History Main / AGoodOldFashionedPaintWatching

!!Examples

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* In Disney's ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'', Scuttle the seagull tells Ariel that before they discovered music, ancient humans "used to sit around and stare at each other all day. Got very boring."

* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'': DiscussedTrope. "*sigh*... Y'know, guys: this whole time, we could have been watching an apple brown."
* During the ''Series/XPlay'' review of ''VideoGame/DrakeOfThe99Dragons'', Adam Sessler is so bored by the game that he actually watches paint dry as filler. And seems wildly entertained by it in comparison to the actual game.

* ''Series/GetSmart'' - in a parody episode of ''Film/TheTreasureOfTheSierraMadre'', Max arrives at the tiny town of Mira Lodo, Mexico.
-->'''Max''': Mira Lodo - what's that mean?
-->'''Local''': Look at the mud.
-->'''Max''': What do you do around here for excitement?
-->'''Local''': Look at the mud.
* Played with in ''Series/DoctorWho''. Given that he's a time traveler who's used to jumping ahead to the exciting bits of history, the Doctor finds ordinary linear life rather boring. Even watching [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E10VincentAndTheDoctor famous artist Vincent Van Gogh paint]] is as exciting to the Doctor as watching paint dry.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}''
** Jon's rural brother loves watching his clothes spinning inside the washing machine.
** Garfield also finds the idea of CowTipping moronic.
** Jon's family is also excited seeing a white mouse. Garfield remarks: "These people need a TV."
** Another strip has the entire family pile into the pickup to head to town and see the newly-installed traffic light, with Garfield commenting about how they'd reacted the same way about a place that got indoor plumbing.
* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide''
** A pre-television family is sitting on and around a couch, all staring at a blank wall.
** Another one shows cavemen trying to play RockPaperScissors before scissors and paper were invented. Every round they play ends in a tie.
* In a ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'' strip, Walt talks about leaving UsefulNotes/{{Woodstock}} because it was raining and going to paint his grandmother's kitchen (which he seems to have preferred).
* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'': In a StoryArc where the television set in Calvin's house is stolen, he tries watching the blank wall where it used to be and finds that it's not fun at all:
-->'''Calvin''': So here I am, not being entertained.\\
'''Hobbes''': A pointless existence, huh?\\
'''Calvin''': I mean, the wall is even plain old ''white!''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* The BadMovieBeatdown/TheRapCritic crossover review of ''Big Momma's House 3'' has Rap Critic quickly decide watching paint dry is preferable to the film. Film Brain envies him.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

** Observing the process by which paint dries is also important for such companies, as it's necessary to determine if new formulations will bubble, streak, or otherwise develop undesirable flaws on particular types of surface, and under varied conditions of temperature and humidity.

* One "drawn from a hat" suggestion on ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' is something along the lines of "world's most boring TV shows", and so Ryan Stiles does this trope: "..and now that we've got that second coat on, let's just watch it dry!"

* In the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' novel ''Literature/{{IQ}}'', it's mentioned that this is a sport on DSraticon IV, complete with a LargeHamAnnouncer.

->'''Smokey:''' What do you think they do for entertainment in this town?\\

* ''GetSmart'' - in a parody episode of ''Film/TheTreasureOfTheSierraMadre'', Max arrives at the tiny town of Mira Lodo, Mexico.

* A History Channel episode of ''Modern Marvels'' was about paint. One man who tests paints for a paint company is required by his job to watch paint dry. He finds it interesting.

Compare IncrediblyLameFun. [[IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] sending a badly behaved child to sit in the corner and stare at the wall as punishment.

* ''GetSmart'' - in a parody episode of ''TreasureOfTheSierraMadre'', Max arrives at the tiny town of Mira Lodo, Mexico.

[[IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] sending a badly behaved child to sit in the corner and stare at the wall as punishment.

* In a ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'' strip, Walt talks about leaving {{Woodstock}} because it was raining and going to paint his grandmother's kitchen (which he seems to have preferred).

* In a novel by Creator/TomHolt, Hell is being locked in a theatre forever - watching an exciting performance of paint drying.

* In ''Jim Henson's Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'', there is a TV channel about ''grass growing''. [[FridgeLogic Doubly strange, given that the family is noted to be carnivores]] Think about how many cooking/food channels we have on cable...

* In ''Jim Henson's Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'', there is a TV channel about ''grass growing''. [[FridgeBrilliance Well, they are herbivores, aren't they?]] Think about how many cooking/food channels we have on cable...

In anovel by Creator/TomHolt, Hell is being locked in a theatre forever - watching an exciting performance of paint drying.

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}''
** Jon's rural brother loves watching his clothes spinning inside the washing machine.
** Garfield also finds the idea of CowTipping moronic.
** Jon's family is also excited seeing a white mouse. Garfield remarks: "These people need a TV."
* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide''
** A pre-television family is sitting on and around a couch, all staring at a blank wall.
** Another one shows cavemen trying to play RockPaperScissors before scissors and paper were invented. Every round they play ends in a tie.
* In a ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'' comic strip, Walt talks about leaving {{Woodstock}} because it was raining and going to paint his grandmother's kitchen (which he seems to have preferred).
[[/folder]]

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Pinkies_Watching_Paint_Dry_8957.png]]]]