Peeves

[ladyofastolat]

Does anyone have a pet peeve that, when you encounter it in a book or a film, it entirely, and unduly, distracts you from the plot? I'm not talking about unpleasant real world issues which you prefer not to encounter in fiction. I don't even mean mistakes, whether in the form of plot holes and internal contradictions, or in the form of research failings - anachronisms, offences against the laws of physics or whatever. No, I mean things that shouldn't really be contraversial at all, yet still bother you.

For example, I get unduly bothered when people who are doing dodgy or secret things, insist on doing them while standing in a window after dark, with the lights on and the curtains open. "Shut the curtains!" I shout, getting entirely distracted from the plot. When their secret affair or vile murder gets discovered, as it inevitably does, I feel compelled to say, "If only they'd shut the curtains!" every few minutes, and end up virtually incapable of watching the film.

But the big one for me, I think, is waste, in particular food waste. The characters sit down to dinner. Plot is discussed. Someone gets up and leaves the table, leaving their dinner untouched. Others follow. Cut to scene of lone remaining person tipping all the uneaten dinners into the bin. Into the bin! Not into the food recycling container! Not into the garden for the birds. Not into the dog bowl. Not carefully covering it with cling film and putting it in the fridge for later. Just into the bin. The whole meal! Thrown away! So disturbed do I get that I entirely fail to notice the plot for many minutes of outrage.

Comments

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Mm, probably; only I can't think what they are ... :-(

[leesa_perrie]

I can't think of any right now, but I know that I've been distracted before now by something happening. Maybe it'll come back to me later, but yes, I'm sure something like this has happened to me too!

Also, yes, Dodgy Secret Doings 101 - close the curtains!!!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I remember being annoyed watching World War Z by the air stewardess who carefully took herself off to the cubby and drew the curtain, thus allowing herself to be privately attacked by the zombie in her locker before anyone could see. Which is sort of the opposite of your window silhouette thing, but I think it was probably deliberate, a sort of tension-raising device - but still annoying!

Not movies, but I do get annoyed by books where the protagonist gaily writes long letters or diaries or whatever, which would certainly get them killed if they happened to be found by the enemy!

Even if using a proper code is too complicated, does protagonist really HAVE to talk about Jacobites and his dislike of the new King William in so many words, can they not at least say 'Orange Billy' as the sort of gesture in the direction of security that someone who is perhaps not a very competent spy might none the less make...?

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

I have long since concluded that, in films in TV, people can only hear things if the camera is pointing at them. The people who live in movies clearly understand this, since people engaged in plotting frequently walk 3 steps away from the Person Who Must Never Find Out in order to talk about their plot, secure in the knowledge that they won't be overheard So maybe characters in books place their faith in a literary version of this, and assume that if the Person Who Must Never Find Out doesn't appear in this chapter, there's no possibility of them every reading their words.