# American movie stereotypes that I hate **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-movie-stereotypes-that-i-hate/629701 "2012-07-28T19:01:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-movie-stereotypes-that-i-hate/629701/61 "2012-08-07T14:56:33Z")
The worst cliche I see is the hero exists in a world where every car is unlocked with a key in the ignition/visor. Need to get somewhere quick? Just hop in a car and drive off! No key? Check the visor! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-movie-stereotypes-that-i-hate/629701/62 "2012-08-07T19:54:20Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Oh, and I hate those films where the main character goes through the entire movie to ultimately make a choice between “highly lucrative dream job” and “taking care of / having a family”. Yeah…that’s certainly great for your family to blow off that law partnership, book deal, CEO position, opportunity with the NY Yankees or whatever so you can make your 8 year old’s piano recital. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it in a few years when she has to go to Podunk U instead of Harvard. Yes. And every TV show ever made had at least one plot where a main character is offered a promotion that anyone sane will take, and winds up refusing it to be with his or her buddies. I’m looking at you, Will Riker. I also hate movies where the CEO, top exec or whatever is dumber than a box of rocks. If they set it up that he got the job through nepotism I’m fine, but in many cases the guy is in a competitive hard to get job without the skills needed to run a lemonade stand. Terry Pratchett shows how to do it right - no one can doubt that Lord Ventinari is suited for that job. This next one is similar, but more of a book example. That is how John Carter or Dray Prescott accumulates kingships of lots of little countries and tribes, and can call on them to help in times of need. Nobody back there ambitious, huh? “Oh Acting King, John Carter has sent a message asking that all our strongest warriors join him in a battle against incredible odds!” “Really? He hasn’t been back her for four books, has he? Send him a message saying we’re busy. And give me another gourd of wine, wench.” ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-movie-stereotypes-that-i-hate/629701/63 "2012-08-07T20:16:44Z")
I watched a clichefest last night _The Constant Gardener_. It presented an eeevil drug corporation which didn’t want to spend millions of dollars changing its medical formula, so instead it spent millions of dollars on CIA level surveillance procedures so it could have death squads positioned at every possible spot the hero might show up at. Even when the hero had an airplane make an unscheduled stop to drop him off in the middle of African nowhere, the death squad showed up five minutes later to shoot at him. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-movie-stereotypes-that-i-hate/629701/64 "2012-08-07T21:30:06Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > I watched a clichefest last night _The Constant Gardener_. It presented an eeevil drug corporation which didn’t want to spend millions of dollars changing its medical formula, so instead it spent millions of dollars on CIA level surveillance procedures so it could have death squads positioned at every possible spot the hero might show up at. Even when the hero had an airplane make an unscheduled stop to drop him off in the middle of African nowhere, the death squad showed up five minutes later to shoot at him. This service is actually a lot cheaper than you think. The secret: volume. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-movie-stereotypes-that-i-hate/629701/65 "2012-08-07T21:50:25Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > See, that’s the part many people in Parts Abroad don’t get. Here, pets aren’t family, they’re animals. While some of your relatives may be closer to counting as “general fauna” than “humanity”, a dog is a dog is a dog. > > In my aunt’s words re. expensive medical treatment for her dying dog, “I would have spent that money on my second husband. While we were still together, I would have spent it on my first husband. I definitely would have spent that and more on my children. But on a dog? It’s a fucking DOG! It’s not a person! You don’t spend that kind of money on a DOG!” > > Americans do. I grew up in the USA and I don’t get it, I think it is probably class specific. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-movie-stereotypes-that-i-hate/629701/66 "2012-08-07T22:04:15Z")
> [@T-Rex\_Arms](#): > > Hey, that guy was cool. _I’m_ glad they finally killed off the asshole would-be rapist cop. Oh Hell yes. And TWICE! ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-movie-stereotypes-that-i-hate/629701/67 "2012-08-08T00:20:21Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I also hate movies where the CEO, top exec or whatever is dumber than a box of rocks. If they set it up that he got the job through nepotism I’m fine, but in many cases the guy is in a competitive hard to get job without the skills needed to run a lemonade stand. Terry Pratchett shows how to do it right - no one can doubt that Lord Ventinari is suited for that job. Jeebus, Voyager, where have you been since 2008? A lot of real life CEOs ARE dumber than a box of rocks! Enron. Morgan Stanley, Corzine. THIS is one HELL of a credible meme. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-movie-stereotypes-that-i-hate/629701/68 "2012-08-08T00:29:18Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Oh Hell yes. > And TWICE! Only because he got a new job in a Darabont series. In case you don’t remember, Darabont was at the helm at the beginning of this series, but was either let go or left or a little of both. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-movie-stereotypes-that-i-hate/629701/69 "2012-08-10T14:00:13Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Usually the main character will end up with the arrogant slacker womanizer. > > Much like rom-coms where the heroine ends up with the womanizing jerk (uh…isn’t that what womanizing jerks do? Make you feel special by being with them?) the hero is more often than not: > -unemployed or marginally employed (when he isn’t inexplicably wealthy) > -frequest drug or alchohol user > -womanizer, or at least sexist and misogynistic > -poor impulse control > -manipulative > -anti-authority > -anti intellectual (if not outright stupid) > -emotionally stunted > > The antagonist is more often than not: > -Highly educated > -Ambitious > -Employed, usually in a position of authority > > Even when the protagonist is a smart, highly ambitious person, the “lesson learned” is often to “loosen up” and “not be so serious”. Wow, that’s a good point. So according to rom-coms I either need to loosen up/not be so serious, or I’m the bad guy. I finally saw “The Graduate” the other day. How about that over-sexed older woman “cougar” stereotype? Is that just an American thing? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-movie-stereotypes-that-i-hate/629701/70 "2012-08-10T19:49:18Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Jeebus, Voyager, where have you been since 2008? A lot of real life CEOs ARE dumber than a box of rocks! Enron. Morgan Stanley, Corzine. THIS is one HELL of a credible meme. Evil and greedy I have no problem with. Ken Lay was a stooge, so if they showed a CEO being manipulated I can buy it. Corzine is not dumb, just greedy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-movie-stereotypes-that-i-hate/629701.md?page=3)