"Jabberwocks and Jub-Jub birds, frankly, don't sound that tough. Bandersnatches, however, seem pretty menacing."

Like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Alice (Dorothy's English equivalent) has inspired all kinds of spin-offs, wanderings of the imagination, and downright bad ideas. None of these, however, quite hold a candle to a little something on The Book of Ratings. I discovered this site through the ever interesting Brookeshelf, and it's just so odd an idea that I'm quite perfectly charmed. For unclear reasons, The Book of Ratings is just that. It has systematically gone through some of the characters in Alice In Wonderland and has given them "ratings". Everyone from Tweedledum to Pat the Guinea Pig (don't ask) finds themselves under the site's close scrutiny. Sadly the writers don't know the book that well, but you'll forgive them right quick.

A taste:

I have to say I find Alice inexplicably charming, but she's still kind of a pushover. She finds something labeled "Eat Me," and down it goes. Someone hands her a flamingo and tells her to start whacking hedgehogs, and she's all over that surrealistic Victorian action.

There is also some deconstruction of the Jabberwocky poem to be had alongside the kids from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Sesame Street characters. Regarding the sexuality of Ernie and Bert the writer is unconvinced since "for my money the real sexual tension was between Grover and Kermit." Oh. And of course, Pooh.

Thanks again to The Brookeshelf.