Gertrude "Gertie/Pookie" Shortman (born c. 1917) is Arnold's grandmother on Hey Arnold!
Personality[]
Most of the time, Gertie acts like she's crazy, usually having a different theme in her clothes, preparing different foods, calling people other names or labels (Arnold is "Kimba", and Helga is "Eleanor Roosevelt"), and mixing up holidays. She is very upbeat, and takes any situation with the same enthusiasm as any other. While kind of senile and a bit crazy, Grandma is an enthusiastic, supportive, and loving grandmother. She loves Arnold very dearly and will often be very protective of him. She often is used as a philosophical source, especially with Arnold, through the use of metaphors that are usually not understood.
Her zany and eccentric behavior has been attributed to senility, though it's also implied to be on some level intentional (possibly for her own amusement), as she drops the act completely during more serious moments.
While Phil is physically strong for his age, Gertie is far more active and capable than him and almost anyone else in the show. Besides being a black belt in martial arts, she can also take on larger conflicts such as repairing the underground subway's wiring, hijacking a bulldozer, or escaping from prison.h
Biography[]
Grandma Gertie (or otherwise known as "Pookie" by Phil) is Arnold's paternal grandmother. She is the wife of Grandpa Phil, and they have known each other since childhood. They had a relationship like Arnold and Helga when they were young. Gertie was mean to Phil (although in more extreme ways, like putting thumbtacks in his seat, dunking a part of her hair in ink and blaming Phil for it, etc.). Formerly a librarian and a police officer, Gertrude now runs a boarding house with Phil, and they are the parents of Arnold's dad, Miles.
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External links[]
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| Hey Arnold! | ||
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| Media | Hey Arnold! (Episodes (Seasons: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5) • Characters • Video releases) • Hey Arnold!: The Movie (Video game) • The Jungle Movie • Soundtrack | |