# 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:** 178
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3542 "2020-04-14T19:02:16Z")
[Smack] ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3543 "2020-04-15T03:16:41Z")
Lex Luthor is the NIETZCHEAN Supereman! ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3544 "2020-04-15T17:39:46Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I was just watching a YouTube video about the White House and I learned the Oval Office is not in the main building, the Executive Residence, which is where I always thought it was. It’s out in the West Wing and it’s been there since 1909. So where was it before 1909? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3545 "2020-04-15T17:57:34Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Not directly linked to a creative work but I’ve seen every episode of _The West Wing_ and a bunch of movies and TV shows without realizing this. > > I was just watching a YouTube video about the White House and I learned the Oval Office is not in the main building, the Executive Residence, which is where I always thought it was. It’s out in the West Wing and it’s been there since 1909. True. There is a Yellow Oval Room in the residence, however: [Yellow Oval Room - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Oval_Room) ---
**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:** [April 15, 2020, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3546 "2020-04-15T18:14:42Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > Lex Luthor is the NIETZCHEAN Supereman! Probably a fairly obvious compliant, but it occurred to me that if Lex devoted his intellect and money to solving the world’s problems he’d be a bigger hero than Superman. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3547 "2020-04-15T18:39:09Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > In our house, when somebody is embarrassingly slow on the uptake, the phrase used when admitting it/being riduculed for it is “Oh, like the _boots_!” which references the time - about 18 months after first seeing it - that I realised the sitcom ‘Doc Martin’ isn’t solely called that because it’s about a doctor called Martin. > > Y’know…? “Doc Martin”? Doc Mart_ens_…like the boots? I’ve noticed the similarity, but so? Why would they name the doctor after a pair of boots? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3548 "2020-04-15T18:42:50Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Probably a fairly obvious compliant, but it occurred to me that if Lex devoted his intellect and money to solving the world’s problems he’d be a bigger hero than Superman. Been brought up a lot in various Superman media. At least once by Lex, who justified not doing so by claiming that he had to take down the Alien, or humanity would always be dependent. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3549 "2020-04-15T18:46:16Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I was just watching a YouTube video about the White House and I learned the Oval Office is not in the main building, the Executive Residence, which is where I always thought it was. It’s out in the West Wing and it’s been there since 1909. [I think this shot of the White House gives a better feeling for what it is like.](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7d/d7/0f/7dd70f4ff82e5fec700ff231cb733164.jpg) ---
**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:** [April 15, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3550 "2020-04-15T19:33:33Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > Lex Luthor is the NIETZCHEAN Supereman! Not that far off. When Siegel and Schuster started playing with ideas for Superman they toyed with the idea of an evil Superman. And they created a character called the Ultra Humanite (in case Nietzche wanted to sue them for copyright infringement from beyond the grave, I guess). They ultimately turned out a good Superman, but gave him Luthor as an antagonist. In his first appearance Luthor looked kind of like Tom Edison, with hair and all. I guess that made sense – he was an Evil Inventor. He had bald minions, though. They soon realized that the Bald Minion look worked better on Luthor himself. ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3551 "2020-04-15T19:45:37Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I’ve noticed the similarity, but so? Why would they name the doctor after a pair of boots? I think “Doc Marten” is _such_ a known thing that they must have meant it. It doesn’t have to be about boots, or be named after boots per se: they could have written a sitcom about a Doctor called Martin, then have the name hit them and think it too perfect to waste. Like…if there was a thing about a gigolo named Ford, it would be called Ford Escort, regardless of its being nothing to do with the car. At the very least, even if it was pure coincidence, the fact that I didn’t notice it AT ALL is embarrassing. I’m a copywriter for crying out loud. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3552 "2020-04-15T20:03:50Z")
Along the same lines as the Doc Martin thing, it took me literally decades to notice the word play in title of the movie _Sister Act_. I always took it as a literal description of the movie’s premise: woman pretends to be a nun. It never dawned on me that a sister act is a musical group made up of women who are sisters, such as The Andrews Sisters. ---
**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:** [April 15, 2020, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3553 "2020-04-15T22:00:46Z")
Doc Martens boots aren’t as well known in the U.S. as in the U.K., so it’s not that surprising that an American might not have thought of them on hearing about a doctor named Martin. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3554 "2020-04-15T23:38:20Z")
Never worn a pair (or even seen them in a store), but they’re such a Tough Brit Kids cliché that I know what they look like. And I find it really distracting! Every time I see “Doc Martin” (and I think we’ve watched every episode at least once) I’m thinking of boots. Then wondering why I’m thinking of boots, then wondering why they named not only the doctor but also the show after… a pair of boots. (Huh?) It’d be the same if there was a show called “Mister Coffey” or “Doctor Pepper”. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3555 "2020-04-15T23:47:15Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Never worn a pair (or even seen them in a store), but they’re such a Tough Brit Kids cliché that I know what they look like. > > And I find it really distracting! Every time I see “Doc Martin” (and I think we’ve watched every episode at least once) I’m thinking of boots. Then wondering why I’m thinking of boots, then wondering why they named not only the doctor but also the show after… a pair of boots. (Huh?) > > It’d be the same if there was a show called “Mister Coffey” or “Doctor Pepper”. Isn’t that the point? He’s a posh wealthy doctor, used to being referred to as Doctor Ellingham - and now the locals in his new town call him Doc Martin. The name reflects his newly lowered circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2020, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3556 "2020-04-16T13:45:49Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > …Like…if there was a thing about a gigolo named Ford, it would be called Ford Escort, regardless of its being nothing to do with the car… Or maybe even an alien named Ford Prefect. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2020, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3557 "2020-04-16T14:16:57Z")
> [@Guy\_Incognito](#): > > I think these are also known as “orchestreons”. There’s an old-fashioned soda shop in Columbus, IN that has a few working models: > > Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor - [http://www.zaharakos.com/](http://www.zaharakos.com/) The House on the Rock has a ton of orchestrions. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2020, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3558 "2020-04-16T17:10:19Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > [I think this shot of the White House gives a better feeling for what it is like.](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7d/d7/0f/7dd70f4ff82e5fec700ff231cb733164.jpg) Yes, I was aware that the White House had extended wings off of the central part. But I always assumed the Oval Office was considered to be one of the most important rooms in the building and would therefore be located in the main part of the building. I figured it was staff offices that got placed out in the wings. It seems strange to me that the White House doctor and the White House curator have their offices in the main building but the President got sent off to the West Wing. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3559 "2020-04-18T18:39:25Z")
I guess I had assumed the President’s office had always been the Oval Office. Coupled with the fact that there is an oval room on the floorplan and it’s an easy mistake to make. Logically, though, it makes more sense for the Oval Office to be off to the side. I mean, the President’s office needs other facilities nearby, including a secretary’s desk, a waiting space for when he is occupied in the office, and close access for the Chief of Staff as well as other staffers. This, the West Wing. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3560 "2020-04-22T13:53:25Z")
This isn’t exactly what the OP is talking about but watching Seinfeld reruns this week and the one right now is when Jerry dates the Dr. who goes on about saving lives and he finds out she’s a dermatologist. He calls her “Dr. Pimple Popper”. I’ve never seen the show DPP because, oh hell no, but I’ve heard the name dozens of times and never remembered the Seinfeld ep. I’m assuming that’s where the name came from(?) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2020, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/3561 "2020-04-22T20:34:42Z")
I’ve seen the movie Laura many times. The other day I saw it again and noticed a possible plot hole for the first time. Waldo was supposed to have dinner with Laura on Friday night, the night of the murder, but she called him at the last minute and told him she couldn’t go to dinner because she was going out of town to be alone and to think about her pending marriage to Shelby. This is seen in flashback, as Waldo describes it to McPherson. Possible unreliable narrator, I suppose, given the force of reality by the flashback device. Anyway, later that night Waldo went to Laura’s apartment with a shotgun with the intent to kill her. Why would he do that if he knew that she was out of town? If she hadn’t told him she was going, and at the time he was talking to McPherson he still thought she was dead, how would he know she had intended to go to the cabin? I can think of one in-story explanation: in a later scene, when everyone still thinks Laura is dead and McPherson is in the apartment on a rainy night, Waldo stops by and rings the bell because, he said, he saw the lights on from the street. Maybe on the night of the murder he also saw lights on (Shelby and Diane were apparently in the bedroom talking, so presumably the lights were on) and Waldo assumed Laura hadn’t left yet. Possible, I guess, but thin. I would expect Shelby, sneaky by nature, to have drawn the drapes. [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=177) [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=179)