For some reason, I have been humming the song "I'm Popeye the sailor man....I live in a garbage can (I never learned the correct words) I eats me spinach until me be finished (again...never learned), I'm Popeye the sailor man...Toot toot!"  Now WHY I have this particular a tune in my head, I have no idea.  Probably some word association or connection with spinach.  Who knows.  As a kid, I loved watching this cartoon.  I don't understand my rational, but I was fascinated with Olive Oyl.   I never understood why two grown men would fight over such a chicken scratch voice, clown feet, gangly toothpick, where other shows clearly indicated the beautiful curvacious female was worthy of male attention. 

Still, week after week, Bluto would steal Olive away, and Popeye would eat his spinach for his strength (his pipe smoking issue was never addressed) and he would punch Brutus with one swift circular motion that sent him flying.    Sometimes Popeye had to use his detective powers to determine who had taken Olive.  Wasn't it obvious?  When I got older, and occasionally viewed Popeye's continual dilemma of never really obtaining the girl of his dreams (yes, still the toothpick), I realized Olive Oyl was not the sweet, innocent character she tried to portray.  In fact, she enjoyed playing the two men against each other.  I wondered, does she treat these men this way to help her feel important?  Does she play helpless so Popeye can 'be a man' and save her? 

Olive Oyl was the game master, the two men were the smitten players: both desperately vying for her love.   Both men demonstrated a lower intelligence, at least in relationships.  Popeye's solution was to allow Olive Oyl to berate him as she saw fit, and to demonstrate his strength and worthiness with pure muscle.  Bluto had muscle too, perhaps more in his belly, but he didn't have the infamous secret weapon: spinach.  Maybe if Bluto had slimmed up he could have outran danger...that pipe had to be destroying Popeye's lungs.  Popeye was so addicted that he sometimes smoked the spinach, or used his pipe to pour the spinach down his throat, straight out of the can...yelch!  How did Popeye have the strength to squeeze open the cans of spinach? Was muscles only in the arms considered attractive?  Does one only become strong if they take a something that surges them with immediate power, which eventually dissolves (steroids)? 

Bluto's tactic in winning Olives heart was to steal her away.  He gave her gifts, which honestly seemed more sincere, where Olive used it as a means to infuse jealousy in Popeye.  When Bluto saw his efforts were failing, he tried the next best thing, steal her away.  Unfortunately he was so concerned of keeping her from Popeye, he never developed a relationship with Olive.

Today, one could suppose many symbols to this little drama.  One might say that "Olive Oyl" or rather olive oil goes best with spinach.  Or, one might see this a means to encourage kids to consume their vegetables.  It never convinced me.  One might say that the so called love triangle was an ingenious tactic by Olive to install desire and commitment in Popeye.   Hmm.  Did it work?  I don't know if she ever married Popeye.  She did have a child named Sweet Pea, but was that a child from a prior relationship?  Or was Olive Oyl missing a sense of morality in her sweet demeanor?  With her manipulative prowess, it wouldn't surprise me.  Of course, the cartoon keeps that matter hush, hush.

The point is, this show still makes an interesting statement regarding male-female relationships in society. 

Some of Popeye the sailor man messages:

I agree:  Olive Oyl - Beauty comes in all forms, shapes and sizes. It starts within the beheld before seen by a beholder.

Disagree:  Olive Oyl - When others fight over you, it means you are extra important. 

Disagree:  Olive Oyl - The best way to get a man to commit is through jealousy and competition (manipulation).

Disagree: Popeye - The best way to win a woman's heart is through violence.   If you allow her to berate or beat you, that is true love.
Agree/Disagree: Bluto - the best way to win a woman's heart is through spending individual time with her.  The best way to do this is hold her against her will.
Disagree:  Popeye - It is okay to take something that will make you immediately stronger if it is for a good cause.
Disagree:  Olive Oyl - It is okay to manipulate men to get what you want.
My advise to Popeye and Bluto (though both need their heads examined too) is to simply dump the chick and flee.