History Main / DirtForceField

* ''[[Series/WonderWoman1975 Wonder Woman]]'': The show was surrounded by one. Wonder Woman could have a rolling catfight down a grassy hill in "Wonder Woman vs. Baroness von Gunther" and come up clean and without grass stains. Or she could beat up a room full of battle-smashing, food throwing football players in "The Deadly Sting" and sill be clean. Or even win a rock smashing, [[{{Mooks}} mook]] throwing fight ''on a dirt road'' in "The Girl with a Gift for Disaster" and still be clean. Steve Trevor was the same, for example, making his way through a Nazi forest in "Fausta, the Nazi Wonder Woman" without dirt, grime, or sweat.

* In ''Film/ANewHope'', Princess Leia and the others end up in the trash compactor on the Death Star, yet none of them get remotely dirty. While Han and Luke at least have the excuse of changing out of their disguises, Chewie is naked and Leia is wearing a white dress, yet neither has a spot on them.

** Pre-Comicbook/{{New 52}}, Superman's invulnerability was a protective aura - a literal dirt forcefield.

** When Elnor slices through Romulan soldiers like they're butter in the "The Impossible Box", there is a lot of arterial spray, yet not a ''single drop'' of green blood splashes on him.

[[caption-width-right:350:A superintendent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police does not get "muddy"!]]

[[caption-width-right:350:A superindentent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police does not get "muddy"!]]

** As an elf, Legolas is always far better and cleaner looking than the men. However, when a lot of other elves show up at Helm's Deepin ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheTwoTowers The Two Towers]]'', Legolas notably looks a lot worse than them.

* ''Series/StarTrekPicard'': When Elnor slices through Romulan soldiers like they're butter in the "The Impossible Box", there is a lot of arterial spray, yet not a ''single drop'' of green blood splashes on him. Since he's a [[LongHairedPrettyBoy gorgeous]] [[{{Elfeminate}} character]] (and portrayed by Evan Evagora, an ex-model no less), the producers clearly didn't want anything to detract from his physical beauty.

** As an elf, Legolas is always far better and cleaner looking than the men. However, when a lot of other elves show up at Helm's Deep, Legolas notably looks a lot worse than them.

* There are some places where there cannot be dirt in the area while products are being manufactured. These are called clean rooms, and anyone who wants to go into one will have all dirt and dust blown off of them and vacuumed away, so that they are perfectly clean.

** Every Transformer with a GM-licensed vehicle mode, thanks to the ProductPlacement agreements. However, in robot-mode you can see the paint scuffs and dents. [[note]] This isn't just to make the cars look good, but because all cars were on lease from GM, so they had to remain factory perfect (meaning dents and scratches required the entire panel to need to be replaced rather than simple smoothed out) to be returned after filming. And to make things worse all the cars were either at the moment unreleased prototypes (Bee, Sideswipe, Twins) or custom made (Ironhide Ratchet), meaning there were no spare parts available that wouldn't require a special order from GM. As a result the crew were very paranoid about delicate handing (Shia mentioned than anyone driving the Bumblebee car was ordered to touch nothing inside but the wheel, shifter and pedals.) and intentionally causing minor damage was not feasible.[[/note]]

** Gandalf the White's whiter-than-white robes but [[OurAngelsAreDifferent his case is justified and]] even then the edges that touch the ground are dirty; as Gandalf, as the Grey Pilgrim he is quite disheveled and wayworn.

** The peasant characters are always dirty, whereas a King like Aragorn is at least ''less'' dirty. However, it is only in the coronation scene near the end of the third movie that Aragorn's head is no longer a mop of stringy, oily hair.

* ''Literature/TheDiamondAge'': {{nano|Machines}}technology is pervasive, to the extent that almost all fabric is a nanotech construction that self cleans. Children can play in the dirt in their best clothing and be still largely presentable afterwards.

* Humorously done at the end of ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}'', when Venkman (the "coolest" Ghostbuster) has far less marshmallow on him than the other guys. This is reputedly because he got "slimed" by the onion head ghost (aka Slimer) earlier on in the film and didn't think it fair he should have to get completely covered in the finale.

* Every Transformer with a GM-licensed vehicle mode in the ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' series, thanks to the ProductPlacement agreements. However, in robot-mode you can see the paint scuffs and dents. [[note]] This isn't just to make the cars look good, but because all cars were on lease from GM, so they had to remain factory perfect (meaning dents and scratches required the entire panel to need to be replaced rather than simple smoothed out) to be returned after filming. And to make things worse all the cars were either at the moment unreleased prototypes (Bee, Sideswipe, Twins) or custom made (Ironhide Ratchet), meaning there were no spare parts available that wouldn't require a special order from GM. As a result the crew were very paranoid about delicate handing (Shia mentioned than anyone driving the Bumblebee car was ordered to touch nothing inside but the wheel, shifter and pedals.) and intentionally causing minor damage was not feasible.[[/note]]

* In ''Film/ANewHope'', Princess Leia and the others end up in the garbage onboard the Death Star yet none of them get remotely dirty. While Han and Luke at least have the excuse of changing out of their disguises, Chewie is naked and Leia is wearing a white dress, yet neither has a spot on them.

* ''Literature/TheDiamondAge'': {{nano|Machines}}technology is pervasive, to the extent that almost all fabric is a nanotech construction that self cleans… children can play in the dirt in their best clothing and be still largely presentable afterwards.

* I recall an episode of ''Series/TheSixMillionDollarMan'' in which the woman of the episode goes waist-deep into mud and in the next scene is clean. Unless she had a pair of slacks hidden in the woods, this trope was played straight.

* The ritual Fastidiousness in the fourth edition of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' grants magical protection from dirt as well as water damage.
* In its 'sister' system, ''Pathfinder'', wizards (and many bards, witches and sorcerors) sometimes justify this trope by using the cleaning powers of an extremely simple spell, ''prestidigitation''.

* Messily averted in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', where the least little battle absolutely covers all the participants in gouts of blood. You can disable it in the Options menu, though.

* Completely averted in ''VideoGame/MountAndBlade'', where anybody can and will be covered in blood, usually their own, but kill enough enemies and your character will get redder and redder starting from their weapon, onto the hand and spreading everywhere else. In especially hectic sieges it's possible to turn completely red except for maybe your boots.

* Totally averted in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9''. Typically, by the end of a fight, your character's clothes will be torn to shreds, covered with all sorts of grievous wounds, and coated with your opponent's blood.

* While most games in the ''Franchise/TombRaider'' franchise play this painfully straight, ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013'' averts this with a vengeance; Lara is covered in sweat, grime and blood (a lot of it her own), right from the start, and gets worse as the story progresses. She gets cleaner on occasion, but that's because she was scoured clean by the river during the most recent time that she fell in.
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* Characters in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' generally get dirtied up when the occasion calls for it (they don't stay that way long, but that's justified when you have people who can manipulate air, water and earth). This is most notable in "The Drill" where ''everyone'' winds up utterly drenched in slurry. A prominent example of averting it is "The Blue Spirit," where, after trudging around in a swamp and getting pinned to a log by about a dozen arrows, Aang's outfit is dirty and ripped in several places. The secondary theme of that episode was apparently "Aang Has a Bad Day". Also constantly averted by Toph, whose feet are always filthy due to her always going barefoot to better use her earthbending to "see." She also appreciates "a healthy coating of earth."

* Usually played straight in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''; characters' outfits are always pristine even during fights, and on the occasion that someone gets [[CoveredInGunge slimed by one of the show's goo monsters]], it disappears in the next shot. One notable aversion is [[spoiler: Terra]] and Raven's fight in mud, in which both end up soaked head to toe in mud, and it actually adds to the drama of the scene.

->'''Large Man with Dead Body:''' Who's that then?
->'''The Dead Collector:''' I dunno, must be a king.
->'''Large Man with Dead Body:''' Why?
->'''The Dead Collector:''' He hasn't got shit all over him.

[[folder:Live-Action TV ]]
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Ser Loras Tyrell should be covered in blood, sweat and grime in [[spoiler:"Blackwater,"]] yet he's completely clean. Loras' flawless appearance is further highlighted after Lord Tywin Lannister arrives to the throne room because the old man's face is coated with blood splatter and dirt.

* ''Series/DoctorWho''
** Averted, then played straight in the story "The End of Time". The Doctor [[spoiler:is shot by the Master's captors, then ends up taking a skydive from an alien ship through the skylight of a mansion. By the time he takes the fatal blast of radiation to save Wilf, he looks like he's been through the wringer. After the blast, he heals his external injuries with the first energies from the upcoming regeneration, so that he'll look his normal, dapper self for his final goodbyes.]]
** Played straight in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS10E2CarnivalOfMonsters Carnival of Monsters]]", where Jo sinks to her waist in a swamp on location. Her clothes are clean and dry in the studio scenes set less than a minute later.
* This is usually PlayedStraight for the Winchester brothers in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', but in the episode [[Recap/SupernaturalS02E20WhatIsAndWhatShouldNeverBe "What Is And What Should Never Be" (S02, Ep20)]], a victim keeps appearing to Dean and she is dirtier and more disheveled with each appearance.
* Combined with BeautyIsNeverTarnished in the ''Series/AdamAdamantLives'' episode "The Sweet Smell of Disaster". Adam and Georgina lay a trap for the villain and his female sidekick in a room full of soapsuds, and in the resulting fight everyone gets covered with foam. When the survivors emerge, all have suds on their clothes -- except for Georgina, who's merely damp

* In its 'sister' system, ''Pathfinder,'' wizards (and many bards, witches and sorcerors) sometimes justify this trope by using the cleaning powers of an extremely simple spell, ''prestidigitation.''

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Art]]
* Michelangelo's ''[[PietaPlagiarism La Pieta]]'' is one of the more famous examples in art. Jesus's lovingly-detailed, well-toned muscles and polished-smooth skin don't look much like someone who's spent three days dying of thirst and blood loss. Mary also invokes this, with a face completely absent of the lines or blemishes that would have been typical on a woman who was in her late forties at least. Michelangelo largely gets away with it, because the anatomy is so good that it easily overshadows the inaccuracy, and because Jesus seems like a good candidate for someone with an actual version. This hasn't stopped some artists from [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Pieta_z_Lubiaza.jpg/751px-Pieta_z_Lubiaza.jpg trying]], though.

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[[folder: Fan Works ]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* Rachel from the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' series. To the extent that the others (especially Marco) [[DeadpanSnarker snark]] about it. Once, her best friend Cassie jokingly throws a dirt clod at her. "I just want to see if it is actually possible for dirt to cling to you." Rachel catches the clod, drops it, and refuses to show Cassie her hand. Memorably, in one book, the narrator describes Rachel as being able (paraphrased) [[SerialEscalation "to be hit by a flood, picked up by a tornado, buried in a mudslide, and walk out with perfect hair, perfect clothes, and perfect makeup."]]

Particularly noticeable on actresses because the studio doesn't dare film them except in the most flattering light. The human antithesis to this is probably Creator/BruceWillis, who by the end of his movies is drenched in about five pints of grime, sweat and blood, mostly his own. Creator/SigourneyWeaver's stint as Ripley in ''Film/{{Alien}}'' was probably the first major female exception.

* Combined with BeautyIsNeverTarnished in the ''Series/AdamAdamantLives'' episode "The Sweet Smell of Disaster". Adam and Georgina lay a trap for the villain and his female sidekick in a room full of soapsuds, and in the resulting fight everyone gets covered with foam. When the survivors emerge, all have suds on their clothes -- except for Georgina, who's merely damp.

* There are some places where there can not be dirt in the area while manufacturing products. These are called clean rooms, and anyone who wants to go into one will have all dirt and dust blown off of them, and vacuumed away, so that they are perfectly clean.

* Rachel from the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' series. To the extent that the others (especially Marco) [[DeadpanSnarker snark]] about it. Once, her best friend Cassie jokingly throws a dirt clod at her. "I just want to see if it is actually possible for dirt to cling to you." Rachel catches the clod, drops it, and refuses to show Cassie her hand. Memorably, in one book, the narrator describes Rachel as being able (paraphrased) [[SerialEscalation "to be hit by a flood, picked up by a tornado, buried in a mudslide, and walk out with her hair in perfect order."]]

[[folder:Film]]

* Done in ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren''. No character goes out of a fight dirty. Epically fixed in ''Advent Children Complete'', where everyone, after fighting, gets a good amount of dust, grime, and of course, blood.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

The conspicuous lack of grime, dirt, or bruises on actors, especially those in action sequences. There is an inherent suggestion of grueling {{badass}}ness to completely cover a character in sweat and grime to show that he's ''really'' gone through the wringer. This might be a remnant of older special effects, which lacked CG but were very fond of various fluids and chemicals being waded through and thrown around.

* In ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', characters routinely survive ki blasts with planet-destroying power and take little to no damage to their clothes.

Particularly noticeable on actresses, who come off as {{Faux Action Girl}}s because the studio doesn't dare film them except in the most flattering light. The human antithesis to this is probably Creator/BruceWillis, who by the end of his movies is drenched in about five pints of grime, sweat and blood, mostly his own. Creator/SigourneyWeaver's stint as Ripley in ''Film/{{Alien}}'' was probably the first major female exception.