and we're just hoping a few more of you will open your doors...Ralph Breaks the Internet · 2018 — Chapter 5 of 21 · 1'47" · B1
Felix and Calhoun Adopt the Racers, Explained: beggars can't be choosers
Felix and Calhoun consider adopting the battle racers, and Calhoun is not sold: "Those things are basically feral." Felix thinks parenting will be easy — "how hard can parenting be?" — until the kids start screaming for candles and complaining about the TV.
What happens
At the shelter, Felix and Calhoun think about adopting the racers. Calhoun warns that the children are basically feral and doubts this is the right way to spice up a marriage, while Felix insists parenting must be easy. The racers immediately prove her right by shrieking about candles and a TV with one channel.
Listen for
beggars can't be choosersany takers?spice things updarn tootin'
00:00 / 01:47Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Tap a line to replay it
Phrase of the scene
beggars can't be choosers
when you need help, you take what you are given
A sour-ball candy mocks its own new, powerless position with this old saying.
It's not the job I wanted, but beggars can't be choosers.
Also in this scene
- any takers?
anyone want it / anyone in?
- spice things up
to add excitement or novelty to something
- darn tootin'
you bet; absolutely right
Everything marked in this scene
28 notes across 40 lines
and your hearts to those in need.Well, I suppose that large green olive will fit in nicely with my decor.flap
Well, I suppose that large green olive will fit in nicely with my decor.when you need help, you take what you are given
A sour-ball candy mocks its own new, powerless position with this old saying.
Well, beggars can't be choosers, can they?tag question
Well, beggars can't be choosers, can they?Come along, condiment.liaison
Come along, condiment.Marvelous. That just leaves the racers.anyone want it / anyone in?
The host asks the crowd whether anyone will adopt the homeless racers.
So, any takers?I know, it feels like the kind of thing you just jump into with both feet...and nary a plan.Felix and I will give them sanctuary.Can I get a quick word with you two?to add excitement or novelty to something
Calhoun warns the couple that adopting wild racers is the wrong kind of excitement.
you're looking to spice things up...is the wrong kind of spice.Those things are basically feral.Pardon me, sir, but those youngsters are lambs.Lost little lambs in need of two kind, caring shepherds.in need of
Lost little lambs in need of two kind, caring shepherds.rhetorical question
Besides, how hard can parenting be?treat as
You treat the child like your best friend...and you just love their little socks off.you bet; absolutely right
Tammy answers her husband's question with a folksy, emphatic yes.
Darn-tootin'.Darn-tootin'.Come and get it.Get your own candle.liaison
Get your own candle.Felix and Calhoun Adopt the Racers, explained
What's really going on
The scene is a joke about parenthood and a quieter joke about marriage. Calhoun and Felix are looking for something new after six years together, and adopting a herd of wild racers looks like adventure. Calhoun sees the danger at once — "Those things are basically feral" — while Felix defends the idea with a sweet, clueless optimism: "Besides, how hard can parenting be?" He spells out his whole philosophy in a line, treating a child like a best friend who gets everything and is simply loved, which is exactly the wrong lesson. The punchline is immediate. The racers fight over a candle and complain that the TV has one channel, and Calhoun gets to say she told him so. What felt like a warm adoption story is also a warning about mistaking chaos for family.
Theme
ParenthoodFelix's naive parenting plan is tested the moment the racers arrive and behave like feral kids.
MarriageCalhoun reads the adoption plan as a clumsy attempt to spice up a six-year marriage.
What you'll learn
- Notice how "beggars can't be choosers" changes the exchange.
- Listen for the attitude carried by "beggars can't be choosers".
- Try the phrase in a comparable conversation.
Listen for
- fit in — flap
- Come along — liaison
- Get your own — liaison
Well, beggars can't be choosers, can they?The blunt excuse that the orphans should accept any home, since they have no better option.
I know, it feels like the kind of thing you just jump into with both feet...Felix's way of saying they should commit completely, with no plan and no hesitation.
Those things are basically feral.Calhoun's warning that the racers are wild and will be far more than they can handle.
Besides, how hard can parenting be?His famous last words, a line that invites the chaos that follows.
and you just love their little socks off.The over-soft half of his parenting plan, loving the child more than is sensible.
Questions about this scene
Why does Calhoun object to adopting the racers?
She calls them basically feral and thinks they are the wrong way to spice up a marriage, predicting the chaos that follows.
What is Felix's plan for parenting?
He says you treat the child like your best friend, give them everything they want, and love them completely, which he seems to think is easy.
What do the racers do to prove Calhoun right?
They immediately scream and fight over a candle, and one complains that the TV only has one channel, turning the quiet scene into chaos.
What does 'beggars can't be choosers' mean here?
It is the excuse that the orphans should accept whatever home they get, since they have little choice in the matter.
Ralph Breaks the Internet · 21 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 6on the houseRalph Mishears eBay
Chapter 1riddle me thisRiddles on the Rooftop
Chapter 2agree to disagreeThe Arcade Gets Wi-Fi
Chapter 3go out of businessRalph Breaks Sugar Rush
Chapter 4That's the stuffVanellope Asks Who She Is
Watching · Chapter 5beggars can't be choosersFelix and Calhoun Adopt the Racers
Chapter 6on the houseRalph Mishears eBay
Chapter 7Not on my watchRalph and Vanellope Enter the Internet
Chapter 8put Humpty Dumpty together againKnowsMore Finishes Your Sentences
Chapter 9going once, going twiceRalph and Vanellope Win the Auction
Chapter 10I got a guySpamley Pitches Loot Hunting
Chapter 11mess with the bullStealing Shank's Car in Slaughter Race
Chapter 12go viralShank Offers to Make Them Viral
Chapter 13saturate the marketYesss Explains Hearts Are Money
Chapter 14like shoes and socksRalph and Vanellope Say Goodbye
Chapter 15the million-dollar questionThe Princesses Vet Vanellope
Chapter 16bring out the worst in someoneRalph Reads the Comments
Chapter 17a kick in the faceVanellope Wants a New Home
Chapter 18keep a low profileBuying a Virus in the Darknet
Chapter 19an empty gestureRalph's Clones Chase Vanellope
Chapter 20hold someone backRalph Says Let Her Go
Chapter 21don't be a strangerRalph and Vanellope Say GoodbyeChapter 5 of 21 · about 57 min to go