The dinner party guest list question...?

Question

The premise is this:

You can host a dinner party for twelve people - yourself included - from all of human history. Who do YOU pick ?

Just as you would a normal dinner party, pick your guest carefully...you want interesting, maybe animated conversation... but not bloodshed (I hope!) For my dinner parties I would always prefer a good mix of men and women...do you invite friends / family to share this experience with you, and exclude historic figures you'd love to meet ? Who from our contemporary world makes the list ?

(Eleven guests only. And of course, there are no language issues at this party !)

Waddyathink? Who do you invite ? Tell me why ?

Some interesting - and surprising answers so far...but where are the famous women ?

Answer 1

1) Machiavelli. Philosopher, politician and playwright. A true mystery, and a real fun guy to be with I think.
2) Albert Schweizer. Theologist and doctor in the jungle!
3) Pythagoras. Mathematician and religious leader of sorts.
4) Joni Mitchell. Singer/songwriter, tremendously wise as far as I can tell from her lyrics.
5) Hannah Ahrendt. Social scientist/philosopher.
6) Empress Theodora of the Byzantine Empire (c. 500-548). Cultural patron, feminist.
7) Averroes aka Mohammed Ibn Rushd. Andalusian philosopher, tried to reconcile faith and science.
8) Charlemagne. To understand him is to understand Europe I think.
9) Lao Tse, (possibly mythical) taoist philosopher.
10) Harriet Jacobs, fugitive slave and autobiographer.
11) a friend. I'm not sure who, but it's not fair to keep this kind of thing to yourself.

Some of the female picks are a bit of a stretch, it's really hard to come up with interesting female figures from history because the number of known female historical figures is already so small. Joan of Arc or Elizabeth I hardly seem nice company...

Answer 2

Sir Rocco Forte Ann Widdicombe Sir Cliff Richard Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg Kevin Costner Tess Gerritsen Frederick Forsythe Kathy Reichs John Grisham Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws

Answer 3

The order is of no importance, I would say:

1. The Mahatma Gandhi - what about non-violence as a true political weapon
2. Ian Kershaw - historian who made compelling analysis of the Nazi regime
3. Winston Churchill - no need to tell you why
4. Friedrich Nietzsche - this guy was really witty and philosophers are sometimes boring, where he was not.
5. Milan Kundera - my favorite author, with an insight on human heart that's absolutely compelling
6. Aristoteles - another philosopher, keen on seeing things as they are
7. Hayao Miyazaki - a man with such humour can't possibly be ignored at my table. And I would like him to draw a gigantic Totoro in my living room as well..
8. Anaïs Nin - she is a French author, and her diaries are absolute wit, humour and refiness
9. David Lynch - no questions asked, the man has such a deep mind he will be one of my first choices
10. Aimee Mann - she could sing her beautiful songs for all of us
11. Finally, an open invitation to the person who is able to tell me at best why he/she would attend.

Maybe you? He he

Answer 4

I'd definitely have to invite Jesus and Buddha. No politicians, that would be boring, Einstein and Marilyn Monroe. Cuchuailan or Finn MacCool, I want to see what sort of person goes down as a hero in Irish mythology. Mozart, I'd want to see how he would be inspired but contemporary music. Judas, give him a chance to make amends. That's seven. Robin Hood, is he the hero he is made out to be? Leonardo DaVinci, I could check the validity of the theories in the da Vinci code between him and Jesus. Metatron (the voice of God), I want to know what his role is like and if he really started out as a mere mortal. My final guest would be Denise Richards, if this dinner isn't enough to pull her, nothing is.

Answer 5

A must would have to be Julius Caesar as his life was the equivalent of an epic adventure. He could perhaps regale me with tales of how he was kidnapped by pirates and give me the juicy gossip about Cleopatra. I'd invite Napoleon also as while I was in the kitchen he could talk to Julius about military strategy. Leonardo da Vinci would be a must as I study Renaissance art. We could talk to him about everything! Julius and Napoleon would love him too as he could tell them about his adventures with the warlord, Cesare Borgia. Elizabeth I would be one of the first female guests that come to mind as she was well versed in languages and could have conversed with all an be at ease. I'd like to talk to her about her mother, father and Robert Dudley. Leonardo would love her I think because he was a bit of a snappy dresser in his time too!! Freddie Mercury would be a more comtemporary figure to invite and he studied the arts and would have got on splendidly with Leonardo who in all likelihood was gay. He could play a few songs on my baby grand aswell. I think I'd also invite Lucretia Borgia although I wouldn't let her help me in the kitchen due to her pechant for poisons. She's certaily keep the boys happy and I could find out all the gossip about her, her father and her brother. We'd have to have Nostrdamus too just to see if he's surprised himself with his predictions. Luciano Pavarotti could do a little duet with Freddie and explain the concepts of football to all gathered. I think we need another royal lady to keep Elizabeth company so I'd go for Catherine de Medici. She had a very interesting life and would revel in the company. From the literary word I'd choose Dominic Dunne as he loves a good dinner party and could give us all the gossip on celebrities past and present. Finally there would be me and my Dad because he's a star and would love this type of company.

Answer 6

1. mahatma Gandhi-to see what he'd say about todays politics and how to revolutionize the 21st century
2. Buddha Sidharta Guatama-to help me see further and wider
3. Jesus Christ-to teach me love and kindness
3. Adolf Hitler-to teach me how to powerfully capture people's hearts
4. Julius Caesar-to share his wisdom on political intrigue
5. Lao Tzu-to show me how to appreciate nature
6. Confuscius-to make me make good laws
7. Socrates-to help me question EVERYTHING
8. Friedrich Nietzsche-to show me how to BE a better human
9. Leonardo da Vinci-to make me appreciate genius more
10. Meister Eckhart-to plumb the depths of the human soul
11. Michael Stipe of REM with a guitar for musical entertainment.

Answer 7

I'd invite old lost friends; that I think about every once in a while...but have no idea how to find them. A table of twelve wouldn't suffice, but I think it would be just wonderful if I could just pick 12, and at the head of the table my Father, who is in heaven.

Answer 8

1. Jesus
2. my maternal Italian grandfather
3. my French uncle Bernard
4. my American uncle Mel
5. my maternal French great-grandfather
6. my maternal French great-grandmother
7. my paternal American grandmother
8. my paternal Irish great-great grandmother
9. my paternal English great-great grandfather
10. my paternal Irish great-great-grandfather
11. my paternal American great-grandmother