# Annoying things about TV/Movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 7, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350 "2013-01-07T16:06:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/41 "2013-01-09T07:27:54Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Because real apartments have four walls. TV sets need one wall to not be there, and the half of that room on that side be more or less empty so that stuff doesn’t come between the characters and the camera. The result is that TV apartments need to fit all the usual apartment stuff (kitchen, couches, desks, doors to the bedrooms/bathrooms, etc.) in half the space. Hence apartments that seem huge. > > Honestly, the main lesson of this thread is that a Doper made TV show would be very realistic and very difficult to watch. I know why they do, it still annoys me. It’s an aesthetic/practical decision that need not be made. They can create sets that are more realistic, they just choose not to, presumably because most people don’t care that even a pauper has a 20,000 square foot apartment in tvland and more importantly because it’s cheaper and easier. ---
**Author:** ![Mann\_Slaughter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@Mann\_Slaughter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mann_Slaughter)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/42 "2013-01-09T08:02:52Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > And the L-shaped sheets that come up to the naked guy’s waist but cover the woman’s boobies. Do they exist in real life? And on the same note, why are we covered up at all? I mean, we just touched/tasted/sampled each other’s naughty bits, and NOW we want to act modest? ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/43 "2013-01-09T15:06:14Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Similar to turning off the TV before they get the whole story, somebody will call somebody and say “Quick! Turn on the news!” and the second guy turns the TV on to the BEGINNING of the news story. Now, that’s quick! He turned the TV on before the first guy even knew to call him! News shows have commercial lead ins like, “And next - did a local man kill his boss? Find out, after these messages.” The phone call must happen during those messages. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/44 "2013-01-09T15:55:57Z")
Similar to the coffee cup complaint, I was watching the season opener of Cougar Town and noticed that everyone drinking a bottled beer seemed to be drinking out of an empty bottle, with their lips tightly shut. Very distracting. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/45 "2013-01-09T16:24:44Z")
Variation on the drink-sip-leave. Person walks in with a full breakfast ready. Eggs, toast, bacon, OJ or coffee. Bite of toast, sip of juice/coffee, talk, gotta go. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/46 "2013-01-09T17:55:06Z")
People who don’t shut the door behind them. Where were you raised, in a barn? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/47 "2013-01-09T18:39:54Z")
If scenes are set in the laundry room, and the actors are supposed to be folding their wash, they can’t even fold a damn towel ! I know you’re an actor, maybe a star with people to do that for you, but damn, were you never, ever poor enough to have done your own? Big Bang Theory, Sheldon is being in character and has one of those Japanese Tshirt folding aids, but watch Penny sometime, she cat fold a damn face cloth. I’m embarrassed for them! ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/48 "2013-01-09T19:09:26Z")
How did this thread get to page 2 without someone linking to [TV Tropes](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage)? ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/49 "2013-01-09T19:17:16Z")
Honest question here but WHY are the cups or bottles empty? They can’t require actors take a sip of water or coffee etc?😕 Are actors secretly androids or something? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/50 "2013-01-09T19:32:51Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > I was reminded of this watching Person of Interest. Whenever a character goes undercover as a teacher or substitute teacher, they inevitably walk into class, the bell rings, they have some significant thing to say…and then the bell rings, letting the class out after about five minutes. Huh? How about some indication that an hour or more has passed? Ding ding ding. Saw that one. Grrr. And then he spends the rest of the day puttering around the hallways, or monitoring the computer room, or running errands following around the student. Uh, teachers don’t only have 1 class a day. They tend to teach a class every hour, the same way students take a class every hour. They just rotate the students and the lessons. Okay, maybe they get a [del]study hall[/del] class development period, but not the rest of the day. > [@Mann\_Slaughter](#): > > And on the same note, why are we covered up at all? I mean, we just touched/tasted/sampled each other’s naughty bits, and NOW we want to act modest? Because it’s chilly? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/51 "2013-01-09T19:33:58Z")
My favorite is how nobody ever wraps (or unwraps) a present. It’s always a box with a fake ribbon, and the recipient just lifts off the lid to open it. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/52 "2013-01-09T20:32:44Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Honest question here but WHY are the cups or bottles empty? They can’t require actors take a sip of water or coffee etc?😕 Are actors secretly androids or something? Because scenes are seldom filmed in one take and often filmed out of order. If there was actual liquid in them then they would constantly have to be refilled, the level of liquid would be constantly moving up or down between scenes, whatever was in them would get hot or cold over the course of filming and have to be refilled so the actor wouldn’t react badly to drinking it and of course you don’t want someone spilling liquid all over the set. Easier just to leave them empty and fake it. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/53 "2013-01-09T23:48:01Z")
Why in soi-disant “reality” shows do people have to cry, all the time, over everything? Are British and American people more apt to cry than others or do the producers indicate to participants that it’ll make for killer telly if they turn on the waterworks? It’s fucking irritating. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/54 "2013-01-10T00:36:16Z")
TV series where one episode a year there is snow, wind, people bundled up in jackets and the other 25 are in sunshine 75 degree short sleeve. ---
**Author:** ![Kalea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@Kalea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalea)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/55 "2013-01-10T00:49:50Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > If scenes are set in the laundry room, and the actors are supposed to be folding their wash, they can’t even fold a damn towel ! I know you’re an actor, maybe a star with people to do that for you, but damn, were you never, ever poor enough to have done your own? > > Big Bang Theory, Sheldon is being in character and has one of those Japanese Tshirt folding aids, but watch Penny sometime, she cat fold a damn face cloth. I’m embarrassed for them! This is actually in character. Sheldon is OCD, and Penny is a slob. My peeve? I’m with the OP on shaky-cam. Also, period pieces which can’t do enough research to know that the event they’re referencing occurred 50 years after the supposed setting of the piece. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/56 "2013-01-10T01:35:31Z")
> [@tanstaafl](#): > > Because scenes are seldom filmed in one take and often filmed out of order. If there was actual liquid in them then they would constantly have to be refilled, the level of liquid would be constantly moving up or down between scenes, whatever was in them would get hot or cold over the course of filming and have to be refilled so the actor wouldn’t react badly to drinking it and of course you don’t want someone spilling liquid all over the set. Easier just to leave them empty and fake it. that doesn’t explain the fancy takeaway coffee cups with covers. “here, i bought you coffee.” “thanks!”, and the actor knocks it back like it’s neither full nor piping hot. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/57 "2013-01-10T07:15:23Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Honest question here but WHY are the cups or bottles empty? They can’t require actors take a sip of water or coffee etc?😕 Are actors secretly androids or something? And it’s the same with suitcases, boxes, and other stuff. People behind the camera don’t think anyone will notice, but as this thread shows, they do. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/58 "2013-01-10T10:37:21Z")
> [@cruel\_butterfly](#): > > When a cat runs across the street or alley, it must always ‘meow’ This is in keeping with the function of movie cats, which is to create surprise. Notice you never see a cat doing anything _but_ running across a street or alley. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/59 "2013-01-10T10:50:37Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > This is in keeping with the function of movie cats, which is to create surprise. Notice you never see a cat doing anything _but_ running across a street or alley. Au contraire, all time spent between running across streets and alleys is spent arching back and hissing. ---
**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:** [January 10, 2013, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350/60 "2013-01-10T13:48:16Z")
It annoys me when (in both TV and movies) they spend time building up that something bad is going to happen to a character. I can’t watch _Meet the Parents_ again and the few episodes of “Desperate Housewives” I saw I spent feeling bad because they used half the plot building up how one person was going to be horribly caught in a bad situation. I don’t want to feel bad for the characters I’m supposed to care for. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-things-about-tv-movies/646350.md?page=4)