Are you disappointed about TV shows that badly portray your occupation?

[MickinMD ★]

My sister, a Johns Hopkins Nurse, could never stand to watch House or other Hospital shows because the lack of professionalsm, the over-idiocy or over-brilliance, etc. were so far away from reality that her mind cant generate that "Suspension of Disbelief" necessary to enjoy fiction.

Similarly, school shows like Boston Public were worthless to me and shows involving chemistry like MacGyver or Scorpion are often disappointing.

On one of the original MacGyvers, I watched him blow a steel wall down with a little bit of magnesium that would have done nothing more than light a small fire in real life.

I really like the TV show Scorpion (ran for 4 seasons) about a team of geniuses working for the U.S. government. But sometimes their schemes don't mesh with reality. Today, on a rerun of Scorpion, they needed copper and shredded a jar-full of pennies to get it.  Since 1982, American pennies are 97.5% ZINC!  They're basically a zinc core with a thin coating of copper on top.  Otherwise, they'd be worth significantly more then 1 cent and people would be melting the pennies down for their copper.

The Scorpion team also got zinc dust to combine with copper dust and cause a bright fire a rescue plane saw so they could get off an island.  NO WAY!  You're putting two electron-givers, zinc and copper, together and they won't react with each other except to form an alloy (brass). You need an electron giver (reducing agent) like the metals and an electron grabber (oxidizing agent) like the oxygen in the air, but you'd need a furnace's worth of heat to start the reaction.

I used to have kids save and bring in pre-1982 pennies at the start of school until we had enough for a least 2 for each student to do a lab where we used a strong base and heat to cause zinc metal to go into solution and then coat pennies - making them look silver.  Then we'd hold them, with tongs, in the flame of a Bunsen burner.  NO bright fire!  The zinc and copper simply alloyed to form brass!  So the kids ended up with "silver" and "gold" pennies.

If you use some 1982 and all later pennies, holding them in a Bunsen burner simply causes the zinc core to melt and the pennies easily fold in half from the pressure of the tongs holding them.

Also, probably behind my rage is that these TV shows pretend brilliant physicists, psychologists, mathematicians, etc. know all about chemistry - without having formally studied it above an undergrad level and not majoring in it!  It doesn't work that way, folks!

[maddmaxx ★]

Relaxing and watching a movie or Television should involve a suspension of fixation on reality.  Just relax and enjoy the show.  It's ok to stress about everything else at other times.

[Scrapr ★]

No....Fred Sanford portrays my work life exactly  

[BR46]

I don't remember any tv shows about the glamorous job of fixing industrial wire machines. 

[BuffJim]

I work in exports and imports. I only remember one TV show portraying us. 

[donkpow]

Television shows don't generally portray unsuccessful characters so I'm good. Thanks.

[BuffJim]

7 minutes ago, donkpow said:

Television shows don't generally portray unsuccessful characters so I'm good. Thanks.

Al Bundy. Are you a shoe salesman?

[Square Wheels]

I work in a hospital clinical lab.  The only reference I have ever seen to us is when you hear a doc say, "send a new sample to the lab, they likely made a mistake on the first one...".  Makes us look like idiots.

[bikeman564™]

there are no engineers on shows, I feel left oot Except for Howard on Big Bang Theory Not much mention of his job though. And that Sheldon called him "just an engineer"   but I found that funny.

[shootingstar]

50 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

there are no engineers on shows, I feel left oot Except for Howard on Big Bang Theory Not much mention of his job though. And that Sheldon called him "just an engineer"   but I found that funny.

  I can imagine dearie rolling his eyes...Hollywood depiction of engineers, sounds nearly impossible.  The only excitement would be failing bridges  or any other failed structure.

The librarian stereotypes are annoying and continue to mislead... I still meet the person here and there, who are contemplating on entering in studies for the occupation becasue they have the image of surrounded by books and some computers, doing tons research.

Get a grip: if you want to get a decent salary...you become a manager, write business cases, present to city council or senior management, etc.

 

[shootingstar]

1 hour ago, MickinMD said:

My sister, a Johns Hopkins Nurse, could never stand to watch House or other Hospital shows because the lack of professionalsm, the over-idiocy or over-brilliance, etc. were so far away from reality that her mind cant generate that "Suspension of Disbelief" necessary to enjoy fiction.

Similarly, school shows like Boston Public were worthless to me and shows involving chemistry like MacGyver or Scorpion are often disappointing.

On one of the original MacGyvers, I watched him blow a steel wall down with a little bit of magnesium that would have done nothing more than light a small fire in real life.

I really like the TV show Scorpion (ran for 4 seasons) about a team of geniuses working for the U.S. government. But sometimes their schemes don't mesh with reality. Today, on a rerun of Scorpion, they needed copper and shredded a jar-full of pennies to get it.  Since 1982, American pennies are 97.5% ZINC!  They're basically a zinc core with a thin coating of copper on top.  Otherwise, they'd be worth significantly more then 1 cent and people would be melting the pennies down for their copper.

The Scorpion team also got zinc dust to combine with copper dust and cause a bright fire a rescue plane saw so they could get off an island.  NO WAY!  You're putting two electron-givers, zinc and copper, together and they won't react with each other except to form an alloy (brass). You need an electron giver (reducing agent) like the metals and an electron grabber (oxidizing agent) like the oxygen in the air, but you'd need a furnace's worth of heat to start the reaction.

I used to have kids save and bring in pre-1982 pennies at the start of school until we had enough for a least 2 for each student to do a lab where we used a strong base and heat to cause zinc metal to go into solution and then coat pennies - making them look silver.  Then we'd hold them, with tongs, in the flame of a Bunsen burner.  NO bright fire!  The zinc and copper simply alloyed to form brass!  So the kids ended up with "silver" and "gold" pennies.

If you use some 1982 and all later pennies, holding them in a Bunsen burner simply causes the zinc core to melt and the pennies easily fold in half from the pressure of the tongs holding them.

Also, probably behind my rage is that these TV shows pretend brilliant physicists, psychologists, mathematicians, etc. know all about chemistry - without having formally studied it above an undergrad level and not majoring in it!  It doesn't work that way, folks!

I think some of the lawyer shows mistakenly lead....some people to go into law/become a lawyer for the wrong reasons.  Not all lawyers even want to present in court/get involved in cross-examination of witnesses / client advocacy.  There's a high amount of analysis and details ....which can get dull.  

As for the doctor shows, being a family doctor means you must be willing to listen to alot of same stories from patients..and well, some of those examinations aren't glamorous...at all. 

[maddmaxx ★]

20 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

  I can imagine dearie rolling his eyes...Hollywood depiction of engineers, sounds nearly impossible.  The only excitement would be failing bridges  or any other failed structure.

The librarian stereotypes are annoying and continue to mislead... I still meet the person here and there, who are contemplating on entering in studies for the occupation becasue they have the imagine of surrounded by books and some computers, doing tons research.

Get a grip: if you want to get a decent salary...you become a manager, write business cases, present to city council or senior management, etc.

 

I thought librarians looked like they came from up on the wild side of the wild crazy graph.  You know, tousled hair, popped top button.  Is this not true?

[Ralphie ★]

1 hour ago, Scrapr said:

No....Fred Sanford portrays my work life exactly  

Do you call lil scrapr a big dummy?  Have frequent heart attack scares?  

 

[shootingstar]

12 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

I thought librarians looked like they came from up on the wild side of the wild crazy graph.  You know, tousled hair, popped top button.  Is this not true?

Actually there are some librarians that are crazy wild looking.....tattoos, wild dyed hair, funky clothing.  Like the character to my left.  Fun looking. Others..just dull looking and dull sounding...like moi.

[Zephyr]

I just tend to not watch cop shows.  Diving shows we watch but just chuckle sometimes.  

[shootingstar]

2 hours ago, bikeman564™ said:

there are no engineers on shows, I feel left oot Except for Howard on Big Bang Theory Not much mention of his job though. And that Sheldon called him "just an engineer"   but I found that funny.

Actually.....the movie "Hidden Figures", aerospace engineering, did give to the general public a taste of engineering...though it was more on math...which of course, comprises a chunk of engineering skills. It brought math..to reality, don't you think?  Where the space capsule was going to land, etc.  Of course pad the story about black women forging as the first ones working for NASA.

[Longjohn ★]

1 hour ago, MickinMD said:

My sister, a Johns Hopkins Nurse, could never stand to watch House or other Hospital shows because the lack of professionalsm, the over-idiocy or over-brilliance, etc. were so far away from reality that her mind cant generate that "Suspension of Disbelief" necessary to enjoy fiction.

Similarly, school shows like Boston Public were worthless to me and shows involving chemistry like MacGyver or Scorpion are often disappointing.

On one of the original MacGyvers, I watched him blow a steel wall down with a little bit of magnesium that would have done nothing more than light a small fire in real life.

I really like the TV show Scorpion (ran for 4 seasons) about a team of geniuses working for the U.S. government. But sometimes their schemes don't mesh with reality. Today, on a rerun of Scorpion, they needed copper and shredded a jar-full of pennies to get it.  Since 1982, American pennies are 97.5% ZINC!  They're basically a zinc core with a thin coating of copper on top.  Otherwise, they'd be worth significantly more then 1 cent and people would be melting the pennies down for their copper.

The Scorpion team also got zinc dust to combine with copper dust and cause a bright fire a rescue plane saw so they could get off an island.  NO WAY!  You're putting two electron-givers, zinc and copper, together and they won't react with each other except to form an alloy (brass). You need an electron giver (reducing agent) like the metals and an electron grabber (oxidizing agent) like the oxygen in the air, but you'd need a furnace's worth of heat to start the reaction.

I used to have kids save and bring in pre-1982 pennies at the start of school until we had enough for a least 2 for each student to do a lab where we used a strong base and heat to cause zinc metal to go into solution and then coat pennies - making them look silver.  Then we'd hold them, with tongs, in the flame of a Bunsen burner.  NO bright fire!  The zinc and copper simply alloyed to form brass!  So the kids ended up with "silver" and "gold" pennies.

If you use some 1982 and all later pennies, holding them in a Bunsen burner simply causes the zinc core to melt and the pennies easily fold in half from the pressure of the tongs holding them.

Also, probably behind my rage is that these TV shows pretend brilliant physicists, psychologists, mathematicians, etc. know all about chemistry - without having formally studied it above an undergrad level and not majoring in it!  It doesn't work that way, folks!

I know if you burn a zinc penny you get a bright light like you get from arc welding. I don’t know if the copper had anything to do with it. I suspect zinc will burn like that without the copper.

[groupw]

Computer techs seem to come off as the pudgy, nerdy guy who lives on Diet Coke and day-old donuts, lives in Mom’s basement playing video games, is nervously creepy around girls and wished he was one of the cool programmer hackers. As much as I want to protest it, and I know many who are not that person, there are many who live up to the stereotype. 

[bikeman564™]

1 hour ago, shootingstar said:

the movie "Hidden Engineers", aerospace engineering,

Never seen it sounds cool though.

1 hour ago, shootingstar said:

Hollywood depiction of engineers, sounds nearly impossible. 

 

True. Considering when people find oot I'm in engineering they ask "what do you do?" I'm like stuff Engineering is very broad, so I say my expertise is safety valves. But this actually sums it up nicely.

[maddmaxx ★]

1 minute ago, bikeman564™ said:

Never seen it sounds cool though.

True. Considering when people find oot I'm in engineering they ask "what do you do?" I'm like stuff Engineering is very broad, so I say my expertise is safety valves. But this actually sums it up nicely.

I met a man once who had a business card was "The Magician" and no other name.  He was a homeland security spook who wanted as much information as possible about a new security device we were designing for homeland security to use at airports.  His job........penetrating airport security to find out what weak spots could be exploited.  His team did so without the prior knowledge of airport security people.  I can imagine that to be a scary job at times.

[bikeman564™]

3 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

I met a man once who had a business card was "The Magician" and no other name.  He was a homeland security spook who wanted as much information as possible about a new security device we were designing for homeland security to use at airports.  His job........penetrating airport security to find out what weak spots could be exploited.  His team did so without the prior knowledge of airport security people.  I can imagine that to be a scary job at times.

wow, and yes scary indeed

[maddmaxx ★]

4 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

wow, and yes scary indeed

Scary is how often they were successful and then wrote a report on where, when and how.  We showed them how the equipment worked and they "suggested" some design changes and operational instructions to make it better.

[Kirby]

99% of my job is repetitive stuff that would not make for good tv..  Even the little stuff that could possibly make for interesting tv is associated with stuff that is boring, eo extracting just the good stuff would be unrealistic. Plus they have an hour (minus commercials) on most tv shows, so there isn't much chance for realism.  If I want reality, I can go to work. 

[Zephyr]

43 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

I met a man once who had a business card was "The Magician" and no other name.  He was a homeland security spook who wanted as much information as possible about a new security device we were designing for homeland security to use at airports.  His job........penetrating airport security to find out what weak spots could be exploited.  His team did so without the prior knowledge of airport security people.  I can imagine that to be a scary job at times.

They asked us during a major event one time to try to breach the security perimeter and gain access to a certain area to see if we could go undetected by both electronic sensors and roving patrols.  At night.

I told them doing it with the patrols knowledge was a bad idea, seeing as they were all armed and I did not really want loaded firearms pointed at the guys for the sake of an exercise.

[sheep_herder ★]

Art and Entertainment!! Art and Entertainment!! If you don't like it, TURN IT OFF!!

[Ralphie ★]

1 hour ago, bikeman564™ said:

Never seen it sounds cool though.

True. Considering when people find oot I'm in engineering they ask "what do you do?" I'm like stuff Engineering is very broad, so I say my expertise is safety valves. But this actually sums it up nicely.

Mine says:  " I am an engineer, I run on coffee".  Which is pretty darn accurate.

 

[Rattlecan ★]

There has been a few tv series based on over the road trucking over the years. Cannonball, Movin on, BJ and the bear to name a few. None had more than a passing resemblance to life and work on the road, but all were somewhat entertaining.

 Enter the "reality" TV show, Ice Road Truckers. I've said this before here, but when they were filming season one of this fiasco on the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter road in 2007, I was there hauling on that road.

 They had to overly dramatize this show to have any hope of captivating an audience, because the reality is, hundreds of kilometers driving over frozen lakes in convoys of four trucks spaced 1/2 a kilometer apart at low speeds There wasn't much going on to make the day exciting.

[shootingstar]

2 hours ago, bikeman564™ said:

Never seen it sounds cool though.

True. Considering when people find oot I'm in engineering they ask "what do you do?" I'm like stuff Engineering is very broad, so I say my expertise is safety valves. But this actually sums it up nicely.

I corrected myself, it was "Hidden Figures".  Various movie scenes showed mathematical calculations from ceiling to floor on blackboard.  Nowadays it's just duller...computer modelling.  It sounds like your area is mechanical engineeering? Or chemical engineering?

There are several P.Eng engineers in my family. Civil, mechanical, geological and engineering sciences. The newest discipline for 5th is mechantronics...robotics in mechanical engineering. A niece wants to get into biomedical engineering..wonder how she's doing in her studies now.

[Zephyr]

My son is a mechanical engineer who has done some contract work with NASA astronauts and even had converstions with their recruiter.  I suggested he watch the Netflix documentary on the Space Shuttle Challenger.  He watched it and texted me saying "Those solid fuel rocket boosters are super impressive!"

[Further]

Ya know how crane repairmen are always shown as glamorous, slightly larger than life characters...that's pretty much the story   

[MoseySusan]

I’m not going anywhere near FX’s movie A Teacher. I gave Walter White from Breaking Bad a lot of leeway. 

[BuffJim]

4 hours ago, Rattlecan said:

There has been a few tv series based on over the road trucking over the years. Cannonball, Movin on, BJ and the bear to name a few. None had more than a passing resemblance to life and work on the road, but all were somewhat entertaining.

 Enter the "reality" TV show, Ice Road Truckers. I've said this before here, but when they were filming season one of this fiasco on the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter road in 2007, I was there hauling on that road.

 They had to overly dramatize this show to have any hope of captivating an audience, because the reality is, hundreds of kilometers driving over frozen lakes in convoys of four trucks spaced 1/2 a kilometer apart at low speeds There wasn't much going on to make the day exciting.

I enjoy that show. Lisa Kelly

[jdc2000]

9 hours ago, BuffJim said:

I work in exports and imports. I only remember one TV show portraying us.

[Dottleshead ★]

No.

[Bikeguy]

11 hours ago, MickinMD said:

Are you disappointed about TV shows that badly portray your occupation?

No...    I just remind myself, it just a movie (or TV).  

Then again, from a safety perspective, people would die if they do some of the things I've seen done to, with, or even just being close to, overhead high voltage power lines in a movie.