we are looking american tv and we wonder

[woman from Europe]

Why don't people say goodbye when they finished the telephone calls? If that was real, nobody would talk to you again.


And when two people are eating lunch, they always get a table at once and they start to quarrel and one is living the table before the food is there. But isn't that a stupid thing to do?


Why don't people lock their doors. People are walking in and out in each others home. Why don't you put in a nice lock.


And everybody has big houses or appartments in the middle of the city even if they have quite usuel jobs, like a waitress or a policeman.


And why are people always getting food in their throat and somebody has to do the Heimlich to save them.

Many stupid question but we wonder

TH 12 incomplete 12-12-69.

[AO]

That is one of the funniest posts I've seen in a while.

I know TV isn't realistic but do you guys really not say Goodbye when you're finished a phonecall?

[Liz321]

To help you keep from wondering:

My father taught us never to say, "Good-bye." It was always see you later, Have a good day etc. "Good-bye" to him was too final.

I can't eat if I'm upset.

I trust the world too much so at times my doors are wide open.

They're called tenements/projects. We live in apts due to rent stabilization when we have jobs unlike Donald Trump.


We eat way too fast and shove large pieces of fried crap down our throats so we choke.

*Vote for Change 2004*

[Wise Young]

As an observer of American life, I can offer some explanations:

1. Telephone calls are so common and so frequent that saying goodbye is sort of like seeing a person in your office and saying hello and goodbye every time the person comes in or leaves the room.

2. Walking out of a restaurant. Are you sure that this is so American? I think that there must be plenty of French or German movies showing women leaving the table in a restaurant. To tell you the truth, it is part of the culture where people let it all hang out. You don't see this happening as much in China or Japan where people don't air their private quarrels in public as much.

3. Locking doors. Yes, this is curious, isn't it. I have always attributed this habit to America being so sparsely populated in previous centuries that people did not worry about locking their doors. Maybe it stems from living in camps a lot. Even more interesting, many americans not only do not lock their car but may leave the key to their car in the ignition. I guess this must because they think of their car like a horse... you don't lock up your horse. However, in New York, you triple lock your apartment door and "jack" your steering wheel in addition to locking the door.

4. Big apartments or houses. Most Americans are use to big living spaces. When I brought the American scientists to Japan for the first International Neurotrauma Symposium in 1990, I felt the need to warn them that the hotel rooms are tiny. It is not unusual for an upper middle-class couple to live in a four-bedroom house. There are his and hers rooms for everything imaginable. Only students have small living spaces.

5. Heimlich. This was the subject of intense advertising in the 1970's and 1980's. You must be watching old television shows. .

Wise.

[SCI-Nurse]

Here are another couple:

People on TV lead charmed lives because:

They always find a parking place right in front of the office, restaurant, store, etc. they are visiting, even in the biggest, busiest city.

When they are in the hospital, they always lay on their backs, and never have side rails on their beds.

If they are paralyzed, they either die or are cured.

If they have a head injury, they always wake up totally normal and can even remember their accident.

Whenever anyone knocks out anyone else and takes their clothes, it's always a flawless fit.

A dying person's last words will always be coherent and significant.

All movie mothers will prepare a breakfast, usually consisting of scrambled eggs, bacon, etc. Dad and the kids will invariably arrive at the table 30 seconds before Dad has to leave for the office and the kids have to catch the school bus. Each will have time only for a sip of coffee/juice and/or one bite of toast. There must be enough food left over in these homes to feed an emerging nation!


Other TV/Movie cliches

Bombs always have big, blinking, beeping timer displays.

In any type of sport movie, a player on the field can look up into a crowd of 1 billion and immediately spot their loved one.


Here is a pretty good website with a long list of more movie cliches.

http://www.moviecliches.com/
(KLD)

[DA]

you do understand that tv and real american is not the same.

[woman from Europe]

Thank you all of you

I have copied the answers over to the Norwegian Forum.

Of course we know the difference between real life and tv but it is different habbits in every country and we wondered what's the differences.

We were a bunch of people looking the E.R yesterday and started to wonder about the Heimlich and then the discussion started. Some of us have been to the US, most of us have not.

In Norway we always say goodbye when we close the telephone.
We never leave the restaurant before we have eaten finished and payed the bill.
We always lock the doors
Apartments and houses are very expencive in the citys so we do not have more than 2-3 bedrooms and only one bathroom except if we are rich and we seldom choke when we eat.

LOL, it was funny to get the answers

TH 12 incomplete 12-12-69.

[Lindox]

Media only shows what it thinks will be bought by the public.

America is so diverse in cultures, races, religions that it is a most unique country really.

Most people still say goodbye when ending a conversation I find.
And the not locking your doors is from the rural part of the country where it is done with pride. In the metro part..well do it at your own risk.

Not all Americans have big homes and apartments..some live in tenement slums..under freeway overpasses..in boxes.
Next to the 7-11. In Los Angeles there are people that have three families living in a two bedroom..one bath house or apartment.
As hard as it is too realize..some children wear shoes two sizes too small..and some have no sweaters or jackets when it rains.

I don't know why you see the Heimlich maneuver so often..perhaps it's to add to the comedic effect like in Tootsie..but it's a good thing to learn.

Help is on the way.

[NoDecafPlz]

Three words-

Don't watch Springer.



J.

[DA]

Originally posted by woman from Europe:

Thank you all of you

I have copied the answers over to the Norwegian Forum.

Of course we know the difference between real life and tv but it is different habbits in every country and we wondered what's the differences.

We were a bunch of people looking the E.R yesterday and started to wonder about the Heimlich and then the discussion started. Some of us have been to the US, most of us have not.

In Norway we always say goodbye when we close the telephone.
We never leave the restaurant before we have eaten finished and payed the bill.
We always lock the doors
Apartments and houses are very expencive in the citys so we do not have more than 2-3 bedrooms and only one bathroom except if we are rich and we seldom choke when we eat.

LOL, it was funny to get the answers

TH 12 incomplete 12-12-69.

most of the time we say goodbye...except when its a telemarketer then we say #$%&^ @#$%^5

americans are the fattest ppl on earth, i doubt anyone leaves before food come.

we lock doors.

one bathroom...geeeeeez. everyone needs at least 3. i hope you have at least 5 tv's and 3 cars.