S is for...Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

I can’t remember when I first came across this. But I think it’s one of the coolest and funniest things going. Not only that, it shows how connected we all really are. In some way at least.

So, for those that don’t know, the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a game where people try to link other people to Kevin Bacon by way of movie project. I thought it was Seven Degrees, but upon looking it up again today, shockingly it turns out I was wrong. It’s Six.

What I also found out today is that the game is based on the maths of Paul Erdős, and what we will end up with is known as the Erdős number. This describes ‘collaborative distance’, and initially was used to link Erdős to other mathematicians by the mathematical papers they had written. Don’t tell me I don’t give you cool shit.

That is cool cool shit.

Ok, so what we will actually end up with in this game is not the Erdős number, but the Bacon number.

Typically it’s focused on actors. And what you do is pick any actor. Then you link them to Kevin Bacon through the movies they’ve been in together.

Kevin Bacon has a Bacon Number of 0. Because he IS Kevin Bacon.

Someone who has been in a film WITH Kevin Bacon has a Bacon number of 1.

Sooooooooo....off the top of my head

Brad Pitt - Sleepers

Kidder Sutherland - Flatliners (That was a stretch to remember - had to check it. But it was in there somewhere because it was right.)

Somebody in Hollow Man - Elizabeth Shue(Never watched it. I just remember he was in it. I had to look that one up.)

Anyway, all these guys would have a Bacon number of 1. Because they have been in a film with Kevin Bacon.

According to good old Wiki. Elvis Presley has a Bacon number of 2.

Presley was in Change if Habit(1969) with Edward Asner.

Asner was in JFK(1991) with Kevin Bacon.

THUS,

Presley has a Bacon number of 2.

Asner has a Bacon number of 1.

And Kevin, well Kevin still has a Bacon number of 0.

Because Kevin is still Kevin.

Incredible.

Me, I have a Bacon number of 3. Legit.

I was in, albeit very very VERY briefly, a film called Breathe(2009) by Nicholas Winter starring Ricci Harnett(28 Days Later, Rise of the Footsoldier).

Ricci Harnett was in The Object of Beauty(1991) with John Malkovich.

John Malkovich was in Queens Logic(1991) with Kevin Bacon.

POW!

Bacon number of 3!

Naturally, what Kevin probably needs to know is that Kevin actually has a Davy number off 3.

Anyway, there you have it. Fun game.

Something someone supposedly said

“If you take me out of it, ‘I find six degrees’ to be a beautiful concept that we all should try to live by. It’s about compassion and responsibility for everyone on the planet.’ - Kevin Bacon

Songs

When Will I See You Again - The Three Degrees

Thank God I Found You - 98 Degrees

Finite Infinite - Degrees of Truth

For You - Degrees of Freedom