# Stupid errors that crop up repeatedly in TV shows and movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866 "2014-03-29T23:33:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/381 "2014-06-27T01:11:35Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > They tested this on _ **Mythbusters** _ once. Unless there’s something seriously wrong with it, a firearm will not go off if it’s dropped. > > I once saw a flintlock musket go off as its handler was loading it; he slammed the ramrod home and it blew out clear through his hand. This happened because the weapon hadn’t been properly reassembled after cleaning. There’s a story about a policeman’s gun being carried into an MRI room. It was pulled to the magnet and fired a round. Probably the magnetic field pulled the firing pin directly, rather than involving the trigger mechanism. > **[Don't bring a gun near an MRI](https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/01/03/dont-bring-a-gun-near-an-mri/)** > > The American Journal of Roentgenology published a fascinating article back in 2001 about an incident at a MRI imaging center in western New York State.An off-duty police entered the MRI scanner room and attempted to place his Colt M1991 A1 pistol on... ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/382 "2014-06-27T02:28:47Z")
Another that bothers me (and a few other medical personnel, I’m sure): CPR. I think someone upthread mentioned defibrillation. But I’ve seen CPR performed in movies and TV shows where they have someone on a bed, or there are just token compressions. Or hands placed not quite where they should be on someone’s chest. I know that there are allowances that need to be made (in the token compression example, since you don’t want to do compressions on a living, breathing person). But you can’t be afraid to break ribs doing CPR. The show _Psych_, which I loved, was bad about this. During one episode, Shawn specifically pointed out to Gus that CPR had to be done on a living person for someone to get re-certified in CPR. The person he was talking about - a firefighter - didn’t say anything to dispel the notion. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Paul\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_H)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/383 "2014-06-27T02:35:31Z")
There are basically two types of anti-personal mines . The oldest DOES explode , virtually instantly , when step on by a plunger igniting a main charge . The body of the mine remains in the ground and the blast blows upward in a funnel shape . Very bad for the person who has stepped on it and for other people who are VERY close by . The second type is the " bouncing Betty " introduced by the Germans in WW II . This mine does NOT explode when first stepped on . Stepping on the pressure plate , the movable top of the mine , simply sets its firing system . When the person steps off of the mine a small charge located on the bottom of the mine fires . That blow the body of the mine out of the ground to a height of three to five feet . Now , clear of the ground , the main charge fires . The explosion is no longer confined by being in the ground and is free to blast Laterally , sidewise , sending the blast and debris in a wide area AROUND the mine . The result is an air blast that is much more lethal to a greater distance around the mine . A person stepping on a Bouncing Betty might feel the depression of the pressure plate and know that the mine will not detonate until he takes his weight off of the mine . ``` Dropping guns : In the OLD DAYS many handguns would go off if dropped on a hard surface especially if the hammer was resting on the firing pin . Pre-WW II pistols often did not even have a firing pin . A spike on the face of the hammer made direct contact with the primer and BAMM . These spike hammered guns were always carried with the hammer laying on an empty chamber . Now you have a six shooter with only five rounds loaded , but , it sure beats shooting yourself if you happen to drop it ! I'm not sure of the actual year , probably at least twenty years ago , Federal regulations required that ALL modern handguns sold in the U. S. be able to be dropped , loaded , from an eight foot height onto a concrete surface with out firing . This is usually done by using a two part firing pin ,spring loaded , that requires the hard blow of a hammer to force it into contact with the primer . ``` Flintlock rifle going off … Should have not happened under any conditions unless : There was a " hang fire " where the main charge did not ignite after the pan charge fired or the pan charge never fired at all . That is very common in flintlocks . There is only human stupidity involved in ramming a rod down the barrel unless you KNOW that the main charge has fired . ``` Finger on the trigger : Unsafe ? Don't carry a gun unless YOU ARE SURE that you are willing to fire it at another person . I used to live in a crime ridden area and had a concealed carry license . Carrying that gun saved my life , literally , on two occasions . ``` On both occasions you can be DAMED SURE THAT MY FINGER WAS ON THE TRIGGER ! On both occasions my attackers were sure enough of that fact that they decided it was not a good day ( for THEM ) to die . ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/384 "2014-06-27T03:05:41Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Someone comes running in and yells, “Turn on the TV!” Not only will the TV be on the station which is showing whatever it is the person wanted you to see, but the news report, or whatever, is starting at the very beginning of the story. You never come in in the middle of the story and have to sit and wait as the reporter burbles until you figure out what is going on. This used to bug me more years ago, before the proliferation of news stations that incessantly hash out stories for an entire day or more. But nowadays, if a major news worthy event does take place, you can bet CNN, NY1, MSNBC and most of the major networks will be running endless loops of the same footage, with commentators making the same report over and over again. In this age of media over-saturation, it wouldn’t be too extraordinary to turn on the channel, just as the anchorman is be beginning (again) his report on the “situation in progress”. And you’d only have to wait about five minutes to see the same headline again. ---
**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:** [June 27, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/385 "2014-06-27T03:07:44Z")
> [@Paul\_H](#): > > Flintlock rifle going off … Should have not happened under any conditions unless : There was a " hang fire " where the main charge did not ignite after the pan charge fired or the pan charge never fired at all . That is very common in flintlocks . There is only human stupidity involved in ramming a rod down the barrel unless you KNOW that the main charge has fired. This was not the case. First of all, it was a musket, not a rifle. Second, the incident occurred at a Minnesota historic site, and the troops (reenactors) were loading their muskets in accordance with the US Army manual that was used in 1827. Third, a post-action investigation showed that the musket had indeed been reassembled incorrectly after its last cleaning. The hammer went off at half-cock, which it is definitely NOT supposed to do. I know all this because I was one of the reenactors. I was able to load, fire, reload, and get off a second round within 15 seconds every time (as could most everyone else trained at the site). The one thing you DON’T want to do is keep your hand or fingers in front of the barrel as you push the ramrod home, which is what the gent in question did. You grasp the ramrod between your fingers, give it a good jerk downwards, and make sure your fingers are well clear of the muzzle before the ramrod hits bottom. You can do this with a period musket (as opposed to a rifle) because the ball is very loose on the inside of the barrel. (We were firing blanks, but that’s neither here nor there; the paper cartridge still needed to be tamped down to hold the powder charge in place.) The reason for the loose ball was to ensure a rapid rate of fire. This made the musket a very inaccurate weapon in warfare, which meant you needed huge formations of men firing in volleys in order for it to be effective. When not in combat (e.g., when target shooting), you can use a snug-fitting ball and wad, and the musket will be as accurate as a rifle up to a range of 100 yards. But then it takes much longer to load, because it’s harder to drive the ball down the barrel. A muzzle-loading rifle cannot be speed-loaded like a musket because the ball always has to fit snugly inside the barrel in order for the rifling to work. It takes about a minute to cycle the weapon, as opposed to 15 seconds for a musket. The persistent myth that the cunning American colonists were able to defeat the Redcoats with their Kentucky long rifles in the Revolution is a bunch of crap. Rifles back then were good for sniping, but were very ineffective against massed formations of regular troops (which is why the Americans were basically losing the war until the French came in on their side). ---
**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:** [June 27, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/386 "2014-06-27T03:20:33Z")
Final note: According to the US Army manual in use in 1827, you primed the musket (i.e., put powder in the pan and closed the frizzen) BEFORE you drove the main charge and ball down the barrel. This can be dangerous—it resulted in the incident described above—but that’s the way they did it, because (I’d assume) it helped ensure a rapid rate of fire. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/387 "2014-06-27T05:36:27Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Final note: According to the US Army manual in use in 1827, you primed the musket (i.e., put powder in the pan and closed the frizzen) BEFORE you drove the main charge and ball down the barrel. This can be dangerous—it resulted in the incident described above—but that’s the way they did it, because (I’d assume) it helped ensure a rapid rate of fire. If you’re going to have a misfire while priming, it’s better to have a flash in the pan than to have a fully charged and loaded weapon. Especially so since you’re probably not particularly aware of where your muzzle is pointing while doing the priming. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/388 "2014-06-27T05:36:45Z")
This one has been bothering me about Intelligence but I know I’ve been seeing in other places - it’s just that there they do it in half the episodes. “We need to find the big bad hacker!” “I know! Let’s look for a Fat Big Cable Connexion in a residential area!” “Aha! I have it!” Yeah dude, I totally believe there is only one cable that fat in the whole of San Francisco Bay or LA. And of course, the single FBC in downtown LA cannot belong to some office. ---
**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:** [June 27, 2014, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/389 "2014-06-27T08:21:32Z")
> [@Sleel](#): > > If you’re going to have a misfire while priming, it’s better to have a flash in the pan than to have a fully charged and loaded weapon. Especially so since you’re probably not particularly aware of where your muzzle is pointing while doing the priming. True, but how could you have a misfire while priming, assuming that the weapon is securely at half-cock? 😕 At that point, according to the manual, the weapon would be resting on your hip, with the barrel pointing up maybe five degrees from the horizontal. It would also be directed immediately in front of you. In the incident above, it was the impact of driving the ramrod home that triggered the hammer. At that point, the stock was resting on the ground and the barrel was pointing up and away from the loader at an angle of about 45 degrees. IIRC, you also twist the musket 180 degrees between the two steps, so that the lockplate is on the left as you look down at it. ---
**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:** [June 27, 2014, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/390 "2014-06-27T08:28:29Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > True, but how could you have a misfire while priming, assuming that the weapon is securely at half-cock? 😕 The frizzen would also be open, meaning that there would be no spark if the hammer were triggered. ---
**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:** [June 27, 2014, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/391 "2014-06-27T08:35:36Z")
I should also mention that actors in period films almost NEVER load their muskets correctly. They usually keep a firm grip on the ramrod and their hands are in front of the muzzle as they tamp the powder down. If they are indeed charging their weapons and they’re already primed, this is a disaster waiting to happen. Producers or directors could at least have someone called in to instruct the actors on the proper (safe) way to load the damned things! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Scantzen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Scantzen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scantzen)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/392 "2014-06-27T15:52:55Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I confess I never saw the third film, but I know it takes place largely in the “Wild West.” That’s what I was basing this off of. Oh no! I DID spoil the movie for you! Oh, wait… that was the plot… nevermind! ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/393 "2014-06-27T16:59:26Z")
> [@Paul\_H](#): > > There are basically two types of anti-personal mines . The oldest DOES explode , virtually instantly , when step on by a plunger igniting a main charge . The body of the mine remains in the ground and the blast blows upward in a funnel shape . Very bad for the person who has stepped on it and for other people who are VERY close by . > > The second type is the " bouncing Betty " introduced by the Germans in WW II . This mine does NOT explode when first stepped on . Stepping on the pressure plate , the movable top of the mine , simply sets its firing system . When the person steps off of the mine a small charge located on the bottom of the mine fires . That blow the body of the mine out of the ground to a height of three to five feet . Now , clear of the ground , the main charge fires . The explosion is no longer confined by being in the ground and is free to blast Laterally , sidewise , sending the blast and debris in a wide area AROUND the mine . The result is an air blast that is much more lethal to a greater distance around the mine . A person stepping on a Bouncing Betty might feel the depression of the pressure plate and know that the mine will not detonate until he takes his weight off of the mine . True, most bounding mines are just delayed blast so they can get out of the ground before they blow. But stepping on the S-mine (Bouncing Betty) is still what triggered it. From wikipedia: > [@](#): > > A common misconception prevailed that the S-mine would not detonate until its victim stepped off the trigger. This fallacy was propagated by incorrect United States propaganda during World War II. The mine would detonate whether the trigger was released or not. Standing still or attempting to run from the S-mine would be equally dangerous. The most effective way to survive the mine’s detonation would not be to flee but to fall to the ground lying face down as quickly as possible. The U.S. War Department Technical Manual “[Handbook on German Military Forces](http://www.lonesentry.com/manuals/tme30/ch8sec5sub5.html)” says: > [@](#): > > This anti-personnel mine may be operated by direct pressure on an igniter in the head, or by a pull on one or more trip wires attached to pull igniters. The mine may also be fired electrically. The pressure igniter, S.Mi.Z.35, functions under a weight of about 15 pounds. Nothing about triggering when pressure comes off. A mine that did that would give your enemy an extra chance to detect and defuse your mine. Yeah, it would freak them out a bit. But wouldn’t you rather have your enemy dead? (Makes me wonder what would happen if you were standing on it when it did bounce up?) ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/394 "2014-06-27T17:41:51Z")
Some of these got me wondering: I don’t consider an error an “error” if it was done for pragmatic reasons, e.g. having the CSIs interrogate suspects because adding more cop characters would bloat the cast and make the show less interesting overall. What say you all? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/395 "2014-06-27T21:30:38Z")
I can never take a show seriously that has lab geeks interviewing suspects. I simply cannot suspend my disbelief that far. It would be akin to having Lenny Briscoe prosecute the case in the courtroom during the second half of Law and Order episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/396 "2014-06-27T22:36:21Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Some of these got me wondering: I don’t consider an error an “error” if it was done for pragmatic reasons, e.g. having the CSIs interrogate suspects because adding more cop characters would bloat the cast and make the show less interesting overall. What say you all? True and valid. The budget is low, the time is limited, etc. But sometimes, it just hurts… Like the episode of JAG where a bunch of lawyers took command of an aircraft carrier and performed combat missions. God, that hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/397 "2014-06-27T23:00:52Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > But sometimes, it just hurts… Like the episode of JAG where a bunch of lawyers took command of an aircraft carrier and performed combat missions. God, that hurt. Lessee. Right is starboard, left is port (I’d never say larboard) and always go for the weather guage. Anyone can command a ship. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/398 "2014-06-27T23:54:50Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Some of these got me wondering: I don’t consider an error an “error” if it was done for pragmatic reasons, e.g. having the CSIs interrogate suspects because adding more cop characters would bloat the cast and make the show less interesting overall. What say you all? I’m sorry, but watching the lab people interrogate suspects takes me right out of what’s going on. And Temperance Brennan partnering with her husband and interrogating people? That’s even worse. ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/399 "2014-06-28T00:19:42Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’ve ranted elsewhere on the use of fifty-star US flags in anything set before 1959. But why the hell does History Channel use Maple Leaf flags for Canadian forces on WWII battle maps? Do they not know or care that that flag wasn’t adopted until 1965? > > And while we’re at it, History Channel, get your translations straight, fer Chrissakes! _ **Panzerfaust** _ (Germany’s answer to the bazooka) means “armored fist,” not “tank fist.” :mad: I don’t know if there is a “proper” way to translate this, but the literal translation would be “tank fist”. [“Panzer” means “tank”](http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzer), not “armor” (which would be “Rüstung”) ---
**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:** [June 28, 2014, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866/400 "2014-06-28T13:45:11Z")
> [@DiggitCamara](#): > > I don’t know if there is a “proper” way to translate this, but the literal translation would be “tank fist”. [“Panzer” means “tank”](http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzer), not “armor” (which would be “Rüstung”) > **[Tanks in the German Army](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzer)** > > This article deals with the tanks (German: Panzer) serving in the German Army (Deutsches Heer) throughout history, such as the World War I tanks of the Imperial German Army, the interwar and World War II tanks of the Nazi German Wehrmacht, the Cold War tanks of the West German and East German Armies, all the way to the present day tanks of the Bundeswehr. > The development of tanks in World War I began as an attempt to break the stalemate which trench warfare had brought to the Western Front. The ... [https://sites.google.com/site/ketilsvendsen/pzf\_flier\_1.jpg](https://sites.google.com/site/ketilsvendsen/pzf_flier_1.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-errors-that-crop-up-repeatedly-in-tv-shows-and-movies/684866.md?page=21)