User:Dpbsmith/identities

List of joking fictional identities

Definition
This is a list of names of fictional people who are recognized in-jokes among a wide community. The defining characteristics of this list are:
 * These names are presented as real, and in the same context as real names, such as magazine mastheads, movie credits, or graduation lists;
 * They are understood to be fictitious to a wide community of people who are in on the joke.
 * This name "joke" is understood to include bitter jokes or black humor, e.g. Alan Smithee
 * This list does not include names that are used for purposes of hypothetical illustration, e.g. John Doe or "Joe Smith"
 * This list includes names that are sufficiently well known that they either already have Wikipedia articles, or arguably should have Wikipedia articles.
 * This list does not include the names of ordinary fictional characters such as Harry Potter (unless the names of these characters also are used as joking fictional identities.
 * This name includes only fictional human beings who have ordinary mortal characteristics.

List

 * George P. Burdell, Georgia Tech student who has enrolled in many classes, won many degrees, served on MAD Magazine's board of Directors many years, and was briefly the leading candidate as Time Magazine's 2001 Man of the Year.
 * Alfred E. Neuman, Mad Magazine's mascot and, frequently, editor.
 * Alan Smithee, film director's name, used as a protest real director wishes to disown the film in protest of artistic damage done to it by the studio.