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

[methodwriter85]

On 9/17/2020 at 10:53 AM, DoctorAtomic said:

I'll give you the jeans, but I don't know what the hell the rest of that was. 

When people say "80s" costume, what they really mean is 1982-6. So just look up who was singing the top songs then and see what they were wearing. 80s means like new wave, punk, Run DMC, Madonna, and Michael Jackson. Or Miami Vice. No one dressing up like INXS or The Cosby Show. 

I basically looked like a cast member of Saved by the Bell, which was close but again, more 1992-1993 as opposed to 1987-88. Lol. It was really hard to find cheap 80's gear at Goodwill in 2004 for guys, although that year pastel polo shirts came back in style which made 80's parties a lot easier. Anyway, decade dressing is really hard to do in the real world for cheap unless you manage to come across vintage or the styles are back in again. It's probably really easy to do 90's right now. 

[auntlada]

7 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

I basically looked like a cast member of Saved by the Bell, which was close but again, more 1992-1993 as opposed to 1987-88. Lol. It was really hard to find cheap 80's gear at Goodwill in 2004 for guys, although that year pastel polo shirts came back in style which made 80's parties a lot easier. Anyway, decade dressing is really hard to do in the real world for cheap unless you manage to come across vintage or the styles are back in again. It's probably really easy to do 90's right now. 

I graduated high school in 1986. I remember a lot of guys wearing pastel polo shirts (including some who wore them layered, usually pink and turquoise) in the early to mid 80s with Levi 501 button-fly jeans. Also very popular were button-down shirts, particularly in vertical stripes. I remember having a few of those myself, in stripes and solids, and wearing them with sweaters and what we called baggy jeans. Baggy sweaters with a bigger knit were popular when I was in high school. And the Cosby sweaters were very popular in high school and college. In college, people also wore the striped rugby shirts. I was also fond of wearing my dad's old shirts with suspenders. No one else I knew dressed that way, but I liked the look.

No one I knew really wore much new wave or punk or dressed like Madonna or Michael Jackson in real life. Those looks were for dress-up days during homecoming week. (Yes, my high school had a different theme for every day of homecoming week.)

[kiddo82]

Does anyone actually pinch themselves when something unbelievable happens?  Even as a child that didn't make much sense to me because if you were dreaming and someone pinched you, you still wound't wake up because you're only dreaming that the pinching is happening.

[Blergh]

2 minutes ago, kiddo82 said:

Does anyone actually pinch themselves when something unbelievable happens?  Even as a child that didn't make much sense to me because if you were dreaming and someone pinched you, you still wound't wake up because you're only dreaming that the pinching is happening.

I've done it but I have to admit that I got the idea from watching it on TV. I think I've just wanted to take my mind off the actual unpleasant event/s via being momentarily discomfited from the pinching! 

[DoctorAtomic]

6 hours ago, auntlada said:

No one I knew really wore much new wave or punk or dressed like Madonna or Michael Jackson in real life.

The Michael Jackson Beat It jacket was popular in my 6th grade. My older cousin was in HS early/mid 80s and had a bit of a Madonna look. 

 

[Bort]

Something that doesn’t seem to come up re: 80s fashions is the designer jeans fad. I remember those being really popular.

[Bastet]

Jordache jeans were the must-haves at my school in the early 80s.  Later it was Guess that we just had to have - jeans, jean skirts, denim jackets, logo t-shirts ... I was a damn walking billboard for a while.  We used to go downtown to the garment district; you had to avoid the knockoffs, but you could find great deals on overstock or slightly damaged/irregular of the real thing.

Edited September 19, 2020 by Bastet

[FormerMod-a1]

Oh yes, I remember needing to get a pair of Jordache jeans, and I was in grade school for that, but I still knew I needed them,  

[DoctorAtomic]

That and Enjoli. 

[Shannon L.]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Jordache jeans were the must-haves at my school in the early 80s.  Later it was Guess that we just had to have - jeans, jean skirts, denim jackets, logo t-shirts ... I was a damn walking billboard for a while. 

[Browncoat]

And a Members Only jacket.  Even I had one of those.

[DrSpaceman73]

30 minutes ago, Shannon L. said:

Yeah I was going to say, coca cola shirts, very 80s.  

Legwarmers, denim jackets, anything denim was very mid 80s.  Plus parachute pants.  Ripped jeans. Acid washed jeans.  

[partofme]

2 hours ago, aquarian1 said:

Oh yes, I remember needing to get a pair of Jordache jeans, and I was in grade school for that, but I still knew I needed them,  

Same, Jordache reminds me of elementary school and Guess? of junior high.

[auntlada]

4 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

The Michael Jackson Beat It jacket was popular in my 6th grade. My older cousin was in HS early/mid 80s and had a bit of a Madonna look. 

 

I vaguely remember one or two kids with the jacket, and there were a few girls with bits of Madonna's look, but just bits: mostly jewelry or hair, but toned down. No one would have been allowed to wear most of her look to school. The Coca-Cola shirts were the ones I was talking about when I said rugby shirts -- and others that had the stripes, but not the logo.

4 hours ago, kariyaki said:

Something that doesn’t seem to come up re: 80s fashions is the designer jeans fad. I remember those being really popular.

Oh, yeah. Not that I ever had any, except for the hand-me-down Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. I loved the fit, though. Mostly, I wanted Levis. But, from 1980:

 

[DoctorAtomic]

Yes please.

And fuck yes Members Only. I had a few. 

[merylinkid]

12 hours ago, auntlada said:

No one would have been allowed to wear most of her look to school.

Yeah only on tv and in movies could you have the whole Madonna look and go to school without being sent home.   Honestly most kids wore jeans even Levis or Designer and a shirt with a logo of some kind.    VERY bland.   

[Shannon L.]

1 hour ago, merylinkid said:

Yeah only on tv and in movies could you have the whole Madonna look and go to school without being sent home.   Honestly most kids wore jeans even Levis or Designer and a shirt with a logo of some kind.    VERY bland.   

Yeah, that's kind of what I remember, too.  Bland, leaning towards preppie.  It was the fun, special, "dress up like [whatever]" kind of days at school (Spirit Week!) where people went crazy. When our daughter's school had Spirit Week, they had an 80s day.  Because of what we had, vs. what we could find (and afford-I wasn't going to spend a ton on one day), we had to mix looks:  Ripped jeans, my husbands studded belt that hung on her hip, an old sweatshirt we cut the neck out of, Jennifer Beales style, large hoop earrings, neon, fishnet, fingerless gloves, 80s make up and teased hair held back in a scrunchy.  As was said back when this discussion started:  it's unlikely that anyone has, or can find, one complete look from a certain decade anymore unless they want to spend a lot of money.

[DoctorAtomic]

That's good work though.

[Blergh]

I always thought it was funny how on TV, no one ever pronounced Jordache  as Jord-AKE!LOL

[proserpina65]

Been binge-watching an Australian hospital-set soap from the early 2000s, and was heartened to discover that even on their tv, doctors (not orderlies) take patients to the operating theater.  So apparently Grey's Anatomy didn't make that up.

[Lugal]

I've been binging Lodge 49 (awesome show!) and I noticed when Scott was trying to fix the floor, how come nobody on TV ever needs a compressor with their nail gun?

[Blergh]

I recall on Gilligan's Island in which Gilligan thought he saw a boat and was about to light a HUGE pile of logs with a tiny match to signal said boat. The Skipper told him not to bother but didn't tell him the more obvious that a match can't instantly set a log pile ablaze but he COULD have just burned some  twigs and grass for long enough a time to get others' attention! 

[Katy M]

On 9/20/2020 at 12:31 PM, Blergh said:

I always thought it was funny how on TV, no one ever pronounced Jordache  as Jord-AKE!LOL

Do people do that IRL?  I don't think I've ever heard that.

51 minutes ago, Blergh said:

I recall on Gilligan's Island in which Gilligan thought he saw a boat and was about to light a HUGE pile of logs with a tiny match to signal said boat. The Skipper told him not to bother but didn't tell him the more obvious that a match can't instantly set a log pile ablaze but he COULD have just burned some  twigs and grass for long enough a time to get others' attention! 

But, he's Gilligan. So, he would have ended up with no smoke until the ship was too far away and then would have burned the entire island up.

[kiddo82]

2 hours ago, Lugal said:

I've been binging Lodge 49 (awesome show!) and I noticed when Scott was trying to fix the floor, how come nobody on TV ever needs a compressor with their nail gun?

I literally just watched an episode of Orphan Black where someone just hooked up a compressor to a nail gun and my first thought was "Is that really what you're supposed to do?  Never seen that before."  It was like No Country for Old Men.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, Lugal said:

I've been binging Lodge 49 (awesome show!) and I noticed when Scott was trying to fix the floor, how come nobody on TV ever needs a compressor with their nail gun?

Not all nail guns are pneumatic; they do make cordless, battery-powered ones (but I don't know how powerful those are).  I don't think I've ever seen a nail gun - of any kind - used on a fictional series, but now I'll be on the lookout. 

[Kel Varnsen]

15 hours ago, Bastet said:

Not all nail guns are pneumatic; they do make cordless, battery-powered ones (but I don't know how powerful those are).  I don't think I've ever seen a nail gun - of any kind - used on a fictional series, but now I'll be on the lookout. 

The only time I ever saw a nail gun discussed on a TV show was The Wire and the person was buying one of those gun powder actuated Hilti nail guns.

Back to fashion, little kids (like elementary school) will always all wear generic Chuck Taylor style sneakers. Unless of course wanting something expensive is a plot point.

[Raja]

15 hours ago, Bastet said:

Not all nail guns are pneumatic; they do make cordless, battery-powered ones (but I don't know how powerful those are).  I don't think I've ever seen a nail gun - of any kind - used on a fictional series, but now I'll be on the lookout. 

As was just mentioned the famous opening scene of season 4 on The Wire "powdered like gun powder"with the hardware store salesman because the battery powered tools did not hold a charge for their weekly jobs and the nail gun played an important part in the murder investigations.. In the last episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first season was used as a fight winner in a battle between two ex sex partners.

[Shannon L.]

I'm just going to put it out there:  If the cops ever tell me that there is a credible threat on my life and they want to put a security detail with me, I'm not going to fight them.  They can send as many people as they want for as long as they need.

[meep.meep]

On 9/26/2020 at 3:30 PM, Bastet said:

Not all nail guns are pneumatic; they do make cordless, battery-powered ones (but I don't know how powerful those are).  I don't think I've ever seen a nail gun - of any kind - used on a fictional series, but now I'll be on the lookout. 

There's an episode of Good Behavior with Michelle Dockery where 3 people high on meth have a nail gun fight.

[biakbiak]

6 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

There's an episode of Good Behavior with Michelle Dockery where 3 people high on meth have a nail gun fight.

Also, an episode of Castle called The Final Nail about a murder by nail gun. 

[Zella]

3 hours ago, meep.meep said:

There's an episode of Good Behavior with Michelle Dockery where 3 people high on meth have a nail gun fight.

Was this filmed in my hometown?!?! 😉 

[Nordly Beaumont]

5 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

I'm just going to put it out there:  If the cops ever tell me that there is a credible threat on my life and they want to put a security detail with me, I'm not going to fight them. 

Aw, c'mon now! Don't you want to take stand and bravely tell them how you won't let the bad guys win or let them change who you are? Jeeez, Shannon L, it's like you want to live or something!

[Katy M]

6 hours ago, Nordly Beaumont said:

Aw, c'mon now! Don't you want to take stand and bravely tell them how you won't let the bad guys win or let them change who you are? Jeeez, Shannon L, it's like you want to live or something!

No, no, no.  That's the worst thing she could do.  Because one of the cops will turn out to be in on it.  Or, if not, the murderer will attack the cop first and then she will be responsible for killing the bad guy and saving the cop.  That's a lot of responsibility.

[kiddo82]

That's true.  Shannon L., check out who the police are sending first.  If it's a suit and tie detective who is the hero of your story then you're fine.  If it's two uniforms in a squad car outside then they'll be taken out by the bad guy instantly and you might as well not even bother.  Oh!  And do they have first names?  Cops with first and last names tend to save the day while the never before seen "Officer Jenkins" is nothing but fodder.

[Shannon L.]

1 hour ago, kiddo82 said:

If it's a suit and tie detective who is the hero of your story then you're fine. 

More than fine, I'd say, since he'll probably be young and gorgeous and we'll end up having an affair.

Edited October 2, 2020 by Shannon L.

[Zella]

3 hours ago, kiddo82 said:

Oh!  And do they have first names?  Cops with first and last names tend to save the day while the never before seen "Officer Jenkins" is nothing but fodder.

I've always been a big fan of Michael Caine's advice in Austin Powers on this matter. 

"Have you any idea how many anonymous henchman I've killed over the years? And look at you. You haven't even got a name tag. You've got no chance. Why don't you just fall down? Go on, son." 😄 

So, yeah, Officer Jenkins, just go ahead and fall down. 

[kiddo82]

1 hour ago, Shannon L. said:

More than fine, I'd say, since he'll probably be young and gorgeous and we'll end up having an affair.

If he's divorced?  Definitely.  But if he's still grieving over his dead (murdered!) wife/fiancé then it'll get close but he won't be able to go through with it.  50/50 shot though cause no chance he's happily married.

Edited October 2, 2020 by kiddo82

[Lugal]

8 hours ago, kiddo82 said:

That's true.  Shannon L., check out who the police are sending first.  If it's a suit and tie detective who is the hero of your story then you're fine.  If it's two uniforms in a squad car outside then they'll be taken out by the bad guy instantly and you might as well not even bother.  Oh!  And do they have first names?  Cops with first and last names tend to save the day while the never before seen "Officer Jenkins" is nothing but fodder.

Also inquire about any sporting events they're looking forward to.  If they're in the squad car listening to the game on the radio or watching on their phone, the bad guy will slip right past them.  Sure, they might get a reprimand later, but that's small comfort if you're dead.

[kiddo82]

And no matter what just remember:  suit and tie detective will Take. It. Personally.

[Shannon L.]

This is more a thing of the past, but only on tv can you put a video into the VCR or DVD into the DVD player, press play and start watching without having to change the format on the tv and/or switching over a cable.

[meep.meep]

Similarly - only on TV can someone stick a USB drive into their computer, and get it to go in the first time!  No turning it over several times before it will insert in Faux Life!

[Ohiopirate02]

8 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Similarly - only on TV can someone stick a USB drive into their computer, and get it to go in the first time!  No turning it over several times before it will insert in Faux Life!

And the file in question pulls right up.  No need to search through different folders and having to figure out which version is it again.  And the computer has all of the necessary software already downloaded.

[DoctorAtomic]

The computer doesn't need to install the usb driver either. And none are password protected. 

[auntlada]

22 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

The computer doesn't need to install the usb driver either. And none are password protected. 

Unless it's a crime show, and the detectives have five minutes to stop the crime. Then it's password protected, but the computer geek detective will get the password with one minute left, and they'll still be able to stop the crime even though it's across town.

[CoderLady]

The password will always be either the name of someone/something the criminal cares about or a significant date. Plus all characters will be the same case -- always FLUFFY or fluffy, never fLUffy or FluffY, never contains special characters, and the password crackers always gets the correct password and spelling within the retry/lockout limit. 

[DoctorAtomic]

The instructor password on the classroom computer is Instructor. 

[merylinkid]

20 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

This is more a thing of the past, but only on tv can you put a video into the VCR or DVD into the DVD player, press play and start watching without having to change the format on the tv and/or switching over a cable.

It goes right into whatever you are watching too.   Not 10 minutes of previews, the FBI warninig or having to pick whether you want, director commentary, subtitles, or special features.   Nope, the show, special moment or whatever .... just plays.  

[DrSpaceman73]

I actually don't mind those things on tv shows, the spot or channel needed popping right up.  I don't need to watch tv to see a person watching tv for no purpose.  Saves time in the show they can use on other things. 

[methodwriter85]

Unless you are in a show that is specifically about cops/detectives, you will never get saved by a cop from a stalker/ex-boyfriend with a gun/disgruntled former employee holding everyone hostage/etc. They are ineffective and you have to save yourself.

Edited October 9, 2020 by methodwriter85

[Kel Varnsen]

On 10/1/2020 at 7:50 PM, meep.meep said:

There's an episode of Good Behavior with Michelle Dockery where 3 people high on meth have a nail gun fight.

Can that actually happen? I have only used a nail gun once in my life and it was on a construction site. From what I recall it had a safety mechanism where you had to push the end of the gun into the surface you were nailing before pulling the trigger would work. So it would be impossible to shoot something with a nail unless you were already touching it. Seems like a pretty simple safety feature that would keep manufacturers from getting sued.