# Silly, weird, perhaps unanswerable questions about movies and TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 31, 2013, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401 "2013-03-31T03:09:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/181 "2014-05-02T01:12:05Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > And speaking of Everybody Loves Raymond: Was Robert an NYPD cop, or a Lynbrook cop? They show him both ways. And he was perpetually poor, even when he was a lieutenant, which had to be a notch above minimum wage. If he had a drug or gambling problem it would have been good plot fuel, but he was portrayed as having no life at all. I didn’t watch the show regularly, but didn’t Robert have an unpleasant ex-wife? She may have cleaned him out in the divorce. IIRC Robert did at one point move into a pretty nice apartment or condo where a lot of attractive women lived (to Ray’s envy), so I don’t think he was \*perpetually \*poor. I assume the big reason he wasn’t going out and having fun a lot wasn’t due to lack of money but rather because he just didn’t have an outgoing, fun personality. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/182 "2014-05-02T01:55:44Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > How many hours a day did George Jefferson work? He didn’t need to “work” - he owned, what, seven dry cleaning stores? > [@Superhal](#): > > My questions: (sorry if they were asked/answered already): > > 1. Why was Janet Jackson a minor character on Good Times? Weren’t her brothers already huge stars at the time? Didn’t she at least qualify for the role of Tootie or Willis’ girlfriend? > 2. Why did Don Adams (Inspector Gadget, Tennessee Tuxedo) and later Phil Hartman (Simpsons, Futurama) do so much voiceover work when it seemed they were getting lots of live action work? It’s not like John Ratzenburger who couldn’t get regular roles and was forced to do voiceover, or Mila Kunis who started when she was a struggling actress. Jackson got opening credits billing; I’d hardly call that “minor.” And wasn’t she a little young to be Willis’s girlfriend at the time? What voiceover work did Adams do besides Tennessee Tuxedo and Inspector Gadget (and weren’t those at least 20 years apart - TT was made back when we still thought Mercury always kept the same side pointed towards the sun)? As for Hartman, didn’t he get his start in voiceover, or at least radio announcing? You might as well ask what Dan Castellaneta and Nancy Cartwright were doing voicing regular roles for Nickelodeon when they were making millions of dollars a year on The Simpsons. ---
**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:** [May 4, 2014, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/183 "2014-05-04T07:33:58Z")
Re The X-Files: I’m pretty sure the first episode established that everybody considered Mulder a nut job and that working on the X-Files was a career ender. As for the budget, it’s fairly obvious that Cigarette Smoking Man took Mulder seriously so more than likely the X-Files was probably a black budget item. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/184 "2014-05-04T11:40:57Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Nelson likely held a security clearance which he didn’t want to jeopardize. Healey, not being a target of psychiatrist Dr. Bellows, did use Jeannie for his own purposes for on occasion. Also, Tony was an astronaut - if there was any sign of mental instability or scandalous behavior, he might be dropped from the program, so of course he is desperately trying to act normal. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/185 "2014-05-04T20:02:21Z")
In the original Law and order Episode where the player’s father kills the hockey coach, Sam Watterson is wearing this huge golden ring on his right hand during closing arguments. What is that ring? ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/186 "2014-05-04T22:04:35Z")
In which Hogwarts house (Gryffindor, Slytherin, etc.) was the most sex going on? I’m voting slytherin, because they wouldn’t have an emotional attachment to sex, they would just accept it as a way to gain power. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/187 "2014-05-04T23:45:26Z")
Regarding the TNG “Relics” question. Two possible answers. One, you always hear about “the shield frequency”. So maybe when the shields are set to repel physical objects, such as the doors of a Dyson sphere, energy, such as a transporter beam, can go through them as if they weren’t there. Two, you always hear about shields being sectional (all power to “Forward shields”), so maybe the shields holding the door open were only, say, port and starboard, leaving the top of the ship totally uncovered so the beam could just go through there. Oh, and a third answer, don’t forget that this was an older craft and maybe the Enterprise’s advanced transporter could get through the less advanced shields. (I spend way too much time thinking about stuff like this.) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/188 "2014-05-05T15:26:15Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Re The X-Files: I’m pretty sure the first episode established that everybody considered Mulder a nut job and that working on the X-Files was a career ender. As for the budget, it’s fairly obvious that Cigarette Smoking Man took Mulder seriously so more than likely the X-Files was probably a black budget item. I always thought that the real reason for the X-files department was a way to find new “weapons” to use against the invading aliens. They just never told Mulder or Skinner. (Tony Shaloub’s killer shadow would be a great weapon!) So the X-Files had full, if covert, support. Whatever department CSM “officially” worked for kept the funding going. Plus, since CSM is Mulder’s father, that also helps get support! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/189 "2014-05-05T17:37:50Z")
I watched Bugsy Malone yesterday for the first time in about 30 years. Something struck me. There’s a scene where Blousie [dreams about being a movie star.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49fKPUiEKfY&t=53m14s) Hang on a sec, didn’t she just murder her co-star? ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/190 "2014-05-05T19:07:27Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > On Hogan’s Heroes. > > It would have been nice to have a final episode where allied troops come to free the camp and so Hogan finally reveals his secret. The German army later on tries to court-martial Klink and accuse him of collaboration and Hogan has to step in and testify that Klink never knew a thing what was going on. Later Klink and Hogan work together using Hogans old tricks to aid resistance forces under the Soviets. Actually, not only is Hammalburg an actual city, but there really was a Luft-Stalag 13 there; it’s best known for being where Patton’s son-in-law was held, and I think Patton went out of his way (and possibly against orders) to try to liberate that camp first. There were any number of episodes where they would have been happy to let Klink twist in the wind; the only reason they didn’t was, they were afraid that his replacement would be more competent. > [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > The pilot episode of _The Brady Bunch_ showed the wedding which took place in the back yard with the kids. Not only that, but, IIRC, the pilot ends with all six kids joining Mike and Carol on their honeymoon. > [@nevadaexile](#): > > How did Cheers get so much business with only two fairly unattractive waitresses? It also served as the waiting area for the restaurant upstairs. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/191 "2014-05-05T19:09:14Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Not only that, but, IIRC, the pilot ends with all six kids joining Mike and Carol on their honeymoon. > [@Hedley Lamarr](#): > > Kinky! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/192 "2014-05-05T19:25:16Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > My questions: (sorry if they were asked/answered already): > > … > 2. Why was the Electric Company canceled? > 3. Who was Spiderman on the Electric Company? And what about Naomi? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/193 "2014-05-06T02:26:29Z")
The original Electric Company had a good long run – about 1972 to 1977, something like that. Not sure why it was “cancelled,” other than perhaps they were running out of ideas. Only so many letters and two-letter combinations in English! And as for Spider Man – Marvel was kind enough to make a cheap, exclusive licensing deal with the Children’s Television Workshop (I think it was), to feature the character in segments which would begin with a predicament told via comic frames, and be resolved via live-action scenes. A win-win – Marvrl turns some kids on to the character (while showing its good-neighbor educational attitude), and CTW attracts some new kiddy viewers to enjoy their show while improving their reading skills. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/194 "2014-05-07T15:34:02Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I watched Bugsy Malone yesterday for the first time in about 30 years. Something struck me. There’s a scene where Blousie [dreams about being a movie star.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49fKPUiEKfY&t=53m14s) > Hang on a sec, didn’t she just murder her co-star? Death by pie? I have no idea what you’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/195 "2014-05-07T16:00:24Z")
You’d have to have seen the movie to get it… It’s a gangster movie entirely cast with kids…the violence comes down to pie fights and getting shot with what looks like blobs of marshmallow fluff. Getting pied like that is basically the equivalent of getting shanked out of nowhere. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/196 "2014-05-09T17:55:01Z")
Here’s a question Dendarii Dame and I came up with the other day: Steve Rogers (in the recent Captain America movies) appeared in movies (in addition to the stage shows) during WWII for propaganda purposes - so does he have a Kevin Bacon number? ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/197 "2014-05-09T18:32:47Z")
I couldn’t find this thread, so I started another one about it. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/198 "2014-05-10T01:46:28Z")
In innumerable cartoons babies are delivered by the stork. Who delivers the stork’s babies (eggs)? ---
**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:** [May 11, 2014, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/199 "2014-05-11T07:06:51Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > In innumerable cartoons babies are delivered by the stork. Who delivers the stork’s babies (eggs)? They find them in stalks of bamboo. > **[The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Bamboo_Cutter)** > > The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (Japanese: 竹取物語, Hepburn: Taketori Monogatari) is a monogatari (fictional prose narrative) containing elements of Japanese folklore. Written by an unknown author in the late 9th or early 10th century during the Heian period, it is considered the oldest surviving work in the monogatari form. > The story details the life of Kaguya-hime, a princess from the Moon who is discovered as a baby inside the stalk of a glowing bamboo plant. After she grows, her beauty attracts... ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2014, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401/200 "2014-05-11T08:13:50Z")
[QUOTE= Lumpy] In innumerable cartoons babies are delivered by the stork. Who delivers the stork’s babies (eggs)? [/QUOTE] > [@furryman](#): > > They find them in stalks of bamboo. > [The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Bamboo_Cutter) Really? I thought it was cabbage patches. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401.md?page=11)