# Michael Flatley: Lord of the Dunce

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-flatley-lord-of-the-dunce/58751>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [March 20, 2001, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-flatley-lord-of-the-dunce/58751 "2001-03-20T18:28:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2001, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-flatley-lord-of-the-dunce/58751/41 "2001-03-23T15:23:46Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by FireUnderpantsBoobs \*  
> \*\*. Irish dancers go up on their tippy tippy toes and they don’t get the luxury of an effin wooden block in their shoes. I could go on but I’ll spare you…
> 
> \*\*

Actually there’s no “wooden block” in our pointe shoes…never has been, never will be. The hard toe of a pointe shoe is basically paper mache - layers of glue, fabric and paper, covered by pretty pink satin. The hard shank is made of reinforced paper or cardboard. We deserve all the respect we get and then some!

And this isnt’ Great Debates but yes I do have a cite for that… [http://www.dancer.com](http://www.dancer.com) has a nifty section on the history of pointe dancing and another section on “what’s inside your pointe shoes”.

(dancing away to go soak her sore toes…)

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**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2001, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-flatley-lord-of-the-dunce/58751/42 "2001-03-24T01:33:26Z")

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There’s nothing I love better than a good Zork reference. Hmm. Now that I’ve typed that, it seems terribly, terribly sad. Oh well. If you want me, I’ll be hanging out West of House.

Hey, a mailbox!

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**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2001, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-flatley-lord-of-the-dunce/58751/43 "2001-03-24T01:37:36Z")

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Hey Hey Paula:

Some ballerina friends of mine had informed me that it’s a wooden block. :-/ Anyway, soft shoes for Irish dance are made out of leather. Nothing else. It’s basically like going up on your bare toes. Anyway, enough of this hijacking…

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**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2001, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-flatley-lord-of-the-dunce/58751/44 "2001-03-24T01:48:22Z")

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Been … too … long…

Can’t … think … up … more … Zork … references…

GAAHH!!!

You know what’s really sad? I have Zork I, II, and III on my Palm Pilot, though I haven’t played them much.

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