# Daddy's gonna kill Ralphie! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603 "2009-12-09T16:50:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/41 "2009-12-09T19:16:12Z")
I’ve _never_ seen the entire movie, although I’ve seen a few scenes now and then. But then, I didn’t have to. as soon as I saw the poster, before the film even opened, I recognized the story elements from Jean Shepherd’s **in God We Trust, All Other Pay Cash** that my friend had introduced me to many years before\*. Sure enough, there on the poster it gave Shepherd’s name as co-scripter and inspiration. \*like the lamp in the shape of the fishnet stockinged-leg. Which you can actually get now, and I recently had to explain to my 12 year old daughter, MilliCal. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/42 "2009-12-09T19:23:42Z")
I first remember seeing it on HBO around 1985. A friend of mine talked me into watching it. I had no interest in watching a Christmas movie, but I watched it with him and ended up laughing my ass off. I think this is a movie that was helped a lot by word of mouth. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/43 "2009-12-09T19:27:32Z")
“You used up all the super glue…ON PURPOSE!” (should I worry that Ralphie’s dad reminds me so much of my dad?) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/44 "2009-12-09T19:45:13Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > “I like the Wizard of Oz!” That was a boy?! ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/45 "2009-12-09T19:46:27Z")
> [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > “You used up all the super glue…ON PURPOSE!” > (should I worry that Ralphie’s dad reminds me so much of my dad?) I think that is one of the reasons I like the film so much. Ralphie’s dad is my dad for all descriptive purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/46 "2009-12-09T19:47:30Z")
I’m always trying to remember what the parents are arguing about when he talks about how they argue over everything. Didn’t the quote go something like, “Are you trying to tell me that the Atlantic ocean is better than the Pacific?!” or something like that? Over the years I have tried googling this quote, looking at websites that lists quotes. Is it possible this part isn’t very quotable and is only memorable to me?? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/47 "2009-12-09T19:52:21Z")
I actually saw this movie on Black Friday, 1983 in Charlotte, NC. The women were going shopping, so my Dad & Uncle took all the nephews to the theater to see it. I was 8 years old at the time. We all loved it then, but it holds up remarkably well as you get older. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/48 "2009-12-09T19:52:58Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Didn’t the quote go something like, “Are you trying to tell me that the Atlantic ocean is better than the Pacific?!” or something like that? You sure we’re talking about the same movie? They do argue a little about the Lone Ranger’s cousin’s horse’s name. And of course the lamp. And the color of the Christmas lights. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/49 "2009-12-09T20:00:19Z")
My favorite scene in the entire movie is when Ralphie beats the crap out of the bully. There’s just something satisfying about it. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/50 "2009-12-09T20:04:20Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I remember it being on HBO every year at Christmas (though granted not in 24-hour shifts) back in the early-mid-80s, and that is where most folks of my vintage first got hooked. > > I never saw it until 2001. It only came out in 1983 and I would call it the only instant classic that I know of. Either HBO or Showtime did play it all the time right from the beginning and I assumed it had been around for a long time at that point but it hadn’t. That is where many people got exposed to it as a classic holiday movie. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/51 "2009-12-09T20:16:26Z")
It’s on all Xmas Day on TNT. Another word-of-mouth convert here. “I had pulled it off!” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/52 "2009-12-09T20:18:34Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > It only came out in 1983 and I would call it the only instant classic that I know of. Elf is catching up fast, I think. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/53 "2009-12-09T20:23:20Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > They had some extras hanging around talking about their glory days (including the delivery man of The Leg Lamp.) My family’s claim to fame is that our cousin Mia was one of the people in the very beginning looking at the shop window. She was the Army lady. And Zack Ward, who played Scut Farkus was in Transformers with Kevin Dunn who was in Picture Perfect with Kevin Bacon. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/54 "2009-12-09T20:27:05Z")
C’ **mon** , kid! You’re holding up the line! Followed by Football? What’s a football? and HO. HO. HO. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/55 "2009-12-09T20:34:30Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > You sure we’re talking about the same movie? > > They do argue a little about the Lone Ranger’s cousin’s horse’s name. And of course the lamp. And the color of the Christmas lights. Noooo! Don’t do this to me. I have been remembering that forever. As a matter of fact, my husband and me still mock this line when we are arguing over something stupid. My husband even sounds just like the dad when he does it! Are we both crazy? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/56 "2009-12-09T20:40:37Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Noooo! Don’t do this to me. I have been remembering that forever. As a matter of fact, my husband and me still mock this line when we are arguing over something stupid. My husband even sounds just like the dad when he does it! Are we both crazy? I don’t know how many times I’ve seen this movie, and I have zero recollection of an argument about oceans. I guess I could watch it again and listen specifically for that exchange. If only it were broadcast in the near future. If only. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/57 "2009-12-09T20:57:30Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I don’t know how many times I’ve seen this movie, and I have zero recollection of an argument about oceans. > > I guess I could watch it again and listen specifically for that exchange. If only it were broadcast in the near future. If only. Ok. I will just say this, then drop it. It happens when Ralphie is telling a story about how his parents are always arguing…Ralphie is doing the voiceover thing. You sure you don’t remember? Dammit. Nevermind. I may be thinking of Goodfellas. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/58 "2009-12-09T21:01:38Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > I may be thinking of Goodfellas. I can see how you might confuse the two. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/59 "2009-12-09T21:03:05Z")
Ralphie! What brought you to this loooowly condition? It was … _SOAP POISONING!_ Mom and dad commence sobbing hysterically. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603/60 "2009-12-09T21:05:58Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > … > “Aunt Clara had for years labored under the delusion that I was not only perpetually 4 years old, but also a girl.” I _hate_ that line. It doesn’t make a helluva lot of sense in the movie. In the book the stories were based on, it’s more reasonable - the author is named Jean (and yes, it’s a man). They should have worked harder at making the bunny suit fit. Maybe made it blue and just said “4 years old”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/daddys-gonna-kill-ralphie/520603.md?page=4)