# What takes you out of a TV show or movie that’s actually trivial? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, movies\ **Created:** [September 23, 2026, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299 "2026-09-23T01:49:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/121 "2026-09-24T12:35:29Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > > [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > > > Berets are almost always so, so wrong. A soldier with a beret spends a day getting it shaved and shaped so it looks and fits just the right way. Most show and movie berets look like they just got pulled out of a bag and puffed up. > > What? I probably should have said shaving and shaping instead of “getting it shaved,” but yes, fitting a beret involves shaving the fuzz and shaping it to fit your head. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yt7S3jYN87s/maxresdefault.jpg "Shape your Beret! - The Airborne Minute") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt7S3jYN87s) ---
**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:** [September 24, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/122 "2026-09-24T12:44:56Z")
> [@Cachalot](#): > > That’s because the actor doesn’t actually know how to play the guitar. I agree it’s distracting as hell. Well, yeah, that’s why. Just as in my pistol shooting example-- the actors in old movies and TV shows had no idea how to properly fake shooting a gun, and the creators of those entertainments didn’t give a crap about it. > [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > I probably should have said shaving and shaping instead of “getting it shaved,” but yes, fitting a beret involves shaving the fuzz and shaping it to fit your head. Wow, I had no idea there was so much care and feeding involved in beret ownership. I really learn something new every day here. I’d probably go through 3 or 4 berets, accidentally shaving a hole into them, or getting the leather band wet and ruining it, before I got it right. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/123 "2026-09-24T13:08:20Z")
the exterior shot of the housein Full/er House doesnt match the interior.The exterior has the iconic red door with a window next to it and the corner of the building. The interior has the door, the window and then a whole staircase. Trivial but it bugs me everythime I see it. ---
**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:** [September 24, 2026, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/124 "2026-09-24T13:37:13Z")
Did drill instructors berate recruits for having fuzzy berets? I always wondered about [Pat Tillman’s beret](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Corporal_Patrick_Tillman.jpg?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=parser&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)- was the droop exaggerated, or did everybody cover their right eye like that? ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/125 "2026-09-24T15:26:43Z")
It’s a bit exaggerated but I’ve seen berets worn in an even more [pronounced manner](https://www.facebook.com/82ndAirborneDivision/posts/getting-back-into-the-fight-sergeant-first-class-ricardo-montoya-operations-nonc/518863860281903/). Compare that to Tommy Lee Jones and Gene Hackman in [The Package](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098051/mediaviewer/rm3610330112/?ref_=ttmi_mi_13_1), Jones is supposed to look like garbage as part of the role but the beret looks all puffy and askew to me. Most berets in movies and TV shows are the [wrong size or aren’t shaped beforehand](https://i0.wp.com/militaryrealism.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/figure-3.png?resize=1171%2C501&ssl=1). I don’t know about drills now but I can imagine them having a beret class at some point during training. I went through Basic in 89 and recruits didn’t have berets then - only the Airborne, SF, and Ranger units had them. Tankers had black berets in the 60s and 70s but that was before my time. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/126 "2026-09-24T15:34:16Z")
There’s a good reason for the trope where any large amount of money is obscured, (someone writes it down, it becomes inaudible to the audience etc.), because badly calibrated monetary amounts do tend to shake suspension of belief. The Armenian gangster is throwing yet more of his men at this to just recover HOW MUCH? ---
**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:** [September 24, 2026, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/127 "2026-09-24T16:06:56Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > the exterior shot of the housein Full/er House doesnt match the interior.The exterior has the iconic red door with a window next to it and the corner of the building. The interior has the door, the window and then a whole staircase. Trivial but it bugs me everythime I see it. Then if you’re a Seinfeld fan, by all means, _ **do not read this article!** _ > **[Seinfeld’s impossible apartment is only the tip of the show’s...](https://forward.com/culture/467313/seinfelds-impossible-hall-bizarro-jerry-sitcom-jewish-superman-physics/)** > > A Reddit use said that Jerry Seinfeld's hallway on "Seinfeld" makes no sense. This is by design, part of the multiverse or Bizarro World. ---
**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:** [September 24, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/128 "2026-09-24T16:12:42Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Almost as bad as “Lethal Weapon,” where Mel Gibson starts chasing a bad guy in Van Nuys, turns a corner and is suddenly on Sunset in Hollywood. Yeah, this kind of thing is so common in movies filmed in SoCal that I hardly notice any more. Maybe I’ll just chuckle wryly while sipping my drink. > [@markn\_1](#): > > Our living is actually what’s usually called a great room, I guess. It’s about 35 feet across, and if we put the couch against a wall and the TV against the opposite wall, we’d need binoculars to watch TV. We’re in a small townhouse, and I have bookcases on both long walls in the living room. There’s no wall left to put the couch against. Plus, it actually makes the room seem bigger because it’s like an extra space behind the coudh. > [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > It’s a bit exaggerated but I’ve seen berets worn in an even more [pronounced manner](https://www.facebook.com/82ndAirborneDivision/posts/getting-back-into-the-fight-sergeant-first-class-ricardo-montoya-operations-nonc/518863860281903/). What’s the point of wearing a beret that’s covering your _entire eye_? ---
**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:** [September 24, 2026, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/129 "2026-09-24T16:34:29Z")
> [@colinfred](#): > > There’s a good reason for the trope where any large amount of money is obscured, (someone writes it down, it becomes inaudible to the audience etc.), because badly calibrated monetary amounts do tend to shake suspension of belief. As alluded to in a sly meta-joke on _The Office_: > **Michael:** I’m going to give you a piece of paper. I want you to write down how much you want, then I want you to slide it back across the desk to me. > > **Darryl:** Why can’t I just tell you? > > **Michael:** Because that is the way these things are done, in films. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/130 "2026-09-24T16:56:32Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > What’s the point of wearing a beret that’s covering your _entire eye_? 🤷‍♂️ Rule of cool? ---
**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:** [September 24, 2026, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/131 "2026-09-24T16:58:46Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > I don’t know about drills now but I can imagine them having a beret class at some point during training. I went through Basic in 89 and recruits didn’t have berets then - only the Airborne, SF, and Ranger units had them. Tankers had black berets in the 60s and 70s but that was before my time. With all the preparation involved, they can’t be wearing these things when they are on combat duty, can they? I’m just envisioning soldiers down in the trenches adjusting their hats perfectly while bullets whiz by. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/132 "2026-09-24T17:01:51Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I’m just envisioning soldiers down in the trenches adjusting their hats perfectly while bullets whiz by. They normally switch to helmets for combat. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/133 "2026-09-24T17:36:36Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > The big one for me is bad gun handling. For this, the one that annoys me is when a cop/detective/government agent/whatever puts their index finger on the trigger when they’re pursing the bad guy, or simply handling the gun. With all the professional training they’ve received, they should know better. But the thing that always takes me out of a movie is when the character on screen is played by a very famous actor. I no longer see them as the character, but the _actor_. Case in point: I watched the series 1883 recently. Good series. But every time (the character) Shea Brennan was on screen, I didn’t see him as Shea Brennan. I saw him as Sam Elliott. Takes me right out of the show. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/134 "2026-09-24T17:38:48Z")
This one just hatched from my memory: Regarding non-native English speakers Sometimes it’s asked of them if they speak English, and they’ll reply with “a little” or somesuch answer. As they speak we can see that although they speak English with a noticeable foreign accent ( Spanish, Italian, German etc ) they seem to posses quite a broad vocabulary and are also notably articulate in their ability to speak abstractly. - **BUT** - when it comes to small pleasantries their English language skills seem to erode, and so their conversation is peppered with “Si!” or “Per favore”, “Gracias”, “Grazie”, “Guten Morgen”. To me it’s an obvious heavy handed way of reminding us dolts that the speaker is not a native English speaker or just what the nationality actually is: as if the location, surname, or accent is too subtle for the audience. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/135 "2026-09-24T17:44:51Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > The big one for me is bad gun handling. [Here’s a classic bit of gun work.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlthhaQag6Y) Up until that point, I was immersed in the movie. ---
**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:** [September 24, 2026, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/136 "2026-09-24T19:46:55Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I think I’ve seen a couple recent examples of shows getting it right, though, finally. One was an episode of _The Pitt_… I’m SO glad that my wife found a show where they’ve got some Actual Medical Non-Idiots on staff. We can watch _The Pitt_ without her shaking her head: “Really?!?” “Oh, God.” “Seriously? No one’s used that machine since the 1990s…” ---
**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:** [September 24, 2026, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/137 "2026-09-24T19:54:34Z")
> [@digs](#): > > We can watch _The Pitt_ without her shaking her head: “Really?!?” “Oh, God.” “Seriously? No one’s used that machine since the 1990s…” Well, in the case of _The Pitt_, an underfunded inner city hospital, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were still using equipment from the 1990s out of necessity, and if that weren’t an accurate depiction of real life inner city hospitals, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/138 "2026-09-24T20:03:02Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Up until that point, I was immersed in the movie. And with his finger on the trigger no less. 😄 ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/139 "2026-09-24T20:11:13Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Things obviously written by west-coasters who have never been to the east coast Noticeable if they say “the 95” instead of “I-95.” ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299/140 "2026-09-24T20:25:17Z")
> [@icon](#): > > At the end of the day, sometimes it helps me to just see everything on screen as an alternate universe that only happens to be, by an extraordinary coincidence, almost exactly, but not quite entirely, like our own world. I really like that, for real. I’m gonna keep that in mind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-takes-you-out-of-a-tv-show-or-movie-that-s-actually-trivial/1033299.md?page=8)