MovieChat Forums > What About Bob? (1991) Discussion > Receivers make no sense (in movies like ...

Receivers make no sense (in movies like this)


You live in the 1980s. You have a normal phone. It's a bit clunky, because you either have to hold the receiver in your hand or you can try to use your shoulder somehow to learn the receiver against.

Yes, 'receiver' is the phone part even the most knowledgeable of the 'React' video did not know.

Now, you decide to make the task of writing something or freeing your hands while on the phone easier by painstakingly researching, figuring out, going out to buy this 'extension bit' for the receiver so you can easily rest it against your shoulder while on the phone and COMPLETELY free your hands that way!

First of all, how can a neurotic like Bob even accomplish this task?

Second, why in movies like this and 'Falling Down' do they give the actors THIS EXACT KIND OF PROP and not tell them how to use it properly? IT KILLS THE IMMERSION AND MAKES NO SENSE when the actor, no matter how legendary or good otherwise, holds the darn receiver IN THEIR HAND instead of _utilizing_ the very necessary tool or utility extension thing they themselves decided they ABSOLUTELY NEEDED, so they GOT IT.

I mean, anyone that goes through the trouble of acquiring such a device or mechanism for their receiver, SURELY means to friggin' use it, and does become accustomed to using it, and thus, would DEFINITELY be using it correctly whenever they are on the phone, regardless of whether they need their hands to be free or not - and in the other movie, this cop even does write something while on the phone, I think..

Why do they do this? WHY?!

It makes no sense to show a character that either owns or has on their work phone this kind of plastic extension bit installed, HOLDING THE DARN RECEIVER IN THEIR HAND, thus rendering the whole thing, the whole extension, not to mention their toil and effort to find, go out, purchase and bring back and install the thing completely useless and null.

Why would they ever hold a receiver in their hand, if they have _THAT_THING_ installed to it, and thus, would definitely be used to it so much so that they would probably never even think to hold the receiver in their hand?

Why do so many movies make this ridiculously stupid mistake? JUST SHOW US A NORMAL RECEIVER if you are going to make the actor hold the receiver in their hand, otherwise, show us an actor that looks like they know exactly how to use it and what to do with it and so on.

Having a character that owns/daily uses this kind of thing to free their hands, TIE THEIR HAND ON THE PHONE MAKES NO SENSE!

This kind of stupidity makes me so angry; HOW EASY would it to just put that receiver on the shoulder OR give the actor a normal phone and receiver?

Also, Bob should NOT own this thing, how often does a neurotic like this talk on the phone? At least how many times would they really need this much extra effort to keep their hands free? It makes no sense no matter how I try to justify it.

Why are movies like this? Why can't any movie make any sense?

(Of course this movie is basically a live action cartoon, because a guy this neurotic could NOT pull off that 'detective hustle/scam/social engineering feat' - don't show us one thing, then show us something completely contradictory! A guy they present us with is NOT the same guy that confidently, without fear or any neurotic reactions, goes to scam phone operators...(and even figures out where they are and so on))

reply

OK

reply

This is what set you off over this movie?? The phone receiver and how it's used?? For 2 hours or less, this is what you zoned in on?? 😂 Coming soon: the sequel no one asked for in "What About Bob" titled "What About Avortac4"

reply