Other Oscars

In the middle of the Academy Awards, you may have wondered: Why are they nicknamed "The Oscars"? As it turns out, nobody is quite sure. There are two major theories, and neither of them are very interesting.

Luckily, that little Art Deco statuette isn't the only famous Oscar. Here are some other Oscars to discuss—Oscars that won't lead to your 734th conversation about how Avatar did or did not get robbed:

Oscar Wilde: "I have nothing to declare but my genius," said Oscar Wilde, and that pretty much sums him up. The Irish playwright is among the most brilliant wits of all time, and it's horrifying to know that his sexual orientation landed him in jail, breaking rocks for half a decade. His life was difficult but his hilarious plays, riddled with quips and double entendres, are all sparkle and insight.

Oscar II: This 19th-century king reigned in Sweden for 33 years. He also ruled Norway, to the chagrin of the Norwegians. A patron of the arts and a prolific writer, Oscar II had an intense beard and horned mustache.

Jose Oscar Bernardi: This beloved Brazilian soccer player has competed for his home nation and for Japan. Bernardi is popularly known by the single name "Oscar."

Oskar Boettger: The turn of the 20th century was a great time to be a zoologist, and this German scientist discovered quite a few species, from an Asian toad to a blue-nosed chameleon. But alas, he couldn't collect specimens himself, because of his raging agoraphobia. He left that to poorly paid lab assistants, a tradition that continues today.

Oskar Werner: Though he was born in Austria, Werner managed to star in a variety of French New Wave films during the swingin' 60s. If you have never seen Jules et Jim, and you have a thing for weepy European art house movies about the fragile beauty of love and friendship, well, rent it. Werner is awesome.

Oscar Madison: This fictional Oscar stars in Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, the story of two friends with opposite personalities who share a New York City apartment. The ultimate tale of roommates gone bad, The Odd Couple pits sloppy, lazy Oscar against neat-freak, kitchen-savvy Felix. Hilarity ensues.

Oscar the Grouch: The world's favorite ornery green monster, Oscar the Grouch lives in a trash can and keeps worms as pets. Whenever Sesame Street becomes too happy-go-lucky, Oscar manages to bring everybody down. Some call him a jerk, but we're pretty sure he's just misunderstood.

Oscar, Son of Oisin: If you're not hep to Celtic mythology, here's the deal: Oscar was a demigod warrior who fought the High King Cairbre Lifechair at the Battle of Gabhra. They both lost.

Oscar Hammerstein II: You may not know the name, but if you're in the drama club or watch Glee on a regular basis, you probably know his songs. Don't believe us? Ever heard of The Sound of Music? The King and I? Sound Pacific? We thought so. Hammerstein is the only Oscar ever to win a Tony.

Who is your favorite Oscar?

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