# Things that are extremely common in TV shows/movies that you've rarely seen in real life **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 29, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161 "2009-08-29T16:20:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**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 2, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/241 "2009-09-02T18:36:46Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > Vomiting due to emotional distress. > > I’m not talking about being so upset that you lose your appetite or are afraid to eat lest you get sick. I get that feeling a lot. I’m talking about moments like, “Honey, I have to tell you…I’ve been sleeping with your mother.” _Honey’s face contorts in a grimace of distress and disbelief and .78 seconds later starts hurking up breakfast over the kitchen table_ > > Even John Waters has complained about this cliche, and boy, you know if he hasn’t seen it in real life, it doesn’t often happen. It might be rare, but it does happen. My husband once threw up within about 5 minutes of learning his little sister was in the hospital. I think it is triggered by anxiety–the incident was the result of a continually escalating ongoing situation, so in a way it had more to do with the fact that he’d been worried about her for months and repeatedly exposed to ongoing crises that seemed to get worse every time. (She is fine now.) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/242 "2009-09-02T18:39:34Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > Penny is struggling. Remember her little money-making operation making hair doodads, that Sheldon ruined for her? > > Meanwhile, the PhDs eat every single lunch in the cafeteria and every single dinner is at a restaurant or takeout. There have been allusions to the schedule, Chinese one night, Thai another, Cheesecake Factory (which isn’t cheap and certainly doesn’t have their servers in uniforms like Penny’s) another night, and so on. They’re probably spending $500 a month on restaurant food each. That plus all their latest and greatest computer equipment and their gaming consoles and games? All that gets spendy. I don’t think it’s a stretch to see that the apartment sharing is financially conducive to their lifestyles. Also their collecting habits: Vintage comic books, Star Trek & Star Wars memobilia, and other “geek prizes” can really cost a bunch. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/243 "2009-09-02T18:46:04Z")
I’ve never seen anyone vomit due to an emotional reaction on TV. Well, except for that episode of Sopranos. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/244 "2009-09-02T18:59:00Z")
Episodes where the beautiful people invite ugly dates to the sorority or fraternity function. Has that ever happened? ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/245 "2009-09-02T19:10:00Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > My theory is that this was a holdover from the days when milk didn’t come in plastic or paper containers from the supermarket. Either you got your milk from the milkman, or you got it from a cow in the backyard, or from a neighbor who had a cow. > > So people had milk pitchers because milk didn’t come in convenient table-sized containers, you had to provide your own. Then around the 50s, milk delivery changed to supermarket packaging, and you didn’t need a milk pitcher anymore. But set designers kept the milk pitchers around longer than most people really used them, because they were more visually pleasing than a paper carton. But by the 80s the notion of a milk pitcher became ridiculous to the public since most had grown up when they were obsolete, so they were dropped. Before paper/plastic containers, milk was packaged in reusable glass bottles, bought at (and returned to) the grocery store, or delivered to your door. These practices probably date back at least to the early 20th century. Although farmers accounted for a larger percentage of the population in the past than they do now, only a vanishingly small portion of the public got their milk from a cow they or an neighbor owned anytime after 1900. So unless the TV show in question was _Little House on the Prairie_, your explanation wouldn’t hold up for any show set in an ordinary contemporary home after WWII. I think my etiquette explanation above makes more sense, in addition to the issue of [product displacement](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_displacement), i.e., producers not wanting to show a real brand-name product on screen. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/246 "2009-09-02T19:12:38Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > It might be rare, but it does happen. My husband once threw up within about 5 minutes of learning his little sister was in the hospital. I think it is triggered by anxiety–the incident was the result of a continually escalating ongoing situation, so in a way it had more to do with the fact that he’d been worried about her for months and repeatedly exposed to ongoing crises that seemed to get worse every time. (She is fine now.) Ah, but it wasn’t instantaneous with him, which is the cliche that bugs me. (I’m glad he, and she, are okay now. :)) I’m not saying that it never happens in real life, but from the frequency I see it in TV/films, you’d think it was a standard response to bad news. **Freudian Slit** , I can’t think of any examples off the top of my head, but I know it happens often enough that I yell at the TV when it does because it always grosses me out (it’s not always onscreen – a variation is, like, when the cops show up to tell someone their relative has been murdered, and they run into the next room and you can hear them hurling). It seems like regular old vomiting is seen a lot more frequently onscreen than it used to be, too – thankfully that’s also something I rarely witness in real life. Uggghh. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/247 "2009-09-02T19:16:15Z")
> [@FallingLeaves](#): > > I don’t believe I’ve seen this mentioned yet: > > Someone will call someplace (restaurant, store, etc) and when apparently the call has been answered on the other end they have to ask “is this ABC Coffeehouse?” (or whatever) > > Don’t most businesses answer with their name? Like “Good afternoon ABC Coffeehouse, how can I help you?” Of course the TV audience can’t hear that end so I understand why they do it, but it always sounds so odd. I answer the phone in my shop with “Hello, [name of business].” A significant percentage of people will say “Oh hi, is that the [name of business]?” because they’re not really paying attention until they themselves speak maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/248 "2009-09-02T19:35:58Z")
**commasense** : I stand corrected. I think she must have softened her stance in recent years. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/249 "2009-09-02T19:43:40Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > . . . . they’re not really paying attention until they themselves speak . . . . Now, this really does happen all the time in _real life_! ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/250 "2009-09-02T19:53:42Z")
petechial hemorrhaging ---
**Author:** ![ThePylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ThePylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePylon)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/251 "2009-09-02T19:53:43Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > The detectives enter a room where a crime has been committed. They have rubber gloves on, yet no one seems to figure out how to turn on a damned light! Instead, they run around with flashlights. Hello! Light switch is there on the left…they have lamps there in the room! You can see better in the light! Hello?! I’ve heard that the direct light of the flashlight is better than the diffused light from the overhead lights and/or lamps in a given room. Also would assume that turning lights on is a disturbance of said crime scene. What I notice is how uncluttered most living spaces of families with young kids are - Everybody Loves Raymond is a welcome outlier on this one… ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/252 "2009-09-02T19:57:04Z")
ok, I should clarify, _I’ve_ never seen petechial hemorrhaging , I do however believe it exists irl. I watch lots of cop shows, procedurals,e tc and it’s mentioned in nearly every episode ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/253 "2009-09-02T20:03:36Z")
> [@ThePylon](#): > > What I notice is how uncluttered most living spaces of families with young kids are - Everybody Loves Raymond is a welcome outlier on this one… I think that’s the one kudos that show has ever gotten in the history of these boards. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/254 "2009-09-02T20:07:23Z")
Something that’s common in soap operas especially and in stage plays, and that in fact I’ve done in several stage plays, is talking to somebody with your back turned (while your face is to the fourth wall/audience/camera). I don’t care how great the actor may be, it never looks natural. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/255 "2009-09-02T20:09:24Z")
Spaceships. And aliens. You tend to see alot more of them in TV and movies than in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/256 "2009-09-02T20:10:42Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > Spaceships. And aliens. > > You tend to see alot more of them in TV and movies than in real life. Aliens carrying pink-bakery boxes- never once seen it. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/257 "2009-09-02T20:18:53Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Aliens carrying pink-bakery boxes- never once seen it. I once thought a spaceship delivered me some Chinese in a little cardboard box. Turned out it was some kid with a buncha lights and no muffler on his Honda Civic. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/258 "2009-09-02T20:21:11Z")
Vis a vis standing and peeing, it is rarer in Germany because of the design of toilets [there](http://asecular.com/~scott/misc/toilet.htm). A significant number of German toilets have a wee shelf (no pun intended) that if you pee in it from standing position it’ll spray back out and onto you and the floor. I saw a sign in a toilet there that warned against standpeeing. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/259 "2009-09-02T20:23:12Z")
> [@ThePylon](#): > > I’ve heard that the direct light of the flashlight is better than the diffused light from the overhead lights and/or lamps in a given room. Also would assume that **turning lights on is a disturbance of said crime scene**. See, that is what goes right over my head. How can light disturb a crime scene? I suppose if the murder weapon was an undeveloped roll of film, but otherwise…? ---
**Author:** ![ThirdOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@ThirdOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThirdOne)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/260 "2009-09-02T20:28:17Z")
We had pink bakery boxes (Calif.), our mid-50’s house had a door to the kitchen. The living room had a small “dining” room, although it was just an extension of the living area. We had a butcher shop when I was young and, ironically, a butcher shop just opened up here in the city where I work. Chinese food _always_ came in the little boxes. Of course, I remember before we had styrofoam containers 😃 We always said “good-bye” at the end of a conversation on the phone. I still do, actually. Oh, and you bet I’ve seen gross fat men with gorgeous young things hanging on their arms! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161.md?page=14)