# 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:** 215
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4287 "2024-10-27T03:46:17Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > straight from autopsy, to delivery room Yes, and what kind of person went straight from autopsy to delivery? Obstetric trainees learning forceps techniques on corpses of women who had died from sepsis. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4288 "2024-10-27T05:44:45Z")
This was the mid 1800s. ---
**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 27, 2024, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4289 "2024-10-27T09:59:19Z")
I remember a scene in one soap opera (probably _ **General Hospital** _) where the out-of-focus “extras” in the establishment’s cafeteria had to be cardboard cutouts because they never moved while the principals were talking. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4290 "2024-10-27T15:34:38Z")
I worked near a Chicago bar on Irving that did something similar. Chicago liquor licenses were assigned different closing times (2 a.m. and 4 a.m.) and this local bar has a 2 o’clock license. They wouldn’t let anyone IN\* after two, but you could see people inside drinking until seven or eight in the morning. \*except the police, who were frequent customers ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4291 "2024-10-27T22:02:47Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > It cannot be that hard to paint a chunk of wood shiny black (or whatever) A wooden gun would weigh a mere fraction of a real gun, because wood is app. 12 times lighter than steel. So, handling a wooden replica would look completely unrealistic, even if the surface finish and the moving parts were there. Of course, one could weigh a wooden gun down by hiding steel rebar etc. inside it, but that would make the replication much more laborious. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4292 "2024-10-27T23:07:50Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > A wooden gun would weigh a mere fraction of a real gun, because wood is app. 12 times lighter than steel. So, handling a wooden replica would look completely unrealistic, even if the surface finish and the moving parts were there. John Dillinger might disagree with that. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4293 "2024-10-27T23:08:07Z")
[There is at least one company specializing in fake guns](https://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Non_Guns) for movie production that can reproduce some functions in a safer manner. A keen eye might see they look “off”. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4294 "2024-10-28T04:15:58Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > John Dillinger might disagree with that. He didnt let the guards handle it or even inspect it, he just jammed it into the guards back. ---
**Author:** ![Ahill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Ahill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ahill)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4295 "2024-10-28T05:24:45Z")
An exciting turn of events ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4296 "2024-10-28T06:46:52Z")
Cold showers are always recommended for stifling masturbatory urges. IRL, cold showers don’t work, and even if they did, most people go with their urges anyway. ---
**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:** [October 28, 2024, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4297 "2024-10-28T15:30:02Z")
Cold showers don’t work for men, but my experience has been that when women are cold, they’re _cold_. ---
**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:** [October 28, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4298 "2024-10-28T15:33:27Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > A wooden gun would weigh a mere fraction of a real gun, because wood is app. 12 times lighter than steel. So, handling a wooden replica would look completely unrealistic, even if the surface finish and the moving parts were there. This is where acting comes in. You have to handle the gun so that it gives the impression of the proper weight. It’s not just escaping criminals. In the book **The Great Escape** , Paul Brickhill tells about how they were able to use rifles and handguns carved out of wood for “guards” (actually disguised POWs) to escort groups of POWs through the fence and out to escape on more than one occasion. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4299 "2024-10-28T21:00:53Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > This is where acting comes in. You have to handle the gun so that it gives the impression of the proper weight. Yet actors never seem to be able to handle obviously-empty coffee cups as if there is actually anything in them. ---
**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 29, 2024, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4300 "2024-10-29T14:29:22Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > This is where acting comes in. You have to handle the gun so that it gives the impression of the proper weight. This reminds me of a common thing I’ve noticed in old TV shows and movies: when people shoot pistols it’s often very clear that the actual actor never shot a real gun in their life, because they push the gun forward in a quick, jerky motion when shooting, as if they’re pushing the bullets out. As opposed to holding the gun steady and then mimicking recoil when taking the shot. It’s very common during shootouts in old Western TV shows, and once you notice it, you see it in a lot of those old shows. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4301 "2024-10-29T18:25:22Z")
Not just old TV shows. On “Only Murders in the Building” last week one of the characters handed what was supposed to be a full case of beer to another character. The way they swung it easily over with one hand and the receiving character grabbed it and lightly set it down, it was pretty obvious that the box was empty. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4302 "2024-10-29T19:30:16Z")
Very true. I used to teach firearms courses to armed guards. We would spend time on the range dry-firing (with snap caps) revolvers, and many trainees would literally jerk the weapon up as if there was actual recoil when they pulled the trigger. They were basically miming what they had seen on TV and in movies. ---
**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 29, 2024, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4303 "2024-10-29T23:38:40Z")
I groan whenever there’s a fight in a warehouse or storeroom filled with cardboard boxes and it becomes obvious there’s nothing in them when they start falling down. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4304 "2024-10-29T23:39:59Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > but a similar bullet wound, hydrostatic shock included, allows time for detailed instructions to be relayed to one’s sweetheart back home. Incorrect if it is a bad guy being shot. He dies immediately even if hit in a non-vital area. ---
**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 29, 2024, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4305 "2024-10-29T23:54:17Z")
A hit man can empty the magazine of a submachine gun at his target without spilling a drop of blood, but the wall behind the victim will be riddled with bullet holes. ---
**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 30, 2024, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4306 "2024-10-30T01:04:34Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > Not just old TV shows. On “Only Murders in the Building” last week one of the characters handed what was supposed to be a full case of beer to another character. The way they swung it easily over with one hand and the receiving character grabbed it and lightly set it down, it was pretty obvious that the box was empty. Don’t ask me why but just a couple of days ago I was watching an episode of _Baa Baa Black Sheep._ They were flying a mission where they had to land on an abandoned airstrip to refuel. One of the pilots flew a seaplane directly to that airstrip to drop off fuel. You see the pilot struggle to lift the fuel barrels out of the plane into the water. The other pilots use ropes to drag the fuel barrels off of the beach. The good guys get away in the nick of time. The only problem is a 55 gallon drum of fuel weighs about 400 pounds. One guy lifted five of them through the doorway of the plane. Then the others dragged the barrels what seemed like a couple hundred yards. [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=214) [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=216)