Faux Life: Things That Happen On TV But Not In Reality

[Mabinogia]

13 hours ago, smittykins said:

And don’t forget the “L-shaped sheet” that covers the woman from her armpits down, but only the man’s waist.

I've looked everywhere, in every store for those L-shaped sheets. Can't find them anywhere, so I guess it's bra sex for me. haha

I do laugh though, when it's obvious the couple just had sex, like, climax was seconds ago, and they get out of bed with knickers on. I always wonder how they got tab A into slot B with all that fabric in the way. lol 

2 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

Apparently,  anyone who has permission to shadow the someone in the police department can do so for an extended period of time and is allowed to read files and question suspects. 

For those in law enforcement, is that even a thing? Like, is it standard procedure to let random writers, actors, the devil, or whoever, just hang out with officers in the line of duty? That doesn't seem safe to me. At least not the way they do it on TV, since it's never a random traffic stop but is usually a murder. 

[Bort]

26 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

I do laugh though, when it's obvious the couple just had sex, like, climax was seconds ago, and they get out of bed with knickers on. I always wonder how they got tab A into slot B with all that fabric in the way. lol 

I laugh that nobody objects to having to lay in the wet spot.

[Bastet]

38 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

I do laugh though, when it's obvious the couple just had sex, like, climax was seconds ago, and they get out of bed with knickers on. I always wonder how they got tab A into slot B with all that fabric in the way. lol 

It's pretty easy to move, especially for men, and sometimes it's fun to indeed just shove aside what's in the way and go for it, but, yeah, it's odd how many TV folks who've just had seemingly un-hurried sex in a bed apparently did so without taking those few seconds to pull underwear off instead of fussing with it when it's given the opportunity to snap back.

[MaryPatShelby]

On 12/24/2021 at 12:25 PM, Shannon L. said:

I don't like bathing or showering in general, so I never bathe and only take quick showers. There's nothing relaxing about it for me and the only time I linger a little longer than usual is if I'm really cold. Other than that, it's simply another chore that needs to get done.

One of my very favorite moments of every day is when I'm done with the "getting ready in the bathroom" part.  The quicker I can become presentable the better; this is probably why I've never been a makeup gal.  

Edited December 31, 2021 by MaryPatShelby

[DearEvette]

15 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

Apparently,  anyone who has permission to shadow the someone in the police department can do so for an extended period of time and is allowed to read files and question suspects. 

Apparently that was really true in the case of David Simon.  He was a journalist on the police beat who decided to take a leave from his job and was given permission to shadow the Baltimore PD for a year. He was made a 'police intern' and worked with them,  did ride alongs even one tome helped apprehend a suspect.  
 

All of his experiences made it to book, called Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and of course was  later turned into a two tv shows: Homicide: Life on The Streets and The Wire.

But yeah, he is an exception.

[possibilities]

People on TV show up at each other's homes with no warning, just to tell them one simple thing they could have called, texted, or emailed in a few seconds. And... since this is my biggest tv peeve of all time and I can't get over it... people are always home when this happens and they open the door without checking who is there first. 

[Mabinogia]

32 minutes ago, possibilities said:

People on TV show up at each other's homes with no warning, just to tell them one simple thing they could have called, texted, or emailed in a few seconds. And... since this is my biggest tv peeve of all time and I can't get over it... people are always home when this happens and they open the door without checking who is there first. 

If my doorbell rings and I wasn't expecting anyone I panic. First I freeze and look at the door all "what was that?" then I try to think if I was expecting a package that might have needed a signature, all this while staying perfectly still and silent hoping that, if not a package, whoever it is will just go away. 

[Bastet]

My neighbor semi-frequently brings me food when she makes extra of something, so if my doorbell rings unexpectedly, I hope it's her.  But I do check to see before opening it. 

[Annber03]

Speaking of doors, I always get a kick out of it on a TV show when someone opens the front door to come inside...and leaves the door open. I just keep thinking about all the bugs and whatnot that they're letting in :p. 

[RealHousewife]

 

15 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Speaking of doors, I always get a kick out of it on a TV show when someone opens the front door to come inside...and leaves the door open. I just keep thinking about all the bugs and whatnot that they're letting in :p. 

That's such a good point!

I'm not a big fan of people randomly dropping by. It's one thing if it's a neighbor who's not making a big trip and won't be disappointed if you don't answer the door. But in general, call or text first! The person you want to visit may not be home, could be sick, working from home, using the bathroom, showering, having sex, etc. It's crazy to assume people are always ready to see you and have you over. 

[andromeda331]

6 hours ago, MaryPatShelby said:

One of my very favorite moments of every day is when I'm done with the "getting ready in the bathroom" part.  The quicker I can become presentable the better; this is probably why I've never been a makeup gal.  

Same here. I'm not a morning person at all. So I've always managed my time down to the shortest amount of time I need to get dressed and ready for work in order to get more sleep. 

[Annber03]

2 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

Same here. I'm not a morning person at all. So I've always managed my time down to the shortest amount of time I need to get dressed and ready for work in order to get more sleep. 

Same :D. 

4 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

I'm not a big fan of people randomly dropping by. It's one thing if it's a neighbor who's not making a big trip and won't be disappointed if you don't answer the door. But in general, call or text first! The person you want to visit may not be home, could be sick, working from home, using the bathroom, showering, having sex, etc. It's crazy to assume people are always ready to see you and have you over. 

There was a "Frasier" episode once where Frasier was dealing with a caller who complained about their in-laws constantly dropping by unannounced, and said caller wound up dropping to the floor and whispering during the call because they heard their ln-laws pulling up.

Later, at home, Niles calls to let Frasier know he's coming over and explains, once he arrives, "I heard your show today, and I wouldn't dream of dropping by unannounced." 

[Cotypubby]

On 12/30/2021 at 8:47 AM, Anduin said:

Funny you bring that up right now. Just today, I idlly found myself wondering how they do that. Is it a literal L-shaped sheet? Clever folding, or am I not seeing the sheet's diagonal line between her chest and his waist? I ask because I can't think of a movie I own with that situation in it.

It’s a sheet, not a piece of cardboard. You can pull it into any shape you’d like. I’ve never understood why people make a big deal about this.

[juno]

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

Speaking of doors, I always get a kick out of it on a TV show when someone opens the front door to come inside...and leaves the door open. I just keep thinking about all the bugs and whatnot that they're letting in :p. 

What I find even more amazing is when they leave they just close the door. No locking.

[Browncoat]

3 minutes ago, juno said:

What I find even more amazing is when they leave they just close the door. No locking.

My front door locks when I close it.  I have to double check that I've got my keys so I don't accidentally lock myself out.

[Zella]

2 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Speaking of doors, I always get a kick out of it on a TV show when someone opens the front door to come inside...and leaves the door open. I just keep thinking about all the bugs and whatnot that they're letting in :p. 

This really ticks me off. 

I was also watching something last night in which two world leaders were basically skyping and they just abruptly ended the call without saying goodbye. The utter rudeness of that always astonishes me. I'm from the South. We spend 30 minutes saying goodbye. Literally. That Skype call was just getting started as far as I'm concerned!

I talked to my 88-year-old great-uncle yesterday and we spent 30 minutes talking and then 30 minutes saying goodbye and remembering something else to say. 😂

Edited December 31, 2021 by Zella

[Annber03]

6 minutes ago, Zella said:

I'm from the South. We spend 30 minutes saying goodbye. Literally. That Skype call was just getting started as far as I'm concerned!

I talked to my 88-year-old great-uncle yesterday and we spent 30 minutes talking and then 30 minutes saying goodbye and remembering something else to say. 😂

Midwesterner here, and same XD. The whole, "Well, I suppose we should get going..." followed by a question that leads to a whole new round of conversation. Repeat as needed for at least the next hour or so. 

[JustHereForFood]

4 hours ago, possibilities said:

People on TV show up at each other's homes with no warning, just to tell them one simple thing they could have called, texted, or emailed in a few seconds. And... since this is my biggest tv peeve of all time and I can't get over it... people are always home when this happens and they open the door without checking who is there first. 

Not only that, they open the door within seconds, as if they were doing nothing better, just waiting by the door in case someone might show up.

[RealHousewife]

1 hour ago, juno said:

What I find even more amazing is when they leave they just close the door. No locking.

Yes! I've said this before but on TV, there are all these rich folks who don't bother to lock and turn the alarm on. My middle-class behind without much to steal is more cautious.

1 minute ago, JustHereForFood said:

Not only that, they open the door within seconds, as if they were doing nothing better, just waiting by the door in case someone might show up.

Yes, their lives have more excitement than ours, but somehow they're always home and ready for guests. 

53 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Midwesterner here, and same XD. The whole, "Well, I suppose we should get going..." followed by a question that leads to a whole new round of conversation. Repeat as needed for at least the next hour or so. 

Hahaha yeah I've experienced trying to get off the phone with someone and it taking another hour. lol

[Zella]

Just now, RealHousewife said:

Hahaha yeah I've experienced trying to get off the phone with someone and it taking another hour. lol

My granny sometimes invents people at the door as an excuse to actually hang up. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Mabinogia]

23 minutes ago, Zella said:

My granny sometimes invents people at the door as an excuse to actually hang up.

Depending on the time, I either go with "oh, my food is ready" or "sorry, gotta pee"

[Zella]

1 minute ago, Mabinogia said:

Depending on the time, I either go with "oh, my food is ready" or "sorry, gotta pee"

LOL Those are good! I also once heard her use "I'm expecting a package, and the mail should be here any minute!" 

Ron Howard Narrator Voice: There was no package. The mail would not be there any minute.

Edited January 1, 2022 by Zella

[Raja]

16 hours ago, Zella said:

This really ticks me off. 

I was also watching something last night in which two world leaders were basically skyping and they just abruptly ended the call without saying goodbye. The utter rudeness of that always astonishes me. I'm from the South. We spend 30 minutes saying goodbye. Literally. That Skype call was just getting started as far as I'm concerned!

I talked to my 88-year-old great-uncle yesterday and we spent 30 minutes talking and then 30 minutes saying goodbye and remembering something else to say. 😂

Well they are world leaders. I can imagine the "I said good day sir!" scene and then the leader turns to the General and orders the nation to defcon 2.

[shlbycindyk]

On 12/31/2021 at 5:56 PM, juno said:

What I find even more amazing is when they leave they just close the door. No locking.

There was an episode in Friends where Chandler was moving in with Monica.  She makes a small production of giving him a key to the door and he mentions he appreciates it even though no one has actually locked the door in five years. 

[possibilities]

People on TV always have amazing Halloween costumes.

[ShortyMac]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

People on TV always have amazing Halloween costumes.

And they can always get one at the last minute. 

[shlbycindyk]

33 minutes ago, ShortyMac said:

And they can always get one at the last minute. 

But for some reason, they either forget to get candy or don't have enough.

[Shannon L.]

When some is stalling another person, without a real time frame of how long they need to stall, their speech always ends at just the right second--even when they can't see the person/event they are waiting for (ex. they're in a room with no windows and the knock comes at just the right time).

Edited January 2, 2022 by Shannon L.

[janie jones]

On 12/31/2021 at 2:54 PM, Cotypubby said:

It’s a sheet, not a piece of cardboard. You can pull it into any shape you’d like. I’ve never understood why people make a big deal about this.

Same. And I don't like feeling cool air on my nipples, so I always cover up. The L-shaped sheets are completely unremarkable to me.

On 12/31/2021 at 3:01 PM, Browncoat said:

My front door locks when I close it.  I have to double check that I've got my keys so I don't accidentally lock myself out.

Yeah, but the people on TV who aren't locking the door behind them are the same ones whose neighbors barge in without knocking, so we know the doors aren't automatically locking.

I don't own a white bra, and the store I work at doesn't even sell them. Granted, we don't have a huge bra selection, but I don't think they're going to waste the limited space on bras that aren't going to sell, so this leads me to conclude that white bras aren't actually that popular.

[Haleth]

18 hours ago, janie jones said:

Yeah, but the people on TV who aren't locking the door behind them are the same ones whose neighbors barge in without knocking, so we know the doors aren't automatically locking.

Unless they are caught outside naked and have to hide in the bushes.

[possibilities]

On TV, people leave their fingerprints all over the place when they are secretly investigating something. I just saw this on The Equalizer tonight, but it happens all the time. Wear gloves,for Godsake! You're breaking and entering for vigilante purposes! You don't want your fingerprints on the scene!!!!!

[DoubleUTeeEff]

Whenever there is laundry hanging or being hanged on a laundry line outside, it is always sheets and never the fitted sheets, only flat sheets. Maybe there will be some attractive looking woman's lingerie or nighty but that's it, usually just sheets.

[andromeda331]

I know this one comes up a lot. Doctors who knows everything about every field including how to perform all surgeries regardless of what their field is. Might even be able to treat animals.

[Rootbeer]

17 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

I know this one comes up a lot. Doctors who knows everything about every field including how to perform all surgeries regardless of what their field is. Might even be able to treat animals.

A corollary to this:  anytime a patient codes on a TV show, they are almost always a young, healthy trauma victim and the Code is almost always successful and they recover fully.

In real life, most people who code in the hospital are elderly with multiple medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and the Code is due to disease, not trauma.  Also, only about a quarter of patients who suffer a cardiac arrest in the hospital survive long enough to be discharged from the hospital and a significant number suffer neurologic injury due to lack of oxygen during the arrest.

If someone has a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, their survival rate is around 6%.

[JustHereForFood]

I don't watch medical shows, because I would end up being scared of every posible illness that is mentioned, but on other shows wherever someone starts suffering from any condition, or they just pass out unexpectedly, the doctors know immediately what is wrong with them and how to treat it. I would like to be able to go to one of those hospitals, instead of having to schedule for tests weeks in advance, only to be told that there is no clear answer for the cause of my symptoms.

On second thought, on TV it is often either a pregnancy or some terminal condition, so maybe not.

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

Whenever there is laundry hanging or being hanged on a laundry line outside, it is always sheets and never the fitted sheets, only flat sheets. Maybe there will be some attractive looking woman's lingerie or nighty but that's it, usually just sheets.

In a period piece, I get this.  Fitted sheets are a modern invention made for those who hate doing hospital corners and have the disposable income for a sheet set.  Fitted sheets have less versatility than flat sheets.  They are also a bitch to fold. 

[Rootbeer]

1 hour ago, JustHereForFood said:

I don't watch medical shows, because I would end up being scared of every posible illness that is mentioned, but on other shows wherever someone starts suffering from any condition, or they just pass out unexpectedly, the doctors know immediately what is wrong with them and how to treat it. I would like to be able to go to one of those hospitals, instead of having to schedule for tests weeks in advance, only to be told that there is no clear answer for the cause of my symptoms.

On second thought, on TV it is often either a pregnancy or some terminal condition, so maybe not.

I have always been amazed at how many TV pregnancies are diagnosed by the mother to be passing out.  I have practiced OB for going on 40 years, have delivered thousands of babies and have yet to see syncope (fainting spell) as a symptom of pregnancy.

Edited January 3, 2022 by Rootbeer

[Browncoat]

1 hour ago, Rootbeer said:

I have practiced OB for going on 40 years, have delivered thousands of babies and have yet to see syncope (fainting spell) as a symptom of pregnancy.

I haven't known very many pregnant people, but I have known two to pass out during the early days of their pregnancies  Of course it could have been coincidental, but they were not known to faint on the regular.  One of them ended up on bed rest with placenta previa.  

[Moose135]

3 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

Doctors who knows everything about every field including how to perform all surgeries regardless of what their field is. Might even be able to treat animals.

I watch a lot of old Emergency! episodes, the ER doctors also do all sorts of surgery when needed, and one time even operated on a small goat, using instructions relayed over the phone from a vet.

[Shannon L.]

I remember seeing a  pregnant woman fainting once in my lifetime,  but it was at an outdoor event on a really hot and humid day and she appeared to be in her 3rd trimester.  I'm sure all three of those factors had a lot to do with it.

[Rootbeer]

1 hour ago, Moose135 said:

I watch a lot of old Emergency! episodes, the ER doctors also do all sorts of surgery when needed, and one time even operated on a small goat, using instructions relayed over the phone from a vet.

Weirdly enough, Emergency was from an era before there were many ER residencies and many of the docs working in the ER were general surgeons interested in trauma.  So, I would expect that many of them would be able to perform surgery.  If you watch the credits for the show, the two main docs have the initials 'FACS' after their names.  That stands for Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.  They are board certified in general surgery.  The American College of Emergency Physicians, which board certifies emergency medicine specialists was originally founded in 1968, just a few years before the TV show debuted.  Most of the original members 'grandfathered' into their board certification after doing residencies in other specialties and then working in ER's.

Now, on the TV show ER, that's a whole 'nother thing.  Those ER docs were constantly doing specialized procedures that most of them would've never even seen, let alone performed.  They were also up to date on all the latest, most obscure treatments for everything; frequently telling the specialists how to treat diseases while the doc was completely unaware of advances in their own specialty.  Not so much.

[Blergh]

To obscure Kim Fields being shorter and younger than the other regulars, for the first season, they had Tootie on Facts of Life (1979-1988) skate everywhere-  including climbing up/down stairs, in bedroom scenes and even when mounting a horse to escape a flood! 

While many  kids watching may have skated or wished they COULD have skated as much as possible indoors, few if any would have worn them when getting ready for bed much less climbing on stairs or horses! 

[andromeda331]

7 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

I have always been amazed at how many TV pregnancies are diagnosed by the mother to be passing out.  I have practiced OB for going on 40 years, have delivered thousands of babies and have yet to see syncope (fainting spell) as a symptom of pregnancy.

So am I. I've never been pregnant but I've fainted a lot since my teens due to various health issues. I haven't had anyone ask me if I was pregnant from the faintings. From vomiting a lot but never fainting.

[DrSpaceman73]

12 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

Weirdly enough, Emergency was from an era before there were many ER residencies and many of the docs working in the ER were general surgeons interested in trauma.  So, I would expect that many of them would be able to perform surgery.  If you watch the credits for the show, the two main docs have the initials 'FACS' after their names.  That stands for Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.  They are board certified in general surgery.  The American College of Emergency Physicians, which board certifies emergency medicine specialists was originally founded in 1968, just a few years before the TV show debuted.  Most of the original members 'grandfathered' into their board certification after doing residencies in other specialties and then working in ER's.

Now, on the TV show ER, that's a whole 'nother thing.  Those ER docs were constantly doing specialized procedures that most of them would've never even seen, let alone performed.  They were also up to date on all the latest, most obscure treatments for everything; frequently telling the specialists how to treat diseases while the doc was completely unaware of advances in their own specialty.  Not so much.

On house they did this too.  As residents no less.  Do all procedures themselves, even do the mris and imaging studies themselves.  

[shlbycindyk]

On 1/3/2022 at 3:23 PM, Rootbeer said:

I have always been amazed at how many TV pregnancies are diagnosed by the mother to be passing out.  I have practiced OB for going on 40 years, have delivered thousands of babies and have yet to see syncope (fainting spell) as a symptom of pregnancy.

When I was a little girl my mom always watched the soaps.  Whenever one of the actresses would faint she'd always say, "I wonder who the father is?".  That was always how they announced that the character was "expecting".  I've had three children and I never fainted when I was pregnant. 

[Rootbeer]

Just now, shlbycindyk said:

When I was a little girl my mom always watched the soaps.  Whenever one of the actresses would faint she'd always say, "I wonder who the father is?".  That was always how they announced that the character was "expecting".  I've had three children and I never fainted when I was pregnant. 

What is particularly interesting is that virtually every time, the character acts as if she had NO IDEA whatsover that she might even be pregnant.  That there were no other possible physical signs which if present (or ABSENT) might've given her a clue that she was pregnant prior to hitting the dirt and being told by an ER doc.  Too bad women don't have a regular physiologic event that comes at intervals that, if it didn't come, might cause them to realize they are pregnant.

[Bookish Jen]

On 12/31/2021 at 6:44 PM, Mabinogia said:

Depending on the time, I either go with "oh, my food is ready" or "sorry, gotta pee"

I often say my phone is running out of juice, low on battery.

[RealHousewife]

2 hours ago, Bookish Jen said:

I often say my phone is running out of juice, low on battery.

Same! I can't bring myself to say I gotta pee to anyone other than family or lifelong friends. lol 

[Shannon L.]

I know that costume designers are trying to make scenes asthetically appealing,  unless they are dealing with an outlandish character,  but only on TV everyone be wearing either different hues of the same color or colors that work well together. Occasionally,  someone will be in a completely different color, but even then it's not too bright and distracting, unless the character or scene calls for it. 

I've been paying close attention to this for a while now and am quite amused by it. 

[Mabinogia]

30 minutes ago, Shannon L. said:

I know that costume designers are trying to make scenes asthetically appealing,  unless they are dealing with an outlandish character,  but only on TV everyone be wearing either different hues of the same color or colors that work well together. Occasionally,  someone will be in a completely different color, but even then it's not too bright and distracting, unless the character or scene calls for it. 

I've been paying close attention to this for a while now and am quite amused by it. 

Wait, are you saying you and your co-workers don't call each other to make sure you all wear complimentary outfits each day? My boss, being an efficiency expert, actually gave us a color schedule to follow to make sure no one clashes. It's been very helpful, though last week Kayla wore a bright red jacket over a black dress on earth tones day. We haven't seen or heard from her since. 

I'm impressed by how everyone in an office all seem fine with the temperature on TV. No one person wearing a big sweater with a blanket on their lap holding a cup of tea to keep warm, while another person complains that it's too hot. The second best thing about working from home (the first being no commute) is having full control over the room temperature.