# Pop Culture tropes that infuriate you. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269 "2018-06-17T17:13:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/221 "2018-07-18T19:47:57Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > Any action film where endless waves of commandos and helicopters are dispatched like swatting away flies by either the hero or the villain. Do they have any idea how much money and time is invested in training these people and building the equipment they use? Also, have you ever seen an action film where the pilot of the helicopter has the god-given brains to stay where he/she is supposed to be, namely safely up in the air far away from hungry dinosaurs, power lines, or embittered ex-cops in expendable cars on ramps? ---
**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:** [July 18, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/222 "2018-07-18T19:54:52Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > It does raise an interesting question though - when one is translating to foreign language are figures of speech supposed translated literally or should one use the equivalent figure of speech in the foreign language? Depends. The Russian word _kozyol_ literally means “goat.” So in reference to a person, you could say “You old goat!” but the insult is far, far worse than that. It’s more like “You old ass-fucker!” (The way it was explained to me, a \*kozyol \* is the old guy who buggers young convicts in prison; his “boys” are called _petukhy_, “cocks,” in the sense of “roosters.”) The same with _osyol_, which is literally “an ass,” in the sense of “donkey.” But it combines stupidity with boorishness and is a very strong insult. Funny story: I was riding the Moscow metro once with by bilingual daughter, who was four at the time. She kept trying to tell me something, but I couldn’t hear her because of the noise the train was making. I could see she was getting frustrated, and when we stopped at the next station she said (in a very loud voice) “\*Kozyol \*i _osyol_!” :eek: I was shocked; I thought she was calling me dirty names, and everyone in our car turned to look at her. Then she said (in English, and in her normal voice) “\*Kozyol \*and _osyol_. They almost _rhyme_!” ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/223 "2018-07-18T20:10:52Z")
Most of the relationship/personality tropes mentioned I find to be true to life or at least some basis in reality. I find the more procedural and technical things mentioned to be more annoying, because they’re actually problematic. All kinds of eccentric characters and fat guy/hot wife things exist in reality. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2018, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/224 "2018-07-18T20:15:05Z")
> [@JB99](#): > > It’s very common for sitcoms to depict fat men with hot wives, but I’ve NEVER seen a handsome, rugged man with a fat wife on TV. I have: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9cNY-8lIfA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9cNY-8lIfA)🆒 ---
**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:** [July 18, 2018, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/225 "2018-07-18T20:23:16Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Also, have you ever seen an action film where the pilot of the helicopter has the god-given brains to stay where he/she is supposed to be, namely safely up in the air far away from hungry dinosaurs, power lines, or embittered ex-cops in expendable cars on ramps? I’ve seen lots of movies where the hero(es) stand silhouetted against the sky, completely oblivious to the helicopter hovering just beyond the ridgeline. Reminds me of that episode of _ **Hogan’s Heroes** _ where the Germans developed a silent airplane engine. :rolleyes: ---
**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:** [July 18, 2018, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/226 "2018-07-18T20:29:04Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The Russian word _kozyol_ literally means “goat.” Specifically, a billy goat. A nanny goat is a _koza_. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/227 "2018-07-18T21:20:23Z")
I don’t expect characters in a fantasy medieval world to speak Shakespearean English. Hamlet was first performed in 1609, which is no longer the medieval era. The Knights of the Round Table, despite living in Medieval England, would not have spoken even Shakespearean English. They would have spoken Middle English, which would not be easily comprehensible to modern audiences. So King Arthur and Lancelot’s dialog must absolutely be translated into modern English, in exactly the same way that Julius Caesar and Moses and Achilles have to be translated. And yes, this translation is a tricky beast. Because if you make your characters sound like people who speak in modern idioms then its going to seem weird. So you want to preserve that old timey feel but not resort to[Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe). But it’s a matter of degree. When the Roman commander tells the archers to fire, it’s a neologism derived from gunpowder weapons, and entirely inappropriate for archery. But it’s what people today would say. So do you do a literal translation of whatever a real Roman centurion would yell, or do you use a modern idiom? “OK” wouldn’t bother me even though it’s not something people said in English before the 1840s. Because it’s such an invisible part of our language nowadays, it doesn’t scream neologism. So it doesn’t infuriate me when archers are ordered to fire. It does infuriate me when they literally set their arrows on fire before shooting them at the enemy army, because that’s straight-up bullshit. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2018, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/228 "2018-07-18T21:41:24Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > When the Roman commander tells the archers to fire, it’s a neologism derived from gunpowder weapons, and entirely inappropriate for archery. But it’s what people today would say. So do you do a literal translation of whatever a real Roman centurion would yell, or do you use a modern idiom? Maybe “shoot”? 😕 Judging from the movie _ **Sink the Bismarck!** _ (1960), which was more historically accurate than most films, the Royal Navy was still using “Shoot!” instead of “Fire!” in 1941. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/229 "2018-07-18T21:58:14Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > I noticed this just recently, but I’m sure I’ve seen it before. Starship pilots pushing random buttons to fly the ship. I’m pretty sure that on an airplane, in spite of all the dials and gauges, the only thing used to actually fly the plane is the wheel and the throttle. Ships and airplanes used to have the steering mechanism linked directly to the control surfaces. A ship needed a [big wheel](http://www.muppetlabs.com/~eric/picton_castle_2_7.jpg) because it took a lot of effort to turn it and steer the ship. As hydraulics and fly-by-wire systems have become common, the controls have shrunk. You cold drive a cruise ship with a computer mouse, if the computer accepted that input. There are considerations beyond just the technology, though. Airbus airliners are controlled with small joysticks located next to each pilot. Even though it can be done that way, Boeing continues to have the familiar steering yokes in front of both pilots. The yokes are linked together so that when one moves, they both move. One pilot doesn’t have to look over at the other to see how he’s steering the plane. It’s been an issue in at least one Airbus accident that both pilots thought they were flying the plane, and giving contradictory instructions to the computer. I don’t know how starship helmsmen will steer their ships. It’s possible that it could be done with buttons, but I wish the set designers would come up with something more interesting than just a bunch of buttons. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/230 "2018-07-18T22:04:32Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > I don’t expect characters in a fantasy medieval world to speak Shakespearean English. But, why do they all seem to speak with posh English accents? (or at least, the actor’s version of a posh English accent). I was reminded of how strong this trope is by a recent debut episode of a (thoroughly mediocre) TV show set in a fantasy realm with zombies, trolls, elves (of a sort) and humans- every one of which seems to affect an English accent! ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/231 "2018-07-18T22:04:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Also, have you ever seen an action film where the pilot of the helicopter has the god-given brains to stay where he/she is supposed to be, namely safely up in the air far away from hungry dinosaurs, power lines, or embittered ex-cops in expendable cars on ramps? I seem to remember in White House Down, the helicopter did not get destroyed. But it definitely wasn’t where it was supposed to be. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/232 "2018-07-18T22:28:22Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > But, why do they all seem to speak with posh English accents? (or at least, the actor’s version of a posh English accent). > > I was reminded of how strong this trope is by a recent debut episode of a (thoroughly mediocre) TV show set in a fantasy realm with zombies, trolls, elves (of a sort) and humans- every one of which seems to affect an English accent! Lemme guess, “The Outpost,” right? What a pile. I think what you’re hearing there is Canadians–that’s where the majority of these new shows are being produced, Toronto and Vancouver being the biggies. Canadians likely watch more British TV than the average American so getting that English flavor is more likely. The accent thing I just let go because not every actor is good at accents–“The Expanse” being a great example. Why in the world would someone born and raised on Mars have a strong Aussie accent after at least a couple generations? They wouldn’t, but the actor does so there you have it. They did a pretty good job of generating a fairly cohesive Belter accent though, I’ll give them that. And I don’t expect not-from-this-planet fantasy characters to speak Elizabethan English, because why would they? I do expect, though, that they’re going to avoid using dialogue that very firmly places them in a specific place and time on Earth, and for me “okay” is the grinding halt point. As for archers, isn’t it “Press…loose?” The one that gets me, though, is the archers who draw and hoooooooooooooooooooooooooold it forever–man, with a natural wood long bow you just don’t DO that. It’s a bitch to hold a strong bow like that anyway, and it really fucks up your bow if you do it too often. Draw and release, boom-boom, that’s how it goes. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/233 "2018-07-18T23:04:40Z")
> [@flaming\_yawn](#): > > The main character driving a unique car. They always have a classic car, an old truck with step sides, an import classic etc Drives me crazy …pun intended Ever notice how everybody in TV commercials drive a freakin’ '68 Ford Bronco? (or maybe an FJ40) Always really cherry, too. Like they’re on every corner! > [@terentii](#): > > I’ve seen lots of movies where the hero(es) stand silhouetted against the sky, completely oblivious to the helicopter hovering just beyond the ridgeline. Yeah, how does that work? 😕 There is a SAR base about 40 miles from me, and I can hear those damn birds 5 minutes before I can see them. No wonder we couldn’t sneak up on Victor Charles. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/234 "2018-07-18T23:41:54Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > : > > Judging from the movie _ **Sink the Bismarck!** _ (1960), which was more historically accurate than most films, the Royal Navy was still using “Shoot!” instead of “Fire!” in 1941. Which is a sensible way to do it in order to reserve the shouting of “fire” for raising the alarm that there’s a fire. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/235 "2018-07-18T23:44:22Z")
Useless civilians in crime dramas. They either refuse to cooperate with the police for no reason other than to make the cops’ jobs harder for them, or they’re too stupid to be of any help. NYPD Blue played against this trope a few times. In one episode, a couple of cops were investigating an arson when the owner of a bodega came over and volunteered that he had sold some lighters to some kids right before the fire, then volunteered to give the police his security video. It was refreshing. The hero racing across town to rescue someone when it would make more sense to call for help. Police calling out to a suspect from 50 feet away, giving him a chance to run. The standoff where the cop and the bad guy end of pointing guns at each other, and the cop talks the guy into dropping his weapon. In real life, the cop would just shoot him. The woman who shrieks when she encounters a dead body. It’s never a man, by the way. Just once, I’d like to see a woman do something like take a step back and say, “Oh, God!” Fights where guys pound on each other relentlessly, yet no one gets hurt. The 100-pound woman who kicks the crap out of a 250-pound tough guy. Histrionics in the delivery room. Yeah, I know it hurts. Most women who delivery babies do it without having a screaming fit. ---
**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:** [July 19, 2018, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/236 "2018-07-19T01:55:37Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I don’t know how starship helmsmen will steer their ships. It’s possible that it could be done with buttons, but I wish the set designers would come up with something more interesting than just a bunch of buttons. In the first \*\*\*Star Trek \*\*\*movie, there was a throttle on the helm. It was … interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2018, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/237 "2018-07-19T02:26:50Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’ve seen lots of movies where the hero(es) stand silhouetted against the sky, completely oblivious to the helicopter hovering just beyond the ridgeline. At the end of _Goldeneye_ there were three helicopters that were cleverly concealed by being above the top edge of the movie screen. > [@terentii](#): > > In the first \*\*\*Star Trek \*\*\*movie, there was a throttle on the helm. It was … interesting. That rings a vague bell. I wonder if they thought of using something like an [engine order telegraph](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_order_telegraph)? ---
**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:** [July 19, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/238 "2018-07-19T03:26:15Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > That rings a vague bell. I wonder if they thought of using something like an [engine order telegraph](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_order_telegraph)? So instead of engaging the engines directly, they’d be sending instructions to the Engine Room, kind of like the way they fired the phasers in “Balance of Terror.” These stills are not the best, but you can see the stick at the bottom of the first frame, and Sulu has his hand on it in the second: [http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/5736/8632589\_3.jpg?v=8CE71410914F540](http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/5736/8632589_3.jpg?v=8CE71410914F540) [![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XNPD380IpBQ/SNGocg7qvlI/AAAAAAAACek/Ig0WCIE_hkM/s400/P74_18_HelmNav.jpg) ](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XNPD380IpBQ/SNGocg7qvlI/AAAAAAAACek/Ig0WCIE_hkM/s400/P74_18_HelmNav.jpg) As they approach V’ger, there are a lot of close-ups on Sulu adjusting their speed as he watches what’s happening on the viewscreen. ---
**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:** [July 19, 2018, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/239 "2018-07-19T03:30:58Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Which is a sensible way to do it in order to reserve the shouting of “fire” for raising the alarm that there’s a fire. Good point! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2018, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269/240 "2018-07-19T13:04:42Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > In the first \*\*\*Star Trek \*\*\*movie, there was a throttle on the helm. It was … interesting. _Star Trek: Insurrection_ showed Riker flying the Enterprise-E using a [joystick](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4x1K97JZG0). I remember a lot of fans at the time thinking that was ridiculous and looked too “video-gamey.” But really, joysticks have been used to steer actual aircraft for years (since 1908, according to wikipedia) before they became video game equipment. And a joystick has got to be better than pushing buttons for maneuvering a flying craft. Frankly, we should have seen more joysticks and/or yokes used in piloting starships. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-culture-tropes-that-infuriate-you/816269.md?page=13)