# Glasses on or off, folks! TV mannerism gripe **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 1, 2017, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636 "2017-05-01T13:20:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [May 1, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636/21 "2017-05-01T20:59:21Z")
I always figured the glasses-on-and-off thing was because you can’t be lighting up cigarettes every five minutes anymore, but you still need something to do with your hands. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636/22 "2017-05-01T21:39:21Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > When I start a sentence with “Look”, it means “everything you’ve been saying is mindless blather, and you haven’t understood anything I’ve said, so now I’m going to sum up the truth once and for all.” And she’s right, no socially advancing benefit ever comes from it. Imagin you had a perfect grasp of the English language – except you somehow didn’t know the words “With,” “All,” “Due,” or “Respect.” You’d conclude that _“withallduerespect”_ means _“look, I think you’re an idiot,”_ right? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636/23 "2017-05-01T21:40:14Z")
> [@GoodOmens](#): > > Or…you know…liquid. Nah. With liquid in the cups, an actor could spill it on their clothing in a bad take, or a stagehand could knock it over on the set. That’s why they avoid using actual liquids as much as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636/24 "2017-05-01T22:12:23Z")
This is reminding me of the scene in the MST3K episode _Time Chasers_ where the Secret Agent Boss is explaining the situation to the Secret Agent and the Girl. The director chose to film the entire ten-minute scene in a middle shot. The poor actor playing Secret Agent Boss had nothing to do with his hands, so he spent the entire time RUBBING HIS GLASSES WITH A HANDKERCHIEF. Needless to say, Mike and the bots were absolutely merciless. “DAMN…DIRTY…GLASSES!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636/25 "2017-05-01T22:47:36Z")
On shows that want to be more risque, they’ll start a scene with a couple in bed just finishing an act of sex. They break apart, have a bit of dialog, then hop out of bed… and they’re both wearing underwear. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636/26 "2017-05-01T23:24:36Z")
Horatio Caine, anyone? YEAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636/27 "2017-05-01T23:58:31Z")
I wear glasses, and tend to take them off when talking with someone. I feel I’m socially hiding behind them, and would rather be more “there”, and I feel that way talking with someone with my glasses removed. Also I just get tired of wearing glasses on my face constantly. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2017, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636/28 "2017-05-02T02:04:20Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Not TV, but recently we went to a community theater production of The Lion in Winter. The actor playing Richard had his fists in permanent clench formation - once noticed, it could not be unnoticed. It made me wonder if the director suggested to him that it would indicate internal rage or something. One would hope that, at some point, he milked the giant cow. > **[Milking the Giant Cow - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MilkingTheGiantCow)** > > Among drama students, "Milking the Giant Cow" is a term that refers to the practice of holding your hands skyward (or merely gesticulating wildly) to show emotion. May be accompanied by a Skyward Scream. If they fall to their knees while doing so … ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2017, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636/29 "2017-05-02T02:10:26Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > I wear glasses, and tend to take them off when talking with someone. I feel I’m socially hiding behind them, and would rather be more “there”, and I feel that way talking with someone with my glasses removed. Also I just get tired of wearing glasses on my face constantly. Same. I have glasses at work for screen-based use. If I’m talking to someone I take them off as everything beyond normal screen distance is slightly blurred. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2017, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636/30 "2017-05-02T04:14:02Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Horatio Caine, anyone? > > YEAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! As interpreted by Jim Carrey: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJSqkwyL1Zo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJSqkwyL1Zo) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2017, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636/31 "2017-05-02T06:51:54Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > On shows that want to be more risque, they’ll start a scene with a couple in bed just finishing an act of sex. They break apart, have a bit of dialog, then hop out of bed… and they’re both wearing underwear. :dubious: Indeed. I couldn’t help noticing that in Sex and the City, while having a wild old time in the stables with some hunk, Samantha never took her vest off. Sensible girl - she could have caught her death of cold. Another annoyance is the “I’m so angry, I’ll just sweep everything off every available horizontal surface and collapse in a heap” trope. Or, here’s a tip for spotting the murderer: who is the first person to say (far too early) something like “What do the police think?” or “Who do they suspect?” And of course, the time-honoured - “But there’s one thing I don’t understand, Inspector…” ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636/32 "2017-05-04T01:24:20Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Not TV, but recently we went to a community theater production of The Lion in Winter. The actor playing Richard had his fists in permanent clench formation - once noticed, it could not be unnoticed. It made me wonder if the director suggested to him that it would indicate internal rage or something. > > Years ago, and another amateur performance, one actor had one and only one hand motion. No matter the situation, that’s what he did - again, when you saw it, you couldn’t unsee it. > > So, rolling back to the OP - could this be something the director thought would be compelling? Or maybe a crutch for the actor? Anyone’s guess… The best thing you can do for an inexperienced actor is give them something to do with their hands. Make it unobtrusive and consonant with their character. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glasses-on-or-off-folks-tv-mannerism-gripe/785636.md?page=1)