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

[Mabinogia]

6 hours ago, Raja said:

I love how characters answer calls from unknown callers and never get the extended car warranty pitch.

I have not answered a number that I don't know in years. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't even answer numbers I do know. 

[merylinkid]

17 hours ago, Bastet said:

I'm usually too busy being annoyed at shows/films that show text messages on screen. 

Yeah I did not agree to read a movie.    I am usually quilting or something while watching tv so I'm not looking up to read what's on the screen all the time.

TOPIC:  Nobody has trouble reading someone else's phone over their shoulder.   No matter how small the text.   Unless their need for reading glasses is being played for laughs.

[DearEvette]

5 hours ago, merylinkid said:

TOPIC:  Nobody has trouble reading someone else's phone over their shoulder.   No matter how small the text.   Unless their need for reading glasses is being played for laughs.

Not only that, but I was watching a show where a Bad Person held up an iphone to a Victim-person's face in order to unlock the phone -- except the victim person was prone and had their eyes at half mast.  Bad Person managed this trick multiple times on different folks.

Meanwhile it takes like twenty-leven tries for my stupid phone to unlock on my face and most of the time I end up using the passcode.  LOL.  I eventually disabled the face thingy anyway.

[Kel Varnsen]

40 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

Not only that, but I was watching a show where a Bad Person held up an iphone to a Victim-person's face in order to unlock the phone -- except the victim person was prone and had their eyes at half mast.  Bad Person managed this trick multiple times on different folks.

Meanwhile it takes like twenty-leven tries for my stupid phone to unlock on my face and most of the time I end up using the passcode.  LOL.  I eventually disabled the face thingy anyway.

Ya phone security is pretty stupid. If you go by tv once you unlock a phone it is good forever. My phone which is a super old super cheap android phone. You can unlock it with face or fingerprint, but unless you keep touching if, the screen goes to sleep in 60 seconds and you have to do it again. If you want to change the security settings, you need the pin code. If you restart it, you need the pin code. So you can't just unlock an unconscious or dead persons phone once and have it forever. 

Also speaking of security, computer passwords, even if you work for a high security agency never use two factor authentication, and never have the passwords must be changed every three months and must be 8+ characters and contain a number and a symbol.

[DoctorAtomic]

Oh, the lack of 2 factor authentication is entirely realistic to irl for tons of hacks. 

[Bort]

1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

Not only that, but I was watching a show where a Bad Person held up an iphone to a Victim-person's face in order to unlock the phone -- except the victim person was prone and had their eyes at half mast.  Bad Person managed this trick multiple times on different folks.

Meanwhile it takes like twenty-leven tries for my stupid phone to unlock on my face and most of the time I end up using the passcode.  LOL.  I eventually disabled the face thingy anyway.

Yeah, you have be directly looking at the front facing camera for the face unlock to work. You can change this in the settings so that you don’t have to be looking at it, though.

31 minutes ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Ya phone security is pretty stupid. If you go by tv once you unlock a phone it is good forever. My phone which is a super old super cheap android phone. You can unlock it with face or fingerprint, but unless you keep touching if, the screen goes to sleep in 60 seconds and you have to do it again. If you want to change the security settings, you need the pin code. If you restart it, you need the pin code. So you can't just unlock an unconscious or dead persons phone once and have it forever. 

You can if you go into the settings once it’s unlocked and set it to never go off. I have my iPad set up that way. It’ll stay on until it dies unless I click it off manually.

[Lugal]

On 5/24/2022 at 11:43 AM, Bastet said:

I'm usually too busy being annoyed at shows/films that show text messages on screen.  Even with my glasses on, only one of my TVs is large enough for me to read them.

If you mean when they cut to the phone screen (which is always hard read and usually held at a weird angle)I agree.  I really prefer it to when they just put it up on the screen like a subtitle.

[Mabinogia]

58 minutes ago, Lugal said:

If you mean when they cut to the phone screen (which is always hard read and usually held at a weird angle)I agree.  I really prefer it to when they just put it up on the screen like a subtitle.

As silly, and not like real life as it is, I prefer them to just read it to me. I'm not always looking at the screen and sometimes have trouble even with reading the subtitles. Though yes, subtitles are preferable to that weird text bubble thing some shows do. It's like a thought bubble for your phone. Oh, wait, is that why they are called smart phones? Cause they have their own thoughts. Oh my. I don't want to know what mine things of me. :S

[Raja]

Do police departments really believe that having a bored cop sitting in his car outside of a house will deter a motivated killer?

[Shannon L.]

It's amazing that a witness can describe someone that they saw briefly or under bad conditions (it's dark or he/she was wearing a hoodie, etc.) well enough that a sketch artist can get a really good likeness of that person.

[SusanM]

I don't know if this is a faux thing or not but I am always noticing people calling others, either on their phone or laptop and they immediately have a video chat thing set up.  I admit I am a bit of a luddite where things like this are concerned but IME this isn't an instant thing.  Does TV have it right and I am doing something wrong?

[Ohiopirate02]

2 minutes ago, SusanM said:

I don't know if this is a faux thing or not but I am always noticing people calling others, either on their phone or laptop and they immediately have a video chat thing set up.  I admit I am a bit of a luddite where things like this are concerned but IME this isn't an instant thing.  Does TV have it right and I am doing something wrong?

Video calling is a thing and is as easy to do as voice calling your contacts.  It depends on your devices as to which interface you are using.  Apple's Facetime is seamless, so is Google's Duo.  I haven't used Microsoft's Teams, but I assume it's as seamless as the other two.  If you have to use software like Zoom, it takes a smidge longer for you to connect but still under a minute.  

[DearEvette]

1 hour ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

 I haven't used Microsoft's Teams, but I assume it's as seamless as the other two. 

Teams is incredibly seemless.  You can be chatting just like this via text and there is a phone receiver symbol up in the corner that you can click and everyone in the chat can be on video/voice within seconds.  So yeah, TV gets that one right.

[DoctorAtomic]

1 hour ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I haven't used Microsoft's Teams, but I assume it's as seamless as the other two. 

Teams hates linux. 

What tv does not quite stick though, is that you get placed in the waiting room prior so the host can let you in, to make sure it's the people that's supposed to be there. 

[proserpina65]

37 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

Teams is incredibly seemless.  You can be chatting just like this via text and there is a phone receiver symbol up in the corner that you can click and everyone in the chat can be on video/voice within seconds.  So yeah, TV gets that one right.

We use Teams at work.  It sucks.  It has never gotten everyone in the chat up in seconds here.  It absolutely is not seamless in my experience.  It's a little faster than Zoom, which is terrible, but not much.

[DearEvette]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

We use Teams at work.  It sucks.  It has never gotten everyone in the chat up in seconds here.  It absolutely is not seamless in my experience.  It's a little faster than Zoom, which is terrible, but not much.

LOL.  I guess it depends on your system infrastructure. But we've been on Teams since the Pandy times and it is like working in real time. 

[Irlandesa]

4 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

What tv does not quite stick though, is that you get placed in the waiting room prior so the host can let you in, to make sure it's the people that's supposed to be there. 

You can but only if that's how the meeting is set up. 99.99% of my meetings don't do that. 

6 hours ago, SusanM said:

I admit I am a bit of a luddite where things like this are concerned but IME this isn't an instant thing.  Does TV have it right and I am doing something wrong?

It can be very instant.   What strikes me as off is that everyone wants to be on camera. 

There never seems to be people like me who have to be kicked dragging and screaming to turn my camera on.

[Bort]

1 hour ago, Irlandesa said:

It can be very instant.   What strikes me as off is that everyone wants to be on camera. 

There never seems to be people like me who have to be kicked dragging and screaming to turn my camera on.

Yeah, that’s the thing I find unlikely. That they’re video calling when a regular call would suffice. Does anybody video call someone just to remind them to pick up milk at the grocery store?

[Mabinogia]

1 hour ago, Irlandesa said:

There never seems to be people like me who have to be kicked dragging and screaming to turn my camera on.

We have one person who never turns their camera on. Every once in a while she'll get peer pressured into it but mostly she's just that silouette head. The fun part of Teams is seeing who all uses the same background and making up stories in my head about them being in the same house (scandalous!) instead of listening to our boring meetings. 

[Zella]

I almost never turn my camera on because I'm antisocial and judgmental (I have a hard time controlling my facial expressions when I think something is dumb--one of my professors in college even nicknamed that face I make), and when people pressure me to do so, it just makes me all the more determined to not turn it on.  LOLOL Both parties will be much happier if my camera is off. 

The people I do online meetings with usually use GoToMeeting, and it works okay. 

Edited May 26, 2022 by Zella

[Ohiopirate02]

28 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

Yeah, that’s the thing I find unlikely. That they’re video calling when a regular call would suffice. Does anybody video call someone just to remind them to pick up milk at the grocery store?

In my experience,  yes people will video call someone in the middle of a store to discuss the shopping list among other things. 

[merylinkid]

Also, for the camera to come automatically, you have to have it set to turn on automatically.   Which apparently they do in tv land.   You call, its all set up for video.   No waiting for someone to turn on their camera, ooops now they are muted but they are talkng so everyone in the conversation has to tell them they are muted.   Oh wait, it froze.   let's all wait for it to unfreeze.   

Technology is grand ... when it works.

[Ohiopirate02]

Someone in another thread mentioned root canals and the pain associated with them, and I had a root canal earlier this year.  TV led me to believe the procedure was onerous and painful, but I did not find it so.  The most painful part of the whole procedure was the needle used to numb up my mouth, the same needle used by dentists all the time for fillings and other work.  Sure, it wasn't pleasant and I definitely do not want to make them a regular occurrence. But, as medical procedures go, it wasn't that bad.  

[proserpina65]

19 hours ago, DearEvette said:

LOL.  I guess it depends on your system infrastructure. But we've been on Teams since the Pandy times and it is like working in real time. 

Well, it IS a government system, so . . .  lol.

16 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

There never seems to be people like me who have to be kicked dragging and screaming to turn my camera on.

Yeah, no one at my work is ever on camera unless we're required to be.

[DrSpaceman73]

Pets that die on tv was have a funeral and everyone has to say something about them. 

I'm sure some do this but I've never once had a pet funeral. And yes I've had many pets love my cats and dogs. 

[janie jones]

On 5/26/2022 at 8:04 AM, SusanM said:

I don't know if this is a faux thing or not but I am always noticing people calling others, either on their phone or laptop and they immediately have a video chat thing set up.  I admit I am a bit of a luddite where things like this are concerned but IME this isn't an instant thing.  Does TV have it right and I am doing something wrong?

I don't know if other shows do this, but something The Big Bang Theory did that I think is dumb is that people will always have their laptops just sitting there open and someone will video call them. I don't know anyone who just leaves their laptop sitting open when they aren't using it. I also don't know anyone who video calls each other as frequently as they did on that show, but from a TV perspective, I understand why they used it.

[AgathaC]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Someone in another thread mentioned root canals and the pain associated with them, and I had a root canal earlier this year.  TV led me to believe the procedure was onerous and painful, but I did not find it so.  The most painful part of the whole procedure was the needle used to numb up my mouth, the same needle used by dentists all the time for fillings and other work.  Sure, it wasn't pleasant and I definitely do not want to make them a regular occurrence. But, as medical procedures go, it wasn't that bad.  

My dad said the same thing when he had one. He dreaded it because of what he’d heard, but he shrugged and said “eh, not that bad.”

Now, speaking as someone who’s prone to kidney stones, they can’t possibly overstate the pain involved there. 😣

[Zella]

1 minute ago, janie jones said:

I don't know anyone who just leaves their laptop sitting open when they aren't using it.

I do, but people know better than to do an unsolicited video call with me at any time.  😂

[SusanM]

21 minutes ago, janie jones said:

I don't know if other shows do this, but something The Big Bang Theory did that I think is dumb is that people will always have their laptops just sitting there open and someone will video call them. I don't know anyone who just leaves their laptop sitting open when they aren't using it. I also don't know anyone who video calls each other as frequently as they did on that show, but from a TV perspective, I understand why they used it.

This is exactly what I mean!  People call someone socially, either on the phone or through a laptop and instantly there is a video call in progress.  I guess it's possible of course but I only ever see this happen on TV.

[Bort]

39 minutes ago, SusanM said:

This is exactly what I mean!  People call someone socially, either on the phone or through a laptop and instantly there is a video call in progress.  I guess it's possible of course but I only ever see this happen on TV.

That’s the thing though, it can happen the way tv depicts but in real life, it’s just not as common to use it that frequently. I only use video chat when I need to walk one of my parents through downloading a new app on their smart tvs.

[DrSpaceman73]

26 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

That’s the thing though, it can happen the way tv depicts but in real life, it’s just not as common to use it that frequently. I only use video chat when I need to walk one of my parents through downloading a new app on their smart tvs.

I suspect it's very much age related 

I rarely use video chat. But I suspect younger people do often and may leave laptops on like that to receive video chats. 

[Hiyo]

Quote

I don't know anyone who just leaves their laptop sitting open when they aren't using it

How about when people flip up their laptop and immediately are able to start working on it? Or flipping it down and all their work is still saved after?

[DearEvette]

2 hours ago, janie jones said:

but something The Big Bang Theory did that I think is dumb is that people will always have their laptops just sitting there open and someone will video call them.

Yeah, that is unusual.  I admit I keep my laptop open all the time, but the only time I get a video call is from work, my friends and family would never, though!

For something that tv did do that was completely true to real life, LoneStar 911 had an episode where everyone was on a zoom call and at least one person had the camera positioned so only the chin down showed and one person had one of those fake zoom picture background where sometimes you disappear and reappear.  I thought that was cute.

[GaT]

7 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Someone in another thread mentioned root canals and the pain associated with them, and I had a root canal earlier this year.  TV led me to believe the procedure was onerous and painful, but I did not find it so.  The most painful part of the whole procedure was the needle used to numb up my mouth, the same needle used by dentists all the time for fillings and other work.  Sure, it wasn't pleasant and I definitely do not want to make them a regular occurrence. But, as medical procedures go, it wasn't that bad.  

Totally agree. I had one years ago & I went in expecting all kinds of pain, but I actually almost fell asleep during it. I was in so much pain from the tooth, & the pain kept me awake most of the night so when I got the numbing shot, I barely felt it, then I closed my eyes & started dozing off. Are people on TV getting root canals without any anesthesia?

[Bort]

4 hours ago, Hiyo said:

How about when people flip up their laptop and immediately are able to start working on it? Or flipping it down and all their work is still saved after?

Mine does that. But it’s bitchin’ state of the art. 

[Haleth]

20 hours ago, janie jones said:

I also don't know anyone who video calls each other as frequently as they did on that show, but from a TV perspective, I understand why they used it.

Do people still call each other on the phone?  Mine rarely rings, maybe a couple times a week.  Everyone I know texts instead.  (But yeah, not good for tv.)

[janie jones]

On 5/27/2022 at 9:25 AM, SusanM said:

This is exactly what I mean!  People call someone socially, either on the phone or through a laptop and instantly there is a video call in progress.  I guess it's possible of course but I only ever see this happen on TV.

The video call is in progress -- the person calling you started it. Answering a video call is just like answering a regular phone call. Just as you can answer a phone and immediately hear each other, you can answer a video call and immediately see each other. Of course, assuming the internet connection is good enough. What's unrealistic to me is the frequency with which people are using this sort of call at all.

23 hours ago, Hiyo said:

How about when people flip up their laptop and immediately are able to start working on it? Or flipping it down and all their work is still saved after?

I do that. I never close anything I'm working on until I'm done. My laptop is set to go to sleep when I close it, not shut down, so everything is as I left it when I open it.

[Bastet]

8 hours ago, Haleth said:

Do people still call each other on the phone?

I do.  If it's something simple, I'll email, but for a catch-up chat because we can't get together in person, that's a phone call.  (And with my parents, we usually call each other even to ask a quick question rather than emailing; they only email me if it's in the morning and I only email them if it's at night, as we each know the other is in bed, so no call.)

I know most people do a lot of this via text, and TV is just incorporating that reality, but they have got to do a better job of showing text messages on screen in a way that's easier to read.

[Zella]

For me, it depends. With my friends who are my age (early 30s), I almost exclusively text and email. But I call and talk to my dad on the phone nightly. I also keep in touch with my great-uncle by phone. I have a good friend who is in her 40s whom I also both call and text. It's not entirely age-specific, though. I know a couple of little old ladies in their 80s in my community I met through volunteering, and we keep in touch via text! 

[Irlandesa]

15 hours ago, Haleth said:

Do people still call each other on the phone?  Mine rarely rings, maybe a couple times a week.  Everyone I know texts instead.  (But yeah, not good for tv.)

I lose patience with texting.  A few back and forths on a topic?  Sure.  But if we hit about 10 back and forths on a topic that still hasn't been resolved yet and is complex/nuanced, I'll call. 

But I may be out-of-step with norms. My sister constantly texts.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Irlandesa

[smittykins]

I still call my mom on the phone, because she rarely has her cell on(only if she’d away from the house).  She refuses to learn how to text, and she hates her smartphone(Tracfone made her switch from a flip phone several years ago).

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 5/25/2022 at 7:59 AM, merylinkid said:

Yeah I did not agree to read a movie.    I am usually quilting or something while watching tv so I'm not looking up to read what's on the screen all the time.

TOPIC:  Nobody has trouble reading someone else's phone over their shoulder.   No matter how small the text.   Unless their need for reading glasses is being played for laughs.

I complained about this with Love Life Season 2!  One episode was entirely texts.  It drove me crazy.  Others did not understand why I simply ignored them, went about my business and moved on.  If I missed it, I missed it, and I didn't care.

I just want to add here - I'll watch a movie like Parasite.  I'll watch a movie that's hard for me to understand and add subtitles.

But as merylinkid said, for a typical lighthearted comedy or sitcom, why are you putting those text bubbles on the screen.  Even with glasses/contacts and an enormous TV, it's going to be incredibly hard to read.  I should not have to constantly pause stuff to understand it.

Edited June 4, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Shannon L.]

You can count on the high school bully to jump on a cafeteria table during a particularly harsh episode of tormenting someone (or a kid giving an inspiring speech).

[Blergh]

5 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

You can count on the high school bully to jump on a cafeteria table during a particularly harsh episode of tormenting someone (or a kid giving an inspiring speech).

You can also count on a teacher who has NO control over a room to jump on a table to settle them down- EVERY day (wait, this happened in Real Life not TV). 

[Anduin]

Another discovery from YT. You know those unrealistic hacking scenes, with people having to jump through all kinds of hoops to get the goodies or what have you? Looks like the analogue version is a small secret compartment inside a Rubiks Cube. Pretty clever.

[Lugal]

Hacking scenes always make me think of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal:

http://smbc-comics.com/comic/2012-02-20

[Anduin]

3 minutes ago, Lugal said:

Hacking scenes always make me think of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal:

http://smbc-comics.com/comic/2012-02-20

Yes, that's it exactly!

[Shannon L.]

I don't ever recall a time when a terrorist took over the airwaves. 

[Blergh]

2 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

I don't ever recall a time when a terrorist took over the airwaves. 

Ask the Chicago viewers of two stations who suddenly had to deal with a Max Headroom Wannabee and another performer in 1987 if they'd agree with you!  A sports segment and later a Doctor Who rerun got obliterated by them and they seemed to do nothing more than spout a bunch of nonsense and have a questionable spanking. However, who these folks were and WHAT their motive/s for doing this remains a mystery almost a quarter-century later! 

https://allthatsinteresting.com/max-headroom-incident