# 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:** 49
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/961 "2011-04-01T16:14:00Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > I just started the latest novel by Terry Pratchett featuring Tiffany Aching and the Nac Mac Feegle, and I’m chagrined to say that I only now realized that Rob Anybody means he’ll rob anybody. I’d thought his name was Rob and his last name was just an an anonymous alias, like someone calling themselves Mr. Nonesuch. Clearly Rob Anybody is less discerning than [Rob Roy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Roy_MacGregor) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TheThirdFuller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@TheThirdFuller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheThirdFuller)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/962 "2011-04-01T17:38:41Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > **Young Frankenstein** : In Inspector Kemp’s first scene at the town meeting, he breathes on his monocle, polishes it on his jacket, and then puts it on the eye that has an eyepatch on it. > > And I think there a later scene where the torch-bearing mob is out looking for the monster and he puts a finger to his mouth to shoosh them that it’s his left arm that’s wooden. (All the other times it’s his right.) I’ll have to see it again to confirm that. The eyepatch probably changes sides, too. Young Frankenstein is one of my favorite movies… and almost everytime I watch it I see something new. I love me some Mel Brooks! Almost all of his movies have little gems that I tend to miss the first few go-rounds. I love the scene in the beginning when Gene Wilder is diagramming the brain, and it ends up being a perfect drawing of an ice cream cone. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/963 "2011-04-01T19:57:54Z")
> [@RomeoAndRosaline](#): > > What does a leaf have to be to be in the wind? Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn. > [@JSexton](#): > > That’s interesting, but I doubt it was intentional on Joss’s part. Have you ever listened to one of his commentaries? Given the incredible range of subtle things Joss Whedon does very deliberately, I absolutely would not put it past him. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/964 "2011-04-01T20:39:53Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > That’s interesting, but I doubt it was intentional on Joss’s part. Perhaps. Probably even. But Whedon had already shown some subtle foreshadowing of Wash’s death in the movie itself, so its not a great stretch to accept something like that as intentional. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/965 "2011-04-01T21:43:19Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > But Whedon had already shown some subtle foreshadowing of Wash’s death examples? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/966 "2011-04-01T23:09:58Z")
In _The Matrix_, Switch calls Neo “coppertop” in the car before the blue pill/red pill scene. This is well before Morpheus shows Neo what the machines use the people in the Matrix for. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/967 "2011-04-01T23:28:47Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > examples? I tried to find the scene on Youtube, but no luck, so will have to go from memory. In one scene when the crew are on the planet Miranda, they are having the revelation about what actually happened. They are standing in the street in a circle, with dialogue explaining what the alliance had done. As they are speaking, the camera is spinning from inside the circle, from cast member to cast member, showing each face one by one. The person currently speaking isnt always the one on camera, it is just spinning around showing the group. The last person speaking finishes with something like, “…and then they died”. (Cant remember the wording") At these words the camera stops dead on Wash’s face (which currently had a pretty glum expression co-incidentally). The scene ends with this. I think it was the DVD commentary that I seen this pointed out. ---
**Author:** ![Milossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/968 "2011-04-02T02:07:31Z")
I just watched “Godfather II” on AMC a few weeks back and only then realized that when Michael broke his “you’re dead to me” separation from Fredo at their mother’s funeral, while he’s hugging Fredo, he doesn’t just have a blank, emotionless expression; he shoots a look to one of his underlings that infers now it’s open season to whack Fredo – something he earlier vowed not to let happen while his mother was alive. When I expressed that revelation to my co-workers, they looked at me like I was an idiot for not recognizing it before. ---
**Author:** ![tesseract](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/969 "2011-04-02T04:49:12Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > Thank you for answering my question from three pages ago. > > I’m Googling around to try and find the meaning of the song, and not only is it hard to find, but on [SongMeanings.net](http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/5727/) there are a million different interpretations. > OK, I have another one, although, like some others around here, I had to be told about it. I was talking to my wife about reading the movie spoiler for the recent star trek movie and the conversation about how Dr. McCoy got his nick name of bones\* and she thought it was stupid. When I said that they never gave an explanation of his nick name in the original series she said that doctors use to be called sawbones and she figured that bones was just a shortening of that. I had never heard the term sawbones before to refer to a doctor, which is why I never got his nickname. > > \*After a divorce he said the only thing he had left to his name were his bones Aughhhh!!! I knew about the nickname for doctors, but it had never occurred to me until just now why they were named that!!! Aarrrghhhh! They\* saw \*_ **bones!** _:smack::o Hellooooo…I’ve even had an internal conversation about it…“Hmm, I wonder why doctors are sometimes called ‘sawbones’? Their bones are…?.No…I don’t know…hmm. Oh well.” ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/970 "2011-04-02T23:52:35Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I just realized that the meme “sex, drugs, and rock” is merely an update of the old “wine, women and song.” The phrase itself began as a song by the late, great Ian Dury, [“Sex And Drugs And Rock’n’Roll”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_%26_Drugs_%26_Rock_%26_Roll), and only dates as far back as 1977. ---
**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 3, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/971 "2011-04-03T04:44:20Z")
Here’s an example of the phrase “sex, drugs, and rock” appearing in _Life_, October 17, 1969: > **[LIFE](https://books.google.com/books?id=JFAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80-IA3&dq=%22sex%2Bdrugs%2Band%2Brock%22&hl=en&ei=PvqXTd2zE-mT0QGmpfnoCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22sex%20drugs%20and%20rock%22&f=false)** > > LIFE Magazine is the treasured photographic magazine that chronicled the 20th Century. It now lives on at LIFE.com, the largest, most amazing collection of professional photography on the internet. Users can browse, search and view photos of today’s... ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/972 "2011-04-04T05:17:36Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Here’s an example of the phrase “sex, drugs, and rock” appearing in _Life_, October 17, 1969: > > [LIFE - Google Books](http://books.google.com/books?id=JFAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80-IA3&dq=%22sex+drugs+and+rock%22&hl=en&ei=PvqXTd2zE-mT0QGmpfnoCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22sex%20drugs%20and%20rock%22&f=false) That I didn’t know, that’s interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/973 "2011-04-04T13:48:06Z")
As **CalMeacham** points out in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=603315) OP, Mad Magazine’s > [@CalMeacham](#): > > The “fold-in” pretty clearly seems to be a take-off on the Playboy “fold-out”/centerfold/gatefold, but nobody ever seems to mention this. I suspect they don’t realize it. It’s a Mad meta-joke. I read MAD for decades and never made that connection. ---
**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:** [April 5, 2011, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/974 "2011-04-05T05:24:16Z")
This kind of goes the other way of something I always thought was obvious but most people seemed to miss the joke. Charlie Sheen’s tour reminded me of it. Anytime Hot Shots! Part Deux was ever referenced in reviews or as the next movie on HBO or wherever , the reviewer or announcer would always make sure to over-pronounce the title as “Frenchy” as they could. It always seemed to me that the joke was that you were supposed to pronounce it as “Duh” (as in stupid), not like a French “2”. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/975 "2011-04-05T05:30:45Z")
> [@caligulathegod](#): > > This kind of goes the other way of something I always thought was obvious but most people seemed to miss the joke. Charlie Sheen’s tour reminded me of it. Anytime Hot Shots! Part Deux was ever referenced in reviews or as the next movie on HBO or wherever , the reviewer or announcer would always make sure to over-pronounce the title as “Frenchy” as they could. It always seemed to me that the joke was that you were supposed to pronounce it as “Duh” (as in stupid), not like a French “2”. You’re overthinking it. The French 2 is what the filmmakers had in mind all along: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEc-9hIdK0E](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEc-9hIdK0E) ---
**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:** [April 5, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/976 "2011-04-05T05:48:09Z")
Or that’s Don LaFontaine not getting the joke, either. Trailers aren’t usually produced “in house”. An agency does them and hires Don to do the voice over, which he used to to cold and in very few takes. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/977 "2011-04-05T12:27:38Z")
> [@caligulathegod](#): > > Or that’s Don LaFontaine not getting the joke, either. Trailers aren’t usually produced “in house”. An agency does them and hires Don to do the voice over, which he used to to cold and in very few takes. I have to imagine that if he pronounces the title wrong, the production company is going to call him up and tell him to do it again. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/978 "2011-04-05T12:38:01Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > The _Return of the Jedi_ threads had me reflecting on Lucas and his penchant for names. Thought of Admiral Ackbar, how it is almost “Allah Ackbar”. Akbar is Arabic for “great”, and, seeing as “admiral” is also originally an Arabic word\*, the character’s name translates directly to “Admiral Awesome”. \*(From “Emir-al-Baher”, or “Sea Prince”) ---
**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:** [April 5, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/979 "2011-04-05T13:27:27Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I have to imagine that if he pronounces the title wrong, the production company is going to call him up and tell him to do it again. One thing you do not do is is correct Mr. LaFontaine. I’ll do it the other way for the sake of the thread. I never noticed for years that the title Hot Shots! part _Deux_ was a homophone meant to be “read” as “DUH.” Another one I didn’t get until I did a quick google search to find an example of double entendre movie title was “Prick Up Your Ears,” which final double entendre is also an anagram. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/980 "2011-04-05T16:48:19Z")
> [@caligulathegod](#): > > Or that’s Don LaFontaine not getting the joke, either. > [@caligulathegod](#): > > One thing you do not do is is correct Mr. LaFontaine. From the standpoint of fighting ignorance, I feel the need to point out in response to your repeated use of the present tense that Don LaFontaine died in 2008. If you already knew this, please disregard. [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=48) [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=50)