# Meet the Fockers?! What were they thinking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2004, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012 "2004-12-09T22:25:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RevCo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@RevCo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RevCo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/1 "2004-12-09T22:25:20Z")
Hello - someone in GQ brought up this movie and it has me thinking - do you think the name of this movie will help or hurt? I strongly believe it will hurt the movies chance of success, but I don’t know anything about hollywood, acting, shaking people down for $8.50 - so I’m just guessing. My line of reasoning is that there are going to be theaters that won’t carry it, won’t be able to sell it at Wal-Mart on DVD, the name garners more attention than the actual movie. I’d like to know what others think of the name - both good and bad. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/2 "2004-12-09T22:31:01Z")
_Shut your f_cking face, Uncle Focker…\* 😃 I think it’s a dumb, obvious idea that will get a lot of teens in for a first look-see. After that, how the movie does will depend on whether those who saw it the first weekend think the movie’s funny. (I’m betting not.) The rest of us will ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/3 "2004-12-09T22:35:40Z")
Of course, this is the follow-up to _Meet the Parents_, which did very well, so I think this one will too. And some people really do have weird last names. My grandmother once knew a man named Schittenburger (probably not correct spelling). There’s an idea for a film: _Meet the Schittenburgers_, about a nice, friendly German family who can’t understand why their family-owned fast food joint is so unsuccessful… ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/4 "2004-12-09T23:32:17Z")
> [@RevCo](#): > > Meet the Fockers?! What were they thinking? “Considering what’s out there, this should be some easy money.” ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/5 "2004-12-09T23:35:32Z")
I once had a doctor named Schmuckler. He claimed it was pronounced ‘Shmookler’. Yeah, right. Don’t touch my schmuck, Schmuckler. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/6 "2004-12-09T23:45:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Meet the Fockers?! What were they thinking? They were thinking “We made a lot of money from a horrible movie, if people are that dumb, they’ll be dumb enough to pay for a second one.” ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/7 "2004-12-10T00:16:03Z")
> [@Odinoneeye](#): > > They were thinking “We made a lot of money from a horrible movie, if people are that dumb, they’ll be dumb enough to pay for a second one.” Horrible? Granted it was far from High Art, but I thought it was quite funny, and the interrogation scene was priceless. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/8 "2004-12-10T00:54:50Z")
I’d ask the people going to see it what they’re thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/9 "2004-12-10T00:59:03Z")
> [@iwakura43](#): > > Horrible? Granted it was far from High Art, but I thought it was quite funny, and the interrogation scene was priceless. I’ll just say humor is subjective. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/10 "2004-12-10T01:18:51Z")
I’ve known several folks with the Japanese surname Takeshita, and I always wonder how many times they’ve had to endure “take-a sh\*t-a” jokes in school… ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/11 "2004-12-10T01:33:40Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > I once had a doctor named Schmuckler. He claimed it was pronounced ‘Shmookler’. Yeah, right. Don’t touch my schmuck, Schmuckler. I have a doctor named Grabher. And she practices gynecology. I guess Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand are going to play Ben Stiller’s parents (that’s what I thought this thread was going to be about–the casting choices). I think Ben Stiller’s real parents should play his parents in the movie, since they’re both actors. Although I hated _Meet the Parents_ so there’s really no way you’ll get me to pay $8 for _Meet the Fockers_, even if they did get Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/12 "2004-12-10T01:35:24Z")
Streisand is Mother Focker. I’m there. And give me a break, there has been a hell of a lot worse that has slimed its way into the local cineplex. And while I doubt there will be an abundance of Oscar nominations for this film, my guess is it will have a few entertaining moments. And I once went to a doctor whose last name was Twat. Nice guy, but…well, an unfortunate name. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/13 "2004-12-10T02:05:08Z")
Yeah, and I know a family named Fuchs, and another named Lipshitz. And I have relatives who had the last name of Ennema. A perfectly respectable name back in the old Low Country. Didn’t make the transition to the US very easy for them. Pity my cousin Jacomina Ennema. She had a rough time in school in the US. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/14 "2004-12-10T02:17:29Z")
Ah, **QtM** , I also knew a family with the last name Fuchs. Pronounced like “fox”. I knew their son in 6th or 7th grade. He got off pretty easy–no one made fun of him. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/15 "2004-12-10T02:18:37Z")
Whoops, I meant to say “ **QtM** reminds me”. And I’m so anal that I’m posting to correct myself. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/16 "2004-12-10T02:54:24Z")
I think you guys are way overreacting. No theater nor Walmart will have any problem with the word Focker. In fact, the studio is having a contest for families whose last name reallly is Focker. [Callingallfockers.com](http://themeparks.universalstudios.com/orlando/website/calling_all_fockers/) ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/17 "2004-12-10T02:55:37Z")
Story time. There’s a couple families in my areas with the last name Kuntz. Lady came in to pick up her photos from the lab. Friend of mine worked the counter. Lady asked for her photos, and he asked for the first name. She said she didn’t know who dropped them off, did it really matter? Without missing a beat, buddy responds, using the short u pronunciation like the lady did: “I don’t know. We get a lot of Kuntz in here.” hehheh. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/18 "2004-12-10T03:35:15Z")
The movie namer is of the same mentality as the ones who came up (!) with the movie names, “Snatch, Blow”, & Pecker." Just to titillate and to get “that word” into print, legitimately, for media controversy and publicity. Speaking of the latter and real last names, there was a man in my hometown whose last name was Pecker and his first was Sumner, nicknamed, Sum, honest. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@shadowfax33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shadowfax33)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/19 "2004-12-10T04:06:41Z")
On the subject of strange last names… There was a family in my hometown with the last name Rape. Their daughter’s first name was Djuana (sp?). Pronounced D-wanna. Poor child. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012/20 "2004-12-10T04:26:14Z")
There is a Willow Klitz working at my company… Yeah, _that_ must’ve been fun in high school. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meet-the-fockers-what-were-they-thinking/279012.md?page=2)