Hollywood has a habit of recycling old job cliches while inventing new ones that are even more ludicrous. The most popular stereotype goes something like this: “a genius in one area is a genius in all.” In truth, even mathematicians who can mentally calculate double and triple integrals may be terrible at working with numbers. They’ve gotten so awful that calculating a restaurant tip has become a near-impossible task for them.
We discovered that errors in portraying different vocations in movies and TV shows are obvious to professionals but completely surprising to laypeople.
1. Lifeguards don’t jump in to help so often.
Lifeguards aren’t always present. They do not rescue lives in the way that movies depict. And they don’t perform CPR on a daily basis. Their primary goal is to keep this from happening. Which seems reasonable. As a result, they frequently yell at individuals, urging them to be more cautious and follow all of the rules and regulations. They also deal with a lot of bloody noses.
2. Archaeologists don’t crash through the jungle, looting temples.
A true archaeologist’s profession isn’t quite as romantic or exciting as we’ve been taught to believe. It’s actually a lot more tedious than that. At least in the eyes of the average person.
Archaeologists spend most of their time digging the earth inch by inch, swearing at tree roots, staring at microscopic fragments till they cross their eyes, and reading massive papers. They next placed all of the old items in bags, then grouped those bags into larger bags, and ultimately placed all of the bagged items inboxes.
3. In movies, mental health specialists easily breach ethical boundaries.
On television, there are far too many border crossings and violations. Patients and mental health specialists do not have close ties. They don’t meet them in strange places or at strange hours to help them get through difficult problems.
They also don’t use individuals to sort out any of their own deep inner psyche conflicts. There’s also no catharsis or dramatic moments where everything ‘comes together.’ No, mental assistance is a lengthy process. That, as well as the quantity of paperwork and administrative load shared by all the patients, is something no movie will show you.
4. Actual kitchens are quite a messy place to be.
In addition, the kitchen is rarely depicted realistically. Everything in the movies is so tidy, immaculate, and as if it was just purchased yesterday. In actuality, it’s a high-stress job in which individuals are rarely quiet and frequently scream at one another across the kitchen. Only the waitstaff is concerned about their appearance. Everyone is more focused on producing high-quality meals. Glamour has no place on the plate where a delicious dish is served.
5. Bar musicians are not all depressed dreamers.
Another idealised occupation. Bar musicians are depicted onscreen as huge dreamers who despise their jobs and hope that their lives will change significantly one day. While not all of them are depressed, they are all hoping that a major talent scout from a record label will come to the bar and recognise them. No, many musicians enjoy their work and enjoy playing in bars.
6. Librarians are not all nerds and bookworms.
Most people think of librarians as walking encyclopaedias, men who have read hundreds of volumes and know everything there is to know about something. In addition, their vocation is regarded as one of the most tranquil and straightforward in the world.
When it comes to being a teacher, immigration clerk, social worker, or tech support, it’s all about paperwork. Not to mention babysitting and other responsibilities. Of course, it varies on the library where you work, but reading books is usually one of the last things a librarian does at work.
7. The job of a private investigator is more like an office job.
Private investigators do not follow people about conducting face-to-face questioning. They make no attempt to uncover any hidden techniques or expose a prospective liar. They also don’t scour a city for the evidence they require. It is, indeed, a lucrative and intriguing work, but it is nothing like what we see in movies.
Investigators spend most of their time in front of computers identifying and confirming information, searching through the subject’s social media accounts for prospective leads, sitting in a car waiting for the subject’s activity, making phone calls, and conducting phone interviews. Doesn’t that sound like another office job?
8. University professors have no time for inspirational lectures that will change their students’ lives and futures.
University instructors rarely deliver motivational lectures that have a lasting impact on their students’ lives. Though this may occur on occasion, we must recognise that they simply do not have the time or energy to perform all of these nice but thankless things.
The majority of them work 60 to 80 hours a week planning lessons, administrative work, personal research, presentations, reviewing, editing, and so on. They work hard to establish themselves in their chosen industries. They attempt to do scientific research and avoid any ‘life coaching’ activities.
9. Most fashion designers work for labels and are quite happy with that.
Finally, a job that has been partially depicted correctly. In some recent films, at least. People generally do not enter the fashion industry to be innovative. They enjoy making things and working with their hands. Working for yourself might be difficult these days.
People will have to work seven days a week, long hours, and hire unpaid interns to keep things running in the latter case. That is why most designers choose to work for well-known brands and companies, or as ‘ghost designers,’ similar to ghostwriters but for clothing.
What role does your career or occupation play in movies? What crucial data do they conceal or reveal from a dubious vantage point? Please share this information in the comments section below.
Preview photo credit Baywatch / Paramount Pictures, Sasha Kargaltsev / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
