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 Read the full post.
Apr 24
2009
06:22 PM ET
Pop culture pet peeve: Empty coffee cups
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HomicidalClown you are so right about the TV thing. These are great pet peeves!! Never thought these things bothered so many of us but it’s hilarious to read — the coffee cup thing has always annoyed me!!
Also, when they are watching something VERY interesting or even personally relevant to themselves on the “news” and then just click the TV off midsentence.
Can’t believe I missed this article before. Empty Cup Syndrome has annoyed me for forever!!! If the prop people can’t at least put some water in those cups, then all TV characters must instantly give up the joe.
i blame the actor.
if you cant even act like there’s coffee in a cup, WHAT CAN YOU ACT
???
I can’t believe no one mentioned mine: fake CPR and the sun being out really really early. Everyone knows what CPR looks like but TV/movies don’t even try to make it look realistic. And Gilmore Girls always bothered me with how, before school, around 7 in the morning the sun would be out and bright like it was noon. When I got up for school, it was at least a little dark still. In the winter, and in Connecticut? No way.
Also those answering machines that play the message out loud. Do people really have those, at least these days? Gilmore Girls, Will & Grace, Dexter, so many more have had these. Of course how else will certain characters accidentally overhear things they weren’t supposed to, prompting a conflict?
I have to mention my biggest pet peeve – there’s critical information on the hero’s/villain’s computer, and the good/bad guys hack in effortlessly, usually after only 2 tries at a password. Yeah, right!
I love you, Missy. I honestly thought I was the only one who ever noticed this – and I ALWAYS notice this. Drives me completely bonkers. Of all the shows and movies I’ve ever seen, I think that Da Vinci’s Inquest is the only show that does or has used cups that actually had some weight – of course I think it’s the most perfect show ever made, so that doesn’t surprise me. As you noted, it’s obvious when something that should have a certain heft has absolutely none; furthermore it’s a problem that can be solved a zillion different ways (even if they don’t want to use real liquid). Honestly, you made my day (even if I did catch this two weeks after you wrote it). I’m not alone!!!
I soooo agree about bad props. For me even more than the empty coffee cups it is the empty suitcases that so often get used. It looks ridiculous. Anyone who has ever lifted a packed bag knows the way the actors sling them around that they must be empty. They could put anything (rocks, books etc.) into them so it looks realistic.
NCIS is pretty bad with the coffee cup thing. Swinging the freshly given coffee cup around and never a drop spills, amazing. Like the others said, water or something. You just can’t fake the heft of it.
So glad to see someone zeroing in on this! It’s funny: Gilmore Girls is where I really noticed it as well (and I agree that it’s otherwise a great show). Someone said the actors should do a better job acting like there is coffee in there, but I think you’d have to be an incredible mime or something to pull that off, and why not save your concentration for other aspects of acting? Just put water, bean bags, silly putty, whatever, in there.
I also hate it when CGI action (as in the Spider-Man movies) involves gymnastics that go against the laws of physics. I don’t mean that “no one is that strong”, I mean that a superhero who is supposed to do his moves with strength alone (no flying ability) manages to shift directions in midair or move along a non-parabolic arc.
I especially hate it when they (invariably) tip the bottom of the cup all the way up, when it is supposedly a full cup. They can at least PRETEND it is full and start out just sipping it
YES! I hate it so much i actually found this post by googling ‘carrying cups of coffee in tv shows’ just to find out if anyone was as sick of it as i am. and you are! you really, really are! [air kiss]