Stranger Than Fiction - Oregon Stater

Q: What’s the best (or worst) fictional depiction of your field that you’ve encountered?

Will Homer, ’91

Chief operating officer of Painted Hills Natural Beef

Yellowstone stands out as a fictional depiction of the ranching world. It skillfully resurrects the spirit of the Wild West, complete with more gun battles than Tombstone and The Magnificent Seven combined. However, while there may be guns in our pickup trucks, they’re typically drawn only to fend off the occasional four-legged predator, not for showdowns. But I believe the show’s creators have good intentions, highlighting the profound responsibility of land stewardship.

Matteo Bugatti

Assistant professor, School of Psychological Science

After years of providing loud commentary on countless TV shows depicting therapists (just ask my wife), I’d say Shrinking is definitely one of the worst. What made me stop watching was not the fact that the therapist crosses all sorts of boundaries, but that the underlying assumption is that therapists know what their clients need to fix their lives. The truth is we don’t — but we know how to help you figure it out.

Kagan Tumer

Professor, College of Engineering; director of the Collaborative Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute

Robot and Frank might be the best robot movie you’ve never heard of. After some initial resistance, an aging Frank accepts a butler robot from his son (who rarely visits him), only
to realize the opportunities it provides may extend beyond helping with house chores. This movie explores ethical dilemmas in AI and robotics, including whether a robot should lie or break the law. Fair warning: Your reaction to what’s right and what’s legal may surprise you.

Alec Levin

Associate professor, College of Agricultural Sciences; viticulturist and director of Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center

The movie Sideways is the best fictional portrayal of the wine industry and left an enduring impact that’s still noticeable today. The main character’s famous line that he would under no circumstances drink any merlot (using more colorful language) simultaneously tanked demand for merlot and surged demand for pinot noir. Undoubtedly, this helped the Oregon wine industry flourish, given that pinot noir is our signature grape variety.

Stranger Than FictionWhat’s the best (or worst) fictional depiction of your field that you’ve encountered?