History Main / PolkaDork

* In ''Film/HomeAlone'', Kevin's mother's desperate journey to get back home to her son--amidst more conventional transportation options being booked full for the holidays--was aided in its last leg by [[JohnCandy "The Polka King of the Midwest"]] and his band's touring van. He asked her "You don't mind riding with a bunch of polka bums?" and she indicated she was grateful for the ride. The band played polkas the whole way back to Chicago.

[[quoteright:220:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/polka_dork_4024.jpg]]

** Yet another aversion: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZD8dA678ss French Letter]]" by UsefulNotes/NewZealand reggae band Herbs, which deliberately featured an accordion to underline the [[ProtestSong song's message]] about [[TheUltimateResistance French nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean]] during the early 1980s.

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* ''{{WesternAnimation/Doug}}'': [[DeanBitterman Vice Principal Bone]] has an impressive collection of yodeling trophies. He once punished a student by making him polish them all. His love for polka is played for laughs and makes him look like a total square to his students. Kind of subverted when the kids' favorite rock band The Beets works yodeling into one of their songs.

** Yet another aversion: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZD8dA678ss French Letter]]" by NewZealand reggae band Herbs, which deliberately featured an accordion to underline the [[ProtestSong song's message]] about [[TheUltimateResistance French nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean]] during the early 1980s.

** Yet another aversion: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZD8dA678ss French Letter]]" by NewZealand reggae band Herbs, which deliberately featured an accordion to underline the song's message about [[TheUltimateResistance French nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean]] during the early 1980s.

* Another aversion: The accordion is a staple instrument in the genre of Zydeco. It's a blend of Blues, R&B and Creole folk music that, far from being considered stodgy or dorky, is practically synonymous with a rollicking good time in southeast Louisiana. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa8vyTfugcI Here, have a sample.]]

* ''{{WesternAnimation/Doug}}'': Vice Principal Bone has an impressive collection of yodeling trophies. He once punished a student by making him polish them all. His love for polka is played for laughs and makes him look like a total square to his students. Kind of subverted when the kids' favorite rock band The Beets works yodeling into one of their songs.

* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuiM9Z4yMGg this clip]] of the second California Raisins special, the "hottest new craze" is this combined with DeaderThanDisco.

* ''Film/{{Arizona Dream}}'': Suicidal {{Yandare}} Grace, played with a smoldering pout by Creator/LiliTaylor, seems to feel it's her mission in life to play ''The Streets of Cairo'' on her accordion until she's driven everybody else in the house bonkers. It's her favorite passive-aggressive weapon, whether it's to make herself busy when somebody else wants to scold her, or appear innocent right after her latest act of sabotage.

* In ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', resident nerd Baljeet has mentioned going to polka lessons.

-->'''Gus Polinski:''' I had a few hits a few years ago. That's why I just... "Polka, Polka, Polka? "Twin Lakes Polka"? "Yamahoozie Polka," a.k.a. "Kiss Me Polka"? "Polka Twist"?''

* In Film/RevengeOfTheNerds, Judy -- one of the Omega Mu sisters -- scrapes out a rendition of "So I Say I Gotta Be Me" on the accordion. It's not quite the life of the party, but it's almost the death of it.

* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' Accordion playing is one of those things that will attract Lord Vetinari's displeasure, as well as attracting mockery from ordinary Anhk-Morporkians. When The Disc's first Newspaper is set up in ''Discworld/TheTruth'' they cover the Ankh-Morpork folk music group and note:

* Garfield's owner Jon Arbuckle from ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' likes polka music and he also plays accordion. He is perennially shown to be about as unhip as someone can be. In one comic, his idea of getting "wild" was shouting "EVERYBODY POLKA!" while putting on an impossibly tacky suit.

** In one episode, Slappy Squirrel's quiet meadow is colonized by the Woodstock beatniks. Slappy takes the stage armed with an accordion and announces into the mike: "Okay, everybody polka!" Not even ChirpingCrickets remain to listen.

* The Reds' driving music in ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' is a Mexican polka. Given the Reds are the even more inept side in this series whose theme is ArmedFarces, this seems oddly appropriate.

* {{Steampunk}} parodist [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronique_Chevalier Veronique Chevalier]], who had a minor hit on the Creator/DrDemento show with "[[http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/song_details/1504463 The Beer Hall in Hell]]" off her album, "Polka Haunt Us" (although she doesn't play the accordion herself).

* {{Steampunk}} parodist [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronique_Chevalier Veronique Chevalier]], who had a minor hit on the Creator/DrDemento show with "[[http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/song_details/1504463 The Beer Hall in Hell]]" off her album, "Polka Haunt Us".

A character's coolness factor is often demonstrated by what music they prefer--whether it's the popular guy who likes popular bands, [[DiscoDan someone out of touch who still listens to disco (or older music)]], or [[DamnedByAFoolsPraise a complete dork who likes polka.]]

This trope is about that dork. BonusPoints if said dork also plays the accordion. Since the accordion, and polka, are often associated with an aged demographic, it's certainly not going to be cool for a young person to admit to enjoying them.[[labelnote:***]]Except for Mexican banda, which is actually what many cool young people listen there.[[/labelnote]]

Note: In recent years, especially with the popularity of Creator/WeirdAlYankovic and Mexican banda music, as well as the advent of {{Steampunk}}, there has been somewhat of a reversal of this trend (even Creator/ChristinaHendricks proudly plays the accordion!) and it borders somewhat on the verge of becoming a DeadHorseTrope.

-->-- '''John Arbuckle''' from ''Franchise/{{Garfield}}''

This trope is about that dork. BonusPoints if said dork also plays the accordion. Since the accordion, and polka, are often associated with an aged demographic, it's certainly not going to be cool for a young person to admit to enjoying them.

Note: In recent years, especially with the popularity of Creator/WeirdAlYankovic and the advent of {{Steampunk}}, there has been somewhat of a reversal of this trend (even Creator/ChristinaHendricks proudly plays the accordion!) and it borders somewhat on the verge of becoming a DeadHorseTrope.

* Pepsi had an ad that was advertising earning points from their products that could be redeemed for free music downloads, set to polka music. The implication was that listening to their artists was a far better option.

-->'''Kate McCallister:''' These are songs?