Question: Is there any particular reason the TV and radio stations on this show begin with a W, when they would geographically begin with a K? The creators of this show are from Colorado, so it seems unlikely that they wouldn't know that W-prefixes are for stations east of the Mississippi River.
Phaneron
27th May 2020
South Park (1997)
23rd May 2020
South Park (1997)
Question: Whenever a character enters or calls City Wok, Tuong Lu Kim says "Can I take order, pree?" I get the show is playing with the stereotype of Asians mixing up their L's with R's, but why does he say "pree" instead of "prease?"
15th May 2020
The X-Files (1993)
Question: After Office Eggers lynches Melvin Peters in the streets, he is shown at his arraignment not long afterwards and given a $5,000 bail. Since the FBI had oversight of the case featured in this episode and Peters' murder was directly linked to the case, wouldn't Eggers be taken into FBI custody and consequently spend a longer time in lockup awaiting arraignment in front of a federal judge instead of the one from his own county?
5th May 2020
South Park (1997)
3rd May 2020
The X-Files (1993)
26th Apr 2020
The Simpsons (1989)
Oh, Brother, Where Are Thou? - S2-E15
Question: How exactly did the production of Homer's car bankrupt Herb? If Herb, as a highly successful car manufacturer, was spending so much money spoiling Marge and the kids that an $82,000 price tag for making a car was enough of a straw to break the camel's back, wouldn't he have gone bankrupt sooner than later anyway?
Answer: It wasn't the cost of one car, but that they'd produced thousands of Homer's ridiculous vehicles, which they'd marketed as a family car, but cost five times as much as a new car at the time. No one would buy them and the company went under.
Wasn't the car just a demo though? How would they have been able to produce thousands of cars in such a short amount of time?
Big difference between a "demo" or prototype car compared to a launch car. The dealers must have stock available of the launch car so people can actually buy them straight away.
20th Mar 2020
Natural Born Killers (1994)
Question: When Woody Harrelson is eating the key lime pie in the opening scene, how exactly was that pie made? It looked more translucent like Jello, as opposed to regular key lime pies, which resemble cheese cake.
Answer: Yes, it definitely does not look like a key lime pie. I suspect that because Woody Harrelson is a strict vegan, that it is a substitute made with vegan ingredients.
Answer: My take: The Key Lime pie Mickey eats in the diner looks cheap and trashy on purpose... a garish trailer park version of that pie. The crust isn't even cooked. I think it has more to do with the demographic theme of the diner patrons rather than Harrelson being a vegan.
11th Mar 2020
Boy Meets World (1993)
Question: When Mr. Feeny is talking to Cory in the cafeteria about his score on the IQ test, Feeny is shown purchasing a coffee from the vending machine. Are there actual elementary schools in the United States with coffee vending machines where prepubescent students have the ability to purchase a beverage more suited for younger adults and older? This isn't the faculty cafeteria mind you, because it's the same cafeteria the students are shown occupying throughout the first season. Seems a little irresponsible on the school's part to give students access to coffee.
Chosen answer: In the present day, with the United States abiding by more stricter school health laws, for the most part this wouldn't be in school cafeterias as many cannot even have carbonated beverage machines now. However, in the 90s when the show takes place, it wasn't unheard of for there to be coffee machines in the cafeteria of small schools where the teachers eat with the students as we see them do often in the show. The idea being that the cafeteria was small enough so a teacher or hall monitor could catch a student before they could drink the coffee.
27th Jan 2020
General questions
When I was a little kid I checked out a Batman graphic novel from the library. It had a lot of his rogues gallery in it, most if not all of whom were killed in it. I specifically remember Catwoman being shot and her dying words were along the lines of "Batman, I'm so cold." Batman then kissed her before she died. Does anyone know what the name of this graphic novel/storyline is?
Answer: All Stars #17?
Based on my Google search results, "All-Star Batman" is a more recent publication. The year I read the book in question was probably 1993, so it was probably published in the late 80s or early 90s.
I believe the answer should have been DC Super-Stars #17. That issue features the death of the Earth Two Selina Kyle as part of the origin story of her daughter, Helena Kyle (The Huntress).
That's not it either, unfortunately. I specifically remember Killer Croc being in this, because it was the first time I ever heard of him, and he didn't debut until 1983, six years after DC Superstars #17. I think Batman killed Joker at the end out of revenge for Catwoman. With so many other characters being killed in it, I'm pretty certain it was an Elseworld story and not connected to whatever the main DC universe is or was at the time.
25th Jan 2020
Star Wars (1977)
Question: Are lightsabers capable of cutting through any substance, or are there objects in the franchise (even if the examples are no longer canon) that have been specifically mentioned as being resistant?
Answer: There are several substances in canon and non-canon that are resistant to lightsabers. Beskar, also known as Mandalorian iron or Mandalorian steel was used to make armor and weapons by the Mandalorian people. Cortosis was an ore that, when heavily refined, stopped lightsaber blades and blaster bolts. Phrik was another metal, used in Darth Sidious' lightsabers and the electrostaffs used by Grievous' robot guards. Neuranium was a very, very dense and heavy metal that was partially resistant to lightsabers, but was more often used to shield from scanners. The species orbalisk and vonduun crab had carapaces that could withstand the blow of a lightsaber.
Answer: The Force Awakens features stormtroopers using the "Z6 riot control baton", which they use to block the lightsaber when Finn uses it.
Is it the baton itself that is resistant, or the energy surge around it? Because I know Snoke's guards were able to block lightsabers with energized weapons as well.
Yes you see them in Episode III as well when fighting on the bridge of the chancellor's ship. My guess is the energy blocks the lightsaber. It's logical they would come up with some sort of technology to block lightsabers if materials that can block them are that rare.
Answer: There are a handful of items, but I don't believe any have been mentioned or shown in the film series (other than another lightsaber itself). Mandalorian Iron (also known as Beskar) and Phrix are resistant to lightsaber attacks and have been mentioned in the TV show "Star Wars: The Clone Wars", but I don't recall if their resistance is specifically mentioned in the show.
17th Jan 2020
Night Court (1984)
Question: I seem to recall seeing an episode of this show when I was a little kid that featured Bull being involved in an elevator crash, and when he emerges from the elevator afterwards, he is drastically shorter. Did this actually happen, and if so, what episode was it?
Chosen answer: I just saw the episode again; it's "Blues of the Birth" (original airdate May 2, 1990), which was the same episode in which Christine gave birth to her baby boy. Bull rushed into the broken elevator in which Christine was forced to give birth to retrieve her shoes; the elevator then plunged from the 18th floor to the ground floor, which then resulted in Bull apparently losing at least two feet of height.
Answer: The scene did in fact happen, as I distinctly remember it; I don't, however, recall the specific episode.
8th Jan 2020
Star Wars (1977)
Question: Why is Han so skeptical of the Force? I get that he himself has never witnessed anyone use it, but he would have been alive during the Jedi purge, and surely he knows that Chewbacca fought alongside the Jedi on Kashyyyk. Additionally, is there any reason Obi-Wan wouldn't have demonstrated Force powers to Han on the way to Alderaan other than he didn't feel the need to prove it?
Answer: Han describes force powers as "simple tricks and nonsense." He has never seen any Jedi doing anything particularly super-powered. Even if Chewy did and told Han it is still reasonable for him to be skeptical and to think his friend is exaggerating. Han simply thinks the stories about Jedi are overblown. A good way to think about it would be to examine how ninja are presented in popular culture versus how they were in reality. The stories surrounding ninja are greatly exaggerated to the point of absurdity, applying immense fighting ability and oftentimes magical powers to normal men. The difference is jedi actually had magical abilities while ninja did not.
Answer: To answer the second part of your question, Obi-Wan has Luke demonstrate the Force in front of Han by putting a blinder on and fighting the remote. Believing he has made his point, Obi-Wan comments "You see!", to which Han replies that Luke's success was against a remote, and that fighting a living person was completely different. So even after being shown something that is completely impossible without the use of the force, Han still chooses not to believe.
Well Han also dismissed Luke's success with the remote as luck. If Obi-Wan used the Force to steal Han's blaster right from its holster, would Han just dismiss it as magic? Is there such thing as magical powers in the Star Wars universe independent from the Force?
Oh, I absolutely agree with your point. But I always took this scene to mean that Obi-Wan isn't trying to win an argument with Han or prove anything to him. He's trying to teach Luke about the force. He doesn't really care what Han believes and is dismissive of his comments. Luke believes he felt the force using the remote and that's what is important.
There actually is, or so I believe. The nightsisters, also called the witches of Dathomir, that appear in The Clone Wars-series. They used dark magic.
8th Jan 2020
King of the Hill (1997)
Question: Hank bears no resemblance to his father, but strongly resembles his mother. Bobby bears no resemblance to Hank (or seemingly Peggy), but bears a strong resemblance to Hank's father. Is it actually possible for a person to bear such a strong resemblance to one of their Grandparents if they are only getting half their genes from that Grandparent's child and that child bears no resemblance to that particular parent?
Answer: It's also said genetics plays a part here. You can look like an ancestor more than a parent. I myself look nothing like either of mine nor do any of my 3 siblings: older brother, older sister, younger sister.
Chosen answer: The short answer is "yes", it is possible to resemble your Grandparent even if your parent doesn't resemble your Grandparent. The old adage is "it's not like mixing paint", meaning combining genes doesn't always get the same result. It's why full siblings don't always look exactly alike even though they have the same genetic makeup. I look next to nothing like my paternal grandmother but I have a child that greatly resembles her.
Is it a mistake then that Hank's Japanese half-brother strongly resembles him, and by extension Hank's mother, or is that still a small possibility?
Sort of. These are animated characters, and the style of animation isn't particularly detailed. The resemblance between the two is played up for laughs. But there are plenty of real life examples of people that aren't related at all but greatly resemble one another. Famous examples are Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Javier Bardem, or Will Ferrell and Chad Smith.
28th Dec 2019
Three Musketeers (1993)
Question: If Countess de Winter's fleur-de-lis brand is on her left shoulder, how did she manage to keep it hidden from Athos during their entire marriage? Were they never intimate?
Chosen answer: They were most likely intimate, but until modern times, it was typical for men and woman to always maintain their modesty by never being completely nude in front of someone, even their spouse. The Countess was probably always partially clothed whenever they were intimate. Marital relations were usually confined to the bedroom, in the dark, and after retiring for the night. Aristocratic women also dressed privately, assisted by a lady's maid. At one time, people even bathed while partially clothed. The Countess may also have used some cosmetic treatment to help cover the brand.
27th Dec 2019
Home Alone (1990)
Question: When Kevin is shooting Buzz's Starting Lineup figures down the laundry shoot with the BB gun, who are the two figures left of the spatula? I know the one on the far right is Larry Bird, and I believe next to Bird is Walter Payton.
18th Dec 2019
General questions
I saw a made-for-TV movie in the early to mid 90s, in which a man holds a daytime talk show host and her audience and crew hostage because his daughter previously appeared on the show and ended up committing suicide afterwards, for which he blames the host and wants her to admit fault and will then execute her. Does anyone know the title?
Chosen answer: It was a 1997 TV Movie titled Murder Live! David Morse (St. Elsewhere) played the distraught father and Marg Helgenberger (Species) played the obnoxious talk show host.
11th Dec 2019
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Question: When Jar Jar is used as a patsy to suggest granting Palpatine emergency powers, why does Palpatine immediately accept the proposal and order the creation of the army? Isn't the Senate supposed to vote on the proposition first? It's not much of a democracy if one Senator's proxy can just unilaterally grant the Supreme Chancellor emergency powers.
Answer: They did have an immediate vote, the means of which we don't see. It would seem that the floating platforms in which each delegation sits has a device that allows for voting. Even if that isn't the case, Palpatine could read the room and recognized that nearly everyone was cheering after the motion, so it was clear the motion would pass.
Answer: From what I understand, but I could be wrong, the Senate as a whole was already pretty much willing to grant Palpatine these powers as it was. But as was so eloquently put in front of Binks, "But what senator would have the courage to propose such a radical amendment?" Followed up by "If only Senator Amidala were here." Given the context of this, I gather that, like I said, the Senate was already poised to grant these powers to him, but nobody was brave enough to be the one to risk their career to speak up and officially suggest, or request this. Thus, when Binks was manipulated into doing so, everybody was set to just go with it and be relieved they didn't have to suggest it. I could be completely wrong on this, but this is how I interpret it.
11th Dec 2019
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Question: Why does Darth Maul just stand there and watch Obi-Wan flip over him and then bisect him? As a Sith, Maul had plenty of time to react to what Obi-Wan was doing, and his training means he shouldn't have been surprised by it either.
Answer: It was meant to be very fast. It couldn't be so fast that the audience would have no idea what was happening, so we wind up with an awkward scene where Darth Maul literally watches Obi-Wan flip over his head. He never even notices that Obi-Wan has Qui-Gonn's lightsaber. He seems quite shocked that Obi-Wan was even able to get above him at all.
Answer: In the book, The Life and Legacy of Obi-wan Kenobi, it actually talks about this a little bit. Darth Maul wasn't expecting this move, and it caught him by surprise. Obi-wan was hanging on for life down below, and to Maul's mind there wasn't a way he could really get back up, much less armed. One thing to consider is the fact that Darth Maul is actually pretty weak in using the Force compared to most other notable Force users. He's mostly a martial artists, and a damn good one to, having extraordinary combat ability to the point he can fend off a Jedi Knight and a Padawan at at the same time. But his actual strength in the force is weak, where he's only able to lift/push small objects or do a Force jump. He didn't predict, or "foresee" Obi-wan's move. Nor could he sense that Obi-wan was moving the light saber on the ground next to him, and would never have guessed that not only Obi-wan would Force jump out like that so suddenly, but also grab a saber at the same time and go for a swing.
I remember at least two books - which may not be canon now - describing Maul as prideful. It seems like he was quite skilled in fighting, as you say, but he underestimated opponents.
Answer: I always saw it as Maul didn't realise Kenobi was going for the lightsaber at the same time and the whole move was suicidal from Maul's point of view. His lack of reaction is him being stunned by what he sees as Obi-Wan just jumping in front of him to be attacked.
11th Dec 2019
Star Wars (1977)
Question: Out of the numerous (and mostly unnecessary) changes George Lucas has made to this film over the years, has he ever given any reason as to why he has never fixed the appearance of the lightsabers in the film, or updated the awful CGI Jabba the Hutt? Those have always stood out to me as the two most glaring weaknesses in the visual department.
Answer: He has not. He has only ever generally commented on the updates to the 90's Special Edition re-releases having scenes updated to fit what he always envisioned but was limited by budget and technology. The additional changes that have been made since the films were released on Blu-Ray and now Disney Plus have gone without comment. To your point about the lightsabers, they have been improved on the Disney Plus version of the film. The colors are more vibrant, and they now have a more noticeable sparking effect with clashes in the Obi-Wan/Vader duel.
11th Dec 2019
It Chapter Two (2019)
Question: When Eddie takes a face full of projectile sludge from the leper, is there any significance to the song "Angel of the Morning" playing, or was it just a random attempt at a joke?
Answer: I think it's more of an attempt at a silly joke, juxtaposing the insane imagery with a tender song. But I've also seen the suggestion that it was an Easter Egg/reference to the book "The Langoliers," in which the song is mentioned. (And given the "It" films have some general Stephen King Easter Eggs referencing things from his other books, that makes sense).
Chosen answer: City Wok is a real-world Chinese restaurant that happens to be a favorite of series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone; Mr. Kim's speech peculiarities are taken from his real-life counterpart, which is also why he says "Sh*tty Wok' rather than "City Wok" when he answers the phone.
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