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

[Mabinogia]

14 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Oh, for sure. I did want him to 'get away with it' just not like they did. I was just saying that the main person he was after each season were all solid actors and good characters. So they could have done that on the Mentalist. 

I like the idea of one season of hunting down a Big Bad, catching them, and then next season is a new arc. It feels more real, in that, unfortunately, there is more than one horrible person in the world, it makes the hero not look incompetent, and it keeps the show fresh. 

As long as they don't go down the "All the Big Bads were under the control of the one Biggest Baddest!" trope. 

[Shannon L.]

People in a sword fight will always, at least once, clash their sword blades together (one up, one to the side) and stare at each other for a moment before carrying on.

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, Shannon L. said:

People in a sword fight will always, at least once, clash their sword blades together (one up, one to the side) and stare at each other for a moment before carrying on.

That's not just a TV thing, it always happens when I'm in a sword fight!

😆

[Mabinogia]

7 minutes ago, Moose135 said:

1 hour ago, Shannon L. said:

People in a sword fight will always, at least once, clash their sword blades together (one up, one to the side) and stare at each other for a moment before carrying on.

That's not just a TV thing, it always happens when I'm in a sword fight!

If they are of a gender you find appealing do you then fall into a deep and passionate kiss as well?

[BlackberryJam]

17 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

If they are of a gender you find appealing do you then fall into a deep and passionate kiss as well?

Yes...

[DoctorAtomic]

How many sword fights are you getting into? I ran into some guy that thought I killed his father because I was left handed, but that was years ago.

[BlackberryJam]

1 hour ago, DoctorAtomic said:

How many sword fights are you getting into? I ran into some guy that thought I killed his father because I was left handed, but that was years ago.

I know something you don’t know. I am not left-handed.

[Browncoat]

39 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

I know something you don’t know. I am not left-handed.

I am not left-handed, either.

[Zella]

I, um, am left-handed. But I write right-handed to blind-side you during a sword fight. 🤣

[BlackberryJam]

3 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I am not left-handed, either.

Shall we drop our swords and kiss, feverishly, forgetting our argument completely as our blood heats with overwhelming passion?
 

 

Edited February 7, 2021 by BlackberryJam

[DoctorAtomic]

I am actually left handed, but what's great is that I can write on the board in class right handed. 

[Zella]

1 hour ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I am actually left handed, but what's great is that I can write on the board in class right handed. 

Yeah my comment about being a leftie who writes right-handed was me being funny, but it's also true. (My mother had rather medieval ideas about left-handedness in the 90s. 🙄) My penmanship is absolutely atrocious as a result. Multiple jobs have banned me from handwriting memos because nobody can read it.

My first day of teaching, I tried to write on the board left-handed because it seemed more comfortable, and my students were like, "Are we supposed to read this?" Then I tried right-handed, and they were like, "Dear God, please stop!" 🤣 So, I spent the remaining two years of my teaching career typing on the computer and projecting the screen instead of using the board. 

[Hiyo]

Quote

I like the idea of one season of hunting down a Big Bad, catching them, and then next season is a new arc.

Conveniently, all of these Big Bads will all only first appear at the same time of the year, every year, and only be defeated at the same time of the year, every year.

Edited February 7, 2021 by Hiyo

[Anduin]

2 hours ago, Zella said:

Yeah my comment about being a leftie who writes right-handed was me being funny, but it's also true. (My mother had rather medieval ideas about left-handedness in the 90s. 🙄) My penmanship is absolutely atrocious as a result. Multiple jobs have banned me from handwriting memos because nobody can read it.

If it helps, I'm a lefty who got encouragement. But even without that treatment my penmanship is bloody terrible. Maybe you're just naturally crap, like I am.

[Blergh]

4 hours ago, Anduin said:

If it helps, I'm a lefty who got encouragement. But even without that treatment my penmanship is bloody terrible. Maybe you're just naturally crap, like I am.

I'm a righty but still have at best hieroglyphic chicken scratches despite my writing quality being multiple teachers' pet projects. To bring this ontopic, it's funny how rarely bad handwriting is used as a plot point re misunderstandings on TV- despite it sometimes causing major confusions in Real Life. One would think that more murder investigations or comedies would use it (even in this keyboard age) but no.

[smittykins]

1 hour ago, Blergh said:

To bring this ontopic, it's funny how rarely bad handwriting is used as a plot point re misunderstandings on TV- despite it sometimes causing major confusions in Real Life.

Unless it’s a doctor doing the writing.

[DoctorAtomic]

Curb Your Enthusiasm did a great bit on that. Larry was dating a doctor, and she left him a note. He couldn't read it at all. So Jeff suggested he take it to a pharmacist. They were able to read it. 

[Zella]

7 hours ago, Anduin said:

If it helps, I'm a lefty who got encouragement. But even without that treatment my penmanship is bloody terrible. Maybe you're just naturally crap, like I am.

Haha That's entirely possible! And weirdly reassuring. LOL

And to bring back on topic, off the top of my head, I can't think of any TV scenes featuring bad handwriting. Seems like a missed opportunity. 

[Lugal]

On 2/6/2021 at 11:39 PM, Zella said:

Yeah my comment about being a leftie who writes right-handed was me being funny, but it's also true. (My mother had rather medieval ideas about left-handedness in the 90s. 🙄) My penmanship is absolutely atrocious as a result. Multiple jobs have banned me from handwriting memos because nobody can read it.

That reminds me of a friend of mine, whose husband had dislexia long before schools ever knew that was a thing, so as a result he had to write a lot of lines on the chalkboard.  He's right handed, but he got to the point where he could start one end with his left hand, and the other end with his right and meet in the middle.

Edited February 8, 2021 by Lugal

[Mabinogia]

10 hours ago, Hiyo said:

Conveniently, all of these Big Bads will all only first appear at the same time of the year, every year, and only be defeated at the same time of the year, every year.

They probably all come away from the Villacon, the annual villains convention with these grand schemes and can't wait so they all start them at the same time, but they don't want to miss next Villacon, so they have to wrap it up in a timely manner. I'm sure, at some point, the Villain is like "oh, for fuck sake, this idiot isn't going to catch me in time, fine, here, here is an obvious clue, now catch me so I have enough time to bribe my way out of prison, get my henchmen in order and get to Villacon. It's in Hawaii this year and I don't want to miss getting leied!"

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, Zella said:

And to bring back on topic, off the top of my head, I can't think of any TV scenes featuring bad handwriting.

I have one, from Roseanne:  Arnie leaves Nancy via a note claiming he's going with aliens from outer space.  When Dan reads it, he asks, "Who are the Allens and why are they out of spice?" 

"Aliens, Dan.  From outer space."
"Oh, that makes a little more sense."

[Annber03]

I love that scene. Something about the way Dan says, "Who are the Allens and why are they out of spice?" just cracks me up. 

[Anduin]

Lighting in medieval fantasy settings that comes from flaming torches. Ones that never go out, even. Yeah, I know they don't have electric lighting. But naked flame all over the place is awfully dangerous. There's a moment early in Fellowship of the Ring. Gandalf visits the library at Minas Tirith. How does he view paper documents over three thousand years old? Open flame. Ever hear of setting it behind glass?

I get that it looks cool. It's just impractical.

[Bort]

Quote

To bring this ontopic, it's funny how rarely bad handwriting is used as a plot point re misunderstandings on TV- despite it sometimes causing major confusions in Real Life.

There was an episode of Angel where Cordelia got a vision of a demon attack and wrote the address down for Angel and Wesley, where they burst in to find some old couple watching tv (and Angel isn’t able to enter), only to find that the demon attack was next door. Cordelia had bad handwriting.

[Shannon L.]

Instead of just jittery or jumpy, a grown adult who's consumed too much caffeine acts ridiculously silly, including making some off the wall comments. 

[WinnieWinkle]

A faux thing I notice about food and a dead giveaway that the "family" sitting around the table is not actually related (I know, I know) is the way they eat.  With some exceptions of course kids are going to use their forks and eat their food the same way their parents do.  It's a little thing  but lately it's been jumping out at me - I suspect because more shows are actually showing people eating rather than just sitting looking at full plates of food and then leaving the table!  Anyway whether you are 'continental' or "American' doesn't matter to me, it's that it's the kind of thing kids are taught and on TV shows the continuity people don't seem to notice.

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, Shannon L. said:

Instead of just jittery or jumpy, a grown adult who's consumed too much caffeine acts ridiculously silly, including making some off the wall comments. 

That's totally me. LOL.

[DoctorAtomic]

Well, I don't need a lot of coffee to do that!

[ctlady]

Most Lifetime 'psycho' movies are guilty of this.  When allone in a HUGE house and you clearly hear noises that someone else is in the house, instead of peeling out the front door faster than a NAScar, you tiptoe downstairs, into the kitchen, grab the biggest knife then proceed to seek out the intruder

[Shannon L.]

Or, when they get home and see the door open, they walk in and look around.

Edited February 12, 2021 by Shannon L.

[CoderLady]

3 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

Or, when the get home and see the door open, they walk in and look around.

Slowly tiptoeing forward, looking straight ahead. This gives the intruder time to get into position for the inevitable jump scare.

[Haleth]

They can hide in the tool shed behind the chain saws.

[DearEvette]

14 hours ago, CoderLady said:

Slowly tiptoeing forward, looking straight ahead. This gives the intruder time to get into position for the inevitable jump scare.

Those women live marginally longer that the other Mensa rejects who take the time to tiptoe silently only to  loudly ask 'Who's there?'

 

[Lugal]

21 hours ago, ctlady said:

Most Lifetime 'psycho' movies are guilty of this.  When allone in a HUGE house and you clearly hear noises that someone else is in the house, instead of peeling out the front door faster than a NAScar, you tiptoe downstairs, into the kitchen, grab the biggest knife then proceed to seek out the intruder

That's after she asks, "Honey, did you [brings up all the red flags she noticed]?" Him: "No." Her: "OK then, I believe you."

But I maintain that those Lifetime movies are a very specific type of fetish porn about being stalked by a hot psycho.

[Annber03]

4 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Those women live marginally longer that the other Mensa rejects who take the time to tiptoe silently only to  loudly ask 'Who's there?'

Anytime someone is hiding or creeping about in a place where they're alone with a killer, I always find myself muttering, "Shhhhh..." at the TV. Of course, they never heed my advice :p. 

[Hiyo]

This came up in my recommendation list on Youtube and reminded me of this thread lol

 

[bijoux]

1 hour ago, Hiyo said:

This came up in my recommendation list on Youtube and reminded me of this thread lol

 

Does she fillet him? 

[Hiyo]

No, but threatened to cut his eyes out (for a peeping tom him like him, a punishment to fit the crime) until he became a quivering bawling puddle of pathetic, then called the cops on him.

It was fucking awesome.

[Calvada]

On 2/7/2021 at 10:57 AM, Zella said:

And to bring back on topic, off the top of my head, I can't think of any TV scenes featuring bad handwriting. Seems like a missed opportunity. 

I can think of one from The Bob Newhart Show where Bob is  trying to read the grocery list written by Emily (who was a teacher) - "Ipps?  What are Ipps?"  Ipps were eggs.  "Chicky peeler buller?"  Chunky peanut butter.  "Canned tarantulas?"  Canned tomatoes.  Then there's a scene where Bob is in the grocery store with Howard, and says they need grapefruit juice and Howard takes a can from the bottom of a pyramid of cans, then Bob says I need 2 cans, Howard starts to take another can from the bottom and Bob stops him.  Bob then picks up a can from the top of the pyramid and the whole thing comes crashing down.  

I always hated the jokes about doctors and their bad handwriting.  It made me nervous when I needed a prescription, wondering whether the pharmacist could read the doctor's handwriting.  Yes, prescriptions used to be written on paper; that shows how old I am, as if remembering The Bob Newhart Show hadn't already demonstrated that.

[smittykins]

It reminds me of the GoodRx commercial where the customer hands the paper scrip to the pharmacist.  Is that even done anywhere now(I know NY has gone all electronic).

[Shannon L.]

1 hour ago, smittykins said:

It reminds me of the GoodRx commercial where the customer hands the paper scrip to the pharmacist.  Is that even done anywhere now(I know NY has gone all electronic).

Every so often, it does, but rarely, except maybe in some rural areas where they don't have the capability to do it electronically.

Edited February 14, 2021 by Shannon L.

[Browncoat]

In the Before Times, my doctor always wrote out scrips.  It has only been in the last year that he's gone electronic, and I suspect if not for the pandemic, he'd still be writing them out.

[Zella]

The last time I had a prescription written out for me (a year or so ago), it was handwritten. I'm in the middle of nowhere in Arkansas. It kind of depends on which doctor you go to. I think my PCP has switched to electronic. I got the handwritten script from a dentist. Actually, the PCP's office refer to it as "calling it in," but I'm not sure if they are literally calling it in or not. 

[Zella]

This is circling back to a discussion we were having a couple of weeks ago (mystery shows with backstories) because I forgot of this example until now. I watched The Rockford Files for the first time a couple of years ago, and coming off newer shows, I'd assumed that "who sent Jim to prison?" was going to be an overriding backstory, like "who killed my wife/family" was for Monk and Patrick Jane. I loved the fact that it was never an actual arc. Basically, you just needed to know that Jim had built time as an explanation for why he knew people like Angel. 

Then again, just in general, I loved how everyday and normal The Rockford Files could be. 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Zella

[DoctorAtomic]

The prescriptions for my dog are typed/printed and signed by the doctor. 

[Irlandesa]

13 hours ago, Zella said:

I got the handwritten script from a dentist.

Yep.  Same here.  The last hand written prescription I got was from the dentist. 

Usually the doctors submit a prescription directly to my pharmacy electronically but a year ago, I needed a prescription rather urgently.  It was later in the day on a Sunday when I saw the doctor.  I had them submit it electronically but I also requested a printed version in case my pharmacy was unable to fill it before they closed.  That way, I'd be able to take a printed copy to one of the 24 hour locations.

[Ohiopirate02]

On 2/13/2021 at 5:12 PM, Calvada said:

I always hated the jokes about doctors and their bad handwriting.  It made me nervous when I needed a prescription, wondering whether the pharmacist could read the doctor's handwriting.  Yes, prescriptions used to be written on paper; that shows how old I am, as if remembering The Bob Newhart Show hadn't already demonstrated that.

I used to be a pharmacy technician and can attest to the truth about doctor's handwriting.  That is/was not a joke created out of thin air, but based on real life.  I remember one of the pharmacy trade magazines having a recurring feature of "can you read this prescription."  I also remember one time having to call the doctor's office for clarification because we could not read it.  The doctor had already left for the day and the nurse was unable to decipher the patient's chart to help.  Part of being a pharmacist is learning how to read bad handwriting.  It helps when the doctor is local and sees a lot of patients.  You have the ability to compare.  

[janie jones]

I have a friend who has had bad handwriting our whole lives. At one point, he showed me how he also preferred to write with a dull pencil. When he decided to become a doctor, I was like, "yeah, sounds about right."

[Kel Varnsen]

Here is a weird one, people holding a newspaper over their head when it's raining, which typically results in the person still getting drenched. Has anyone ever actually seen someone do that?

[Zella]

13 minutes ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Here is a weird one, people holding a newspaper over their head when it's raining, which typically results in the person still getting drenched. Has anyone ever actually seen someone do that?

I tried it once in a fit of desperation. It did not work. 0/10, would not recommend.