# Why "Oklahoma"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oklahoma/267978>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 7, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oklahoma/267978 "2004-10-07T04:09:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oklahoma/267978/21 "2004-10-07T22:44:19Z")

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> [@Fenris](#):
>
> There’s another scene where a redneck gets so caught up in the melodrama that the Showboat players are presenting and starts shooting at the actors. The original Cap’n Andy was apparently a Danny Kaye-esque comedian and the musical left the spot open for him to take over and do whatever he wanted (since the performers fled)–usually he’d finish the melodrama, taking all the parts himself.

This scene was there in the 1935 version, and it was perfectly integrated.

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**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oklahoma/267978/22 "2004-10-07T22:56:19Z")

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Well, having read all the subsequent posts, I remain unconvinced. The distinctions seem pretty vague; Polycarp’s take seems likeliest, and Ilsa’s.

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**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oklahoma/267978/23 "2004-10-07T23:45:29Z")

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> [@lissener](#):
>
> **O._K_.?**

“And so I simply say / You’re doin’ fine…” 😃

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**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oklahoma/267978/24 "2004-10-08T00:38:51Z")

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> [@lissener](#):
>
> Well, having read all the subsequent posts, I remain unconvinced. The distinctions seem pretty vague; Polycarp’s take seems likeliest, and Ilsa’s.

:: shrug ::

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**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oklahoma/267978/25 "2004-10-08T00:45:59Z")

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In the interest of clarity, the :: shrug :: was intended to convey “No prob.” and not “WHATever… :rolleyes:”

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oklahoma/267978/26 "2004-10-08T01:41:57Z")

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> [@kunilou](#):
>
> I’ve never seen Pal Joey, so I don’t know how dance numbers were handled. But of course, Oklahoma! had Agnes DeMille and a ballet scene that actually drove the story. I don’t think anyone had pulled that off before.

I saw the movie for the first time a few weeks ago, and dance is relatively unimportant in **Pal Joey**. The only number I recall at this point is Rita’s striptease at the society party. That and all the various nightclub numbers take place in the context of performers performing – not the same thing as **Oklahoma!** at all.

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