# 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:** 285
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5687 "2023-11-14T22:38:10Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > What would you call a Bull Terrier / ShihTzu mix? I went to an animal farm expecting to see all sorts of wonderful creatures, but all they had there was one small cute dog. It was a shih tzu. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5688 "2023-11-14T23:30:54Z")
I’ve been watching Columbo for years and never noticed that he doesn’t wear a wedding band. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5689 "2023-11-15T23:43:48Z")
BullShih ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5690 "2023-11-15T23:57:20Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > but all they had there was one small cute dog. It was a shih tzu. Obvious things you notice about a joke for the first time. -me ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5691 "2023-11-16T04:33:42Z")
Okay, we all remember Raiders, and how Indiana Jones barely made it through the gap before the door came down, and how he grabbed his hat at the last second. In **Witness** , which also stars Harrison Ford, Lukas Hass rolls under a divider from one bathroom stall to another, and _grabs his hat_ at the last second before someone opens the door to the stall he just left. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5692 "2023-11-16T12:55:04Z")
That reminds me of another one Harrison Ford one. I’m sure we’ve all heard some of the trivia about how Mel Brooks and George Lucas working out the details about some of the various aspects of Spaceballs. A few years ago, I heard Mel Brooks saying that George Lucas told him Lonestar can’t wear a vest in the movie. According to Brooks “They didn’t want him to look like Han Solo so I made him look like Indiana Jones”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5693 "2023-11-16T14:54:34Z")
In _The Lion King_, Simba’s meerkat friend Timon shares his name with a Shakespeare title character. Took me a while to notice that Simba meets Timon (and Pumbaa) in a plot twist that roughly echoes _Timon of Athens_: a well-off man turns his back on society and retreats into nature to live off the land. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5694 "2023-11-16T16:33:45Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Anyway, I may just have a disproportionate amount of TV nerds in my circle, but they will use “single-camera” and “multi-camera” sitcom when describing something I haven’t watched to me at times. > > If it’s not intentional, then I guess I found it funny because of some coincidence. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have found it humorous at all. So maybe I am overthinking it, but it’s what makes it funny to me, so I’ll prefer to believe it was intentional. But the comic is from 1986, and I don’t think many people back then noticed or cared how many cameras a sitcom used. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5695 "2023-11-16T21:50:51Z")
Maybe not obvious; just an interpretation I never thought of before. When Roald Dahl created Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory, he must have been heavily influenced by the Cadbury chocolate empire. The way he describes the basic Wonka Bar sounds a lot like the Cadbury Milk bar. They had a huge factory, and from time to time gave tours of it, and they were constantly trying to come up with exciting new varieties of chocolate and candy. However, the Cadburys were Quaker, and while I’m not saying they never had _any_ fun, they certainly didn’t sing and dance and make smart remarks around the factory. So Willy Wonka is as if the Wizard of Oz was a candy/chocolate magnate. Think so? ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5696 "2023-11-16T23:22:06Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > However, the Cadburys were Quaker, and while I’m not saying they never had _any_ fun, they certainly didn’t sing and dance and make smart remarks around the factory. Kind of funny, the film was produced by Quaker Oats. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5697 "2023-11-16T23:50:50Z")
> [@caligulathegod](#): > > Kind of funny, the film was produced by Quaker Oats. Coincidental, because Quaker Oats and Cadbury’s have never been affiliated. But that’s how a producer named David Wolper got the movie financed, by having QO use it as a vehicle. Unfortunately, it was not a hit on its original release! Just can’t predict these things. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5698 "2023-11-17T00:15:32Z")
Right, but the coincidence is funny. How often does Quaker come into conversation, fictional or real? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5699 "2023-11-17T00:22:48Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > When Roald Dahl created Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory, he must have been heavily influenced by the Cadbury chocolate empire. In fact, Dahl was directly inspired by Cadbury - they used to beta-test new candy bars by sending prototypes to him and his boarding-school classmates, which led him to imagine what kind of mad genius was working behind the scenes to invent such wondrous new confections. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5700 "2023-11-17T00:29:30Z")
Sign me up for that study! ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5701 "2023-11-17T02:18:11Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > In fact, Dahl was directly inspired by Cadbury - they used to beta-test new candy bars by sending prototypes to him and his boarding-school classmates, which led him to imagine what kind of mad genius was working behind the scenes to invent such wondrous new confections. Mind…blown. Thank you for sharing. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2023, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5702 "2023-11-17T19:41:48Z")
I feel that the book portrays Wonka as a mad scientist who just happens to be obsessed with candy. Just read the replies. I don’t feel that this fact negates what I said. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2023, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5703 "2023-11-17T19:54:27Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > What would you call a Bull Terrier / ShihTzu mix? Boopsie ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5704 "2023-11-17T20:31:51Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oKi34_9yT5E/hqdefault.jpg "Dumb & Dumber: Bulldog + Shitsu = Bullshit") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKi34_9yT5E) ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5705 "2023-11-17T20:34:43Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > What would you call a Bull Terrier / ShihTzu mix? ShihTbull ---
**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:** [November 22, 2023, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5706 "2023-11-22T00:35:02Z")
I just realized today that “Amazing Race” sounds like “Amazing Grace”. [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=284) [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=286)