I didn't understand why Karen did that 'Joke' to Margo!
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Film and Television Discussion
ModarNow — 11 years ago(October 30, 2014 04:30 PM)
So Karen is a loyal friend of Margo.. and when she wanted to joke with her or teach her a lesson she made her miss the play by causing the car to run out of gas. why did she do that? I don't understand her motive! what lesson she wanted Margo to learn? And how did she expect Margo not to get angry because of that?
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MiserblOF — 11 years ago(October 31, 2014 08:15 AM)
She wanted to give Margo a boot in the butt for her snottiness and shortness with her friends as exemplified by her behavior at the birthday party, and at the scene of the reading she missed. At this point in time, Karen was not in tune with Eve's underhandedness, and still thought of her as a friend and confidant both to her and to Margo. In the car scene, Margo apologizes for her actions and even admits to being a little nasty towards Eve, which indicates that even Margo still wasn't 100% sure of Eve as evil.. And, of course, makes Karen want to crawl under a rock by saying, "..after all, you didn't drain the gas tank yourself.."
Karen thought of it as a harmless prank, kind of a practical joke, while at the same time, maybe knocking her friend down a peg when she needed it. She didn't expect that Eve would call reporters and invite them to the performance that even the management didn't know was coming. Once all of this became clear to Karen, of course, the implications of her "little prank" were clearly much worse than she ever intended.. -
Ysis — 9 years ago(May 08, 2016 01:03 AM)
She wanted to give Margo a boot in the butt for her snottiness and shortness with her friends as exemplified by her behavior at the birthday party, and at the scene of the reading she missed. At this point in time, Karen was not in tune with Eve's underhandedness, and still thought of her as a friend and confidant both to her and to Margo. In the car scene, Margo apologizes for her actions and even admits to being a little nasty towards Eve, which indicates that even Margo still wasn't 100% sure of Eve as evil.. And, of course, makes Karen want to crawl under a rock by saying, "..after all, you didn't drain the gas tank yourself.."
Actually, Karen did drain the tank as a favor to Eve so that she'd have a chance to go on for Margo that night. Addison very nearly figured it all out just before eavesdropping at Eve's dressing room door when he wondered to himself how in the world all the big theater critics happened to be at the play that night. Near the end of the film, Eve would hold that against Karen by threatening to expose it to Addison who would then expose it to the world through his column. Not only would it ruin Karen's and Margo's friendship, but it could also be argued that it would strain hers and Lloyd's marriage. Truthfully, Karen only did it to help Eve and it wasn't until they had that conversation about it in the ladies' room did Karen realize with whom (and what)she was dealing.
Burn, Hollywood, Burn!- from the incomparable album
Fear of a Black Planet
by Public Enemy. -
Jimmy-128 — 9 years ago(September 18, 2016 07:20 AM)
Actually, Karen did drain the tank as a favor to Eve so that she'd have a chance to go on for Margo that night.
I disagree. Listen to her narration when she comes up with the idea; it's all about delivering a boot to Margo's rear. She doesn't even mention Eve at all. I think she calls Eve just to warn her to be ready to go on. -
henrimaine — 10 years ago(January 31, 2016 02:39 AM)
I was wondering about that too and I think it was one of the weakest points in the plot - why on earth would Karen want her good friend Margo to miss her play? Karen apparently imagined she is doing Margo a favor with that "joke", but I really find it hard to understand as to what kind of a strange "favor" that is.
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blacknyellowsquid — 9 years ago(January 28, 2017 08:50 PM)
I agree. I was just watching this tonight and was confused about that. It seemed like a very mean thing to do, stabbing your friend in the back like that. I didn't see anything Margot had done to warrant that. I mean, wanting to knock her down a few pegs is one thing but this just seemed extreme. And was Karen even mad at her? Because of the stupid party?
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ZolotoyRetriever — 9 years ago(January 28, 2017 10:06 PM)
Karen pulled this "practical joke" on Margo not just for her (Karen's) benefit, bot for all the other people in their little circle whom Karen felt had been the victim of Margo's bitchiness. So, Karen wanted to give Margo a little comeuppance on everybody's behalf, not just her's (Karen's).
Here's the dialogue from the scene in which Karen lays out her reasoning for pulling this practical joke on Margo:
Newton, they say, thought of gravity by getting hit on the head by an apple. And the man who invented the steam-engine, he was watching a teakettle.
But not me. My big idea came to me just sitting on a couch.
That boot in the rear to Margo. Heaven knows, she had one coming. From me, from Lloyd, from Eve, Bill, Max and so on. We'd all felt those size fives of hers often enough.
But how? The answer was buzzing around me like a fly. I had it. But I let it go. Screaming and calling names is one thing, but this could mean
Why not? "Why," I said to myself, "not?"
It would all seem perfectly legitimate. And only two people in the world would know. Also, the boot would land where it would do the most good for all concerned. After all, it was no more than a harmless joke which Margo herself would be the first to enjoy. And no reason why she shouldn't be told about it in time.
As you can see, Karen honestly felt she was "avenging" everybody in the group, not just herself. And she felt it was just a cute prank that she figured Margo herself would enjoy. Little did she realize that the joke would have far-reaching consequences.
Don't mess with me, man! I know karate, judo, ju-jitsu and several other Japanese words. -
blacknyellowsquid — 9 years ago(February 01, 2017 09:33 AM)
I guess I just personally didn't see enough in the film that warranted Margo getting "a boot in the rear" like that. I mean she seemed kinda flippant sometimes and was whiny at the party but and at the audition right before, come on, they HAD been doing things behind her back, I would have been pissed too. I don't know lol. I guess we're just supposed to take her word that she deserved some kind of humble pie
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practicepiano — 9 years ago(February 01, 2017 07:19 PM)
Before Karen's trick, there was a considerable build-up of Margo's bad behavior, and repetitions of seeing others frustrated with her. Almost nobody saw any cause for it, other than Margo's ego and issues. Only Birdie saw through Eve.
I think Karen's wanting to do something to give Margo her comeuppance is accounted for in the script.
The fact that Karen chose such a big punishment, with considerable risk for long-term repercussions, seems out of character at first. But I actually like that I can see how it could happen.
Karen is a straightforward, generally kind person, not interested in being a mover and shaker, or showing off - she has none of the competitive urge shared by virtually everyone else in the film.
Most of the other characters are either hyper-alert to the possibility of backstabbing from others, or backstabbers themselves. The backstabbers could (and some of the them do) come up with lots of sly, subtle ways to trip someone up, biding their time, building up in increments. They know how to do it.
But when Karen, who has never practiced being a trickster, tries it, she clumsily goes for something big, and makes a mess. -
Simonisthemoon — 1 year ago(November 13, 2024 05:19 PM)
I can see why Karen thinks Margo should be taught a lesson. But why would she imagine that Margo might become more considerate and less absorbed as a result of this seeming misfortune. Margot is capable of reflection but what is there for her to learn here?
I also find myself wondering how a rather prim lady from the fifties knows how to drain a tank. I have no idea myself. Does she siphon it out? Weird to picture.