# What’s the most accurate portrayal of your profession in TV/movies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, movies\ **Created:** [February 6, 2021, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333 "2021-02-06T15:06:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [February 6, 2021, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/1 "2021-02-06T15:06:14Z")
Or maybe a profession that you’re very familiar with. As an IT guy, I think that the characters of “Office Space” show the what day to day life in programming is like pretty well. Their plot to steal from the company isn’t even that far-fetched. And as often happens IRL, there’s a bug in the code that draws unwanted attention to them. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2021, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/2 "2021-02-06T15:16:19Z")
I work in a very small family owned store, it’s about as far from being a Walmart type place as it can be, but I can relate to a lot of the stuff I see in Superstore. Specifically all the [random customer stuff](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIPPTsON-n8) they stick between the main scenes. While they’re more over the top for TV, they very much appear to be grounded in reality. I’d imagine someone that works in a big box store doesn’t see them as all that outrageous either. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2021, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/3 "2021-02-07T05:03:07Z")
As an IT guy who worked on y2k stuff AND a guy who previously worked at a corporate restaurant with fucking ridiculous rules AND as a guy that tried hypnotherapy that made me leave IT for something else for a while(ok, hypnotherapy itself may not have causedit), AND as a guy that was obsessed with kung fu(tho not the TV series) Office Space hits me hard. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2021, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/4 "2021-02-07T19:47:40Z")
Previous profession? I think [Bluestone 42](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluestone_42) was pretty good despite the UK/US differences, and the fact that it was a sitcom. Current profession? [Office Space.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_Space). Tripler I’m now an Engineer, who writes specifications. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2021, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/5 "2021-02-07T20:04:35Z")
It was released as [Utopia](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3163562/), but I believe internationally it is rebranded as Dreamland on Netflix [tv show, not the de Caprio movie]. Scarily accurate about how governments get things done. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/6 "2021-02-08T01:46:05Z")
I’ll give the actual answer for the whole board: Office Space ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/7 "2021-02-08T17:52:03Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Their plot to steal from the company isn’t even that far-fetched. And it wasn’t original to the movie – I’d heard the details of their rounding algorithm IRL, before the movie ever came out. And add my ditto to the pile. Office Space nails the corporate cubicle world perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/8 "2021-02-08T18:05:54Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > And it wasn’t original to the movie It’s called “salami slicing” and there’s a wikipedia page for it: > **[Salami slicing tactics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salami_slicing)** > > Salami slicing tactics, also known as salami slicing, salami tactics, the salami-slice strategy, or salami attacks, is the practice of using a series of many small actions to produce a much larger action or result that would be difficult or unlawful to perform all at once. > Politically, the term is used to describe a divide and conquer process of threats and alliances used to overcome opposition. With it, an aggressor can influence and eventually dominate a landscape, typically political, in piec... Hackers and Superman III used it as a plot device before Office Space. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/9 "2021-02-08T19:44:04Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Hackers and Superman III used it as a plot device before Office Space. They even reference Superman in Office Space. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/10 "2021-02-08T19:49:04Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Hackers and Superman III used it as a plot device before Office Space. So did the [Johnny Cash](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmeVwYojB-s). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/11 "2021-02-08T19:56:36Z")
Getting back to the OP, I’d say the most accurate fictional depiction of being a prison guard I’ve ever seen was _[Women of San Quentin](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086601/)_, a 1983 made-for-TV movie. ---
**Author:** ![Strassia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@Strassia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strassia)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/12 "2021-02-08T20:06:52Z")
Down periscope (if the farcical and slapstick elements are ignored), is one of the more accurate representations of submarine life I have seen. The lore of the old hands, claustrophobia, the stress of making do with limited resources. Since I served during a time when there was no threat of any naval battles whatsoever, the feeling of risking life, limb, health, and sanity so someone two or three levels above you can have a better chance of advancement definitely felt about right. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/13 "2021-02-08T21:47:13Z")
While I have not seen it yet, I am going to assume that [The Dig](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3661210/) (on Netflix) is likely the most accurate depiction of an archaeologist. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2021, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/14 "2021-02-09T01:58:30Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I work in a very small family owned store, it’s about as far from being a Walmart type place as it can be, but I can relate to a lot of the stuff I see in Superstore. Specifically all the [random customer stuff](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIPPTsON-n8) they stick between the main scenes. While they’re more over the top for TV, they very much appear to be grounded in reality. I’d imagine someone that works in a big box store doesn’t see them as all that outrageous either Can confirm - kids peeing in toilet displays, customers leaving items all over the store, fleets of able-bodied adults riding around in the mobility carts, all of these I’ve witnessed over the course of a twenty-six year career at a big-box retailer. What you \*didn’\*t see in that clip was the customer coming in two minutes before closing, then holding everybody up while he wandered around getting what he wanted; the customer demanding we take back a return and showing us the receipt for the item…from our competitor; the customer who covers the men’s room toilet seat with a three-inch high stack of seat covers and toilet paper, then leaves it for the next person to dispose of; the customer who needs a “standard” door, window, or length of carpet; and the perennial classic, the customer who approaches you while you’re wearing your highly-visible red vest/blue vest/red shirt and nametag/orange apron and asks, “Do you work here?” ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/15 "2021-02-09T13:12:27Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > What you \*didn’\*t see in that clip was the customer coming in two minutes before closing, then holding everybody up while he wandered around getting what he wanted I always think we should have a rule that if you come into the store with less than 5 minutes left, you’re not allowed to take a cart or basket, _especially_ when you say ‘sorry, I know you’re closing I just need two things’…well, then you don’t need a shopping cart do you. A few years back I closed up the store just a minute or two early, which I’ll do if we’re empty since in my many years of experience, the majority of people that walk in at 6:59 don’t realize we close in one minute, they think they still have (at least) an hour left. After I locked the doors, someone pulled into the lot, saw we were closed and not 10 minutes later I got a nasty email from them about they ‘thought we were open until 7’ and how they got there ‘with 5 minutes left’ and how we ‘just lost a 50 dollar sale’ and so on. I deleted the email without replying because, had I replied, I would have felt obligated to tell her that, our cameras show her pulling into the lot at 6:59:30 and I don’t believe she would be able to get out of her car, get to the door, buy $50 worth of stuff and be back out in 90 seconds. I’ve had people call at 6:55, tell me they’re 10 minutes away and ask us to stay open a little longer so they can grab some milk…nope, not happening. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/16 "2021-02-09T16:43:51Z")
Maybe not the hilarious hijinks aspect, but I feel Silicon Valley really captured the essence of the tech startup. This coming from an engineer that’s been in several tech startups. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/17 "2021-02-09T18:24:02Z")
> [@Strassia](#): > > (if the farcical and slapstick elements are ignored), is one of the more accurate representations Similarly,_Four Rooms_ depicts the hotel business. The plot events, of course, are utterly ridiculous. But it captures the feel of working the graveyard shift. Boredom and frustration, punctuated by moments of absurdity. The requirement to be polite to people who don’t reciprocate. The movie is slow in many places, but the ending makes it all worthwhile. It involves an annoying customer, and a hatchet. (Not that I would ever do such a thing, of course.) I love that movie. ---
**Author:** ![ASGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@ASGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/18 "2021-02-11T16:18:18Z")
I installed equipment in a few newspaper newsrooms from 1978 to 1985. I always thought the last two seasons of the tv show Lou Grant (1970-77) accurately depicted what a newsroom looked like at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2021, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-accurate-portrayal-of-your-profession-in-tv-movies/932333/19 "2021-11-26T01:52:48Z")
> [@ASGuy](#): > > Lou Grant (1970-77) (1977-82)? Or did you mean MTM?