# Obvious things about a creative work you realize after the millionth time (OPEN SPOILERS POSSIBLE) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117 "2009-07-24T13:20:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 104
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2061 "2014-10-27T04:41:36Z")
That reminds me. I never did drugs and was very ignorant about, well, frankly a lot of things when I was younger. And so I didn’t get Dimebag Darrell’s name for a long time. Edit: Oops, I’m referring to the posts by Leo Bloom and RTFirefly. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2062 "2014-10-27T04:56:05Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > It’s a generic, albeit somewhat archaic word for the shin - see Edward Longshanks - which is what part of the animal (not just cows) is used for the shank. > > Quite a few things (including, but not limited to, shoes, nails, anchors, and buttons) have shanks…some can be used to make shanks in the shiv sense, others…would not be so practical. Hmm…You never the know the side of beef with your name in it. A scant five years ago, cows were the third most most deadly animal in the United States. The report from the CDC, which could stand some good press now. Nytimes on it. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2063 "2014-10-27T04:59:32Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > OK, I just listened to the CD on headphones. The word comes up 3 times in the song - once about 15 seconds in, another at ~48 seconds, and the other is the last word in the fadeout at the end. And damn, it’s hard to tell _what_ the vocalist is singing, but after several listens, I’m coming down on ‘lyres.’ But it’s so hard to tell, that of course if you read the lyrics off the innersleeve, you’d think it was ‘lives’ because it wasn’t clearly _not_ ‘lives.’ > > The only one that’s clearly ‘lyres’ even now is the one at the 0:48 mark. I’d still say the one at the 0:15 mark, while not clear either way, sounds kinda like there’s a ‘v’ consonant, and damned if I can tell anything from the one in the fadeout - I’m not sure the vocalist hit that consonant at all as he stretches out that last syllable. > > But given that the only instance I’m sure of is clearly ‘lyres’ if you listen closely enough, I’ve got to assume ‘lyres’ was intended throughout, and the inner sleeve has it wrong. > > Especially given that the Psalm says ‘lyres’ and the change would have made no sense. For what it’s worth, “lyres” is used all three times in the score. Obsolete musical instruments for the win! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2064 "2014-10-28T19:25:10Z")
Until about five minutes ago, I never realized these two songs were one and the same, they sound so freakin’ different: \*\*D'oh!\*\* :smack: Also, I was watching some back episodes of _ **Boardwalk Empire** _ tonight, and I finally got the meaning of the opening titles: All of that shit comes washing up on shore and over Nucky’s feet, but it drains away leaving Nucky unscathed, just like water off a duck’s back. The symbolism: Nucky is a born survivor! I can’t wait for the final episodes of _ **Mad Men** _ to find out if I’m right about Don’s world falling apart around him before he throws himself out a window, just like in the opening titles. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2065 "2014-10-28T23:56:09Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’ve been watching Adam West’s _ **Batman** _ four times a week at midnight lately. I haven’t seen this show in _years_, but I remember virtually every detail of each episode. Twice now, I’ve had incredible “Aha, I _know_ that actress, but where the hell _from_?” moments. > > The first one was **this babe:** > > [http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gjomIC2HuTo/Tm7x\_obBVRI/AAAAAAAADus/JnxGBBmTh\_g/s1600/screen-capture-17.png](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gjomIC2HuTo/Tm7x_obBVRI/AAAAAAAADus/JnxGBBmTh_g/s1600/screen-capture-17.png) > > The second was **this one:** > > [http://www.bat-mania.co.uk/guides/images/molls/moth.png](http://www.bat-mania.co.uk/guides/images/molls/moth.png) > > Here is the first again in a movie you might recognize: > > [https://yuq.me/users/22/485/ApGc8gfRLw.png](https://yuq.me/users/22/485/ApGc8gfRLw.png) > > _ **Cool Hand Luke** _ > > Here is the second in one of my favorite episodes of one of my favorite shows: > > [http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jWJDIkxcJ38/U1YWlqKniaI/AAAAAAANviY/Ec5vgF9ax-Y/s1600/Columbo-Forgotten\_Lady-1975-VCSS1-096.jpg](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jWJDIkxcJ38/U1YWlqKniaI/AAAAAAANviY/Ec5vgF9ax-Y/s1600/Columbo-Forgotten_Lady-1975-VCSS1-096.jpg) > > _ **Columbo** _, “Forgotten Lady” > > I’m sure they were in many other things as well, but these are two I recognized them from. I would have never recognized Carolyn Jones if her name hadn’t been in the credits. I didn’t realize that Yvonne Craig had played the green skinned Orion dancing girl in Star Trek until somebody pointed it out. On Once Upon A Time if you take the “r” out of Storybrooke you get Storybooke. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2066 "2014-11-01T17:50:59Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > All of that shit comes washing up on shore and over Nucky’s feet, but it drains away leaving Nucky unscathed, just like water off a duck’s back. The symbolism: Nucky is a born survivor! Whoops! Looks like I spoke too soon… :smack: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2067 "2014-11-02T06:49:20Z")
I listened to The Stones’ **[Paint It Black](http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uj9sduV3k8)** for years before finally really contemplating the lyrics and realizing it’s a song about the death of a lover. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2068 "2014-11-02T08:14:43Z")
I enjoyed the music of Lou Reed and David Bowie for years before realizing that anything and everything is about heroin. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2069 "2014-11-03T05:14:45Z")
In “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”, at one point Schroeder plays WWI songs and Snoopy listens and reacts. When he plays “Pack Up Your Troubles”, where the words “smile, smile, smile” would be sung, Snoopy gives a toothy grin for each “smile”. [Dramatic Snoopy - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B67w23x2cPM#t=54) ---
**Author:** ![Hermione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cdc98d/32.png) [@Hermione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermione)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2070 "2014-11-03T15:08:02Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > In “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”, at one point Schroeder plays WWI songs and Snoopy listens and reacts. When he plays “Pack Up Your Troubles”, where the words “smile, smile, smile” would be sung, Snoopy gives a toothy grin for each “smile”. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B67w23x2cPM#t=54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B67w23x2cPM#t=54) And (as a commenter on YouTube pointed out), during “A Long Way To Tipperary”, Snoopy bats his eyes on “the sweetest girl I know” and waves his paw good-bye on “goodbye, Piccadilly/farewell, Leicester Square.” ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2071 "2014-11-05T01:51:42Z")
I just realized (with about 45 seconds of re-watching), that the film _Ella Enchanted_ is pretty much a retelling of _Cinderella_. I told this to my daughter (we saw the movie together when she was 3) and her reply was “No it’s not, it… oooohhhhh… her name is even ‘Ella’!” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2072 "2014-11-05T02:14:40Z")
I’ve recently gotten into “Supernatural” over the last two or three months. One of the enemies they faced was the Leviathan. They’re very difficult to kill, but Borax slows them down. They mention it frequently. They say the word, they show boxes and spray bottles with the word on it. It finally just occurred to me it’s product placement.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2073 "2014-11-05T07:53:57Z")
Borax is a generic term, not a brand name, so I don’t understand how it could be a product placement: > **[Borax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax)** > > Borax (also referred to as sodium borate, tincal /ˈtɪŋkəl/ and tincar /ˈtɪŋkər/) is a salt (ionic compound), a hydrated or anhydrous borate of sodium, with the chemical formula Na2H20B4O17. It is a colorless crystalline solid, that dissolves in water to make a basic solution. > It is commonly available in powder or granular form and has many industrial and household uses, including as a pesticide, as a metal soldering flux, as a component of glass, enamel, and pottery glazes, for tanning of skins ... ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2074 "2014-11-05T08:18:34Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Borax is a generic term, not a brand name, so I don’t understand how it could be a product placement: > > [Borax - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax) Well then, I withdraw my previous statement. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2075 "2014-11-05T08:57:52Z")
When I read the lyrics to Elton John’s _ **Nikita** _, I realized it was about a guy sentenced to the GULAG for being homosexual. (Yes, this was a crime in the Soviet Union.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2076 "2014-11-05T09:10:23Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > When I read the lyrics to Elton John’s _ **Nikita** _, I realized it was about a guy sentenced to the GULAG for being homosexual. (Yes, this was a crime in the Soviet Union.) Huh. The music video implies quite a different story. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2077 "2014-11-05T10:21:30Z")
One for UK parents: Ben and Holly is a show about a an elf (Ben) and a fairy (Holly) who live in the Little Kingdom. Elves and fairies live alongside each other, but there are clear differences. Elves, for example, always respond to praise along these lines: Holly: Thanks for climbing up that nettle to get my wand back, Ben Ben: No problem. Elves are good at climbing nettles - and I’m an elf! _produces brass instrument from nowhere_ _plays loud PARP_ This basic dialogue repeats in every show, any time an elf is told they are good at something. After watching these shows for I don’t know how long, it finally dawned on me - the elves are _blowing their own trumpets._ It’s a show aimed at 5 year olds, for gods’ sake. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2078 "2014-11-05T12:33:49Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > I’ve recently gotten into “Supernatural” over the last two or three months. One of the enemies they faced was the Leviathan. They’re very difficult to kill, but Borax slows them down. They mention it frequently. They say the word, they show boxes and spray bottles with the word on it. It finally just occurred to me it’s product placement.:smack: > [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Borax is a generic term, not a brand name, so I don’t understand how it could be a product placement: > > [Borax - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax) > [@Nobody](#): > > Well then, I withdraw my previous statement. Well, it could have been product placement. I haven’t watched the show, but did the boxes look like this? > **[20 Mule Team Borax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Mule_Team_Borax)** > > 20 Mule Team Borax is a brand of cleaner manufactured in the United States by The Dial Corporation, a subsidiary of Henkel. The product primarily consists of borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, and is named after the 20-mule teams that were used by William Tell Coleman's company to move borax out of Death Valley, California, to the nearest rail spur between 1883 and 1889. > .mw-parser-output .vanchor\>:target~.vanchor-text{background-color:#b1d2ff}@media... ---
**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:** [November 5, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2079 "2014-11-05T14:07:49Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I just realized for the first time in 45 years that the planet-killer in “The Doomsday Machine” had that weird shape because that episode was _ **Star Trek** _’s version of _ **Moby Dick** _. It was supposed to look like a huge white whale! :smack: I always thought it looked like a [bugle](http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v60/484402443/Bugles_snack_pellet.jpg). Know idea what that symbolizes. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/2080 "2014-11-05T14:30:21Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I always thought it looked like a [bugle](http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v60/484402443/Bugles_snack_pellet.jpg). Know idea what that symbolizes. It symbolizes that it was easy to make, and yet suggested alien technology. I only recently learned that "Stephen Whitfield\*, who wrote _The Making of Star Trek_ (AFAIK the first “making of…” book about a TV aeries, and which came out during the original run of the show) was really Stephen Edward Poe. The reason he got all that info was that he worked with AMT plastics, the ones who built the model of the Enterpprise I built as a kjid. AMT had a deal with Roddenberry that not only gave him access, but also got AMT involved in making models. Apparently the destroyed _Constellation_ was an AMT model, burned with a torch and with the Enterprise serial numbers re-arranged. I gather that they also produced the Planet Destroyer. Maybe Stephen Poe like Bugels snacks a lot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117.md?page=103) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117.md?page=105)