Yahoo Lifestyle 17 Things Commonly Portrayed In TV Shows And Movies That Really Are Not Common At All
We've all had that moment while watching a TV show or movie when we saw something portrayed on screen that made us say to ourselves, "That doesn't happen like that in real life!"
Recently, Reddit user rustyyryan wanted to know about those "that never happens IRL" moments when they asked: "What American thing is not that common but shown in many Hollywood movies/TV shows?"
The thread got over 5.2K responses. Below are the top, best, and most-often repeated comments:
1."Empty parking spaces on city streets."
2."Moms making huge breakfasts that no one eats."
"This is the one. Every time, I’m like, 'What time are these kids getting up? What time does school start?'"
3."I noticed that no one has screens on their windows on TV. Where I live the bugs would carry you away."
"This one drives my husband crazy. He always comments on this when someone opens a window, sticks their head out, or throws something out. Could not do that where I live."
4."The houses and apartments shown do not represent the living conditions of most folks."
"One of the reasons Spielberg's films from the '80s/'90s were so believable was that he insisted on houses looking lived in. The Goonies and E.T. both showed messy houses, single parents, scruffy kids, etc."
5."Classes last longer than for the teacher to say something pithy, ask someone a question and then hear the bell ring. School buses don't honk for your lollygagging ass. If the bus stop is empty, they keep driving."
"Schools that apparently have no classes at all. Everyone loiters in the hallways having plot conversations until a bell rings."
6."Leaving a bunch of beer bottles or shot glasses on the bar so we know that they're drunk. In real life, the bartenders take away the empties."
"Also, the whole 'leave the bottle' thing. You can probably technically buy a whole bottle at some bars, but 90% of bars would not allow customers to pour their own drinks, and only a terrible bartender would allow a single person to have their own bottle of liquor. It would be wildly irresponsible and probably illegal. Hell, in some states you can’t even pour your own drinks in bottle service."
7."Halloween party costumes are much more elaborate on TV compared to real life."
"Halloween costumes on TV are always ridiculous because the people making the show have access to a Hollywood costume department. You never see anyone in some crap they picked up at Spirit Halloween 30 minutes before the party."
8."The idea that you could be like six months behind on rent before they threaten to evict you, or six months behind on the power bill before they cut off your electricity. Maybe it used to be like that, but it sure isn’t anymore."
9."Abrupt endings to conversations or phone calls without saying bye."
10."Nobody ever has to ask someone to repeat themselves in a movie. I probably say, 'What?' about 60 times a day."
"This is all TV and movies. Nobody ever stumbles over their words unless it is a plot-necessary miscommunication or the bumbly can't get my words out trope."
11."People in a bar ordering a 'beer.' In real life, the server would likely be exasperated and ask about brand/kind and quantity."
"This one drives me nuts. I have never once in my 14 years working at restaurants and bars had someone just order a 'beer.'"
12."Being able to talk and have a conversation in a loud bar with music playing."
13."Women having sex while wearing a bra the whole time. That's the first or second thing I take off of her."
14."Shoes on the bed."
"I absolutely hate that trope. People with their shoes on beds or sofas. Hate it."
15."At schools, teachers give assignments like normal people and don't shout it at the class as they're departing after the bell rings."
16."Presents where the box lid is wrapped separately from the rest of the box."
"This drives me crazy! I get it...it would be a huge hassle to have to re-wrap a present for every take, plus you have to worry about continuity, but I have literally never seen a present wrapped this way in my life."
17."On Law and Order, when the police come and people keep doing their drone jobs. Sorry, but the most exciting thing in my day is a visit by the police, so I’m stopping everything, offering coffee, asking lots of questions, and ratting out my neighbors on unrelated things!"
"The other thing with Law and Order and other cop shows is that people always act annoyed toward the cops. IRL, the vast majority of people are not going to act that way. I’ve had a couple of cop visits and I was always shocked and kind of nervous and there was no way I would have acted like they were getting on my nerves!"
18."Cars exploding in a crash."
"My husband is a firefighter, and he hates car explosion scenes in movies because they don't happen the way movies show them happening."
19.And lastly, "Kids dressed up for school. Most teenagers today wear a baggy sweatshirt or a large T-shirt to school."
"Kids dressed up for school, which would result in them being sent home to change. Like, be real. Buffy (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) didn’t wear a single outfit that wasn’t a flagrant dress code violation. Also, teens wearing stilettos to school."
You can read the original thread on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
