# 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:** 242
**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:** [March 20, 2025, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4849 "2025-03-20T17:41:27Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > They have to work their way up to 360 joules. Or until they make Uncle Fester smoke. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4850 "2025-03-20T22:39:03Z")
> [@solost](#): > > How’s your memory now-- getting any better? I read that in John Mulaney’s voice ---
**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:** [March 20, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4851 "2025-03-20T22:43:38Z")
I read it in [Leslie Nielsen’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxviBxaSjyc) voice. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4852 "2025-03-23T20:16:03Z")
In real life I bet few family members of a missing or murdered individual yell shrilly at the detective, “Why are you here wasting time questioning us, why aren’t you out looking for X (or X’s killer).” And if they do outburst so in real life I bet the person responsible will not inevitably turn out to be a family member. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4853 "2025-03-24T00:43:15Z")
Aggressive, too. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4854 "2025-03-24T19:57:33Z")
Major court cases where the lawyers entire strategy revolves around getting somebody angry enough to blurt out something that will solve the entire case in one outburst. Yes this was the plot to A Few Good Men famously but I remember seeing it in works that predate it too in the 1980s. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4855 "2025-03-24T21:12:27Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Major court cases where the lawyers entire strategy revolves around getting somebody angry enough to blurt out something that will solve the entire case in one outburst. You mean every Perry Mason episode ever? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2025, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4856 "2025-03-25T10:19:39Z")
> [@](#): > > You mean every Perry Mason episode ever? Hah! my first thought. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2025, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4857 "2025-03-25T17:54:30Z")
There was one episode where the confession was in Perry’s office in front of Burger and Lt. Anderson. The trivia section for that ep. pointed out it was one of the few non-courtroom confessions. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4858 "2025-03-25T18:34:42Z")
Hey, murderers almost by definition have poor emotional control. It’s why their lawyers don’t want them to take the stand. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2025, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4859 "2025-03-25T19:22:53Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Major court cases where the lawyers entire strategy revolves around getting somebody angry enough to blurt out something that will solve the entire case in one outburst. Yep. Mind you, crooks can & will do that when being questioned, if they think they are smarter than the cops and forget to ask for a lawyer. > [@epbrown](#): > > Hey, murderers almost by definition have poor emotional control. It’s why their lawyers don’t want them to take the stand. Right, Generally they arent on the stand in the first place. In the Mason cases of course, it isnt the defendant, but some sort of witness- and if it is a defense witness, Mason cant use that technique. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2025, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4860 "2025-03-25T19:52:38Z")
I was on a jury for a murder case, where I had a genuine Encyclopedia Brown moment-- and it’s also another example of why defendants shouldn’t take the stand. The defendant stated something, and it was gone over by the defense lawyer as an important fact that was meant to demonstrate his innocence. His testimony was the last piece of evidence admitted. Later, during deliberations, we reviewed the 911 call the defendant made, where he stated something to the 911 operator that directly contradicted this point of his testimony. The 911 call was the first thing admitted, and no one would have noticed the discrepancy if we had not reviewed it, since it was introduced three days before the defendant’s testimony. In fact, even in reviewing it, I was the only one of 12 to notice. It was such a direct contradiction, there was just no way for both things to be true, so one was a blatant lie. And the lie, whichever one it was, was something no innocent person would make up-- or at least, it was very unlikely, because in each case, these were attempts to make the defendant seem innocent, in response to two different questions. **It might have been a case of the defendant not being able to keep his lies straight** , or **it might have been that there were not other ways to respond to the questions while trying to cover up guilt**. Either way, the jury had been 10-2 for guilt-- I was one of the hold-outs. I said I was changing my vote after I heard to 911 call again, and then explained why, and the other hold-out changed her vote as well. Up until that moment, I’d seen nothing but circumstantial evidence, plus one eyewitness for the defendant, who was his sister, and was 13 years old, and cried through her whole testimony. I think the defense lawyer must have been aware of the issue-- maybe not until the tape was replayed-- because by the time we returned with the verdict, the lawyers had settled on a plea bargain, which hadn’t been in the works until we asked to hear the tape. ---
**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:** [April 12, 2025, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4861 "2025-04-12T06:06:29Z")
For some reason I sat down and watched _Madam Webb._ It was worse than I could have imagined. I usually enjoy the genre, even the not so good ones. This one broke me. So anyway, bad depictions of CPR have been brought up. I have never seen it so badly done as it was in this movie. She starts off as a paramedic so CPR is shown multiple times throughout the movie. Did you know that CPR counteracts neurotoxins? It’s also the first thing you do when you find someone injured. Don’t even bother evaluating what is wrong just start pushing on their chest. But it’s ok, do that for a little while and they will wake up like nothing happened. ---
**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 13, 2025, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4862 "2025-04-13T00:53:42Z")
Thanks, Loach. After reading your post, I watched _Madame Web._ So glad I didn’t pay Actual American Currency to see it in a theater (the only superhero movie I’ve skipped on the big screen, and I wish I could still that). You’re right about the CPR. Dakota “One Expression” Johnson even teaches the girls CPR “in case anything goes wrong”. _(I really shouldn’t watch any Hollywood depiction of medical procedures after watching The Pitt…)_ Oh, and ambulance drivers aren’t at all stressed as they’re driving a critical case to the hospital. Nope, Dakota just serenely slaloms through NYC traffic at high speed, and can leisurely stop on a dime when a teenager runs out in front of her. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2025, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4863 "2025-04-13T02:47:24Z")
When a character flat-lines on TV (almost every episode in medical dramas), it’s always the same dramatic routine: blaring alarm, a doc shouts “_Clear_!”, and the paddles fly in. Shock after shock until—miraculously—the heart starts again. It’s compelling TV. It’s also wrong. IRL when a patient goes into asystole—flatlines—grabbing the defibrillator is pointless. Shocking won’t work because there’s no rhythm to shock. The heart has no electrical activity, so shocking it is about as effective as trying to reboot your computer when it’s not plugged in. What _is_ done is high-quality CPR and a rapid dose of epinephrine. Electrical cardioversion (paddles), _does_ work—but only for people whose hearts are beating in a disorganized way, like with atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, or supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). These folks still have a pulse—they just need a reset. _“Somebody hand that writer a physiology textbook.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2025, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4864 "2025-04-13T03:11:32Z")
Well, how exciting would it be if the patient went into AIVR? He has a relatively benign reperfusion rhythm! We don’t need to do anything now, but we should definitely repeat the ECG and bloodwork fairly soon! ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2025, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4865 "2025-04-13T03:14:57Z")
Now, _that’s_ a show I’d watch! Boring, but accurate. ---
**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:** [April 13, 2025, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4866 "2025-04-13T12:34:52Z")
> [@digs](#): > > _(I really shouldn’t watch any Hollywood depiction of medical procedures after watching The Pitt…)_ Speaking of “The Pitt”, which I absolutely love, do ER’s actually intubate patients as often as they did? ---
**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:** [April 13, 2025, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4867 "2025-04-13T15:15:19Z")
> [@digs](#): > > You’re right about the CPR. Dakota “One Expression” Johnson even teaches the girls CPR “in case anything goes wrong”. The worst one (there were several CPR moments) was when she was pushing on the chest of the extra while Madame Webb stuff was happening around her. No attempt at treating injuries or finding out why his heart stopped. No attempt to give oxygen or intubation. Then suddenly he wakes up and she says, “You’re alright. He’s stable!” You don’t have to be a medic to know that’s wrong. There were no good parts. Another part made me want to throw out my tv. She makes the girls hide out at Uncle Ben’s (don’t ask) and says she has to go to the remote jungle of Peru for a week. She is being tracked by the most sophisticated NSA tracking system ever imagined. All she has is a stolen taxi. How the hell did she get to Peru and back in a week without the bad guy knowing where she went? Did she drive? ---
**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:** [April 13, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/4868 "2025-04-13T15:23:22Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > > [@digs](#): > > > > _(I really shouldn’t watch any Hollywood depiction of medical procedures after watching The Pitt…)_ > > Speaking of “The Pitt”, which I absolutely love, do ER’s actually intubate patients as often as they did? Through the years I’ve spent many hours sitting in the ER of a level 1 trauma hospital. Even before the big event the ER in the show had more interesting unusual cases than they usually have in a shift or a week of shifts. I’ve read a bunch of things from ER doctors who say it’s very realistic but the amount of cases and pace are a bit exaggerated. There are days like that and days where it could be called slow. I know in my state for trauma in the field the paramedics will intubate and stabilize before they get to the hospital. So may traumas will already be tubed when they roll through the door. [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=241) [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=243)