# 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:** 180
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3587 "2024-04-26T20:14:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@Askance](#): > > > > The Enterprise (or any other vessel) is in dire trouble, no one knows what to do. But wait! Someone comes up with some bizarre plan that … _might … just … work_. Spoiler: it ALWAYS works. > > Well, if it didnt work and the Enterprise and crew went boom, then we wouldnt know it didnt work- yes? So, we only get the version where it worked. " History is written by the victors. " —Winston Churchill. ---
**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:** [April 30, 2024, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3588 "2024-04-30T13:57:48Z")
> [@Brayne\_Ded](#): > > Depends on the gun. Some had massive muzzle climb, such as the Thompson. That’s what my friend Roland said… in fact, come to think of it, that explains his nickname. . (_Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner,_ Warren Zevon) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3589 "2024-04-30T15:04:07Z")
> [@Brayne\_Ded](#): > > Depends on the gun. Some had massive muzzle climb, such as the Thompson. Which is why the original Thompson included an integral muzzle compensator (WW2 stripped-down models didn’t bother). ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3590 "2024-04-30T19:12:45Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > > (and so far, no one ever has been). > > How do you know? 😁 > > The Enterprise (or any other vessel) is in dire trouble, no one knows what to do. But wait! Someone comes up with some bizarre plan that … _might … just … work_. Spoiler: it ALWAYS works. Except in the TNG episode “Cause and Effect,” where it did not work - and it was tried multiple times, each time with the same result. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3591 "2024-04-30T19:53:58Z")
Until they finally tried the _other_ bizarre plan that might…just…work. And that one did. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3592 "2024-04-30T20:54:40Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > You obviously haven’t seen _ **Double Indemnity** _. I absolutely love that movie. But did they think forensic medicine was so bad that they couldn’t tell a strangulation from a bimp on the head from falling off a train? Well, apparently is was, at least in the world of the film, because even Keyes and his gut didn’t see it. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3593 "2024-04-30T20:57:26Z")
> [@abcdefghij](#): > > Well, there’s not going to be any CCTV left from the starships where it _didn’t_ work, now is there? I don’t know. Epsilon Nine continued to transmit pictures of space after it had been absorbed by V’Ger. And the Romulan warbird transmitted pictures of its own self destruction in Balance of Terror. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2024, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3594 "2024-05-01T02:51:38Z")
I don’t think Neff strangled Dietrichson. As you point out, a garrote would have left clear ligature marks, and he couldn’t have done it with his hands alone unless they were face to face. It’s much more likely that Neff simply twisted Dietrichson’s head until his neck snapped. That would definitely do the trick, and Phyllis could enjoy the show without all of the gore (e.g., bulging eyes, lolling tongue) that accompanies strangulation. ---
**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:** [May 2, 2024, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3595 "2024-05-02T17:04:08Z")
in the ’ [Silly, weird, perhaps unanswerable questions about movies and TV](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-weird-perhaps-unanswerable-questions-about-movies-and-tv/654401)’ thread there’s been superhero talk, which got me thinking of a question / observation for this thread: since superheroes have been so ubiquitous in popular culture for so long, why have there not really been any real-life superheroes? Or have there been? I did a search in this thread for the word ‘superhero’ and though there have been related mentions, it doesn’t look like this specific question has been asked. You may say “because super powers aren’t real” but Batman has shown us that you don’t need super powers (as long as you are highly trained in combat arts; also, happening to be a billionaire who can afford to have lots of crime-fighting gadgets secretly made is a plus). I’d say to qualify as a real-world superhero, one would need something like, but maybe not all, of these qualifications: - A desire or obsession to fight crime outside of the normal channels of law enforcement - Some sort of identifiable costume or uniform - A secret identity (probably the most optional) - Gadgets or abilities that give them an edge over bad guys as well as conventional law enforcement The closest real-world parallel I could think of was Curtis Sliwa and the Guardian Angels in the 70s. They definitely had the costume part down, with the red jackets and berets: > **[Guardian Angels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardian_Angels)** > > The Guardian Angels is a non-profit international volunteer organization with the goal of unarmed crime prevention. The Guardian Angels organization was founded on February 13, 1979, in New York City by Curtis Sliwa. Since then, it has expanded to more than 130 cities and 13 countries worldwide. > Sliwa originally created the Guardian Angels to combat widespread violence and crime on the New York City Subway system. The organization originally trained members to make citizen's arrests for violent ... ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3596 "2024-05-02T17:07:10Z")
Because in the real world, people trying to do what Batman does would be beaten up, killed, or arrested themselves. ---
**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:** [May 2, 2024, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3597 "2024-05-02T17:09:50Z")
Of course, but you’d think over the years more dumbasses would have tried it here and there, possibly getting some publicity for a brief window of time before their short crime-fighting career either ended in disaster or imprisonment. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3598 "2024-05-02T17:16:16Z")
And because irl anyone super-competent enough to be a masked hero would find more realistic outlets for their talents and desire to make a difference. AIUI, this was lampshaded in “Kick-Ass”, in that Hit Girl’s dad was a former cop who’d been framed. ---
**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:** [May 2, 2024, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3599 "2024-05-02T17:24:05Z")
There are quite a few “real-life superheroes” who have tried to fight crime while wearing a silly costume. Apparently the police are generally not very receptive to their “help”. > **[Real-life superhero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-life_superhero)** > > A real-life superhero (RLSH) is a person who dresses up in a superhero costume or mask in order to perform community service such as neighborhood watch, or in some cases vigilantism. > Early examples of this type of behavior are reported from the 1990s. One example is Mexico City's Superbarrio Gómez, who, in 1997, donned red tights and a red and yellow wrestler's mask in order to organize labor rallies, protest, and file petitions to prevent families from being evicted. A "real-life superhero com... > **[List of real-life superheroes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_real-life_superheroes)** > > Real-life superheroes wear masks or otherwise disguise themselves in order to perform deeds ranging from community services to deterring crime. > Some examples documented in the news media include: > Real-life superheroes are notably prevalent in the USA compared to other countries, which may be attributed to the greater popularity of superhero comic books. > There are several organized groups of real-life superheroes in the United States. > RLSH Wiki - https://wiki.rlsh.net/wiki/Main\_Page ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3600 "2024-05-02T19:13:58Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > And because irl anyone super-competent enough to be a masked hero would find more realistic outlets for their talents and desire to make a difference. Imagine for a moment that there _was_ a guy who decided to use a secret identity to fight crime outside the normal law-enforcement channels; would he, perhaps, go by Deep Throat? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3601 "2024-05-02T20:22:49Z")
Regarding the idea of a “real-life superhero,” _years_ ago I heard [this story](https://www.thisamericanlife.org/178/transcript) on This American Life about a woman who set out to become one. ---
**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:** [May 3, 2024, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3602 "2024-05-03T00:13:59Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Of course, but you’d think over the years more dumbasses would have tried it here and there, possibly getting some publicity for a brief window of time before their short crime-fighting career either ended in disaster or imprisonment. Like “Captain Freedom” on _ **Hill Street Blues** _. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2024, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3603 "2024-05-03T00:39:52Z")
> [@digs](#): > > But only if someone’s willing to take the unprecedented step of _Reversing The Polarity!_ Or worse, _reversing the polarity of the neutron flow_. Hand me a silicon rod, would you. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2024, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3604 "2024-05-03T01:10:15Z")
Somebody is in the handicap stall because all the other stalls are taken and that’s right when an actual handicap person needs to use it and they start angrily knocking on the stall because they somehow know whoever is using it isn’t handicapped. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2024, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3605 "2024-05-03T01:50:52Z")
That one is probably pretty subjective. I am not handicapped, and I don’t think I have ever even seen a wheelchair in a public restroom. On the other hand, chair-bound people probably endure that a lot. ---
**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:** [May 3, 2024, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/3606 "2024-05-03T02:24:39Z")
_Curb Your Enthusiasm_ used a marginally more plausible version of that situation, where Larry was already on his way out of the handicapped stall when an angry man in a wheelchair spotted him. [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=179) [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=181)