# Types of people who only exist in movies and TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 10, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616 "2010-06-10T03:37:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/1 "2010-06-10T03:37:42Z")
[Inspiring post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12556100&postcount=6). The discussion was about hitmen, and Astoria points out that the popular imaginging of what a hitman is doesn’t really exist. Examples limited to human beings with normal mortal powers (obviously vampires and wolfmen don’t exist). Another example would include the Evil Overlord, with his secret base, army of mooks, spies infiltrated into every major country, in control of some superhigh-tech device with which he threatens the world (tho I’d love to see someone try). ---
**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:** [June 10, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/2 "2010-06-10T04:12:43Z")
Irish cab drivers in New York City. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/3 "2010-06-10T04:19:33Z")
The generic scientist, with advanced degrees in Science. Not a physicist or chemist or an astronomer - he’s a Scientist. ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/4 "2010-06-10T04:21:30Z")
Sorority girls walking through the dorms wearing lingerie (or naked, depending on the movie’s rating) and having pillow fights. Ugly girls who take off their glasses and let their hair down and are transformed into a gorgeous woman that no man can take his eyes off of. Evil twins who look exactly the same except they have facial hair. People from Boston who talk like one of the Kennedys (unless they actually are one of the Kennedys). ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/5 "2010-06-10T04:25:30Z")
The superstar serial killer. Not an ordinary serial killer, this one send elaborate clues for his next crimes, choosing his victims months in advance, and uses very creative means for killing. (yes I know about Zodiac and his messages, the ones I’m talking about are much more devious, going after the female member of the squad. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/6 "2010-06-10T04:39:34Z")
Attractive streetwalkers. Wacky neighbors. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/7 "2010-06-10T04:52:01Z")
The woman half of a couple will be in a fancy restaurant; they start arguing; the woman gets up and stalks out in a huff. ( I always think, couldn’t she have waited until AFTER her $100 meal?) if very irate, the woman dumps some vessel of food or drink in the man’s lap before bugging out. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/8 "2010-06-10T05:08:00Z")
> [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](#): > > Sorority girls walking through the dorms wearing lingerie (or naked, depending on the movie’s rating) and having pillow fights. > > Ugly girls who take off their glasses and let their hair down and are transformed into a gorgeous woman that no man can take his eyes off of. > > Evil twins who look exactly the same except they have facial hair. > > People from Boston who talk like one of the Kennedys (unless they actually are one of the Kennedys). You’re saying none of this is true? What, then, can I be sure of? What’s the purpose of life if there are no naked-sorority-girl pillow fights? ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/9 "2010-06-10T05:12:02Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > The woman half of a couple will be in a fancy restaurant; they start arguing; the woman gets up and stalks out in a huff. ( I always think, couldn’t she have waited until AFTER her $100 meal?) if very irate, the woman dumps some vessel of food or drink in the man’s lap before bugging out. I’ve seen something very like this happen in real life, including the woman throwing her drink in the guy’s face. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/10 "2010-06-10T05:24:40Z")
A cop who shoots a criminal every week or so. A super agent with a license to kill. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/11 "2010-06-10T05:36:36Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > The woman half of a couple will be in a fancy restaurant; Where is the man half? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/12 "2010-06-10T05:43:04Z")
Murder victims who, while dying, leave extremely elaborate and obscure clues to the identity of their killer, which can only be deciphered by the only scholar in the world with a similar knowledge of the field. Twelve-year-olds who can hack into the most advanced military or industrial (or alien) computers and disable their security codes in a matter of minutes while under attack by terrorists, robots, or dinosaurs. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/13 "2010-06-10T05:49:02Z")
Amateur detectives who regularly solve crimes (including people with some other profession–mystery writer, art historian, cat burglar–who are always stumbling across, and solving, murders). Also, professional private detectives who regularly solve murders. ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/14 "2010-06-10T05:51:25Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Murder victims who, while dying, leave extremely elaborate and obscure clues to the identity of their killer, which can only be deciphered by the only scholar in the world with a similar knowledge of the field. …who happens to be in town that week to deliver a lecture which is conveniently being advertised by flyers posted near the crime scene. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/15 "2010-06-10T06:05:35Z")
Swashbuckling adventurer librarians ---
**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:** [June 10, 2010, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/16 "2010-06-10T06:29:31Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Swashbuckling adventurer librarians Oh, we exist. ---
**Author:** ![Picard\_Kills\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Picard\_Kills\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Picard_Kills_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/17 "2010-06-10T06:39:03Z")
Spies. Spies like in the show “Burn Notice” or the Bourne movies. I have a friend who is convinced spies do stuff like this in real life. Maybe there are, but I have never heard of them. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/18 "2010-06-10T07:20:27Z")
> [@Picard\_Kills\_Kirk](#): > > I have a friend who is convinced spies do stuff like this in real life. Maybe there are, but I have never heard of them. Isn’t that standard operating procedure in that line of work? Kudos can never be given for a job well done lest you want all your future work to go down the drain right then and there. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/19 "2010-06-10T07:39:53Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > > [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > > > Swashbuckling adventurer librarians > > Oh, we exist. Are you sure? How often do you really buckle your swashes in the library? ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616/20 "2010-06-10T08:10:03Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Are you sure? How often do you really buckle your swashes in the library? Oh. Hey. Kids may be reading this thread. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-people-who-only-exist-in-movies-and-tv/542616.md?page=2)