People Are Sharing The Things That TV Shows And Movies Get Completely Wrong

Recently, I asked the BuzzFeed Community members to tell us things in TV shows and movies that they always get wrong, or find so unrealistic that it bothers them. Well, apparently, people have lots of thoughts on this topic because I got hundreds of responses.

Here are just some of the things that people said TV shows and movies portray inaccurately:

1."In high school shows, there always seems to be so much time between bells, but every school I know of has about three to four minutes for students to get to class, which is definitely not enough time for all the conversations I see in shows."

2."Empty coffee cups. It drives me nuts when the cups are obviously empty. When they set the cups down, they sound empty. When they are carried, it never resembles a cup full with a beverage. How hard would it be to add some water???"

3."As a doctor, I hate it when shows like Grey's Anatomy have doctors scrubbing their hands before surgery without a mask on. You put on the mask, then scrub."

4."When people tug on the reins of a horse’s mouth in order to get the horse to turn/stop. That's attached to a horse's mouth, which is very sensitive and will get you tossed off."

5."For me, it's mostly women in historical pieces looking like modern Insta models. Please give us realism for all of the cast. And please let them have body hair and period-accurate makeup. The men, too, for that matter, though it's not nearly half as bad as the women."

6."In dystopian and apocalyptic shows/movies, characters who have to scrounge for fresh drinking water (for example) have perfectly smooth legs and underarms, no period stains on their clothing, etc. If you can't find food, you're not getting edged up, dude. It's as though human biology stops in the apocalypse."

7."When people are driving, the driver constantly looks at their passenger while talking for ridiculously long amounts of time. The amount of people who would crash doing this is wild."

8."I work at a grocery store, and it bothers me soooo much that every show, movie, and commercial has their aisles stocked and faced. You are telling me that no one else shopped from the same shelf or that there are no product supply issues?! It really grinds my gears."

9."When a woman gets up after sex and wraps herself in a sheet. Who even does that, and how do they gracefully unmake the bed and leave their partner still under the covers?"

10."When people order a 'beer' in a bar. Takes me completely out of the movie. Who orders a beer? Can't they at least consider what they drink as part of their character?"

11."I used to work in a prison, and they get EVERYTHING wrong. I can’t even watch anything set in a prison/jail environment anymore. Visitation, staff interaction with inmates, how security issues are handled, what happens during a riot…literally all of it is so inaccurate that it's painful. It takes me right out of the scene and into 'nobody would ever do that' mode."

12."Cellphones exist or don't exist when it's convenient for the plot. I remember in the newest Scream movie, a character was about to be killed, so the main characters had to go all the way to her apartment. I'm over here thinking, They aren't going to try and call first?"

13."Talking on the phone, specifically when you only see one side of it. A conversation that is supposed to mean something lasts two seconds: no pauses to listen to what the other person says, abruptly hanging up, etc. drives me mad."

14."That Black women just lie on a cotton pillow and go to bed. We definitely sleep on a satin pillow or put on a bonnet before bed!"

15."Characters being able to afford expensive designer clothes on a minimum wage. Somehow, even only making $20 an hour they can afford fancy stuff and to live really nice? I'm honestly lucky if I can save enough AND the designer stuff is on sale and in stock!!!"

16."I have worked in nuclear power for 30 years. I have rarely seen any movie or TV show get nuclear power, radiation, or contamination correct. Not only is it handled incorrectly, but it is usually so very wrong as to be laughable. There are a few examples of getting close, but even those have errors and misrepresentations. For example, in real life, radiation does not spread, yellow suits don't protect against radiation, and you can't just walk into an operating nuclear reactor."

17."Therapy and therapists. The therapist is often portrayed as out-of-touch with their clients' lives. This often either serves as a comedic moment or to help underscore how dramatic the protagonist's situation is — so much drama the poor therapist can’t even handle it! The vast majority of real-life therapists spend so much time and effort understanding their clients' situations. TV shows and movies should be more supportive of a very challenging and necessary profession."

18."As a nurse, the hospital things that really bug me are medications that work instantly and patients in bed with no bed rails up."

19."When a simple conversation could clear up something in a minute, instead, something minor becomes a big misunderstanding that takes an entire episode or more to clear up. Why does no fictional character ask clarifying questions?"

20."People in TV shows receive their inheritance from their deceased friend or relative immediately after the friend or relative dies. Realistically, there's a legal process called probate that can last for months (or years). Not only that, but disputes often occur during probate, and can drag out the process."

21."When they drive into the open parking space right in front of whatever building they're going to — especially in large cities like New York or Chicago. Yeah right."

22."Everyone doing anything remotely scientific has brightly colored liquids. The majority of solutions used in a lab are clear and colorless."

23."Windows never have screens. It's like bugs can just fly in. Also, when nobody takes their shoes off in the house."

24."Unmotivated lighting. Think National Treasure. They're hundreds of feet beneath DC in tunnels and catacombs, and there's always a soft top light that makes everything in every scene visible. The flip side? The Batman, an entire fight in the dark where the only light source is the muzzle fire of machine guns. People complain about movies being too dark, but I think it's worse when they're too well lit."

25.And lastly, "Teachers of elementary-aged students CANNOT walk out of a classroom and leave their students unattended for more than five seconds. There would be the equivalent of a nuclear meltdown."

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.