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

[Raja]

7 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

It's easier to cash in on the nostalgia factor with a reboot over creating original material with a spinoff.

I think it is more a spin off is normally reserved for the second break out character or a teen aging out of the mother show. So because Andy Griffin already had Barney Fife which Andy needed for the main show when Gomer Pyle popped they figured out what to do with him.

When you start with an ensemble cast there isn't a girlfriend's girlfriend to promote to her own lead on a show as the ensemble gets all the lines to keep peace among the other equal stars of the ensemble. 

Creating a character to introduce in a back door pilot might have a greater success rate if that character was known to the mother show's fans before you have an  episode with the stars having a cameo as these strangers tried to keep us interested.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, BlueSkies said:

I know this isn't something people irl talk about as well but Al Bundy and Archie Bunker were the only characters I can recall making use of a toilet on the show.  Or speaking about having to go to the bathroom 

Nah, it happens plenty.  Nowhere near as often as in real life, of course, but it's no longer rare.

As I type, I have on an episode of Mom in which Bonnie wakes Christy up in the middle of the night to talk to her about something, and Christy goes into the attached bathroom to pee while Bonnie is talking.

There's a great Roseanne where Dan is sick ("I have bad things coming out of every part of my body") and he hollers from the bathroom that he wants soup.  Darlene agrees to bring him some, but grumbles to Roseanne, "I ought to just save him the time and pour it down the toilet." 

The first appearance of a toilet on American TV was in Leave it to Beaver, but only the tank, not the bowl, and no one was using it to pee or poop; the boys were hiding a baby alligator.  The Brady Bunch notoriously had a bathroom with no toilet.  On All in the Family, Archie Bunker gave TV its first toilet flush.  On M*A*S*H, characters got shelled while on a latrine and there was lots of talk about dysentery.  The Golden Girls' Sophia talked about her frequent need to pee and being unable to poop.  And in one episode the characters installed a new toilet.  Al Bundy tucking the newspaper under his arm and heading for the john was a common sight on Married With Children.  Seinfeld had lots of bathroom stuff, including the hilarious shot of George running out with his pants around his ankles, imploring Kramer to go along with the "Vandelay Industries" lie to the unemployment office lady on the phone, and Elaine's "I can't spare a square" showdown with Jerry's toilet paper-hoarding girlfriend.

Etc, etc, and those examples are all from before the 21st century.  As time went on, toilets and the need to use them became more commonplace on TV, so that now it's not notable.

Edited December 30, 2022 by Bastet

[Danielg342]

2 hours ago, possibilities said:

Barney Miller had a lot of people using their bathroom. It was a near constant in the show.

Also, I just watched an old episode of WKRP in Cincinnati, where one of the DJs excused himself to use the bathroom.

But in general, I agree that TV leaves that part of life out.

King of the Hill had a plotline where Hank was suffering from severe constipation so he was on the john quite a bit. It was the only time I've ever seen a TV show  or a movie have a character on the toilet and it wasn't done for laughs.

In general, though, I'm OK with not seeing the characters using the toilet. I can at least handwave that they're using it when they're not on my screen and, while I might appreciate a time or two where a character gets an inspiration while sitting on the toilet (because, let's admit, it's a great time to think and reflect), if I don't see the characters use the bathroom it's not so jarring. Usually, sitting on the toilet isn't exactly an entertaining sequence.

It's like never seeing the characters eat or drink. Not realistic but the scenes won't add much and there are ways around it.

The only time it's really jarring are in those time-sensitive episodes, like a hostage situation. How everyone involved has bladders of steel and full stomachs I'll never understand. You'd think at least a few writers would think that, say, it might add drama if a member of the hostage crew starts getting hungry or one of the hostages feels the urge to use the bathroom.

[Zella]

The Americans has a pretty great (and really gross) scene involving a captive situation and a toilet in season 2. 

[DrSpaceman73]

Personally I don't need to see characters going to the bathroom. 

Bur I know the sopranos had a guy die on the toilet. And Seinfeld often had scenes in the bathroom. Two famous ones. I can't spare a square and George taking his shirt off to use the bathroom. 

[Shannon L.]

I don't need to see characters on the toilets, either.  I especially hate scenes where men are chatting at the urinals.

Edited December 30, 2022 by Shannon L.

[Bastet]

I didn't like the era where shows seemed to show people on the toilet because now they could and, ooh, aren't we edgy, but I really appreciate stuff now like the Mom scene I described above -- where it's totally natural, and no one cares, because we've moved past being all OMG, peeing on TV!  She got woken up in the middle of the night to listen to her mom babble on about her latest relationship crisis.  After a certain age, what do you do if you wake up in the middle of the night?  Figure, well, I might as well pee.  Directors always prefer to have actors doing something while they talk in a scene, to create movement (which creates visual interest), and Christy coming in and out of the bathroom was a completely organic way of achieving that.

[DoctorAtomic]

Bob's Burgers had a good one where Bob and Louise can't go in public places, and she was staying over in the museum so she was really worried. 

Linda, of course, can go anywhere, and Bob snaps at her. 

[andromeda331]

On 12/29/2022 at 10:23 PM, Danielg342 said:

The only time it's really jarring are in those time-sensitive episodes, like a hostage situation. How everyone involved has bladders of steel and full stomachs I'll never understand. You'd think at least a few writers would think that, say, it might add drama if a member of the hostage crew starts getting hungry or one of the hostages feels the urge to use the bathroom.

That's really the only time I wonder about bathrooms.

[Jaded]

On 12/29/2022 at 11:23 PM, Danielg342 said:

King of the Hill had a plotline where Hank was suffering from severe constipation so he was on the john quite a bit. It was the only time I've ever seen a TV show  or a movie have a character on the toilet and it wasn't done for laughs.

That makes me think of the Flush With Power episode of KOH where regular flow toilets' were a hot commodity.
 

 

[Danielg342]

5 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

That's really the only time I wonder about bathrooms.

In the Season 2 finale of The Orville, the ship was hijacked and the crew was taken hostage on their own ship. They were all imprisoned (if I remember correctly) in the cargo bay and the characters all talked about a certain "spot" where they had to do their "business", since they were obviously not allowed to leave. The characters did not hide how stinky it got in that place.

Makes me wonder if other hostage situations are the same way. Sure, there's adrenaline and other trauma responses the body uses, but that only goes so far and not everyone is the same. Plus, given how cruel Hollywood captors tend to be, they have no reason to ensure their captives have a proper sanitary spot to relieve themselves. We, thus, should have several TV scenes that ended up like the Orville did in their hostage situation.

[Mabinogia]

2 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

Sure, there's adrenaline and other trauma responses the body uses, but that only goes so far and not everyone is the same.

My body seems to know as soon as a bathroom is no longer available to it and even if I just went seconds before, that is when it decides that I really, really have to go. I also, under extreme chaos, tend to focus on the smallest things. So yeah, the first thing on my mind if I'm ever taken hostage is going to be where am I going to have a wee. Then it will probably dawn on me that I might die, so then my biggest worry is going to be what comes first wee or death. Then I'll start wondering if the bladder releases on death, so either way the wee is going to come and, bottom line, don't get taken hostage with me. I'm no good at it. 

[merylinkid]

On 12/28/2022 at 6:16 PM, Bastet said:

love the stories where someone has been obsessed since preschool with getting into a certain prestigious school, does all the extracurriculars and gets the grades for 12 years, is admitted -- and then decides to go to the local state school with all their friends instead. 

Or the town will suddenly have a never before mentioned INCREDIBLY prestigious hard to get in to school that the person will now be attending   See Alex Keaton on Family Ties.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

5 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

Makes me wonder if other hostage situations are the same way.

"I'll take away your bucket."

[GaT]

3 hours ago, merylinkid said:

Or the town will suddenly have a never before mentioned INCREDIBLY prestigious hard to get in to school that the person will now be attending   See Alex Keaton on Family Ties.

Like on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. When it was time to start college, the town suddenly had a never-before-mentioned university, the University of Sunnydale. They also had a never-before-mentioned international airport that appeared when a character flew to England.

[DoctorAtomic]

15 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

That's really the only time I wonder about bathrooms.

Die Hard also did it when everyone started whining about having to go. I think Gruber rolled his eyes "Does anyone *else* have to go?"

[Mittengirl]

On 1/1/2023 at 10:09 AM, Mabinogia said:

, don't get taken hostage with me. I'm no good at it. 

I am fairly certain that with the first hint of possibly being taken hostage, I will simultaneously faint, puke and wet myself and maybe have a heart attack, as well.  So, I am not worried about it because it is a foregone conclusion.  In short, I am not foxhole material.

[DoctorAtomic]

The two times a year I have to go to a bank, I'm always worried about a hostage situation. 

[Mabinogia]

2 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

The two times a year I have to go to a bank, I'm always worried about a hostage situation. 

You can still go inside banks? I honestly can't tell you what year it was the last time I was in one. I have seen far too many hostage situations on TV to risk it. And they say TV isn't educational.

[DoctorAtomic]

The banks are worse than the airlines. It took *two hours* for them to add my name to a business checking account. Then I had to go back because I couldn't activate the debit card. And I have to make cash deposits because the old timers won't pay for events online of course. 

[Danielg342]

On 1/1/2023 at 10:09 AM, Mabinogia said:

bottom line, don't get taken hostage with me. I'm no good at it. 

Maybe that means- should the unfortunate happen- you'll get lucky and you'll be one of the first "compassionate releases" just so the captors don't have to worry about you and your bladder.

[Egg McMuffin]

This thread reminds me of Ramona the Pest, where Ramona and her kindergarten class wanted to know how Mike Mulligan (of “And His Steam Shovel” fame) went to the bathroom. Miss Binney said that it didn’t matter and wasn’t important to the story, but the kids weren’t buying it.

Edited January 4, 2023 by Egg McMuffin

[Blergh]

5 hours ago, Egg McMuffin said:

This thread reminds me of Ramona the Pest, where Ramona and her kindergarten class wanted to know how Mike Mulligan (of “And His Steam Shovel” fame) went to the bathroom. Miss Binney said that it didn’t matter and wasn’t important to the story, but the kids weren’t buying it.

OTOH, I found it refreshing that when Green Acres'(1966-1971)Oliver and Lisa Douglas found themselves handcuffed together, the entire time Lisa( Eva Gabor) lamented being unable to 'wash [her]hands' and ONLY her hands, then when she was freed was happier than Lady Macbeth to wash said hands!

Edited January 4, 2023 by Blergh

[juno]

After binging many comedies, I came to the conclusion that every single male going to school will be bullied at some time. Only to rise against their bully and gain the respect of their entire school and that girl they like.

[Bethany]

I love the way they serve food on TV shows.  The enormous amounts that get put on a table and then never touched of course.  But also the other extreme in the way they'll have a group of people, say 4-5 guys sit down to share a SMALL pizza.  Really TV people?  I don't think so!

[Cloud9Shopper]

I thought I had posted this somewhere in this thread already but I went back several pages and didn’t see it so here we are. (Maybe I hallucinated posting it or put it in another thread on here; who knows?) I hate the fact that it seems like every female lead character needs to have a baby. I keep thinking about Abby on ER who had no business having a baby since she was so emotionally immature and careless (she mentioned being worried about leaving the baby behind while shopping…I think it was supposed to be a joke but it made her sound like someone who should not be handling a child in her 30s!), and even though she said she wanted the pregnancy she barely seemed happy or excited about it. It felt more like she went along with it to make Luka happy and not like she truly wanted a baby. And this was 2005/2006. It would not have been that scandalous to have her get her tubes tied or just decide she never wanted children.

Even the Gilmore Girls revival ends with Rory being pregnant and (if I recall correctly) not knowing who the dad is, and if she does know, it wasn’t stated. Like…why does every woman on TV need to discover the joys of motherhood and feel incomplete without a baby? I get it if they’re writing in a real pregnancy but in cases where not…it doesn’t make sense for every woman to take that route. I do recall seeing, though, that Cristina on Grey’s is childfree. 

I wish TV would show us more often that it’s possible to have a happy and fulfilling life if you decide to be childfree, and that not every woman can handle having a child. Some people in real life don’t want kids (I have an aunt who never did and has always had rescue dogs), and some people shouldn’t have them for whatever reason. It’s the 21st century; I think we should be more open to alternatives besides “oh look a female lead; must give her baby ASAP.” It feels so forced that almost every show seems to do this. 

Then again maybe I’m biased because I don’t want kids. Hopefully I won’t regret it in a few years but that’s another topic of discussion. 

[andromeda331]

1 hour ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

I thought I had posted this somewhere in this thread already but I went back several pages and didn’t see it so here we are. (Maybe I hallucinated posting it or put it in another thread on here; who knows?) I hate the fact that it seems like every female lead character needs to have a baby. I keep thinking about Abby on ER who had no business having a baby since she was so emotionally immature and careless (she mentioned being worried about leaving the baby behind while shopping…I think it was supposed to be a joke but it made her sound like someone who should not be handling a child in her 30s!), and even though she said she wanted the pregnancy she barely seemed happy or excited about it. It felt more like she went along with it to make Luka happy and not like she truly wanted a baby. And this was 2005/2006. It would not have been that scandalous to have her get her tubes tied or just decide she never wanted children.

Even the Gilmore Girls revival ends with Rory being pregnant and (if I recall correctly) not knowing who the dad is, and if she does know, it wasn’t stated. Like…why does every woman on TV need to discover the joys of motherhood and feel incomplete without a baby? I get it if they’re writing in a real pregnancy but in cases where not…it doesn’t make sense for every woman to take that route. I do recall seeing, though, that Cristina on Grey’s is childfree. 

I wish TV would show us more often that it’s possible to have a happy and fulfilling life if you decide to be childfree, and that not every woman can handle having a child. Some people in real life don’t want kids (I have an aunt who never did and has always had rescue dogs), and some people shouldn’t have them for whatever reason. It’s the 21st century; I think we should be more open to alternatives besides “oh look a female lead; must give her baby ASAP.” It feels so forced that almost every show seems to do this. 

Then again maybe I’m biased because I don’t want kids. Hopefully I won’t regret it in a few years but that’s another topic of discussion. 

I don't think your bias. There's hardly any women on TV that don't want kids and don't have them. Every baby born on Gilmore Girls wasn't planned. Miranda had zero interested in kids and in her pregnancy but had a baby. Jane Rizzoli never wanted kids and clearly never wanted to be pregnant in all her episodes where she was pregnant. Even when it should be settled like in the Closer they still bring it up a couple more times.  There needs to be more variety. Women who don't like kids or want them and don't change their mind. Women who like kids but don't want them. 

 

[Bastet]

14 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

Women who don't like kids or want them and don't change their mind.

That's a big reason why I liked Amy Sykes on Major Crimes; in one episode, she told a social worker evaluating her co-worker as a potential foster parent her feelings: "I don't want kids; yours, mine, or anyone's."  And when we later learn her boyfriend has been raising the issue occasionally even though she's been clear from day one, she tells him, "If the baby thing is important to you, find somebody else.  Otherwise, stop talking about it."  And he did, indeed, stop; they're still happily together in the end.

THANK YOU.  There are plenty of women who aren't sure if they want kids, who don't have a burning desire to no matter what but know they might want to under a certain set of circumstances, or who didn't want kids but now at a certain point in life change their mind.  But there are also plenty of who know damn well they will not, under any circumstances, have a child.

But, of course, Amy was an ensemble character; we need to see more happily child-free by choice and staying that way among the main women as well ("regular" ones, not just dark and twisted anti-heroes no one would wish on a child so thank the gods she's not having any).

Edited January 13, 2023 by Bastet

[Bethany]

15 hours ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

I hate the fact that it seems like every female lead character needs to have a baby.

Somewhat related - I stopped watching the British soap Coronation Street because at the point I finally said "enough" it seemed like almost every woman of childbearing age was either pregnant, wanted to be pregnant, was afraid she was pregnant or had stolen someone else's baby because she couldn't get pregnant.  It was like the writers had lost any ability to write for women aged 13-50 without having to make it all about reproduction.  

[Bethany]

 We read criticisms all the time of 1960s sitcom housewives wearing heels and pearls while vaccuming but not so much about 1960s Dads wearing a suit and tie to read the evening paper.  I am guessing the latter was probably no more common than the former?  If you watch these older shows though you'd really wonder if anyone had casual clothes! 

[RealHousewife]

52 minutes ago, Elizabeth Anne said:

 We read criticisms all the time of 1960s sitcom housewives wearing heels and pearls while vaccuming but not so much about 1960s Dads wearing a suit and tie to read the evening paper.  I am guessing the latter was probably no more common than the former?  If you watch these older shows though you'd really wonder if anyone had casual clothes! 

So true! I did like the fashion though. I’m the furthest thing from a tradwife but do like to dress like one as much as possible.

[Ohiopirate02]

51 minutes ago, Elizabeth Anne said:

 We read criticisms all the time of 1960s sitcom housewives wearing heels and pearls while vaccuming but not so much about 1960s Dads wearing a suit and tie to read the evening paper.  I am guessing the latter was probably no more common than the former?  If you watch these older shows though you'd really wonder if anyone had casual clothes! 

While casual clothes did exist in the 50s and 60s, those were still worn outside of the home.  Women wore their house coat/dress while at home doing chores, and men would be in their undershirts.  And those housedresses were not the best fabrics.  They were commonly old cotton dresses that were no longer suitable for outside wear.  Also, the women were not wearing the full girdle, stockings and bra underneath their housedresses.  Clothes were expensive, and outside clothes were not worn inside.  One thing I liked about Mad Men was the fact that Betty and Don wore inside clothes in the house while not entertaining.  Numerous episodes have Betty in her house dress and curlers as well as her friend Francine.  And Don would shed the coat, tie, and shirt as soon as he got home and hung out in his undershirt.  

[Annber03]

6 hours ago, Elizabeth Anne said:

 We read criticisms all the time of 1960s sitcom housewives wearing heels and pearls while vaccuming but not so much about 1960s Dads wearing a suit and tie to read the evening paper.  I am guessing the latter was probably no more common than the former?  If you watch these older shows though you'd really wonder if anyone had casual clothes! 

My mom's talked about how she'd get a kick out of it when she'd watch some of those shows from the '50s and '60s and see the moms in dresses all day and the dads in their suits and ties and whatnot. She never saw her parents walking around the house dressed like that all day. My grandma would wear slacks*, and my grandpa was a truck driver, so not exactly a suit and tie kind of job :p. If my grandparents were going to a nice function or something, of course ,they'd dress up for that, but otherwise, they dressed very casual. 

*My grandma also worked outside the home, 'cause with my grandpa away for weeks at a time driving trucks, my grandma pretty much had to hold down the fort back home.

[JustHereForFood]

On 1/13/2023 at 5:35 AM, Cloud9Shopper said:

I thought I had posted this somewhere in this thread already but I went back several pages and didn’t see it so here we are. (Maybe I hallucinated posting it or put it in another thread on here; who knows?) I hate the fact that it seems like every female lead character needs to have a baby. I keep thinking about Abby on ER who had no business having a baby since she was so emotionally immature and careless (she mentioned being worried about leaving the baby behind while shopping…I think it was supposed to be a joke but it made her sound like someone who should not be handling a child in her 30s!), and even though she said she wanted the pregnancy she barely seemed happy or excited about it. It felt more like she went along with it to make Luka happy and not like she truly wanted a baby. And this was 2005/2006. It would not have been that scandalous to have her get her tubes tied or just decide she never wanted children.

Even the Gilmore Girls revival ends with Rory being pregnant and (if I recall correctly) not knowing who the dad is, and if she does know, it wasn’t stated. Like…why does every woman on TV need to discover the joys of motherhood and feel incomplete without a baby? I get it if they’re writing in a real pregnancy but in cases where not…it doesn’t make sense for every woman to take that route. I do recall seeing, though, that Cristina on Grey’s is childfree. 

I wish TV would show us more often that it’s possible to have a happy and fulfilling life if you decide to be childfree, and that not every woman can handle having a child. Some people in real life don’t want kids (I have an aunt who never did and has always had rescue dogs), and some people shouldn’t have them for whatever reason. It’s the 21st century; I think we should be more open to alternatives besides “oh look a female lead; must give her baby ASAP.” It feels so forced that almost every show seems to do this. 

Then again maybe I’m biased because I don’t want kids. Hopefully I won’t regret it in a few years but that’s another topic of discussion. 

On 1/13/2023 at 8:18 AM, andromeda331 said:

Every baby born on Gilmore Girls wasn't planned. 

 

So true. I would have been fine with the revival ending with Rory being pregnant, if it was clear that it was her choice. It wasn't explicitly said that she didn't plan the pregnancy, but from the way it was written, that seems more possible and I don't think that lines with her character and with the way she and Lorelai have been contrasted during the entire run. The series ending with her being pregnant by choice at twice the age her mother was when she got pregnant with her, would have been a good bookend, IMO.

 

The less said about Sookie's season 7 pregnancy, the better. My blood pressure always rises when I think about it.

[Shannon L.]

Good friends always have the time and money to go with you to another state or country to support you during an emergency. They also seem to have jobs where they can leave for an undetermined amount of time.

[Raja]

On The Cleaning Lady we have had multiple non stop flights from Las Vegas to the Philippines. Make it to the airport and the FBI has lost.

[Blergh]

20 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

Good friends always have the time and money to go with you to another state or country to support you during an emergency. They also seem to have jobs where they can leave for an undetermined amount of time.

Reminds me of Providence(1999-2002) in which the lead was supposedly running an emergency charity clinic (out of a repurposed church no less) yet constantly dropped whatever she was doing without even a moment's notice to tend to family 'emergencies', romantic interludes,etc. - expecting and getting her medical partner to instantly pick up the slack. And, no she never covered for said partner. BTW, the reason I put quotation marks around 'emergencies' was that while they started out as genuine ones, they eventually became a bit trivial like a sib's pet coughing up a hairball onto their supper dish.

[DoubleUTeeEff]

When someone has an incriminating letter that they need to dispose of, there is a roaring fire conveniently close by.

[Raja]

35 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

When someone has an incriminating letter that they need to dispose of, there is a roaring fire conveniently close by.

Or failing that someone never seen smoking pulling the "pocket jewelry" lighter out to light up the evidence 

[DearEvette]

I just saw this on Will Trent and it made me think of this forum.

When you are sent to hide in a closet for your safety when an imminent home invasion/crime is about to happen, the closet will be one with louvered doors, easy to see out slats, so you can witness the crime/murder being committed but they can't see you in the closet.

[CoderLady]

6 hours ago, DearEvette said:

I just saw this on Will Trent and it made me think of this forum.

When you are sent to hide in a closet for your safety when an imminent home invasion/crime is about to happen, the closet will be one with louvered doors, easy to see out slats, so you can witness the crime/murder being committed but they can't see you in the closet.

As you crouch there in frozen horror you see a shadow on the louvres getting larger and larger, then the door is flung open. If you are not important to the story it will be a killer, but if you're closely associated with a major character, it will be your rescuers.

[Mabinogia]

37 minutes ago, CoderLady said:

but if you're closely associated with a major character, it will be your rescuers.

Unless your a woman that major character loves and said major character needs that one last push before going into Hulk mode, then you're fridged. 

Best case, you're a dog. Very few writers/directors are willing to kill a dog and piss off a huge portion of the audience. 

[Zella]

51 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

Best case, you're a dog. Very few writers/directors are willing to kill a dog and piss off a huge portion of the audience. 

Unless it's a children's movie (or book or even worse a children's movie based on a book). In that case, the dog inevitably dies. Pets, if you're in a kid's movie, be afraid. Be very afraid. 

I'm still traumatized by Old Yeller and Where The Red Fern Grows and often avoid dog-themed movies because of it even now as an adult, despite being a very avid dog person. 

[Mabinogia]

58 minutes ago, Zella said:

Unless it's a children's movie (or book or even worse a children's movie based on a book). In that case, the dog inevitably dies. Pets, if you're in a kid's movie, be afraid. Be very afraid. 

Good point. Dogs, please avoid all children's movies. 

I also find it highly amusing that the formula is: kids movie = kill the dog. bloodbath with high body count = don't you dare hurt that cute little puppy!

I'm one of those weirdo who can watch millions of people getting slaughtered but if a dog gets so much as kicked, I'm out! 

[Bethany]

1 hour ago, Zella said:

Unless it's a children's movie (or book or even worse a children's movie based on a book). In that case, the dog inevitably dies. Pets, if you're in a kid's movie, be afraid. Be very afraid. 

It's also a big risk being a mother in a children's book or movie.  Mothers are very expendable!  In fairness they've usually been killed off before the story begins so there's that.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Elizabeth Anne

[Zella]

15 minutes ago, Elizabeth Anne said:

It's also a big risk being a mother in a children's book or book.  Mothers are very expendable!  In fairness they've usually been killed off before the story begins so there's that.

YES! Dads can also be in danger but nowhere as much as moms. 

Parents and pets in kids' stories, watch out! 

21 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

I'm one of those weirdo who can watch millions of people getting slaughtered but if a dog gets so much as kicked, I'm out! 

Yeah I'm not squeamish at all as a general rule. I'm not going to say I automatically won't watch if the pet gets killed, but if I know ahead of time, I'll likely opt out. I got about 30 seconds into Don't Fuck With Cats before I figured out what it was about, and that was a hard no for me. 

I recently watched Togo and was really enjoying it before I started wondering, "Does the dog die? This totally seems like a movie where the dog dies. I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THE DOG DIED IN REAL LIFE!" Oh hell why?" I powered through and am glad I did, but I nearly turned it off halfway through. Then I made my family watch it because I suspected they'd like it. They're not the tenderest bunch, and about at the same point I started wondering, they started asking me "Oh hell does the dog die?!?!" I told them they had to suffer through it to find out like I did. 😂

Edited February 17, 2023 by Zella

[DoctorAtomic]

I can't imagine anyone watched Hachi. I lived there and couldn't go near the statue. 

[AgathaC]

2 hours ago, Zella said:

Unless it's a children's movie (or book or even worse a children's movie based on a book). In that case, the dog inevitably dies. Pets, if you're in a kid's movie, be afraid. Be very afraid. 

I'm still traumatized by Old Yeller and Where The Red Fern Grows and often avoid dog-themed movies because of it even now as an adult, despite being a very avid dog person. 

Since childhood, I have refused to read or watch any animal-themed book or show because there are two ways they go:

1) Animal is horribly mistreated before finally getting a happy ending.

2) Animal is loved and valued and dies.

Neither is good for my mental health. Merely hearing the story of WTRFG traumatized me.

[andromeda331]

1 hour ago, AgathaC said:

Since childhood, I have refused to read or watch any animal-themed book or show because there are two ways they go:

1) Animal is horribly mistreated before finally getting a happy ending.

2) Animal is loved and valued and dies.

Neither is good for my mental health. Merely hearing the story of WTRFG traumatized me.

Same here. I can't handle fictional animals being hurt and/or dying let alone real ones.

[Browncoat]

The first time I watched "Twister", I turned to my friend at the beginning, when the dad went back out to find the dog, and said, "If the dog dies, I'm leaving."  I didn't care in the slightest about the dad.

"Where The Red Fern Grows" left me a blubbery mess when I was a kid (and I read it repeatedly!), but it also made me want to visit the Ozark Mountains.  They are lovely.