# The "strings, photos, and newspaper clippings on a bulletin board" trope **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [September 14, 2023, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strings-photos-and-newspaper-clippings-on-a-bulletin-board-trope/990120 "2023-09-14T20:53:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2023, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strings-photos-and-newspaper-clippings-on-a-bulletin-board-trope/990120/21 "2023-09-16T12:16:54Z")
Here’s another example from SNL in 2017: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jVhlJNJopOQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Papyrus - SNL") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVhlJNJopOQ) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2023, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strings-photos-and-newspaper-clippings-on-a-bulletin-board-trope/990120/22 "2023-09-16T12:50:21Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I can’t imagine a genuine police/detective investigation taking up an entire wall - sometimes an entire room - with photos and yarn. Especially now that we have dry-erase boards. I think that’s what they used in Brooklyn 99, didn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2023, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strings-photos-and-newspaper-clippings-on-a-bulletin-board-trope/990120/23 "2023-09-22T14:22:02Z")
Timely comic: [![](https://i.imgur.com/MBEFnWH.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/MBEFnWH.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2023, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strings-photos-and-newspaper-clippings-on-a-bulletin-board-trope/990120/24 "2023-09-22T16:06:49Z")
I always assumed they are a take-off on flow charts. Wiki says those were introduced in 1921. The evidence versions have more “jumps” then flow but they are _trying_ to make it all flow. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strings-photos-and-newspaper-clippings-on-a-bulletin-board-trope/990120/25 "2023-10-13T18:39:29Z")
Another timely comic, plus CATS. [![](https://pleated-jeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/funny-single-panel-comics-new-yorker-brooke-bourgeois-14.jpg) ](https://pleated-jeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/funny-single-panel-comics-new-yorker-brooke-bourgeois-14.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2023, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strings-photos-and-newspaper-clippings-on-a-bulletin-board-trope/990120/26 "2023-10-13T18:52:57Z")
I just noticed this thread, following the bump. It’s interesting that this same thing, a big board with a bunch of clippings connected by strings, can mean either “brilliant detective solves baffling case” or “lunatic has insane conspiracy theory,” depending on whether the board is owned by a good guy or a bad guy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strings-photos-and-newspaper-clippings-on-a-bulletin-board-trope/990120.md?page=1)