# Things everybody "knows" are cliches, that aren't **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129 "2009-02-24T00:14:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**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:** [March 1, 2009, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/81 "2009-03-01T11:09:53Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > We may be civilised but we never said that we weren’t evil. Thats obvious. Most Nazis have English accents. ---
**Author:** ![SleepyDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@SleepyDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SleepyDuck)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/82 "2009-03-02T06:42:41Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Thats obvious. Most Nazis have English accents. Well, anyone who speaks German can’t be _all_ bad. \ Anyway, there’s always that Gilligan’s Island episode. You know, the one where The Professor concocts a plan to get them off the island, but Gilligan fucks it up? This cliche supposedly summarizes the entire series, but good luck finding more than a couple of episodes out of the original 98 that fit this plot description. ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/83 "2009-03-03T05:12:53Z")
I always found it interesting that [A Case of Spring Fever](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngBNklagsHQ&eurl=http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Willy%20the%20Waffle&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&clien), the educational film about springs and how horrible the world would be without them, portrays the friends of the protagonist as being bored after a while with his constant talk of springs and how wonderful they are. Which, while not exactly a cliche, indicates that the people making those square, cheesy educational short films were more aware of their cheesy nature then modern audiences would think. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/84 "2009-03-03T08:34:39Z")
> [@SleepyDuck](#): > > Well, anyone who speaks German can’t be _all_ bad. \ > > Anyway, there’s always that Gilligan’s Island episode. You know, the one where The Professor concocts a plan to get them off the island, but Gilligan fucks it up? > > This cliche supposedly summarizes the entire series, but good luck finding more than a couple of episodes out of the original 98 that fit this plot description. Next thing you’ll tell me there weren’t actually a bunch of Three’s Company episodes where there was some kind of misunderstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/85 "2009-03-03T19:46:57Z")
[QUOTE=SleepyDuck] Anyway, there’s always that Gilligan’s Island episode. You know, the one where The Professor concocts a plan to get them off the island, but Gilligan fucks it up? This cliche supposedly summarizes the entire series, but good luck finding more than a couple of episodes out of the original 98 that fit this plot description. [/QUOTE] I can think of two offhand. 1. A Russian space capsule lands in the lagoon. The Russians radio to have a vessel come pick them up. The next morning, everyone gets up, and the Russians are gone. How did we miss them? Oh, Gilligan heard a radio broacast from Honolulu and reset the clocks to that time, even though they are 3 hours East of Honolulu. Ergo, they got up late, the Russians were already gone, and it was Gilligan’s fault. 2. A U.S. space capsule is going to orbit right over their island. The Professor concocts a plan to spell out SOS with logs and set them on fire, leaving a message as the capsule goes over head. The spell out SOS, but Gilligan sets himself on fire, and scrambling around in a goofy mess, ends up kicking the logs out of position to spell SOL, the name of one of the astronauts. So the astronauts see the message, but don’t realize it is a call for help. Gilligan’s fault. Unfortunately (at least for the purposes of this conversation), I don’t recall the details of any more episodes well enough to address the point. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/86 "2009-03-03T19:57:34Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I can think of two offhand. > > 1. A Russian space capsule lands in the lagoon. The Russians radio to have a vessel come pick them up. The next morning, everyone gets up, and the Russians are gone. How did we miss them? Oh, Gilligan heard a radio broacast from Honolulu and reset the clocks to that time, even though they are 3 hours East of Honolulu. Ergo, they got up late, the Russians were already gone, and it was Gilligan’s fault. > > 2. A U.S. space capsule is going to orbit right over their island. The Professor concocts a plan to spell out SOS with logs and set them on fire, leaving a message as the capsule goes over head. The spell out SOS, but Gilligan sets himself on fire, and scrambling around in a goofy mess, ends up kicking the logs out of position to spell SOL, the name of one of the astronauts. So the astronauts see the message, but don’t realize it is a call for help. Gilligan’s fault. > > Unfortunately (at least for the purposes of this conversation), I don’t recall the details of any more episodes well enough to address the point. I think there’s probably more episodes in which Gilligan is at worse neutral, and at best the key element to their survival. In the hurricane episode, for instance, when the whole group of castaways is trying to huddle in a cave but there’s not quite enough room, he is very exemplar of chivalric virtue. As opposed to Mr. Howell, who was just a punk. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/87 "2009-03-03T21:30:39Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > Haven’t read the books nor seen the movie and have no desire to do either, but this doesn’t sound all that awful. What’s wrong with having them avoid sunlight because… > > …the way the sun reacts to their skin make it obvious they aren’t human? There are species that “glitter”, aren’t there? Why not vampires? > > Seems like a pretty cool literary device to me. Because that would be icky. I mentioned this in another thread, but my daughter is really into ‘vampires’. When this first started, I brought out cool vampire movies and books…but she did not like them. So I spent some time browsing through her ‘vampire’ books and shows and rapidly came to the conclusion they were not vampire stories but romance novels with the ‘vampire’ as the romantic male lead. So, as someone (DrDeth?) mentioned above…no blood drinking (unless it comes from bags), no aversion to religious items, no filth…nothing negative whatsoever but still superhuman strength, speed…can still have sex etc etc. The ‘vampire’ is just a superpowered, misunderstood bad boy. So…glitter good, because it is cool and you would kiss/have sex with him…but non-human? No way because that would be icky. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@Clark\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_K)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/88 "2009-03-04T00:23:12Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I can think of two offhand. > > 1. A Russian space capsule lands in the lagoon. The Russians radio to have a vessel come pick them up. The next morning, everyone gets up, and the Russians are gone. How did we miss them? Oh, Gilligan heard a radio broacast from Honolulu and reset the clocks to that time, even though they are 3 hours East of Honolulu. Ergo, they got up late, the Russians were already gone, and it was Gilligan’s fault. > > 2. A U.S. space capsule is going to orbit right over their island. The Professor concocts a plan to spell out SOS with logs and set them on fire, leaving a message as the capsule goes over head. The spell out SOS, but Gilligan sets himself on fire, and scrambling around in a goofy mess, ends up kicking the logs out of position to spell SOL, the name of one of the astronauts. So the astronauts see the message, but don’t realize it is a call for help. Gilligan’s fault. > > Unfortunately (at least for the purposes of this conversation), I don’t recall the details of any more episodes well enough to address the point. There was also one where they somehow found a James Bond-style jetpack. Gilligan flew it to get help, but then hid in the clouds when he heard a radio report about a UFO or something – which of course was just him being spotted by people on the ground. Now I’d like that memory erased from my brain so I can use the neurons for something worthwhile. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/89 "2009-03-04T00:38:07Z")
> [@Clark\_K](#): > > Now I’d like that memory erased from my brain so I can use the neurons for something worthwhile. There was also one where the Professor made something that made stuff glow in the dark, so they could make a signal on a dark night, only Gilligan drank it. At the end of the show, he’s on a tall platform, with a blanket, turning around slowly. Do \*\*Clark K \*\*and I win a prize? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/90 "2009-03-04T00:41:57Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > There was also one where the Professor made something that made stuff glow in the dark, so they could make a signal on a dark night, only Gilligan drank it. At the end of the show, he’s on a tall platform, with a blanket, turning around slowly. > > Do \*\*Clark K \*\*and I win a prize? Sure. Go look outside. I am teleporting each of you a live turkey. Unfortunately the targetting lock on my 'porter is iffy, so to be safe I’m going to have the birds appear a hundred yards above ground. I figure they can just fly down and y’all can catch 'em easy.. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/91 "2009-03-05T21:14:24Z")
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] As opposed to Mr. Howell, who was just a punk. [/QUOTE] No question, on the scales of merit, the Howells certainly rank lower than Gilligan. I mean he tried. Maybe he was unsuccessful, maybe he was a clutz and a fool and made horrible decisions, but he did work. Did either of the Howells ever do _anything_ worthwhile? I’m pretty sure “Lovey” spent the whole time in her hut playing dress up in all her clothes, and Thurston was rolling around in his cash. When he wasn’t whining about something or other. [QUOTE=Clark K] There was also one where they somehow found a James Bond-style jetpack. Gilligan flew it to get help, but then hid in the clouds when he heard a radio report about a UFO or something – which of course was just him being spotted by people on the ground. [/QUOTE] Really? I don’t remember that one at all. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/92 "2009-03-06T02:50:01Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Really? I don’t remember that one at all. “Gilligan’s Island” It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane (1967) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0588084/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0588084/) ---
**Author:** ![Marashyn\_O](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Marashyn\_O](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marashyn_O)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/93 "2009-06-19T09:00:04Z")
the capes thing I remember from when I was like fourteen, and playing early City of Heroes, before characters could even have capes. the thugs and what not would yell out things like “oh, run! it’s the capes” when they saw players coming. and then there’s kirk, who was supposedly known for taking off his shirt at the slightest oportunity. until recently I was barely familiar at all with TOS, but it quickly becomes quite obvious that shirtless shots of kirk are quite rare. additionally, this clearly conflicts with another widely-held belief that shatner(as kirk) wears a girdle. also, in the movie, of course, he does bang a fully green chick. probably in reference ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/94 "2009-06-19T14:23:41Z")
What about the episode where they find a robot, so the professor waterproofs him and has him walk to California, except Gilligan put his lucky rabbit’s foot in the robot and it horks up all his memories? ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/95 "2009-06-19T14:40:53Z")
the togas that Romans used to wear, especially the richer ones, were very colorful. The richer they were, the more expensive the colorants they could afford, so an all-white toga would be a tremendous display of poverty. Generally, Roman sense of esthetics was more colorful than we think is the case today. Many of the buildings that remain and that we know as constructed out of white rock used to be covered in colored marble. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/96 "2009-06-19T14:47:17Z")
but that, of course, is not what the OP is looking for… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/97 "2009-06-19T14:49:07Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > In the novel Count Dracula had more power at night and apparently didn’t like to get up before sunset, but there’s one scene in the book where he does go out in the afternoon with a hat on. So… he’s a programmer? ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/98 "2009-06-19T15:26:30Z")
Not so much a programmer as a _hypnotist_ a hypnotist of _ladies_… ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/99 "2009-06-20T06:20:51Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > the togas that Romans used to wear, especially the richer ones, were very colorful. The richer they were, the more expensive the colorants they could afford, so an all-white toga would be a tremendous display of poverty. Generally, Roman sense of esthetics was more colorful than we think is the case today. Many of the buildings that remain and that we know as constructed out of white rock used to be covered in colored marble. While I already knew that what appear to be rather colorless stone architecture in various culture as actually used to be painted quite vividly, it surprises me to learn that white was a ‘poor’ fabric. I would think that natural fabrics would be more earthy tones, and that getting them to be white would be an expensive procedure for ancient cultures. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129/100 "2009-06-20T21:55:10Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > the togas that Romans used to wear, especially the richer ones, were very colorful. The richer they were, the more expensive the colorants they could afford, so an all-white toga would be a tremendous display of poverty. Generally, Roman sense of esthetics was more colorful than we think is the case today. Many of the buildings that remain and that we know as constructed out of white rock used to be covered in colored marble. Not that Wikipedia is the greatest of cites, of course, but it seems to [disagree with you](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toga#Varieties). Your basic white toga seems to have been pretty standard; it sounds like colored varieties were mainly restricted to members of various specially honored groups. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everybody-knows-are-cliches-that-arent/487129.md?page=6)