27 Jobs That TV, Movies, And Books Get Wrong, According To Professionals

"While there are some good-looking doctors, not all are not McDreamys and McSteamys."

We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what TV shows, movies, and books get wrong about their job. Here are the ones that prove media need to do more research!

1. Being a lifeguard in real life actually means cleaning up a lot of vomit and poop.

Netflix

"I’m a lifeguard and my job is not like in the media. There is a lot less sitting around or staring off in one area. In reality, we have to walk around making sure we scan every single inch of the pool and the deck to make sure everyone is fine. There is also a lot more poop and vomit in the pool than you want to hear about. Every time this happens, we have to get everyone out of the pool and then scoop out the poop and/or vomit before later reopening the pool."

—anonymous

2. Those who work in bridal salons only want you to feel your best. They aren't trying to get you to buy what you hate!

Fox 2000

"I work in a bridal salon. We actually work really hard to make you happy. Most TV shows and movies portray us as snobs, as if we're trying to sell you the most expensive dress. In reality, we want you to feel your best and most beautiful."

—dangles44

3. Doctors are usually portrayed doing things that are typically done by nurses or other medical staff.

ABC

"I'm a nurse and there are a lot of things that bother me. Doctors very rarely are good looking. Doctors don't do that much with patients! They don't take blood samples, run the samples themselves, help the patient get out of bed, etc. A majority of the patients aren't young and good looking with an exotic disease. Usually it's an old person with a common thing like a UTI."

—lempinimisukunimi

"Hospital shows always get doctors wrong. While there are some good looking doctors, attendings are not McDreamys and McSteamys usually. Also, we use on call rooms to sleep, not for hook ups! We do not do as much as depicted in shows. A lot of patient interaction is done by nurses and technicians. We wouldn’t survive without them! And lastly, on call is not as exciting in real life. A lot of the time when I was on call, when the patients were sleeping, I was trying to catch some sleep too. Doesn’t make for exciting and entertaining television, though, I know!"

—deepaddle

"I work in general reception and registration for an emergency room. When patients come into an ER setting on TV, they never state their name, social, or any information because they're in SUCH distress. I've seen so many patients in real life who are in distress who still give the necessary information. It's important to see your prior history and make sure the clinical staff doesn't kill you by giving you meds you're allergic to. Or let's say you black out. We don't want to let in crazy people to visit you who'd want to hurt you. PSA to any future ER/ED patients: give nurses a break!"

—cocopa

"90% of the stuff medical shows portray doctors doing is typically done by nurses. I’m looking at you seasons 1 through 6 of Grey’s Anatomy!"

—kimm51

4. Librarians are true heroes because they can deal with a LOT of disrespectful patrons.

Warner Bros.

"Librarian here! Sure, we wear cardigans and glasses (at least in my library), but we don’t shush people (unless they’re actually being loud) and we don’t just read all day. In fact, we’re not really allowed to read at work. People think libraries are nice peaceful places, but I have some horror stories of people coming in drunk, doing/dealing drugs in the bathroom, or straight up yelling and fighting. But most of my day is made up of teaching people how to copy and paste or how to use a mouse..."

—marissam4eccf7355

"I'm a librarian. No, we don't walk around saying shush all the time. Yes, we've heard that joke (hundreds of times) before. We can work in a lot of different roles, such as the back office or in library technology, or we can be public-facing — the jobs are all really different. If you're public-facing, you are dealing with members of the public and it's not always a nice job. People having fights, use computers to access porn, and leave bodily fluids on the chairs. And people do some terrible, terrible things to the books. It's all a regular part of the job."

—kellyp43eebdd05

5. Servers are constantly busting their ass and rarely have time to take a break and talk to friends.

CBS

"I’m a server, and I feel like the biggest thing TV and movies get wrong about people is spitting in food. Nobody actually does it! That I know of, at least. Another thing: waitresses can't just stop mid-shift to talk to someone or hang out. I have down time, but most days I don’t get a break. Even if my best friend came in, the most I can say is hi before I have to go back to my tables."

—sloneil718

6. Those who work in movie theaters don't really care if you bring in outside food as long as they don't have to be the ones to clean up your mess.

Netflix

"I work at a movie theater and honestly most of us don't care if you're bringing in snacks as long as you hide them! We always joke that what the camera doesn't see won't hurt it. That being said, please don't bring an entire buffet from cookout."

—kingjaimem

"Movie theater employees don’t care if you bring in outside food. Just throw it away when you leave. I never would have known you brought a whole watermelon inside if you didn’t leave it sitting on the seat after the movie. (Yes, someone has actually done this.)"

—alienco67

7. Teachers realistically work 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and don't send kids to the office at every minor disruption.

FOX

"I’m a teacher. I hate how media portrays class sizes! They always have 12 to 15 students in the class. Realistically, I have had 32 in a class. Class size definitely matters when it comes to quality of education and behavior issues!"

—lisaa41

"I’m a teacher and I hate how discipline is portrayed in the classroom on TV. In most scenes, if a student makes a disruption they get sent to the office right away. Most times, we don’t use send the students to the office as a first option. We deal with it until we run out of options!"

—tbattle22

"As a teacher, my job is always shown as a 9 to 3 job when in reality I work 7 to 5 plus additional work from home. My Sundays always revolve around getting work done, and yet you never see this in films and TV."

—charo2

8. Everything you see about forensic science on CSI is basically a lie.

CBS

"I study forensic science. I hate it when crime scene investigators in CSI have a gun, go to the crime scene to collect evidence, research the evidence in their lab, and also question the suspect. That’s like three jobs into one! Also, they never wear full protection to avoid contamination, and their DNA results are done in one hour. It’s all wrong and not true."

—myrthem3

9. Estheticians wear protective gear when treating every single client.

Universal

"Licensed Esthetician here. Any movie or TV show that has a Brazilian wax scene, (like Bad Mom’s Christmas and Good Girls) there are NO gloves to be found...that’s just gross. And wrong!"

—smellylion57

10. Public service and social workers aren't disheveled and unhelpful in real life.

Lionsgate

"I’m a public service worker. We are consistently, no matter the job title, viewed as lazy, rude, and as if we don’t give a damn about our appearance. This is completely false! Usually, when you’re having to wait hours to be seen, it’s because we’ve got a lobby full of people who have been waiting as well, or we have something else going on that you might not see. We have to look presentable. And most of us (believe it or not) are here to help 100%!"

—sydnienicheller

"I am a social worker. I find it a little uneasy how social workers are portrayed in film and television. For example, Mariah Carey in Precious. She looks worn out and disheveled, portrayed as the 'overworked and underpaid' stereotype that’s been placed on social workers. These types of portrayals cause us to be continuously met with pity. There is a professional togetherness that social workers also possess that I think is too often overlooked and not represented onscreen!"

—kalsc

11. Accountants aren't mindless robots who have no life outside of work.

NBC

"Accountants are usually portrayed as socially inept, annoying, automatons with no life outside of work. Think Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters or Charles Martin Smith in the Untouchables. The reality is that we are generally trained to be both numerically and socially savvy because we often have to be the deliverer of bad news. You just can't get away with being a dick or a bitch on top of telling people in charge that their business is having a bad month or year."

—kend4fe281761

12. The media seems to think all psychologists love Sigmund Freud.

CBS

"Every psychologist on the planet cannot stand Sigmund Freud. It's so exhausting that he's always mentioned by fictional psychologists."

—r4be0235ef

13. Dental hygienists do more than just clean your teeth — they assess your oral health and how it affects the rest of your body.

Disney

"Dental hygienist here. Movies and TV shows always portray us just as ‘pickers of teeth,' but we are healthcare providers who are constantly assessing and diagnosing your oral health and its connection with the rest of the body. Yes, it IS VERY IMPORTANT that we know if you have diabetes, heart disease, etc., as many illnesses and diseases do have consequences to the oral health, and we can’t properly do our jobs if we don’t have all the information. No one wants to be told how to do something as easy as flossing or brushing, but we aren’t telling you these things because we want to hear ourselves talk. We genuinely want each and every patient to have the best chance possible at having a healthy mouth."

—jennas4b5fdbb07

14. Being a software developer isn't the same thing as being a hacker.

Warner Bros.

"As a (female) software developer, we are not scrawny men (or rarely, if ever a woman) with glasses who are terribly shy and afraid of opposite sex, nor do we wear strange outdated clothes. We cannot hack into any systems, we cannot solve any computer issue in short time, and we cannot magically get into some code and solve all problems. It's a job like any other, and we look and act like any other working people, and not like nerds, geeks or geniuses."

—trendytable80

15. Working in a psych facility doesn't mean jabbing patients to sedate them multiple times a day.

Columbia Pictures

"I work in a psychiatric facility. First off, if someone is having a psychotic episode, you can't just jab them with a needle. If a doctor does order an injection, they don't just fall asleep instantly. Straight jackets have been banned for decades. and padded rooms don't exist anymore. Most patients aren't dangerous and most don't even display outward signs of illness."

—ericaricadivag

16. In reality, bakers have to have a lot of stamina and can't just close up shop around the holidays.

Netflix

"Baking requires ridiculous strength! The pots and cakes are a lot heavier than you might think, and an immense amount of precision is required for decorating."

—mk2264

"As a baker, when I watched The Princess Switch, I couldn’t believe they just let Stacy leave her bakery DURING THE HOLIDAYS. She closed down shop and didn’t have anyone else to run it when she probably had orders upon orders! That’s a lot of money to give up, including walk-in orders. Also, it bugs me when they call a pastry by the wrong name. For example, in the recent To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before 2, Lara Jean said she made 'turnovers' when turnovers are traditionally made with puff pastry. They looked more like hand pies, which are much easier to make."

—giav41cc6e5b0

17. Lots of antiques shows only feature the priciest finds, which isn't realistic to day-to-day pawning.

History Channel

"Antiques dealer here. Most antique shows (like Pawn Stars, American Pickers, and Antiques Roadshow) only feature the best of the best in any category, but there is so much that's in the $20 and under range. Showing the very common, inexpensive stuff wouldn't be as interesting, but it would be most realistic. So much of what most people have in their attic/basement/garage/passed down is just not that valuable. It's rare to find items worth thousands."

—jkrause9114

18. TV reporters don't just rush to a scene of breaking news and go live right away.

New Line Cinema

"I’m a TV reporter and I HATE how that job is portrayed on shows and movies. You always see the reporter and photographer sprinting to the scene of breaking news and going live right away. There is nothing realistic about that. Believe it or not, it takes a few minutes to get the camera set up, your live capabilities tuned in — and honestly they’re always way too close to the actual scene, closer than police would EVER let them get. They also always show like 10 to 15 reporters at every breaking news scene. Unless it’s the biggest story in the country, there would only be about four TV reporters and maybe a couple newspaper reporters on scene."

—bitterrocket17

19. Therapists don't have romantic relationships with clients.

FX

"I’m a therapist. People don’t lay down on long chairs or couches when they talk to us. We can’t be friends with our clients. We definitely can’t have romantic involvement with our clients. And rarely do our clients have big moments of realization after we give them advice. It’s much more complicated than it's portrayed to be."

—hollyh411b812ac

20. Architects aren't all loaded as hell.

Parker Film Company

"Architect here. The main thing is that a lot of us don't earn much money at all. Some do, but it's not as 'rich' a career as TV would have you believe. Also, female architects do exist and it's not just a plot device."

—theapprovingseal

21. Airline ground staff and flight attendants aren't airheads! They're prompt and prepared.

Universal Pictures

"Airline ground staff here. The most obvious thing is TV always shows flight attendants boarding the plane. Nope. Those guys need to stay onboard. They can’t even step onto the jet bridge without violating FAA regulations. It's the ground staff that takes care of you in the airport, and we’re neither surly nor airheads! I guess the comic relief wouldn’t be there if they showed us as accommodating and approachable."

—anjar

22. HR professionals work hard to keep companies running smoothly and aren't all grumpy.

NBC

"I work in HR and there is always the stereotype that’s we're a bunch of grumpy middle aged women ready to scold you for dress code violations or bad jokes. In reality, especially in a bigger company, we don’t care much about that (unless you’re truly harassing someone). HR is made up of lots of sub-departments/teams who do many different things, including but not limited to: payroll, conducting continuing education courses, negotiating prices for health insurance, recruiting new employees, ensuring current employees are properly recognized, helping upcoming retirees navigate their retirement benefits, etc. I could spend all day listing the many things HR does, and it’s all to help make the broader company run smoothly and to try to keep employees happy and taken care of."

—laurenb429c9f902

23. The publishing industry is super cutthroat. It's not easy to get a book deal!

FX

"The entire industry of publishing is so often portrayed as an easy field to get into. It is so often romanticized — it’s not. It’s cutthroat. I heard a coworker once describe the fight to break into the industry as gladiatorial, and that could not be more accurate."

—cerianmai96

24. Baristas barely have a second to themselves to take a bathroom break, let alone to stand around and chat with their coworkers.

WB

"Oh man, I’m a barista and there’s always scenes in movies showing baristas hanging out, having conversations, chilling — and it’s so wrong. We’re constantly moving! Cleaning, making a drink, stocking product, cleaning, remaking a drink a customer didn’t communicate about properly, checking the creamer station, experimenting with new flavors/combinations for ourselves, shoving a bite of food or fizzling a drink, and, oh, did I mention CLEANING?!"

—christinac4b6660f27

25. Working in fashion design isn't all glitz and glam ALL the time.

20th Century Fox

"Designers don't hang around fashion shows or exhibitions sassing other people while being glamorous. Most of the time I show up at work in pajamas and get stuck in meetings with marketing and production teams. A good chunk of my working hours is spent in front of the computer either designing or researching. The glam part probably makes up to 2% of the job."

—heraf

26. Hotel employees can't give up personal information to ANYONE.

WB

"No hotel worker is going to give out anyone’s room number. Ever. Unless the cops show up, in which case we will not only give out the room number, but also a key. Why? Because we have the right to enter any room at any time and we need the cops to show up next time we call for help."

—sarahliz16241

27. And those who are licensed in cosmetology aren't "dumb" — they have to know a LOT about anatomy to treat clients!

WB

"The stereotype on TV of hair stylists being dumb! When I was in cosmetology school, my sister was in her second year of nursing school. We were learning the same things and would study together. We have to study anatomy, chemistry, and dermatology. People don’t take us seriously and think our job is a 'fun hobby.'"

—amandaw43ef203a2

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