# Subtle jokes from movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 3, 2018, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372 "2018-06-03T21:03:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [June 5, 2018, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/41 "2018-06-05T00:32:16Z")
The Boston gig has been cancelled… What? Yeah. I wouldn’t worry about it though, it’s not a big college town ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/42 "2018-06-05T00:42:29Z")
Joe vs the Volcano Joe has just been advised he has a fatal condition (a brain cloud). He’s taking the news very hard and his doctor is trying to console him. Joe: What am I going to do? Dr. Ellison: Well, if you have any money, you could take a trip. Joe: (sarcastically) I don’t have any savings, a few bucks, I spent all I had on DOCTORS! Dr. Ellison: Yes. Well perhaps you’d like a second opinion. Slays me every time… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/43 "2018-06-05T01:14:19Z")
Some oldies: In _Brewster McCloud_, Margaret Hamilton’s character is found murdered. She’s wearing ruby slippers. _His Girl Friday_ has Cary Grant referring to “Archie Leach,” his real name. In _Bringing Up Baby_, Grant says “I just went gay all of a sudden.” That’s less subtle today then it was when the movie came out. But more subtle than that is his line “I’m just waiting for a bus on 42nd Street.” 42nd Street was a hangout for gays in the 1920s, who, when challenged by cops, would say they were just waiting for a bus. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/44 "2018-06-05T05:05:13Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > In _A Christmas Story_, the Chinese restaurant is in a former bowling Alley. They kept the sign and made the name of the restaurant “Bo ling." There is a fancy Chinese restaurant in Kansas City called [Bo Ling’s.](http://bolings.com/) ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/45 "2018-06-05T06:39:18Z")
> [@Trisha\_Gaurav](#): > > And I just thought of some more. The Shrek movies have a lot of subtle jokes. In the first movie when the Magic Mirror is showing Fiona to Farquaad on repeat, if you watch closely you can see him get a boner. It needs SOME subtle jokes somewhere, when one character’s name is Farquaad. 😉 ---
**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:** [June 5, 2018, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/46 "2018-06-05T14:46:53Z")
From the TV show “The Middle”. The youngest kid, Brick, is kind of a nerdy oddball who doesn’t socialize well. When he started high school, he was working with the school counselor (played by Dave Foley) who was trying to help him fit in better. In one conversation the counselor is trying to get him to emulate the social behaviors of other students. “Brick, do you ever watch the kids in the hall?” ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/47 "2018-06-05T15:16:22Z")
Ok, well if TV shows are allowed, then just go re-read all the threads about Archer…subtle jokes like nobody’s business. ( I mean, jesus people, READ A COFFEE TABLE BOOK!) Movie wise, I laughed out loud at this subtle joke from the remake of “Clash of the Titans.” [What is this?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Wdpwi5wCQ) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/48 "2018-06-05T18:46:43Z")
Superman Returns , the moll, Kitty, is looking at a little white dog, and says “I thought there were two of them?” If you look closely you can see some bones… ---
**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:** [June 5, 2018, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/49 "2018-06-05T19:06:56Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > Ok, well if TV shows are allowed, \ OP allowed TV in post #2… 😉 ---
**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:** [June 5, 2018, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/50 "2018-06-05T19:19:10Z")
_Back to the Future_’s “Twin Pine/Lone Pine” gag still gets me. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2018, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/51 "2018-06-05T19:33:40Z")
In the movie \*A Bug’s Life \* Jonathan Harris does the voice of Manny. In one scene where he gets hurt you can hear him saying “Oh the pain, the pain!” a reference to his Dr. Smith character. I seem to recall another cartoon where he did the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/52 "2018-06-05T20:34:06Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > It needs SOME subtle jokes somewhere, when one character’s name is Farquaad. 😉 I’m doubting myself now… Is that character’s name considered subtle, or blindingly obvious? I’m too focused on words words words to even know. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/53 "2018-06-05T20:46:40Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > _Back to the Future_’s “Twin Pine/Lone Pine” gag still gets me. If you include that, you have to add the mailbox with “Peabody” on it. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/54 "2018-06-05T21:34:26Z")
In the TV show \* Dinosaurs\*, all the characters last names were names of oil companies. Think about it. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/55 "2018-06-05T21:50:06Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > In the TV show \* Dinosaurs\*, all the characters last names were names of oil companies. > > Think about it. And the main character’s first name was Earl! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/56 "2018-06-06T00:20:58Z")
In the movie National Treasure Nick Cage is angry at his father Jon Voight. He’s wearing latex gloves and goes to remove one by nipping at his middle finger to pull off the glove. As he tugs on it the middle finger stretches WAY out from the rest of the fingers. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/57 "2018-06-06T18:55:26Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > In the TV show \* Dinosaurs\*, all the characters last names were names of oil companies. > > Think about it. “Dinoco” The name of the gas station in _Toy Story_ was a double reference. Not only dinosaurs as a source of oil but the old Sinclair Oil Company had a dinosaur as a mascot. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/58 "2018-06-06T19:04:51Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > “Dinoco” The name of the gas station in _Toy Story_ was a double reference. Not only dinosaurs as a source of oil but the old Sinclair Oil Company had a dinosaur as a mascot. Why do you think Sinclair had a dinosaur as a mascot? It’s the same joke. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/59 "2018-06-06T19:30:26Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > If you include that, you have to add the mailbox with “Peabody” on it. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372/60 "2018-06-06T20:41:01Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > 😕 The farmer who owned the two pines was named Peabody, as listed on the mailbox. His son was Sherman. Peabody and Sherman were also famous time travelers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subtle-jokes-from-movies/815372.md?page=4)