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

[Affogato]

43 minutes ago, Shannon L. said:

OCD doesn't always manifest itself with extreme cleanliness and order.  I don't care if my clothes are hung in the closet without any kind of order and there is a lot of clutter in my house.  My OCD manifests itself differently.

We're also not all serial killers, but we've already discussed that 😂

You would say that! 
 

There is a myth that you can get away from vampires by throwing several handsful of small items in their path so they will stop to pick it up. There was an X-Files episode that references it. 

[Quof]

What would the truth be?   You know, about how to get away from mythical creatures?

[Ceindreadh]

6 hours ago, Affogato said:

You would say that! 
 

There is a myth that you can get away from vampires by throwing several handsful of small items in their path so they will stop to pick it up. There was an X-Files episode that references it. 

IIRC, it's not that they'll have to pick them up, it's that they'll have to count them all.

"One, ah ha ha, two, ah ha ha..."

[Affogato]

2 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

IIRC, it's not that they'll have to pick them up, it's that they'll have to count them all.

"One, ah ha ha, two, ah ha ha..."

You are right. https://oddathenaeum.com/vampires-arithmomania/
 

 

[Browncoat]

12 hours ago, Affogato said:

You are right. https://oddathenaeum.com/vampires-arithmomania/
 

 

I had no idea that was what the Muppet was based on!

[SVNBob]

5 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I had no idea that was what the Muppet was based on!

Honestly, I think that the Muppet was named and based on the two meanings of "count", and this particular legend about vampires is just a happy coincidence.

However, I concede that someone at Henson and/or CTW might have heard of this particular story before, and used it to help create and inform the character.

[Danielg342]

Count me in (pun may or may not be intended) as among those who thought "Count von Count" was simply based on a clever play on words. While I'm not sure if the vampiric folklore played a part in forming the character, it's wild to think about that added dimension, intended or not.

[Danielg342]

I should make an addendum to what I previously wrote, in that the idea of the title of "Count" being associated with vampires is a modern invention.

In real life, "Count" was a noble title used throughout Europe, not just in Transylvania (which is now in modern Romania but historically has ties to both Hungary and Romania). The man most commonly associated with "Dracula"—Vlad the Impaler—was never a Count. He was a Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia (modern southern Romania), not Transylvania. However, Vlad was born in Transylvania, spent time there, and used the title "Dracula", which originally meant "Son of the Dragon"—a reference to his father’s membership in the Order of the Dragon. Over time, the name Dracula was also interpreted as "Son of the Devil", due to Christian associations between dragons and evil.

Most of the modern vampire imagery does not come from historical Vlad but from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel "Dracula", later made famous by the 1931 Hollywood film. Stoker drew from a wide range of folklore—not just vampire legends—when creating Count Dracula. There is no definitive real-life inspiration for Dracula, though some scholars believe his physical appearance was inspired by Henry Irving, a British actor who was Stoker's employer and a major influence on his writing. However, there is no direct evidence that Vlad the Impaler played any role in shaping Dracula’s character. In fact, Stoker never once mentioned Vlad in his extensive notes. The connection between Vlad and Dracula was made years after Stoker’s death, when researchers noticed the shared name and assumed a historical link. Instead, Stoker came across the name "Dracula" in a history book about Wallachia, where it was noted that the term was linked to both dragons and the devil.

As for why Dracula is a Count rather than a Prince or Voivode, this was a common convention in Gothic literature. Writers often used aristocratic villains, and Counts were the perfect choice—wealthy and powerful enough to be intimidating, yet not burdened by the responsibilities of higher-ranking nobility. This made them ideal for mysterious figures who lived in isolated castles filled with dark secrets. Stoker likely followed this tradition, making Dracula a Count for narrative convenience and because noblemen were already linked to supernatural horror.

In short, modern vampire stereotypes, including Count von Count, largely stem from one man- Bram Stoker- who combined history, folklore, and Gothic tradition to create the definitive vampire archetype. The real history behind Dracula is far more layered and nuanced than the popular image of a caped, fanged Transylvanian nobleman.

[merylinkid]

On 3/10/2025 at 11:43 AM, Affogato said:

In 1962-1963 having multiple tvs would not be average family stuff. Yes, I know flying cars wouldn’t be normal either. But  normal families would have a car, just not a flying car. 
 

 

But only one car.   You notice Jane does not drive.   Because back then, there was the "family car" that dad took to the station every day and went to work.   Mom walked everywhere or took public transportation.   Sometimes if Mom had to transport the kids to the doctor or something, she would drop dad off at the station and have the car for the day.

Whereas here in the "future" our cars may not fly, but its pretty much one car for each person of driving age in the family.   (in the aggregate, individual families may be different).   

[tearknee]

9 hours ago, merylinkid said:

But only one car.   You notice Jane does not drive.   Because back then, there was the "family car" that dad took to the station every day and went to work.   Mom walked everywhere or took public transportation.   Sometimes if Mom had to transport the kids to the doctor or something, she would drop dad off at the station and have the car for the day.

Whereas here in the "future" our cars may not fly, but its pretty much one car for each person of driving age in the family.   (in the aggregate, individual families may be different).   

[Lugal]

19 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

Count me in (pun may or may not be intended) as among those who thought "Count von Count" was simply based on a clever play on words. While I'm not sure if the vampiric folklore played a part in forming the character, it's wild to think about that added dimension, intended or not.

Count von Count was always one of my favorites when I was a kid and it was years later I learned about the vampire folklore. I also think it was a play on words, but it dovetails with the folklore so well.

16 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

Most of the modern vampire imagery does not come from historical Vlad but from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel "Dracula", later made famous by the 1931 Hollywood film. Stoker drew from a wide range of folklore—not just vampire legends—when creating Count Dracula. There is no definitive real-life inspiration for Dracula, though some scholars believe his physical appearance was inspired by Henry Irving, a British actor who was Stoker's employer and a major influence on his writing. However, there is no direct evidence that Vlad the Impaler played any role in shaping Dracula’s character. In fact, Stoker never once mentioned Vlad in his extensive notes. The connection between Vlad and Dracula was made years after Stoker’s death, when researchers noticed the shared name and assumed a historical link. Instead, Stoker came across the name "Dracula" in a history book about Wallachia, where it was noted that the term was linked to both dragons and the devil.

I would also point out that Le Fanu's Carmilla had a pretty big influence on Dracula.

[tearknee]

7 hours ago, tearknee said:

Notice how "Mrs." is used here = those who still use it today usually use the form that was only correct for divorced women.

[Blergh]

22 hours ago, merylinkid said:

But only one car.   You notice Jane does not drive.   Because back then, there was the "family car" that dad took to the station every day and went to work.   Mom walked everywhere or took public transportation.   Sometimes if Mom had to transport the kids to the doctor or something, she would drop dad off at the station and have the car for the day.

Whereas here in the "future" our cars may not fly, but its pretty much one car for each person of driving age in the family.   (in the aggregate, individual families may be different).   

Also, oddly enough, the show never depicted a married woman working outside the home despite being set in the future. Virtually every working female in this futuristic setting appeared to have never been married .  Yes, it seems Jane Jetson had all same opportunities as Wilma Flintstone a million years before but somehow was LESS liberated than Wilma even though George seemed to have had an even shakier employment with Spacely Sprockets than Fred did with the Slate Quarry.

Of course, it was funny in retrospect that supposedly 'push button fingers' would somehow be the homemaker's future  occupational hazard the way 'dishpan hands' were during the show's airing ( yes, the showrunners may have 'predicted' moving sidewalks [which actually had been featured in the 1939 New York World's Fair] but there was no prediction of touchscreens. ..or internet.

[SoMuchTV]

45 minutes ago, Blergh said:

Also, oddly enough, the show never depicted a married woman working outside the home despite being set in the future. Virtually every working female in this futuristic setting appeared to have never been married .  Yes, it seems Jane Jetson had all same opportunities as Wilma Flintstone a million years before but somehow was LESS liberated than Wilma even though George seemed to have had an even shakier employment with Spacely Sprockets than Fred did with the Slate Quarry.

Of course, it was funny in retrospect that supposedly 'push button fingers' would somehow be the homemaker's future  occupational hazard the way 'dishpan hands' were during the show's airing ( yes, the showrunners may have 'predicted' moving sidewalks [which actually had been featured in the 1939 New York World's Fair] but there was no prediction of touchscreens. ..or internet.

I suppose there have been some works of fiction set in the future that got it kind of right, but pretty much everything projects the future as like now, but more. I remember writing a paper in college in the 70s about a Vonnegut novel set in the future (of when it was written), and pointing out the super powered vacuum tubes. And the men were still in charge. Even in the 70s, it was clear at least some of that didn’t get it right. 

[Affogato]

On 3/12/2025 at 11:07 PM, merylinkid said:

But only one car.   You notice Jane does not drive.   Because back then, there was the "family car" that dad took to the station every day and went to work.   Mom walked everywhere or took public transportation.   Sometimes if Mom had to transport the kids to the doctor or something, she would drop dad off at the station and have the car for the day.

Whereas here in the "future" our cars may not fly, but its pretty much one car for each person of driving age in the family.   (in the aggregate, individual families may be different).   

If we can’t keep jets from hitting helicopters, imagine the accidents if we had flying cars. 

[Raja]

24 minutes ago, Affogato said:

If we can’t keep jets from hitting helicopters, imagine the accidents if we had flying cars. 

To jump to the movies relatively stupid "us" will be out of the system except as passengers as the robots talk to each other to maintain separation

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't know, I think maybe Idiocracy got a lot right.

[Raja]

Funerals of military veterans have a full honor guard, 21 gun salutes and a platoon of soldiers as witnesses. In real life an honor guard of couple of reservists or veterans' organization volunteers bring the flag and a tape recorder shaped like a bugle to play taps.

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, Raja said:

Funerals of military veterans have a full honor guard, 21 gun salutes and a platoon of soldiers as witnesses. In real life an honor guard of couple of reservists or veterans' organization volunteers bring the flag and a tape recorder shaped like a bugle to play taps.

This is location dependent. I'm 45 minutes from 2 marine bases, and both bases have honor guards that travel short distances. Though I do not know how much that service costs. And, the platoon of soldiers as witnesses is a stretch.

[meep.meep]

2 hours ago, Raja said:

Funerals of military veterans have a full honor guard, 21 gun salutes and a platoon of soldiers as witnesses. In real life an honor guard of couple of reservists or veterans' organization volunteers bring the flag and a tape recorder shaped like a bugle to play taps.

Yeah - my dad was a vet and is buried in a military cemetary.  We got a bugler and flag, but it was the Boy Scouts.

[Shannon L.]

My grandfather's funeral was in a church. They did drape his coffin with a flag and have military officers fold it and present it to my grandmother, but that was it. 

[Zella]

My uncle's was at a national cemetery a few years ago. He was retired from the Navy. He had a Navy honor guard in uniform, and they did Taps on a bugle, presented the flag, and did a 21-gun salute (7 guns firing 3 times). It was quite nice, and there was no cost to us. The funeral home asked if we wanted a military funeral for him since he was a veteran, and since he loved his time in the Navy, the obvious answer was yes.  

Edited Yest. at 04:39 AM by Zella