# Clerks - am I supposed to like this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 31, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876 "2011-05-31T19:01:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/41 "2011-05-31T22:30:17Z")
I tried to watch \*Clerks \*years ago and found it almost indescribably boring. Which surprised me, because I had really enjoyed _Chasing Amy_ and _Dogma_ and had rented \*Clerks \*based on that. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/42 "2011-05-31T22:48:32Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I’m too tired to render a whole salute, so I’ll just raise these two fingers. Like Spider-Man shooting a web? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/43 "2011-05-31T22:49:55Z")
I have never watched CLERKS (have it, just never opened it up)- however, I will give a ringing endorsement to CLERKS 2. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/44 "2011-05-31T22:53:44Z")
**silenus** , which two fingers? And **MsWhatsit** I’m no Internet Tough Guy. It’s just a fact that unthinking chimpanzees who sneak little Kevin Smith references in everywhere are wastes of space. They deserve what they get. Lame. Like some virgin TransFormers nerd (you know, the kind who thinks that since God created man and man created the TransFormers, then the TransFormers must be like a gift from God) who thinks that the greatest thing in the world would be having the online handle “Optimus Prime.” Kevin Smith junkies are like that. Always sneaking their little references in everywhere. They make me sick. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/45 "2011-05-31T22:58:51Z")
It’s one of my all-time favourite movies. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/46 "2011-05-31T23:02:00Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I have never watched CLERKS (have it, just never opened it up)- however, I will give a ringing endorsement to CLERKS 2. Pervert. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/47 "2011-05-31T23:02:59Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > You, sir, are officially an Internet Tough Guy, and for that, I salute you. Considering his username, I do believe you’ve been whooshed 😉 Also, why does it smell like shoe polish in this thread ? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/48 "2011-05-31T23:12:45Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I tried to watch \*Clerks \*years ago and found it almost indescribably boring. Which surprised me, because I had really enjoyed _Chasing Amy_ and _Dogma_ and had rented \*Clerks \*based on that. My reaction is the opposite. I didn’t really like any of Kevin Smith’s movies _except_ for _Clerks_. It was among the last, if not the last, of the quintessential “Generation X” movies, in my opinion. I don’t exactly identify with slackers, but I enjoy the movies absurdity, its quirk, its youthful energy, and witty characters and dialogue. Yes, the dialogue can be a bit forced at times, and the delivery leaves a bit to be desired, but I like the loose and unpolished energy of the movie. And, dammit, it was funny as hell. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/49 "2011-05-31T23:12:51Z")
> [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](#): > > **silenus** , which two fingers? This one, aaaaand…this one. One’s named Steve, and the other’s named Dave. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/50 "2011-05-31T23:24:58Z")
> [@jk1245](#): > > I agree with the “had to be there / right movie at the right time” group. I was 22 when it came out, right out of college, and it was the FUNIEST THING EVER. I saw it again a few years ago and wondered where all the funny parts went. It still has it’s moments, but it has not aged well, plus it’s been copied and parodied so much, that it seems really stale now. Agreed - I was 16ish when it came out and I adored it. I watched it all the time. I’ve since seen it and it wasn’t nearly as funny as I thought it was back then. Not bad, but not hilarious. And wasn’t the black and white intended to make it feel almost like you’re watching it through the store’s security cameras? Or was that just an excuse because it was cheaper to do? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/51 "2011-05-31T23:25:08Z")
> [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](#): > > **silenus** , which two fingers? > > And **MsWhatsit** I’m no Internet Tough Guy. It’s just a fact that unthinking chimpanzees who sneak little Kevin Smith references in everywhere are wastes of space. They deserve what they get. > > Lame. Like some virgin TransFormers nerd (you know, the kind who thinks that since God created man and man created the TransFormers, then the TransFormers must be like a gift from God) who thinks that the greatest thing in the world would be having the online handle “Optimus Prime.” > > Kevin Smith junkies are like that. Always sneaking their little references in everywhere. They make me sick. Are you even supposed to be here today? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/52 "2011-05-31T23:44:58Z")
> [@jk1245](#): > > As an aside, a big claim to fame is the \<$30k budget, but I always wondered how the hell did he manage to spend anywhere near $30k on it? The actors were free or nearly so, Smith wrote and directed it, so no fees there. _El Mariachi_ was made around the same time and also famously had a $7000 budget. Anyone know what cost “so much” in _Clerks_? Twinkies and pot. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/53 "2011-05-31T23:52:01Z")
> [@TommyTutone](#): > > Twinkies and pot. The Indie film makers version of hookers and blow. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/54 "2011-05-31T23:55:16Z")
I’m a Baby Boomer, and I thought it was hilarious. But like others have said, different strokes. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/55 "2011-06-01T00:03:48Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > And wasn’t the black and white intended to make it feel almost like you’re watching it through the store’s security cameras? Or was that just an excuse because it was cheaper to do? The black-and-white was used solely because it was cheaper. I believe the “security camera” theory was made up out of whole cloth by critics who wanted to sound smart. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > I could see how people used to action films and plot-driven movies wouldn’t understand it, though. It requires a grown-up attitude, and films are not aimed at grown-ups these days, so that sort of movie will go over a lot of people’s heads. Kevin Smith himself doesn’t even believe this tripe. There’s a reason he refers to it as his “dick and fart joke movie” and is astonished that anyone over the age of 21 loves it. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/56 "2011-06-01T00:13:33Z")
> [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](#): > > This movie flat-out blows. > > The only thing worse than the crappy delivery of the totally unfunny jokes is the legion of brain-dead Kevin Smith worshippers who sneak little references to the movie into their everyday lives, like this is supposed to make them clever or something. If I ever saw one of those people on the street, I’d beat the crap out of him on general principle. I really doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/57 "2011-06-01T00:22:26Z")
You really doubt that the movie blows or that there’s nothing worse than a Kevin Smith junkie who sneaks stupid references to obscure parts of the movie into everything? Of course, I see where your handle comes from, and naming yourself after the producer, well… ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/58 "2011-06-01T00:40:27Z")
jk1245 writes: \> El Mariachi was made around the same time and also famously had a $7000 \> budget. Anyone know what cost “so much” in Clerks? It’s impossible to make a feature-length film for $7000 unless you’re given a lot of things. Apparently _El Mariachi_ cost so little because someone gave the director some film stock, let him use a camera, and let him use an editing machine, all for free. The cheapest you could make a film (and this was back in the early 1990’s) was about $30,000, even if everyone works for free. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/59 "2011-06-01T00:49:49Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > There’s a reason he refers to it as his “dick and fart joke movie” and is astonished that anyone over the age of 21 loves it. I believe you mean one of his many dick and fart joke movies. 😃 Personally, I like his little dick and fart movies, especially the Clerks movies. Dante and Randall just resonate with me, I think because I can hear a lot of their conversations coming out of my brother’s mouth. Of course, if you don’t like people like my brother and his buddies, you won’t enjoy the movies nearly so much. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Cheech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Mister\_Cheech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Cheech)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876/60 "2011-06-01T01:04:01Z")
OP: Why try twice? If a movie isn’t for you, a movie isn’t for you. Don’t beat yourself up for not being able to appreciate what the internet arbitrarily decides is genius. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clerks-am-i-supposed-to-like-this/583876.md?page=4)