Martin a Veggiehead?
Now granted this information that Martin McFly Jr. is a vegetarian is likely conjectural, but is he actually seen removing pepperoni from his pizza and were those recommendations actually given by the simulcra video waiters as if he was a vegetarian? -- Riffsyphon1024 15:42, 17 October 2008 (UTC)
- I admit it's not stated anywhere that the characters he played are vegetarians. But after reading on IMDB and Lucky Man that MJF is a vegetarian, and finally noticing what each character was doing in a busy scene, I think it's significant that either MJF wanted to make a statement on screen, or he had to find a way to work around the props he was given. The Cafe 80s menu is a bit of a stretch that I won't defend too much, but I almost fell over when I noticed Marty Jr.'s eating habit for the first time last week and (aha!) made the connection. If you are still not convinced that MJF carries his vegetarianism to the screen, watch him eating dinner at the McFly farm in Part III in slow motion with your thumb on the pause button. Marty transfers one tiny thread of meat from the serving dish to his plate, puts a completely empty fork into his mouth, and spits out a load of buckshot that came from nowhere. Western Union 16:56, 17 October 2008 (UTC)
- Actually, you really wouldn't expect a teen from the 1980s (or today, for that matter) to like the kind of meat that Seamus was serving. It has gunshots (not sure if that's the right word) in it, which would be unappealing to a modern teen - especially one who's from the city or the suburbs. As for Marty Jr taking pepperoni off his pizza, he maybe just doesn't like pepperoni. It's actually pretty common for kids to take pepperoni of their pizza. Bttf4444 18:04, 17 October 2008 (UTC)
- Okay, is it reasonable to write that Marty Jr. likes pizza ("yay, pizza!") but he doesn't like pepperoni? As for Marty pretending to eat rabbit, I think the character actually did take a mouthful of meat, as in the novelization, but MJF just mimed the action in order to accomplish the illusion without actually eating any. And nobody could tell that he didn't, until the movie came out on video. Western Union 22:41, 17 October 2008 (UTC)
- I think it's reasonable to state that Michael J. Fox is a vegetarian and that he appears to have stayed to his principles when he was doing the films, and that would be worthwhile information to include in an article about Fox. On the other hand, I don't think we should say that any of the characters (Marty Sr., Marty Jr., Marlene, Seamus) is a vegetarian, any more than we should say that Seamus was likely born in 1857, even if a good argument could be made (i.e., Fox was 28 when Part III was filmed, 1885-28=1857). Not everyone likes pepperoni, though most groups (families, friends) compromise on pepperoni as the default topping for a cheese pizza. I think that part of that is that it's easier to remove pepperonis than to take off sausage, hamburger, peppers, etc. Perhaps rehydrated pepperonis aren't that tasty, even in 2015; we just don't know. I remember a discussion with someone else once about whether Marty might have been a diabetic, since he avoided sugar even to the point of requesting Tab, one of the most foul-tasting sugar-free beverages of all time; he isn't overweight, the reasoning went, so why else would he be on a diet? As with the birthdates of characters, we should discourage even plausible guesses about the characters. If done at all, we should say, "Arguably...." or "It's possible that..." McFord 03:13, 18 October 2008 (UTC)
- A character profile should note any unusual habits that they have, and since Marty Jr. didn't seem to think twice about it, it seems that removing the pepperoni is indeed a habit, no matter how common it is. It takes just one exception to disprove a habit, and finding Marty Sr. drinking a regular Pepsi (after learning how to take the bottlecap off) should have proved that his preference for diet drinks was just a comment on the health-conscious 1980s instead of a diabetic requirement. Still, one wonders how many days Doc had to spy on the McFly house in the future to know what time Jennifer usually gets home. Western Union 16:33, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
- Actually, a lot of people do like just plain cheese pizza. I myself happen to be one of them. Maybe George and Lorraine insisted that there should be more toppings on the pizza, though. Pepperoni is pretty easy to take off, even though I will eat pepperoni. I just prefer it without, though. Bttf4444 03:49, 21 October 2008 (UTC)
- I think it's reasonable to state that Michael J. Fox is a vegetarian and that he appears to have stayed to his principles when he was doing the films, and that would be worthwhile information to include in an article about Fox. On the other hand, I don't think we should say that any of the characters (Marty Sr., Marty Jr., Marlene, Seamus) is a vegetarian, any more than we should say that Seamus was likely born in 1857, even if a good argument could be made (i.e., Fox was 28 when Part III was filmed, 1885-28=1857). Not everyone likes pepperoni, though most groups (families, friends) compromise on pepperoni as the default topping for a cheese pizza. I think that part of that is that it's easier to remove pepperonis than to take off sausage, hamburger, peppers, etc. Perhaps rehydrated pepperonis aren't that tasty, even in 2015; we just don't know. I remember a discussion with someone else once about whether Marty might have been a diabetic, since he avoided sugar even to the point of requesting Tab, one of the most foul-tasting sugar-free beverages of all time; he isn't overweight, the reasoning went, so why else would he be on a diet? As with the birthdates of characters, we should discourage even plausible guesses about the characters. If done at all, we should say, "Arguably...." or "It's possible that..." McFord 03:13, 18 October 2008 (UTC)
- Okay, is it reasonable to write that Marty Jr. likes pizza ("yay, pizza!") but he doesn't like pepperoni? As for Marty pretending to eat rabbit, I think the character actually did take a mouthful of meat, as in the novelization, but MJF just mimed the action in order to accomplish the illusion without actually eating any. And nobody could tell that he didn't, until the movie came out on video. Western Union 22:41, 17 October 2008 (UTC)
- Actually, you really wouldn't expect a teen from the 1980s (or today, for that matter) to like the kind of meat that Seamus was serving. It has gunshots (not sure if that's the right word) in it, which would be unappealing to a modern teen - especially one who's from the city or the suburbs. As for Marty Jr taking pepperoni off his pizza, he maybe just doesn't like pepperoni. It's actually pretty common for kids to take pepperoni of their pizza. Bttf4444 18:04, 17 October 2008 (UTC)
- Sure, it's an interesting observation and worth pointing out for those of us who (myself included) have never noticed it despite watching the scene many times. I'm not very observant-- I didn't notice that Marty Jr. has brown eyes or that he was wearing his blue jeans inside out either.
The sequence is surprising; it's like there are 10 pepperonis on a slice, and Jr./Fox is snatching them off in rapid succession. The way I'd describe it would be in a "behind the scenes" note that says something like "In the 2015 dinner scene, Marty Jr. can be seen taking a piece of pizza and then removing all the pepperonis in a matter of seconds. Though Marty Jr.'s odd behavior isn't explained in the film, actor Fox had a reason for not eating the toppings. He's a vegetarian." McFord 18:55, 20 October 2008 (UTC)
- I would not like to see Futurepedia articles, expecially the "Behind the scenes" sections, become a list of random pieces of trivia in no particular order, like IMDb.com's Trivia and Goofs pages. I'll try to insert only what is actually seen in the film into his narrative biography, and do the same with the Behind the scenes interpretation. Western Union 16:54, 21 October 2008 (UTC)
- I think that all of us have got a pretty good handle on keeping articles from getting out of hand. I didn't mean to imply that the pepperoni thing was a random piece of irrelevant trivia; rather, it's one of the many details of the film that fans will look for once they're aware of it, and it has relevance both in and out of universe (My own personal opinion about Marty, Jr.? He's "hyper"). The important thing is to stick to a basic format, while still encouraging contributions; otherwise, it's only the voice of the same four or five people. Sticking to the format provides that information that's not relevant to one article can be shunted off elsewhere. We must always maintain the boundaries between the two universes. Articles are either primarily in-universe or out-of-universe, and within an article, the two aspects are always segregated. I favor the approach by Riffsyphon which is to create red links that suggest directions for future topics. McFord 22:38, 21 October 2008 (UTC)
- Does anyone know why Michael J Fox became a vegetarian? Was it for health reasons, or was it out of concern for animals? Bttf4444 18:16, 21 October 2008 (UTC)
- Usually it's the latter. Fox's motto might well be "Nobody...serves me...chicken!" McFord 22:38, 21 October 2008 (UTC)
- Regardless of where it goes, it is it still significant and should be mentioned somewhere on Futurepedia. -- Riffsyphon1024 20:09, 21 October 2008 (UTC)
- Consider something additional. He never actually ate anything at the Baines' house either, did he? Neither did he drink his coffee at Lou's. Not sure if he ate anything at home in 1985. Does Marty even eat food at all? -- Riffsyphon1024 20:06, 22 October 2008 (UTC)
- Actually, we do see him pop in a piece of candy - as he's about to head off to the mall. Bttf4444 20:32, 22 October 2008 (UTC)
- Nobody eats in movies unless it's part of the plot. That also explains why we never see him going to the bathroom either. Western Union 23:22, 22 October 2008 (UTC)
- Well that would just be wrong, but he has food in front of him many times and does not actually consume it, unless... check the 2015 scene again and see if Old Marty eats his pizza. -- Riffsyphon1024 23:27, 22 October 2008 (UTC)
- I think Marty tended to not eat much, because he had a lot on his mind. At the dinner table in 1985, he was upset with how his day was going. In Lou's Cafe on Saturday, he was distracted with encountering his father. At the dinner table in 1955, he was distracted by Lorraine making passes towards him. In the school cafeteria, he was busy trying to convince George to ask Lorraine out. In 1885, I think he just didn't like the food that was served. Bttf4444 23:58, 22 October 2008 (UTC)
- Then we may have another series of recurring gags. -- Riffsyphon1024 00:01, 23 October 2008 (UTC)
- I think Marty tended to not eat much, because he had a lot on his mind. At the dinner table in 1985, he was upset with how his day was going. In Lou's Cafe on Saturday, he was distracted with encountering his father. At the dinner table in 1955, he was distracted by Lorraine making passes towards him. In the school cafeteria, he was busy trying to convince George to ask Lorraine out. In 1885, I think he just didn't like the food that was served. Bttf4444 23:58, 22 October 2008 (UTC)
- Well that would just be wrong, but he has food in front of him many times and does not actually consume it, unless... check the 2015 scene again and see if Old Marty eats his pizza. -- Riffsyphon1024 23:27, 22 October 2008 (UTC)
- Nobody eats in movies unless it's part of the plot. That also explains why we never see him going to the bathroom either. Western Union 23:22, 22 October 2008 (UTC)
- Actually, we do see him pop in a piece of candy - as he's about to head off to the mall. Bttf4444 20:32, 22 October 2008 (UTC)