HI, in some series and movies I watch you don’t respond to other people when they’re speaking to you. I’ts very very veeery specific moments that it occours so my example is very specifc as well:
In the movie ‘THE GREAT GATSBY’ when leonardo diCaprio was going up the stairs and he talks to Tobey Maguire, tobey dosen’t say ANYTHING. why?
It should be very obvious to you americans but for me it is suuuuper weird and I know too that it is not lack of education it’s your american way to act
tell me what you think!
**EDIT: an american sad me that this really happens**
20 comments
Well a lot of the time, for me personally, I sit in silence when someone tells me something, because they tell me something stupid, and I’m waiting for them to realize what the said is stupid, if they don’t realize it in a few seconds, then I’ll talk lol
>THE GREAT GATSBY.
Something you saw in a movie once is not the action of 330,000,000 people.
If you mostly see it in films or TV shows, that’s probably more of an artistic decision by the director.
[This scene?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zHHkSu1br4)
Repeat after me, “movies are not real life”.
What you see in films or on TV doesn’t reflect real life much of the time. Filmmakers don’t have time to include mundane responses that don’t help the plot. They don’t have people talk over one another or mispronounce things or respond prematurely because it doesn’t work with the plot or dialogue.
Even background noises are carefully chosen and added later to make things SEEM real, but they aren’t recorded with the scripted dialogue so that they don’t interfere with it. Every camera angle is scrutinized before film is shot, and every word is rehearsed—even though sometimes ad-libbed things end up in the final product.
Basically, everything in a film is deliberate and planned, and the director isn’t going to let anyone mess it up.
Nice troll
…
Americans simply don’t consider it important to let people know that they’re listening. We have other rules of etiquette. American ideas about politeness have more to do with friendliness and making the other person feel welcome. Laurence Brown explains it in this video: https://youtu.be/qr5gqL4o1bE
I’ll piggy back off of this – why do so many of you say “uh huh” when folks say “Thank you”. When I say “Thank You” down there, and someone says “uh huh” , I almost want to take back the Thank you. Like I was grateful, but after hearing the indifference I don’t think I am anymore.
If I recall the scene correctly, it’s because Maguire’s character is temporarily dumbstruck due to the situation and realizing who he’s met. He doesn’t say anything because he’s a bit shocked into not having a response.
You can’t tell me that Americans are the only ones who have the concept or behavior of “stunned silence.”
Keeping our mouths shut is not something Americans are really known for. I think these are just dramatic pauses in hollywood movies and does not reflect real life.
It’s crazy how the difference between fiction and reality is seemingly only understood on the North American continent.
So, that was for what we call “Dramatic Effect”.
In that scene, Tobey is 1) slowed down so he could monologue (and talking over your own monologue is considered rud- *Hey guys whatcha doing?-* SHUT IT, I’m talking here!). and 2) playing a character stunned into silence.
> tell me what you think!
I think this is the dumbest question I’ve seen in awhile
You’re thinking that a fictional movie, based upon a book published 100 years ago, reflects hundreds of millions of Americans in 2022?
> an american sad me that this really happens
So, you’ve said this 3x now.
Hmm… I thought this was AskAnAmerican, not TellAmericansHowTheyBehave.
This is like asking why large groups of people who don’t know each other spontaneously break into perfectly-choreographed dance routines, in India.
Why should I say something meaningless when I can say nothing?
Why waste time say few word when no word do trick?