Holden Caulfield - Cultural Impact

Cultural Impact

Holden Caulfield is one of the most enduring characters in 20th-century American fiction.

• The Catcher in the Rye is required reading in many high school English courses today, although it has been banned from some school libraries by parent and teacher groups opposed to its use of profanity and perceived glorification of rebellion.
• Holden was influential in the life of Mark David Chapman, the former mental patient who murdered John Lennon in 1980.
• In the episode "The Return" of the TV show Dilbert, a tech support agent calls himself 'Holdem Callfielder'.
• In an episode of the TV show Family Guy, primary character Brian is remarked upon as being fond of Caulfield as proof of his pretentious and immature personality by Quagmire, who describes Caulfield as "a spoiled brat". A red-haired, unnamed character obsessed with "phoniness" also appears on the show, spray-painting "PHONY" on Peter's car after seeing him pretending to play a keyboard in a toy store.
• The Offspring mentions Holden Caulfield in their song 'Get it Right'.
• In Green Day's album Kerplunk (1992), there is a song called 'Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?'
• The song "Superpowers" by ska band Five Iron Frenzy contains the line, "I sometimes feel like Holden Caulfield/Sometimes Jack Kerouac".
• In Screeching Weasel's album How to Make Enemies and Irritate People, there is a song called "I Wrote Holden Caulfield".
• The first draft of the Star Wars novel Red Harvest by Joe Schreiber contained a character named Middish Sunblade, modeled after Holden Caulfield, but was removed from the rewrite.
• In the comic strip Frazz, Frazz's best friend is an 8-year-old named Caulfield, apparently after Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye. He is an emulation of Holden, as he is always reading books that are above his grade level, such as Catch-22, The Old Man and the Sea, and Tourist Season. He also speaks out in class, asking odd questions (i.e. "If horses don't really like spurs, why do barbed wires keep them in?") when his teacher asks if anyone has any questions about the lessons.
• In the 2002 black comedy-drama film "The Good Girl," the film's protagonist, Thomas "Holden" Worther (portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal), constantly has his nose in “The Catcher in the Rye” and claims that his own life parallels that of Holden Caulfield.
• Streetlight Manifesto's song "Here's to Life," mentions Holden Caulfield as one of the several suicidal people included in the song.
• Ben Affleck's character in Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy is named Holden after Holden Caulfield.
• In Mr. Motherfucking eXquire's verse on the remix of his song Huzzah! (featuring Despot, Das Racist, Danny Brown, and El-P), he raps, "Still lost as Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye."
• In Grow Up, the protagonist, Jasper, says "I am Holden Caulfield, only less reckless, and more attractive"
• John and Hank Green of the Vlogbrothers have released a t-shirt saying "Holden Caulfield thinks you're a phony." designed by Nerdfighter Marina Watanabe.