# Obvious things about a creative work you realize after the millionth time (OPEN SPOILERS POSSIBLE)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117>\
**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:** 310

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2025, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6187 "2025-02-24T23:30:16Z")

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> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> When I was an undergrad our floor liked to pretend it was a frat, and our floor members had nicknames/floor names like Old Man, Wino, Dead Bear, Toad, etc.

One of the guys in the college band with me was Moose Balls.

I think he was the only one with a nickname like that, though.

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**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:** [February 27, 2025, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6188 "2025-02-27T15:14:27Z")

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The album _Purple Rain_ was released closer to World War II than today.

It brings me no joy to report this.

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**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:** [February 27, 2025, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6189 "2025-02-27T17:22:29Z")

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And yet you did it anyway.

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**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2025, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6190 "2025-02-27T17:26:53Z")

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I have a nephew who will turn 23 this year. We were talking about _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ a while back, which came out the year I graduated high school.

I did some math and realized that _Raiders_ is exactly as old to him as _Casablanca_ is to me. 🤯

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**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:** [March 6, 2025, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6191 "2025-03-06T17:18:36Z")

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Rewatching 30 Rock, Jack is doing flashcards to memorizes employee’s names. One of them is Wally, Cue Cards  
[![](https://external-preview.redd.it/found-u-cuecardwallys-cameo-in-30-rock-v0-8g7xdKT_2fPUY36G4jYmLqo54fHZ3D7Hf6GyUKsAXu8.png?auto=webp&s=dd1694094fb917f55cae509a11c535e3267f8bd8) ](https://external-preview.redd.it/found-u-cuecardwallys-cameo-in-30-rock-v0-8g7xdKT_2fPUY36G4jYmLqo54fHZ3D7Hf6GyUKsAXu8.png?auto=webp&s=dd1694094fb917f55cae509a11c535e3267f8bd8)

Not only was that a real employee, but Wally is still NBC’s cue card guy.

Also, my daughter noticed that Liz, or rather Tina Fey, has a scar on her face. I don’t know if I ever noticed it, but after looking it up, I do remember hearing the story. When she was 5 years old, some random guy walked up to her and sliced her face open.  
I’d link to a story, but that’s about all there is to it.

My sister, the pop-culture queen, informed me that the scar was much more visible on SNL while on 30 Rock they tried to shoot around it. I wasn’t watching much SNL when she was on, so this may be more well known than I was aware of.

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**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:** [March 9, 2025, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6192 "2025-03-09T01:28:21Z")

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Two more:  
1)This one is embarrassing. I like Cream/Eric Clapton as much as the next guy. After hearing Sunshine Of Your Love about a million times, I learned that it’s Jack Bruce on (lead) vocals.  
Seriously, I had no idea. In my defense (to my ears) it does sound like Eric. And for those of you that watch her, I only found out when Elizabeth on The Charismatic Voice mentioned it.

2)There’s a song that I hear all the time on our radio at work. It has the line “I wish that I knew what I know now  
When I was younger”. That line has been on repeat in my head for the last few days so I looked it up. Turns out it’s Faces (The Faces?). Doesn’t sound like Rod Stewart…it’s not, it’s _Ronnie Wood_.  
To be clear, unlike the first example, I had no idea who the singer/band was, however, if I knew it was Faces I probably would’ve assumed it was Rod Stewart.

[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MyaiKrrbaIU/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGHIgRyhXMA8=&rs=AOn4CLA4XyXAk5ia1NE-hCpGdUleRK9G8A "Ron Wood & Bo Diddley - Ooh La La - 11/20/1987 - Ritz") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyaiKrrbaIU)

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**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6193 "2025-03-09T15:32:24Z")

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> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> After hearing Sunshine Of Your Love about a million times, I learned that it’s Jack Bruce on (lead) vocals.  
> Seriously, I had no idea. In my defense (to my ears) it does sound like Eric.

It’s actually both of them. They go back and forth.

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**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:** [March 10, 2025, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6194 "2025-03-10T17:34:33Z")

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Clapton got so big that I think people forgot that Jack Bruce was the primary vocalist for Cream.

Which I realized when I first heard the live version of [“Crossroads”…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYC5BcL7YtQ) during the applause Jack Bruce says _“Eric Clapton, please, vocals!”_

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**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2025, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6195 "2025-03-10T18:27:28Z")

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> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> I like Cream/Eric Clapton as much as the next guy. After hearing Sunshine Of Your Love about a million times, I learned that it’s Jack Bruce on (lead) vocals.  
> Seriously, I had no idea.

Don’t feel so bad. It wasn’t until many years later that I realized Benjamin Orr sang just about as many songs for the Cars as Ric Ocasek. I knew he did the lead vocals for “Drive” but always thought that was a one-off. Nope!

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**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:** [March 10, 2025, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6196 "2025-03-10T19:08:42Z")

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> [@Shoeless](#):
>
> It wasn’t until many years later that I realized Benjamin Orr sang just about as many songs for the Cars as Ric Ocasek.

I remember learning that at some point as well, here probably. In my defense, my only real knowledge of the band was the video for You Might Think.

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**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:** [March 10, 2025, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6197 "2025-03-10T19:16:52Z")

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Maybe it’s because in Middle School, my friend was a massive Cars fan, but I thought it was common knowledge that The Cars had two singers, Ric Ocasek and… that other guy.

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**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:** [March 10, 2025, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6198 "2025-03-10T20:18:49Z")

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> [@Maus\_Magill](#):
>
> my friend was a massive Cars fan

Reading this post without realizing what you were replying to, it took me a second to realize you meant Cars as in the band, not the Pixar movie. (Which confused me, because I was pretty sure 99% of posters here are too old to have been in middle school when that movie came out.)

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**Author:** ![EnolaStraight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2025, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6199 "2025-03-12T03:38:14Z")

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Soul/Smooth Jazz singer Bobby Caldwell…best known for “What you wouldn’t do for love”…

…is a white guy.

[Black People Not Knowing Bobby Caldwell Isn’t Black (what you won’t do for love)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfS_67YJ5lc)

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**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:** [March 12, 2025, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6200 "2025-03-12T03:47:37Z")

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You might want to sit down while I tell you about Bill Medley.

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2025, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6201 "2025-03-12T04:05:16Z")

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In _Memento_, Leonard talks about how unreliable memory is. In the movie, his touchstone is “Remember Sammy Jenkis” and he continually talks about him and how his wife died. Thing is, he is completely misremembering Sammy’s real story.

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**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2025, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6202 "2025-03-12T04:39:33Z")

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> [@EnolaStraight](#):
>
> Soul/Smooth Jazz singer Bobby Caldwell…best known for “What you wouldn’t do for love”…
> 
> …is a white guy.
> 
> [Black People Not Knowing Bobby Caldwell Isn’t Black (what you won’t do for love)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfS_67YJ5lc)

So is Dan Hartman, who does a great job of channeling Motown on [“I can Dream About You”](https://youtu.be/621Nk3Ubz4A?si=-Z5FVA-neiJf4nKB).

And that’s not Stevie Wonder singing [“Canned Heat.”](https://youtu.be/vE4VlA_9OrI?si=3Ri8Xo7c5BGLEWy8) That’s Jamiroquai, and the lead singer is a little white British dude.

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**Author:** ![EnolaStraight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6203 "2025-03-12T17:20:33Z")

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So is Dan Hartman, who does a great job of channeling Motown on “I can Dream About You”.

_HUH!_

The only visuals I had on that song was from the movie “Streets of Fire”…and it wasn’t THAT guy.

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**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:** [March 12, 2025, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6204 "2025-03-12T18:30:41Z")

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> [@EnolaStraight](#):
>
> So is Dan Hartman, who does a great job of channeling Motown on “I can Dream About You”.
> 
> _HUH!_
> 
> The only visuals I had on that song was from the movie “Streets of Fire”…and it wasn’t THAT guy.

When you delve into it, it gets more complicated. Dan Hartman wrote the song and sang the only version that was released commercially. So on the soundtrack album and on radio you hear Dan Hartman. Without the visual from the movie I wouldn’t assume the singer was black. The director didn’t like Hartman’s version and used an unknown singer named Winston Ford who was black to do the vocals that were lip synced by Stoney Jackson in the movie (doing the moon walk 1 year after Michael Jackson).

Dan Hartman is interesting. He didn’t become a household name but he did have success. He was the lead singer for The Edgar Winter Group and sang “Free Ride” which he also wrote. Later he wrote and produced “Living in America” for James Brown. He died young from AIDS related cancer.

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**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2025, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6205 "2025-03-12T20:48:02Z")

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> [@Loach](#):
>
> He was the lead singer for The Edgar Winter Group and sang “Free Ride” which he also wrote.

Wow, I would have never made that connection. Even if I saw the name, I would have assumed it was just someone else with the same name.

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**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:** [March 12, 2025, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/6206 "2025-03-12T21:05:49Z")

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We all remember this scene, right?

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dJgrzc7wGvw/maxresdefault.jpg "Chandler trapped in ATM vestibule with Jill Goodacre #friends") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJgrzc7wGvw)

TIL she’s been married to Harry Connick Jr for 30 years now. Also, her mom designed the obverse (heads) side of the Sacagawea dollar.

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