# 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:** 18
**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 5, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/341 "2009-09-05T16:17:58Z")
> [@Clivas](#): > > I work with CAD software at my job and talk to people every day on the phone who have macs. I see advertisements in magazines and tv as well as seeing them in movies and tv shows. But not a single person I know has one and I’ve never crossed anyone on the job or in a park or in a coffee shop or anywhere that I can remember that was holding a mac. They are out there apparently, I just don’t know where they hide. The artsy-type people who work as set decorators and designers use Macs, so they’re more inclined to place them on sets. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/342 "2009-09-05T16:39:14Z")
I have never had to dive out of the way of, or seen anyone else dive out of the way of a high speed chase. I have never seen a fruit stand, or a truck carrying live poultry through a city center obliterated by a high speed chase. ---
**Author:** ![Slade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Slade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slade)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/343 "2009-09-05T16:42:08Z")
I’ve never seen a magic kitchen like Frasier’s in real life. There’s no door separating it from the living room and a long open slit in the other wall (which also connects to the living room). And yet the conceit is that, anytime two characters step into the kitchen, no-one sitting ten feet away in the next room can hear a word they’re saying. Of course, the fact is that 90% of the show’s plots wouldn’t work if this convention didn’t exist. It’s like Rob Long, one of the original writers of Cheers, said about his own show: the one question you must NEVER EVER ask when trying to cook up a sitcom plot is “Why wouldn’t Sam just call Diane and straighten the whole thing out?” ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/344 "2009-09-05T17:04:43Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > The artsy-type people who work as set decorators and designers use Macs, so they’re more inclined to place them on sets. Apple also spends a chunk of change for product placement. in fact, any time you see a recognizable product, you can bet the brand spent money to put it there. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/345 "2009-09-05T18:09:00Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > in fact, any time you see a recognizable product, you can bet the brand spent money to put it there. Not always, exactly. Property departments will also depend on local retailers to supply loaner equipment for a nominal fee - they’ll pick up what they need for a scene and drop it off after the shoot, and the manufacturer doesn’t have any thing to do with this. If you watch _X-Files, Millenium,_ and _The Lone Gunmen,_ you’ll notice that the office equipment shown is predominantly Canon, and you might naturally assume that Canon paid for product placement. Nope, it was just cheaper for them to get loaners of mundane items from a local supplier than from one of the prop houses, and easier to regularly deal with one company, which happened to be a Canon dealer. Of course, any time the brand badging takes up 50% of the screen (or is more prominently placed than on a working model,) you can bet your ass they paid for it. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/346 "2009-09-05T21:16:27Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Assaulting or shooting a bad guy without legal repercussions. In TV shows and movies, once the police sort out who was the bad guy and that you were preventing or interrupting a crime, they pat you on the back and let you go. In real life you will be held to the strictest possible standard of necessary force, up to and including letting someone get away with a crime rather than resorting to assault. And that’s just criminal sanctions. Count on a civil suit by the person you assaulted (or by his family) no matter how righteous the circumstances of your actions. That’s very situation dependant. I have read of several instances of self defense where the one who used deadly force wasn’t arrested at all. Also, in several states, you can’t be sued if your shooting was ruled justifiable self defense and no charges were pressed. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/347 "2009-09-05T23:41:32Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Of course, any time the brand badging takes up 50% of the screen (or is more prominently placed than on a working model,) you can bet your ass they paid for it. Where it stands out more is where something OUGHT to have a prominent label and doesn’t. Like Alton Brown’s mixer (Kitchen Aid), it’s got a flamejob that conincidently covers up all branding. Or a certain scene in Manhunter (precursor to Silence of the lambs) where the Protagonist and his son(?) are walking down a long row at the grocery store…every cut of the camera prominently shows a different product…Heinz Ketchup…Boo Berry Cereal…Pepsi…Green Giant Vegetables…all in the same row. ---
**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 5, 2009, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/348 "2009-09-05T23:55:52Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > Where it stands out more is where something OUGHT to have a prominent label and doesn’t. I was watching _Mythbusters_ last night and they pixellate or blur out _every_ brand name- to the point where you’ve got a front shot of a Ford car and you can see the oval but the brand has been blurred out. It’s really jarring and rather pointless, and it must cost a fortune to pay someone to go through all the footage and remove any brand names in case… well, actually, I can’t imagine why they’d bother, to be honest, except to be dicks to companies that wouldn’t pay them sponsorship, even for “innocent use” situations where it’s not required. ---
**Author:** ![Jerseyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Jerseyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerseyman)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/349 "2009-09-06T00:48:44Z")
I just can’t stand the (necessary) _“It’s behind you, Stupid”_ ignorance of common sense and polarised views that most depends on. How often does the Woman Of The Household find all sorts of disturbing weirdness going on while The Man reassures her that it can’t possibly be happening because _things like that don’t happen_. Come on! She’d be saying that she had these weird experiences and looking to him to discuss them, so he’d be saying that we can’t deny she felt that way (as they usually do) so let’s look into it together for an explanation in the world we know. Besides, why is it always **she** with _The Experience_ and **he** wrongly dismissing it out of hand? Wouldn’t it be ‘nice’ for a change, for the man to be responsive and the woman sceptical? ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/350 "2009-09-06T00:55:58Z")
> [@Jerseyman](#): > > …Besides, why is it always **she** with _The Experience_ and **he** wrongly dismissing it out of hand? Wouldn’t it be ‘nice’ for a change, for the man to be responsive and the woman sceptical? You just described the **X-Files**. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/351 "2009-09-06T01:12:01Z")
Nuns. Whenever a nun appears in a movie or TV show she’s wearing a habit, often the old pre-Vatican II ones that cover everything but her face. Real life nuns these days do dress very plainly and conservatively, but no veil or anything to make them really stand out from lay women. I’ve met one nun who wore an actual habit with a veil, but she said very few of the sisters in her order still wore habits. She was in her 20s and hadn’t taken her final vows yet. She did mention that habits are coming back into fashion with younger nuns which is something that the older nuns find amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/352 "2009-09-06T01:15:32Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > That’s very situation dependant. I have read of several instances of self defense where the one who used deadly force wasn’t arrested at all. Also, in several states, you can’t be sued if your shooting was ruled justifiable self defense and no charges were pressed. Certainly YMMV depending on your state’s specific laws. [hijack] I was feeling snarky because I’m studying for my carry permit and going over the laws here in MN there’s enormous wiggle room for prosecutors to decide that they disagree with you over the definition of “reasonable force”. In a notorious case here a few years ago, an elderly man shot and killed an intruder who’d kicked his door down. The county prosecutor took 80 days to dismiss charges against the homeowner. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/353 "2009-09-06T01:21:13Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > Or a certain scene in Manhunter (precursor to Silence of the lambs) where the Protagonist and his son(?) are walking down a long row at the grocery store…every cut of the camera prominently shows a different product…Heinz Ketchup…Boo Berry Cereal…Pepsi…Green Giant Vegetables…all in the same row. [_Manhunter_ wasn’t particularly subtle with the product placement.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=3628879#post3628879)😃 ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/354 "2009-09-06T02:20:06Z")
On TV, when someone is talking on the phone and get cut off, they start hitting the part that the receiver hangs on. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/355 "2009-09-06T05:42:28Z")
> [@Jerseyman](#): > > Besides, why is it always **she** with _The Experience_ and **he** wrongly dismissing it out of hand? Wouldn’t it be ‘nice’ for a change, for the man to be responsive and the woman sceptical? Also… try the movie **Burnt Offerings**. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/356 "2009-09-06T06:07:29Z")
I’ve technically never seen this in real life, but it makes me sort of queasily angry when I see it on TV or movies, and that is: a quick blow to the head to somebody troublesome, and they just slide to the ground and lie there like they’re asleep, for as long as it takes the hero to do his thing. It’s just like pushing an “off” button, easy peasy! What could go wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Recliner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a88e57/32.png) [@Recliner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Recliner)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/357 "2009-09-06T10:35:01Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > A group of people has to explore a cave or an old castle or something, and they all carry these awesome torches that burn brightly forever – torches that I have never remotely witnessed in real life. You’ve seen torches in real life? I’ve always wondered where you get a torch. Acme? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![zenith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zenith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zenith)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/358 "2009-09-06T13:38:26Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > A group of people has to explore a cave or an old castle or something, and they all carry these awesome torches that burn brightly forever – torches that I have never remotely witnessed in real life. The torches also ignite first time, every time. The opposite is the 8-D cell flashlight that scarcely illuminates anything, and has to be hit to do even that. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/359 "2009-09-06T14:16:46Z")
> [@kapri](#): > > A sad, depressed, lonely, or whatever person sitting alone in a dark room doing nothing for hours and hours, only to snap out of it when someone comes home and turns on the light and sees them sitting there. I mean, who DOES that? My father. Except for the “snapping out of it” part. ---
**Author:** ![Jerseyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Jerseyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerseyman)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/360 "2009-09-06T14:32:15Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Nuns. Whenever a nun appears in a movie or TV show she’s wearing a habit, often the old pre-Vatican II ones that cover everything but her face. Real life nuns these days do dress very plainly and conservatively, but no veil or anything to make them really stand out from lay women. I’ve met one nun who wore an actual habit with a veil, but she said very few of the sisters in her order still wore habits. She was in her 20s and hadn’t taken her final vows yet. She did mention that habits are coming back into fashion with younger nuns which is something that the older nuns find amusing. Curious you should say that because the only nuns I have seen recognisable as such in the old habit are African or Oriental - probably Malay. In fact anything to do withthe Roman church appears to be stuck in a pre-Vatican 2 time warp. And of course whenever a driver has a gun pulled on him he never calls the bluff by putting his foot down “OK mate you shoot me and just think what’s going to happen to this car with you in it at this speed” And the way car chases never run into any other traffic and while they manage to hit everything else in sight and bounce off walls, this never does the car any harm - nor do the cops have a radio capable of calling for a block up ahead. [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=17) [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=19)