Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2021 July 25

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July 25

I have a question about the 2018 movie called Night School

I'm curious because 3 actresses who star in this movie are of direct African descent. Tiffany Haddish is of Eritrean and Ethiopian descent, and Megalyn Echikunwoke and Yvonne Orji are of Nigerian descent. Were these 3 actresses hired because of their African heritage. Maybe it's just a coincidence but either way I'm curious. 2001:569:7D98:E00:94CF:BC54:B981:C1CD (talk) 05:23, 25 July 2021 (UTC)

Sorry: it looks as though none of us know, or have been able to find out, the answer to your question. (I have tried and failed, but this is not my area of expertise).

We could only know this if (a) it was indeed deliberate (for some reason I for one can't guess at) and (b) someone involved has gone on record as saying so (which they might be reluctant to do, as it might cause needless controversy).

I am inclined to think it's coincidental. The film has an predominantly African-American cast, so the fact that the three you mention have particularly recent African ancestry is not so much of an anomaly. Calculate what percentage of the film's whole African-American cast these three form, and compare it to the percentage of the entire US African-American population with similarly recent African ancestry, and the percentage of their particular age group, since their age must have been a crucial factor in their being cast (which I leave as exercises for you) – are there significant differences? {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.27.141 (talk) 19:49, 28 July 2021 (UTC)

companions to medals

In the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, the medalists were asked to drape their own medals around their necks. But has flowers returned to being given out, as well? If yes, was there anything else being given out with them?2603:7000:8106:C149:4846:DCA4:58A0:81D9 (talk) 10:44, 25 July 2021 (UTC)

Having watched a medal ceremony last night, I can conform that the flowers are still handed out: they are placed on a tray and the winning athletes pick up their own bouquet, after they have wrapped their own medal around their neck. Xuxl (talk) 11:49, 25 July 2021 (UTC)

But wait a minute. During the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics and the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, no flowers were given to the medalists. Instead, there were some things that were given out as companions to medals. But during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, something is holding the flowers. (I thought officials ceased to hand out flowers to the medalists due to environmental concerns.)2603:7000:8106:C149:412:4DDE:E611:E730 (talk) 10:20, 26 July 2021 (UTC)

For a change, let me give a couple of references: [1], [2]. The flowers are highly symbolic, as one would expect in the country of ikebana. Xuxl (talk) 21:56, 26 July 2021 (UTC)

Dialog doubt in Easy Rider

The dialogue between two customers despises and ridicules the bikers' long hair

Customer 2: I wonder where they got those wigs from.

Customer 1: They probably grew 'em. It looks like they're standin' in fertilizer.

What does "standin' in fertilizer" mean? Rizosome (talk) 16:05, 25 July 2021 (UTC)

It means that the bikers are dirty and grungy and appear to have shit on their boots. --Khajidha (talk) 18:32, 25 July 2021 (UTC)

As in manure. --Jayron32 11:56, 26 July 2021 (UTC)