19 common American things in film and TV that definitely don't happen in real life
We've all seen them.
Just because it's common in movies, doesn't mean it's common in everyday life.
Odds are you’ve come across a movie or television moment that made you think, “this definitely would never happen in real life.” Or maybe you thought something about a time or place which wasn’t actually real, thanks to a show you watched. I, for example, totally thought separate his & hers beds were a common thing in the 50s, thanks to “I Love Lucy.”
That’s kind of the magic of motion pictures. The line between reality and illusion is sometimes so blurred you really can’t discern between the whole “art imitating life” and “life imitating art” thing. Of course, the unbelievability of some common tropes make you wonder how they’ve endured for so long in the first place.
Recently, Reddit user rustyyryan asked: "What American thing is not that common but shown in many Hollywood movies/TV shows?"
Thousands responded. But here are some of the best answers.
1. "On Law and Order, when the police come and people keep doing their drone jobs. Sorry, but the most exciting thing in my day is a visit by the police, so I’m stopping everything, offering coffee, asking lots of questions, and ratting out my neighbors on unrelated things!" —wawa2022
"The other thing with Law and Order and other cop shows is that people always act annoyed toward the cops. IRL, the vast majority of people are not going to act that way. I’ve had a couple of cop visits and I was always shocked and kind of nervous and there was no way I would have acted like they were getting on my nerves!"—logorrhea69
2."Presents where the box lid is wrapped separately from the rest of the box." —sra19
"This drives me crazy! I get it...it would be a huge hassle to have to re-wrap a present for every take, plus you have to worry about continuity, but I have literally never seen a present wrapped this way in my life."—yourlittlebirdie
3. "At schools, teachers give assignments like normal people and don't shout it at the class as they're departing after the bell rings." —Beezo514
4. "Women having sex while wearing a bra the whole time. That's the first or second thing I take off of her." —BendingDoor
5. "The houses and apartments shown do not represent the living conditions of most folks." —rjainsa
"One of the reasons Spielberg's films from the '80s/'90s were so believable was that he insisted on houses looking lived in. The Goonies and E.T. both showed messy houses, single parents, scruffy kids, etc." —springloadednadsack
6. "Empty parking spaces on city streets." —other_half_of_elvis
7. "Especially right in front of the place you’re going."—BxAnnie
8. "Moms making huge breakfasts that no one eats." —babyfresno77
9. "This is the one. Every time, I’m like, 'What time are these kids getting up? What time does school start?'"—DanDan_notaman
10. "Cars exploding in a crash." —St_Ander
"My husband is a firefighter, and he hates car explosion scenes in movies because they don't happen the way movies show them happening."—Specialist-Funny-926
11."I noticed that no one has screens on their windows on TV. Where I live the bugs would carry you away." —RusticSurgery
"This one drives my husband crazy. He always comments on this when someone opens a window, sticks their head out, or throws something out. Could not do that where I live."—Sunnywithachance099
12. "Shoes on the bed." —slash-5
"I absolutely hate that trope. People with their shoes on beds or sofas. Hate it."—Farscape29
13. "Classes last longer than for the teacher to say something pithy, ask someone a question and then hear the bell ring. School buses don't honk for your lollygagging ass. If the bus stop is empty, they keep driving." —Scrotchety
14. "Halloween party costumes are much more elaborate on TV compared to real life." —Fireproofspider
"You never see anyone in some crap they picked up at Spirit Halloween 30 minutes before the party."—Repulsive-Heron7023
15. "Nobody ever has to ask someone to repeat themselves in a movie. I probably say, 'What?' about 60 times a day." —Street-Suitable
"This is all TV and movies. Nobody ever stumbles over their words unless it is a plot-necessary miscommunication or the bumbly can't get my words out trope."—Jimmy_riddle86
16. "Abrupt endings to conversations or phone calls without saying bye." —ParapluieGris
"OMG, thank you. Seriously, I wondered if people actually did this."—raggitytits
17. "The idea that you could be like six months behind on rent before they threaten to evict you, or six months behind on the power bill before they cut off your electricity. Maybe it used to be like that, but it sure isn’t anymore." —komeau
18. "People in a bar ordering a 'beer.' In real life, the server would likely be exasperated and ask about brand/kind and quantity." —remymartinia
"This one drives me nuts. I have never once in my 14 years working at restaurants and bars had someone just order a 'beer.'"—EveInGardenia
19. "Kids dressed up for school, which would result in them being sent home to change…Also, teens wearing stilettos to school."—Wulfkat
"Most teenagers today wear a baggy sweatshirt or a large T-shirt to school."—Randomthoughts4041
This article originally appeared in June.