“Sidney, nobody gives a shit who did what or who they did it to.”
Por qué es buena
The crude phrasing makes the public's indifference sound blunt and undeniable.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
Nobody gives a shit who started it; they just want drama.
00:00 / 03:05
00:00 / 03:05
Clifford Talks Sidney Into Deathtrap, Explained
Deathtrap · 1982
Capítulo 23 de 30 · 3'05"
Clifford argues they should write Deathtrap together, insisting the public does not care about guilt: "All they want is to be in on it." Then he turns the questions around, asking whether anyone ever called Sidney a sociopath. Sidney says the word does not frighten him, but gives him pause.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:39–1:07
❝ Monólogo · 9 frases All They Want Is to Be in on It
28s - 2:20–2:55
Sidney and the Word Sociopath
35s
Clifford Talks Sidney Into Deathtrap, explained
What happens
Clifford makes the case that they should write the play together. Morality is beside the point, he says; the audience just wants to be let in on the secret. He then presses Sidney about his past, asking if anyone ever used the word 'sociopath,' and Sidney admits the word gives him pause.
What's really going on
The scene flips the earlier argument: now Clifford is the one who wants to write the play, and he uses the same logic Sidney did. His pitch is cold and simple, 'All they want is to be in on it,' which treats notoriety as the product rather than the risk. Then he stops selling and starts digging, asking whether any court or social worker ever called Sidney a sociopath. Sidney tries to stay above it, 'No, it doesn't frighten me,' and immediately concedes, 'It does, however... give me pause.' The scene shows two people testing how far each will go, and who is really holding the pen.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Sidney, nobody gives a shit who did what or who they did it to.”
- Clifford's blunt claim that guilt and victims do not matter to the public, only the spectacle does.
- “All they want is to be in on it.”
- The audience's desire, reduced to one line: not justice, just to feel included in the secret.
- “It means one who has no sense of moral obligation whatsoever.”
- Sidney's clinical definition of a sociopath, which lands as a description of the man being questioned.
- “All the news is fit to print and show.”
- A line about the tabloid age, where anything lurid is publishable and broadcastable.
Theme
- Deception — Clifford sells the murder as a marketable story, and both men treat the truth as something to be staged.
- Ambition — The pitch is that notoriety sells, and Sidney's hesitation is measured against the hit play he wants.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel1/7
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“All they want is to be in on it.”
Por qué es buena
Bare and final, it reduces a crowd's motive to one line.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
All they want is to be in on the drama.
“It means one who has no sense of moral obligation whatsoever.”
Por qué es buena
The clinical tone makes the definition land like a verdict.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
He acts like one who has no sense of right or wrong.
“All the news is fit to print and show.”
Por qué es buena
It twists a famous newspaper motto into a slogan for showbiz scandal.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
These days every private fight is fit to post.
Monólogo
Un personaje sostiene la escena: practícalo entero❝ The celebrity-news speech
Just look around you! Jesus Christ. You don't have to read Hustler. Just read Village Voice, People Magazine... Sidney, I'll tell you something. Everything that you have ever thought of and a hell of a lot that you haven't... All the news is fit to print and show. Sidney, nobody gives a shit who did what or who they did it to. All they want is to be in on it. I mean, you killed your wife? That's okay. Why don't you abuse your kids, poison the well, fuck bats? As long as you get on television, talk about it afterwards.
A run of tabloid examples builds a cold case for scandal as currency.
Siguiente · 24kid a kidderLa escena: Bruhl and Anderson Team UpIdeas clave
Lo que te llevas- Scandal sells because everyone wants to be in on it.
- Clifford turns celebrity logic into a sales pitch.
- Sidney's real fear is the word sociopath.
- The final choice is to break the rules and write.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy does Clifford want to write Deathtrap?
He sees a hit. He argues that scandal and notoriety would only help the play, and that audiences care more about being in on the secret than about justice.
Who is really driving the plan now?
Clifford. He has done the thinking, makes the pitch, and then turns the questions back on Sidney, testing how far he is willing to go.
Why does Clifford ask about the word sociopath?
He is probing Sidney's past and his character, asking whether courts or doctors ever used that word about him, which unsettles Sidney more than he admits.
What does Sidney mean by 'kick over the traces'?
He means breaking free of restraint and finally writing the play, even though it came out of a murder, giving in to what Clifford has been arguing.