There are certain film tropes around, say, life in New York city and attending an average American high school that are so removed from reality that they wholeheartedly resemble an alternative universe. But, once you take a step back and unsee the movie magic, you’ll find that this is true of quite a lot more.
People online share the things and activities that films always make out to be interesting, fun and cool but are quite the opposite in real life. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Being autistic. We aren’t all math geniuses destined for greatness, some of us are just lonely.
On one hand, I like who I am, and my autism is part of that, as it's a difference in my brain. On the other hand, if one more person tells me I have a superpower while also liking Autism Speaks (charity that victimizes parents of autistic children, wants to "cure" autism) I'm losing it
New York City apartments.
Standing under a waterfall. It looks like a gentle shower, but in reality it's like thousands of tiny rocks pelting you from a great height.
Probably depends on the waterfall. Not all of them are as big and powerful as the Niagara Falls.
Maybe I’m not the one to say, but… fighting? I’ve always liked the brawl scene between Hugh Grant and Colin Firth in Bridget Jones’s Diary, because they do fight like middle-aged white-collar workers—apparently they didn’t choreograph the scene, because they wanted to fight badly. At the climax of the fight, they smash through a restaurant’s front window, and instead of getting up and dusting themselves off and making a snappy Bruce Willis comeback, they wince and groan in pain—because, y’know, broken glass hurts.
I’m not writing this because I’ve been in such fights or want to, but because in the few fights I have seen in my life, they were short and graceless and un-fun and didn’t look like The Matrix at all.
Nightclubs. In movies, you can have extended conversations with girls as you dance with them, or call to them from across the floor, or interact with others. In real nightclubs, on the dance floor the music is the volume of a revved jet engine and no one can hear anything you say unless you screech it in monosyllables three times directly into their ear. If you’re a great dancer, in real nightclubs everyone does not move to the edge to cheer you and your partner on. Nightclubs are always “packed with good looking girls” in movies and on nights when you are not there, never when you are. Real nightclubs suck.
Owning an artisan bakery / coffee shop.
I hear it's a lot of hard work, very early mornings and you have to be okay with tossing out tons of unpurchased products.
S*x on a sandy beach.
Never before in my life had I thought to say this, but: Anakin Skywalker knows best...
Car parking. There is always a free spot just out the front of the building.
With plenty of room to park head first too. Kudos to the writer of the final episode of "The Sopranos" for actually showing what parallel parking really is like for many people (including me)
Combat/military exercise.
You rarely see the bruises, dirt scratches, blisters or shaking muscles. And more importantly the things you can only feel: pain, thirst, fatique, ears being exposed to loud sounds, the whole mind set going nuts from these. People will make dumb decisions because their minds are so overdriven and fatigued.
When you're dragging a machine gun made out of steel, across a wet swamp, at 2.30 AM, been up for >24hrs, feeling cold and being in "auto-drive" mode carrying 30+ kg of equipment... It isn't cool at all, it's total BS.
Disclaimer: haven't been in combat, so haven't had the actual fear of death on top of all these things.
Driving long distances. There are very few unexpected shenanigans to get into on a long drive.
That jumping around a corner while shooting at stuff.
You'll hit nothing and land on your a*s making a vulnerable target.
Heck, even shooting period. The majority of bullets in any gunfight are more about making the other guy duck and then duck out than to harm anyone. 97% of all bullets in a war are used this way. They train you to do it.
Food fights.
I've been in an actual food fight at summer camp that involved a lot of cake. It was one of the highlights of my life. The dining hall went from one person throwing it at a friend to the apocolypse in 5 seconds flat, and ended about 20 seconds later. It was 20 seconds of unplanned chaos that was awesome.
Running from the cops.
This doesn't loom cool in the movies. Maybe I am just stating my age.
Inside. No one's house or apartment looks that shiny and clean or rich. They're job could be selling aluminum cans and their home will look like an architectual magazine.
Disagree. I have two friends with OCD and you couldn't find a thing out of place or a surface uncleaned.
CPR. You can't wake someone up with a CPR. Even with a Cpr machine. Only the hospital can wake you up with adrenalin and stuffs. And the chances that you wake up (if you wake up) with no brain damage are very very slim.
Edit : so, I should have predicted that, but now everyone is sending me stories of people woken up by cpr. Obviously there are exeptions. I was just trying to point out that you can't expect someone to wake up from a cpr like they do in movies.
Is that what you were "just trying to point out" because you use the words "only the hospital can wake you up" which seems like a pretty confident statement, not a generalized fact-ish? Seems like someone would not try at all after reading that, like it was a useless option, but it exists for a reason and my daughter is here because of it.
Costumes that chacaters wear, they look really cool in movies and if you wear the samething outside it's lame.
There's a guy dressed as Batman going around in a Batmobile. Definitely not lame.
Bartending....
we don't just pop open beers and magically make cosmos appear instantly. in reality I've probably also got nance complaining about 'the other girl' who made her drink, or me still waiting for my manager to apply this d**n coupon.
Stake outs. Tried it once. So boring.
Dangerous driving on the highway or road in general. HOW HAVE YOU NOT HIT SOMEONE YET.
Being a Mall Cop.
Dancing in the rain. In a sprinkle, sure but pouring rain is not to be danced in.
Stepping on Lego. Always enjoy it happening in movies. Not once enjoyed it in real life.
Standing in the rain. In real life, you’d likely get pneumonia getting cold and wet like that, not to mention the raindrops down the back of your neck
Standing near an explosion. Oh yeah, look at that fireball! Cool, my eardrums have burst and my internal organs are mush! Awesome!
Travelling. As in transit, paying for fares, waiting in queues, walking, etc. Very dull. All of that happens in a blink of an eye in most films. You’d swear going to another country took less than an hour!
Holding onto a ledge with one hand. Happens a lot in films to up the tension, whereas if you’re a scarecrow like me you’d get tired after about five seconds and end up falling with a newly dislocated shoulder
A zombie apocalypse. Would in real life be fairly short-lived thanks to the military, barbed wire fences and enormous trenches
Being the quiet kid. Kids in movies look so interesting and mysterious not saying a word all the time, but when I try it I just look autistic
That one scene in deadpool 2 where deadpool literally gets ripped in half. Not much else to say.
There are several things that look cool in movies but often fall flat in real life. Here are a few examples:
Car Chases: In films, car chases are thrilling and action-packed, with dramatic crashes and high-speed maneuvers. In reality, high-speed driving is dangerous, illegal, and often results in serious accidents.
Gun Fights: Movie shootouts are often choreographed for maximum excitement, with characters dodging bullets and executing perfect shots. In real life, gunfights are chaotic, unpredictable, and usually end in tragedy.
Hacking: In movies, hacking is often depicted as a quick, flashy process involving rapid typing and flashy graphics. In reality, hacking is usually a slow, methodical process that requires extensive knowledge and patience.
Time Travel: Time travel is a fascinating concept in films, allowing characters to change the past or future. In reality, time travel is purely theoretical, with no evidence that it’s possible.
Superhero Powers: Characters with superhuman abilities can do incredible things, but in real life, humans have physical limitations and cannot fly, lift cars, or heal instantly.
Romantic Gestures: Grand romantic gestures in movies often lead to happy endings. In reality, relationships are complex, and such gestures can sometimes be seen as unrealistic or even inappropriate.
Fight Scenes: Choreographed fight scenes can look impressive on screen, but real fights are often messy, uncoordinated, and can lead to severe injuries.
Life in the Fast Lane: Characters living extravagant lifestyles with constant parties and excitement can seem glamorous, but in reality, such lifestyles can be exhausting and unsustainable.
These elements contribute to the escapism of movies, allowing audiences to enjoy thrilling experiences that are often impractical or unrealistic in everyday life.
They are supposed to be or it would be a documentary
Load More Replies...Little one that makes me crazy: holding a lantern up at eye level. You see it in every film: a lantern or torch is held up and out in front of someone's face to "see". In reality, the light directly in your eyes completely blinds you. You hold it down and away or way above your head on a pole
That's interesting, I've never thought about it but what you're saying makes sense.
Load More Replies...Drinking. Some of the characters wouldn't be able to stand because of the amount they drink.
Bonus points when the tiny athletic woman outdrinks the giant Russian/Slavic musclebound g**n.
Load More Replies...They are supposed to be or it would be a documentary
Load More Replies...Little one that makes me crazy: holding a lantern up at eye level. You see it in every film: a lantern or torch is held up and out in front of someone's face to "see". In reality, the light directly in your eyes completely blinds you. You hold it down and away or way above your head on a pole
That's interesting, I've never thought about it but what you're saying makes sense.
Load More Replies...Drinking. Some of the characters wouldn't be able to stand because of the amount they drink.
Bonus points when the tiny athletic woman outdrinks the giant Russian/Slavic musclebound g**n.
Load More Replies...