History Main / UnderminedByReality

** There's a reverse problem for gay actors. They no longer have to hide their sexuality to work - but it can be difficult or impossible for them to secure non-homosexual roles.

** In a documentary, an original Disney animator said one of the worst things they could do to get a colleague in trouble is to casually mention to Walt how ''creative'' they were being (as in going against Walt's ideas). Not for nothing is [[{{Fantasia}} Yen Sid the Wizard's]] scowl patterned after Walt's.

** That is not actually True. Of all the families they had helped only two had to sell it, one because a bussines went wrong (and the economy) the other because the [[GreenEyedMonster ''neighborhood keep bullyng them'']] to the poin that they had to leave the house... before they ''sell it''

* In 2006 Orson Scott Card wrote a novel called ''{{Empire}}'' in which he tries to send a message against political divisiveness and extremism by depicting a shooting war between the left and right in America. However, aside from the fact that much of the novel's content makes this a Broken Aesop, much of his nonfiction political writings also contradict his intended message, particularly the essay in which he suggests that legalizing gay marriage would make him support overthrowing the U.S. government.

* The American military's (former) "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has cost quite a few gay soldiers their jobs. The modern military is also a lot more strict regarding drug use than it was in the past, but that's more because drugged-out soldiers tend to be poor fighters.
** That last bit is something of an understatement. I've seen estimates that between fifty and seventy-five percent of US casualties in Vietnam were drug-related.
** Don't Ask Don't Tell not only undermined military effectiveness, but the military likewise undermined the policy. Pretty much everyone in service knew people in their units who were gay, [[IKnowYouKnowIKnow and the gay troops knew they knew]], but [[SelectiveObliviousness no one could openly state]] what [[OpenSecret everyone knew]], because otherwise DADT would have to be invoked.

* Ann Coulter and Elisabeth Hasselbeck have both stated at times that a woman's place is in the home or that women shouldn't have careers and should just [[StayInTheKitchen get back in the kitchen]]. Of course, they have a platform for saying these things because of their own lucrative careers that they probably won't be giving up any time soon despite being women.
** Coulter and Hasselbeck are probably just trying to resolve the complicated attitudes they harbor toward gender roles. I think they really do admire independent women (Coulter's muttering that women probably shouldn't have been given the vote is merely [[ManipulativeBitch her trying to piss her critics off]]) but don't like the StrawFeminist stereotype, and are somewhat histrionically lashing out at that. It is, after all, entirely possible to be both a feminist and "ladylike."

** Don't Ask Don't Tell not only undermined military effectiveness, but the military likewise undermined the policy. Pretty much everyone in service knew people in their units who were gay, [[IKnowYouKnowIKnow and the gay troops knew they knew]], but no one could openly state what [[OpenSecret everyone knew]], because otherwise DADT would have to be invoked.

** Similarly, right-wing ideologue RushLimbaugh's hard-line stance against drug abusers made his legal troubles from abusing prescription painkillers quite [[IncrediblyLamePun the bitter pill to swallow]]. Though even this wasn't quite as bad as his accepting the American Civil Liberties Union's assistance in his defense after having spent decades all but accusing them of treason.

* Ann Coulter and Elisabeth Hasselbeck have both stated at times that a woman's place is in the home or that women shouldn't have careers and should just get back in the kitchen. Of course, they have a platform for saying these things because of their own lucrative careers that they probably won't be giving up any time soon despite being women.

* ProfessionalWrestling is very vulnerable to this phenomenon. In the past, when {{kayfabe}} was maintained, heels and faces wouldn't be allowed to be seen out in the real world together, and popular wrestlers were required to live their gimmick (not so bad, if you play a beer-swilling redneck, but think of poor GorgeousGeorge...). In the modern age, despite wrestling's fakery being acknowledged, there are still many situations where RealLifeWritesThePlot after faces are caught doing something they shouldn't, and a quick FaceHeelTurn occurs (Edge and Lita springs to mind -- after the two were caught having an affair, Lita had a FaceHeelTurn and was paired with Edge (already a heel), whose character changed from "bitter asshole" to "sleazy man-whore").

** Another important thing to understand is that American conservatism in the modern era is a lot less patrician and stuffy than it was in TheFifties, or even TheEighties. The modern ethos of conservatism tends to be "ethnic" (as opposed to WhiteAngloSaxonProtestant), in-your-face (as opposed to non-confrontational), and "hip" (as opposed to stodgy) - and the sensibilities of Fox entertainment venues dovetail fairly smoothly with all that.

* Ann Coulter and Elisabeth Hasselbeck have both stated at times that a woman's place is in the home or that women shouldn't have careers and should just get back in the kitchen. Of course, they have a platform for saying these things because of their own lucrative careers that they probably won't be giving up any time soon despite being women (debatable in Coulter's case).

* [[ConservativeSexKitten Conservative sex kittens]] Ann Coulter and Elisabeth Hasselbeck have both stated at times that a woman's place is in the home or that women shouldn't have careers and should just get back in the kitchen. Of course, they have a platform for saying these things because of their own lucrative careers that they probably won't be giving up any time soon.

* The American military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has cost quite a few gay soldiers their jobs. The modern military is also a lot more strict regarding drug use than it was in the past, but that's more because drugged-out soldiers tend to be poor fighters.

** Further, Konnie Huq got into deep water because a political guest she had on deviated from the intended script to attack his political opponents; as she was on BBC, this was seen by critics as BBC possibly endorsing a political candidates.

* Three words: ''PeeWeesPlayhouse''. Paul Reubens has never gotten his career back in order since the day he was caught in a porn theater and the show was canceled.
** Oddly, the Pee Wee show started as a series of risque ''parodies'' of children's shows that later [[IndecisiveParody somehow became a children's show itself]].

The trope also applies to figures such as presenters when they themselves are being held up as role models, rather than a character that they portray. Those who front children's television shows have to be particularly careful about their real-life conduct -- there'll be red faces all round if it turns out that the woman sternly warning children against the dangers of drugs is using some less-than-legal substances. It's not particularly fair that other entertainers, such as rock stars and soap actors, can get away with these things (and far more) while others are pilloried for it...but it's TruthInTelevision. If a builder or window cleaner gets into a violent brawl while off the job, their employers won't care as long as they can still do their jobs. If a teacher or doctor is found in the middle of a fight, however, their career could be on the line.

* Averted on {{That 70s Show}} when actor Tommy Chong was sentenced to prison time as part of a Federal crackdown on businesses selling bongs. Tommy Chong feared he would lose his role on the program, but the producers reassured him that he had been cast as an aging hippie in part because of his drugged-out comedy persona in the first place, and actually doing time for marijuana related charges would not affect his place in the cast.

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*[[DisneyAnimatedCanon Disney]] is famous for its sweetness-and-light approach to children's entertainment; in fact, sometimes they [[{{Disneyfication}} overdo it.]] The actual Disney company, however, [[StepfordSmiler hides sharp teeth behind]] that [[SickeninglySweet saccharine smile]]. Just ask anyone who's ever been in a legal battle with the company, or look up what good ol' Walt himself did to staff (and trade unions) that crossed him. This can come as a bit of a shock to those who see Disney as a guardian of childhood and fair play.