# I can't believe you're still talking about "The Matrix" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 13, 2003, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-youre-still-talking-about-the-matrix/174983 "2003-05-13T16:37:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-youre-still-talking-about-the-matrix/174983/21 "2003-05-14T07:15:50Z")
> [@](#): > > How come Matrix fanboys are always the rudest to those who don’t stand mouth agape at the intellectual monster that is the Matrix? Because we get fuckheads who like ego masturbation along the lines of saying that Matrix “fanboys” stand agape at the “intellectual monster” that is the Matrix. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-youre-still-talking-about-the-matrix/174983/22 "2003-05-14T07:54:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Doc Nickel \* > **The briefcase in _Pulp Fiction_ called attention to itself with Travolta’s opening it, being bathed in light and going "whoa…"** Doesn’t matter. A McGuffin is not about not calling attention to itself. It’s about driving the plot along. No matter what is in that briefcase, it sets the plot in motion. And that’s all it does. It’s not important. It could have been a thermos, or a garbage bag, or a wooden box. It’s irrelevant, as is its contents. We could have gotten to see the contents and it wouldn’t have changed the movie. Tarantino chose to keep them hidden to add a bit of mystery. Now, McGuffins do have to be logically consistent, or they screw up the movie. That’s why the people batteries in _The Matrix_ are problematic. That’s also why _Signs_ sucks. Well, one of a plethora of reasons. Saying “it’s a McGuffin” is no excuse for it being moronic. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-youre-still-talking-about-the-matrix/174983/23 "2003-05-14T08:21:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CanvasShoes \* > **In one of my writing classes I remember the instructor saying something to the effect that there are approximately 200 different storylines.** Cecil on [What are the seven basic literary plots?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/001124.html) ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-youre-still-talking-about-the-matrix/174983/24 "2003-05-14T12:17:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Priceguy \* > **Doesn’t matter. A McGuffin is not about not calling attention to itself. It’s about driving the plot along.** The greatest example is the Marion’s stolen money in Hitchcock’s _Psycho_. ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-youre-still-talking-about-the-matrix/174983/25 "2003-05-14T12:22:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > \*\*My favorite is the people who say, “Boy, I couldn’t suspend my disbelief for THAT movie!” Whenever I hear that, I just picture that person spending the entire movie thinking of that oh-so-witty line, rather than actually enjoying the movie. > > Then there’re the people who say “Worst nine bucks I ever spent.” Y’know what? I doubt it. > > Frankly, I’m of the opinion that people who go out of their way to besmirch popular movies are doing so simply to be contrary. It’s an attention-seeker. “Look at me, I’m different!” Non-conformity for the sake of non-conformity, however, is the most immature attitude a person can have. \*\* So if a popular movie doesn’t sit well with me and I say that I am merely trying to get attention? Even if I can go beyond a disparaging remark and actually point out the flaws and give proper arguments to support that thought I’m then just being an intellectual snob. Heck if I happen to “feel” I don’t like a movie because something didn’t sit right with me I’m still in the wrong. Wow what a great way to dismiss any dissenting opinion. Oh wait you don’t want to hear that. You’d rather sit there and gush witgh other fans and not hear anyone say anything other than what you think. I understand you are talking about those who go on message boards and post they didn’t like the movie in a group for those who all want to say how much they loved it, but damn, how many other threads out there are for only those who share only one thought about a topic? Do I post “God doesn’t exist: no believers post here” Or maybe I post “The Matrix Sucks because… (No Matrix fans need post here)”? And if I do should I be surprised when a different opinion comes up? Hell If you like it that is your purrogative. If you want to post you like it and share your oppinions on it that is fine too. But don’t expect others who didn’t like it to shut up just because you like something. Hearing a few dissenting opinions shouldn’t shatter your own likes on it. Get thicker skins. Sheesh! PS Matrix had interesting effects but why the hell anyone would want to live in Shitty world rather than fantasy land is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-youre-still-talking-about-the-matrix/174983/26 "2003-05-14T12:36:49Z")
I now have an idea for a children’s show character: McGuffin the Puffin, who spends his days arguing both sides of any question about a movie plot to whomever will listen. He can’t possibly lose an argument, because he completely agrees with both perspectives. Now all I need is some colorful secondary characters to fill out the show and I’m makin’ bread! ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-youre-still-talking-about-the-matrix/174983/27 "2003-05-14T14:41:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kingpengvin \* > \*\*So if a popular movie doesn’t sit well with me and I say that I am merely trying to get attention? Even if I can go beyond a disparaging remark and actually point out the flaws and give proper arguments to support that thought I’m then just being an intellectual snob. Heck if I happen to “feel” I don’t like a movie because something didn’t sit right with me I’m still in the wrong. > \*\* No, that’s not what’s being said. Pointing out flaws and proper arguments is not what SPOOFE referred to. He referred to people who take an extreme contrary position. Where the gushing fanboys try to find the movie flawless, these people try to find the movie absolutely devoid of entertainment. They try to say “any high schooler can point out the obvious flaws in this movie”, ignoring the fact that the largest fanbase for the movie is probably high schoolers. These people go out of their way to express not only their own dislike for the movie, but how they cannot under any circumstances understand how someone else would like it. I’m sorry, but if you can’t do that, you’re the most unimaginitive idiot in the world. Or just willfully obnoxious. ---
**Author:** ![athene1765](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@athene1765](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athene1765)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-youre-still-talking-about-the-matrix/174983/28 "2003-05-14T14:56:10Z")
**Gorgon** , you’re making bread? Can I have some bread? I suspended my belief for Matrix because, well, it didn’t take that much. I watched **Shanghai Knights** Sunday night and managed, with a little difficulty, to enjoy the movie quite a lot. Then again, I’m a schlock-fan (and a Jackie Chan fan, come to that). Sometimes I just can’t, and I think – no, I know – it’s possible to have a movie so terrible that a reasonably bright person can’t keep from choking. “Atmospheric conditions in space have scrambled the rest of this message.” Possibly the most amusing line from Plan 9 From Outer Space. It’s an extreme example, but sometimes there are lines or actions in a movie that jar the viewer badly enough that they’re taken out of the nice imaginary cloud of the movieworld. Bad acting can do it. Poorly-written and poorly-delivered lines can do it. That being said, of COURSE there are people who are going to say they hate X movie/show/whatever. “I hate Friends! That show is so stupid!” “Have you ever watched it? I think it’s really funny.” “NO, I’ve never watched it! It’s crap!” And so on. I tend to find myself in the camp of people who Really Liked a movie that the critics, most of the other viewers, etc., really really really hated. Who else really liked Ghost Ship? 8) ---
**Author:** ![athene1765](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@athene1765](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athene1765)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-youre-still-talking-about-the-matrix/174983/29 "2003-05-14T14:56:42Z")
**Gorgon** , you’re making bread? Can I have some bread? I suspended my belief for Matrix because, well, it didn’t take that much. I watched **Shanghai Knights** Sunday night and managed, with a little difficulty, to enjoy the movie quite a lot. Then again, I’m a schlock-fan (and a Jackie Chan fan, come to that). Sometimes I just can’t, and I think – no, I know – it’s possible to have a movie so terrible that a reasonably bright person can’t keep from choking. “Atmospheric conditions in space have scrambled the rest of this message.” Possibly the most amusing line from Plan 9 From Outer Space. It’s an extreme example, but sometimes there are lines or actions in a movie that jar the viewer badly enough that they’re taken out of the nice imaginary cloud of the movieworld. Bad acting can do it. Poorly-written and poorly-delivered lines can do it. That being said, of COURSE there are people who are going to say they hate X movie/show/whatever. “I hate Friends! That show is so stupid!” “Have you ever watched it? I think it’s really funny.” “NO, I’ve never watched it! It’s crap!” And so on. I tend to find myself in the camp of people who Really Liked a movie that the critics, most of the other viewers, etc., really really really hated. Who else really liked Ghost Ship? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-youre-still-talking-about-the-matrix/174983/30 "2003-05-14T17:28:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > \*\*Because we get fuckheads who like ego masturbation along the lines of saying that Matrix “fanboys” stand agape at the “intellectual monster” that is the Matrix. \*\* i guess there is no humor in the Matrix. Instead of Red or Blue, you should take the Chill Pill. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-youre-still-talking-about-the-matrix/174983.md?page=1)