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

[Shannon L.]

1 hour ago, Blergh said:

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

Wow, I don't remember hearing about that.  I'm surprised it hasn't happened since (that I know of).

[Hiyo]

Plus, not sure an anecdotal one-off counts as a "this happens all the time in real life!" example...

[Shannon L.]

Have you ever noticed how nice almost everyone's attic is? Cluttered,  maybe a few cobwebs, but there's always a solid floor and room to stand up straight. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I've never been in my attic.

[Mabinogia]

25 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I've never been in my attic.

You've got to go up there! There could be a chest full of gold and antiques you could sell, or a forgotten Picasso, or a photo album that reveals you aren't who you always thought you were, maybe you're a secret royal! Or there could be a group of anemic blonde siblings wasting away....on second thought, maybe leave it closed. Once you let the ghosts out they are hard to get rid of. I wouldn't know as I don't have an attic so I will never uncover some deed to a small country in Europe or anything. :( 

[DoctorAtomic]

Or the portrait is up there. 

[Kel Varnsen]

14 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

Have you ever noticed how nice almost everyone's attic is? Cluttered,  maybe a few cobwebs, but there's always a solid floor and room to stand up straight. 

I was watching Ms. Marvel yesterday and it reminder me of that one. Tv attics are also huge with tons of unused storage space and they always have that pull down ladder thing. For me I hate having to go into my attic. If I do for something it means hauling the ladder up from the basement. Then there is no floor, just exposed joists so it means crawling around on my knees. Plus the attic is full of blown in insulation so every time you go up there it makes a huge mess. Also if I did have an attic like TV it would be absolutely full of boxes and other storage stuff, just like my furnace room and crawlspace.

[Blergh]

Not only are attics a LOT neater and better organized on TV but somehow they also seem to never have any rodents-  much less any resulting droppings, chewings to freak/gross the regulars out! 

Edited June 12, 2022 by Blergh

[DrSpaceman73]

45 minutes ago, Blergh said:

Not only are attics a LOT neater and better organized on TV but somehow they also seem to never have any rodents-  much less any resulting droppings, chewings to freak/gross the regulars out! 

And kids can actually make extra rooms in them to live!!

Of course they only move for one might and then move back to their old room. 

Unless you're Greg Brady and decide to turn it into some weird 70s style sex and drug looking haven with lava lamps and beaded cords for doors.  You know he had to be smoking it up heavy in that room

No way in any attic I've ever had. 

[Haleth]

We are moving soon so the other day I cleaned out the attic.  I kept thinking of the Geiko commercial with the creepy mannequins and dolls.  The only thing I'm leaving behind is a large Christmas wreath.

[andromeda331]

19 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

I was watching Ms. Marvel yesterday and it reminder me of that one. Tv attics are also huge with tons of unused storage space and they always have that pull down ladder thing. For me I hate having to go into my attic. If I do for something it means hauling the ladder up from the basement. Then there is no floor, just exposed joists so it means crawling around on my knees. Plus the attic is full of blown in insulation so every time you go up there it makes a huge mess. Also if I did have an attic like TV it would be absolutely full of boxes and other storage stuff, just like my furnace room and crawlspace.

My attic is the same way. We've never used it because its not easy to use. I wish I had an attic like on TV or a basement to shove all my stuff into. 

[AgathaC]

7 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

My attic is the same way. We've never used it because its not easy to use. I wish I had an attic like on TV or a basement to shove all my stuff into. 

My grandparents had a TV-worthy attic — actually two (one was the third floor and one over the carport). Because my grandmother is a neat freak, they were relatively clean and had my dad’s and his siblings’ old toys, which was awesome.

Of course, my house has an attic whose only access is off a bedroom and you can’t stand up straight. And if you try to go out there during the daytime in summer you might evaporate.

[Trini]

On 6/12/2022 at 4:56 PM, Blergh said:

Not only are attics a LOT neater and better organized on TV but somehow they also seem to never have any rodents-  much less any resulting droppings, chewings to freak/gross the regulars out! 

Or wasps nests. Don't ask me how I know! 😭

[merylinkid]

We had a nice big attic, that was relatively organized.   We kept the christmas decorations there, so at least that had to be accessible.   Some of the farther reaches got a bit disorganized.   The biggest problem was it was a half size door to get through so even a kid had to bend over.   My parents always said they were going to put in a full size door and turn it into a master suite.   We moved before that could happen.

[paulvdb]

I was just reminded of the situation where a character has to pretend to be in a relationship with someone they have a crush on or are in love with. The other character is of course in a relationship with someone else. In order to sell the fake relationship the two characters will have to kiss.

[JustHereForFood]

Speaking of attics, how about a basement? Does anyone here have a basement where you can move to after high school, complete with a separate bathroom?

[Shannon L.]

1 minute ago, JustHereForFood said:

Speaking of attics, how about a basement? Does anyone here have a basement where you can move to after high school, complete with a separate bathroom?

There were a lot of those back east and a friend of ours in the mid-west was able too put a small kitchenette, bathroom and living room type of area in hers for her teenagers and their friends to hang out. My best friend had a living area and in her basement complete with a TV where we all hung out and slept during sleepovers.  We had a basement big enough,  but couldn't do it because a large section of it flooded every spring, but my dad was able to put in a small workout area in an opposite corner, as well as find space for storage boxes.

[Zella]

I've seen a lot of finished basements like that. Maybe it's a regional thing,  but it doesn't strike me as unusual or unrealistic at all. 

[Bastet]

It is regional.  Basements are rare in Los Angeles (and CA as a whole), so as a kid I had never seen one in real life and thought they were a TV creation.

[Ohiopirate02]

21 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

Speaking of attics, how about a basement? Does anyone here have a basement where you can move to after high school, complete with a separate bathroom?

Basements and the finishing of them is a regional thing.  When I was living on the shores of Lake Erie, almost all homes had basements.  My dad finished half of our basement as a playroom for us kids, and my great-aunt had a full bar in hers.  None of us had a bathroom in our basements, only laundry.  Our homes were built for white collar workers and did not need the bathroom.  Homes that were built for factory workers or coal miners in places like Pittsburgh and Appalachia would have bathrooms in the basement and a separate basement entrance.  The men of the house would go to the basement after a long day in the steel mill/coal mine and shower before coming up.  Google Pittsburgh Toliet to get an idea.

[Cinnabon]

1 hour ago, JustHereForFood said:

Speaking of attics, how about a basement? Does anyone here have a basement where you can move to after high school, complete with a separate bathroom?

We do.

[Zella]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

It is regional.  Basements are rare in Los Angeles (and CA as a whole), so as a kid I had never seen one in real life and thought they were a TV creation.

Is that an earthquake safety thing? Where I am (Arkansas), I feel like the tornado risk increases the desirability of a basement, but I could see how it wouldn't in an earthquake. And I apologize if that's a weird assumption. My parents lived for a couple of years in the LA area when they were in a Navy, and the earthquakes ended up being my dad's most frequent talking point from his time there. Well that and how short Sylvester Stallone is in person. 

[meep.meep]

It is an earthquake safety thing - we have crawl spaces but not basements usually.  There's a great episode of Flip or Flop where Tariq and Christina encounter a basement and don't know what it is.

[Bort]

There aren’t any basements in Texas either. And it’s a water table thing. Any basement would automatically be referred to as an indoor pool.

[Shannon L.]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

It is regional.  Basements are rare in Los Angeles (and CA as a whole), so as a kid I had never seen one in real life and thought they were a TV creation.

We live in the L.A. area and have a basement that was put under a bedroom that was added on.  It's about 250 sq. feet, which is big for a Southern CA basement and our friends are quite jealous.  Given when the house and extra bedroom were built (early 1950s) and judging from the thick cement walls, shelves and a small desk that was built down there, we think it might have been made as a bomb shelter.

I grew up with big basements (basically the same size as your house), so it was a shock to come out here and learn that they didn't have them.

Edited June 16, 2022 by Shannon L.

[elle]

52 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

There aren’t any basements in Texas either. And it’s a water table thing. Any basement would automatically be referred to as an indoor pool.

This honestly stunned me when we moved from north Tornado Alley (Midwest) to the southern end or Texas.  How could they not have basements?!  Now I know why!

[crazycatlady58]

1 hour ago, kariyaki said:

There aren’t any basements in Texas either. And it’s a water table thing. Any basement would automatically be referred to as an indoor pool.

Well, maybe not in Lubbock. 

[Blergh]

5 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

Speaking of attics, how about a basement? Does anyone here have a basement where you can move to after high school, complete with a separate bathroom?

We did- until the outflow from the basement bathroom backed up one time too many so we had it dismantled so now it looks like a cozy phone booth with a fuse box instead with an actual phone! ! Of course, how often do plumbing catastrophes get depicted on TV?

[AgathaC]

4 hours ago, kariyaki said:

There aren’t any basements in Texas either. And it’s a water table thing. Any basement would automatically be referred to as an indoor pool.

Same thing where I’m from (SE Arkansas). Water table is way too high for a basement. I used to wish we had one, given my childhood terror of tornadoes.

[Hiyo]

Quote

how often do plumbing catastrophes get depicted on TV?

Only during the time of day when a plumber isn't available.

[Haleth]

19 minutes ago, Hiyo said:

Only during the time of day when a plumber isn't available.

But isn't that always the case IRL?

No basement in IN due to high water table, although I do know of neighbors that have them... and the ensuing flooding.  In CT we had a basement that was creepy.  Full of spiders and nasty things.

[Hiyo]

Quote

But isn't that always the case IRL?

Not really. I'd say many plumbing disasters IRL happen during the weekday, anecdotal evidence aside.

[Kel Varnsen]

9 hours ago, Blergh said:

Of course, how often do plumbing catastrophes get depicted on TV?

Catastrophes, maybe not but blocked kitchen sink drains seems to happen fairly often. And it usually leads to the homeowner trying to fix it themselves. And that usually leads to a situation where someone working under the sink gets sprayed with a high pressure jet of water. Which makes no sense because drain lines aren't pressurized. And when looking under a sink the difference between supply and drain piping is super obvious.

[ABay]

I've been looking at houses on Realtor lately to get an idea of what the inventory might be like in 2 years when I move back to Western New York. Apparently, a lot of people live in their basements now. Or they could. Everyone seems to have a fully furnished basement with fireplace, bar, bathroom and hideous sectional. I'm not sure when this happened--the house I grew up in has a basement but it's where the washing machine and dryer live and not much else is down there.

[Hiyo]

Quote

And it usually leads to the homeowner trying to fix it themselves.

Preferably when their crush is there, and they both get sprayed with water...

[AgathaC]

Speaking of basements, when there’s a tornado, you don’t generally get a lot of warning. Yes, there are watches and warnings from the weather service. Yes, the local weather people will track storms with potential. But it’s not like a hurricane. They’re unpredictable and usually you won’t know you had one until it’s over. Sometimes even a day or two later. Regardless, you don’t get time to do much more than hide out in a bathroom, closet or basement.

I’m sure there are other examples but Desperate Housewives comes to mind. They’re taping or boarding up windows and I’m sitting here just outside Tornado Alley shaking my head.

On the “the people making this missed something,” I recall being amused at a West Wing episode that had a one-off character supposedly from my hometown. He was a junior congressman who slept in his office and we actually had had a congressman for that district who did that. But the actor mispronounced the town name. It’s not an odd or difficult name, but he emphasized the wrong syllable. Not a big deal and people from elsewhere likely wouldn’t get it, but I rolled my eyes pretty hard.

[Bort]

I was watching a Golden Girls repeat the other day where they had a hurricane. Just all of a sudden that day. I was sitting here in the Gulf Coast shaking my head. You know for days, possibly even weeks that one is coming. 

[Annber03]

3 hours ago, AgathaC said:

Speaking of basements, when there’s a tornado, you don’t generally get a lot of warning. Yes, there are watches and warnings from the weather service. Yes, the local weather people will track storms with potential. But it’s not like a hurricane. They’re unpredictable and usually you won’t know you had one until it’s over. Sometimes even a day or two later. Regardless, you don’t get time to do much more than hide out in a bathroom, closet or basement.

I’m sure there are other examples but Desperate Housewives comes to mind. They’re taping or boarding up windows and I’m sitting here just outside Tornado Alley shaking my head.

LOL, oh, yes, I always love it in episodes where they get hit with a tornado, because it never plays out the way actual tornado warnings do for real, and so often the characters never seem to behave the way you'd expect them to during a tornado warning. 

(That said, I've not seen the episode, but I've heard about the "Superstore" episode where they get hit by a tornado, and I remember someone commenting on it and talking about how the most realistic thing about it was the shoppers still trying to get their items and get all rung up even amidst the storm. Which, yeah, as another resident of Tornado Alley, I can confirm that is indeed quite accurate :p.) 

[Haleth]

Around here people pretty much shrug off the tornado sirens.

[Zella]

The joke in my town is that you only need to worry when the sirens don't go off. When they sound, all is probably well. 

[Shannon L.]

People on TV always stop by just to ask a question or favor then leave again. 

[Blergh]

9 minutes ago, Shannon L. said:

People on TV always stop by just to ask a question or favor then leave again. 

Alas, they never seem to wait for the commercial break to do so. ..LOL

[Danielg342]

On 6/18/2022 at 4:04 PM, Annber03 said:

I remember someone commenting on it and talking about how the most realistic thing about it was the shoppers still trying to get their items and get all rung up even amidst the storm.

I read about a study that was done that simulated an emergency situation at a restaurant. I can't remember exactly what the emergency was (I believe it was a fire) but the people were told they had to leave right away. Despite the seriousness of the situation, what the researchers found was that people still felt the need to resolve their bills before they left- even though in such a situation it's not necessary.

It's amazing what the feeling of obligation can compel people to do.

On 6/17/2022 at 7:38 AM, ABay said:

Everyone seems to have a fully furnished basement with fireplace, bar, bathroom and hideous sectional.

Well, my old house actually did have a basement with a fireplace, bathroom and a hideous sectional...but this was a large house with a large basement, one that was redone into an apartment too.

[Katy M]

45 minutes ago, Danielg342 said:

Well, my old house actually did have a basement with a fireplace, bathroom and a hideous sectional...but this was a large house with a large basement, one that was redone into an apartment too.

We just had the hideous sectional.

[MaryPatShelby]

On 6/12/2022 at 4:45 PM, DrSpaceman73 said:

And kids can actually make extra rooms in them to live!!

Of course they only move for one might and then move back to their old room. 

Unless you're Greg Brady and decide to turn it into some weird 70s style sex and drug looking haven with lava lamps and beaded cords for doors.  You know he had to be smoking it up heavy in that room

No way in any attic I've ever had. 

Well, to be fair, it *was* the 70's.......

[Shannon L.]

I don't recall anytime I've ever seen a funeral on tv for someone who's been cremated.  I only ever see an urn at someone's house for shock value or something funny.

Edited July 3, 2022 by Shannon L.

[Hiyo]

And someone eventually will be wearing that dead person...

[Bort]

Or run it through the coffee maker and someone drinks it.

[meep.meep]

6 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

I don't recall anytime I've ever seen a funeral on tv for someone who's been cremated.  I only ever see an urn at someone's house for shock value or something funny.

Have you managed to miss the ever popular scattering of the ashes so that they go all over whoever is in the scene?  Recently seen in The White Lotus.

[Anduin]

On the whole death theme, heirlooms and other antique possessions of the deceased. There's always a squabble about who gets what. Yes, I'm sure it happens in real life, but nowhere near as often.

By way of example, I inherited a watch from one of my dad's uncles, I think. It sat on my shelf for some years, and then somehow got passed on to someone from my mother's side of the family. I could not name the original holder.

As for relatives I actually knew, there might have been a couple of small things I would have liked, but I didn't think of them at the time, and they went to other people. I'm not distressed, I'm happy that other people are getting use out of them.

But that doesn't make for entertaining TV, I suppose.