Brennan, Dennis Dugan, John Schuck and Dick Van Patten in supporting roles. Ironically titled The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (while the title suggests a continuation, it is in fact, just a retelling of the original story).
The Animated Pippi
An animated film adaptation by Nelvana, Pippi Longstocking, was released in 1997. The film was adapted into an animated television series, Pippi Longstocking by Nelvana, which aired for two seasons (1997–1999) on HBO in the United States and Canada's Teletoon channel.
Pippi Longstocking in popular culture
- In the Simpsons episode "Summer of 4 Ft. 2", Lisa saw a hallucination of Pippi Longstocking recommending the book Pippi in the South Seas. In Smart and Smarter, the Judge of a Pre-school said to Maggie on her return "Well, Well. If it isn't Pippi Notalking!" In 22 Short Films About Springfield, Lisa went to a barber's shop called "Snippy Longstocking" to get gum that Bart had thrown in her hair cut out.
- Dot Warner, a cartoon character in the animated series Animaniacs, has a long full name in a reference to Pippi's.
- Pippi appears as a side character in the Japanese RPG game Mother.
- In Amy Heckerling's teen film Clueless, Josh says to Cher "You look like Pippi Longstocking". She replies "You look like Forrest Gump. Who's Pippi Longstocking?".
- Controversial contemporary artist Pipilotti Rist has named her stage persona after Pippi.
- In 3rd Rock from the Sun, Sally wanted a child. So Tommy put his hair in pigtails and said "Oh my god! I look like Tommy Longstocking!"
- In Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Dr. Evil "shushes" his son, Scott (with puns on "zip it"), commenting "Oh look at me, I'm Zippi Longstocking."
- In the second season finale of Lost, Sawyer refers to Hurley and Kate as "Magilla Gorilla and Pippi Longstocking". Probably a reference to the fact that he often calls Kate "Freckles".
- An episode of Gilmore Girls Season Five was titled "We Got Us a Pippi Virgin!" and Pippi Longstocking was featured prominently in this episode.
- In one episode of Pinky and the Brain, when Brain asks Pinky if he is pondering what Brain's pondering, Pinky replies with "I think so Brain, but me and Pippi Longstocking... I mean, what would the children look like?"
- In an SCTV sketch, John Candy played "Pepi Longsocks", an unusually large redheaded boy who possessed super strength. The sketch was a parody of the poorly-dubbed TV series, presented as "The SCTV Kids' After-School Movie".
- In an episode of Seinfeld, Elaine asks her friend Katy, while they are sitting at the diner: "Who was Pippi Longstocking?" She then asks if she had anything to do with Hitler.
- In the Metalocalypse episode "Dethcomedy", the drummer Pickles who has long red hair worn in dreadlocks, tries his luck telling jokes at a comedy club, when the audience starts booing. A heckler then shouts "Hey, Pippi Longboring, you suck!".
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