# Embarrassing epiphanies about movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2006, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966 "2006-02-04T05:14:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![XaMcQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/f9ae1b/32.png) [@XaMcQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XaMcQ)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/121 "2006-02-13T22:51:18Z")
Wow. Knight really is pronounced 'k’nigut. I thought they were just being silly, but from Wikipedia Generally, all letters in Middle English words are pronounced. (Silent letters in Modern English come from pronunciation shifts but continued spelling conventions.) Therefore ‘knight’ is pronounced [kn?çt] (with a pronounced K and a ‘gh’ as the ‘ch’ in German ‘nicht’), not [na?t], as in Modern English. Now what do you think they mean when they say “Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!” ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/122 "2006-02-13T23:39:21Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > Well, I vaguely recall thinking “appendicitis” myself, and I’m wondering if we both came to that conclusion because it was the only abdominal injury we could wrap our minds around, or if maybe we actually misheard “abortion.” > > But now that I think more about it, I _knew_ what abortion was at the time, having had a rousing debate with my third-grade teacher about it. (Yes, Mom was called to the principal’s office to discuss _that_ one–the first of many times I opened my big fat mouth and got _her_ in trouble.) I’m relatively certain I didn’t know _how_ it was done, though, which might account for me not having a clue. Okay I am a big geek - The clues that it’s an abortion are - On the way to get Penny from the kitchen when she is sobbing Billy says to Baby “Penny’s knocked up.” and she says (meaning Johnny)“Well what’s he going to do about it.” and Johnny says, “Oh it’s mine right? Right away you think it’s mine?” Then later in the staff cabin/prop area Billy says “One of the counsellors knows a doctor, a real MD that is just travelling through Newport for the day. Now we can get her an appointment but it will cost four hundred dollars.” Just before that Penny says, “Why not skywrite it Penny got knocked up by Robbie the creep?” After the operation Billy says, “The guy had a dirty knife and folding table. I could hear her screming from the hallway and I tried to get in.” After Penny is feeling better she tells Johnny, “Good news. I can still have children.” When Johnny goes to see Baby’s dad he says, “I see someone that got his partner in trouble and sent her off to a butcher while he moved on to an innocent young girl.” At the very end Baby’s dad stops them afetr the final dance and says, “I know you weren’t the one that got Penny in trouble and when I am wrong I say I’m wrong.” ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/123 "2006-02-14T01:17:18Z")
From _Men In Black_: Will Smith chases down the cephalapoid and says, “NYPD! That means I will k **n** ock **y** our **p** unkass **d** down!” Took me a while to realize he was making an acronym joke. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/124 "2006-02-14T04:35:24Z")
> [@XaMcQ](#): > > Wow. Knight really is pronounced 'k’nigut. I thought they were just being silly, but from Wikipedia > > Generally, all letters in Middle English words are pronounced. (Silent letters in Modern English come from pronunciation shifts but continued spelling conventions.) Therefore ‘knight’ is pronounced [kn?çt] (with a pronounced K and a ‘gh’ as the ‘ch’ in German ‘nicht’), not [na?t], as in Modern English. > > Now what do you think they mean when they say “Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!” I always thought they were talking about elderberry wine. IOW your dads a drunk. ---
**Author:** ![KJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@KJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KJ)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/125 "2006-02-14T05:48:31Z")
When the “Marley brothers” do their song at the beginning of “The Muppet Christmas Carol”, they introduce themselves as Jacob and Robert Marley. It was about the 10th time I saw that movie that I realized the other brother’s name is Bob Marley. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/126 "2006-02-14T14:15:49Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > Okay I am a big geek - > > The clues that it’s an abortion are - \ Well yeah … I get it _now_. 🙂 ---
**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:** [February 18, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/127 "2006-02-18T04:19:51Z")
Just recently, I was watching Beetlejuice, which I saw many times during a period of freelancing, i.e., unemployment, years ago. There’s a scene where a tiny Beetlejuice sprouts spikes to make the Geena Davis character drop him. The spikes remain sticking out as Beetlejuice confesses to feeling “anxious” and wanting to 'get little action" and heads for a conveniently located whorehouse. It only occurred to me recently that the “spikes” look more like horns, and that Beetlejuice is literally horny. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/128 "2006-02-18T04:59:19Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > From _Men In Black_: Will Smith chases down the cephalapoid and says, “NYPD! That means I will k **n** ock **y** our **p** unkass **d** down!” > > Took me a while to realize he was making an acronym joke. I didn’t get that till you explained it. :snicker: Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/129 "2006-02-19T13:40:56Z")
Not really embarrasing but I kicked myself afterwards … shortly after Sixth Sense came out on DVD we rented it. I didn’t know what the spoiler was or even that there was something I shouldn’t know. I made the mistake of watching some extras before the movie itself and learned the spoiler. The funny thing is, I didn’t realize I wasn’t supposed to know until the very end of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![RachelChristine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RachelChristine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RachelChristine)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/130 "2006-02-19T13:48:59Z")
While I’m with all the rest of you on being shocked when seeing the full version of Grease as an adult, I also have another embarrassing epiphany about that movie. I was pretty far into teenhood before I realized exactly what was going on with Rizzo. I believed her when she said that the father was some other guy “you don’t know him”. I used to wonder all the time who it could be! I just figured that was the deal with why she had to break it off with Kinnickey. Then when it was a “false alarm”, they could get back together. I was never actually sure about that either; all I knew was that now she wasn’t pregnant with some other guys baby! :smack: My mom, who is the one who made us love that movie, recently told me she hates that the message is “be bad to get the guy”. But it was too much fun of a movie not to let us kids watch it. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/131 "2006-02-19T15:25:02Z")
I always thought that Rizzo lied about it being somebody else’s baby, as a defense mechanism. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/132 "2006-02-19T15:29:25Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > My feeling is the fact that there’s not one scintilla of an iota of an indication that he’s anything but a nice old man with whiskers. It _appears_ that there is, but that’s all tricks. Kris gets the job because Doris needs an immediate replacement; he keeps it because Shellhammer takes credit for the idea; Dr. Whatsis gets his X-ray machine because Macy and Gimble want to one-up each other; their customers are happy because only because the magnates see good business in customer satisfaction; Fred takes the case because he dislikes his big firm job and wants to strike out on his own (and is also legitimately concerned about Kris, but he still admits it’s going to get his name in the papers); Doris comes around primarily to convince both Fred and herself that she belongs with Fred; the mail comes to Kris because the post office is looking for any reason to clear out all its dead letters; and Kris ultimately wins his case because Boss Tweed tells the judge he has to let him. As for the Dutch, well, Doris speaks French but that doesn’t make her Joan of Arc. It goes on and on. The real miracle is that even though everyone looks out for their own self-interest, that all comes together in one moment to make them all happy. > > –Cliffy But what about the final few scenes? Kris gives Fred special directions to go home to “miss the traffic”. Fred follows them and Susan see her dream house. She runs in, the adults follow, and in the corner is a cane just like Kris’ Doris and Fred look at each other and all of a sudden they are no longer sure. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/133 "2006-02-19T16:11:41Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > But what about the final few scenes? Kris gives Fred special directions to go home to “miss the traffic”. Fred follows them and Susan see her dream house. She runs in, the adults follow, and in the corner is a cane just like Kris’ Doris and Fred look at each other and all of a sudden they are no longer sure. I agree. The movie was set up for us to believe he is a nice eccentric old man, but then the climax comes and we supposed to be unsure. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/134 "2006-02-20T01:43:53Z")
This is what happens when you watch the PG-13s when you are a kid - I didn’t get all of the innuendo in Grease. I also didn’t realize what was really happening at the end of Back to the Future with Biff in the car with Lorraine. I also didn’t get the sex jokes in Footloose (like the masturbation joke when Willard asks Ren what he did in Chicago). Also, I want to apologize to **Draelin** , I am not what I was smoking when I wrote that post, obviously you know now! :o ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/135 "2006-02-20T13:54:56Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > Also, I want to apologize to **Draelin** , I am not what I was smoking when I wrote that post, obviously you know now! Aaah, that’s okay, I didn’t take it personally. I _am_ quite thick at times. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/136 "2006-02-20T18:02:32Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > So, did the end of the movie just make zero sense to you? Why did you think she went crazy? Not mocking you, just genuinely curious. She -was- a bit fragile before, I know. I didn’t know it was a rape either; I just thought she was already nuts and was declining anyway, to the point where she had to be taken away. I need to check the original play; if it’s anything like **Tess of the D’Urbervilles** there’s no explicit statement of the rape. You’re just supposed to know what was meant by some very vague text. As a kid I didn’t realize either that Sandy was going to sleep with Danny at the end of **Grease** ; I thought just her dressing to fit in with his crew was good enough!! ---
**Author:** ![Amaranta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Amaranta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amaranta)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/137 "2006-02-20T19:51:37Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > From _Men In Black_: Will Smith chases down the cephalapoid and says, “NYPD! That means I will k **n** ock **y** our **p** unkass **d** down!” > > Took me a while to realize he was making an acronym joke. See, and I’d always heard the term NYPD, like NYPD Blue, and never given any thought to what it stood for. I mean, I was a little young to be watching NYPD Blue, so I assumed it was letters that meant something, but I didn’t know what. So when I watched that movie, it was like Ah! That’s what it means! And LAPD is… Los Angeles Police Department! Ah! So yah. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/138 "2006-02-20T20:05:23Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > I am not what I was smoking when I wrote that post OK, but you are what you eat! ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/139 "2006-02-20T21:01:37Z")
Animal House: the scene where Otter and the guys are dressing up for dates. Otter picks up a newspaper clipping and says “Fawn Lebowitz.” The guys go to the women’s school, and he asks for Fawn at the sorority house. Then he gets the news from her roommate that Fawn’s dead, and out of sympathy she and her girlfriends go out with him and the guys. I thought Fawn actually was Otter’s girlfriend. It wasn’t until years later that I understood what actually happened: Otter had clipped out Fawn’s obituary, saw that the girl was attending a women’s college, and saw it as an opportunity to pick up chicks. My epiphany came during the makeout scene with Fawn’s roommate. He says “I used to touch Fawn this way.” She replies “Yes. She told me.” Otter looks momentarily shocked. I realized then, not only did Otter flimflam the whole thing, but the roommate got wise to it and went along with the scam anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966/140 "2006-02-20T21:16:04Z")
> [@Knowed Out](#): > > My epiphany came during the makeout scene with Fawn’s roommate. He says “I used to touch Fawn this way.” She replies “Yes. She told me.” Otter looks momentarily shocked. I realized then, not only did Otter flimflam the whole thing, but the roommate got wise to it and went along with the scam anyway. I don’t think so. She was not in on it. She was either agreeing to stay in the moment or it was happy coincidence for Otter. Otter contemplates it for a second then thinks, screw it it’s working. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassing-epiphanies-about-movies/342966.md?page=8)