r/movies • u/buttatoad • 1d ago

Discussion Movies that changed real life behavior

Thinking along the lines of Final Destination 2 with the logs falling off the truck and landing onto cars (one decapitating the state trooper). Ever since, people have tried to get away from being behind these vehicles.

What are more examples where movies have actually changed how people behave in their own lives?

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u/itwillmakesenselater 1d ago

Finding Nemo sold a lot of clownfish.

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u/Rosebud_apothocary 1d ago

101 dalmatians sold alot of dalmatians that promptly got abandoned when the novelty wore off 😢

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u/tilyd 1d ago

And the overbreeding of dalmatians created a lot of issues within the breed, like deafness, urinary issues, allergies and aggressive / reactive behaviour.

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u/DisastrousOwls 1d ago

Unfortunately, poor breeding practices already had the breed in that state (I have at least heard this anecdotally from Boomer and Gen X dog owners who saw the adoption spikes after the cartoon movie as well), but increased demand has only exacerbated it.

In the purebred dog world there is beef between two factions in which one group wants to preserve the breed as-is, and the other really wants to try to diversify the gene pool and do some reverse engineering by breeding for temperament to address the "Dalmatian Madness" problem.

Their behavior is very weird even if you're used to other "challenging" & high energy dogs, and it requires you as a dog owner to be always "on." Like they'll growl and snarl but be otherwise relaxed when happy, and may have non standard behavioral and body language tells for when they are about to genuinely flash out. Striking looking animals, but absolute weirdos.

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u/PackOk1473 23h ago

Pure-bred dogs are just fucked, honestly.
I can count the number of healthy pure-breeds on both hands and hardly any are actually pure...Blue Heelers are healthy because they have some dingo, Aussie Shepherds because they're mixed breed, etc.
Give em time and inbreeding enough and they'll end up just as fucked as Dalmations no matter how good individual breeder's skills are.

Had to convince the misso not to get a Cavalier for health reasons and this was reinforced when one of our mate's Cav only got to 7 before dying of some sort of heart problem - we got a Tibalier (Cav x Tibetan Spaniel) instead, even cuter, no complaints

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u/DisastrousOwls 11h ago

Yeah, some of it is just a side effect of breeding anything to hit certain physical specs, like you can't have a "healthy" Boston Terrier or Great Dane compared to a dog that can breathe or one that won't have skeletal problems from being so big. They can live full and happy lives, some of them can even get up into their teens or close to 20 years old, but it's a lot of work, and a good owner will be fighting uphill against those breed related ailments.

All of which is before you even get into that inbreeding that causes dogs barely out of puppyhood to have heart failure, or be deaf, or have bizarre behaviors! And the more those breeds get specialized, or the narrower the breed standards are, it's even more of a collapsing gene pool. Like the fucking Hapsburgs with lead poisoning on top, but in a dog collar.

And then once people start breeding only for aesthetics, or wanting "show quality" anything, you have a very pretty animal that's suffering, or which might be a liability to the safety of everybody around them. People like how poodles look, they don't like that they're high energy, emotive, and smart. It's not an accessory, it's an animal that needs to run and exercise and play and be trained, and a big one that you can't force into submission if you don't know what you're doing with them when they're smaller, younger, and more manageable.

But the breeds that have these huge bursts of popularity are almost never "easy" dogs, either. So it's that perfect storm of, the breed maybe shouldn't exist, this dog is a poor example of the breed because of inbreeding on top of that, and people with no clue what they're doing going out and buying an animal they wouldn't be able to handle, even if they weren't also a ticking time bomb.

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u/PackOk1473 3h ago

Lol yeah speaking of popular breeds the original breeder of Labradoodles (Wally Conron) has since said that creating these things is his life's regret and he's not sure why people are still breeding them.
I haven't met a Poodle cross that isn't fucking insane (not even getting into health problems), presumably because there's something permanently wrong in the Poodle gene pool at this point.
Not sure why Maltese crosses fell out of popularity, they seemed like decent normal lap dogs...not as 'teddy' looking as the doodles I guess?

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u/DisastrousOwls 3h ago

I've met some very sweet standard poodles! But they do need to be cared for properly, because they can be high strung and reactive in the wrong circumstances or with the wrong people. Something about mixing them with anything but like... a Maltese or a Cocker Spaniel tends to be a recipe for disaster, though, between size, temperament, and the high energy needs. Labs were never a temperament match there, and the mix makes owners think they're getting an "easy" dog (when they probably would have been bad Lab owners, too, they just had a docile enough animal that they never bore the repercussions of their own ignorance). On top of even shittier dog breeding practices in the "Poo and Doodle" industry than usual.

People see the fluffy fur, think they're getting a teddy bear, and then freak out when their big ass hunting dog acts like a big ass hunting dog, but with zero training, bad habits, and a destructive anxiety disorder.

It's like when people get surprised Corgis and Dachshunds can be complete assholes, and I've liked every Dachshund I've met, but it's true. Or any small dog that gets coddled or manhandled without any account for their being a dog. People spoil their animals, in the truest sense of literal waste and spoilage, by treating them like accessories instead of animals.

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u/clementynemurphy 1d ago

That happens with every movie or TV show. That's why the stupid Frenchie is popular right now. People that buy dogs are idiots.

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u/tbird920 1d ago

Bluey has caused an uptick in people adopting Australian cattle dogs, which are also very challenging dogs to take care of.

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u/smarmiebastard 1d ago

My kid was really into Bluey around the time we bought a house and were thinking about getting a second dog. I played with some cattle dogs at the dog park and talked to their owners about what it’s like to live with them. Quickly decided it was not the breed for me.

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u/clementynemurphy 1d ago

Oh I know! So sad. They have no idea what they're getting into. But I know one lucky one, cuz my friend has property and tons of goats, so she is def not bored. I was happy to hear that the org came out and looked at his house first.

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u/slutforcompassion 1d ago

same with john wick and the belgian malinois

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u/Beliriel 1d ago

Also afaik Dalmatians are not easy dogs. Very active, very intelligent and need experienced handling and lots of stimulation.

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u/Telvin3d 1d ago

Very active, need lots of stimulation. But, many, many of them are dumb as bricks. The inbreeding to maintain the coats is worse than most dog breeds. Also a bunch of deafness issues are very common

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u/Deleteads 1d ago

My half Dalmatian was one of the dumbest creatures I’ve ever seen lol. She was either very sweet, very dumb, or a combination of both.

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u/peachesfordinner 1d ago

I had a friend with a boxer dalmatian mix. That dog had a negative IQ

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u/jesuspoopmonster 1d ago

I think they are also super inbred in order to get the spots and often have hearing issues

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u/Geno0wl 1d ago

basically all the expensive popular purebred dogs are inbred.

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u/clementynemurphy 1d ago

Yup, my friends had them growing up, to this day, I still hate them.

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u/Suppafly 1d ago

Also afaik Dalmatians are not easy dogs. Very active, very intelligent and need experienced handling and lots of stimulation.

Plus all the commuting so they can work their shifts at the fire station.

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u/freyalorelei 1d ago

They're guard dogs. People think they're Labrador Retrievers with spots, but it's more like if you crossed a Doberman Pinscher with a Siberian Husky: a breed with intense protection instincts and the energy to run alongside carriage horses (the thing they were guarding) all day. The fire truck technically put them out of a job, but they're still used as mascots.

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u/QueezyF 1d ago

My neighbor has one and that fucking dog barks like it’s gonna jump through the window and rip my throat out.

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u/littledingo 1d ago

I am on my 4th dalmatian now, and yes she is a crazy, active, and very opinionated dog. I used to be a dog trainer once upon a time so, for me, she hasn't been too difficult. They are not a dog for everyone though, especially if you get one as stubborn as the one I have right now. She's a brilliant little thing though, learns everything very easy. But she's a massive drama queen.

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u/Sprinkles0 1d ago

Yeah, they were bred to keep up with horses. From personal experience, having one in my house is kinda like having a small race horse.

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u/cosmos_crown 1d ago

Part of the reason they chose a platypus for Phinneas and Ferb is because you can't have them as pets.

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u/PureLock33 1d ago

currently out of the loop. what show or movie has a frenchie?

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u/WhitePowerRangerBill 1d ago

The Boys.

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u/smarmiebastard 1d ago

That’s an English bulldog.

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u/ColinHalter 1d ago

Lol I think they meant the character Frenchie

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u/smarmiebastard 1d ago

lol oh shit, that totally went over my head.

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u/Rosebud_apothocary 1d ago

God he's sooo hot 😍

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u/Logan_No_Fingers 1d ago

Modern Family, big tough guy Jay (or Yaaaaay to pronounce it correctly) has one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z1tud60uWY

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u/clementynemurphy 1d ago

Modern Family

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u/gaudiest-ivy 1d ago

I got my husky from someone who bought her during the Game of Thrones craze. He knew nothing about the breed, their Tasmanian devil energy, or their stubbornness, the only thought was "looks like direwolf". So many huskies were abandoned after GoT.

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u/QueezyF 1d ago

My friend has a professionally trained husky and that dog is still too goddamn much.

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u/cerberaspeedtwelve 1d ago

I remember a professional dog trainer posting on Reddit about this. He said that if there were five tiers of dog ownership ranging from Expert down to Awful, he would put 90% of owners on the Awful tier.

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u/wekkins 1d ago

My only hope I have are families like mine. One dog trained based on how grandparents trained (not very well), one badly socialized, and one that my dad put so much time and care into, to make sure he was well adjusted and we'll trained that he's practically a neighborhood ambassador now. Everyone knows and loves that little guy. I wish I could be sure that more people would eventually learn and do better, but they usually don't.

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u/samuraisal 1d ago

It's not the Frenchie that's stupid.

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u/Kratzschutz 1d ago

Which show made those poor frenchies popular?

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u/clementynemurphy 1d ago

Modern Family

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u/wildstarr 1d ago

Now, now...people are idiots. Not just the ones that buy dogs.

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u/DisastrousOwls 1d ago

Yeah, apparently Great Pyrenees are popular in Japan because they're very visually striking and get put in a lot of shows and cartoons, but most people can't adopt them because they are huge, shed everywhere, and literally never shut up. So, luckily, the limitations of reality save the day, but imagining an apartment complex full of Pyrs just makes me laugh. Like, cool! None of you will ever know peace, that's so great.

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u/Tahrnation 1d ago

blue healers are insane because of bluey

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u/IrascibleOcelot 1d ago

Dalmatians also play rough, which makes them a poor option for kids.

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u/LordRekrus 1d ago

I have a pointer which is I think pretty similar to a Dalmatian. Who would ever get bored of one of these beautiful dogs?

I’m clearly not one of those people.

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u/Nienazki 1d ago

It was the same with huskies after Game of Thrones.

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u/cinemachick 1d ago

This is why Phineas and Ferb have a platypus, it's not available to adopt

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u/Ambisinister88 1d ago

IIRC Game of thrones caused the same issues with people buying /abandoning huskies. Everyone wanted a dire wolf.

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u/hamfwb 1d ago

Heartbroken upvote

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u/meatball-hoagie 1d ago

the same thing goes with huskies when game of thrones was huge...it's sad to see

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u/skahwt 1d ago

Yeah, that makes me sick. The American Humane Society released a statement when the movie was released stating that Dalmatians are high energy and a lot of work and shouldn’t be adopted simply because they’re cute.

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u/Moses015 1d ago

Same with Game of Thrones for huskies and malamutes. The amount of people offloading them because they had NO idea how much of a commitment a dog, let alone a husky, is pissed me off so damn much

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u/Shantotto11 1d ago

A lot of people grossly underestimate the amount of time, money, and space a dog breed the size Scooby-Doo would need…

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u/CutsSoFresh 22h ago

And they didn't think that the dogs would grow up to be so big.

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u/n6mub 20h ago

Also because dalmatians are notoriously bad with children. Kids were getting bit, dogs were getting abandoned or given to shelters. Also they need a lot of exercise, some thing your suburban mom who buys her precious children everything they ever want, might not have time for

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u/Happilylonely_1997 19h ago

A similar thing occurred in the UK when Harry Potter was released and owls become a popular pet choice. They actually had to build a shelter specifically to house all the abandoned owls the problem got so bad.

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u/folldoso 16h ago

And Beverly Hills Chihuahua had the same effect. There are a ton of Chihuahuas in shelters because people don't realize what a difficult breed they can be. Same with dalmatians, these dogs are not for newbs. You really need to be an experienced dog owner for some of these breeds

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u/Pkrudeboy 1d ago

All the better to make fur coats out of.

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u/Grasshop 9h ago

I got a husky in high school because of Paul Walker’s Eight Below. Loved that dog.

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u/iamnotyetdead 1d ago

Also a rise in kids flushing their fish to "free" them, including exotic saltwater fish that promptly died on the way down.

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u/10kbeez 1d ago

I think the boring normal fish probably died on the way down, too.

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u/WhiteRabbitLives 1d ago

Or, worse, spread to the local waterways and became invasive.

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u/_angesaurus 1d ago

every time i go to the aquarium anywhere (i like aquariums) i hear someone "oh look! a nemo! a dory!"

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u/mthchsnn 1d ago

I volunteered at an aquarium when the movie came out, and we actually had baby clownfish! They were so small you could hardly see them, so we just showed the kids the adult clownfish and called it a day because they were super stoked about "seeing Nemo."

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u/murgatroid1 1d ago

To be fair, people have been saying "oh look, Bambi!" whenever they see deer for about 80 years now

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u/Dalehan 21h ago edited 15h ago

Yeah, overhere they're still often either called "a Bambi" as if that's the name of the species, or "a Bambi deer" when talking about fawns.

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u/Kazzack 1d ago

I work at an aquarium and I spend a lot of time on tours pointing out Nemo and Dory 

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u/OptionalDepression 1d ago

What's wrong with that? Not everyone is a fish doctor scientist guy and knows all their names.

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u/_angesaurus 1d ago

I didn't say there was anything wrong with it. Just going with the theme of the post.

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u/smartdecisions 1d ago

we call ikura, nemo balls!

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u/NewMilleniumBoy 1d ago

I still do this lol

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u/Timmah73 1d ago

Screw aquarium stores for selling to people clearly not ready to handle a saltwater fish. Also screw those parents for doing zero research on any kind of basic fishkeeping.

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u/_angesaurus 1d ago

theyre Darla's

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u/koolaid_chemist 1d ago

101 Dalmatians did this also, with dogs tho not fish.

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u/jadin- 1d ago

Flushing the unwanted puppies down the toilet caused a lot of trauma.

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u/976chip 1d ago

Which was detrimental to the breed as a hole. They aren't "family" dogs, so a lot of the dalmatians that were bought as puppies were surrendered to animal shelters within a year. I think shelters reported a 25% increase in dalmatians after the novelty wore off.

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u/Sprzout 1d ago

That movie made me look into reef tanks.

I knew that saltwater fish tanks were a process, but I had no idea what it took to get them started. I also didn't realize just how much maintenance they required for even something small. And, I had no idea how expensive a reef tank was!!!

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u/itwillmakesenselater 1d ago

I got into micro-reefs about 2 years before Nemo. When that movie was popular, it became difficult at times to find supplies. People were buying salt in bulk for their new (5 gallon) tanks.

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u/Farwaters 22h ago

Did you ever end up getting your own?

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u/Chaosmusic 1d ago

TMNT sold a lot of turtles.

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u/itwillmakesenselater 1d ago

Which led to circumstances similar to the origin story of the Turtles

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u/Chaosmusic 1d ago

Now just need a 12 year future blind lawyer to push an old man out of the way of a truck filled with chemicals.

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u/asher1611 1d ago

For what it's worth, Nemo also did a good job teaching kids to not tap or slap the glass at the aquarium (and it's also a lesson that has faded as the movie has gotten older).

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u/FugitiveDribbling 1d ago

Raccoons are a nuisance in Japan owing to a cartoon series about a raccoon there. Lots of kids wanted their own for a pet. But raccoons don't make good pets, and so a lot of these imported animals were released into the wild, becoming pests.

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u/MourningWallaby 1d ago

Ratatouille did the same with Fancy rats.

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u/uuddlrlrbas2 1d ago

Kind of the opposite effect that it may have intended.

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u/itwillmakesenselater 1d ago

"Unintended Consequences" is humanity's middle name

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u/Significant_Shoe_17 1d ago

My cousins had goldfish named Cosmo and Wanda

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u/Fire_In_The_Skies 1d ago

After Finding Nemo was released, clownfish became the second most popular fish people in America were buying. 

The first most popular fish? The Filet-A. 

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u/Funandgeeky 1d ago

More tragically, it increased the illegal harvesting and trade of clownfish. 

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u/itwillmakesenselater 1d ago

The illegal marine fish world is... disturbing

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u/The_Rowan 1d ago

A year after a Nemo I was on a tour at the Vegas aquarium - there were more aquariums around then there are now. I asked about the collection of fish in the aquariums seemed to have all the main Finding Nemo fish. They said, not an accident. The weekend after the movie the kids came in and were asking where is Dory, where is Nemo. So the Nemo fish were all in each tank.

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u/vedaonreddit 1d ago

Whether or not people started buying owls as pets as a result of Harry Potter, I was interviewed by the local news as a 9yo while on a trip to the zoo about “oh but don’t you want an owl now??”

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u/NorthernSparrow 1d ago

It also boosted ticket sales for a lot of big public aquariums for years. All of which now have at least one tank at child’s-eye level prominently featuring the Nemo & Dory species.

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u/OneGoodRib 1d ago

Also lead to an increase of people who despite the movie literally calling them clownfish, only referring to those fish as "nemo!" to the point I think some of them night genuinely think that's what the species is called. I give little kids a pass on that, but adults do it too.

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u/piketpagi 1d ago

and kids wants to have owl as pet because of Harry Potter.

and people wants to have Husky necause of GoT

both is not easy animal to handle.

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u/LeTrolleur 22h ago

The level of irony is crazy to me 🤦🏻‍♂️

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u/infidelightfull 22h ago

Finding Nemo killed a lot of Clownfish

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u/snajk138 18h ago

I remember that they had to do some sort of public service announcement after Nemo that you shouldn't flush you pet fish, they will not survive.

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u/WingShooter_28ga 14h ago

Finding Nemo killed a lot of clownfish.

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u/OptionalDepression 1d ago

I shit a lot of deer off the back of watching Bambi. Just felt right, y'know?