# 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:** 14
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/261 "2009-09-02T20:49:44Z")
**mecaenas** said: > [@](#): > > One thing I’ve never done or seen is people waking up from a nightmare or trauma going to a sink and splashing cold water on their face. Who does that? I’ve done it. When I wake up like that, typically I’m freaked out a bit and need to calm down, plus I don’t want to get trapped in that nightmare again. Water splashing helps refresh. **Meyer6** said: > [@](#): > > People who wake up from a nightmare with a gasp and sit bolt upright in bed. I do that. This isn’t any typical dream, this is a hypnopompic/hypnogogic hallucination type nightmare. These are freakishly real feeling and _really_ get into your head. Add to it mine typically involve intruders sneaking up on me in bed and being paralyzed or waiting until they get close and then surprising them, so I’ll jerk awake and try to get out of the covers as fast as possible before I realize I’m actually safe. The other bad one had a rattlesnake in bed next to me. **BrotherCadfael** said: > [@](#): > > CEOs hiring Mafia hitmen. Or having full-time hit men on staff. This happens all the time, you just aren’t aware because they normally get away with it. It’s not like the guy wears a badge that says “hit man”. 😉 **Jerseyman** said: > [@](#): > > There’s one good reason I won’t pee sitting down - I want to pee in the toilet, not on the floor under or over the seat. Dude, the thing’s a hose, not a tube. Unless you have a perpetual hardon, I don’t see the problem. **An Arky** said: > [@](#): > > From cartoons, dunce caps and bombs that look like a cannonball with a fuse. Cartoons are stuck in a distant past. Those things became iconic, so everyone knew what they were, so they stayed in pop culture long after going away in real life. Another cartoon staple is an anvil. Anvils are the stereotypical cartoon “really heavy thing”, even though most urban and suburbanites have probably never seen one. **maladroit** said: > [@](#): > > ok, I should clarify, _I’ve_ never seen petechial hemorrhaging , I do however believe it exists irl. I’ve never seen a murder, a murderer, a massive heart attack, a bank robbery, a stickup at gun point, a mugging, or any of probably a dozen other things that happen regularly on TV and movies. Of course, I know these things actually happen, they just aren’t a regular part of _my_ life. So I don’t know how common petechial hemorrhaging is to those who actually deal with dead bodies, but it might be fairly common. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/262 "2009-09-02T21:17:43Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I do that. This isn’t any typical dream, this is a hypnopompic/hypnogogic hallucination type nightmare. These are freakishly real feeling and _really_ get into your head. Add to it mine typically involve intruders sneaking up on me in bed and being paralyzed or waiting until they get close and then surprising them, so I’ll jerk awake and try to get out of the covers as fast as possible before I realize I’m actually safe. I was having that for a while a few years back, always while taking an afternoon nap (I think they were caused by “energy drink crash” - I worked very early mornings at the time and lived on energy drinks and Mountain Dew). While the actual content of the dreams themselves changed, the theme was always the same: I couldn’t breathe, and I was crawling on the floor struggling to get help, and I lacked the strength to reach the doorknob/telephone/oblivious bystander. I would always awaken from these dreams sweating profusely, heart pounding, gasping for breath, and I would practically leap out of bed while still not quite awake, not yet convinced I wasn’t dying and it was only a dream. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/263 "2009-09-02T22:00:59Z")
> [@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. We still have it delivered in glass bottles. My mother says it’s dead slummy to put the bottle on the table, but I’ve ignored her for quite a few years now and even she doesn’t bother much with the jug anymore. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/264 "2009-09-02T23:54:33Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > 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. sitzpinkel? ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/265 "2009-09-03T00:19:01Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I seem to remember that we covered this about 5 or so years ago when discussing a western movie … > > At the time you had the option of buying a bottle instead of just the drink. > > I like to look at it like running a tab. The bartender leaves the bottle and you pay according to how much you drank. > > [I also seem to remember it had funky ingredients like gunpowder and kerosene in the whiskey as part of the discussion. My board search fu sucks this morning] [Here ya go](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=450206). Apparently the practice didn’t die out with the old West, and all it required was for the tavern owner… uh, barkeep… to trust the customer to keep count or to mark the level of liquor before handing over the bottle. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/266 "2009-09-03T00:29:12Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > [Here ya go](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=450206). Apparently the practice didn’t die out with the old West, and all it required was for the tavern owner… uh, barkeep… to trust the customer to keep count or to mark the level of liquor before handing over the bottle. There was a recent episode (from season 3) of _Dexter_ where the bartender gave one of a characters a bottle to drink from. I was curious what kind of bars would still do that. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/267 "2009-09-03T00:31:30Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > There was a recent episode (from season 3) of _Dexter_ where the bartender gave one of a characters a bottle to drink from. I was curious what kind of bars would still do that. I just watched that episode the other night. It was a cop bar (not sure if Miami’s big enough to have an “all cop” bar but one that had a big cop clientele) and it was for an annual birthday drink for Dexter’s dad, so I figured it was probably not a regular bar policy but more of a “bartender knows these guys and what they’re there for” thing. ---
**Author:** ![ThePylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ThePylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePylon)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/268 "2009-09-03T01:00:56Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > 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…? How would they turn the light on? ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/269 "2009-09-03T05:22:59Z")
I’ve actually found that when I’m trying to find something, particularly smallish objects on the floor, that using a flashlight works better than having room lights. For one thing, changing the beam angle can cause the object to throw a shadow, making them easier to find. Also, I thought the flashlights on these shows are supposedly throwing some additional wavelengths? For example, I have a light that makes cat piss fluoresce, and I don’t have to spray anything to get it to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/270 "2009-09-03T06:21:08Z")
> [@Meyer6](#): > > People who wake up from a nightmare with a gasp and sit bolt upright in bed. I, too, thought “bolting upright from a nightmare” was ridiculous and only for show, until the night I had a truly dreadful nightmare and found myself sitting straight in my bed, gasping. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/271 "2009-09-03T07:01:13Z")
> [@ThePylon](#): > > How would they turn the light on? I assume you’re thinking the same thing I am - that flipping the light switch could possibly destroy fingerprints that might be on the switch plate? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/272 "2009-09-03T07:12:50Z")
Am I in the right thread, this time? Okay. Ahem. Whenever they inevitably have an episode of a Detective show set in a TV/movie studio, there always seems to be actors dressed up as vikings/pirates/vampires walking around in the background, and a hell of a lot of props people carrying trees. I suspect these things are rarer at a real TV studio. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/273 "2009-09-03T07:19:00Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Am I in the right thread, this time? Okay. Ahem. > > Whenever they inevitably have an episode of a Detective show set in a TV/movie studio, there always seems to be actors dressed up as vikings/pirates/vampires walking around in the background, and a hell of a lot of props people carrying trees. > > I suspect these things are rarer at a real TV studio. Or dancers from Vegas-style shows or Busby Berkley-esque musical productions, neither of which are especially common on TV these days. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/274 "2009-09-03T09:25:31Z")
I read an online list years ago that was written by a cop or ex cop about things TV shows get wrong. I can remember only two. One was that on TV they show criminals in interrogation rooms with their hands cuffed in front. The author said it was bad procedure as you’ve basically given the suspect a weapon. The other was the scene where the investigator would get frustrated with the case and emotionally act out. The author said that police learn detachment or they don’t last. I don’t know if these tropes are still current because I don’t watch a lot of cop shows. I tried to find the article again and failed, but I did find a fairly interesting article on things [CSI always gets wrong.](http://www.policeemployment.com/resources/articles/CSI-gets-wrong) ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/275 "2009-09-03T09:48:01Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > 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. If I were confronted with such a Teutonic warning, I would save time by peeing directly on the floor instead. Maybe the walls, too. USA! USA! USA! ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/276 "2009-09-03T11:20:24Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > There was a recent episode (from season 3) of _Dexter_ where the bartender gave one of a characters a bottle to drink from. I was curious what kind of bars would still do that. there are private bars in some dry areas where you bring in your own bottles and the barkeeps keep it in little lockers, or stored between visits.The bar gets its money from providing set ups and a member ship charge, and pub grub. ---
**Author:** ![BKReporter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@BKReporter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BKReporter)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/277 "2009-09-03T11:39:45Z")
Howabout women giving birth in elevators, taxi cabs or some other confined area. And speaking of that, how many women scream like a banshee and call their husbands names while in labor? I honestly don’t know. I don’t have any kids and I’ve never occasion to hang out in delivery rooms. ---
**Author:** ![ThePylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ThePylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePylon)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/278 "2009-09-03T13:00:20Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > I assume you’re thinking the same thing I am - that flipping the light switch could possibly destroy fingerprints that might be on the switch plate? Switch plate, wall, any lamps that might be switched on … yup. ---
**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 3, 2009, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/279 "2009-09-03T13:10:01Z")
Remember Big Bang’s Christmas episode? Cost of Sheldon’s bath set buying–about $300 easy Cost of Penny’s autographed napkin–Zero Sheldon’s reaction to the DNA–priceless ---
**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 3, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/280 "2009-09-03T15:05:08Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Am I in the right thread, this time? Okay. Ahem. > > Whenever they inevitably have an episode of a Detective show set in a TV/movie studio, there always seems to be actors dressed up as vikings/pirates/vampires walking around in the background, and a hell of a lot of props people carrying trees. > > I suspect these things are rarer at a real TV studio. WWII German soldiers! There are always German soldiers! [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=13) [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=15)