Mean old man?

[clark]

So, after who knows how many years my father has finally decided that he is going to start dressing up for RenFest. He wants to look like a mean old man but the problem is none of us can think of anything. Do any of you have any suggestions? Any at all? So, any ideas?

[Lady Toadflinger]

Ha! The first thing I see in my mind's eye is a skinny old man in well worn black clothes, sort of a Scrooge-like figure...  I don't know if that helps at all, but even if the clothes aren't black, they need to be well worn and maybe carefully mended. (playing on one definition of mean--a penny pincher, a skinflint) He should have a cranky look to his face, too.   Any help?

[Taffy Saltwater]

A cane he can vaguely shake at people.

[bellalye]

Oooooooo!!!! Disgruntled Sea-captain.. not a pirate, maybe a skipper.. 

toodles!

[sonofslaanesh]

Maybe an uptight village elder who yells at the flippant young folk? The cane is a must.

[McGuinness]

The old man part can come from well worn clothes, maybe ill-fitting and a bit mismatched. The mean part? That's all character - I don't think the garb alone could pull off that part of it. Affectations like a cane or pipe could help.

[Auryn]

definitely some scragly facial hair,
I agree that the cane is a must. I don't think he needs to be bent over or crochety.
I don't necessarily agree with the well worn clothes, he could be a man of means who dresses well and looks down on anyone who doesn't.

[will paisley]

The old man part can come from well worn clothes, maybe ill-fitting and a bit mismatched. The mean part? That's all character - I don't think the garb alone could pull off that part of it. Affectations like a cane or pipe could help.

A recommendation about character - unless your dad wants to be avoided like the plague, I'd advise him playing the "mean old man" bit so over-the-top and ridiculously that people can tell from a single sentence that it's a character, not somebody having a bad day and taking it out on everybody around them.  It's like somebody playing a jerk; to them, it might be an act, but if it's too accurate an act, it's just as annoying as somebody who's actually a jerk.  I'd make the mean comments about others so absurd that they're comical, along the lines of "You know what the problem is with kids today? They're too young!"

[Taffy Saltwater]

Throw in whippersnapper & wet behind the ears as epithets for youngsters.

[Auryn]

oh and some "back in my day"

[will paisley]

oh and some "back in my day"

Monty Python's Four Yorkshiremen sketch should supply a lot of material along those lines.

[McGuinness]

oh and some "back in my day"

Monty Python's Four Yorkshiremen sketch should supply a lot of material along those lines.

The two old Muppets in the balcony are some good inspiration too, on the funny side of crotchety and old.

[Anna Iram]

He could wear a rediculously long beard and big bushy eyebrows. Maybe carry an ear trumpet tied to his belt. You could probably fashion one yourself for pretty cheap from a funnel and some tubing and a bit of paint. He could make a fun gag out of being hard of hearing and mis-hearing what is said, etc.

Maybe he could be a mean old man but stil have an eye for the wenches? A dirty mean old man would be a lot more fun says the wench in me.  

[BLAKDUKE]

oh and some "back in my day"

Monty Python's Four Yorkshiremen sketch should supply a lot of material along those lines.

The two old Muppets in the balcony are some good inspiration too, on the funny side of crotchety and old.

O.M.H.G.
Those 2 were a riot.  The best one was during a southern themed skit, when of the old guys says 'Ah yes I can remember when cotton was king"  and the retort was "you can remember when ARTHUR was king".   My sides have still, to this day not repaired themselves.  These two would be the ones I would try to mimic for "mean old man".

[BubbleWright]

Dustin Hoffman always tries to sum up the character he is playing in one sentence. In an interview, he said the sentence that summed up his 100 plus year old character, Jack Crabb in "Little Big Man" was this... "I haven't had a decent crap in 40 years". Keeping that thought should make one rather mean and ornery!