# Pointless nitpicking of Pirates of the Caribbean **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878 "2005-07-17T15:59:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/1 "2005-07-17T15:59:36Z")
The responsibility of the existence of this thread rests primarily in two circumstances…a) I’m attempting to clean my house and therefor any activity other than cleaning my house has a high probability of occuring, and b) the film is being played entirely too often on the one movie channel that comes with my basic cable package. Onto the nits in need of picking… If the cursed pirates are supposed to be subject to the lack of sensation detailed in Barbosa’s monologue to Elizabeth, then why was Ragetti burned by the coals that Elizabeth dropped on his head in the beginning, and how could Barbosa feel that Elizabeth’s dress was still warm as she walked the plank? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/2 "2005-07-17T16:24:43Z")
It’s the magic of _ **The Writers** _ ! Ooooohhhh! ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/3 "2005-07-17T16:38:38Z")
1. Barbosa was exaggerating, or they simply added stage business without considering the consequences in the story line. 2. The dress – I assumed he was just saying that to embarass her. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/4 "2005-07-17T16:53:55Z")
> [@honeydewgrrl](#): > > \a) I’m attempting to clean my house and therefor any activity other than cleaning my house has a high probability of occuring, and \ I would like to extend an invitation for you to join the Sisterhood of the Half-Assed Housecleaners. I just made it up yesterday. I don’t know what any of the perks are yet, except not being expected to actually have a clean house. As for the Pirates of the Caribbean, my response to it was “meh.” Johnny Depp sparkled, as usual, but the rest was no big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/5 "2005-07-17T17:11:58Z")
_Really_ pointless nitpick: Johnny Depp’s ship was portrayed by _The Lady Washington_. (I’ve sailed on her, BTW. 🙂 ) _The Lady Washington_ has a tiller, not a wheel. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/6 "2005-07-17T17:20:43Z")
Ooh! Oooh! Can I join the Sisterhood? I am at present supposed to be cleaning my fridge out. You can tell I’m supposed to be doing housework because I’m actually on the computer. The costumes in POTC were wacky. I have no idea what Keira Knightley’s skimpy dress thing is supposed to be. It’s definitely not a chemise, or any equivalent. And they didn’t wear corsets- they called them stays. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/7 "2005-07-17T17:50:22Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > _Really_ pointless nitpick: > > Johnny Depp’s ship was portrayed by _The Lady Washington_. (I’ve sailed on her, BTW. 🙂 ) _The Lady Washington_ has a tiller, not a wheel. Tangent commencing… By any chance are you familiar with a German schooner called _Wanderbird_? It was restored by a somewhat distant relative of mine, Captain Harold Sommer. It currently finds its home in Sausalito, I believe. [Here](http://www.ci.sausalito.ca.us/shs/moments/Moment%201994-3-15.htm) is a picture of it in the 1930’s, and [here](http://www.capemendocino.com/gallery.html) it is after the restoration. …tangent ending. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/8 "2005-07-17T18:06:47Z")
My mistake. It looks like she’s since moved farther north to Puget Sound, under new ownership. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/9 "2005-07-17T19:22:22Z")
> [@Lissla Lissar](#): > > Ooh! Oooh! Can I join the Sisterhood? I am at present supposed to be cleaning my fridge out. You can tell I’m supposed to be doing housework because I’m actually on the computer.\ But of course. You meet our stringent requirements. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/10 "2005-07-17T19:30:08Z")
Can I join? Or do I need to form a sister cell of those of us who are sitting at the computer instead of planting the peppers currently sitting on the side porch in their little plastic cups with the roots coming out of the drain holes? ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/11 "2005-07-17T19:38:33Z")
So far my housecleaning has included the watching of 2.5 feature length movies, most of one episode of Mythbusters, 45 minutes of nautical google research, and 2 large margaritas…but I did find out that “author, adventure and sail training pioneer” [Irving Johnson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Johnson) may have sailed on the _Wanderbird_, unless it was another vessel of the same name upon which he met his wife… ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/12 "2005-07-17T20:03:52Z")
I have to join the procrastinators (in fact, I was just about to start a thread about what to do on Sundays). I’m still sitting in my jammies, hung-over and screwing around on the computer trying to decide via fashion websites if I can still wear my pointy toed stilettos this fall (oh, the urgency :rolleyes: ). I could shower and: 1. clean the house. 2. go to work and clean my desk/ finally assemble the notebook I’ve been planning for my student. 3. go to DSW and buy _round toed_ stilettos. And also waste more money at Sephora and Victoria’s Secret. And maybe the Gap and Target… 4. take a nap (thus eliminating the need to shower or change). I’m leaning towards option 4 but I’m hungry and have no food. (hmmm, inspired by the OP, I could go find some POTC slash…) ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/13 "2005-07-18T00:28:24Z")
This one is sailing off to **Cafe Society**. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/14 "2005-07-18T00:43:42Z")
> [@honeydewgrrl](#): > > If the cursed pirates are supposed to be subject to the lack of sensation detailed in Barbosa’s monologue to Elizabeth, then why was Ragetti burned by the coals that Elizabeth dropped on his head in the beginning Well, they feel _some_ pain, witness the yelling as the various pirates get run through with swords and whatnot, and I could buy a reflex reaction, i.e. recoiling when confronted with hot coals, even if they’re not actually burning you. Actually, Barbosa’s “I feel nothing” speech started to make me feel sorry for him, helped along by his angry hurling of an apple overboard after Jack has gloatingly taken and enjoyed a bite from it. As a side nitpick, where does that apple that falls from Barbossa’s dead hand come from? Did he slip it out of his pocket after pointing his pistol at Elizabeth? Why? And how does he keep his apple collection fresh, in an age before refrigeration? And why does he suffer a fatal wound _before_ Will drops the two medallions into the stone chest? (spoiler re the sequel) I get the feeling this last bit will be used to justify Barbosa’s appearance in the now-filming sequel, which I find a bit annoying, unless all of Barbosa’s scenes turn out to be flashbacks. > [@](#): > > and how could Barbosa feel that Elizabeth’s dress was still warm as she walked the plank? He was making a joke at her expense to amuse his crew. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/15 "2005-07-18T03:38:11Z")
> [@honeydewgrrl](#): > > So far my housecleaning has included the watching of 2.5 feature length movies, most of one episode of Mythbusters, 45 minutes of nautical google research, and 2 large margaritas…but I did find out that “author, adventure and sail training pioneer” [Irving Johnson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Johnson) may have sailed on the _Wanderbird_, unless it was another vessel of the same name upon which he met his wife… Wow, with those credentials, you could be Chapter Leader. **Snakescatlady** , of course you can join. All it takes is the right attitude, and it sounds like you’ve got it. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/16 "2005-07-18T06:50:28Z")
If the pirates can walk along the sea bottom, why were they frightened when Elizabeth threatened to drop the medallion over the side of the ship? ---
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/17 "2005-07-18T10:00:46Z")
They can walk across the seafloor, but we only see them doing do in a relatively shallow bay. When the medallion was threatened with becoming a gravity victim, the ship was supposed to be underway in Og knows how many fathoms of water, making a recovery extremely hard if not impossible. It could get snagged in coral, it could get swept into an underwater cavern, it could get eaten by a kraken, etc. Since they’ve gathered all the pieces up at this point and seemingly found Turner’s heir, i think they’d be loath to undertake another ten-year game of hunt the shiny. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/18 "2005-07-18T13:08:34Z")
If Captain Barbosa was killed by a wound received _before_ the curse was lifted, what about all those other pirates fighting on the ship? They were all stabbed and chopped moments before the gold pieces were returned to the chest. Why didn’t they die too as soon as life was restored to them? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/19 "2005-07-18T13:49:23Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > If the pirates can walk along the sea bottom, why were they frightened when Elizabeth threatened to drop the medallion over the side of the ship? I assumed that it was because of the difficulty in finding it after being dropped from a moving vessel. Between the motion of the ship and the currents in the water, the search area would have to be large. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878/20 "2005-07-18T13:51:25Z")
> [@teela brown](#): > > If Captain Barbosa was killed by a wound received _before_ the curse was lifted, what about all those other pirates fighting on the ship? They were all stabbed and chopped moments before the gold pieces were returned to the chest. Why didn’t they die too as soon as life was restored to them? At least one of them back on the ship did just that…the dude who looked like he had oatmeal all over his face through the whole movie just fell over. If you haven’t sat through the entire credits… There’s a last scene where the monkey is walking across the chest of Cortez. He reaches in and grabs a piece of gold in the moonlight and is instantly turned into “undead monkey”, then he screams at the camera. I wonder if that’s the premise upon which the sequels are built…that somehow the monkey rekindles the curse and the rest of the pirates are sucked back in, whether or not they were killed during their brief stint as mortals. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-nitpicking-of-pirates-of-the-caribbean/312878.md?page=2)