# 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:** 149
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2962 "2023-10-26T12:29:11Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I couldn’t contact her if I wanted to short of hiring a PI to find her for me. Actually, that sparks another post for me-I’ve never heard of someone actually hiring a PI in real life. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2963 "2023-10-26T12:49:24Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Speaking of people who share a bedroom arguing, in real life have two siblings ever divided their bedroom down the middle, and required each sibling to keep their things on “their” side of the room?. I’d be more surprised to learn that most siblings _haven’t_ done that. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2964 "2023-10-26T13:01:04Z")
I think that happens lots of the time when it’s possible. Of course, it’s not always possible. My two sisters and I shared a room when we were young. And that also meant we shared the furniture, shelves , etc. Even if we had somehow been able to divide the room into three sections, our clothes would still all be in the same dresser, our toys and games on the same shelves. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2965 "2023-10-26T15:05:06Z")
I did that once, specifically because I had seen it on TV. It lasted about two minutes, until I realized that in my haste I had put the door on my brother’s side of the room, thus trapping myself (unless I wanted to go in and out the window for the rest of my life). I was quite the strategic genius as a lad. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2966 "2023-10-26T16:26:30Z")
Now that’s a twist worthy of a sitcom! ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2967 "2023-10-26T16:49:24Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > The scenario is this: a well-to-do couple lives in a huge mansion-like modern home. At some point there is an argument between them and the husband has been banished from the bedroom. You then see the husband trying to sleep on the couch with blankets and a crummy couch pillow According to Bill Clinton’s autobiography that’s pretty much what happened after Hilary found out about Monica. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2968 "2023-10-26T16:51:00Z")
I can’t believe there was ever any love lost between those two. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2969 "2023-10-26T18:16:33Z")
the mysterious, beautiful lady, all dressed up, sitting alone in a bar. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2023, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2970 "2023-10-26T18:17:40Z")
… Unless she’s a hooker. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2971 "2023-10-26T18:34:08Z")
Or walking into the office of the aforementioned PI. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2972 "2023-10-26T19:14:30Z")
Well, mostly in casino ads, but yeah, I just saw it on TV- the casino full of “the beautiful people” all dressed up. Nope. It is mostly older folks, dressed in sweats or shorts and shirt, sitting at a one armed bandit, feeding $ in while they smoke. I consulted with a Indian casino in CA, and I noticed they had one smallish room for non-smokers. to play the slots. I thought that was odd, since in CA only about 10% of people smoke, so I thought it would be the other way around- nope, they showed me stats that showed that about 60% of gamblers smoke. Even in Vegas, you see the same thing- sure in some of the High roller areas the client makeup might be different- but in general, that is the client base- retirees. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2973 "2023-10-26T19:14:47Z")
I’ve seen this happen in two sitcoms, but the idea that if you see fireworks when you kiss someone, you found your true love. Of course it turns out the person got kissed on the Fourth of July or something so they actually didn’t find true love. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2974 "2023-10-26T19:32:30Z")
Not just retirees at some of them - depressed-looking retirees. There’s a racino about 10 minutes from my house - we never go there. We won’t go even if they get a full casino license and add table games. I don’t care that all the people are as old as me- but they all look depressed , as if they are forced to be feeding that money into the machines and don’t enjoy it at all. I never see the “beautiful people” all dressed up on the casino floor in AC ( 3 hours away) - but at least everyone is not depressed. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2975 "2023-10-26T19:37:27Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Not just retirees at some of them - depressed-looking retirees. Sadly, yes. I read a paper- Gambling can be an addiction as we all know. Well, oddly the “hit” for addicted gamblers is losing, not winning. 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2976 "2023-10-26T19:47:45Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Well, oddly the “hit” for addicted gamblers is losing, not winning. Actually, the hit is winning. Slot machines give you a small prize every now and then to reinforce the “Well, I will try it a few more times before I quit” impulse in your brain. They give you 10 dollars, and then you spend 50 dollars hoping to get lucky again. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2977 "2023-10-26T23:33:50Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > they all look depressed , as if they are forced to be feeding that money into the machines and don’t enjoy it at all. From the times I’ve been to casinos\* I felt that if aliens who picked up our broadcasts, but couldn’t get the video to work, and then came to Earth would mistake a casino slot-machine floor for the typing pools or cubicle farms of an office. “Ah, the office drones joylessly plinking on their machines, silently counting the minutes until 5 o’clock. Just as grim as I envisioned, Gzzzxr!” \*Except for my recent trip to Las Vegas, where more people seemed to actually be having fun at the slots. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2023, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2978 "2023-10-27T02:07:51Z")
When I was in college, we researched reinforcement schedules. One of the articles used slot machines for their experiments ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2979 "2023-10-27T12:47:44Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > the mysterious, beautiful lady, all dressed up, sitting alone in a bar That’s pretty much how I met my gf! The bar had a musician and my gf came to see them after work. Her husband had moved out and a divorce was pending. I sent her over a drink, then came over to talk. That was ~20 years ago! ---
**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:** [October 27, 2023, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2980 "2023-10-27T13:10:18Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Actually, the hit is winning. Slot machines give you a small prize every now and then to reinforce the “Well, I will try it a few more times before I quit” impulse in your brain. They give you 10 dollars, and then you spend 50 dollars hoping to get lucky again. The one time I tried a slot machine, it must not have been calibrated correctly. I was on my honeymoon in Aruba, and the newly titled Mrs. Solost was shopping or something, when I saw a bank of slot machines. I decided “eh, why not” and got 20 $1 tokens. I fed them one by one into a machine and…nothing. I did expect it to maybe cough out a stingy couple tokens after I fed in token #15 or 16 or so, but not even. I thought “who in the _ **hell** _ enjoys this?” At least with Blackjack or something there’s a bit of skill involved. I would have had more fun, and the exact same outcome, throwing 20 singles one by one into the ocean. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2023, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/2981 "2023-10-27T15:25:17Z")
20 pulls is a very small sample size. [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=148) [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=150)