MovieChat Forums > A Serious Man (2009) Discussion > Why Did The "Jeff-er-son Aaa-ir-plane" R...

Why Did The "Jeff-er-son Aaa-ir-plane" Rabbi Forget the BASS PLAYER!!!!

posted 8 years ago by SampanMassacre
3 replies | jump to latest

He named all the Airplane but Jack Casady. Hell, he could have, in one fell swoop, mentioned both The Airplane members, and Hot Tuna... Although he couldn't pronounce... No one can pronounce, was the punchline... Jorma's last name... Anyhow... That hurt... Jack was left out...

Anyhow, in all seriousness... Was this part of the kid's stoned trip... I know he did get the earphones back, but would a Rabbi really get into the lyrics of a song that wouldn't just happen to play on that radio, which plays a lot of music and that the kid happened to be listening to in class (to start the film, after the prologue)? And would the meaning of life be the names of most of the Jefferson Airplane? For me, that was a bit of a Shark Jump moment... It was only a Thresher Shark, not a Great White, but... Nonetheless...

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[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] hnewstadt 8 years ago

Somebody to Love was playing loudly in the class when the teacher puller the ear phone jack out. Those guys aren't dummies, have families, and may be very aware of the culture. The Chief Rabbi may have actually been a fan.

[–] KutWrite (1317) 7 years ago

The Rabbi's words might have just been a jumble to the stoned kid. He may've heard them as the words to the song. The Bass player's name may've momentarily slipped Danny's mind, and he projected that onto the Rabbi.

My Bar Mitzvah was one big blur, and I wasn't stoned!

Plus those particular words summarize the fearful part of becoming Bar Mitzvah: Suddenly being an adult, with all that implies to a still-juvenile mind. It's also an age at which the hypocrisies and falsehoods of religion and of many adult authority figures begin to become clear.

The movie made more sense to me as being filtered through Danny's mind. Remember the "radio" scene was intercut with the Dad's - Larry's Dr. visit. I think that shows at least some kind of connection; I took it as the son being the central POV.