Discussion Thread

Accurate and Inaccurate Portrayals of Civil Engineers in Movies and TV Shows

  • 1.  Accurate and Inaccurate Portrayals of Civil Engineers in Movies and TV Shows

    Posted 11-17-2020 10:24 AM
    Lawyers have Suits
    Medical Professionals have Scrubs, Grey Anatomy
    Civil Engineers have Prison Break (and perhaps Big Bang Theory)

    I wanted to start a lighthearted conversation on the accurate (but mostly inaccurate) portrayals of civil engineers in entertainment media.




    ------------------------------
    Daniel Bressler EIT, A.M.ASCE
    Junior Engineer
    Brooklyn NY
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Accurate and Inaccurate Portrayals of Civil Engineers in Movies and TV Shows

    Posted 11-18-2020 08:05 AM
    I have wanted a good drama about engineers for years. There are numerous shows about lawyers, doctors, and police officers. Big Bang Theory is good, but it is more about scientists than real-life engineering. It would be a good way of getting people interested in engineering. I used to want to be a lawyer from watching Law and Order. 

    ------------------------------
    Donald Handeland EIT, A.M.ASCE
    Transporation Designer II
    Eagle River AK
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Accurate and Inaccurate Portrayals of Civil Engineers in Movies and TV Shows

    Posted 11-18-2020 10:01 AM

    John Oliver has given the best Civil Engineering that I've seen in the media. A bit colorful at times for the innocent, but ASCE gets a shout out, so it's worth watch. 

    Infrastructure: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

    It originally aired in 2015, and unfortunately most of the points he makes are still relevant. The last 4 minutes of the episode are priceless.

    Hope you enjoy!
    -Alice



    ------------------------------
    Alice Roache A.M.ASCE
    Engineer
    OHM Advisors
    Hancock MI
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: Accurate and Inaccurate Portrayals of Civil Engineers in Movies and TV Shows

    Posted 11-19-2020 09:01 AM
    For a while, some of my colleagues and I thought someone should make a show called Game of Roads, a seemingly obvious mash up of The Office and Game of Thrones. In GoR, different transportation discipline 'houses' (rail, tunnels, highways, bridges, aviation) would vie for superiority and ultimately claim the asphalt throne...



    ------------------------------
    Daniel Claff EI, A.M.ASCE
    Engineer III
    South Orange NJ
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: Accurate and Inaccurate Portrayals of Civil Engineers in Movies and TV Shows

    Posted 11-21-2020 05:59 PM
    haha, this was the first thing I thought of when I saw the title of this thread as well. Thanks for sharing!

    ------------------------------
    Christopher Seigel P.E., M.ASCE
    Civil Engineer
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Accurate and Inaccurate Portrayals of Civil Engineers in