History Main / GlassesPull

* Ardal O'Hanlon argues that glasses are better than contact lenses in case you get into an argument, in which case you can take them off to emphasise a point. Trying to take out your contact lenses in the same scenario doesn't have the same impact.

* Parodied when Advertising/JackInTheBox introduced their bacon and cheddar potato wedges and jalapeno poppers, [[https://youtu.be/k6_0uF9ewJI running a television ad]] featuring a "doctor" extolling the wonderful health benefits of these new appetizers. He enters every single shot with his glasses on, then dramatically whips them off as he delivers his conclusions, at least five or six times total. And is never actually seen putting them back on during the course of said commercial. (At the end of the ad, Jack asks his ad exec "Where did you ''find'' this guy?" "[[TakeThat A tobacco company.]]"

* Played for laughs in ''Film/JurassicPark1993''. Doctor Malcolm approaches [[RoadApples triceratops feces]], pulls his glasses and says, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnun8y7r8_U That is one big pile of shit.]]"
** Played straight [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJlmYh27MHg earlier on]]. Somewhat justified in this case, as the glasses in question are ''sun''glasses and neither character needs prescription eyewear, so taking them off lets them see the WhamShot ''better''. Dr Grant also takes off his stylish Panama hat for the same reason.

** The series as a whole would be exaggerating to the point of satire if not for one major justification: The cool sunglasses are used to block the effects of the [[LaserGuidedAmnesia Neuraliser]].
* ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'': Roads? "Where we're going we don't need ''(glasses flip)'' roads!" Played with, in that they're his rearview display, predating actual back-up cameras by 15-20 years.
** And at the beginning of the movie, Marty [=McFly=] has one after he [[GaleForceSound is blown across the room after plugging his guitar into a giant amplifier at full volume]]. He sits up in the rubble he has caused, slowly reaches to remove his shades and utters, while staring at the now destroyed amp, "Whoa. Rock 'n' roll."

** President Bartlet also has a tendency to whip off his glasses whenever Leo tells him anything dramatic. (Or when Charlie informs him that the [[MundaneMadeAwesome Butterball has a hotline]].) Of course, he wears reading glasses, so he's usually looking up from whatever dramatic memo Leo put in his hands.

* ''Film/BackToTheFuture'': Roads? "Where we're going we don't need ''(glasses flip)'' roads!" Played with, in that they're his rearview display, predating actual back-up cameras by 15-20 years.

* Inverted towards the end of UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution, it was beginning to look like the makeshift government wasn't going to be able to pay the army for its service. UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington's officers called a meeting to discuss possible retaliations, which included pulling out into the backwoods and letting Congress defend itself, or even turning against it outright. Washington made a speech to them about how this would totally suck and they shouldn't do it, which they were not in the mood to hear. Then at the end he pulled out a letter from Congress explaining the government's financial problems, along with his reading glasses, and reportedly said something like, "Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have grown not only gray but half-blind in the service of my country." [[ShamingTheMob This served as a massive guilt trip]], and after he'd read the letter and left, the officers unanimously voted to accept Congress's leadership and forget the idea of rebellion. A rare instance of this working because it makes the invoker look ''weaker''.

* Parodied when Jack In the Box introduced their bacon and cheddar potato wedges and jalapeno poppers, running a television ad featuring a "doctor" extolling the wonderful health benefits of these new appetizers. He enters every single shot with his glasses on, then dramatically whips them off as he delivers his conclusions, at least five or six times total. And is never actually seen putting them back on during the course of said commercial. (At the end of the ad, Jack asks his ad exec "Where did you ''find'' this guy?" "[[TakeThat Tobacco company.]]"

* Played for laughs in ''Film/JurassicPark''. Doctor Malcolm approaches [[RoadApples triceratops feces]], pulls his glasses and says, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnun8y7r8_U That is one big pile of shit.]]"

* ''Film/{{Once a Thief|1965}}'': Sargatanas, a supremely creepy murderer, wears his sunglasses indoors until the scene where Mike reveals that he is planning a million-dollar robbery. This causes Sargatanas to pull his glasses down his nose and reveal his eyes for the first time.

A trope used extensively in B movies from the 50's and 60's. The capital-h Hero or scientist, to emphasize a point he's trying to make, takes his glasses off or puts them on before delivering a melodramatic line.

* On ''Series/NedsDeclassifiedSchoolSurvivalGuide'', Vice Principal Crubbs always wears the same white suit and sunglasses (he's a parody of Crockett and Tubbs on ''Series/MiamiVice'' -- ''vice'' principal. [[IncrediblyLamePun get it?]]). If he shows up in an episode, you can guarantee he will whip them off before the end of his dialogue (often accompanied by a dramatic sound effect), then replace them and walk away as he finishes speaking. Truly hilarious when he has many scenes in a single episode. He will also use them to glare dramatically after, yes, whipping them off (often times going "I'm watching you ''super closely'' like ''this!'' and then proceeds to do all sorts of bizarre poses with his glasses).

[[caption-width-right:323:This event calls for a... [[LargeHam DRAMATIC REMOVAL OF MY SPECTACLES.]]]]

* Chichiri from ''Manga/FushigiYuugi''... sort of. He wears a mask.
** A smiley face mask. Made to look like his face. Before it was heavily scarred.
* Vash of ''Manga/TriGun'' does this now and then. When those ScaryShinyGlasses are put on, you know things are switching from humor to drama. Notable examples include his fight with the Nebraska Family after they almost kill innocent people, and his first run-in with Legato.
* [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Kamina]] pre-time-skip, and Simon many, many other times (both before and after the skip). Basically, if someone puts on glasses, something EPIC will be going down.
** And not just putting them on - Yoko pulls off her [[spoiler:"teacher"]] glasses (with an audible "schwing" sound) just before going to town on two Ganmen post-TimeSkip.

[[folder:Film - Animated]]

[[folder:Film - Live Action]]

* ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' took his sunglasses off to let the rain touch his eyes. When it rained on his girlfriend, his hearing allows him to "see" when water sprays on them so the eye-wear-removal makes ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis A! Dramatic! Statement!]]'' The removal of the glasses was kind of a callback to earlier when she asked if she could remove his glasses. He was hesitant, as the blind gaze tends to bother people.

-->"Gentlemen, it's worse than we thought. This, God help us, is a ''cherry tomato''!

* ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'':

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. In "Changing Channels" the Winchester brothers are stuck in what appears to be different TV shows, and upon entering a CSI-esque setting they begin to imitate Horatio Cane, with Glasses Pull and DramaticPause. It is hilarious...

* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/HortonHearsAWho''. While answering the mayor's "hypothetical" question, Dr. [=LaRue=] whips off her safety glasses on the obvious dramatic line. In a later scene, she whips them off on an innocuous word so she can put them back on for the most dramatic line.

* Played ''achingly'' straight in ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick''. Granted, with Riddick's sensitive eyes he has to put his goggles on when it gets too bright, but the amount of dramatic taking off of said goggles is excessive to the point of unintentional RunningGag. Seriously. Watch the movie and count how many times he takes them off or puts them on.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1417-j SCP-1417-J ("Passive-Aggressive Meteorite")]]. During Emergency Procedure 1634-Broadway, Dr. Anderson whips off his glasses at a dramatic moment.

A subtrope of CharacterTics. See also TheGlassesComeOff. Contrast AttentiveShadeLowering, which is a reaction to something someone ''else'' said or did.

* [[Film/TheRock Hummel]]- er, Hudson gets a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-9Fvd0W-1o&feature=related particularly epic one]] in one of the later levels of ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps''.

** Played straight [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJlmYh27MHg earlier on]]. Somewhat justified in this case, as the glasses in question are ''sun''glasses and neither character needs prescription eyewear, so taking them off lets them see the WhamShot ''better''. Dr Grant also takes off his [[NiceHat stylish Panama hat]] for the same reason.

A Glasses Pull should not be confused with an AssPull.

This is parodied in modern productions such that the scientist will put his glasses back on and whip them off again with nearly ''every line''. Also used to parody SoapOpera doctors, whose glasses always come off when delivering bad news to the patient.

* [[VideoGame/TheGame Replaying :the game:]] parodies this at the end of ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}} :the game:'' with Horatio putting on new glasses ''[[HurricaneOfPuns over the previous ones]]''.
-->'''Horatio:''' Well... good night... ''(puts on glasses)'' sweet prince.
-->'''''YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!'''''
-->NOW LET'S JUST '''KILL''' THE '''''[[{{Pun}} HORATIO]]''''' '''[[{{Pun}} CAINE]]''' JOKE

* In an unusual variation, you know shit's going down when Stiyl removes his cigarette in ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex''.

* ''Film/TheFugitive''. Dr. Richard Kimble's FalseFriend [[spoiler: Dr. Charles Nichols]] does this to convey his OhCrap reaction when Kimble confronts him with proof of his deception and involvement in his wife's murder.