Is there a joke, reference, or other line from "Will & Grace" that you just don't get? The show uses lots of current events to make their jokes, but sometimes you just don't know what it means. If there's anything like that that you don't understand, simply fill out the form to get your answer!
Example
Quote - Will: "And they said Tinky Winky was the only gay Teletubbie."
Tinky Winky is one of a group of four children's TV show characters from the show, "Teletubies". Tinky Winky, with his purple colour, 'purse' and upside-down triangle on his head, was said to be gay by right-wing reverend Jerry Falwell. Of course, the gay and lesbian community immediately turned this negtivity around and adopted this children's character as a symbol of their unity.
Submitted by Caz
Quote - Karen: ".... nothing makes me laugh like pulling Phil Donahue's chain.... And by chain I mean Marlo."
- I know who Phil Donahue is, but who's Marlo? -
The "Marlo" in question is Marlo Thomas, Phil Donahue's current wife, and thus, "the old ball and chain".
Submitted by Debbie
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Quote: All those references to Sonny von Bülow (ie:"It's only for real emergencies, like if Sonny von Bülow comes to and starts pointing fingers.")
-They've mentioned Sonny, or Sonny VB, etc. a lot. Who is this guy/girl/thing? -
Sonny von Bülow has been mentioned a number of times of the show, usually in some connection with Karen. She was first mentioned in "The Young And The Tactless" (see above quote). Sonny von Bülow was known to be a drug and alcohol addict, plus she was wealthy, just like Karen. But Sonny von Bülow went into a coma that she never came out of. The coma was caused by drugs and probably alcohol. Thanks to Sebbie for this information.
Quote - Karen: "I'm going to go grab lunch with some of the other girls from the typing pool. It's Zooey's birthday. Fran made cupcakes."
- What was this all about? -
Submitted by E: The names Fran and Zooey refer to the title of a J.D. Salinger book entitled "Franny and Zooey". Click here for more information.
Quote - Karen: "Come over later and we'll shortsheet Rosario's bed!"
- Jack said this to Karen to cheer her up...What does shortsheet
mean? -
Short sheeting someone's bed is a prank people play. It means when they pulls the blanket up, it doesn't cover them, but comes up past their toes. To short sheet, first the top sheet is tucked into the top part of the bed, to make it look like the bottom sheet. Then the top sheet is folded, from the bottom, in half. Finally, the top sheet is tucked in on the sides and cover with the blanket.
Quote - Grace: "...and I thought I was havin' a good day 'cause a shishlach vendor hit on me..."
- From Polk Defeats Truman: What's a shishlach? Sounds
yummy...but questionable...but yummy. -
Hmm...this one stumped me. I'm pretty sure it's some kind of foreign food, but what exactly it is I don't know. Anyone else know?
Quote - Karen: "Honey, don't you remember? You asked me to be your T and A."
- When Karen made this comment she was expecting that Grace was asking her to take her clothes off, but then Grace corrects her and says she asked her to be a "TA, teacher's assistant," what in the world is a TNA or a T & A (I couldn't tell which one Karen said) -
To put in a censored form, "T and A" means boobs & butts (in a slightly stronger language). Basically, Karen thought Grace was asking her to be her t**s and ass.
Quotes: "Lilith Fair", "What this will do to the fall line?", "I haven't seen a stampede like this since Pamplona."
- What on earth are these things? I think they are references to American things which is probably why I don't understand them but I would greatly appreciate it if someone explained. -
"Lilith Fair" is a music festival devoted to celebrating women in music. It was created by singer Sarah McLachlan and often features famous female singer, such as the Indigo Girls and Tracy Chapman.
"What this will do to the fall line?" - this quote was said after Karen realizes that the "Welcome Home" group was trying to make gay people straight. She was probably referring to the fact that many clothes designers are gay and if gay people became straight, the fall line of fashion would be terrible.
"I haven't seen a stampede like this since Pamplona." - Pamplona is a city in Spain where the Running of the Bulls takes place (hence, 'a stampede').
Quote - Will: "Papa, can you hear me?"
- Will sing this tiny part on the season 2. -
"Papa Can You Hear Me?" is a song sung by Barbra Streisand, from the movie "Yentl".
Quote - Jack: "Now I know why Evita was such a bitch."
- Jack said this when he had a towel wrapped tightly around his head. Who is Evita and why does that apply to her? -
Submitted by Grant: The fact that Jack is complaining about his towel being wrapped too tight is a reference to Evita's classic hairstyle, in which all her hair was pulled straight back, very very tightly, into a chignon at the back of her head. For example
http://www.amicidelmusical.it/clips/eva.jpg and the classic portrait of her http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/history/virtual/portrait/eva.jpg
As for being a bitch ... Eva Peron is one of the most controversial figures in 20th century history. Some people, especially working-class and poor Argentines, view her as a saint who, as you say, "used her connection to [her husband] to fight for what she thought was right." Just as many -- and perhaps more -- people view her as someone who slept her way to the top, used her position of authority within Argentina for personal gain (money and power), and preached that she was fighting for the common people when in fact she was pocketing the money herself. She also had a reputation of being fairly brutal with those who opposed her (i.e., "a bitch"). She and her husband certainly didn't tolerate anyone opposing them, personally or politically. Many critics and historians have described them as fascists; the general consensus among Peron experts is that she was by no means the kind, compassionate, self-sacrificing saint she presented herself as. (The fact that she died so young elevated her to unofficial sainthood in the minds of many of her supporters; a lot of historians suspect that if she'd lived, she eventually would've been run out of office -- or worse -- when the truth behind the Peronist facade was revealed).
Anyway, I'm not presenting my opinion one way or the other (I'm dwelling on the negative view of her since that's what Jack's line is referring to) -- it's the saint-sinner dichotomy that I think is interesting.
The play on which Madonna's film version of "Evita" is based took quite a negative view towards her; the film version watered it down somewhat. The classic biography presenting the bitch angle is Mary Main's "Evita: The Woman with the Whip."
Quote - Karen: "No but I got a fifth in my blood stream."
- I never really actually got what that meant. -
This is yet another reference to Karen's fondness of alcohol. "A fifth" is like "a fifth of vodka".
Quote - Rosario: "Yeah, you're the Rosa Parks of pooping."
- Who's Rosa Parks? And what did Rosario mean by that? -
Rosa Parks was a black woman during the 1950s when black people were required to give up their seats on the buses to white passengers. One December day, Rosa refused to give up her seat and was consequently arrested, prompting a boycott of the buses and a change in the laws of segregation.
This quote by Rosario was said after Karen's comment about not allowing racism or constipation in her house.
Quote: "Martha Stewart" (referenced numerous times)
- Who/what is she? -
Martha Stewart is a woman who turned do-it-yourself at home activities into a thriving empire. The host of "Martha Stewart Living" would teach viewers how to prepare fabulous meals and which flowers to plant. She was worth millions, if not billions, of dollars.
However, Martha also had a reputation for being, well, a bitch. Neighbours complained about her attitude, ex-employees claimed abuse. And in 2004, Martha was found guilty of four counts of obstructing justice and lying to investigators about a well-timed stock sale of ImClone.
Quote - Karen: "Ok. Now this is just fun. It's beach, cocktails with the Pearlmans. Kicky little blouse. Cheeriness. Dick's gotta stop drinking."
- I know this is from very early season 1, but who's Dick and why does he have to stop drinking? -
I have no idea. Anyone?
Quote - Karen: "Does the carpet match the drapes?" in the finale of season 7
- Obviously I know this is supposed to be a "sexual comment" but what
exactly does it mean?
It's not really a "sexual comment", it's just a way of asking if someone's hair colour is natural. In other words, does the "carpet" (pubic hair) match the "drapes" (head hair).
Quote - Karen: "Careful Baby Jane."
- Who is Baby Jane?
"Baby" Jane Hudson was a child star in 1917. She was spoiled and narcissistic and she regularly bullied and abused her older, more talented sister, Blanche, who had been a big star until an accident paralyzed her from the waist down. Karen was comparing Will's treatment of his own wheelchair-bound relative to that of Jane's.
(Thanks to Wikipedia.com for the info)
Quote - Jack: "I'm meeting Rory at the Mandy Bar."
- Who is this RORY Jack keeps mentioning?
Rory is a friend of Jack's who, like Stan, has never been seen but is mentioned frequently.
Quote - Grace: "You should know better than to stereotype lesbians. Ooh, while I'm there, I can have of them fix my watch."
- What does being a lesbian have to do with watch repair?
I think this is a joke about how lesbians are sterotypically supossed to be good fixing things and being mechanical.