# What is extremely common in TV or movies but almost never happens in real life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2021, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311 "2021-02-06T04:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 136
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2702 "2023-08-03T15:27:22Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’m pretty sure Maryland, Illinois and Missouri also use the term “State’s Attorney.” To me it’s very confusing because they are the top prosecutor at the county level and are not at state level. To me District Attorney is more logical. Well, their prosecuting on behalf of the state. It’s the _State of Georgia v. Donald Trum_p, not the county v. Trump. In Washington they’re call things like “King County Prosecutor” which still doesn’t make complete sense, because they are also representing the County in civil matters. No one says D.A. or State’s Attorney. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2703 "2023-08-03T16:38:42Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Well, their prosecuting on behalf of the state. It’s the _State of Georgia v. Donald Trum_p, not the county v. Trump They are - but “State’s Attorney” to me sounds like a completely different set up , where all the prosecutors throughout the state work for a single state agency, aren’t independently elected, etc. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2704 "2023-08-04T01:55:35Z")
Its all of us! ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2705 "2023-08-04T03:05:35Z")
My go to for any etymology question it etymonline > **[boulevard | Etymology, origin and meaning of boulevard by etymonline](https://www.etymonline.com/word/boulevard#etymonline_v_15659)** > > BOULEVARD Meaning: "broad street or promenade planted with rows of trees," from French boulevard, originally "top surface… See origin and meaning of boulevard. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2706 "2023-08-10T12:22:11Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > But first the bra comes off pulled out from under her shirt while on the way to put on said sweats. Or is that just me? Ahh – that bit of topological magic where a woman removes her bra without removing her shirt. My wife does that all the time, and it still amazes me. Has anyone ever depicted this very real and common behavior in a movie or TV show? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2707 "2023-08-10T12:26:50Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Has anyone ever depicted this very real and common behavior in a movie or TV show? I can’t remember which movie or show, but I’m sure I saw it several times. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2708 "2023-08-10T12:30:40Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2u8cHrJvlHQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Flashdance (3/5) Movie CLIP - Alex Gets Comfortable (1983) HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u8cHrJvlHQ) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2709 "2023-08-10T13:11:27Z")
Ta-dah! I never saw **Flashdance** ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2710 "2023-08-10T13:33:21Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > > [@CalMeacham](#): > > > > Has anyone ever depicted this very real and common behavior in a movie or TV show? > > I can’t remember which movie or show, but I’m sure I saw it several times… Rachel tried to do it on Friends. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hiIh3FK3K8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hiIh3FK3K8) ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2711 "2023-08-10T15:38:55Z")
She had a front closing bra! I never noticed that. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2712 "2023-08-12T00:03:43Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Rachel tried to do it on Friends. [Phoebe succeeds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB-UjvNwpic). Starts at 2:07. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2713 "2023-08-12T00:22:40Z")
I think there’s a discussion about this commercial somewhere on the site. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qrx8dWkC1G0/maxresdefault.jpg "Toots and Maytals - Pressure Drop - Coors Light (Take Off the Bra) Commercial") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrx8dWkC1G0) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2714 "2023-08-14T12:06:24Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > think there’s a discussion about this commercial somewhere on the site. I have never seen that commercial ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2715 "2023-08-16T04:21:21Z")
> [@Wallaby](#): > > Laryngitis, causing loss of voice. > It was a regular event on 70’s sitcoms whenever a character had to deliver a sales presentation, sing in the school production, or speak at the Lodge AGM. Only once have I seen this; it was in elementary school when I must have been in third grade or so. A handmade sugn informed us that the school secretary had “lost her voice” due to laryngyitis. LOST HER VOICE!!, I thought. I didn’t know these things are temporary. Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but how about mobile phones that always seem to have around 3% battery left and always at the most critical times. Don’t most people have chargers in several rooms at home, in their car, and at work, assuming the latter is a job where that would be feasible? How are these characters letting their phones run down like that? Obviously in some plots there’s a good reason for running out of battery, but not always. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2716 "2023-08-16T05:43:26Z")
I just finished watching this old clip, and am 99.999% certain the guy who orders the beer is a very young Louie Anderson. Which would make sense because they were both from Minnesota. (The commercial is ca. 1970.) Funny I didn’t notice it before! 😳 ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2717 "2023-08-16T13:06:44Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I just finished watching this old clip, and am 99.999% certain the guy who orders the beer is a very young Louie Anderson. Which would make sense because they were both from Minnesota. (The commercial is ca. 1970.) Got me curious, so I did a little google-sleuthing. His first acting credit in IMDB is in 1984, which doesn’t mean much- I’m sure IMDB doesn’t know everything. But his year of birth is 1953, and the copyright date at the end of that commercial, though it’s hard to make out, looks like 1960, not 70. Even if the commercial is ca. 1970, he would’ve only been 17 at the time. Not inconceivable that he could’ve been playing older than his age, since I’m sure he was a big boy for his age at 17, but unlikely. Sorry to call you out on it, since I very much respect your huge breadth and depth of pop culture knowledge, but I feel like you’d _want_ to know. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2718 "2023-08-16T13:48:55Z")
Thanks for your high praise. I appreciate it! 👍 I remember seeing those Hamms ads about the time I was in junior high, which would be 1967–1970, though they certainly could have been around longer than that. Assuming he was ~18 at the time, that would place this one around 1971. Would a couple of short lines in a regional beer commercial be enough to earn an acting credit on IMDb? A better question is, would it have even gotten him noticed there? I think the first time I saw his act was on _ **The Tonight Show** _ in 1984, but he was already well known as a stand-up comedian among the hip and cool in Minneapolis/St Paul, who think Edina is the center of the Universe. So, pending further proof or disproof, I’m going to chalk this one up as “Possible but Unconfirmed.” ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2719 "2023-08-16T16:27:36Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Assuming he was ~18 at the time, that would place this one around 1971. In Minnesota the drinking age for all types of alcohol was 18 at that time. It was certainly a different era. Frankly, I think it looks like him. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2720 "2023-08-16T20:12:14Z")
The teeth especially look like his. The voice also sounds like his. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2721 "2023-08-16T22:42:48Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Only once have I seen this Seen it? I’ve _experienced_ it more than a couple of times. Not fun. Usually goes away in a couple of days if you don’t talk and gargle with the appropriate concoctions. I’ve posted signs like the school secretary did, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311.md?page=135) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311.md?page=137)