# Signs that your career moment has passed **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696 "2011-05-12T19:40:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/61 "2011-05-15T00:03:13Z")
Isn’t that Steve Guttenberg in that Phone commercial? The one with the kid and the lemonade stand? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/62 "2011-05-15T00:18:11Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > You probably get about one every decade versus lots of flops like David Caruso or Dick van Dyke. Huh? You mean the Dick Van Dyke who did _Bye Bye Birdie, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang_ and a bunch of other movies WHILE doing a string of TV series? Hell, anyone in Hollywood would kill to have that career. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/63 "2011-05-15T00:21:02Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#): > > Three words: Home Shopping Network didn’t stop Mike Rowe. of course he is one out of many. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/64 "2011-05-15T13:42:00Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Oh, phew, I thought you were going somewhere else with this. :eek: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/65 "2011-05-15T13:46:41Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > 😕 You said: > [@](#): > > **You become the moderator** on The View. (bolding mine) Twickster is a moderator. She was making the joke that she thought you were going to say becoming a moderator is one of the signs that your career moment has passed. ---
**Author:** ![Cort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/77aa72/32.png) [@Cort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cort)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/66 "2011-05-15T14:07:03Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > I think he was trying to post in this thread: > > [Questions about height & sexual attraction? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=608256) Funny thing is, before even clicking the link, and with only **Jadelin’s** post to go on, I knew **Skald The Rhymer** had started that thread. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/67 "2011-05-15T14:21:27Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > 😕 :smack:never mind. Still early. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/68 "2011-05-15T15:06:28Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Though, to be fair, Travolta had a LOT of flops between periods of respectability. Right off the top of my head, _Shout_, _Perfect_, _Blowout_, _Look Who’s Talking Now_, and _Battlefield Earth_ were all major flops. The guy pretty much had nuthin’ after _Grease_. Then came \*Pulp Fiction \*and he was back, baby. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/69 "2011-05-15T20:43:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The ones who are stupid are the ones who try to get out of their TV series so they can go on to a movie career. Most of them quit their series and then find out they don’t have a real career in movies. And now they don’t have a TV series either. This is called “Maclain Stephenson Syndrome”. ---
**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 15, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/70 "2011-05-15T21:27:26Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > This is called “Maclain Stephenson Syndrome”. Nitpick: It’s “McLean Stevenson.” ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/71 "2011-05-15T21:46:27Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > I not sure about this but I believe those photos weren’t specifically done for Playboy. They were old pre-fame modeling photos that Playboy acquired after Theron starting becoming known as an actress. If that’s the case, citing Theron isn’t the best counter-argument. > > Jaime Pressley arguably might be a better counter-example. She was in Playboy twice and ended up landing an Emmy-winning role in “My Name is Earl.” However, her career seem to have stalled since the show went off the air. Jaime Pressly is who I was going to mention. Your career has stalled when the two most famous recent pictures of you are [your mugshot](http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20455563,00.html) for DUI and [urinating on the sidewalk](http://perezhilton.com/2009-08-10-intoxicated-jaime-pressly-urinates-in-public). She spent years getting to her big break, took it and brilliantly ran with it, and then threw it all away. ---
**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 15, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/72 "2011-05-15T22:12:36Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I’m reminded of Pierce Brosnan, who they wanted for James Bond in the early '80s but who couldn’t get out of his _Remington Steele_ contract to do it. He stayed for the run of that show, and after that managed to have a pretty good film career. Well, other than _Mamma Mia_, but that was a weird byway in a lot of people’s careers. There’s also _Magnum P.I._ star Tom Selleck, who was offered the role of Indiana Jones in _Raiders of the Lost Ark_, but had to pass it up because the producers of Magnum wouldn’t give him time off. Magnum then starred in _High Road to China_, which although it brought in $28 million, was regarded by most as a “Raiders” nockoff. He did star in a few successful movies, such as _Mr. Baseball_ and _Three Men and a Baby_, but his movie career wasn’t nearly as successful as Harrison Ford’s. Selleck is still thought of as a “TV actor” and remains popular on TV, including the current series _Blue Bloods_ on CBS. Ironically, the shooting of the “Magnum” pilot was delayed for over six months by a writer’s strike, so it turned out Selleck could have taken the Indy role in “Raiders,” had he the option to do so. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/73 "2011-05-15T22:15:27Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > This is called “Maclain Stephenson Syndrome”. Except that McLean Stevenson didn’t leave “MASH” to do movies but to star in his own self-titled series which quickly flopped (and turned out to be the first in a succession of failed TV shows). ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/74 "2011-05-16T02:21:37Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Except that McLean Stevenson didn’t leave “MASH” to do movies but to star in his own self-titled series which quickly flopped (and turned out to be the first in a succession of failed TV shows). Remember “Condo”? Neither do I. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/75 "2011-05-16T02:29:18Z")
Hello, Larry (Goodbye acting career) ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/76 "2011-05-16T10:00:00Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I’m reminded of Pierce Brosnan, who they wanted for James Bond in the early '80s but who couldn’t get out of his _Remington Steele_ contract to do it. He stayed for the run of that show, and after that managed to have a pretty good film career. Well, other than _Mamma Mia_, but that was a weird byway in a lot of people’s careers. Actually, when he was cast as Bond, Remington Steele had been canceled. But the show producers had an option for another season, so started it back up again to cash in on Brosnan being Bond. Then the shooting dates conflicted so he had to drop being 007. ---
**Author:** ![PalJuicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a8b319/32.png) [@PalJuicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PalJuicy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/77 "2011-05-16T11:28:38Z")
You end up in a SyFy channel movie. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/78 "2011-05-16T12:28:23Z")
> [@PalJuicy](#): > > You end up in a SyFy channel movie. I thought that was reserved for 80s pop princesses. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/79 "2011-05-16T13:14:32Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > I…can’t…explainShatner… 😃 Bill Shatner has reinvented himself into the best Bill Shatner impersonator in the business today. It is very difficult to mock a man who is clearly having a grand time parodying his earlier work and public image. ---
**Author:** ![PalJuicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a8b319/32.png) [@PalJuicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PalJuicy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696/80 "2011-05-16T13:31:04Z")
> [@](#): > > I thought that was reserved for 80s pop princesses. Nah. Poor Lou Diamond Phillips. And, wait! Was that Jason Alexander? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signs-that-your-career-moment-has-passed/581696.md?page=5)