# TV and movie plot cliches that really annoy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362 "2009-01-28T06:32:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/81 "2009-01-29T15:38:55Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > The wildly improbably computer program that everybody in the audience knows is total bullshit. Opening up a black window with a blinking cursor allows you to type in a text command and search the sum total of human knowledge because it’s all on the innernet, innit? Well to be fair, the sum total of human knowledge kind of is all on the internet. I mean, seriously, what haven’t you been able to find on the internet? Either way, what about all the programs with the crazy user interfaces? Nothing but flowing binary with no scroll option that people can keep up with and identify viruses and hackers from? Gimmabreak. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/82 "2009-01-29T16:03:53Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > Is there a risk you actually die just from jumping through a glass window? That sounds unlikely to me. I haven’t got the cite but there was a consumer affairs programme about this very subject some years ago on UK tv.BBC1. It was not so much about people being thrown through windows or jumping through them deliberately as people accidently falling through glass doors or French Windows. There was a regular death toll from these events which led to a change in the law on safety grounds of glass used in such circumstances. Its the easiest thing in the world to sever an artery going through glass. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/83 "2009-01-29T16:07:58Z")
I never jumped through a window, but I’ve twice put an arm through one. Once I slipped on an icy porch. The second time I was running and was unable to stop quite in time. On both occasions I was cut VERY badly. I cannot imagine jumping through one and not ending up with some horrifying wounds. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/84 "2009-01-29T16:11:10Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Law and Order routinely guns down people on the courthouse steps. It’s a wonder anybody in Manhattan will go anywhere near the place. [Law and Order](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXJY3vjxz70) with chickens is exactly the same as without. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/85 "2009-01-29T16:17:09Z")
“Well, okay… if you’re sure I won’t get addicted!” \*Corrolary: \* Every character who is prescribed pain medication for an injury, and is shown removing a pill from the bottle and taking it, will later develop a (temporarily concealed) addiction. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/86 "2009-01-29T16:21:47Z")
The guy getting thrown out the window always hits a parked (or stopped) car. Interrogation - as soon as the suspect gets hit with that irrefutable evidence he switches from “innocent look” to “twisted angry look” and launches into a an explanation which includes that he was getting even, getting his, misunderstood etc. In court any lawyer who makes a statement to the witness instead of a question - Ex: You knew that the girls was in danger yet you still told her to go into the woodshed. Most TV courtroom dialog would be drowned out in an endless succession of objections and warnings if attempted in real court. ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/87 "2009-01-29T16:37:33Z")
Character gets shot, but it’s not fatal. For the next fifteen minutes to several hours, they continue to fight on, with minimal blood gushing out, and no real expressions of pain. Me getting shot: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHGH!! 30 seconds later: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHGH!! I’VE BEEN SHOT!!! 40 seconds later: DAAAAAMMNNN! I’VE BEEN SHOT!!! (etc.) An undisciplined, sometimes reckless {insert profession} knows something vital about the situation because he’s not just a mindless {insert profession} following the rules. (S)he’s got heart. Someone important says, at some point, “You’re reckless, and you’ll get us all killed.” The situation deteriorates to the point where the “traditional” ways of dealing with things are obviously failing. Maverick-y protagonist goes to the red button and pushes it, and this button coincidentally was pre-engineered to do exactly the opposite of the standard operating procedures. CO2 level instantly drops or doomsday countdown stops or red lights stop flashing or all of the enemy’s ships go silent. (But if you insult The Core, you risk feeling my wrath). Person gets very sick, and is on his deathbed. (Long “chase the loaf” story occurs). Just as their vital signs are going, as evidenced by the hearbeat bleepy thing, the hero/heroine arrives with the wonder drug. They jam it in with a hypodermic needle to the chest or neck, and within about 30 seconds, the person makes remarkable progress, as evidenced by the bleepy thing bleeping faster and slightly quieter. Sometimes, the wonder drug also cleans their face up a little and applies a slight powder so their face isn’t as shiny. (“Chase the loaf” is a term I heard from a writer when he was talking about the four or five fundamental types of stories. People are chasing something for the entire movie, and that thing could be replaced by a loaf of bread without changing any part of the story. I didn’t write all of them down, but there’s also “Fish out of water” and “Amazing Journey”.) If I’d been shot, I’d still be yelling: 20 minutes later: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHGH!! I’VE BEEN SHOT!!! … ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/88 "2009-01-29T16:38:41Z")
And then, of course, there’s the witness who breaks down under cross examination and admits his crime on the witness stand. I saw the commercials for that Closer episode. Maybe I’m giving the show too much credit, but it was so incredibly trite I assumed they were doing it ironically. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/89 "2009-01-29T18:11:51Z")
> [@groo](#): > > If I’d been shot, I’d still be yelling: > 20 minutes later: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHGH!! I’VE BEEN SHOT!!! > … Oh, come on, you’d probably have gone into shock by then. :rolleyes:😃 ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/90 "2009-01-29T18:15:23Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > Putting a body part through glass will cut it to pieces. Putting your whole body through it will almost certainly kill you. > > Stop showing people getting thrown out of storefront windows and have them be stunned but OK on the sidewalk, or worse, **having the hero throw _himself_ through a window to get away.** I believe it was the Burt Reynolds movie _Hooper_, in which there’s a bar fight (with Terry Bradshaw!), and Brian Keith gets thrown out a window. Since the character’s a movie stuntman, he says to the guy who tossed him, “That’s not how you throw someone through a window! I’ll show you how it’s done!” and proceeds to throw himself out the same window onto the porch (or alley, or otherwise outside). Not a bad picture IIRC. Mine somewhat goes along with **groo** ’s about getting shot… The bad guy’s henchmen are standing watch when the good guy sneaks in, throws a knife, which hits henchman in the gut, who then dies within half a second. I can understand not showing graphic blood, particularly in older movies/TV shows, but death doesn’t come that quickly from a knife wound to the stomach. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/91 "2009-01-29T18:18:12Z")
The getting instantly dropped by edged weapons thing annoys me too. Short of decapitation, there aren’t a lot of instant-death blows with knives and swords. There are lots, and lots, and lots of thrashing and screaming and bleeding and screaming some more blows you can inflict with a knife, sword, or axe. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/92 "2009-01-29T18:20:29Z")
> [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](#): > > The bad guy’s henchmen are standing watch when the good guy sneaks in, throws a knife, which hits henchman in the gut, who then dies within half a second. I can understand not showing graphic blood, particularly in older movies/TV shows, but death doesn’t come that quickly from a knife wound to the stomach. Or how the knife itself sinks into the gut with it’s blade. I’d like to see a movie where someone throws a knife and it bounces off the guard by its handle. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/93 "2009-01-29T19:00:04Z")
> [@groo](#): > > “Chase the loaf” is a term I heard from a writer when he was talking about the four or five fundamental types of stories. People are chasing something for the entire movie, and that thing could be replaced by a loaf of bread without changing any part of the story. I didn’t write all of them down, but there’s also “Fish out of water” and “Amazing Journey”. That’s also often referred to as a [MacGuffin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macguffin). Alfred Hitchcock, if he didn’t invent the term, certainly popularized it. It’s any object or thing in a movie that is inconsequential in itself, but becomes vitally important in the film as the whole plot hinges on searching for/locating/obtaining the object in question. Anyway, as for other cliches - I’m sick to death of angsty, emotional, teenybopper vampires who yearn to be mortals again. Give me the white trash, party hardy, no remorse vamps of “Near Dark” over “Tempted” or “Let the Right One In” or any damn Anne Rice book any day. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/94 "2009-01-29T19:02:51Z")
I’m tired of vampires in general. The last vampire movie I enjoyed at all was that **30 Days of Night** crapfest. It was just so refreshing to see repulsive, not-at-all-sexy vampires who literally prey on humans. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/95 "2009-01-29T19:09:06Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The getting instantly dropped by edged weapons thing annoys me too. Short of decapitation, there aren’t a lot of instant-death blows with knives and swords. There are lots, and lots, and lots of thrashing and screaming and bleeding and screaming some more blows you can inflict with a knife, sword, or axe. Not quite as final, but let’s get rid of the one-punch/karate chop to the neck knockout death blow. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/96 "2009-01-29T22:10:04Z")
> [@groo](#): > > Character gets shot, but it’s not fatal. For the next fifteen minutes to several hours, they continue to fight on, with minimal blood gushing out, and no real expressions of pain. I hate to be a party-pooper, but this happens in real life. Not to MOST people, but it happens. I’ve heard and read many accounts of it happening to cops, soldiers and even criminals. Usually not several hours, but for quite a while. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/97 "2009-01-29T22:49:34Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > Anyway, as for other cliches - I’m sick to death of angsty, emotional, teenybopper vampires who yearn to be mortals again. Give me the white trash, party hardy, no remorse vamps of “Near Dark” over “Tempted” or “Let the Right One In” or any damn Anne Rice book any day. I prefer the “raze the village, raise the corpses” vampire lord, myself. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/98 "2009-01-30T00:58:32Z")
Horror movies … monster chasing teenager … teenager looks to see if monster is still chasing him or her … and moron teenager falls down! Seriously, what kind of a _expletive deleted expletive deleted_ of a _expletive deleted expletive deleted_ teenager can’t run and look over his shoulder at the same time? ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/99 "2009-01-30T01:14:49Z")
> [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](#): > > Horror movies … monster chasing teenager … teenager looks to see if monster is still chasing him or her … and moron teenager falls down! Just once I want to see the monster trip and fall. > [@Wheelz](#): > > Bad Guy has Good Guy at gunpoint. GG is totally defenseless. If BG pulls the trigger, he has won. His evil plan will be successful. …but then the Clueless Ingenue rushes between them and says, “No!!!” And is immediately taken hostage. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362/100 "2009-01-30T01:25:48Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > …but then the Clueless Ingenue rushes between them and says, “No!!!” That’s what armour piercing rounds are for. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-and-movie-plot-cliches-that-really-annoy/483362.md?page=6)