Bizarro-World
Do you live in Bizarro-World? I know it’s kindof an off-the-wall question, but I wonder…
On TV, it’s a much-overused comic device; that scene where the kids pop into the parent’s bedroom just before, er, something is about to, um, get started. Or, the family is in the living room watching TV when suddenly the front door opens and the annoying parents (who live across the street, no less!) walk in unannounced.
Yet another popular plot device usually features a family with several kids, where one (usually the 8-year-old) is infinitely smarter than both parents put together. Much laughter ensues as the littlest family member repeatedly outsmarts everyone in a cute and hilarious way.
See, in the real world those doors would never be unlocked. And kids that age are never that smart. Nope; never happens in the real world.
Yet it happens all the time in TV land. Or as I like to call it, Bizarro-World
The other day, Mrs. MZM and I were watching a movie (The Man Who Knew Too Much, a 1952 Hitchcock film). At one point, I turned to her and said something like, “Wouldn’t it be interesting to make a list of all the “non-real-world” things we just saw in this movie?”
Such as, for example, a small boy, hidden away on the third floor of an enormous mansion, whistling loud enough for someone to hear on the first floor while his mother is singing (and playing a piano) as loud as she can. And many, many more little things like that.
Naw, the Real World is different, isn’t it?
So lemme ask ya this: Do you ever catch yourself acting as if what you see on TV, or in the movies, is real?
Just wondering…
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Don’t they call that “poetic license”? A friend of mine in forensics said she laughed at how quickly they match fingerprints on CSI. She said in actuality it could take days. In that type of situation, I’m glad they suspend reality on TV. I don’t have three days to watch one CSI episode.
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Oh, I suppose poetic license accounts for some of it. Also the fact that, at least in those older films, audiences were a lot less sophisticated than today.
But what give me pause is when folks start expecting reality to be like what they see on the big or small screens. When they expect life to wrap itself up in a nice bow in two hours or less. Or (here’s the most dangerous one) when they see or hear something repeated often enough – then it must be automatically true.
How many people don’t give any thought to what’s going on behind the scenes on the multitude of so-called “reality” shows? They simply ignore the artificiality of the situation, becoming willing to believe that what they see is “real”. And that attitude begins to permeate their everyday lives as well – possibly to their detriment.
What? You mean TV isn’t real?
Karen Putzs last blog post..Are You Living Your Dream Life?
If the show or movie is good enough, I happily suspend my disbelief. For most TV, though, the errors are painfully obvious and quite fun to point out. I think I’m actually becoming too skeptical. That may be better than believing what I’ve heard six times (that’s the magic number, right?), but sometimes I’m not sure.
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@ Karen – (Sound of hair being pulled out) No, Karen, it’s not real.
Except, of course, Star Trek.
Robert Hruzeks last blog post..Bizarro-World
Bob, while I enjoy the entertainment (though not as much as the good ole days) I do see a proliferation of reality imitating art, and it ain’t pretty. “Reality” TV has only added to the blurring of the lines. I think it’s funny that people believe reality tv is real. I am dismayed that people compare themselves to Sex and the City characters (sorry the episodes I watched made me cringe & left me dismayed as to the appeal of the show). TV can be entertaining but I absolutely do not want to mold my life after these people, although I wouldn’t mind having their stylists in my house some mornings.
Karen
@Sara – Oh, sure, we do the same thing. Sometimes it’s the ONLY way to really enjoy a good yarn like, for instance, Star Wars.
I guess the thing that gets me, though, is when we see something stated, re-stated, and re-re-stated on TV or in the movies as if it’s a proven fact in real life – when it’s not, really. Folks start believing it must be true, simply because it’s repeated over and over.
But hey, as usual, it’s up to us to test ALL ideas for their validity, you know?
In the meantime… Hey, down in front! And pass the popcorn!
Robert Hruzeks last blog post..Bizarro-World
@Karen S. – Yes, I think you understand what I mean, and I wholeheartedly agree – it ain’t pretty!
All I ask is for folks to think, you know?
Robert Hruzeks last blog post..Bizarro-World
Sadly, one of your items is unfortunately all too real.
Lots of kids x many years of young children with the run of the house = statistically relevant chance of kids “popping” in at fairly inopportune times.
And thats not including all the times we heard the motion detector go click beforehand…
You’re right, Tim, and to my mind, it’s a direct result of raising a family as you would see them do it on TV. NOT a good idea. Besides, there’s a reason bedroom doors have locks on ‘em!
Bob,
Oh I could go to town on this one.
First, my son is from Bizarro World a la “Doogie Howser.” Dern kid was skipped from third grade to fifth grade for the school year that just ended and once again made straight A grades.
Had to change schools mid-year because the other kids wailed on him for being so smart and smaller than them. (Yeah, anti-bully lessons in schools really work. Personally, I think the Tae Kwon Do paid dividends).
Second, I once roomed in Austin with an ex-convict whose first murder was when he was 13. He said he and some kids knew an old guy like Fred Sanford who got a social security check about the first of each month. They’d seen a show where someone struck somebody with a hammer and it knocked them out. My room mate said he was surprised to find in real life, it kills.
I moved out on my room mate pretty quick one night not long after hearing that story.
-Sam
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I think you made the right move, Sam – both times!
Yep, the Real World has a way of jumping up and biting us in the butt if we’re not paying attention, doesn’t it? :-\
there is lots of unbelievable tv show that make our live more worst, to be good to be true
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This is a great conversation, but I can’t let it end without mentioning Seinfeld’s Bizarro World episode. http://tinyurl.com/4a5g8h The episode demonstrates that the opposite of weird is not necessarily normal.
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