I thoroughly enjoyed last night’s episode of NBC’s new cop drama Southland — especially the scenes with the divine Regina King, one of the most underappreciated actresses working today. (I’ve loved her since 227. Holler!) But then, some 18 minutes into the ep, the show had to go and commit one of my biggest pet peeves: actors walking around with take-out coffee cups that are so clearly empty they scream "I’m a prop! I’m a prop! What you’re watching is a TV show, not reality!" There was C. Thomas Howell, standing next to his cruiser, clutching two paper goblets, one of which almost tipped over sideways…yet without spilling a single drop! Give me a break. In this age of Starbucks — or Peet’s, the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Dunkin’ Donuts, or whatever outlet of caffeinated beveraging you prefer — we all know what a cup filled with a hot liquid looks like. It has a certain weight and heft, and anyone who handles it does so gingerly, for obvious reasons. Yet on the big and small screens, characters continue to sip from receptacles whose absurdly obvious emptiness shatters our belief in the fictional world we’re beholding and forces us back to stale reality. It’s the proverbial "exit sign" in a movie theater: You’re enjoying a juicy moment of drama or whatnot, then happen to glance at the bright red letters near the door and remember you’re in a room with a bunch of strangers, staring at a piece of celluloid. Downer!
What’s odd is that it’s quality stuff like Southland, and not low-budget junk, that repeatedly commits this sin. (See: The java-loving ladies of Gilmore Girls, among the most egregious repeat offenders.) Sure, I get that concerns for wardrobe and on-set safety pretty much preclude arming the cast with real, piping hot, half-caf, low-fat venti lattes. But come on! If Southland can film a baby crawling into traffic, the show can figure out a way to make those cups look more substantial than what’s inside Ms. South Carolina’s head. Fill the damn things with bean bags for cripe’s sake! Just stop showing us actors flinging around swathes of air wrapped in cardboard.
Okay, that’s my pop culture pet peeve. What’s yours?
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I totally agree! I watch Guiding Light and EVERY DAY there are people carrying around empty coffee cups! When they DO show them filling the cups, they only pour about 1/3 of the cup and then cap it off. I often wondered if I was the only one this bothered…
I agree plus when they put the cups down they make a sound which tells you that they are empty.
One of my pet-peeves happened last night on Grey’s Anatomy. When they make a character so annoying you want them to be killed off, but then they make you feel bad for them later. Like we saw with Izzie. Faking your death..twice? Not cool. Then seconds later she’s coughing up blood.
Anyways, yeah, a complete 180.
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/04/24/tv-tonight-friday-april-24th-2009/
Does Tyler Perry putting his name at the beginning of everything he does count as a pet peeve? I’ll probably never watch anything of his because it annoys me that much. Of course, I’m not exactly his target demographic.
Ugh, THANK YOU! This has always bothered me!
so true! it’s more irritating than it should be. but it sucks to watch an actor give this great performance, only to have the magic shattered by their inability to fake drinking a beverage. can’t they put water in the cups or something?
This is mine pet peeve about crime shows. I hate it when the loved ones of the murder victims are so calm after just finding out that they have been brutally killed! How would they even be able to speak? They get questioned and they act like they are talking about a day in the park! I guess this is done because of time constraints.
The other thing, no steam coming from the container, no stains on the side of the thing where coffee has leaked. And nobody ever has their own coffee traveller. I don’t know why every detective who arrives at a crime scene is greeted with a partner with a cup of coffee, really, I don’t understand the purpose. It’s a cliche.
Wow, to actually care about props???? Umm it’s fiction, you know what my biggest pet peeve is on TV, especially crime shows??? When their forensic techniques are so advanced their obviously fake! I mean come one, a virtual autopsy on CSI: NY!!! What is that???? Oh or the fact that the these CSIs will walk around in dresses and heels with their hair down, sure that’s real good crime scene etiquette!!!! Yeah I have a lot of pent up rage at CSI
I have to agree with mandi (not bierly). How difficult is it to put water in a cup, especially a cup with a lid so it won’t spill? Granted, I’ve never been on a set before, but that seems like something a PA/intern could do. Or are actors fearful of liquids? (Obviously not on Brothers & Sisters – that show would be lost without the wine).
When I saw the headline, my first thought was “Gilmore!” Always annoyed me.
I still don’t like it when they give phone numbers starting with 555-. We all know those aren’t real numbers!! Just give one that isn’t assigned to anyone.
This has been a pet peeve of mine for a long time. Not only do they not carry them as if they have anything in them, the actors can’t even fake-drink convincingly, but instead tip the cups almost horizontal when they take a first “sip.” As mandi (not bierly) pointed out, they could at least put water or something in them so they look authentically full.
I completely agree! Seeing obviously empty cups and mugs drives me nuts, and Gilmore Girls was a huge offender. I always notice when watching reruns of Frasier, too. Is it really that difficult to at least put water or something in the cup?
I too am greatly annoyed by the empty coffee cup (Gibbs on NCIS seems to be addicted to “air-in-a-faux-Starbucks” cup. Also have to laugh when a character is supposedly playing the piano, but all you are allowed to see is their shoulders and arms– which move in the wrong direction based on what notes are being played
My biggest pop culture pet peeve is when movies say the name of the movie in the movie. It drives me CRAZY and completely takes me out of the moment.
My pet peeve is how people on television/movies never say goodbye on the phone! They always just abruptly hang up. It’s so awkward and unrealistic. Also, they never close doors. It bugs.
The coffee cup! I thought I was the only one! I used to scream at Rory in Gilmore Girls–act like there’s something in there, Alexis! I think that’s why she hasn’t gotten any plum roles. You see it everywhere. How hard is it to pretend there’s a hot beverage in those cups? Missy, thank you for the opportunity to vent.
Oh, and how about paying the cab driver? I know we don’t want to wait for change, but give them something. Don’t just walk away.
Hey Adam, thanks for the Grey’s spoiler. It was on like 14 hours ago, some of us haven’t watched it yet.
My pet peeve is when the guy finally calls the girl for the big date. She says I’d love to see you Saturday.
Saturday when? Next Saturday? Saturday in 2 weeks? What time? Noon? 10PM? 6PM? Where? The park? McDonald’s? My apartment? Yours?? Why can’t they make complete plans before they hang up?
I think someone mentioned it earlier but the CSI people with their loose hair, nice clothes, and the high heeled shoes!! It bugs me to no end. When I watch British crime shows the CSI people are COMPLETELY COVERED, which I think is so much better. Its not pretty but I don’t care.
Another thing with the CSI shows (and I love CSI:Miami don’t get me wrong), is that the CSIs seem to do all the police work and the cops are bumbling around.
As for the coffee thing, I don’t really notice it. I will now though. I think Gibbs on NCIS might be the only one who carries some sort of beverage in his ever present coffee cup. Enough people seem to bump into him causing it to spill, its like they want the audience to know that its not empty.
No more procedural cop shows please. Find another genre, networks.
Gifts boxes wrapped beautifully with big bows that don’t go around the box itself, so the reciepent just lifts the lid. Come on.
OMG, you have stated it so well. I am a huge coffee hound, I do not go anywhere without one of those paper pacifiers. I remarried several years ago to my own Gilmore girls who while not that much of coffee drinkers themselves do have that wonderful relationship. I had never watched a Gilmore girl before but noticed right off the bat the coffee cup problem. It wouldn’t be so bad but they make such a big deal about their coffee that it isn’t just a prop on the show but part of the show and yet they desecrate the holiness that is the paper cup of goodness. Please to all prop departments, put something in those cups even if it is clear water that would not harm or stain actors or clothes. Heck if I was the actor I would relish the opportunity to work and carry a real cup of coffee to suck on between takes like a baby wating for its bottle.
Thanks for the post. It was very cathartic. I absolutely hate it when the coffee cups are blatantly empty. Now I don’t feel like I’m the only one who’s bothered by this.
Fake snow. Huge honkin’ flakes–nay, CHUNKS–of fake snow. That doesn’t melt when it hits clothes and hair.
Ditto on the gift boxes!
Also, the coffee cup thing never bothered mre before, but I bet it will now.
BIG PET PEEVE: Nightclub scenes where the actors speak at a normal volume while there’s supposedly “loud music” playing. This happens in movies and on TV ALL THE TIME. Drives me crazy.