# People in TV/Movies/Books/etc who were bad at their jobs. (Spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094 "2019-03-13T20:43:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2019, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/21 "2019-03-15T18:28:35Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > If we’re doing reality shows, I’d have to go with the brother from Property Brothers who does the renovation work. Seems like every episode they run into some unanticipated problem, like mold in the ceiling or termites in the floor beams or ductwork or wiring that’s in an inconvenient unexpected place that they have work around or reroute. The kind of stuff that seems like it should be obvious on the initial inspection, especially if you are experienced at this kind of thing. > > I realize that a lot of it is manufactured drama – who wants to watch a renovation show where everything is on time and not in danger of blowing the client’s budget? But it sure does make them look like incompetent boobs. Has any “expert” on any remodeling show been able to figure out a wall is load bearing _before_ they start tearing it down? Every time the designer says to take a wall out you can be that it’s a load bearing wall that won’t be discovered until it is too late. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2019, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/22 "2019-03-15T18:38:07Z")
The 1991 film acting debut of Brian Bosworth “Stone Cold” was an action vehicle where Bosworth played an undercover FBI agent tasked with infiltrating a white supremacist biker gang who plan on killing the Governor of Alabama (I think that’s the state) after the Governor makes giving the death penalty to one of its arrested members his reelection platform to show off his “Tough on Crime/Against White Supremacy” ideas. The ending is pretty horrific despite the fact the film treats it as a happy ending Bosworth stupidly meets with his FBI handler in broad daylight in a public street. This sets off a chain of events where he’s uncovered and imprisoned by the gang as they plan to kill the governor and rescue their incarcerated friend during his trial at the State Supreme Court. The gang infiltrates the court house and not only do they kill the Governor, they also kill all of the Alabama Supreme Court, dozens of cops and innocent civilians, and wreck most of the court house. The only thing Bosworth actually does is kill the prisoner before he’s set free but it’s pretty obvious considering the security around the court house they weren’t getting out alive anyway. So Bosworth leaves the court house to triumphant music despite the fact the gang despite all being killed has basically done everything they had originally set out to do by murdering most of the Alabama politicians against them. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2019, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/23 "2019-03-15T18:38:50Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > Has any “expert” on any remodeling show been able to figure out a wall is load bearing _before_ they start tearing it down? Every time the designer says to take a wall out you can be that it’s a load bearing wall that won’t be discovered until it is too late. Exactly. I wind up watching a _lot_ of “house porn” by osmosis (it’s comfort-food TV for my wife), and I’ve realized that so much of that sort of thing is manufactured drama. There was one show she was watching, a few weeks ago, where the “OMG moment” was a large, newly-installed window falling out of its frame and shattering. The camera “managed” to catch a shot of the window falling – and you could actually see someone’s hand at the top of the screen, pushing the window free from the frame. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2019, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/24 "2019-03-15T18:44:35Z")
The incompetent police inspector dates back to the earliest detective stories. Inspector Lestrade in the Sherlock Holmes stories is always baffled. In reality shows, the guy in _Love it or List It_ nearly always fails to sell the new house. My wife has watched more of them and says it does happen, but it’s been rare that I’ve seen the couple go with him. In the biopic _Chaplin_, Charlie’s brother Sydney keeps showing up solely to be wrong about something. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2019, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/25 "2019-03-15T19:09:36Z")
Oh, and what about Dexter Morgan, from “Dexter”? Sure, he was my pick for the thread about which detective we would like to solve our murder, but as a Crime Investigation lab technician he was the worst. He actively derailed investigations, withheld information and even sometimes protected serial killers because he wanted them for himself, with complete disregard for all the victims the killers caused while he took his time getting to the finale. ---
**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:** [March 15, 2019, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/26 "2019-03-15T19:35:30Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Anybody remember the ill-fated movie from a couple of years ago with Michael Fassbender, The Snowman? > > The character Fassbender plays, Harry Hole, is the star of a series of Norwegian mystery books. I read the first one, The Bat. > > Harry Hole was so infuriatingly lousy at his job, i still wonder if he was written like that on purpose. He basically went to Australia after a Norwegian girl was killed there. And then devoted his time to half-heartedly rethread the police investigation by the Aussie police, drink a lot and shag a waitress he meets. He literally offers nothing new to the investigation, causes the death of a main character (don’t want to spoil it all) by his uselessness and everything is solved pretty much by sheer luck. > > There’s a moment in the book where Harry gets himself in a bar fight and that made me think: “Well, he’s not a hard-worker, he’s not that smart or good at dealing with people… but he’s a protagonist. Maybe he’ll prove that at least he’s a bad ass now” Nope, he folds like a chump and ends up being rescued by an Australian cop. > > Maybe he improves in the subsequent books. I didn’t feel like finding out. Harry Hole? :dubious:😛 Forgive my juvenile, Beavis & Butthead like interruption but I trie so hard to suppress my laughter, things came out of my nose. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2019, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/27 "2019-03-15T19:39:46Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Harry Hole? :dubious:😛 Forgive my juvenile, Beavis & Butthead like interruption but I trie so hard to suppress my laughter, things came out of my nose. I had the same reaction! I think that name belongs in the MPSIMS thread, [“Are there any young Dicks anymore?”](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=872367) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2019, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/28 "2019-03-15T19:54:43Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > I think the official police detectives, sheriffs, etc. in shows about private investigators tend to be incompetent. Sheriff Amos Tupper from Murder She Wrote and Lassiter from Psych are the first that come to mind, but it seems like the police are always portrayed as incompetent when compared to the amateur sleuth or private investigator. And Inspector Lestrade.😕 That’s why I like the Nero Wolfe mysteries. Inspector Cramer is very competent, and Wolfe admits it. Wolfe even says Cramer is better at solving nine out of ten murders, and Cramer even has his own book. They are worthy opponents/friends. But of course Jessica Fletcher was a serial killer who framed innocent victims, so she could continue her spree. I mean, 250 or so murders over 12 years in a small town in Maine? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/29 "2019-03-15T19:57:12Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > … > > In reality shows, the guy in _Love it or List It_ nearly always fails to sell the new house. My wife has watched more of them and says it does happen, but it’s been rare that I’ve seen the couple go with him. > … I think he wins about one time in four, but the couple is always dazzled by her fabu staging, which wont last one day after they move back in. And of course ‘the memories’! ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2019, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/30 "2019-03-15T23:18:13Z")
For the “Breaking Bad” fans, look up the 2018 San Diego Comic Con “Breaking Bad anniversary panel”. Someone asks the question about Skylar learning about Walter’s “side business”, and the producer explains that after the first season they realized the character and actress were just “too smart” for Walter to be able to keep it a secret… Then the actor who played Hank chimes in: “well what does that say about me ???!!!” It’s really funny. But Hank, a DEA agent, doesn’t figure out his brother-in-law is a major drug kingpin for like 5 seasons ! ---
**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:** [March 16, 2019, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/31 "2019-03-16T01:14:10Z")
Tarek El Moussa from _Flip or Flop_ Has any house cost him less than 70% more than he planned. And when he bought that pristine house that got trashed over the weekend … if it was real then why not have insurance that covers that? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/32 "2019-03-16T01:30:58Z")
Hank Schrader is a good answer. And I kinda agree re: Skylar - it would have been unbelievable that her husband goes from teacher to meth kingpin in a year without her noticing. Have we ever seen C3PO at work? He has facility in 6 million languages or whatever, and all he does is speak English… even to R2D2. Never once did he suggest “Hey… Im going to go over there and stand within earshot of those Baldersnatchi and listen to what they are saying. I’ll report back later.” A perfect spy, just send him into a party with 56 species and languages, and, later, have him spill and translate everything he heard. He’s a fuckin’ computer and audio files aren’t that big! But, no, he’s just acts like he’s being paid to be comedy relief for some invisible audience or something. 😉 R2, however, can repair shit without even having arms. Nothing but respect for R2’s skills. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/33 "2019-03-16T01:35:01Z")
The central events of _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ would have played out pretty much the same with or without Indiana Jones. He looked awesome while accomplishing none of his objectives, other than winding up with Marian. The Chazz Palmentieri character in _The Usual Suspects_ put together the world’s worst lineup then let a criminal mastermind slip through his fingers. Mr. Orange in _Reservoir Dogs_ let himself develop an emotional bond with one of the criminals he was trying to take down, then shot a civilian. I’m pretty sure they train undercover cops to avoid both those things. And, for that matter, what the hell kind of police department waits to move on the criminals until they’re _in the middle of the daring midday robbery?_ Shut them down before they actually start pulling off the job, guys! In _Magnolia_, the John C. Reilly character admits he’s a pretty inept cop. He’s a little hard on himself, but losing your gun is still a big no-no. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/34 "2019-03-16T01:46:01Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > The central events of _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ would have played out pretty much the same with or without Indiana Jones. He looked awesome while accomplishing none of his objectives, other than winding up with Marian. > … They would never have found the Ark. And, who knows, without all the pressure to act NOW, maybe they would have not opened the Ark without precautions. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/35 "2019-03-16T02:06:23Z")
Andy Travis, the program director on “WKRP”. What other large market commercial station of the past 40 years –lets their DJs play their own music? –can depending on the day or shift sound top 40, then AOR, then oldies, then R&B? –airs pay for play religion on Sunday mornings? None of course. Not only does it confuse listeners, but it makes it impossible to sell to advertisers. And that doesn’t even factor in keeping an awful salesman and newsman. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/36 "2019-03-16T02:15:36Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Anybody remember the ill-fated movie from a couple of years ago with Michael Fassbender, The Snowman? > > The character Fassbender plays, Harry Hole, is the star of a series of Norwegian mystery books. I read the first one, The Bat. > > Harry Hole was so infuriatingly lousy at his job, i still wonder if he was written like that on purpose. He basically went to Australia after a Norwegian girl was killed there. And then devoted his time to half-heartedly rethread the police investigation by the Aussie police, drink a lot and shag a waitress he meets. He literally offers nothing new to the investigation, causes the death of a main character (don’t want to spoil it all) by his uselessness and everything is solved pretty much by sheer luck. > > There’s a moment in the book where Harry gets himself in a bar fight and that made me think: “Well, he’s not a hard-worker, he’s not that smart or good at dealing with people… but he’s a protagonist. Maybe he’ll prove that at least he’s a bad ass now” Nope, he folds like a chump and ends up being rescued by an Australian cop. > > Maybe he improves in the subsequent books. I didn’t feel like finding out. _The Bat_ was a first novel and your criticism is valid. The second one isn’t all that great either, but from then on Jo Nesbo serves up an excellent detective series. Highly recommended. If you like **Bosch** and **Rebus** , you’ll enjoy Harry Hole. Btw, it’s Norwegian so ‘Hole’ is pronounced ‘hoo-leh’ or something like that. For the full tee-hee, at some point in the series he becomes _Inspector_ Harry Hole. _The Snowman_ was a trainwreck film made from a terrific book. [Headhunters](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1614989/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_8) is a much better adaptation of a Nesbo novel. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/37 "2019-03-16T02:36:41Z")
In regards to Andy Travis, many the commercial stations in San Antonio switch to 1 hour of “community service” radio - some stations have people talking about charities, some have church, etc. at 6am Sunday morning. At 7am, they go back to their regular programming. So, while played for laughs on WKRP, the “religious segment on a pop station” is a real thing. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/38 "2019-03-16T10:01:49Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > The central events of _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ would have played out pretty much the same with or without Indiana Jones. He looked awesome while accomplishing none of his objectives, other than winding up with Marian. I don’t understand where the whole “Didn’t accomplish his objectives” thing comes from. Army Intelligence clearly told him to recover the Ark so the Nazi’s don’t get their hands on it, and the final scene of the movie is the Ark safely in American hands. Indy’s sole job was to make sure the Nazi’s couldn’t use it and he made sure of it. His thoughts of putting it in a museum are entirely secondary to his hired goal of recovering it. In addition he does multiple things that affect the course of the story 1. Saves Marion’s life in the bar and prevents the Nazis initially from getting the location of the ark. 2. Destroys the flying wing the Nazi’s were going to use to fly the Ark directly to Berlin forcing them to waste time finding an alternate transport route which leads to them having to make a pit stop at a submarine base. 3. Is there for the unveiling thus he’s able to afterwards contact friendlies and have them grab the Ark. If he didn’t do any of those things the movie ends with the Nazi’s now in possession of the ark and they have plenty of forced test subjects they could use to figure out how it works. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/39 "2019-03-16T11:25:27Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Harry Hole? :dubious:😛 Forgive my juvenile, Beavis & Butthead like interruption but I trie so hard to suppress my laughter, things came out of my nose. I once worked with a guy named Harry Bone. I kid you not. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094/40 "2019-03-16T14:43:29Z")
Gus Grimly in the first season of Fargo is completely inept. He lets Malvo get away when it’s clear this is a bad guy up to no good. He tried to make things right then accidentally shot Deputy Molly. Finally, he even admitted to her that he only became a cop because the post office wasn’t hiring. Luckily for him, he was able to redeem himself but he’s an excellent example of someone pursuing a career that is not for them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-in-tv-movies-books-etc-who-were-bad-at-their-jobs-spoilers/831094.md?page=3)