# 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:** 93
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1842 "2022-08-17T21:12:54Z")
A thousand transistors! Amazing. “All three channels - and PBS” ---
**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:** [August 17, 2022, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1843 "2022-08-17T21:16:39Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > I’m old, so I saw a ton of beaded curtains back in the day. I have a good friend with one now. The beaded curtain was to hide the waterbed. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1844 "2022-08-17T21:34:22Z")
Not in the 1960s. In the '60s, vacuum tubes were old and lame. Transistors were the new thing, and “tiny” was the point. In truest comic book logic, if a transistor could turn [this](https://image1.masterfile.com/getImage/ODQ2LTAyNzk2NzMxZW4uMDAwMDAwMDA=AEm58Y/846-02796731en_Masterfile.jpg) into [this](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/47/fb/62/47fb625bbcbbb0c0d0e41e7b2fb30307.jpg), then surely it could turn [this](https://asa.scitation.org/action/showOpenGraphArticleImage?doi=10.1121/10.0005891&id=images/medium/10.0005891.figures.online.highlight_f1.jpg) into [this](https://marvelcdb.com/bundles/cards/01039.png). ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1845 "2022-08-18T03:35:54Z")
Wow, i feel…atypical. i grew up with two staircases, the local Chinese restaurant we went to every week had a bead curtain (as did a friend), and i made volcanoes out of playdough and filled them with baking soda and vinegar to make them erupt. It was a toy, not a science project. Oh, and if i take a nap, i leave my bra on. I certainly don’t remove my bra when i get home. Maybe my boycott of bras with underwires is related to my not feeling the need to take them off. What i take off is shoes. I got used to not wearing shoes during the pandemic, and now i find them very restrictive any uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1846 "2022-08-18T08:13:42Z")
After watching my fiancée accomplish the bra trick through a long-sleeve shirt _and_ a winter coat, I accepted my second-place status in the relationship. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2022, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1847 "2022-08-18T12:06:24Z")
I was going to mention the newish trope I see all the time where someone sends a text, then they see that 3-dot animation meaning the person on the other end is composing a text back. Then the animation suddenly stops, meaning the other person changed their mind about texting back. Leaving the person anticipating the text disappointed or worried. Then I realized that’s totally happened to me before. ---
**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:** [August 19, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1848 "2022-08-19T15:56:31Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > It was a toy, not a science project. At an awful lot of science fairs, the line gets blurry. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1849 "2022-08-20T13:58:30Z")
Anything will get blurry if you foam enough vinegar+baking soda all over it. ---
**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:** [August 20, 2022, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1850 "2022-08-20T17:27:16Z")
You just aren’t old enough. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1851 "2022-08-21T03:28:55Z")
“Guess Your Weight” booths at Carnivals. I don’t know how widespread they were in the 50s but I imagine once people started to regularly get past 200 pounds it became unprofitable since before with the +/- 10 pounds margin of error you could pretty much guess what a skinny man or woman’s weight was pretty easily. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2022, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1852 "2022-08-21T15:46:03Z")
I saw one of those at a parking-lot carnival and the guy was… not skilled – he missed about a third of the time. However I noticed the stuffed animals he was giving away probably wholesaled for less than the fee paid to participate. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1853 "2022-08-21T16:53:32Z")
I’ve seen “Guess your name” booths that employed the same business strategy. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1854 "2022-08-21T17:02:27Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > However I noticed the stuffed animals he was giving away probably wholesaled for less than the fee paid to participate. 😉 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8L7DxnwkiVs/maxresdefault.jpg "Professional Weight Guesser (The Jerk)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L7DxnwkiVs) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1855 "2022-08-21T17:20:52Z")
Also: [The Kids in the Hall - Guess Your Weight - Bing video](https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=kids+in+the+hall+guess+your+weight+sketch&&view=detail&mid=3B5A0653693C989AB2CB3B5A0653693C989AB2CB&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dkids%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bhall%2Bguess%2Byour%2Bweight%2Bsketch%26qpvt%3Dkids%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bhall%2Bguess%2Byour%2Bweight%2Bsketch%26FORM%3DVDRE) ---
**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:** [August 21, 2022, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1856 "2022-08-21T19:18:02Z")
And: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NBuHWQ6hcoA/maxresdefault.jpg "Guess the Weight - Curb Your Enthusiasm TV Clip HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBuHWQ6hcoA) ---
**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:** [August 22, 2022, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1857 "2022-08-22T21:28:58Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > However I noticed the stuffed animals he was giving away probably wholesaled for less than the fee paid to participate. Yeah, you pay $2 or $3 to have your weight guessed, and if they guess wrong you get a prize worth 25 cents and walk away feeling like you “won”. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1858 "2022-08-22T21:48:52Z")
I have a good friend who is a retired law officer. He said that during his 20 years of public contact, he drew his gun once, and didn’t have to shoot. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1859 "2022-08-22T22:09:40Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Yeah, you pay $2 or $3 to have your weight guessed, and if they guess wrong you get a prize worth 25 cents and walk away feeling like you “won”. Pretty much this. A friend worked in a carnival for many years–mainly because his family owned it–and he got a good look at the business side of the operation, thanks to the family ownership. They’d buy prizes in bulk from a supply house (usually the Rhode Island Novelty Company), and by buying in bulk, would get a good price per individual prize. Say they bought 100 teddy bears for $1 each. Each bear is a prize in a carnival game that costs $1 per play. Most people won’t win on their first try, but perhaps after five or ten tries, they do, and they win a teddy bear. Winners are happy while revenue to the carnival is $5 to $10 for a bear that cost the carnival $1, so the carnival is happy too. And of course, some people will play, but never win, which is free money to the carnival. My friend says that for every $100 they spent on prizes, they could realize $500 to $1000 or more in revenue. Of course, it’s not pure profit, as the carnival had expenses to pay (wages, fees, maintenance, etc.), but it was the buying of prizes in bulk at a minimal cost per prize that was a big factor in helping make sure that expenses could be covered and profits could be realized. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1860 "2022-08-22T22:53:06Z")
Most officers never even pull their guns, and if they do and use them, it’s usually to shoot an injured animal. ---
**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:** [August 23, 2022, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-extremely-common-in-tv-or-movies-but-almost-never-happens-in-real-life/932311/1861 "2022-08-23T01:28:44Z")
Can confirm. I hit a black cow late at night and the trooper that responded shot it in the head with his AR-15. (Might have been an M16 but I doubt it.) [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=92) [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=94)