# Absolute WTF, 'what were they thinking' plots and subplots in old movies and TV shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** theater-stage-dance\ **Created:** [December 27, 2023, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229 "2023-12-27T13:58:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2024, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/221 "2024-01-04T03:41:59Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > There were t-shirts calling for “Archie Bunker for President” at the time. I remember some other sitcom at the time having the father laughing at the TV as his daughter walked by and said “Archie Bunker’s not supposed to be the good guy, Dad…” ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2024, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/222 "2024-01-04T04:48:37Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I got hold of a bootleg copy of the Holiday Special (is there any other kind of copy?) I recall reading that Carrie Fisher actually had a legit copy, which she’d play when party guests didn’t take the hint that it was time for them to go home. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2024, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/223 "2024-01-04T06:53:30Z")
I’m having a hard time with the idea that a party ever ended at Carrie Fisher’s place. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2024, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/224 "2024-01-04T10:59:43Z")
but the whole plot had "white privilege’ undertones, i.e. qualified white guys kept out of elite colleges because of Affirmative Action ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2024, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/225 "2024-01-04T12:38:06Z")
_Soulman_? absolutely, and people said that too, when it came out. Affirmative Action wasn’t under fire then as it would be later, so that was just a joke (or, a lame attempt at one), not a political comment. It still was not well received. But lots of people at the time were afraid to say "The Emperor’s go no clothes. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/226 "2024-01-08T03:32:58Z")
_Paint Your Wagon_, the Broadway musical, was a decent (if silly, of course) work by Lerner and Lowe. Whoever turned it into a movie threw out the original story line, tortured the script, filmed non-singers, and splashed the in movie theatres. It was never a “classic,” although a decent filming of the stage play could have become one. No polyandry, no “singing” by Eastwood or Marvin. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/227 "2024-01-08T04:34:45Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > …no “singing” by Eastwood or Marvin. I’ve always thought that Jean Seberg must be a terrible singer. Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin did their own singing in _Paint Your Wagon_, but Seberg’s singing was dubbed by someone else. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/228 "2024-01-12T03:40:46Z")
_The Truth About Cats and Dogs_ is a gender swapped _Cyrano de Bergerac_ My WTF is the setup for _Sleepless in Seattle_ This woman has an SO whose only problem is that he’s boring. So she goes off to NYC to meet a stranger? It’s almost the “Piña Colada” song of movies ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/229 "2024-01-12T15:27:11Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > This woman has an SO whose only problem is that he’s boring. So she goes off to NYC to meet a stranger? It’s almost the “Piña Colada” song of movies Only if the NYC stranger turned out to be her boring SO. Who was, surprise, not so boring after all. “Oh, I never knew…” Speaking of the “Piña Colada” song, I always thought-- who knows _ **so freakin’ little** _ about their long-term romantic partner? Did they _ **never** _ compare drink preferences? _ **Never** _ get caught in the rain and say “I kinda like this; it’s romantic!”…“yeah, I feel the same way!”? _ **Never** _ visited the cape and said “hey, I got an idea-- let’s go out to the dunes at midnight and…y’know”? ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/230 "2024-01-12T15:29:17Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Speaking of the “Piña Colada” song, I always thought-- who knows _ **so freakin’ little** _ about their long-term romantic partner? Did they _ **never** _ compare drink preferences? _ **Never** _ get caught in the rain and say “I kinda like this; it’s romantic!”…“yeah, I feel the same way!”? _ **Never** _ visited the cape and said “hey, I got an idea-- let’s go out to the dunes at midnight and…y’know”? Speaking as someone who has been cheated on, people are definitely fully capable of forgetting attractive qualities of their current partner. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/231 "2024-01-12T15:51:26Z")
> [@Jay\_Z](#): > > Speaking as someone who has been cheated on, people are definitely fully capable of forgetting attractive qualities of their current partner _ **Forgetting** _, sure, but “I never knew…”? Each of them totally overlooked, or failed to mention, the fact that they like Piña Coladas, or that they’re more into champagne than health food? Even early on in their early romantic, getting to know one another phase? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/232 "2024-01-12T16:26:37Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Speaking of the “Piña Colada” song, I always thought-- who knows _ **so freakin’ little** _ about their long-term romantic partner? Did they _ **never** _ compare drink preferences? _ **Never** _ get caught in the rain and say “I kinda like this; it’s romantic!”…“yeah, I feel the same way!”? _ **Never** _ visited the cape and said “hey, I got an idea-- let’s go out to the dunes at midnight and…y’know”? I thought part of the point of that song is that they _didn’t_ know each other that well. I know my husband very well but he occasionally surprises me. This year I learned that he views his mind as a filing cabinet where he can store and retrieve information, which makes sense if you know him, but it’s so unlike how my mind works (everything’s just tangled up in there), it was a little bit shocking. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/233 "2024-01-12T17:06:52Z")
Pina Coladas and the other things mention strike me as day-dreamy desires of people who are letting themselves live dull lives. Every day at the office, they fantasize about being free and drinking a fancy drink by the pool or doing some romantic activity, but every night they drink beer and watch tv, partly from habit, and partly because they figure their opposite number would shut down (or mock) any attempt to do anything different. If they talked to each other about what they would really like to do, they’d have been better off - but it’s not remotely hard to believe that some folks never do have such an open conversation until it’s too late. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/234 "2024-01-12T18:04:18Z")
All good points I suppose, but I was really just joshin’ around about a silly little 45 year old novelty song. 'Yes, and… ’ much, you guys? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/235 "2024-01-12T18:21:22Z")
That’s our forte! ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/236 "2024-01-12T18:33:19Z")
I’ve been thinking about it for 45 years, and I’ve got _THOUGHTS_! ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/237 "2024-01-12T18:48:46Z")
> [@solost](#): > > All good points I suppose, but I was really just joshin’ around about a silly little 45 year old novelty song. 'Yes, and… ’ much, you guys? Speaking as someone who opened an entire thread about who was the -real- killer in the music video / song “Hazard” - Yes. And Yes. And Yes. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/238 "2024-01-12T21:01:16Z")
I’ve always been of the opinion that the two people in the Pina Colada song deserved each other, as the two most shallow people on the face of the Earth. Runners-up for that title, the totally awful “Jack and Diane.” ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/239 "2024-01-12T21:26:03Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > Runners-up for that title, the totally awful “Jack and Diane.” Gawd, I hate that song. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229/240 "2024-01-12T21:44:20Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > > [@ParallelLines](#): > > > > the transpecies Voyeur VR Porn with Grandpa Wookie DOES. > > > > If I’ve forced you to look this up, I officially apologize. > > **Stuff You Should Know** recently did a podcast on the Star Wars Christmas Special, which I’ve heard was really bad, but they lovingly detail how bad it actually was, including this part, and I am just gobsmacked. It’s one of those things that is so bad it strains credulity Like who greenlighted this? Didn’t some stand-up comedian blame the quality of television scripts at the time on cocaine? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absolute-wtf-what-were-they-thinking-plots-and-subplots-in-old-movies-and-tv-shows/995229.md?page=13)