"Sophie's Choice" - Page 3

Big Joanie · ‎01-02-2015

It's just bad no matter how you look at it ....

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

I can't help wondering if maybe this host doesn't have any idea the meaning of 'Sophie's Choice' as pertains to the origin of it. Is this a particularly young host who might not have seen the movie?

If she does know the meaning - totally inappropriate and offensive if she's just making a cute little joke reference.

That said, however, I don't tend to be offended by much unless the person is being particularly offensive on purpose or if it involves hatred/bigotry.

Had I head it I might have gasped!

suzyQ3 · ‎03-09-2010

@chickenbuttwrote:
I can't help wondering if maybe this host doesn't have any idea the meaning of 'Sophie's Choice' as pertains to the origin of it. Is this a particularly young host who might not have seen the movie?

If she does know the meaning - totally inappropriate and offensive if she's just making a cute little joke reference.

That said, however, I don't tend to be offended by much unless the person is being particularly offensive on purpose or if it involves hatred/bigotry.

Had I head it I might have gasped!

@chickenbutt, this is something I had wondered about. And lo and behold, it has entered the language.

So·phie's choice

noun

noun: Sophie's choice; plural noun: Sophie's choices

used in reference to a difficult situation in which a person must choose between two equally deserving alternatives.
"for environmentalists, it's something of a Sophie's choice: do we want clean, smog-free air at the local level or lower greenhouse gas emissions at the global level?"

Origin

with allusion to the 1979 novel Sophie's Choice by William Styron (1925–2006), in which a mother arriving at the Auschwitz concentration camp is forced to choose which of her two children is to be killed; failure to make a choice will result in the death of both children.

~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

Until I came across this thread I had no clue about the true meaning of the two words. I never read the book nor have I seen the movie. Now that I know what it means it does not personally offend me and I get it. It's just not something I would have paid attention to. Guess ignorance is bliss.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

@suzyQ3wrote:
@chickenbuttwrote:
I can't help wondering if maybe this host doesn't have any idea the meaning of 'Sophie's Choice' as pertains to the origin of it. Is this a particularly young host who might not have seen the movie?

If she does know the meaning - totally inappropriate and offensive if she's just making a cute little joke reference.

That said, however, I don't tend to be offended by much unless the person is being particularly offensive on purpose or if it involves hatred/bigotry.

Had I head it I might have gasped!
@chickenbutt, this is something I had wondered about. And lo and behold, it has entered the language.

So·phie's choice
noun
noun: Sophie's choice; plural noun: Sophie's choices
used in reference to a difficult situation in which a person must choose between two equally deserving alternatives.
"for environmentalists, it's something of a Sophie's choice: do we want clean, smog-free air at the local level or lower greenhouse gas emissions at the global level?"
Origin
with allusion to the 1979 novel Sophie's Choice by William Styron (1925–2006), in which a mother arriving at the Auschwitz concentration camp is forced to choose which of her two children is to be killed; failure to make a choice will result in the death of both children.

I do have to say that I feel it's kinda weird that the phrase would have a definition that is pretty benign, compared to the origin of it. That kind of makes me feel a little bit ooky.

But then, the movie is a drama AFAIK. Still - I don't feel comfortable and would definitely not find myself using that phrase in such a manner. Like - Oh wow, I couldn't decide if I wanted the Almond Joy or the Butterfinger. It's such a Sophie's Choice'. Cringe!

suzyQ3 · ‎03-09-2010

@chickenbuttwrote:
@suzyQ3wrote:
@chickenbuttwrote:
I can't help wondering if maybe this host doesn't have any idea the meaning of 'Sophie's Choice' as pertains to the origin of it. Is this a particularly young host who might not have seen the movie?

If she does know the meaning - totally inappropriate and offensive if she's just making a cute little joke reference.

That said, however, I don't tend to be offended by much unless the person is being particularly offensive on purpose or if it involves hatred/bigotry.

Had I head it I might have gasped!
@chickenbutt, this is something I had wondered about. And lo and behold, it has entered the language.

So·phie's choice
noun
noun: Sophie's choice; plural noun: Sophie's choices
used in reference to a difficult situation in which a person must choose between two equally deserving alternatives.
"for environmentalists, it's something of a Sophie's choice: do we want clean, smog-free air at the local level or lower greenhouse gas emissions at the global level?"
Origin
with allusion to the 1979 novel Sophie's Choice by William Styron (1925–2006), in which a mother arriving at the Auschwitz concentration camp is forced to choose which of her two children is to be killed; failure to make a choice will result in the death of both children.

I do have to say that I feel it's kinda weird that the phrase would have a definition that is pretty benign, compared to the origin of it. That kind of makes me feel a little bit ooky.

But then, the movie is a drama AFAIK. Still - I don't feel comfortable and would definitely not find myself using that phrase in such a manner. Like - Oh wow, I couldn't decide if I wanted the Almond Joy or the Butterfinger. It's such a Sophie's Choice'. Cringe!

@chickenbutt, that's how I felt, too. But I guess language does morph. After all, look at how the word "nazi" is used in so many contexts to mean acting in a certain way (the infamous "soup nazi" from Seinfeld). I know that many don't approve, but that one doesn't bother me. I understand that it's not at all a reference to the horrors of the Holocaust.

Maybe I'll adjust at some point to the use of "Sophia's Choice," but for the time being, it does grate on me.

~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

blackhole99 · ‎08-22-2013

There is no doubt in my mind that the Sophie scenario did play out for many parents during the Holocaust. To me saying something like that is just so unthinking and cruel. I guess the host could have been that stupid to not know where thr reference came from, but I have to doubt it. I too hope someone called it to her attention.

sol_luna · ‎01-25-2018

@suzyQ3wrote:
I recently heard a host on one of the shopping channels use the phrase "Sophie's Choice" in reference to how difficult it is to decide on a color of an item.

Thoughts?

It's "Sophie's", NOT "Sophia's". Just sayin!!!

Isobel Archer · ‎04-04-2015

@sidsmomwrote:
For what it’s worth, maybe this is where they got the idea.

’Friends’ referenced the movie/idea a couple times,
especially in my favorite episode when Phoebe decides to
have her brother’s baby.

SCENE: Central Perk.
[Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe are on the couch.
Phoebe is holding the puppy.]

Phoebe: My mom's going to be here any minute. I can't do this, I can't give him up.
Rachel: [sadly] Oh.
Phoebe: Yes, no, I can. I don't want to. But I can. No.
Rachel: [looking away] Oh, I can't watch this. It's like "Sophie's Choice."
Monica: You know, I never saw that.
Rachel: Oh, it was only okay.

And I guess this got a pass - or people even thought it was funny? (Clearly the writer and actors did). Wow.

faeriemoon · ‎03-14-2010

It's not a phrase I would be comfortable saying. Nor do I think it's a phrase appropriate for a TV vendor who's trying to convince you to make a purchase to use.