# 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:** 14
**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:** [February 8, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/261 "2021-02-08T14:50:44Z")
In real life, if somebody has a cough (at least in pre-Covid times) 99% of the time it’s nothing serious. In movies and TV if somebody has a cough it will turn out to be a symptom of a very serious or terminal illness. I’m sure there’s a named trope for that. probably called the “Cough of Death” or similar (Ok, I checked-- it’s actually [Incurable Cough of Death](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IncurableCoughOfDeath). Close!). Likewise, if a young woman throws up on TV or in a movie it always means she’s pregnant, unless it’s clearly shown to be a consequence of drinking too much. Stomach bugs don’t exist. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/262 "2021-02-08T15:36:18Z")
One thing I noticed in the original _Law & Order_ often when raiding an apartment there would be a SWAT squad in full body armor and the two lead detectives in their regular business suits. A member of the SWAT would bash the apartment door open and the two lead detectives in their regular clothing would **lead** ther way in **followe** d by the full armored SWAT squad—which makes no sense to me. Shouldn’t the lead be fully armored as well? It’s also pretty common in action movies. The SWAT or Special Forces squad members would all being helmets and face shields but the main characters in charge wouldn’t. Not going to pay some A List actor millions of dollars to be in film and then cover his face I guess. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/263 "2021-02-08T15:52:23Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I’d just like to point out to the teeming millions here that my original post was clever, entertaining and made sense. It was DemonTree who changed some of it into a garbled mess. Ooops. This is what happens when you have a baby banging on your keyboard while posting. > [@digs](#): > > Though come to think of it, a _b jnħnħ nbbbbb_ in a tall cold pint glass might be just what we need about now… I’m in. I’d just like to know the heck she typed those funny characters… ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/264 "2021-02-08T15:57:17Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > in _every_ episode of Law and Order: Briscoe and Green show up to ask you some questions about somebody you know who was the victim or perpetrator of some horrific crime, but you never _stop what you are doing_ to talk to them about this [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DTaJjznuY74/maxresdefault.jpg "John Mulaney - Law & Order") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTaJjznuY74&t=87) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/265 "2021-02-08T15:59:33Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Shouldn’t the lead be fully armored as well? They’re wearing plot armor. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/266 "2021-02-08T16:05:36Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > No landmines are designed to arm when stepped on with a loud audible “click” and then detonate when you take your foot off. They just explode. I thought this was a real thing. I thought the idea is that a regular mine that goes off instantly will generally only kill the soldier who steps on it. But if you have a mine that explodes when you step off of it, the first soldier steps on it, realizes what happened, and then other soldiers will go to him and attempt to help him. So when the mine goes off, it kills several soldiers instead of just one. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/267 "2021-02-08T17:56:21Z")
No that’s an urban myth or Hollywood legend. Many antipersonnel mines are low powered and designed more to maim then kill which takes out the soldier and forces others to help. There was only one WWII mine type that exploded when released. All others explode when you put pressure down. If someone puts a mine down they want it to explode when you step on it. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/268 "2021-02-08T18:40:45Z")
We see a head-on view of two people driving down the street and talking while they do it. The driver waggles the wheel from side to side periodically, in a way which, in real life, would have him swerving all over the road. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2021, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/269 "2021-02-08T18:47:30Z")
Way back in the '60s, Laura (Donna Mills) in _ **Love Is a Many Splendored Thing** _ had amnesia for months as a result of the shock she got when she learned her husband (David Birney) had been cheating on her. Boy, I really miss that series! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/270 "2021-02-08T18:54:10Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > On extremely rare occasions, characters in movies use the bathroom. > > Characters in TV shows? Never _Big Bang Theory_. Sheldon’s weird bathroom schedule was part of his characterization. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/271 "2021-02-08T18:54:14Z")
A 100% guarantee there’s a heart attack in the offing: **WIFE TO HUSBAND:** (_At the dinner table_) Are you feeling okay, honey? **HUSBAND:** I’m okay. I just have a little indigestion … ooooh! That hurt! ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/272 "2021-02-08T19:57:35Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#): > > We see a head-on view of two people driving down the street and talking while they do it. The driver waggles the wheel from side to side periodically, in a way which, in real life, would have him swerving all over the road. You see that in people flying airplanes, too, on screen. Or worse yet, they’re using the yoke like you would a steering wheel on a car which is not how it’s done if you know what you’re doing. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/273 "2021-02-08T20:00:06Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > Mine was the opposite. The midwife kept telling me to push harder. The baby was only small, too. She also said ‘one more push’ after I got the head out, which turned out not to be necessary. They also don’t show the mother throwing up all over the place and peeing on the doctor, which is what my wife did for my first child. (One more reason against home birth.) For our second she told them this while being admitted, and she got a room right away even when it was crowded. TV births are so clean! ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/274 "2021-02-08T20:15:48Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > I had a boss once who delivered her second child in about an hour and a half. In fact, the baby was delivered by a plumber working in a bathroom nearby because despite her telling the nurse the baby was coming _ **now** _ , the nurse decided my boss didn’t know what she was talking about, said it would be hours yet, and left her screaming for help in the room. Luckily the plumber heard her. Did she name the baby after the plumber? ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/275 "2021-02-08T20:25:02Z")
Kidnappers who use chloroform to subdue their victims, by holding a cloth over their face for a few seconds. In reality it takes at least 5 minutes of breathing chloroform vapors to induce unconsciousness. I’ve encountered people who flatly refuse to believe this; they’ve seen it happen on so many TV shows, they are positive it works that way. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/276 "2021-02-08T20:30:27Z")
If it was a boy you name him Christopher and Plummer as the middle name. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/277 "2021-02-08T20:31:59Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > in _every_ episode of Law and Order: Briscoe and Green show up to ask you some questions about somebody you know who was the victim or perpetrator of some horrific crime, but you never _stop what you are doing_ to talk to them about this What, you’ve never had the police role up to you while you were chilling in a nightclub with your homies to ask you a bunch of questions? Do police ever go from bar to bar at 2am looking for someone on the chance they might be hanging out there that night? As opposed to just showing up at the person’s home at 6am? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/278 "2021-02-08T20:32:52Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > If it was a boy you name him Christopher and Plummer as the middle name. A girl is obviously Florence Piper ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/279 "2021-02-08T20:46:01Z")
My second son, born 14 months after his older brother, just popped out onto the table while the doctor was putting on his gloves, no assistance needed. At least he hit the table and didn’t fall on the floor, it was a very easy birth. As soon as the baby was cleaned up my wife asked when we could go home. They made us wait I think a full 12 hours, but she was ready to be back home in only an hour or so. ---
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/280 "2021-02-08T20:53:29Z")
In sitcoms, a husband can be forgiven for absolutely anything just by being romantic for 5 minutes (like before he & his wife were married.) [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=13) [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=15)