# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![IdahoMauleMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71c47a/32.png) [@IdahoMauleMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IdahoMauleMan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/161 "2009-08-31T03:23:13Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Oh yeah, I can tell you for a fact very few caves have very flat floors, they are not naturally self illuminating, and they certainly don’t have natural steps! This is a major pet peeve of mine. Caves are DARK. Like, go in more than a few dozen feet and you can’t see anything, to the point of total disorientation. A few movies that have characters in caves, with remarkable amounts of illumination despite no sources of light whatsoever, or a flimsy little ‘dying’ torch: - Raiders of the Lost Ark - The 2nd Planet of the Apes movie (note the 4-image shadows from 4 set lights in the Under-the-city-of-San-Francisco scenes) - Journey to the Center of the Earth…the entire movie seems to have taken place in a cave with an enormous, convenient Sun somehow inserted nearby, judging by the amount of illumination present - The Rock, although they address this issue with an even more preposterous angle, by having strings of well maintained, oft-replaced light bulbs working in the ‘secret’ caverns that nobody knows about except Sean Connery’s character. In an abandoned National Park. Where nobody has set foot in 40+ years. ---
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/162 "2009-08-31T03:37:39Z")
My husband’s a sitter, which I completely love about him. Makes much less of a mess. And we’re both “don’t only put the seat down, but put the lid down, too, before you flush” kind of people, so we’ve never had that stupid cliched spousal argument before. Re the OP: People on TV have bottomless wardrobes, meaning they never wear the same thing twice. Obviously, there are some exceptions (Gilligan’s Island obviously springs to mind) but you see it a lot. ---
**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:** [August 31, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/163 "2009-08-31T03:40:11Z")
> [@PeskiPiksi](#): > > Re the OP: People on TV have bottomless wardrobes, meaning they never wear the same thing twice. Obviously, there are some exceptions (Gilligan’s Island obviously springs to mind) but you see it a lot. Yeah, I actually posted a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=529955)about the opposite phenomenon (things that are actually common in real life that some TV shows manage to get right) and I mentioned shows that do acknowledge that characters have real wardrobes, like Freaks and Geeks or My So Called Life. ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/164 "2009-08-31T04:02:43Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > YOu never see characters watching TV unless it’s a commercial showing a plot point. I’ve heard this before, but there’s at least one exception: Family Guy, which has characters watching TV a lot (appropriately enough for a show steeped in references to TV shows and other pop culture for its humor). ---
**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:** [August 31, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/165 "2009-08-31T04:23:18Z")
I pee sitting down … … if I’m taking a crap at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Jerseyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Jerseyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerseyman)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/166 "2009-08-31T04:35:45Z")
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. Why shouldn’t women pee standing up except they feel it more convenient to sit? So men find it more convenient to stand. We hear far too much about women putting themselves out to be the same as men without questioning whether it might be better for men to learn from women. This is one case where there is no sense at all in men copying women but no harm in women copying men. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/167 "2009-08-31T05:02:39Z")
> [@PeskiPiksi](#): > > My husband’s a sitter, which I completely love about him. Makes much less of a mess. And we’re both “don’t only put the seat down, but put the lid down, too, before you flush” kind of people, so we’ve never had that stupid cliched spousal argument before. > > Re the OP: People on TV have bottomless wardrobes, meaning they never wear the same thing twice. Obviously, there are some exceptions (Gilligan’s Island obviously springs to mind) but you see it a lot. That’s one of the things I liked about Seinfeld. You see some of the same outfits pop up every now and then like Kramer’s lobster print shirt or George’s green coat. ---
**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:** [August 31, 2009, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/168 "2009-08-31T05:18:01Z")
How about how, on _The Big Bang Theory_, it takes **two** research scientists with PhD’s to afford the rent on a smallish apartment, but it only takes **one** Cheesecake Factory waitress to afford the rent on the apartment across the hall? And how many engineers with master’s degrees still live with their mothers? I do see a lot of wardrobe repeats on that show, though. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/169 "2009-08-31T05:51:13Z")
> [@Meyer6](#): > > People who wake up from a nightmare with a gasp and sit bolt upright in bed. This, plus people who are sleeping and whose partner has left the bed, and who pat the side of the bed expecting to touch the partner, and upon not finding him/her after a couple of exploratory pats, wakes up to the realization that the partner has left. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/170 "2009-08-31T05:54:45Z")
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?! ---
**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:** [August 31, 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/508161/171 "2009-08-31T06:07:06Z")
> [@PeskiPiksi](#): > > Re the OP: People on TV have bottomless wardrobes, meaning they never wear the same thing twice. Obviously, there are some exceptions (Gilligan’s Island obviously springs to mind) but you see it a lot. Worst offender: Marlo Thomas in _That Girl_ (1966-1971). Three to five new moddish designer outfits per half-hour episode with no repeats from show to show. And this was accomplished by a character who was only sporadically employed, generally as a diner waitress or in some similar position. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/172 "2009-08-31T06:31:11Z")
> [@PeskiPiksi](#): > > Re the OP: People on TV have bottomless wardrobes, meaning they never wear the same thing twice. Yeah, and what’s up with cartoon characters? T_hey always wear the same thing_. You’d think there was a middle ground. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/173 "2009-08-31T06:42:35Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Another thing I’ve always been curious about is has anyone anywhere ever been stuffed into a locker? Where I went to high school the lockers were pretty thin, and it would been impossible to stick anyone over the age of 5 into them. My high school had a group of larger lockers near the band room, for the band geeks who (at least theoretically) had to store their instruments in them. And I saw one kid get stuffed into one, just once. He was as small for his age as he was annoying, and it was a tight fit for him. A smaller middle school student would probably fit, but an average-sized high school student, never. I’m probably showing my age when I mention that back when the comic strip _Funky Winkerbean_ was a gag-a-day strip about high school kids, Crazy Harry was supposed to live in his locker. At least that was intended to be absurd! ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/174 "2009-08-31T09:41:34Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > How about how, on _The Big Bang Theory_, it takes **two** research scientists with PhD’s to afford the rent on a smallish apartment, but it only takes **one** Cheesecake Factory waitress to afford the rent on the apartment across the hall? It’s never been outright mentioned, but it’s been implied that Penny’s parents help with the rent. ---
**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:** [August 31, 2009, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/175 "2009-08-31T09:42:56Z")
> [@IdahoMauleMan](#): > > - The Rock, although they address this issue with an even more preposterous angle, by having strings of well maintained, oft-replaced light bulbs working in the ‘secret’ caverns that nobody knows about except Sean Connery’s character. In an abandoned National Park. Where nobody has set foot in 40+ years. ? It is not abandoned, they were running tours there last time I was in the area, IIRC the tickets were running $35 each [this was about 10 years ago] and I notice going on line that they are now running $41 per adult. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/176 "2009-08-31T09:49:46Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > This isn’t the first time someone’s brought this magic “L shaped” sheet up, and I’m sure it won’t be the last, but I just don’t get it. It’s a cloth sheet, not a rigid piece of plastic or metal or something. I can take any ordinary sheet and cover just the left half of my upper body while my entire lower body remains covered (not that I have any reason to do so beyond proof of concept) no magic sheet needed. What the hell kind of messed up sheets are you people using that don’t let one person pull it up higher than the other? I think the point is that it’s very unnatural that the sheet **always** has the man’s chest completely bare and the woman’s is **always** completely covered. Couples who have been married for years and years have the wife primly keep her tits covered whenever she’s in bed with he husband. > [@Cubsfan](#): > > Are you serious? No man I know would sit down to pee unless they were medically unable to stand. I think you’re in the very small minority if not just an outlier. > [@billfish678](#): > > Sir, could you please have a seat over here? 🙂 > > Until I get a urinal installed in my bathroom, I am gonna sit any chance I get ! I prefer to sit. > [@Jerseyman](#): > > 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. You miss the bowl while sitting? Seriously? ---
**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:** [August 31, 2009, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/177 "2009-08-31T11:33:11Z")
Standing is much easier than sitting down and standing back up again. ---
**Author:** ![IdahoMauleMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71c47a/32.png) [@IdahoMauleMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IdahoMauleMan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/178 "2009-08-31T12:31:37Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > ? It is not abandoned, they were running tours there last time I was in the area, IIRC the tickets were running $35 each [this was about 10 years ago] and I notice going on line that they are now running $41 per adult. I mean the subterranean caverns under the island. I’ve been on the tour myself, many times. 41 bucks?!?! Holy heck in a handbasket. It’s been a while, but I surely don’t remember it being THAT expensive. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/179 "2009-08-31T13:07:47Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I always find it odd to see the housewife taking paper bags full of groceries out of the car - seriously, as nice as it would be for people to use paper, don’t 99.99% of people get those godawful plastic bags these days? Plus, the bag the housewife is holding ALWAYS has a big loaf of bread sticking out, because \*of course \*every housewife buys loaves of bread like that instead of sliced bread these days. I disagree. On my TV, they are always buying celery. ---
**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:** [August 31, 2009, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-extremely-common-in-tv-shows-movies-that-youve-rarely-seen-in-real-life/508161/180 "2009-08-31T13:32:08Z")
Two cops answering a call and going up the walkway to the house together. If the suspect comes out with a gun, they are both easy targets. In real life they always go up opposite sides of the house. [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=8) [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=10)