From: drsteerforth@yahoo.com   
      
   On Mon, 25 Dec 2023 21:57:43 +0000, Bill Anderson   
    wrote:   
      
   >Adam H. Kerman  wrote:   
   >> Mack A. Damia  wrote:   
   >>> Mon, 25 Dec 2023 03:05:38 -0800, Mack A. Damia :   
   >>>> Mon, 25 Dec 2023 00:33:31 -0000 (UTC), Adam H. Kerman :   
   >>>>> Bill Anderson  wrote:   
   >>>>>> Mack A. Damia  wrote:   
   >>>>>>> Sun, 24 Dec 2023 05:42:47 -0000 (UTC), Adam H. Kerman :   
   >>>>>>>> Mack A. Damia  wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>> Sun, 24 Dec 2023 01:30:32 -0000 (UTC), Adam H. Kerman    
   ahk@chinet.com>:   
   >>>>>>>>>> Mack A. Damia  wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>>>>>>>>>> . . .   
   >>   
   >>>>>>>>>>> "12 Angry Men"   
   >>   
   >>>>>>>>>>> The one guy I don't like in that movie is Lee J. Cobb.  Not certain   
   >>>>>>>>>>> why, maybe his acting is a little too phony, too much of an   
   >>>>>>>>>>> affectation.   
   >>   
   >>>>>>>>>> He and Biff weren't on speaking terms.   
   >>   
   >>>>>>>>> Is it common knowledge who "Biff" is?   
   >>   
   >>>>>>>> Sigh   
   >>   
   >>>>>>> Just answer the question, fool.   
   >>   
   >>>>>> Lee J. Cobb is noted for playing Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death   
   of a   
   >>>>>> Salesman. Willy's oldest son, with whom he did not see eye to eye, was   
   >>>>>> named Biff.   
   >>   
   >>>>>> I actually remembered the name, but I would not consider it "common   
   >>>>>> knowledge."  Biff in Back to the Future might qualify, especially here   
   in a   
   >>>>>> movie discussion group, but answering the question rather than showing   
   off   
   >>>>>> would have been a more reasonable response I think. Merry Christmas.   
   >>   
   >>>>> I certainly wasn't "showing off". And in this newsgroup, in which there   
   >>>>> are discussions of old movies, yes, I was expecting it to be common   
   >>>>> knowledge. As the joke fell flat, I wasn't in the mood to explain the   
   >>>>> reference, but I really expected I'd need to. Nor did I expect to be the   
   >>>>> target of Mack's foul mood.   
   >>   
   >>>> If it was a "foul mood", it was in response to your foul reply to a   
   >>>> simple and reasonable question.   
   >>   
   >>> "condescending" is the word I was trying to think of to describe your   
   >>> response.   
   >>   
   >> And you're not in a foul mood, unable to let this go.   
   >>   
   >> I was irritated that the joke fell flat. Surely "Sigh" conveyed that.   
   >>   
   >> Is there any chance you'll drop this now, or does it require still   
   >> another followup to yourself and further denial of your foul mood?   
   >>   
   >> Next time I make a reference, if you don't get it, who the fuck cares?   
   >> It's unimportant.   
   >>   
   >>>> I highly doubt that it is "common knowledge".   
   >>   
   >   
   >It’s Christmas Day and I am feeling benevolent so I will try to help you   
   >both if I can. I know how these Internet spats go, but ‘tis the season and   
   >all, so let’s see.   
   >   
   >Adam made an erudite joke about Lee J Cobb. Mack didn’t get it and said so.   
   >Adam responded with a sigh.   
   >   
   >Mack interpreted the sigh as, “you are an idiot for not understanding.“   
   >Just for the record, that’s how I interpreted the sigh too.   
      
   Exactly.  Why wouldn't any reasonable peson answer the question if he   
   knew the answer?  I took his sigh as a put down.   
      
   >But now it appears Adam intended the sigh as a signal of disappointment   
   >that people didn’t understand his joke. No condescension; just regret.   
   >   
   >Sounds like a minor misunderstanding to me. Amusing, even. Happy holidays   
   >and peace on earth.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)