Annoying TV/movie cliches...

[sonnylarue]

While watching Heroes tonight, I came to the realization that the "happy kid who runs to throw his/her arms around the hero when he/she comes home from work" cliche annoys the hell out of me. Real kids don't do that. A real kid stares blankly at a TV screen and grunts out a barely audible greeting when a parent comes home...and that's only after the parent says something like, "Don't I get a hello?" Jesus, I hate that saccharine sweet, phony shit they constantly feed us in movies and TV programs.

What's your least favorite TV/movie cliche?

that's very sad and cynical ... I greeted my father that way when I was a tiny kid.

especially when he was away for a week, which happens on the show, and happened in our lives.

[FredC]

Also, the fat dad with the gorgeous milf wife.

That's hardly an annoying cliche. It's the American dream.

[Doc Randy]

that's very sad and cynical ... I greeted my father that way when I was a tiny kid.

especially when he was away for a week, which happens on the show, and happened in our lives.

My 3-year old still runs and throws his arms around me. Are you telling me this is going to end?

[JeremyDale]

While watching Heroes tonight, I came to the realization that the "happy kid who runs to throw his/her arms around the hero when he/she comes home from work" cliche annoys the hell out of me. Real kids don't do that. A real kid stares blankly at a TV screen and grunts out a barely audible greeting when a parent comes home...and that's only after the parent says something like, "Don't I get a hello?" Jesus, I hate that saccharine sweet, phony shit they constantly feed us in movies and TV programs.

What's your least favorite TV/movie cliche?

Meh-- I see kids like that all the time. Maybe you're just too jaded.

[CapnChaos]

- I hate how in all period films of the 20th century, all the old vintage cars are in PERFECT shape. The reality is that most would be dirty and/or dinged up, but all these classic cars are perfect and perfectly waxed and polished.

- I hate how too many action movies end up with some lame mano-y-mano fist fight. Lethal Weapon is a good example. A bunch of cops literally stand around and watch Mel Gibson and Gary "no helmet" Busey duke it out. LAME! Shoot him or arrest him. Do we really need the vaguely homoerotic scene of the two guys wrestling in the rain for no reason? Well... maybe.

- How all military special forces types prefer to not use guns and instead rely on fancy knives, cross bows, or archery. Complete BS.

- Overly short cryptic conversations. X-Files was always bad about this. Moulder would walk into the Smoking Man's office and say something dumb like, "I'm on to you!". Smoking man would reply, "You've got nothing". Then Moulder would just leave. No follow up questions. No roughing up. Nothing. Lame overly short cryptic conversations.

- Characters never referring back to their previous adventures or experiences. Another X-Files example: Every line of dialog in the show after the film came out should have been, "Holy Shit, Scully! Do you remember that giant fucking UFO we were in down in Antarctica?!?! We were in a giant fucking flying saucer at the South Pole!"

I loved the episode with Doggett in which his new partner had read all the X-Files case files and said she was still trying to figure out how they got home since the CAT was out of gas.

[TheGibson]

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- I hate how too many action movies end up with some lame mano-y-mano fist fight. Lethal Weapon is a good example. A bunch of cops literally stand around and watch Mel Gibson and Gary "no helmet" Busey duke it out. LAME! Shoot him or arrest him. Do we really need the vaguely homoerotic scene of the two guys wrestling in the rain for no reason? Well... maybe.

I actually like that scene specifically because Danny Glover is pushing all the cops back as they show up, yelling "I'm taking responsibility for this! Let them do it! This is on me!" and keeps stopping cops with cuffs who are ready to go in and gang up on Busey.

[Whip]

Also: in American sitcoms nobody ever locks their frontdoor.

I know!! The only time the door bell rings is when a surprise visitor comes.

Married with Children was notorious for this, but they lampshaded it when Marcy asked the Bundys, "Aren't you worried someone's going to come in and rob---well, kill you?"

Al goes, "Nah."

[King of Mars]

- Overly short cryptic conversations. X-Files was always bad about this. Moulder would walk into the Smoking Man's office and say something dumb like, "I'm on to you!". Smoking man would reply, "You've got nothing". Then Moulder would just leave. No follow up questions. No roughing up. Nothing. Lame overly short cryptic conversations.

Yeah, those unnecessarily cryptic conversations drive me nuts, too.

Hero: "You say...you're from the future?"

Future Man: "Yes. I've come to warn you. A great darkness is coming. Look to your heart for answers. Only there will you find...the light!"

Hero: "What does that mean? What's going to happen?"

Future Man: "Look...to your heart. There leads the path to salvation."

*cut to shot of hero looking worried and confused*

Fuck! This is world changing, life and death shit. Give the guy some straight answers, for Christ's sake.

[Shepherd]

When the couple is just going along fine, doing their thing and BAM, he pulls out and cums on her face. I swear, every movie I watch ends that way. Total cliche

R

[King of Mars]

that's very sad and cynical ... I greeted my father that way when I was a tiny kid.

especially when he was away for a week, which happens on the show, and happened in our lives.

Why do people on this board over personalize EVERY freakin' topic we discuss?

I realize that it happens, kids showing their parents affection. Point is, that sort of greeting probably isn't the norm these days and, in fiction, it's used to a ridiculously cliched extent.