Have you ever heard someone compare something to a movie? As if whatever was happening was too good to be true? Well, that’s because the reality on screen is not always an accurate representation of real life.
Take something as mundane as making breakfast. You’ve probably seen at least one movie—or an episode from a TV series—where a parent makes enough food to feed a family of six and members of the household barely touch anything before heading out the door. In real life, the parent would probably stop them dead in their tracks or make a fuss about spending all this time in the kitchen for nothing.
This, and many similar scenarios were discussed by members of the ‘No Stupid Questions’ subreddit when one of them asked fellow redditors about American things that are not that common but are often shown in Hollywood movies or TV shows. If you’re curious about what other misrepresentations netizens have spotted, scroll down to find their answers on the list below and feel free to upvote those you agree with the most.
Below you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with a professor of history at the University of Waterloo, expert in modern U.S. cultural and social history as well as the history of American popular culture, including film, Dr. Andrew Hunt, who was kind enough to share his insight on how reality is depicted in film.
#1
I think most Americans are much, much poorer than we are portrayed to be on TV.
Image source: ShadowThePhoenix
#2
The houses and apartments shown do not represent the living conditions of most folks.
Image source: rjainsa, universalstudios
#3
Aliens blowing up the white House. It happens all the time in movies, but rarely happens irl.
Image source: FB_100, 20thcenturystudios
#4
Moms making huge breakfasts and no one eats.
Image source: babyfresno77, August de Richelieu / Pexels
#5
We can’t traverses buildings through duct work. Just ain’t gonna happen.
Image source: Ok_Present_6508, 20thcenturystudios
#6
Women having sex while wearing a bra the whole time. Thats the first or second thing I take off of her.
Image source: BendingDoor, sonypictures
#7
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!
#8
Empty parking spaces on city streets.
Image source: other_half_of_elvis, Paramount Pictures
#9
Nobody ever has to ask someone to repeat themselves in a movie.
I probably say “what?” about 60 times a day.
Image source: Street-Suitable
#10
Being able to talk and have a conversation in a loud bar with music playing.
Image source: CheyenneDemure, sonypictures
#11
Someone coming home with groceries that are in a brown paper bag with a loaf of French bread and a bouquet of flowers sticking out of the top of the bag.
Image source: Delicious_Virus_2520
#12
The unexplained ability of characters being able to afford houses or apartment way out of their league.
Image source: NotThatKindof_jew, nbc
#13
People in a bar ordering a “beer”. In real life, the server would be likely exasperated and ask about brand/kind and quantity.
Image source: remymartinia
#14
Shoes on the bed.
Image source: slash-5
#15
Presents where the box lid is wrapped separately from the rest of the box.
Image source: sra19
#16
Every attic does not have a mannequin, giant mirror and old bird cage.
Image source: jason_sation
#17
I notice that on TV no one has screens on their windows. Where I live the bugs would carry you away.
Image source: RusticSurgery
#18
Abrupt endings to conversations or phone calls without saying bye.
Image source: ParapluieGris, paramountpictures
#19
Leaving a bunch of beer bottles or shot glasses on the bar so we know that they’re drunk. In real life, the bartenders take away the emptys.
Image source: dreadowntown, cottonbro studio / Pexels
#20
Inclusivity and diversity.
Not every group of friends or employers are made up of the perfect mix of LGBT, male/female, mixed races. Most groups are very much made up of similar people.
Image source: IveKnownItAll
#21
This is kind of the opposite. In media set in the US people always seem to live in small towns, with town squares and historic homes, or big cities, with tall buildings and condos. The reality is that much of America is a copy-pasted suburb that has some chain restaurants, big box stores, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and 2-3 chain grocery stores. There’s some regional differences and likely a few local shops renting space in the same plaza as the chain stores.
That’s not every city, but if you pick a US city at random, that’s most likely what you’ll see on Google maps.
Image source: jrm2003
#22
Level of attractiveness is an obvious one.
One thing I live about British television is that the actors look more like someone you might actually pass on the street.
And do other countries have teens in media who are obviously adults? Like not even passing for actual teens.
I recently watched that new Nightmare On Elm street from some years ago and there was this blond grown a*s woman who looked like she had a starter mortgage and car payments playing a teenager. Like why is this junior sale rep for a pharmaceutical company playing someone 16?
Image source: VisibleCoat995
#23
I know this is dated, but there’s no way Al Bundy could afford a big house in a nice Chicago suburb and support a wife and two kids just selling shoes at the mall, even at that time.
Image source: wojonixon
#24
Classes last longer than for the teacher to say something pithy, ask someone a question, and then hear the bell ring.
School busses don’t honk for your lollygagging a*s. If the bus stop is empty they keep driving.
Image source: Scrotchety, Think Film
#25
No one keeps their car keys in the sun visor, yet in movies that’s the first place everyone looks.
Image source: michaelyup, warnerbros
#26
When growing up our Norwegian exchange student asked us where our swimming pool was. Apparently he said everyone in America has one. I wish!
Image source: Quirky_Definition_38, Juan Salamanca / Pexels
#27
Cars exploding in a crash.
Image source: St_Ander
#28
Halloween party costumes are much more elaborate on TV compared to real life.
Image source: Fireproofspider, sonypictures
#29
Mean rednecks.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some, but if you watch a Hollywood movie you get the idea that traveling into a rural area is like entering a post apocalyptic wasteland where mutant cannibals are lurking to spring on you.
I’ve lived in Appalachia for my entire life and nobody’s ever made me squeal like a pig or anything. Rural parts of the USA are actually really safe in terms of crime and that sort of thing. .
Image source: CambionClan
#30
A breakfast spread covering a 14 seat dining table and someone in a rush runs down stairs, grabs and apple; kisses someone, then heads out of the door because they’re running late.
Image source: LemonsAndAvocados
#31
When I was working in China, my colleague couldn’t believe that I had never seen someone shot and killed by a gun. Her response was, “but the movies show it happening all the time.”.
Image source: The_Lost_Pharaoh
#32
High schoolers living exciting edgy high drama adult lives.
Very few 16 year olds are getting drunk and hooking up every weekend. That’s a freshman year of college thing.
Image source: Hosj_Karp
#33
In real life predominantly black neighborhoods don’t have hip hop music playing faintly in the background to let you know you’re in “the hood”.
Image source: Ibrahim2x
#34
At schools, teachers give assignments like normal people and don’t shout it at the class as they’re departing after the bell rings.
Image source: Beezo514
#35
Fruit stands that speeding cars crash in to.
Image source: MickeyAmica
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