Unrealistic things in movies and tv shows that drive you crazy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't watch a lot of TV but what I see I'd agree the forced or faked diversity is over the top these days. I live and work around DC, which is pretty diverse, but nothing is ever anything like the diversity the shows try to promote. They're not the only guilty ones. My employer's public facing materials is all "Muslim woman in hijab working closely with very obviously progressive gay man and everyone getting along wonderfully" which only makes me roll my eyes.

On a similar line of thinking, the fake diversity in historical movies rubs me in the wrong way too. It's become all about an agenda, not authenticity or accuracy.

So really, what would you like? Just a bunch of white people in everything? The more diversity we see on screen, the less jarring it will be, and in 15 years hopefully people will not blink an eye at diversity in programming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people from Friends always being able to get those prime seats in the coffee shop.

And the gigantic apartments

Only Monica and Rachel had a gigantic apartment - Joey and Chandler's was pretty normal looking. And Monica was supposed to have inherited it from her grandmother - it was rent controlled. I don't find that SO crazy unrealistic - maybe the part that is is that the building would have apartments across the hall from each other where one is so big and the other is so small.

And back in the 90s you could get a good seat at a coffee shop and park yourself there all day! I used to do it all the time!!

[Anonymous]

A very DC example - I like shows like Criminal Minds, etc, and if DH is around while I'm watching and there's a scene in a SCIF he always goes "that's not what a SCIF looks like!" I get that they want to make it look cooler than it really is in real life

[Anonymous]

Shows where teachers wear nice clothing. Maybe I work in a dump of a school but nobody except the head honchos from district headquarters wear nice clothing in a school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people from Friends always being able to get those prime seats in the coffee shop.

And the gigantic apartments

Only Monica and Rachel had a gigantic apartment - Joey and Chandler's was pretty normal looking. And Monica was supposed to have inherited it from her grandmother - it was rent controlled. I don't find that SO crazy unrealistic - maybe the part that is is that the building would have apartments across the hall from each other where one is so big and the other is so small.

And back in the 90s you could get a good seat at a coffee shop and park yourself there all day! I used to do it all the time!!

This. Their apartments did not look like they were in the same building. I never understood the complaints about Monica's apartment. It was very clear she was using her grandmother's rent controlled apartment. It was a plot point in a couple early episodes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shows where teachers wear nice clothing. Maybe I work in a dump of a school but nobody except the head honchos from district headquarters wear nice clothing in a school.

In my kids schools in San Francisco all the teachers dress nicely (public school) and dress extra nice (a dress, a button down shirt instead of a polo, etc.) for Back to School nights or parent/teacher conferences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't watch a lot of TV but what I see I'd agree the forced or faked diversity is over the top these days. I live and work around DC, which is pretty diverse, but nothing is ever anything like the diversity the shows try to promote. They're not the only guilty ones. My employer's public facing materials is all "Muslim woman in hijab working closely with very obviously progressive gay man and everyone getting along wonderfully" which only makes me roll my eyes.

On a similar line of thinking, the fake diversity in historical movies rubs me in the wrong way too. It's become all about an agenda, not authenticity or accuracy.

It's about inclusivity. If a character does not have to be a certain race, do you feel they should always be white because most Americans are (still) white?

Yes, the one-from-every-column diversity approach is a bit obvious, but I think it's a vast improvement over older TV shows where every character no matter how minor was always white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shows where teachers wear nice clothing. Maybe I work in a dump of a school but nobody except the head honchos from district headquarters wear nice clothing in a school.

In my kids schools in San Francisco all the teachers dress nicely (public school) and dress extra nice (a dress, a button down shirt instead of a polo, etc.) for Back to School nights or parent/teacher conferences.

Here we get t shirts and torn leggings. Growing up the teachers dressed nicely and you knew when one was coming down the hall because of the clicking of their shoes. Now they wear tennis shoes, but that makes more sense for elementary school than dress shoes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A very DC example - I like shows like Criminal Minds, etc, and if DH is around while I'm watching and there's a scene in a SCIF he always goes "that's not what a SCIF looks like!" I get that they want to make it look cooler than it really is in real life

The one the FBI had in The Americans

[Anonymous]

Love at first sight with happily ever afters, with minimal drama in between. Or they have horrible drama and end up super happy and fine afterwards. That never happens in real life!!

Another peeve is hot affair partners. Most people's APs are very normal average looking, if not downright dumpy frumpy and ugly and they stink.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How people on sitcoms just barge into other people’s houses without even knocking

Yes, I cannot stand this one.

Like how Willona constantly walked into the Evan’s apartment on Good Times.

Which didn’t make any sense when you consider that the Evan’s lived in Cabrini-Green which was the most dangerous housing project in the nation at the time.

I also cannot stand how in horror movies, how doors mysteriously do not open.
Seems they only get stuck when someone is being chased.
And why do vehicles always stall??!
Of course - only when someone is being chased by a serial killer!! 😅

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Here’s mine: When two characters from the same foreign country speak to each other in broken, heavily accented English rather than their mother tongue. That never EVER happens in real life. It’s baffling to me why directors always do this. I mean, directors: If you can’t find two American actors who speak fluent German, then just hire a couple of German actors and use subtitles for their scenes. It will make the movie feel more authentic and the audience will appreciate that you respect their intelligence.

this actually does happen in real life especially in America!!! Sometimes people do not ask each other if they speak the same language just to be polite. And find out later that they could’ve been speaking in whateverlish the whole time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perfect hair all the time.
This is a weird one but when a character has many different coats. Maybe some people do but most regular people I know always wear one, max two winter coats.

My closet system fell apart because my coats were so heavy. Relics from when I commuted by bus and needed to stay warm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People walk in from a day out and head to the kitchen to eat or cook and never wash their hands.

This has bothered me since I was a young kid. The first thing we do is wash our hands when we come home.

I don’t actually think this is unrealistic. That’s definitely not the first thing everyone does.

It's unrealistic for me. It's was the norm for me, my parents, and their parents. It's also what I have taught my children. Maybe it's culture (we are Black) or regional (parents are from the south), but all my friends and family wash their hands when they come home and before eating or cooking.

I do realize that others don't do this. Its one of the reasons I will never eat at an office potluck.

Yes, I'm Asian. One of the first things I do when I walk into the house is washing my hands. Not my white DH though!

Same. We are Latino. I’ve worked fast food as a teen. We come home remove outside shoes at the door and wash hands at a minimum. I generally take a second quick shower so I don’t smell like work. I still do this especially in summer. My kids would never walk in off the street and touch the fridge handles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Super hot girl with unattractive guy, even though he isn't rich...

- Knocked Up
- She's out of my league (yeah, I know its part of the premise, but it is completely unbelievable as a TSA worker. Maybe if he was a doctor, or IT worker)

There are lots more... but not so many the other way (hot dude with not-hot chick)... maybe Big Fat Greek Wedding??

Katie Heigl “super hot”? She was pushing maximum density back then and it hasn’t improved. Meanwhile Seth Rogan is a legit sex symbol now. Unfair but men get hotter until 50 or so. The “cute” blonde girls at the bar? Not so much. Turns out drinking all the time and opening wide for every Chad who can afford an apartment will put some serious mileage on you.

I don’t like any of what you just said. I can’t address it. I don’t even have the words. Say what?