Sorry, But Millennials Just Aren’t Buying These TV Tropes Anymore

Some of the most iconic TV shows and movies for millennials are timeless. Seinfeld, Sex And The City, and How I Met Your Mother are all shows that shaped our personalities in our most formative years. But once you grow up and rewatch them, some things stick out like a sore thumb.

Why did we ever believe that any of the Friends cast could afford their apartments? And how did we all fall for the idea that we could become instantly hot once our parents let us buy contact lenses? These TV tropes are severely outdated, and someone needed to say it.

Being Unemployed But Still Living In Million Dollar Apartments

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Can someone please explain how a freelance newspaper columnist can afford an apartment with a dining room and a walk-in closet?

Or what about Monica’s apartment in Friends? Yes, she inherited it, but there must have been some seriously strict rent controls in place for her to continue to afford it.

Meeting Up Just To Have A 30 Second Conversation

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This happens all the time on shows like Law and Order. It’s almost as if they forget technology exists. They feel the need to take a 20 minutes subway ride to personally let someone know that they’re working hard on the case.

It’s even less believable when people show up at their office for a two-minute interview.

Wearing Your Shoes Inside Like A Neanderthal

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Everyone says that Americans wear shoes in the house, but many people will argue that’s just weird. If your floor is so dirty that you can’t walk around barefoot, then it’s because you’re tramping in a bunch of dirt with your shoes. It’s like a circle that can never be broken.

The trope coming up is even less believable because no millennial can afford cable TV.

Moms That Somehow Find Time To Grab A Glass Of Wine With Friends

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Any new mom will attest that between nursing a new child, working, cleaning, and fitting in a shower every once in a while, there’s no time to go out with the girls.

Happy hour is officially canceled until the kids are potty trained. Any mom on TV that says otherwise is a straight up liar.

There’s Always Parking Right In Front Of The Place You Need To Be

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It’s incredible that every sitcom and movie lead manages to always find a parking spot right in front of the chic little bistro where they’re meeting a friend for lunch.

The only somewhat realistic show was The Hills because they always had to park blocks away in Los Angeles before they could get mimosas.

You Never Have To Sift Through TV Shows

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Whenever characters turn on the TV, it’s always magically showing the thing they needed to lift their spirits or a vital news broadcast that will change the course of the show. Realistically, millennials nowadays can’t afford cable.

So unless Netflix get’s a 24/7 news channel, we’ll never know what’s going on in the world. Keep reading the see all terrible tropes about breakfast.

People Just Randomly Show Up At Each Other’s Houses

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I would never just show up unannounced at a friend’s door because I like to think they’d show me the same respect. When we get home, we take off our pants and fall on our futon for the night.

The last thing we need is for a friend to drop by and apologize for something when we’re not mentally or physically prepared for it.

Everyone Magically Has Time For A Full Breakfast

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Who are these families that can get up and be ready in time for breakfast? Is the mom up at 4 AM prepping bacon and eggs? What is the shower schedule in a house with five people?

And then after all that work, the dad always runs by an entire breakfast buffet and only grabs a piece of toast.

And All Your Friends Show Up For Said Breakfast

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Photo credit: NBC / MovieStillsDB

Then you grow up and wonder how these groups of friends manage to meet up all the time for breakfast before work. I’m always rushing around frantically getting ready for work, but Elaine, George, Kramer, and Jerry frequently have time to grab a coffee and muffin.

Also, how does a stand-up comedian have money to eat out every day of the week?

No One Ever Bails On Happy Hour

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The most unrealistic TV trope is the fact that no one ever bails on any plans. No one on How I Met Your Mother ever missed a happy hour. Meanwhile, I have to schedule a night out weeks ahead to make sure that my friends accept my Google calendar invite.

Continue reading how we call into question why TV doesn’t understand how millennials use their cell phones.

People Still Frequently Call Each Other

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I get it. We all have that one annoying friend that refuses to text, but the rest of us want nothing to do with calling people. Talking on the phone is a thing of the past.

Yes, I understand that it’s easier for TV to show a phone call rather than a text conversation, but even their conversations aren’t realistic. They rarely say “hello” or “goodbye,” and everyone can afford caller ID.

And Leave Messages On An Answering Machine

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I thought talking to people on the phone was unrealistic, but leaving a voicemail is way more outrageous. The only reason any millennial even has a voicemail is so that their mother will feel better about all the times we don’t pick up the phone.

Most of us don’t even know the passcode to access our voicemail.

There’s Always One Friend Who’s Life Is Defined By Being Overweight

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TV shows always have that one character that used to be fat, and their weight loss is a defining moment in their life. Sometimes it can be a good thing, or the weight loss makes them cocky, like Fat Schmidt from New Girl. Whatever the reason, millennials aren’t defined by their weight.

If you’ve ever questioned how a sitcom family eats dinner, then you’ll understand why the TV trope coming up is unrealistic.

You Can Hack Into Anything Within A Few Seconds

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Crime shows always have that one quirky millennial who sticks out like a sore thumb but can hack anything and everything in under ten seconds. It’s like the character is meant to attract millennials, but none of us can relate.

It’s a nice try, but in reality, most millennials can barely remember their Twitter passwords.

If You Take Off Your Glasses, You’re Instantly Hot

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If ’90s romcoms taught me anything, it’s that the awkward nerdy girl in high school is secretly a smokeshow. All you have to do it get her a tighter-fitting shirt and take off her glasses, then voilà, she’s instantly hot.

We can’t all be hot Velma, or Laney from She’s All That, so our transformation from high school to the real world takes more than discovering contact lenses.

It’s Completely Normal To Have Everyone Sit On The Same Side Of The Table

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Once again, this TV trope is obviously for staging on a TV set, but it’s frustrating to watch a group of people all crowd around one side of a table. It’s almost as awkward as when couples on a date sit on the same side of the booth at a fancy restaurant.

Keep reading to see how TV tropes unrealistically address what it’s like to see someone you know on the street.

There’s No Distinction Of What Time It Is

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One TV show that is notorious for this is Friends. Is it a weekday or weekend? Was it breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Unless they are dressed in pajamas or you can see the night sky, you had no idea what time it was.

Only Chandler and Ross had weekday 9-5 jobs, so you were usually stuck accepting their strange reality.

People Randomly Run Into Each Other On The Street All The Time

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People in TV shows and movies are always running into people in the middle of the street. It’s like their pesky exes and estranged old friends are stalking them or something.

To make it even less believable, all these meetings take place in New York or L.A., where millions of people live.

Just A Hat Will Disguise You

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The probability of running into someone you know in these shows is so high, naturally, characters will often try to hide or disguise themselves with a hat or a pair of sunglasses.

I can promise you that Chad from grade 11 chemistry will see right through your pair of oversized sunglasses.

If There Isn’t A Conspiracy Wall, The Case Isn’t Getting Solved

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I’m not sure what the specifics are in detective school, but if crime shows have taught me anything, it’s that if you don’t have a wall covered in newspaper clippings, red string, and mug shots, then the case isn’t getting solved.

Someone should let these detectives know there’s this thing called an “Excel sheet” where they can input and organize a bunch of information.