# 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:** 42
**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:** [March 5, 2021, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/821 "2021-03-05T20:41:27Z")
And of course the ever popular if I turn my back and walk 2 feet away and talk in a normal voice the other person can’t hear me. ---
**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 5, 2021, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/822 "2021-03-05T20:42:04Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Detective; “I’m a bit busy just now, I’ll pop round tomorrow.” I remember before cell phones, a lot of scripts slipping in the detail the one of the two was worried the phone was being tapped, so it was better to talk in person, thus making it reasonable to hold off on revealing whatever it was until the two could meet in person. As soon as someone said that, you knew the person with the information was going to die. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2021, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/823 "2021-03-05T20:58:23Z")
Two more for the “hasn’t been played straight for years” file: - Telephone calls where the offscreen caller’s voice sounds like sped-up, high-pitched gibberish. - If one character whispers at length to another, the whispering will be unintelligible to the audience but exaggeratedly breathy and crisp, and will always include at least one intonation of the syllables “hazz- **BAZZ** -dah!” ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/824 "2021-03-05T23:54:56Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > In fiction, the star-of-the-show police detective rushes dramatically across town to the train station/airport/whatever to personally catch the fleeing suspect, or to where the victim needs to be rescued from immediate peril. At the last minute, of course. > > I’d imagine a cop in a similar situation in reality would remember that (1) they work for the police, (2) there are other cops and firefighters in stations all over the city, including one MUCH closer than they are, and (3) there are telephones and radios. 🙄 > > I excuse this when the character can’t rely on backup for some reason and has to do it themselves, but many a time I’ve yelled “Phone! Use the damn phone!” when that’s not the case. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve yelled the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/825 "2021-03-07T03:29:13Z")
Another I haven’t seen here, but that doesn’t mean it’s not: Doctors or psychologists dating their patients. Nope, nope, nope, and that is one of the fastest routes to instant license revocation if it happens. ---
**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:** [March 7, 2021, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/826 "2021-03-07T13:01:05Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Not sure if this has already been discussed. > Let’s talk about two different things so ambiguously but yet so connected that each character thinks the other person is talking about the same thing. > > Person A found out Person B’s wife is a pornstar. > Person B found a gold bar in their garden. > > A: Well I found out your secret. > B: How did you find out? > A: Karen told me all about it. > B: She did? I can’t believe she did that. > A: I mean sure you guys wouldn’t tell everybody but I’m your best buddy. > B: Ok Ok just don’t spread it around. > A: I do have one question, does it bring in a lot of money? > B: About a million dollars > 😮 > cue laughtrack Otherwise known as the classic “Three’s Company Misunderstanding”. I remember once when Jack was helping Chrissy install a new shower curtain: Chrissy: it won’t fit Jack: you need to unfold it Mr Roper, listening outside the bathroom door: ??!? Have we gotten into moldy old sitcom tropes much yet? Here’s a couple off the top of my head: - Amnesia from getting hit on the head which isn’t restored until the character gets hit on the head again. Yeah, that’s how serious brain trauma works! - The evil doppelgänger of a main character appears, assumes their identity, and hijacks ensue. This one wasn’t just sitcoms- it was popular on action dramas as well. I think Little Joe on Bonanza alone had two separate evil doppelgängers take over his identity on different occasions. ---
**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 7, 2021, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/827 "2021-03-07T15:16:36Z")
> [@solost](#): > > The evil doppelgänger of a main character appears, assumes their identity, and hijacks ensue. This one wasn’t just sitcoms- it was popular on action dramas as well. I think Little Joe on Bonanza alone had two separate evil doppelgängers take over his identity on different occasions. Not to alarm you, but how do you know there are less evil doppelgangers in real life? ---
**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:** [March 7, 2021, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/828 "2021-03-07T15:51:18Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Not to alarm you, but how do you know there are less evil doppelgangers in real life? That’s crazy talk! On the other hand, my wife does sometimes get mad at me about things I don’t remember doing or saying, so…uh oh ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/829 "2021-03-07T18:38:56Z")
“It was all a dream after all” (_see_ Wizard of Oz, Bobby Ewing in Dallas, etc) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/830 "2021-03-07T18:55:29Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > In the genre of people being in close proximity to massive explosions but walking away unscratched, there’s the movie about WWII I saw last night, in which a dive-bomber pilot approaches to within what appears on-screen to be no more than 10 feet or so above an aircraft carrier before releasing his bomb, but escapes unscathed. In reality he would have been doomed, like the real-life WWII bomber pilot who dived to within 200 feet of his target and had his plane (including himself and crewman) blown up in the ensuing explosion. Was it ‘Midway’? I feel like they do a lot of dive bombing and pulling up 10’ off the ground. I think there were even a couple scenes where aircraft skip across the water. That seems to happen a lot in films. An aircraft in a dive (sometimes uncontrolled) pulls up at the last minute. Often the landing gear or some other part of the aircraft might skip the water or knock an antennae or something off a building (with no deviation in the aircraft’s course). I’m not a pilot, but I’m pretty sure IRL, if any aircraft strikes something at 200+ mph, it is going to a) damage the aircraft, and b) cause the aircraft to pitch towards whatever it struck. Presumably with disastrous results. Along a similar line, pitching a helicopter forward to use the main rotor as a [blender](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HelicopterBlender). This was used in 28 Weeks Later and Planet Terror to dispatch mobs of zombies. Again, a helicopter’s rapidly moving blades are not meant to be used as a Cuisinart. Pretty sure repeatedly striking them with 200lb zombies would cause them significant damage. Not to mention the mere act of pitching the helicopter forward so the blades can strike a human-sized target is going to cause it to move forward and down (into the ground) very rapidly. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/831 "2021-03-07T21:13:16Z")
I’ve just seen another one (in an otherwise satisfyingly convoluted thriller): someone who’s about to go into a building, and doesn’t want to be seen doing so, walks up to the door, opens it - and only then looks round to see if there’s anyone watching. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/832 "2021-03-07T21:28:05Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > “It was all a dream after all” That happened to me just this morning, when I woke up. ---
**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:** [March 7, 2021, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/833 "2021-03-07T21:29:33Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I’m not a pilot, but I’m pretty sure IRL, if any aircraft strikes something at 200+ mph, it is going to a) damage the aircraft, and b) cause the aircraft to pitch towards whatever it struck. Presumably with disastrous results. Not always disastrous - it depends, in part, on what part of the airplane comes into contact with a solid object, some bits are more of a problem than others - but yes, it’s probably going to cause some level of damage and possibly effect the course. Depends on mass, speed, etc. > [@msmith537](#): > > Again, a helicopter’s rapidly moving blades are not meant to be used as a Cuisinart. Pretty sure repeatedly striking them with 200lb zombies would cause them significant damage. Yeah. The rotors vs. 1 person I could see the helicopter “winning”, but a horde of zombies? Nope. ---
**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 7, 2021, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/834 "2021-03-07T23:47:51Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Yeah. The rotors vs. 1 person I could see the helicopter “winning”, but a horde of zombies? Nope. Ironically, it’s the helicopter part of the trope that is unbelievable and not the zombie part. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/835 "2021-03-08T04:42:03Z")
> [@solost](#): > > On the other hand, my wife does sometimes get mad at me about things I don’t remember doing or saying, so…uh oh All the fucking time, brother, all the fucking time. 🙀 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/836 "2021-03-08T04:45:36Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Not to mention the mere act of pitching the helicopter forward so the blades can strike a human-sized target is going to cause it to move forward and down (into the ground) very rapidly. Oddly, someone shared a pic on FB of a large two rotor US chopper, only able to land on a ledge with just it’s front wheels, with the pilot keeping it stable. One of my close friends spent 8 years over in the deserts coming out as a WO4, and I asked him if he could do that? And he said- SOP. ---
**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:** [March 8, 2021, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/837 "2021-03-08T05:10:40Z")
Sorry, but do you mean the doppelgangers are “less evil,” or that there are “fewer of them”? 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/838 "2021-03-08T15:50:31Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Another I haven’t seen here, but that doesn’t mean it’s not: Doctors or psychologists dating their patients. > > Nope, nope, nope, and that is one of the fastest routes to instant license revocation if it happens And, of course, psychiatrists and psychologists are the _only_ mental healthcare providers in Hollywood. No clinical social workers, no marriage and family therapists, no licensed personal counselors. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2021, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/839 "2021-03-08T16:06:54Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Another I haven’t seen here, but that doesn’t mean it’s not: Doctors or psychologists dating their patients. My husband is a psychologist and the depiction of psychologists in popular media drives him up the wall. Dual relationships abound, and they’re usually using outmoded forms of therapy. In an episode of _Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,_ Becca finds herself seated next her therapist on a plane. The therapist turns to her and says, “Would you like to have a session now?” Nope! Oh, I should add that people _do_ have innapropriate relationships with their clients. They shouldn’t, and they can get in a ton of trouble for it, but they do. I know of one therapist who invited a younger man into her home, he became friends with her husband, he started spending regular time with them, going on walks together, and when he killed himself she was a complete mess. I don’t believe she should practice psychology. Some therapists are bonkers. ---
**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 9, 2021, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/840 "2021-03-09T11:08:45Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > And, of course, psychiatrists and psychologists are the _only_ mental healthcare providers in Hollywood. And psychiatrists conduct 1-hr talk therapy sessions. That hasn’t happened since the early 1970s when some psychiatrists still practiced psychoanalysis a la Freud. Oh, and one of the most unprofessional shrinks in the history of the profession was Dr. Wilbur as played by Joanne Woodward in _Sybil_. [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=41) [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=43)