11 Visual Clichés You Never See in Real Life

A Christmas tree on the lot with a wooden X-stand affixed to the bottom. Armored car guards loading sacks marked with giant dollar signs. There are some things that, it seems, are stereotypical images constantly used in movies, comic strips, and on TV, but just never happen in real life. For example, have you ever actually seen any of these?

1. A Boy Scout Helping a Little Old Lady Cross the Street

It's the ultimate cliché when describing the friendly and courteous Boy Scout, but have you ever really seen such a youngster in uniform aiding an elderly person at a crosswalk?

It's possible that this association came about as a result of the repeated re-telling of a true story that occurred in 1909. William Boyce, an American businessman, got lost in the foggy London streets during a visit to England, and a Scout approached him and guided him to his destination. When Boyce offered the youth a tip, the Scout declined, stating that he could not accept money for a good deed.

2. A Reporter with a "Press" Card in his Hatband

Despite the old movies that show police giving Melvyn Douglas or Clark Gable access to a crime scene by virtue of the card in their hatband, real-life reporters of that era did not flaunt their status. If, for example, their paper had recently been critical of local government then law enforcement officials would not be so eager to give them special treatment.

3. A Person Drinking Liquor from a Jug Marked "XXX"

4. An Angry Wife Chasing Her Husband with a Rolling Pin

5. Two Men Assuming the "Put Up Your Dukes" Stance Prior to a Fight

6. A Newspaper Boy Yelling "Extra! Extra! Read All About It!"

TV would have us believe that these enterprising newsies spread information as quickly as the Internet does today, seeing as the cry of "Read all about it!" was always heard mere seconds after a major event (like the bombing of Pearl Harbor) occurred.

7. A Classmate Being Punished by Wearing a Dunce Cap

8. A Police Officer Shouting "Calling All Cars" into His Radio

Probably not. The very first police car two-way radios were installed in Bayonne, New Jersey, in 1933, and relied on a central dispatcher to make district-wide "broadcasts." The 10-code (as in, "10-4" or "We've got a 10-33") originated in 1937, not only to reduce the use of speech on radio and save time, but also as a way to describe a particular situation without alarming those bystanders within earshot.

9. An Organ Grinder with a Monkey

Even though celluloid organ grinders are usually shown surrounded by a happy and appreciative audience, in real life hurdy-gurdy men earned money by being annoying, not entertaining. Their music box played the same

snog

song over and over and the only way to make them move along was by giving them a coin.

10. A Burglar Wearing a Lone Ranger Mask

11. A Goat Eating a Tin Can

Once upon a time a real-life goat might have occasionally been observed licking a discarded can, but that was because it liked the taste of the paste that was used to affix labels to cans back in the very old days. Goats are actually quite finicky about what they'll consume, though they do "mouth" objects to get a feel for them and to determine whether they are edible.
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What visual clichés would you add to the list?

Note: We're taking a dinner break but will be back starting at 9:11pm with three more 11 lists.