Posted on Jan 4, 2015
Why Can't the Media Portray Military Correctly? (In the Superficial ways)
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Watching a film on television recently, the ad for another series came on and THIS image was shown. What you are looking at is the elusive "Corporal General" I believe :)
Now I get that most people outside of the military won't understand our acronyms, culture, or even rank structure. I am forgiving when Hollywood wants to portray certain things military related and they won't necessarily be accurate (I'm sure that happens with all fields). But for Pete's sake, the basic things like "how to wear a uniform" and "making the rank an actual existing one" are so, SO easy to check. Further, they could ask ANY Veteran (most of whom would help, assist, or advise for FREE). To me it's just lazy shoddy work.
Another example was watching the show Supernatural (feel free to judge me) and the brothers were on a military post and went to talk to a female Soldier (she was in Army ACUs) wearing, quite clearly, a PC with the PFC rank on it. She then proceeded to introduce herself as "Navy Sergeant So-and-So". WTF? Again... shoddy work. And since they chose to borrow the real uniform anyway, could they not have gotten the correct rank on one?!
This is not a pressing issue. It is not a threat to global security. It is not something I think will even change. It's primarily something I wanted to vent about, and ask for you all to share your similar observations and annoyances in the media.
UPDATE: After some research found that yes, Hollywood CAN portray the uniform accurately (they have a Constitutional right to do so, or not do so, and to portray military however they want) they just generally choose not to. Great article about it below. http://www.stripes.com/blogs/the-rumor-doctor/the-rumor-doctor-1.104348/why-can-t-hollywood-get-military-uniforms-right-1.159651
Now I get that most people outside of the military won't understand our acronyms, culture, or even rank structure. I am forgiving when Hollywood wants to portray certain things military related and they won't necessarily be accurate (I'm sure that happens with all fields). But for Pete's sake, the basic things like "how to wear a uniform" and "making the rank an actual existing one" are so, SO easy to check. Further, they could ask ANY Veteran (most of whom would help, assist, or advise for FREE). To me it's just lazy shoddy work.
Another example was watching the show Supernatural (feel free to judge me) and the brothers were on a military post and went to talk to a female Soldier (she was in Army ACUs) wearing, quite clearly, a PC with the PFC rank on it. She then proceeded to introduce herself as "Navy Sergeant So-and-So". WTF? Again... shoddy work. And since they chose to borrow the real uniform anyway, could they not have gotten the correct rank on one?!
This is not a pressing issue. It is not a threat to global security. It is not something I think will even change. It's primarily something I wanted to vent about, and ask for you all to share your similar observations and annoyances in the media.
UPDATE: After some research found that yes, Hollywood CAN portray the uniform accurately (they have a Constitutional right to do so, or not do so, and to portray military however they want) they just generally choose not to. Great article about it below. http://www.stripes.com/blogs/the-rumor-doctor/the-rumor-doctor-1.104348/why-can-t-hollywood-get-military-uniforms-right-1.159651
Posted in these groups: 
Common sense
Knowledge
Common sense Knowledge
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 24
I am sorry, I just can't get past the part where you watch Supernatural. So what's going on in the Young and the restless?
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SPC (Join to see)
I know that Hollywood cannot properly portray soldiers because it's a law. We hate it watching the shows and cinemas, but it's to protect our ranks from terrorism. Someone could see the uniform and go to a Gi supply store, suit up and walk into a Motorpool and blow themselves up or drop a IED in a POL point. Also it can keep civilians from taking credit for service members accomplishments.
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CPT (Join to see)
SPC (Join to see) I am going to have to call BS on that. Can you show me the law? How can they show cops and other things so accurately. There are movices that do get it right but most just don't care too.
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CPT (Join to see)
CPT (Join to see) is correct SPC (Join to see). That is an urban legend that still lingers. Stripes has a great article about it in which they also link to the info about the actual laws.
http://www.stripes.com/blogs/the-rumor-doctor/the-rumor-doctor-1.104348/why-can-t-hollywood-get-military-uniforms-right-1.159651
http://www.stripes.com/blogs/the-rumor-doctor/the-rumor-doctor-1.104348/why-can-t-hollywood-get-military-uniforms-right-1.159651
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I remember when Hawkeye made Radar a "Corporal Captain" so he could get into the O-club.
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CMSgt (Join to see)
"That's a new directive from the Pentagon... We're experimenting with a new rank: Corporal-Captain.... Mark down one *don't-like-it*"
:)
:)
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I also used to be infuriated when I would see these kinds of things on TV but one of the E-6s in my unit made a good point one day. If the media got everything right people who would try to impersonate military personnel would be harder to spot.
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CPT (Join to see)
I agree, in part, but I'm sure you too have found that it doesn't take much conversation time to know a faker, and it would take a pretty special-needs faker to get a major rank and name wrong or put stars on a corporal. Hell, those things can be Googled!
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