# 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:** 7
**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:** [July 30, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/121 "2009-07-30T20:33:13Z")
Can I just point out that it’d be nice if people here explained what they mean with their cryptic “answers” (that are really just questions), before they hit “Post and Take Off For Points Unknown”? How much of this thread has been taken up with “What did you mean by Audi A2?” No reply. “I wonder what they meant by Audi A2?”;“Here’s what I think they meant by Audi A2.”; “I figured out the Audi A2!” “No, I know what they reeeeeally meant!” I mean, how rude would it be if I walked up to you at a party and said “I know where Amelia Earhart is! Just wait right here for a minute…” and then ran away. Wouldn’t you get a little impatient after a day or two? Especially if those two days were full of other people coming up and guessing at what I would’ve said if I’d stuck around? Or giving their pet Amelia Theories\*. So PLEASE, don’t just say “I finally figured out what ‘a movie star, the professor and Mary Anne…’ really means!” without telling us. - Feel free to substitute Fermat’s Last Theorem, The Kessel Run, The GOP’s 9/11 Plot, or Obama’s French Birth Certificate, depending on your Geek Quotient and IQ. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/122 "2009-07-30T20:44:18Z")
Sometime in the past year I realized something about “West Side Story”. The notes for the word “Maria” in the song of that name, C-F#-G, are the same notes as on the phrase “Who knows?” in “Something’s Coming” with the last two notes in a lower octave. In addition, the opening 3 notes of the musical, G-C-F#, are the same, just starting on the G instead of the C. I thought this should’ve been noticed before, so I Googled a bit before posting this, and it had. I also found the original concept of the musical was for a Jewish girl and a Catholic Italian-American boy, with the anti-Semitism of the Catholics as a source of conflict. They eventually rejected this because the subject had already been explored in “Abie’s Irish Rose” and similar productions. I also came across [this page](http://www.forward.com/articles/11647/), which contains a letter that reports Bernstein claimed the whole musical was based around the G-C-F# notes. The letter also claims that those notes are a remnant of the Jewish/Catholic concept because that’s one of the soundings of the shofar on Jewish New Year! I did find one shofar rendition on YouTube that was closer to C-F#-G. From the letter: “The overture is vivid tone-painting of terrifying Jew-baiting, for example, subjecting this shofar theme to being mocked and chased by the other instruments.” ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/123 "2009-07-30T21:50:52Z")
I think you might have missed the first word in the thread title. That’s ironic, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/124 "2009-07-30T22:18:02Z")
Maybe someone can start a thread on unique epiphanies we’ve had on works of art. I’ve had no such ephiphany except didi/gogo, which noone else seems to believe, so I’m afraid I won’t be starting it. And I’m lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/125 "2009-07-30T23:07:35Z")
> [@bink](#): > > In XTC’s _Senses Working Overtime_, he says “all the world is football-shaped”. It took me a long time to realize he’s English and meant a sphere! Hey! ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/126 "2009-07-30T23:41:43Z")
> [@statsman1982](#): > > The first is the jingle at the end of Kay Jewelers ads–“Every kiss begins with Kay.” I never realized until this past Christmas that they were trying to make a play on words: The letter “K” is spelled “kay” phonetically. Once I realized that, I could no longer hear those commercials without rewriting it in my head, every time it’s sung, as “The word kiss begins with K” ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/127 "2009-07-31T00:35:10Z")
This is really embarrassing… But it took me several rereads of the first Harry Potter book to realize that Diagon Alley was a play on diagonally… \ I also (this has nothing to do with art, but could arguably be more important to day to day life) only recently realized that all the Tupperware I inherited from my sister have coordinating numerals on them. I used to just curse and try 3-4 lids, but then I noticed that the #2 bowl has a #2 lid… And I have a graduate degree! :eek: Re West Side Story: we had to “analyze” it for 8th grade music class (it and Carmen; not at the same time). My music teacher brought up the repetition of notes and themes and keys etc. It’s been too long for me to remember much, but at the time we all thought, “cool” for about 5 minutes. (we were 13). This is the first I’ve heard of anti-Semite conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/128 "2009-07-31T00:43:13Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > So is the “Rose” supposed to equate somehow to “anti”, or something, or is it meaningless? Here’s my WAG: Rose, as in he rose (came back or decided to visit us sinners or whatever). Mary’s baby rose. But it’s not Mary’s baby (Jesus), he’s the anti-Christ. That’s all I got. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/129 "2009-07-31T00:51:48Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Considering the fact that he _had no way to get to the house_, yes. Kris didn’t drive, and he was only available to get there the night after the trial, when there was no one available to drive him (the characters were all with family). I think you’re demanding rather more precise measurements from the screenwriters than are reasonable. But anyway, they had cabs in 1947. > [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > I’m not disputing your point. I’m only asking what evidence for your point was cut from that part of the movie. I’m pretty sure at least part of that scene is cut in the syndicated version. I might be wrong. Definitely the first part of the scene where the guy from Chico and the Man discovers Susie’s letter addressed to Kris at the courthouse gets cut. More recently, I haven’t been seeing it on broadcast at all; it shows up on TCM, and they of course show the whole thing. But a few years ago, the syndicated version was the most common one to see. Anyway, that’s about all I have to say on the subject. –Cliffy ---
**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:** [July 31, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/130 "2009-07-31T01:33:03Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > This is really embarrassing… > But it took me several rereads of the first Harry Potter book to realize that Diagon Alley was a play on diagonally… \ You are not alone. Have you figured out Nocturne Alley yet? ---
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/131 "2009-07-31T02:49:48Z")
Pssst…it’s Knockturn Alley. And also Grimmauld Place. And Hagrid, Dumbledore, and Sirius all have “color” names. (Rubeus=red, Albus=white, Black=um, black.) It has something to do with alchemy, but don’t ask me what. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/132 "2009-07-31T03:22:21Z")
> [@PeskiPiksi](#): > > Pssst…it’s Knockturn Alley. Well, geez, I never got “nocturnally” before now. Thanks! Adding one more about Harry Potter, I DID get that the mirror Erised was Desire written backwards, or more exactly, I guess, how it would appear written in a mirror. ---
**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:** [July 31, 2009, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/133 "2009-07-31T03:33:01Z")
> [@PeskiPiksi](#): > > Pssst…it’s Knockturn Alley. I knew that didn’t look right. I blame the Braves blowing their 3-2 lead in the 8th for my distraction. ---
**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:** [July 31, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/134 "2009-07-31T04:07:11Z")
_ **THIS is what I’m on about!** [/python]_ Don’t just say “And also Grimmauld Place, wink, wink!” without explaining. I had to take time out from my hectic doing-nothing evening to google it. Most sites made no reference to a pun… did you mean Grim Old Place? ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/135 "2009-07-31T08:24:24Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > It took me years to realize that “Brown Eyed Girl” was actually about anal sex. No no, it’s “Hurts So Good” that’s about anal. Sometimes love don’t feel like it should. Apologies to all who will now never be able to hear that song without thinking of anal sex. ---
**Author:** ![mshar253](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@mshar253](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mshar253)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/136 "2009-07-31T12:01:06Z")
> [@digs](#): > > _ **THIS is what I’m on about!** [/python]_ Don’t just say “And also Grimmauld Place, wink, wink!” without explaining. I had to take time out from my hectic doing-nothing evening to google it. Most sites made no reference to a pun… did you mean Grim Old Place? I googled, saw nothing, then said it to myself about five times. I’m sure he meant “Grim Old Place.” ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/137 "2009-07-31T12:17:54Z")
So Rosebud was his _sled_. Ohhhhhhhhhh, I get it. And I can’t believe it took me so long to figure out what was in the briefcase in **Pulp Fiction**. It was so obvious! ---
**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:** [July 31, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/138 "2009-07-31T13:18:17Z")
Last Friday, my wife realized that the song _Rapture_, by Blondie, was called that because of the rap in the second half of the song. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/139 "2009-07-31T13:43:42Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > So Rosebud was his _sled_. Ohhhhhhhhhh, I get it. > > And I can’t believe it took me so long to figure out what was in the briefcase in **Pulp Fiction**. It was so obvious! 😛 Will you be telling us what Bill Murray whispered to Scarlett Johannson? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/140 "2009-07-31T14:19:06Z")
What was in the briefcase in Pulp Fiction? The same thing that was in the trunk in Repo Men, geez. [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=6) [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=8)