Dan's Media Digest

THE ORACLE OF BACON

I'm sure you know the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? If not, allow me to elaborate. Basically it's a game based on the somewhat charmed career of actor Kevin Bacon. Now, Bacon's success has never really hit the stratosphere, but he remains in constant employment and has starred in many popular films (Tremors, Footloose, Sleepers, Hollow Man, etc).

The game is to try and link any actor/actress to Kevin Bacon in "six degrees or less". A typical example would be that Jack Nicholson is one degree away from Bacon, because they both starred in A Few Good Men; but Keanu Reeves is two degrees away, because Reeves starred in Speed with Sandra Bullock (1 degree), and Bullock starred in Loverboy with Kevin Bacon (2 degrees).

Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon is therefore based on the idea that no actor in Hollywood can be more than 6 degrees away from Kevin Bacon. But, have you ever tried The Oracle Of Bacon?

The Oracle Of Bacon is a website that officially closed down in 2001, but still works and is automatically updated. The system basically searches for links on the IMDB between anyone working in film (actors, directors) and Kevin Bacon. Essentially, it's the ultimate player of Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon! But the game is different on the Oracle website, because the aim is to find someone with MORE than six degrees of separation!

Have a go yourself. It takes ages just to find someone with more than 3, let alone 6!