Correction: too smart.
Favorite computer-related plot device that Hollywood writers always get wrong:
By transferring a file to another place (another computer, a floppy disk, etc.), the original copy of the file is destroyed. It’s as though the file were a physical object that can only be in one place at one time, like a real paper file.
That’s otas bad as “If you die while you’re inside the computer, you die in real life”, but still.
My wife suffers in silence whenever The Practice is on, and I’m muttering, “Objection…” and “That’s not right…”
I’ve seen October Sky referred to as an “engineering movie” though it’s not about a professional engineer.
As for astronomers, I don’t think Star Trek counts. The characters are explorers and military officers, not research scientists. The only show/movie I can think of that has a realistic astronomer was Contact. (The worst was Armageddon.)
No.
The only linguist character I recall seeing is Hoshi Sato on Enterprise, and I was screaming at her every time she opened her mouth.
I almost sent off an email offering to vet their scripts for them for free, but when I realized they’d been doing the same thing to physicists and astronomers… I gave it a pass.
scr4: Well, The Dish and The Arrival are both about actual astronomers, and I liked them too, but Contact is every astronomer’s favorite. I don’t even remember the astronomers from Armageddon, probably for the better. You’re right that Star Trek isn’t about astronomers, but it does have some astronomy, and even when they don’t get it all that right, I still like those parts.
The astronomers were running a mom-and-pop observatory (!) and arguing like a disgruntled old couple for most of their brief screen time.
The NASA guy, Dan, was almost as kooky:
President: “We didn’t see this thing coming?”
Dan: “Well, our object collision budget allows us to track about 3% of the sky, and begging your pardon, but that’s a big-ass sky.”
I saw a few episodes of “Fraiser” and loved it, until I realized that the live-in maid was supposed to be a Physical Therapist. AUGHH! On what planet do PT’s come to live in your house, hang out, do dishes, and never ever treat patients? On the other hand, I could do a few dishes for a one patient caseload, no paperwork, and living space in a cool apartment.
Now cancelled, but how about Dilbert?
Actually the best portrayal of a librarian in any film was by Rene Russo in Major League
And yes I’ve met a few librarians who are as good looking as she. But I would never believe a librarian going out with a baseball player, although someone I know works with the ex-wife of Ray Lamb.
If you care scurry off to http://www.baseballreference.com for more info.
Watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The odds of you finding someone in film or TV portraying a character like the librarian on that show are pretty much zero.
So that’s a few things you have in common with him already. All the more reason to start watching Buffy!
(takes prozelytizing hat off, goes home to worsh… err, watch Buffy)
How did you manage to post this in here? The SDMB uses 1024 bit encryption, even I can’t break through the firewall!
Joey G
Network Geek
He discovered the comet headed for earth. He named it after his wife because “[s]he’s a vicious life-sucking bitch from which there is no escape.”
Nope. I’m around lawyers all day long. Why should I watch 'em on TV. I quit watching L.A. Law in my second year of law school.
About the only exception is To Kill a Mockingbird. I watch that whenever it’s on the dish and I’m listening to it on tape with the little d6’s.
Home remodeler here. I love This Old House.
What she said.
Autism is my profession (in part) and in most movies/shows the professionals/teachers are shown as dedicated, caring, patient, etc. Just like real life. Of course the jerks are well depicted also.
But I tend to avoid just about any movie (it’s always a Hallmark move) about people with mental retardation. The character’s always t a l k s l o w and over-eNunCIate and have a hissy fit in the third act. It’s the most offending stereotypical claptrap.
If they come out with a movie about Business Security Consultants it’s a sure sign that every single last idea has been used. Who wants to see a movie about an over paid white guy with a rather boring job?
On the other hand, I was a full time cop for almost a decade, and I still work at it for a local department part-time, and I can tell you, while I don’t avoid movies about police work, they drive me nuts! So many things they show are wrong, wrong, wrong!
… Rupert Giles is a credit to his profession… which is technically librarian.
There’s a lovely scene in the second season of Buffy where two students actually enter the library looking for books for a paper.
Slacker is an all-time favourite. That being said, I really need a job.
Well, I haven’t seen any movies recently about ad writers, but not because of any intentional avoidance.
What I do avoid, though, are movies about Harvard. So many of them portray the students as insufferably stuck-up snobs. One I remember in particular was a TV sitcom called “Double Rush” about a bike messenger company. There was one whiny bitch working there who every episode would say “But I graduated from Haaaaaarvard! I’m not supposed to beeeee here!” God, did I want to smack her and the writers of that show.
Incidentally, I used to work at a library where the head cataloguer was an absolute fox. Ironically, I don’t think she ever read a book or newspaper.