# Extremely brief TV and movie cliches/tropes that you typically do not see mentioned **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2017, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621 "2017-02-24T11:04:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/1 "2017-02-24T11:04:05Z")
I’m talking about the seconds-long cliches that you suspect you may be the only noticing. I’ve got two to start: Whenever there is a bartender, you will often see him either mindlessly wiping the bar with a rag or wiping a glass with a rag. Whenever someone is eating a snack, it is usually an apple. And, in preparation of this snack, the character will wipe it on his sleeve. Because this, apparently, makes it fit for consumption. There must be billions more. But I haven’t noticed them. mmm ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/2 "2017-02-24T13:52:46Z")
Biting into an apple is way, way, way overused to create an image of cool confidence. In real life, there just aren’t that many perfect crisp red apples just sitting arouind to be bitten into when the plot needs it. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/3 "2017-02-24T13:55:48Z")
Professional athlete is in the middle of a big game, looks up in the stands, and immediately makes eye contact with his wife/girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/4 "2017-02-24T15:48:03Z")
Along the lines of the bartender, when the “star” makes a drink order, do you ever hear the bartender/waitress either 1) tell them amount they owe ('that’ll be $6"), or 2) ask if they want to start a tab ? They just deliver the drink ! ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/5 "2017-02-24T16:35:43Z")
There’s a nice table full of breakfast food and the character just gets up and leaves without eating anything. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/6 "2017-02-24T18:06:07Z")
Apparently plastic grocery bags don’t exist in the make believe world and every shopping trip includes the purchase of a baguette and a bunch of carrots with the leaves still attached. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/7 "2017-02-24T18:17:57Z")
Unemployed people having money to go out to eat at restaurants, split taxis, and going halfsies for a birthday gift for Martha. I’m looking at you George Costanza! ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/8 "2017-02-24T19:06:19Z")
someone cracks their knuckles prior to engaging in a ‘serious’ task. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/9 "2017-02-24T19:55:16Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Apparently plastic grocery bags don’t exist in the make believe world and every shopping trip includes the purchase of a baguette and a bunch of carrots with the leaves still attached. In the world of pinup artist Art Frahm, every grocery bag is paper, and has celery sticking out of the top, which somehow causes women’s panties to fall down. Many examples here: [http://www.lileks.com/institute/frahm/art1.html](http://www.lileks.com/institute/frahm/art1.html) ---
**Author:** ![squidfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@squidfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squidfood)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/10 "2017-02-24T20:01:35Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Apparently plastic grocery bags don’t exist in the make believe world and every shopping trip includes the purchase of a baguette and a bunch of carrots with the leaves still attached. My city has banned plastic bags, and I buy baguettes regularly, and keep the carrot greens attached to feed my chickens. So maybe 1/4 of my shopping trips I’ll have a bag like this. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/11 "2017-02-24T20:25:08Z")
No one EVER brings up money unless the plot of that episode is about money. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/12 "2017-02-24T20:52:24Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Apparently plastic grocery bags don’t exist in the make believe world and every shopping trip includes the purchase of a baguette and a bunch of carrots with the leaves still attached. What about the scene of the group working late at night, multiple oyster pails on the table containing Chinese food being eaten with chopsticks? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/13 "2017-02-24T21:42:56Z")
> [@cormac262](#): > > Along the lines of the bartender, when the “star” makes a drink order, do you ever hear the bartender/waitress either 1) tell them amount they owe ('that’ll be $6"), or 2) ask if they want to start a tab ? They just deliver the drink ! Mostly this is ridiculous, but if a person is going to their local pub and they regularly go there that definitely could be how it would work. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/14 "2017-02-24T21:55:22Z")
IIRC someone on this board brought this up years ago, which I always notice now: when a character gets out of a cab, they cab driver helpfully sits there until the character knocks twice on the roof of the cab, then he drives off. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/15 "2017-02-24T23:05:58Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Biting into an apple is way, way, way overused to create an image of cool confidence. You don’t see smoking so much anymore, but coolness used to be communicated by someone lighting up and then doing that “pick a little something off their tongue” bit. Does that mean they are a badass who smokes unfiltered cigarettes, even though they just took it out of a pack of cigarettes which are clearly filtered? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/16 "2017-02-24T23:56:54Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > IIRC someone on this board brought this up years ago, which I always notice now: when a character gets out of a cab, they cab driver helpfully sits there until the character knocks twice on the roof of the cab, then he drives off. This is a good one. Not just cabs, but cargo vans, paddy wagons, ambulances, etc. Something I’ve never seen in real life, but on TV it seems a vehicle cannot depart without a Bang Bang on its rump. mmm ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2017, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/17 "2017-02-25T00:04:55Z")
If you see a shot of the doors closing from inside an elevator something, often another character’s hand, will cause the doors to reopen. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/18 "2017-02-25T00:19:24Z")
Tried to find in search a thread similar to this - guess my mind’s playing tricks on me. For props, all tennis racquets are woodies, even though I haven’t seen one sold since about, oh, the late 80’s? ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2017, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/19 "2017-02-25T00:38:31Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > This is a good one. Not just cabs, but cargo vans, paddy wagons, ambulances, etc. Something I’ve never seen in real life, but on TV it seems a vehicle cannot depart without a Bang Bang on its rump. > mmm i do this every time i get out of a vehicle and the driver stays in. when i’m clear the bang bang says drive safe. somebody taught me this when i was young - maybe my grandfather, and i’ve done it as long as i can remember mc ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2017, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621/20 "2017-02-25T04:02:22Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > i do this every time i get out of a vehicle and the driver stays in. when i’m clear the bang bang says drive safe. somebody taught me this when i was young - maybe my grandfather, and i’ve done it as long as i can remember > > mc I’d do it, but it’s apparently considered sexual harassment at this point, so I don’t. xxx [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extremely-brief-tv-and-movie-cliches-tropes-that-you-typically-do-not-see-mentioned/780621.md?page=2)