Things we have learnt about the USA in films and TV (1 Viewer)

ColinEssex

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I did this thread a few years back, but it was lost in the hack, I was asked to repeat it.

It's how the US TV and film people always portray things about the USA. I have no idea if they're true or not;)

1) With the whole world to chose from. aliens always land near a small desert town in New Mexico.

2) Fire engines have a steering wheel at the back and front

3) US soldiers always sing when they are running

4) Wherever you want to go by car, in a US city, there is always a huge parking space right outside the building you want to go in

5) US motorists never lock their cars.

6) No-one uses a toilet in westerns

7) With all the horses in westerns there is no horse sh*t anywhere

8) Six shooter guns always fire at least 10 rounds

9) Central Park is the best place to get mugged

10) The police are always eating burgers and coke in their cars

11) Cars in the US are as long as a London bus

12) Houses are made of wood (not bricks), especially in tornado and hurricane areas

13) The military top man always says "nuke 'em"

14) There are no cafe's in the US, they are all 'diners'

15) 'Diners' are always old railway coaches

16) 'Diners' always have red gingham table cloths and net curtains

17) People never see the restaurant bill, they roll off a few notes and throw it on the table then walk out.

18) All phone numbers start "555"

19) All schoolchildren drive fancy pick-up trucks to school

20) All girls are / have been cheerleaders

21) US schoolchildren are aged between 20 and 25 and are perpetual students

22) Refills of coffee cups is always free

23) Planes to Los Angeles are always diverted to Salt Lake City because of fog

24) When the pilot says "all is quiet" you know it'll crash soon.

25) Sea fog always contains ghosts of dead sailors

26) Radio station names are always letters and numbers - never a proper name

27) Maried people always have single beds

28) Police in the south are all corrupt

29) Police sheriffs in the south chew tobacco and spit alot

30) American men in Texas wear hats like JR Ewing

31) American women in the south always have 2 forenames (Ellie-May, Sue-Ellen)

32) The American "Do-Nut" doesn't contain the word "Dough" (as in doughnut - the correct spelling)

33) An hour long TV show is only 40 mins without adverts

34) Quincy (a pathologist) always solves the case because the police can't

35) There's always a dead body under a pier on the beach

36) Shop workers always say "Have a nice day now" with the sincerity of a dead fish

37) Steam always comes out of manholes

38) City streets are always wet at night

39) Dentists are always Jewish

40) Fire hydrants are always being run into by cars and water spouts up 30 feet

41) House don't have letter boxes in their door - its a little tin box by the pavement so people can steal the mail

42) Newspaper delivery boys always throw rolled up newspapers in the general direction of a house - they never get off their bike

43) Cars always go at 60mph in little alleyways, always hit bins and blow litter everywhere

44) Motels always have a miserable depressing owner / reception man

45) Ambulances are estate cars (station wagons)

46) In the emergency room in hospital, they all shout alot and say "stat" every other word.

47) Every patient has their own room, with all mod cons and a stunning nurse

48) Pathology tissue cultures that take 2 or 3 days to grow are always ready in an hour

49) Southern people eat Grits all the time

50) People carry machine guns in Chicago

Col
 

Mile-O

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Col, mind if I was to use this on my new *couch* *blatant plug* cinema forum *cough*. It's this sort of fun that could generate a userbase for it?

Or, more appropriate, you could ask it there? ;)
 
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Mile-O

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51) All diners are long, narrow rooms with the kitchen on the left;
52) All it takes is removing a pair of glasses from an ugly girl's face to make her beautiful;
53) Sheriffs will always argue with the Feds about territory.
 

ColinEssex

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SJ McAbney said:
Col, mind if I was to use this on my new *couch* *blatant plug* cinema forum *cough*. It's this sort of fun that could generate a userbase for it?

Or, more appropriate, you could ask it there? ;)
Mile-O, feel free to copy and paste it.

I have more I've thought up, I'll add later:D

Col
 

lmnop7854

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Col:

I think I can easily markoff the ones that are correct for you. Any other US citizens can chime in at any time.

1) True - they supposedly landed there before, so it seems to be the only place they know about to land.

2) True - I believe. However, I think they steer different things.

3) Not sure - seems like it's that way, doesn't it?

4) Most definitely not true, especially at the supermarket.

5) Not true anymore, even at home.

6) True - apparently there weren't any back then.

7) True - there is a little guy that runs around behind every horse with a shovel and a pail........:D

8) True - there wasn't any counting back then either.

9) Absolutely true. In movies and in real life

10) True - only it's really donuts and coffee

11) Used to be true - when they made the Olds 98 and the Lincoln Continental

12) True - why? Does that seem wrong to you?

13) Come on, Col, you know this is true

14) Not really true - there are cafes in the city, diners in the suburbs

15) True - at least the best ones are

16) True - but sometimes you can't tell under all the grease

17) Not true - only rich people do that

18) Not true - but I think there was an exchange of 555 in the Hollywood CA area, and so they just used what they had

19) Not that I am aware of

20) Definitely not - living proof here

21) Which movie are you getting this from? Although it is sometimes true

22) True - in many "diners"

23) Not true - but if you can find a decent priced no-layover flight, I'd like to know about it

24) Good God I hope that's not true

25) You never know.......

26) True - believe it or not

27) Ok, Col, now you're dating yourself. Yeah, in the movies from the 50's....

28) & 29) I will defer to Selena to answer these

30) I will defer to Fofa for this one as well

31) I don't think so, given Selena hasn't given her name as Selena-Mae

32) Nor does it contain actual dough - not really sure what that stuff is...

33) True - why? Does this seem wrong to you?

34) True - same for every non-police crime show

35) True - could be only a dead fish, though....

36) Not true - there are actually some people who kind of mean it

37) True - when it is cold

38) Sometimes - in the summer they clean the streets, and in the winter, they are definitely wet

39) That's very astute of you, Col, but not true

40) I think that actually happens

41) True - most people have mailboxes out at the street so the driving mailmen can deliver. Some have them on their houses, for walking mailmen.

42) Yeah, if you're lucky enough to have a paper BOY. I have always had paper ADULTS, who drive up the driveway and throw it at the sidewalk. Missing most of the time. Or dropping it outside the garage, so I have to come out with my nightie on and pick it up.

43) Not sure - there aren't any little alleyways near me. I would try it if there were. I would imagine if they were being chased by the cops, which is usually the case in movies, then that would be probable.

44) True

45) Again, you're dating yourself - recent movies show the vans that they actually are now. But they used to be station wagons.

46) I can actually speak for this - this is kind of true, when there are a lot of serious injuries in the ER at the same time. Most of the time, there isn't much going on, and minor injuries don't require a lot of "stat" orders. And the wait is incredible, if you aren't seriously injured.

47) For the most part, hopsitals have changed to private rooms, at least in my area. Rarely is there more than one person in a room, unless it is a non-acute wing. And the nurses? Kind of half and half - half nice-looking, half not quite so nice-looking.

48) Well, that's obviously not true, but they can make anything they want happen in movies, can't they? Or is it just that magic things happen in the US?

49) I think they used to in the Prohibition era. I don't think they do now.

Col - it sounds like you should keep track of the setting of the movies you watch. I would think if they were set in an earlier era, those things wouldn't be true anymore. Or else I would think that every man in the UK walks around in morning coats, cumberbunds, canes and bowlers, and the women all wear corsets, petticoats, dresses, and carry umbrellas.:D

Lisa
 

KenHigg

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lmnop7854 said:
...Col - it sounds like you should keep track of the setting of the movies you watch. I would think if they were set in an earlier era, those things wouldn't be true anymore. Or else I would think that every man in the UK walks around in morning coats, cumberbunds, canes and bowlers, and the women all wear corsets, petticoats, dresses, and carry umbrellas.:D

Lisa

They are pretty funny... Someone should start a 'What we've learned about the UK' version...:D
 

Mile-O

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KenHigg said:
Someone should start a 'What we've learned about the UK' version...:D

But that's just it, you guys never learn. :D
 

ColinEssex

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KenHigg said:
They are pretty funny... Someone should start a 'What we've learned about the UK' version...:D
When I did this a few years back - someone tried a UK one. Other than umbrellas and bowler hats it sort of ran out of steam:D


Lisa - the schoolchildren between age 20 to 25 one and your question

21) Which movie are you getting this from? Although it is sometimes true

It comes from a Columbo show I saw recently where these students (of that age) killed their tutor by firing a remote control gun in the underground car park of the school and also in "Teen Wolf" with Michael J Fox they are well into their 20's

"Columbo" is on every sunday on satellite TV here

Col
 

carlnewboult

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I think you forgot this one:

Whilst the whole world has been destroyed by some natural disator america is the only place left and just by a strange twist of fate happen to have the solution.
 
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Rich

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Yes and when the North Atlantic Drift stops and the ice caps melt flooding the US they all move to Mexico, where when they don't have green cards they are promptly sent back home:D
 

carlnewboult

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oh forgot a big one. It was America that did everything good in any war
 

ColinEssex

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Here's more:D

54) The US president is always young and handsome and played by Michael Douglas or Charlie Sheen

55) Tramps always sleep near a dustbin (trash can?)

56) The "underground" trains run on rails above the streets.

57) Neon signs never work properly and always flash and crackle

58) Pick up trucks are always about 4 ft from the ground

59) Supermarket groceries are always carried in a brown paper bag with no handles with the customary French stick poking out.

60) There are no queues at supermarkets

61) Buses are always called "Greyhound"

62) Bad men always wear black in westerns

63) Tea is always iced

64) No one smokes

65) People in Nashville always wear boots and shirts with fringes on the arms and sing country music

66) People in San Francisco never walk up the hills

67) People in Montana live in a forest and sit round camp fires

68) The "goodie" will always get the best hand at poker, in westerns

69) US people generally eat apple pie alot

70) Car tyres squeal even on dirt roads

71) No-one ever stops to buy petrol, they always have enough wherever they drive to

72) Petrol stations have a "ding" bell and an old man serves you

Col
 

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73) British men are portrayed as either bumbling idiots or secret agents :p
 

Groundrush

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Why in a horror movie when a strange noise is heard in a house, the occupants will go and investigate it with the lights out:eek:

I would be out the house in a flash.
 
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lmnop7854 said:
Col:


6) True - apparently there weren't any back then.

Lisa

Yes there were, the Aussies still use them :eek:


 

lmnop7854

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ColinEssex said:
Here's more:D

54) The US president is always young and handsome and played by Michael Douglas or Charlie Sheen

True - why would we portray them as ugly as they are? We can always dream, can't we? And don't forget that guy who played the president in Independence Day - can't remember his name, but he's pretty cute.

55) Tramps always sleep near a dustbin (trash can?)

True - Tramps, or the "homeless" as we call them, sleep anywhere.

56) The "underground" trains run on rails above the streets.

Believe it or not, that is true. I guess they have to come up for air.

57) Neon signs never work properly and always flash and crackle

True. And there is always a strategically missing letter.

58) Pick up trucks are always about 4 ft from the ground

Only in the Dukes of Hazzard movie.

59) Supermarket groceries are always carried in a brown paper bag with no handles with the customary French stick poking out.

True!!! except for the French stick. Although now they have changed to the environmentally-unfriendly plastic bag.

60) There are no queues at supermarkets

Definitely not true.

61) Buses are always called "Greyhound"

Aren't they?

62) Bad men always wear black in westerns

True - otherwise, how would you know them?

63) Tea is always iced

True - we don't have that afternoon deal that you guys do.

64) No one smokes

You know, I noticed that in movies. I think in the early black-n-white movies, they used to smoke - when it was fashionable, and no one died of lung cancer. Now, I think it is more of a statement. And that's a good thing, isn't it?

65) People in Nashville always wear boots and shirts with fringes on the arms and sing country music

I think that is basically true. Maybe not all of them, but a good portion.

66) People in San Francisco never walk up the hills

True - instead, they wind up in car chases that take them up and down the hills, so they can dramatically shoot off the top of the hill into the air....

67) People in Montana live in a forest and sit round camp fires

Not true - check Jackson Hole.

68) The "goodie" will always get the best hand at poker, in westerns

Or maybe have an Ace tucked up his sleeve, that will get him in some good-natured trouble...

69) US people generally eat apple pie alot

And why wouldn't they? I think that is generally true. Apple pie is really good.

70) Car tyres squeal even on dirt roads

Yeah, that's a bad foley artist for you, or a badly funded movie....

71) No-one ever stops to buy petrol, they always have enough wherever they drive to

Editing, Col, it's called editing. I doubt you would go to a movie where you only saw the people filling up their cars with gas, buying groceries, eating, and going to the loo.....

72) Petrol stations have a "ding" bell and an old man serves you

True - they used to - I loved that ding. You could step on the hose and it would ding. Now you'd be lucky to find a gas station that is full serve. Or even want to go there, because the gas is probably more expensive.

Keep 'em coming!! I'm finding it is pretty hard to dispel any of the stereotypes you have going....

Lisa
 

lmnop7854

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Groundrush said:
Why in a horror movie when a strange noise is heard in a house, the occupants will go and investigate it with the lights out:eek:

I would be out the house in a flash.

Yeah - that is my favorite. And when they find the monster and do it in (supposedly), they drop the knife and walk away with their back to it, so it can rise again and come after them (ie, Halloween the original).
 

ColinEssex

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lmnop7854 said:
I'm finding it is pretty hard to dispel any of the stereotypes you have going....
That just shows how accurate Hollywood and the TV shows are then :D

Col
 

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