# The 3 shells in Demolition Man **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-3-shells-in-demolition-man/173920 "2003-05-08T16:47:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![G-Unit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@G-Unit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G-Unit)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-3-shells-in-demolition-man/173920/1 "2003-05-08T16:47:08Z")
Does anyone know the meaning of the 3 shells in this movie? This question has plagued me for some time now. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-3-shells-in-demolition-man/173920/2 "2003-05-08T16:52:09Z")
Apparently they were some sort of substitute for toilet paper, which was banned in the future for being unsanitary. No mention was ever made on precisely how they were meant to be used, though. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-3-shells-in-demolition-man/173920/3 "2003-05-08T18:10:40Z")
Heh. He doesn’t know about the three shells. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-3-shells-in-demolition-man/173920/4 "2003-05-08T18:31:34Z")
Rofl. That seems to be the appropriate answer to this thread, **Nanoda** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-3-shells-in-demolition-man/173920/5 "2003-05-08T18:44:31Z")
I think we (the audience) are supposed to be left in the dark on this one to identify with how ‘out of place’ Stallone’s character felt. I don’t suppose the writer had any particular use in mind. Sort of like Castaway…there’s no real written evidence as to what’s in Chuck’s FedEx package (with the wings on it). ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-3-shells-in-demolition-man/173920/6 "2003-05-08T18:53:37Z")
As others have said, we’re not supposed to know. However, my theory is that they could be just touch-controls for an automated bidet function. ---
**Author:** ![G-Unit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@G-Unit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G-Unit)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-3-shells-in-demolition-man/173920/7 "2003-05-08T20:57:12Z")
Thank you for your input, but what the hell is rofl OPTIHUT? ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-3-shells-in-demolition-man/173920/8 "2003-05-08T21:11:01Z")
Rolling On the Floor Laughing. ---
**Author:** ![criminalcatalog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@criminalcatalog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminalcatalog)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-3-shells-in-demolition-man/173920/9 "2003-05-08T21:14:55Z")
I always had an image of trying to scraaaape with the shells… then fling…