History Main / PictureDay

Many shows about kids or set in school will eventually have a plot based around Picture Day and a character's best efforts to not have an embarrassing photo of himself or herself taken for publication, because not only will the photographer ''never'' take more than one photo, but the [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil Yearbook editor]] is always [[AlphaBitch your nemesis]] who will make sure that your picture will be as humiliatingly noticeable in the book as possible.

** "The Not-So-Rosed-Colored Glasses" was centered on a family portrait of the kids (as an anniversary gift for their Mike and Carol), an absent-minded photographer, a near-sighted Jan crashing into and ruining the photograph with her bicycle, the absent-minded photographer losing the negative and forcing a retake of the photo, Jan wearing her glasses for the new picture (she had not gotten the glasses when the original was snapped) and Mike immediately noticing the difference.

* ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' had a humorous variant where Dexter gave himself a wax face to look good. He grew so vain with the lighting in his picture that the face melted off under the heat of the lamps.

* [[http://the-qlc.com/loserz/go/105 This strip]] of ''Webcomic/{{Loserz}}''.

* One of the things found in the office of Dr. Cruces, head of the Assassins' Guild, in ''Discworld/MenAtArms'' is iconographs of graduated classes, with the notation that someone was making a funny face and "there's always one."

* This happens to Chris on Series/EverybodyHatesChris when some expensive clothes he planned on wearing for school picture day are stolen from his locker during gym by bullies. %If anyone remembers what happens after this feel free to add it in%

* Done on ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' in the episode "Francine's Bad Hair Day," based around Muffy's attempts to keep Francine neat and tidy for Picture Day. However, it seems Francine is unable to resist playing kickball. A montage at the beginning also shows other students' embarrassing Picture Days: Buster being photographed mid-[[Gasshole burp]], Binky being caught mid-[[SneezeOfDoom sneeze]], and Prunella with her hair standing on end due to a shock from the metal chair.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' had one where Gus tried to remain clean long enough to take his first class picture, only to fail, but his father is proud of him anyway for protecting one of his friends cleanliness. The episode becomes a grand send-up to bodyguard films as his friends try valiantly to protect him through the day.

* Done on ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'', based around Muffy's attempts to keep Francine neat and tidy for Picture Day. However, it seems Francine is unable to resist playing kickball.

* ''LiteratureJunieBJones'' had picture day at her school once. She refuses to smile for the photographer and causes various kinds of trouble.

* ''Series/LeaveItToBeaver'': An episode, aptly titled "The School Picture," was based around Picture Day, and 10-year-old Beaver and his buddy, Gilbert, conspiring to make funny faces as the photographer snaps the photo. When it comes time to actually take the picture, Gilbert has second thoughts and wisely decides not to pull the immature trick. Beaver follows through, and the resulting proof is one that makes Mrs. Rayburn -- and Ward, when he sees it -- very angry. Ward sternly tells Beaver that such a picture reflects badly on the whole school, not just him, and shows disrespect. Fortunately, the photography studio comes to the rescue, as the photographer has stock clip art on hand, placing a hair ribbon on the head of a little girl that was standing in front of Beaver. (Remember, this episode was produced in an era more than 30 years before digital photography was invented, and camera film was a rather expensive commodity in the early 1960s, precluding the photographer from taking another photo.)

* An episode of ''Series/NedsDeclassifiedSchoolSurvivalGuide'' dealt with Picture Day. Among other items, he points out that it's unnecessary to dress up from the waist down.

* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'', "Smile for the Ed": Eddy tries to get a good school picture, so his mom will let him move into his big brother's old bedroom. Unfortunately, an ill-timed (or rather 'perfectly timed since it was done on purpose) cry of "Dork!" from JerkJock Kevin puts a crimp in his plans.

* In one episode, WesternAnimation/{{Doug}} was afraid to get his picture taken because he thought he had a big nose.

* ''{{Unfabulous}}'' also had an episode based on Picture Day, where the main character messed up her hair while trying to dye it.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' had one where Gus tried to remain clean long enough to take his first class picture. The episode becomes a grand send-up to bodyguard films as his friends try valiantly to protect him through the day.

* ''JunieBJones'' had picture day at her school once. She refuses to smile for the photographer and causes various kinds of trouble.

* ''[[AfterschoolSpecial CBS Schoolbreak Special]]'': The 1984 episode "The Alfred G. Graebner Memorial High School of Rules and Regulations" includes a sequence of students having their school pictures taken. Mostly, these are comical reactions to the students' willingness to have their pictures taken.

* This happens to Chris on Series/EverybodyHatesChris when some expensive clothes are stolen from his locker during gym by bullies. %If anyone remembers what happens after this feel free to add it in%

* This happens to Chris on Series/EverybodyHatesChris when some expensive clothes are stolen from his locker during gym by bullies. % If anyone remembers what happens after this feel free to add it in %

* ''LeaveItToBeaver'': An episode, aptly titled "The School Picture," was based around Picture Day, and 10-year-old Beaver and his buddy, Gilbert, conspiring to make funny faces as the photographer snaps the photo. When it comes time to actually take the picture, Gilbert has second thoughts and wisely decides not to pull the immature trick. Beaver follows through, and the resulting proof is one that makes Mrs. Rayburn -- and Ward, when he sees it -- very angry. Ward sternly tells Beaver that such a picture reflects badly on the whole school, not just him, and shows disrespect. Fortunately, the photography studio comes to the rescue, as the photographer has stock clip art on hand, placing a hair ribbon on the head of a little girl that was standing in front of Beaver. (Remember, this episode was produced in an era more than 30 years before digital photography was invented, and camera film was a rather expensive commodity in the early 1960s, precluding the photographer from taking another photo.)