Throughout cinematic history, films have undoubtedly perpetuated white lies in a variety of ways. From harmful stereotypes to historical inaccuracies to unrealistic portrayals, the audience has witnessed it all!
Here are a few white lies movies have been falsely advocating:
NO RECOVERY TIME
“My favorite is people who had a significant operation or have been in a coma for years just getting up and walking out of the hospital like everything is fine without any recovery,” says a user.
Hollywood loves to show surgeries and comas like they’re a walk in the park. In the movies, someone can get their heart replaced, fall into a coma for five years, and wake up looking like they just got a good night’s sleep. It’s bizarre how everything is made to look easy-breezy, even when it comes to severe medical cases.
A PUNCH CAN KNOCK YOU OUT
“That people are knocked out for insanely long periods after a punch to the head,” says a user.
Okay, let’s discuss the movie world’s fascination with the knockout punch. You know, that scene where someone gets decked and stays out like a light for hours? It turns out that’s not exactly how real life works. It’s more like your brain takes a quick nap and then wakes up with a headache and a fuzzy memory, meaning there are no multi-hour snooze fests for you.
DRIVING WHILE TURNING HEADS
“You can drive a car and talk to your passenger with a turned head and prolonged eye contact according to movies,” says a user.
We all know that dividing your attention between driving and deep conversation is a recipe for disaster. For some reason anyway, cinema loves to portray scenes where characters solve the world’s problems while driving with their heads turned. It’s like trying to juggle two chainsaws while blindfolded – not realistic at all.
THE 24-HOUR RULE
“That you have to wait 24 hours before reporting someone missing,” says a user.
Believe it or not, movies have been feeding us some serious lies about missing persons. You know that scene where the worried friend or family member goes to the police station only to be told they must wait 24 hours before filing a report? Yeah, that’s a myth. In reality, there’s no waiting period like that. It creates a ticking clock scenario, adding tension and suspense to the story.
WOMEN ARE ALWAYS MADE UP
“Women being fully made up no matter the period or situation,” says a user.
Have you ever seen a female warrior in a movie who wasn’t sporting perfectly mascaraed eyelashes and a flawless complexion? Or how about a woman who’s just rolled out of bed and isn’t looking ready for a close-up photoshoot? It’s pretty rare, right?
Well, there’s a long-standing stereotype that women should always look attractive. This stereotype is often reinforced in movies, where it feels like they were born with perfectly sculpted eyebrows and never-smudged lipstick.
But guess what? That’s not reality. Not even close. Real women, even the most glamorous ones, have their off days. They wake up with puffy eyes and messy hair, and sometimes, even the zombie apocalypse wouldn’t motivate them to put on makeup.
GUNSHOT WOUNDS
“Gunshot wounds can be patched with a strip of cloth with no impact to the utility of the limb that was shot. For those who don’t know, bullet wounds cannot be treated in this way,” says a user.
In the movies, a quick patch with a piece of cloth and a hearty “I’ll be back” is all it takes to keep fighting the bad guys after being shot with a gun. In the real world, however, a bullet tearing through your flesh is a significant deal. It can shatter bones, damage internal organs, and cause massive blood loss. Sure, a bandage might help with the bleeding for a bit, but it won’t magically heal a gaping wound or fix broken bones.
THE WHOLE ACTIVE LABOR THING
“The whole active labor. Someone’s water breaks, and a baby is pushed out in two contractions. So much glazed over there,” says a user.
Childbirth is a beautiful, messy, and sometimes unpredictable journey, but it’s not a quick and easy two-push affair (the way it’s depicted in the movies). The dramatic scenes where a woman’s water breaks in a gushing torrent, followed by two big pushes and bam, baby’s out – are nothing but pure fiction.
Labor is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes hours, sometimes even days, for contractions to become strong and regular enough to push the baby out. Contrary to its portrayal in movies, it’s a slow and steady process, filled with rest, managing pain, and waiting for that little one to be ready.
DEFIBRILLATING SOMEONE WHO IS FLATLINING
“This has been a pet peeve of mine since I started working, but medical shows defibrillating someone who is flatlining. It’s not a shockable rhythm. My partner loves medical shows, but I can’t stand them,” says a user.
In movies, you see someone flatlining on the monitor, then someone yells “Clear!” and zaps them with a defibrillator, bringing them back to life. It’s dramatic, tense, and WILDLY UNTRUE. Defibrillators only work on a specific type of heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation, the heart quivering like a bowl of jelly. It’s not the same as flatlining when the heart stops completely. So, if someone’s genuinely flatlining, shocking them with a defibrillator is like trying to jumpstart a car with a dead battery – it will not happen.
Hollywood has a knack for making medical situations more dramatic than they are. While defibrillators are valuable tools in the hands of trained professionals, they’re not magic machines that can bring anyone back from the brink of death.
KNOCKOUTS WITH BLUNT OBJECTS
“Bash someone in the head with a heavy blunt object to knock them out in a safe, non-lethal way. That thing is deadly,” says a user.
Movies often portray knockouts with blunt objects as a harmless way to subdue someone, which is anything but valid. The reality is far more dangerous. The human brain is a delicate organ encased in a rigid skull. While the skull protects the brain from minor bumps and bruises, it can’t withstand the force of a heavy object like a baseball bat or pipe. Even a seemingly minor blow to the head can have serious consequences.
THE MANDATARY TRIPPING RULE
“You absolutely 100% will trip and fall if you’re running away from something bad or scary,” says a user.
If tripping were that common, wouldn’t we all be wearing knee pads and helmets every time we crossed the street? We’d be living in a world of rolling ankles and skinned knees, and nobody wants that. In movies, however, someone’s always sprinting away from danger, only to trip, face-plant, and become a human speed bump.
Think about it: When you’re running for your life, your body goes into overdrive. Adrenaline pumps through your veins, your senses are heightened, and you’re a blur of pure survival instinct. Tripping in that state? It’s not very likely.
SAVE THE MONA LISA
“The Mona Lisa is the only famous painting in the world and must be saved in any world-altering disaster,” says a user.
Ever get the feeling that Hollywood has a bit of a Mona Lisa fixation? You know, the whole “save the Mona Lisa from the asteroid/aliens/zombie apocalypse” trope? It’s like the world’s only masterpiece, right?
Well, news flash: it’s not! The art world is overflowing with stunning, mind-blowing paintings that deserve just as much spotlight. We’re talking about Van Gogh’s vibrant swirls, Rembrandt’s soulful portraits, Monet’s dreamy landscapes, and so much more. The whole Mona Lisa monopoly is a big, beautiful lie. Beyond the Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile, there’s a whole art museum waiting to be saved.
POLICE RESPONSE TIME
“Police response time. In movies, the cops show up in seconds. In real life, I’ve seen cops take over an hour before they showed up and did their job,” says a user.
Movies love to make us believe that the cops are just a phone call away, ready to swoop in and handle any situation in a heartbeat. Within seconds, sirens are wailing, and blue lights are flashing as the heroes in uniform arrive to save the day.
But here’s the thing: that’s about as realistic as unicorns flying rainbows. In real life, things don’t work like that. Police officers have tons of other calls to respond to, paperwork to fill out, and criminals who aren’t always conveniently waiting for them to show up. So, while they’ll do their best to get to your emergency, it might take longer than Hollywood’s three-second response time.
WALK CASUALLY AFTER AN EXPLOSION
“You can walk away from an explosion behind you and look cool while doing it. When in reality, you would be thrown away by the force, your clothes would probably be melting from the heat, and you would die from all the shrapnel flying around,” says a user.
Remember those epic scenes in movies where the hero casually walks away from a massive explosion, looking cool and collected? Well, those are fake. In real life, walking away from an explosion is like asking for a world of pain. You’d be lucky to escape with your eyebrows intact, looking suave. Explosions don’t just blow things up; they send out powerful shockwaves that can knock you off your feet like a bowling pin, so much for that cool, calm walk.
ALMOST ALL FIGHTING SCENES
“Almost all fighting scenes where dumb people are just lining up to get beaten one by one. In reality, it will never be like that,” says a user.
Have you ever seen a Hollywood action flick where the hero takes down 20 bad guys, one at a time? Since when do villains line up neatly, waiting to get their butts kicked? Turns out, they never do.
Let’s face it – there’s no way someone could take down a whole crew without getting a few scratches. In real life, things get messy real quick. If it weren’t for the Movie Magic, fights could never be unchaotic and predictable where the good guys never get hurt.
STORYLINE OF SUPERHERO MOVIES
“Story of every other superhero movie. If you save America, you have saved the entire world,” says a user.
Of course, America is a significant player on the world stage, but to say that it’s the sole protector of the planet is just plain egotistical. So many other countries have their own cultures, histories, and contributions to the world. Imagine if every movie made the hero a French baker saving the world from a giant croissant monster. It’d be ridiculous, right?
By constantly portraying America as the world’s savior, Hollywood can inadvertently contribute to a sense of American entitlement and a lack of understanding of other cultures. It can also make it seem like other countries are helpless without America’s intervention, which is simply not true.
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This article was originally published on Mrs. Daaku Studio.