MovieChat Forums > Three's Company (1977) Discussion > The Rent? Why did they split it three wa...

The Rent? Why did they split it three ways, when Jack had his own room?


It would only be fair if Jack were to pay HALF the rent, and Janet & Chrissy (and then Janet & Cindy, Janet & Terry) each paid one-third. Jack had his own room, where he could sleep nude, jerk-off, stay up late and read a book or some dirty magazines. Janet and Chrissy (followed by Cindy and Terry) had to share a bedroom, so unless they were super comfortable with one another, they couldn't sleep nude, or have some alone time. Why did Elenor also pay one-third? I would never tolerate that if it were my living situation.

Yes, I know that it's a sitcom but it never made sense to me.

If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten

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I think of it this way: the girls want Jack to be their roommate, so they ask that the three of them split the rent evenly. He also cooks for them, which makes him the kind of roommate that's in demand. Jack also provides the girls a sense of security.

It'd be so easy for him to live with another male roommate and have all kinds of women over, so the girls are willing to make their living arrangement economically more attractive.

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Exactly, the girls ASKED Jack to be their roommate. It wasn't his idea. They needed a roommate and he could cook (very well) and they couldn't. They knew Jack was broke. If they demanded he pay a higher share of the rent, he would say he couldn't afford it, so they gave him an allowance. (Although I actually believe Eleanor paid the same amount of rent as Janet and Chrissy.)

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I shared a place with a couple where I had my own room and they obviously shared a room, should I have paid half the rent?

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I was in a sitch, once, where it was originally 4 individuals, then 1 couple and 2 individuals, then 2 couples, then back to 1 couple and 2 individuals. Should the rent shares have changed depending on status? Absurd.

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I know, come on.

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Just out of curiosity, Sold-Gold, are you a woman?

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