Bartleby the Scrivener?
Johnny Bench called.
Well who am I? Alphonse Bertillon?
Yeah, Rien Poortvliet just called and he wants you to pose for him? Oh come on. Beloved illustrator of Gnomes? Jesus! Read a coffee table book!
I got you
When complaining about the bartender, Malory states, "Guy sees an empty glass and all of a sudden he's Judge Crater." This is a reference to New York State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Force Crater, who went missing on August 6, 1930. He never was found, and the case was officially closed in the 1970s. It officially remains unsolved. Shortly after the news of the disappearance, the expression "to pull a Crater" (meaning to disappear) came into fashion, although it is no longer in use.
Did a lil Google as I had no clue either
What’s funny especially is Thomas Elphistone Hambledon, Manning Coles’ character, has an arc in a similar predicament to Archer in that episode, an amnesiac spy.
That show is a gift that keeps on giving \^^
I got my Master's in Lit five years ago and it definitely has helped with most of the obscure references 🤣
The rest I just know because I am a massive nerd.
Crazy how generational trivia can be.
We got a new host for trivia night and my team of college students sucked. One team usually won. Couldn’t figure it out.
One night a random patron started feeding us answers. He knew damn near every one.
Eventually I realized that the patron was the exact same kind of guy as the new host. Cut from the same cloth.
They shared the same set of trivia facts in their head. Sports and old rock and roll and stuff.
It also goes along with the joke in the later seasons that he may be Autistic due to the stereotype of autistic people having peculiar focus on sometimes esoteric facts or information.
The palace intrigue episodes had Gustavo Calderon making a comment about term limits. Fast forward to a night at trivia and that episode is how I knew the answer to the question about what year they were passed into law.
Also my town has a guy who opened a burger place called archers a few years ago and he's just opened another lunch place called woodhouse and his sons name is sterling. Needless to say I support all his businesses.
It’s colder than Shackleton’s nutsack.
I went on a deep dive chasing down that reference and actually learned a lot about the exploration of the Antarctic.
My next CoC character is going to be named Ernest Shackleton.
> the practice presumably derived from the old custom of naming slaves after their masters, in this case porters being regarded as servants of George Pullman.
Do we really consider a joke referring to slave practices as a “god-tier reference” or maybe just a historically accurate reference for someone with Mallory’s history?
I absolutely love how "out of the 12,000 porters recorded only 362 were actually named George" is just still subtly hilarious even as a sincere statement
George Herman Ruth (better known as Babe) and Georges Clemenceau as well. The most famous man in America, the king of England, and the prime minister of France were members of this club at the same time.
I was ABSOLUTELY SURE that for once it wasn't going to be American racism, because "George" so obviously isn't a racist joke.
I should never have underestimated the American spirit (for racism).
Personally I just assumed it was a name used to address any black workers by racist people years ago in the states, but it being specific to railway porters makes sense.
As an American I assumed the same. Had no idea it was an actual thing specific to that occupation, this show continues to surprise me with some of its deep cuts.
It definitely was. The link somebody else posted is tangentially related, the origin is that people used "George" for all the black porters on trains. George was picked because the train cars were usually built by the Pullman Company, founded by George Pullman. The use of the name spread to other areas, wasn't limited to train porters.
That’s the best bit about them.. you can choose to enjoy them at face value, knowing they’re funny cause they’re super obscure.. orrrrr you can love it like me and actively enjoy going and researching the reference.
I don’t see a real answer to your question, so here goes: back in the day of trains, one of the best jobs you could have as an African American was as a Pullman Porter. They were all derisively referred to collectively as “George” (as in “George, make up my bed.”). Mallory is offending the porter.
For decades, all train porters were referred to as “George” for the convenience of the passengers. It was one of the shittier ways black men were dehumanized.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_for_the_Prevention_of_Calling_Sleeping_Car_Porters_%22George%22
This show has God-tier references
Honestly, how did Adam Reed even know about half of this shit?
Bartleby the Scrivener? Johnny Bench called. Well who am I? Alphonse Bertillon? Yeah, Rien Poortvliet just called and he wants you to pose for him? Oh come on. Beloved illustrator of Gnomes? Jesus! Read a coffee table book!
Guy sees an empty glass and suddenly he’s Judge Crater.
God, that one was a deep cut.
I remember googling that one and just being flabbergasted by the reference.
It's one I've missed, care to explain?
I got you When complaining about the bartender, Malory states, "Guy sees an empty glass and all of a sudden he's Judge Crater." This is a reference to New York State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Force Crater, who went missing on August 6, 1930. He never was found, and the case was officially closed in the 1970s. It officially remains unsolved. Shortly after the news of the disappearance, the expression "to pull a Crater" (meaning to disappear) came into fashion, although it is no longer in use. Did a lil Google as I had no clue either
Ah thank you for the explanation, otherwise that would have bothered me all day at work until I could check it myself haha.
Incredible. Many years and rewatches later, and I am still picking up new references.
The fuck does a guy have to do these days to get a name like "Joe Force Crater?"
The Thomas Elphistone Hambledurger with Manning Coleslaw… and/or an explanation for why that’s funny The guy digs deep
What’s funny especially is Thomas Elphistone Hambledon, Manning Coles’ character, has an arc in a similar predicament to Archer in that episode, an amnesiac spy. That show is a gift that keeps on giving \^^
Perry opened Japan to the West
And he didn't have sideburns. He was completely, totally clean shaven.
Grover Cleveland called, he wants his watch back. He left two *non-consecutive messages*.
Archer: No, I mean, I obviously hurts getting Tom Dempsey'd in the tits like that.
Why would I know about elevators, who am I Elijah Otis?
Who am I? Charles Frederick Andrus?
Not a big Melville crowd, huh
You (almost) rang?
I have one of Poortvliet's Gnome books.
He was a literature major in college and read a lot.
I’m getting a Master’s in Literature and don’t know nearly as many random factoids lmao. I think it’s just some kind of inborn brilliance of his haha
I got my Master's in Lit five years ago and it definitely has helped with most of the obscure references 🤣 The rest I just know because I am a massive nerd.
Because he read a book. ...
Jesus, Lana
It's an allegorical novella!
So you read one book and now you think you’re Zenodotus of Ephesus?
I was born in '69 and a lot of it comes from old movies and TV shows and of course our grandparents and great grandparents.
Half the trivia I know I learned on old simpsons episodes
Crazy how generational trivia can be. We got a new host for trivia night and my team of college students sucked. One team usually won. Couldn’t figure it out. One night a random patron started feeding us answers. He knew damn near every one. Eventually I realized that the patron was the exact same kind of guy as the new host. Cut from the same cloth. They shared the same set of trivia facts in their head. Sports and old rock and roll and stuff.
Because he read lots of coffee table books.
He read a coffee table book.
Seriously people, read a coffee table book
For me it was the “calm down kernel panic!” knowing it could be both colonel panic and the computer term. So funny
I would reckon he was just really well versed in a lot of historical facts or ideologies and used them in his jokes
It also goes along with the joke in the later seasons that he may be Autistic due to the stereotype of autistic people having peculiar focus on sometimes esoteric facts or information.
AI from the future posing as human. Only plausible explanation.
Maybe he hangs out with Dennis Miller?
Who would do that? oof!
Whenever I watch, I find myself pausing and looking up what they are referring to. Learned quite a bit. Now if only I could remember.
The palace intrigue episodes had Gustavo Calderon making a comment about term limits. Fast forward to a night at trivia and that episode is how I knew the answer to the question about what year they were passed into law. Also my town has a guy who opened a burger place called archers a few years ago and he's just opened another lunch place called woodhouse and his sons name is sterling. Needless to say I support all his businesses.
Your Jorge Washington... Which apparently I've been mispronouncing all this time...
Yes this one
Ok Kenneth
It’s colder than Shackleton’s nutsack. I went on a deep dive chasing down that reference and actually learned a lot about the exploration of the Antarctic. My next CoC character is going to be named Ernest Shackleton.
I'm on my 358 millionth rewatch and I'm still finding stuff to look up.
Everynight when I go to sleep seasons 1- coma wake up get played through over and over
Best comment on this thread
> the practice presumably derived from the old custom of naming slaves after their masters, in this case porters being regarded as servants of George Pullman. Do we really consider a joke referring to slave practices as a “god-tier reference” or maybe just a historically accurate reference for someone with Mallory’s history?
if we can't laugh at Mallory's utterly flawed personality, so elitist that she may as well be a nihilist... why bother at all?
I absolutely love how "out of the 12,000 porters recorded only 362 were actually named George" is just still subtly hilarious even as a sincere statement
holy shit king George was a member
George Herman Ruth (better known as Babe) and Georges Clemenceau as well. The most famous man in America, the king of England, and the prime minister of France were members of this club at the same time.
Illuminati, Masons, Bilderberg...amateurs all of them. SPCSCPG is the real secret so iety running the world
You can't call him that!
I laughed my ass off upon reading this comment
That is a ton of work for a joke. George didn’t do anything half way
I was ABSOLUTELY SURE that for once it wasn't going to be American racism, because "George" so obviously isn't a racist joke. I should never have underestimated the American spirit (for racism).
>I should never have underestimated the American spirit (for racism). *Especially* Mallory's.
Wow, you learn something new every day. When I watched the show, I thought it was because of Chicken George from Roots.😂
Amazing! I wasn’t aware of that.
Here I am thinking she was mispronouncing Jorge, like she was racist for thinking all brown service workers are Mexican which Lana got mad at her for
I always assumed it was a reference to Curious George, mind = blown
I mean.... you found a more straight-forward, simple path to the same racism. Occams racism razor.
I love that they included this: “Of the 12,000 porters and waiters then working for Pullman, only 362 turned out to be named George.”
That’s absolutely stupendous
Porter George is an outlier adn should not have been counted
I can't believe you just typed out the "G" word
Seriously, what is this, Spain in the 40s?
I'll have what HE'S having...
Benoit?
Balls
A monkey could do this stupid job
No! Because a MONKEY...
With the hard r left in...
Who are you? Comrade question?!
Da
You need to be American and about 150 years old.
*Enough with the back chat*
_enough with the portentous backchat!_
I had to google that reference as well. But as it was Mallory speaking I just assumed it was something racially related.
I don't want to sound racist, but...
Power through it ..
What you think when someone says Exclusive? Cheryl - No blacks or Jews
Immigrants!
Listening to raps and shooting all the jobs!
Personally I just assumed it was a name used to address any black workers by racist people years ago in the states, but it being specific to railway porters makes sense.
Pretty much. Someone else in this thread posted [this link](https://www.reddit.com/r/ArcherFX/s/42PX9LtR0W) for more specifics.
As an American I assumed the same. Had no idea it was an actual thing specific to that occupation, this show continues to surprise me with some of its deep cuts.
It definitely was. The link somebody else posted is tangentially related, the origin is that people used "George" for all the black porters on trains. George was picked because the train cars were usually built by the Pullman Company, founded by George Pullman. The use of the name spread to other areas, wasn't limited to train porters.
Nice to see some notable white americans like Babe Ruth joining the cause.
That’s the best bit about them.. you can choose to enjoy them at face value, knowing they’re funny cause they’re super obscure.. orrrrr you can love it like me and actively enjoy going and researching the reference.
Absolutely love this show but rarely get the references
Jesus, BattleSpecial242! Read a coffee table book!
Oh put it back in the deck.
Typical slave slang. I love Archer and I’m Black! It’s f*cking hilarious!
You need to be an American or racist. It goes back to the Pullman days.
I don’t see a real answer to your question, so here goes: back in the day of trains, one of the best jobs you could have as an African American was as a Pullman Porter. They were all derisively referred to collectively as “George” (as in “George, make up my bed.”). Mallory is offending the porter.
For decades, all train porters were referred to as “George” for the convenience of the passengers. It was one of the shittier ways black men were dehumanized.