dudes! (a delightfully educational timeline of my favourites)

* 1898 - Some Dudes Can Fight , an early silent film in which a Bowery young man starts a fight with another gentleman

* 1889 - Three Men in a Boat (to say nothing of the dog) by Jerome K. Jerome refers to dudes: "It is the town of showy hotels, patronized chiefly by dudes and ballet girls."
(this happens to be one of my top favourite books, by the bye.)

* 1933 - The Dude Bandit, a western in which Tod 'Ace' Carter Hoot Gibson defeats the evil moneylender Al Burton Hooper Atchley.

* 1962 - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, western in which Lee Marvin uses the term repeatedly, especially toward Jimmy Stewart.
(what we all knew anyway. jimmy stewart: a dude.)


* 1973 - Dude, a musical by Galt MacDermot.

* 1985 - Less Than Zero (written by Brett Easton Ellis) is first to use the overused phrase, "No way, dude!", and the first mainstream display of dude having crossed the gender barrier. In a noteworthy scene a young woman tells her mother, "No way, dude."


* 1989 - On February 17, 1989 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, introduced Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as Ted Logan and Bill S. Preston, Esq., two righteous band dudes, bringing dude to an even wider audience. Ted uses the word "dude" 10 times in the first 15 minutes, and doesn't ever let up. The next day on February 18 the first segment of the "Wayne's World" skit aired on Saturday Night Live.



i think i'll end the timeline on that note. does it ever get any better than bill & ted? no way, dude.