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The 'furniture' outnumbered Charles, 9 to 1

posted 14 years ago by jeffyoung1
12 replies | jump to latest

Remember the scene where Chelsea Towers building manager, 'Charles' enters the apartment and beats up a couple of the girls enjoying a quiet, relaxing party. I always ask the same question, the girls outnumbered nasty Charles, 9 to 1.

Charles didn't look like some ex-green beret or a Chinese master of death touch kung fu. The girls didn't need to kill or maim Charles. All they had to do was b**** slap him around, giving Charles a taste of his own medicine. That's how I feel about guys who go around beating up innocent women.

I already know the answer, that some other poster offered up long ago. The girls were afraid of losing their jobs and ending up on the filthy, dirty streets, scrambling for soylent green like everyone else. Of course, the girls' 'owners' might have something to say about that. Or maybe the girls were just too darn domesticated after living a soft life in Chelsea Towers for most of their young adult lives. No tenant wants an aggressive, female wrestler type for a companion. Any girl successful in her job search as, 'furniture' would have to be ultra-feminine. That's what makes me feel such pity for the 'furniture'. These were NOT high-class hookers from madam Heidi Fleiss exclusive call service, earning thousands of dollars a night. These girls were giving up their bodies just for room and board in a decent apartment rather than live in filth and squalor and hunger on the mean streets. Who's going to judge them? You or me? It wouldn't be fair. Maybe some naysayers will tell me that they'd rather have their dignity as human beings on the streets rather than be a whore. But I'll go ahead and disagree. It's not like these furniture girls had much of a choice in life. A young woman like, Shirl, would be in some successful occupation today instead of a sex and geisha companion in the fictional 2022 USA.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] jbaddock 14 years ago

Remember, they were 'furniture' - Chelsea Towers effectively owned them, and, judging by Thorn's surprise that Simonson had not been violent towards Shirl, being beaten up by the tenants was a common experience and was something they had to put up with. If even one of them had lifted a finger against Charles, it's very likely that they would all have been out of a job - it's as simple as that. The attitude would have been that there were plenty more where they came from - which was, unfortunately, probably true. It was another example of the inequality that existed in the society of Soylent Green - everybody did what they needed to do to survive.

Jim

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] kukident 14 years ago

I guess nearly everyone, under the condition of being able to survive no other way...

[–] Banjo_oz 14 years ago

So, the building could of been theirs... if the 'furniture' could count? :) (oops sorry, wrong film!)

Seriously, though, the poster saying the girls were effectively 'owned' by Chelsea Towers was right, but remember that it's not just them. Look how utterly scared Thorn is of losing HIS job (he says as much to Hatcher). These folks know that ANY awful job is better than no job, and thus starving on the streets.

Shirl was 'lucky' she landed the client she did; Thorn makes it clear that abuse is common for 'furniture', and he's not exactly nice to her himself (probably one of the least romantic romances in cinema!). Most were probably richer versions of Charles (who was indeed a total, complete asshat. I always wanted to see him get what he deserved in this movie!).

[–] novastar_6 14 years ago

The thing I couldn't get is why that one woman he slapped kept bawling her head off...it doesn't sound like a hurt cry to me, just bawling for bawling's sake, why?

[–] hogwouth 12 years ago

I guess some women just like to let it all out.

Well what use are MY brains if I'm tied up with a dumb clunk like you!

[–] briarmor 12 years ago

when the girls leave, Thorn ask Shirl idf she ever gets mad, and she is so calm....Thorn understands now what means live in a place like that. She offers him hot water and he melts.

[–] MedioSiglo 10 years ago

Charles reminded me of Austin Powers and his character looked much too wimpy to slap anyone around.

Why ain't you at the garden party you heathen?

[–] bigal_a 8 years ago

Judo Chop!

The restitution of life is no great feat. A variety of deaths may well enter into your punishment

[–] JohninVegas 9 years ago

I would have thrown Charles over the balcony. "just Charles, it's perfectly legal"