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[megarockexe]

It's not always about the media portraying such professions accurately. It's about depicting them in a dramatized way to make it more entertaining to the layman viewer.
If you had 10 seconds to tell someone what you do for work, you probably won't lead with your first 10 minutes of work.

It's probably also why you don't often see characters use a bathroom unless it's relevant to the plot. It's not a reality show.

 

[HTupolev]

Everything.

Fiction writers are fiction writers. Just like anyone else, they know absolutely nothing about what most people do all day. Being a fiction writer doesn't magically give you insight and knowledge about everything everywhere.

And it's largely irrelevant to their product, so why should they care? It's not like any of the readers are going to be bothered that Gandalf is carving up fewer fishes over TPS reports than a real wizard.

 

[Laekon]

Not a film, but E.R. was lauded for its correct depiction of hospital work and certain parts were shown at medschools to students.

It's been a long time since I've seen that show but they got hung up on showing certain procedures over and over. I could be wrong but I remember then doing emergency tracheotomy (cutting a hole in the throats and putting in a pen or other small tube for breathing)all the time. Think they showed the physician nurse relationship pretty well.

What is up with the rights for that show? Can't stream it and it's not on cable.

 

[HStallion]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a decent take on high school but it really dropped the ball on the whole realistic vampire slaying thing.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

I love this thread, but just want to point out how much it annoys me in real life when people interrupt a TV show or movie by telling you why something on screen isn't accurate/questioning it. It is usually done in a douchey way though...this thread is actually informative.

 

[elrechazado]

This is the most hyper accurate medical drama ever
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C_AmdvxbPT8

 

[III-V]

Engineering - my nephew is 9 and looks up to me. Thinks when he is an engineer he will buy a mansion and a few Ferraris.

He has been watching too much Iron Man.

Love him a lot and although I tell him I have been moderately successful in this field, I do not have those things. It hasn't stopped him, he has been saying it for years already.

And: His teachers report he is a model student, incredibly bright, earns excellent marks, and has curiosity beyond his years.

You know what, maybe he will own a Ferrari.

 

[Rest]

Lawyers.

They're not nearly as skilled in real life, that's for sure.

 

[JdFoX187]

Media doesn't even represent working in media accurately.

That's the fucking truth. Every time I see a reporter or newspaper in a movie, I just shake my head at how much they get wrong -- All the Presidents Men, The Paper and Spotlight being the main exceptions.

 

[shawnbuddy]

Silicon Valley is very exaggerated, but some of their tech stuff and stuff about the experience of working at a startup rings true to me, as a guy who is a developer at a startup. Like this scene where Jared tries to get the guys to do Scrum. We dont do Scrum exactly this way, but there's a lot of talk about processes so it made me laugh.

https://youtu.be/oyVksFviJVE

 

[Mathieran]

I've seen several movies in the last couple years that depict a biologist going to up to an alien/unknown life form and going "oh, it's so cute!" And then pokes it then gets killed.

I can't remember any of the movies specifically except Prometheus, which was also the most egregious example.

 

[III-V]

Silicon Valley is very exaggerated, but some of their tech stuff and stuff about the experience of working at a startup rings true to me, as a guy who is a developer at a startup. Like this scene where Jared tries to get the guys to do Scrum. We dont do Scrum exactly this way, but there's a lot of talk about processes so it made me laugh.

https://youtu.be/oyVksFviJVE

I laughed but I still have no idea what SCRUM is.

 

[| Praxis |]

My stepdad is a mechanic and general car/motorbike/truck/tank enthusiast and he always complains about it's depiction in film and TV. Especially the little smudge of oil they usually have on the actors face.

 

[shawnbuddy]

I laughed but I still have no idea what SCRUM is.

It's not the best or most accurate explanation, but the attempt to impose order rings true.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Never watched E.R. But were doctors performing defibrillations?

If I remember correctly E.R. was one of the few medical shows that didn't use defibrillators during asystole, but CPR, which is the right method.

It's been a long time since I've seen that show but they got hung up on showing certain procedures over and over. I could be wrong but I remember then doing emergency tracheotomy (cutting a hole in the throats and putting in a pen or other small tube for breathing)all the time. Think they showed the physician nurse relationship pretty well.

What is up with the rights for that show? Can't stream it and it's not on cable.

Certain procedures are very stunning and visual, I guess that's why the did it. If you don't work in a hospital with otorhinolaryngology, emergency tracheotomies are rather rare.

 

[Sunster]

plumbing is a legit trade where someone does years of training to make sure pipes work fine and are installed while not angering the mytholoigcal beasts of building codes, not a punchline to a buttcrack joke

underrated

 

[shanshan310]

Translation / Interpretation (and which is which)

Also probably cryptography.

For two hours, Becker interpreted an endless stream of Mandarin symbols. But each time he gave them a translation, the cryptographers shook their heads in despair. Apparently the code was not making sense. Eager to help, Becker pointed out that all the characters they’d shown him had a common trait‑they were also part of the Kanji language.

Instantly the bustle in the room fell silent. The man in charge, a lanky chain‑smoker named Morante, turned to Becker in disbelief. “You mean these symbols have multiple meanings?” Becker nodded. He explained that Kanji was a Japanese writing system based on modified Chinese characters. He’d been giving Mandarin translations because that’s what they’d asked for. “Jesus Christ.” Morante coughed. “Let’s try the Kanji.”

Like magic, everything fell into place.

 

[BigDes]

TV likes to portray teachers as bitter incompetent drunks.

We're not all bitter.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

If I remember correctly E.R. was one of the few medical shows that didn't use defibrillators during asystole, but CPR, which is the right method.

I can't confirm since I never really watched it, but it wouldn't be particularly surprising if true. Crichton, who created the show, got an M.D. from Harvard Medical.

 

[disappeared]

Clerks portrayed retail work to a tee. It's amazing how well that film still holds up.

 

[capitalCORN]

Translation / Interpretation (and which is which)

Also probably cryptography.

HOLY SHIT.

 

[shanshan310]

HOLY SHIT.

lol yeah. That was a real "wait Dan Brown is an idiot" epiphany moment for me.

 

[MGrant]

Teachers. We're either Ben Stein or we're Dead Poets' Society. Or we're "cool" ponytail teacher.

 

[Makai]

Silicon Valley is very exaggerated, but some of their tech stuff and stuff about the experience of working at a startup rings true to me, as a guy who is a developer at a startup. Like this scene where Jared tries to get the guys to do Scrum. We dont do Scrum exactly this way, but there's a lot of talk about processes so it made me laugh.

https://youtu.be/oyVksFviJVE

Instantly adopt instead of debating whether a bug gets its own ticket and whether we should have another swimlane.

 

[MrKaepora]

I've yet to see an accurate portrayal of law enforcement, like, ever.

Hill Street Blues.

 

[Acorn]

Working in finance at any level = huge office, sports cars, coke and stealing money from pension funds/savings accounts/whatever. Permanently in conference calls with NYC, London, Tokoyo etc otherwise.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

The "Eureka moment" is rare. Science is collaborative.

Science is mostly paperwork and procedures. And, mostly trying to find funding.

 

[Aaron Strife]

plumbing is a legit trade where someone does years of training to make sure pipes work fine and are installed while not angering the mytholoigcal beasts of building codes, not a punchline to a buttcrack joke

Plumbers don't wear ties.

 

[Amalthea]

I bet most knights weren't gallant heroes but actually pretty big jerks.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

I bet most knights weren't gallant heroes but actually pretty big jerks.

So, GoT got it right?

 

[The Hobo]

Crime Scene Investigators.

The CSI shows have them gathering evidence, testing it, and questioning suspects.

In reality, they gather the evidence. They don't test it, that's the job of lab technicians. And they aren't invovled in the investigation itself.

 

[Iriscomeback]

Pizza Delivery.

lol, nice one

 

[Seda]

obligatory :

https://xkcd.com/683/

As a PhD scientist..

Yeeep

 

[Number_6]

TV likes to portray teachers as bitter incompetent drunks.

We're not all bitter.

Don't forget the old "inspirational teacher" genre of movies. Sometimes I feel like that's what's expected of me.

 

[FortuneFaded]

All of them. A more interesting question would be which films get a profession right, which ones show us what it's really like, because the vast majority of portrayals of all professions are simplistic and often just wrong.

For most accurate, I was thinking waiter. Although I haven't been more one before so I'm sure I'll be corrected.

 

[Goldmund]

As for the opposite, Opening Night (1977) represents theatre pretty well. It's still dramatized and simplified, but the constellations and archetypes don't stretch credibility too much.

 

[Amalthea]

So, GoT got it right?

Never watched or read GoT but most stuff I heard about it sounds pretty much like how people before the 18/19th century behaved.

 

[spunodi]

TV likes to portray teachers as bitter incompetent drunks.

We're not all bitter.

We're not all incompetent

Spoiler

Drunk post

 

[family_guy]

IT people who can write computer programs on the fly in minutes to hack into any organization.

 

[1.21Gigawatts]

Plumbers, Pizza delivery guys, pool boys and babysitters.

 

[B33]

If you see a "flatline" on a patient through a monitoring device and medical personnel "shock" the person, it's inaccurate.

Spoiler

This happens in Doctor Strange in a scene with two doctors

 

[Amory]

The people making your pharmaceutical drugs.

It's always portrayed as like, bespectacled young scientists pipetting purple liquid into PCR trays

The reality is it's pretty much like any other manufacturing crowd. Mostly scruffy, coarse older dudes with associates degrees or high school diplomas.

I don't say that as a jab at them either, some of the smartest people you'll ever meet. They'll look at a bioreactor or a chromatography column and tell you what's wrong with it in 5 minutes

 

[BlackRainbowFT]

As a psychotherapist, then number of shows that still take influence from Freud-era practices (Particularly with a fainting couch facing away from the therapist) is surprising.

The only noticeable exception coming to mind is the Always Sunny episode where the gang crashes Dee's therapy session. Even then, they're all let into the office at once & are immediately seen individually afterwards (Granted, an argument could be made for this being a "family session" & the gang has a history of barging into offices unscheduled by tying up whoever's at the front desk, so...).

There has to be more accurate portrayals, though. Since Foolkiller was explicitly stated to be a psychotherapist I picked that series up, but then his origin was explained through an inappropriately long instance of self-disclosure... Plus the fact he kills his clients is a wee bit inaccurate. Just a bit.

This. I'm a neuropsychologist (first time I've seen one of us was in The Fall, season 3, and it was quite accurate although simplified)... so this doesn't concern me directly, but the amount of Freudian clichés in fiction is astounding (I know for a fact that they still exist, but still). But those I just shrug them off as harmless parody.

what infuriates me are so-called experts being interviewed on various talk shows. Those do an enormous disservice to our profession. One example was a French show about psychologists who apparently came up with a magic formula to match people (giving you a compatibility score)... the participants would then get married and meet for the first time at the altar.

what a load of crap.

 

[Goon]

Not a film, but E.R. was lauded for its correct depiction of hospital work and certain parts were shown at medschools to students.

Our medschool showed us scrubs as the most accurate TV show about Medicine. Those dramas are trash

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Our medschool showed us scrubs as the most accurate TV show about Medicine. Those dramas are trash

Scrubs wasn't widely inacurate yet they sacrifised a lot for certain story lines or jokes. E.g. not wearing surgical masks during operations or CVC just you could see them talking or making faces.
ER didn't do that.
When it comes to dramas like Grey's Anatomy you're right. There was so much absolutely wrong things going on...

 

[OG Shaka Zulu]

Lawyers for sure. The Night Of's Court scenes were unbearable to watch.

 

[Kor of Memory]

No there not. In the Marines and Army it's the 3rd officer rank and lead companies with 3 to 4 other officers below them in combat units.

All medical shows are pretty much crap. No way Nurse Jackie took hour lunches while working in the ED. Except for in the labor and delivery areas most hospitals don't have rooms for the staff to sleep and there ain't nobody having sex during a shift.

In the Air Force usually you had Butter Bars (2nd Lt) that had just come from OTS on a 4 year program, or 1st Lts that had just come from OTS on a 6 year program. The 6 year program is a fast track to Capt, so most 1st Lts were Capt within 6 months of their first assignments.

At least in the USAF.

 

[DrForester]

Fun fact, My Cousin Vinnie is considered one of the best illustrations of an actual trial and is even shown to law students

And on the total other end of the spectrum, NASA shows "Armageddon" to managers to see how many mistakes they can identify.

 

[Glass Shark]

It's not always about the media portraying such professions accurately. It's about depicting them in a dramatized way to make it more entertaining to the layman viewer.
If you had 10 seconds to tell someone what you do for work, you probably won't lead with your first 10 minutes of work.

It's probably also why you don't often see characters use a bathroom unless it's relevant to the plot. It's not a reality show.

Thanks for explaining to everyone how fiction works and not adding anything valuable to the discussion.

 

[gamechanger87]

Working in finance at any level = huge office, sports cars, coke and stealing money from pension funds/savings accounts/whatever. Permanently in conference calls with NYC, London, Tokoyo etc otherwise.

I disagree. That is the lifestyle of Boiler Rooms.