Monday, July 27, 2009

"Ten things I hate about you..."

Blogger tgace has a list of ten police/military Hollywood tropes that completely cheese him off. An example:
2. Oh what the hell why not?:
Every Tom, Dick and Harry stacking up with the SWAT team, I think not. If my blood pressure went up one mmHg every time I saw some “CSI”, “FBI Investigator” or “Detective” stacking up with the tactical team to go in and get the bad guy my head would F’n explode!

News Flash. If I saw some “CSI” getting in my stack on a high risk entry he would get a boot up his ass. No SWAT team leader worth is salt is going say…”OK you FBI Profiler with no tactical training I am aware of, or experience with MY team, go right ahead and get in the stack.”

The only thing that gets me more pissed off is when the SWAT team rams the door and Horatio Crane in his shades is the first guy through the door! Hello numbnuts director, the way it works is the SWAT team goes in ALONE!! and when its secure they call the eggheads and Detectives in.

You should read the whole list. It's pretty funny.

16 comments:

knirirr said...

Point 8 was always one that wound me up, having a background in genetics and (until recently) having a job in that field.

I suspect that any specialisation is misrepresented on television, particularly in drama, and that those knowledgeable in the area will be cursing as they watch it.

Joanna said...

It recently occured to my mom that perhaps one reason my grandpa didn't like "blow-'em-up" movies was because he handled construction explosives for the Army in WWII and knew when they got things wrong (which is very, very often).

Having no experience myself, I just go by what I see on Mythbusters. A couple tons of non-dairy creamer might -- might -- make that kind of explosion. Two sticks of dynamite? Nah.

Tam said...

"I suspect that any specialisation is misrepresented on television, particularly in drama, and that those knowledgeable in the area will be cursing as they watch it."

The same problem exists in legislatures. One watches them making dumb-arsed, no-connection-to-reality weapons laws, and then recoils in horror when one realizes that they probably know as little about medicine or agriculture or finance as they do about weapons...

knirirr said...

...[politicians] probably know as little about medicine or agriculture or finance as they do about weapons.

I'm certainly not going to disagree with that sentiment.

Ken said...

11. If they really want to be realistic, they ought to go ahead and shoot the dog, and at least one raid a season should be a wrong address.

Shermlock Shomes said...

Hell, they're following "Star Trek" protocol. The captain, 1st mate, chief engineer, and chief surgeon who get beamed down to the danger zone.

Joanna said...

Sherm: Maybe they're hoping the detective is the redshirt.

rickn8or said...

"I suspect that any specialisation is misrepresented on television, particularly in drama, and that those knowledgeable in the area will be cursing as they watch it."

Yes. Watching son (CRNA) and d-i-l (RN) watching doctor shows was highly amusing. Almost as amusing as watching me watch milit'ry aviation things.

Buck said...

It does skew the public's views.Our new police chief creates a csi unit, which we needed. But on the local forums members were bitching that we didn't need a lab because Springfield had one. They couldn't understand the unit was officers collecting evidence, not a lab.

Michael said...

Number two always bothered me. I feel the need to hurt people when SWAT teams FOLLOW the jackass with a 9mm and shades.

Frank W. James said...

Along the same lines, there was some dingbat show on one of the three formerly 'major' networks years ago about a farm or farm family. Okay, my wife and I thought 'this might be fun' to watch something rural as opposed to an 'inner-city' oriented sitcom.

First scene, right after the opening credits, they have everyone walking into the kitchen to discuss some family problem after being called in from the barn....AND NO ONE TAKES THEIR MUDDY BOOTS OFF, either in a 'mud' room or OUTSIDE!!!!

I got up and left the room.

Don't think I've watched a sit-com since.

All The Best,
Frank W. James

Michael said...

"I suspect that any specialisation is misrepresented on television, particularly in drama, and that those knowledgeable in the area will be cursing as they watch it."

I do IT work. I can't watch any movie or show with 'hackers' in them without letting loose strings of vulgarity.

Anonymous said...

The only difference here is that these misconceptions result in a real impact on cops/military personnel and society. Criminals walk from prosecution..cops get sued and unrealistic expectations of our cops and military get propagated.

Same thing can be said about the medias treatment to weapons and weapon owners.

Tam said...

Of course, the same people who watch crime dramas and then vote/write legislation do so after watching House or Hackers, too.

Joanna said...

"Of course, the same people who watch crime dramas and then vote/write legislation do so after watching House or Hackers, too."

*spit-take*

Buck said...

Hey , I realized the two csi's in the local police dept. could be part of a raid. The officers do double duties, patrol and then csi as needed. In small town's the unlikely might happen. Oh, the new Chief also disbanded the "Special Response Team" and traded in their machine guns for new pistols.