# Fifth element trivia question. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818 "2003-08-17T19:13:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Waenara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@Waenara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waenara)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/41 "2012-11-21T07:10:28Z")
I liked the movie the first time I saw it, but Ruby bugged me. But on re-watching, I appreciated his character more. I guess he grew on me - I like that he’s unafraid to embrace the cheesiness. Actually, that’s one reason why I like the whole movie - it’s unashamed about it’s high cheese quotient but is still hilariously entertaining. > [@galen\_ubal](#): > > …but Ruby is who we’re _afraid_ we’d be in that situation. I must admit, in the middle of a firefight if someone asked me to count to ten, I might do it [the way Ruby did](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT-iNzgR6Gc). ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/42 "2012-11-21T08:14:22Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > The best thing about Ruby Rhod was that he kept up his radio show during the entire attack & escape. Up to and including his sign off after they got off the hotel - “That’s the best show I ever did.” It’s easy to dismiss his character, but he was damn dedicated to his job. Indeed, I look at it as Tucker playing Ruby…who was playing “Ruby”, with the latter being Ruby’s on-air persona. There are moments when he drops Ruby-the-persona and plays Ruby-the-person. That’s not to say the “real” Ruby wasn’t screechy and in over his head, but he wasn’t as exaggerated as the persona. I think Tucker did a fine job with the role, though I found Ruby annoying at first, too. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/43 "2012-11-21T08:33:28Z")
So what does it mean to be a meat popsicle, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/44 "2012-11-21T09:13:12Z")
He’s being cool? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/45 "2012-11-21T09:19:23Z")
Now listen Ringo, we’re going to be like three little meat popsicles here. And what are meat popsicles like? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/46 "2012-11-21T17:09:34Z")
One thing to understand about this movie is that the entire point was (a) to make an action movie with a completely bog-standard plot except (b) to make it as completely weird as possible. This is what Ruby Rhod fits in. He’s the annoying, utterly pointless sidekick who contributes nothing. But that’s the point, he’s all of that and completely, hilariously, over-the-top weird the entire time. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/47 "2012-11-21T19:24:58Z")
Corbin Dallas/Bruce Willis was doing an almost dead-pan parody of Bruce Willis ‘save the world’ action films. And it just wasn’t that interesting without Ruby Rhod. Ruby was also a poke at the direction of entertainment media. The almost deaf character Ray, who was dressed in drag and apparently some kind of music star, was another. This is one of my favorite movies. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/48 "2012-11-21T21:28:41Z")
I’m in the Ruby camp. He was annoying as all get out but funny as hell, too. I, also, love this movie. P.S., Is it me or whenever there’s a black president in the movies it means disaster is about to strike? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/49 "2012-11-21T22:28:52Z")
It helps that as annoying as Ruby was to us, Dallas was just as annoying to him by giving bland one-or-two-word replies every time Ruby prompted him for commentary. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/50 "2012-11-21T22:35:31Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Ruby was also a poke at the direction of entertainment media. The almost deaf character Ray, who was dressed in drag and apparently some kind of music star, was another. Wait, was Ray, the guy hiding under the table who, when asked by Korben Dallas to slide the gun over, instead rolled over the cue ball? Was he supposed to be deaf? I thought he was just really, really stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/51 "2012-11-21T22:41:25Z")
He was deaf and, I gather, some kind of futuristicky Beethoven analogue. ---
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/52 "2012-11-22T00:23:12Z")
Loved this movie, didn’t mind Chris Tucker. The voice totally sounded “black” to me, I kind of always thought it was Tone Loc myself. I remember that was the most visually stunning DVD I owned for many years. MtM ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/53 "2012-11-22T01:06:41Z")
I rather liked Ruby Rhod. His persona could be annoying as hell but when push came to shove he managed to do what was needed. Even if he was screaming and shrieking!😃 But my favorite character was Ian Holm’s Father Vito. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818/54 "2012-11-22T01:59:53Z")
> [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](#): > > I remember that was the most visually stunning DVD I owned for many years. > > MtM This is one movie that would benefit from a 3D treatment. Imagine the Diva scene, with the view of the planet behind her, for one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-element-trivia-question/195818.md?page=2)