# 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:** 165
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3282 "2024-01-31T19:20:38Z")
Even if people are having clever, snappy dialogue in real life, it rarely comes out the way that Amy Sherman-Palladino’s characters talk. People talking are a lot less precise- more filler words/phrases and more pauses are common. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3283 "2024-01-31T19:23:30Z")
> [@bump](#): > > People talking are a lot less precise- more filler words/phrases and more pauses are common. Yeah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3284 "2024-01-31T23:38:10Z")
That brings up one of my pet peeves. It really takes me out of a movie or show when someone says something extremely witty. Rapier-like in its insight and hilarious… but they don’t seem to know that. They’ll deliver the line fairly straight, and even the other characters might smile or chuckle, but never laugh with each other about it. OR even acknowledge that it was well-put. If I had a friend who said “Please, a little respect, for I am Costanza, Lord Of The Idiots.”… I’d be laughing out loud. And he would be, too. And when our other friend, say, _Elaine_ walked in, I’d say “You’ve got to hear what George said! We were arguing over who’s the bigger idiot, and then he blew his chance at Knicks tickets and, well, George, do the line again.” And then laughter would ensue. Again. I’ve never seen a funny and/or brilliant comment be an unremarked-on throwaway line in real life. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2024, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3285 "2024-01-31T23:49:32Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I’ve never seen a funny and/or brilliant comment be an unremarked-on throwaway line in real life. Really? I have absolutely hilariously lines every day that whoosh right over my audience’s heads. That’s my life. Sometimes I’ll repeat what happened to my gf (who has a rapier wit) and she cracks up, both at what I said, and the fact that my audience totally missed it. My audience = my employees. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3286 "2024-02-01T00:05:22Z")
When it bothers me is when it’s a group of friends that demonstrably have the same sense of humor (and reference points, and intelligence level). So my peeve would apply to you and your gf, where one of you would say an “absolutely hilariously line”, but neither of you would react much (leaving that for the audience, which is why it takes me out of the show). . And I feel for you. I had ONE co-worker who, as a writer and a Renaissance Man, got all my one-liners. I’d look out over a group and he’d be giving me a chuckle and a raised eyebrow, while everyone else was thinking about… monster trucks, maybe? ---
**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:** [February 1, 2024, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3287 "2024-02-01T01:03:40Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Really? I have absolutely hilariously lines every day that whoosh right over my audience’s heads. That’s my life. Yep. Of course, my audience is high school students. I’ll throw out a killer line or reference and…nothing. That’s when I’ve been known to turn and mutter “Sometimes they’re just for me.” ---
**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:** [February 1, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3288 "2024-02-01T01:25:30Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Ah, but when you _are_ in sync… She thought I had another inch. _Ah, but when you are in sync… She thought I had another **itch**._ debating if I should self report the “misread thread title” thingy … * * * ahhh and … “sex in the pool” is also overdone in movies … and overrated … vs. IRL ---
**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 3, 2024, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3289 "2024-02-03T23:50:10Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > How about the portrayal of someone who lays down in the bathtub to sleep at night, after all of the beds and sofas are taken? You can’t stretch out, as tubs (usually) aren’t long enough, they’re hard surfaces and the surface robs body heat. My very first apartment had an enormous claw-foot tub in the bathroom which actually was long enough to comfortably lay down in. Probably leftover from the Victorian Era. But yeah, it would be a cold place to sleep. ---
**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:** [February 4, 2024, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3290 "2024-02-04T00:01:29Z")
I’ve slept in a big claw bathtub before. The secret is to steal the comforter from the guest bed and line the tub with it. It also helps to be dead drunk and young. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3291 "2024-02-04T00:25:33Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I’ve never seen a funny and/or brilliant comment be an unremarked-on throwaway line in real life. You haven’t met my family. It’s how we roll. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3292 "2024-02-04T01:56:00Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > > [@digs](#): > > > > I’ve never seen a funny and/or brilliant comment be an unremarked-on throwaway line in real life. > > You haven’t met my family. It’s how we roll. You have my sympathies. But my Trope Of Annoyance isn’t about family or coworkers, they can be obtuse. It’s a group of smart, witty friends who WILL get your jokes, and who WILL laugh… _unless_ you’re all in a TV show. . > [@silenus](#): > > I’ve slept in a big claw bathtub before… dead drunk and young. If I’d known that sleeping in a cold bathtub was a possible result, I’d’ve never touched a drop of alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3293 "2024-02-04T02:00:58Z")
I’ve been where the bathtubs were taken and had to sleep on the hardwood floor. It helps to lie against the wall. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3294 "2024-02-04T03:41:24Z")
Hey, one of the best sleeps I’ve ever gotten was on a hardwood floor with my leather jacked as a pillow. I woke up feeling like a million bucks. Yes, I was 22 or so at the time, but that still doesn’t seem to completely explain it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3295 "2024-02-04T04:04:18Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Hey, one of the best sleeps I’ve ever gotten was on a hardwood floor with my leather jacked as a pillow. I woke up feeling like a million bucks. When I was also young, I slept outside under the stars at a SCA event on nothing but a sheepskin and my cloak. Woke up feeling great. ---
**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 5, 2024, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3296 "2024-02-05T03:59:52Z")
I didn’t even have a cloak. ---
**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 5, 2024, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3297 "2024-02-05T05:41:12Z")
A sheepskin and a cloak? Luxury! Every time I’ve slept outside at an SCA event, I’ve slept on a pile of gravel with a wet dishrag for a blanket. (This is literally true.) ---
**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:** [February 6, 2024, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3298 "2024-02-06T02:38:42Z")
Our hero is talking to his sidekick right before he goes off to face the villain and instead of explaining what he wants, just says “You’ll know what to do.” ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3299 "2024-02-06T06:47:33Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > someone had smeared trees with peanut butter. This sounds like the set-up for a “dad joke.” ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3300 "2024-02-06T06:50:18Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > also waterbeds Oh contraire. I’ve had many pleasurable assignations on a waterbed I slept on for years with several different women, including the future Mrs. CaptMurdock. It takes a little coordination to get started, but nature quickly takes over. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3301 "2024-02-06T21:02:05Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > A sheepskin and a cloak? Luxury! Every time I’ve slept outside at an SCA event, I’ve slept on a pile of gravel with a wet dishrag for a blanket. Uphill? Both ways? In the snow? 😀 [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=164) [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=166)