History Main / UnwantedGlassesPlot

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' had one, though that wasn't permanent, and Bubbles accepts them after they magnify her EyeBeams to ludicrous power.

* ''Film/TwelveAngryMen'': The twist that puts the testimony of one of the witnesses in doubt is the fact that the witness needs glasses to see, and she didn't wear them in her appearance in court - although the marks remained on her nose, which is why the jurors were able to figure out she used them on a constant basis.

* ''Film/TwelveAngryMen'': The twist that puts the testimony of one of the witnesses in doubt is the fact that the witness needs glasses to see, and he didn't wear them in his appearance in court - although the marks remained on his nose, which is why the jurors were able to figure out he used them on a constant basis.

* According to flashbacks this occured to Kaname from ''Manga/KimiToBoku'' when began wearing glasses in his first year of middle school. He didn't want to wear them because he thought they were uncool and he didn't want to be teased for them. Kaname began wearing them permanently after he lost a thumb wrestling contest.
* One episode of ''Anime/SallyTheWitch'' involves one of Sally's classmates needing glasses, but being unwilling to get them because she believes boys will laugh at her if she wears them. Sally attempts to fix the girl's eyes with magic... but then finds her own vision compromised. Her parents explain to her that if a witch tries to heal a human's ailment with magic, they'll come down with the symptoms themself. The girl eventually relents and agrees to wear glasses after [[spoiler: her little brother is hit by a truck, which apparently she couldn't see coming because her vision was just that bad. The boys DO laugh at her, but after Yoshiko scolds them for mocking the girl when she was courageous enough to wear them, they apologize and admit she's actually not bad looking even with them.]]

* ''Film/TwelveAngryMen'': The twist that puts the testimony of one of the witnesses in doubt is the fact that the witness needs glasses to see, and he didn't wore them in his appearance in court (although the marks remained on his nose, which is why the jurors were able to figure out he used them on a constant basis) -- wanting to feel important for the first time in his life, he decided to fake he didn't had a disability that may or may not have been present in the moment he allegedly saw the murder being committed.

* Inverted on ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' when Priya has Leonard get contact lenses, but Leonard hates wearing them because he can't see as well with them in and keeps bumping into things. Also a subversion when Penny gets a pair of nerd glasses to look sexy-smart for Leonard.

* ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' did this with both Liz and Elly. Since it was an arc-based strip, they eventually adapted to it, and Liz doesn't need them anymore, but early on, a few jokes were based around them. In particular, Elly squinting and holding the menu at arm's length in a restaurant, looking very peculiar. Michael asks why she just doesn't put her glasses on...and John says she thinks they make her look silly.

** Same goes for the Swiss Army. Every recruit who requires glasses gets issued a pair of "Fighting Glasses" (official designation) which she/he is allowed to keep after duty. Surely also made with durability and not design in mind (here's a [[http://pics.ricardostatic.ch/2_686991080_Big/militaer-schweiz/armeebrille-schweizer-armee.jpg pic]]). if you break those glasses you get issued new ones. if you break your 'civilian' glasses during army service, you're out of luck. nontheless, no one wears them.

-->--'''John Sebastian''', "Four Eyes"

* ''Film/TwelveAngryMen'': The twist that puts the testimony of one of the witnesses in doubt is the fact that the witness needs glasses to see, and he didn't wore them in his appearance in court -- wanting to feel important for the first time in a very long time, he decided to fake he didn't had a disability that may or may not have been present in the moment he allegedly saw the murder being committed.

* This happened to Karen in the ''Literature/BabysittersClub'' spinoff series ''Babysitter's Little Sister''. The boy who made fun of her ended up needing glasses, too.

** Here's a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GI_glasses link]] to TheOtherWiki's article on that type of glasses. They don't look too bad...

[[folder:Film]]

* Variant in ''Film/{{Star Trek II|The Wrath of Khan}}''. Kirk's discomfort with his reading glasses is that they're a sign of his age, rather than a symbol of dorkiness. ZigZagged a bit too, as one of the first times he actually wears them is right before outsmarting Khan for the first time in the film, transmitting the [[TrojanHorse command override codes]] to make ''Reliant'' lower her shields rather than sending Khan the Genesis data as was demanded of him.

* Very much truth in real life. Because glasses are often associated with nerds and "ugly" people, many children who need glasses dread them. Although this has changed a lot in recent years.
* It may not be as universal as the fear of nerdiness and/or ridicule, but for some people the backlash actually comes from being extremely upset that your eyes don't work properly. The glasses remind the person of this, thus the glasses must be evil.
** Not to mention that glasses can be very uncomfortable until you get used to them. The nosepieces are hard to get accustomed to for some people. Plus, in some cases, people have trained their eyes to compensate for their bad eyesight, which can be a hard habit to get out of when you have glasses and don't have to do that anymore. Even though you can see better, the sharp clarity and your brain getting used to not having to strain can actually give many people a headache at first.
* It's fair to say that this trope is the general reason to why some people choose to use contacts instead of glasses. Of course, contact lenses have some practical advantages, but since glasses can have their own advantages (like not needing to touch your eyes directly), none of them are that superior in terms of practical use. It's mostly for visual reasons that people prefer contacts.

* ''Series/LittleHouseOnThePrairie'': Had two of these:
** Mary, in the 1975 episode "Four Eyes". For those who also read the novels, this episode would actually foreshadow Mary's future health problems and eventually becoming completely blind.

* Averted in ''WebComic/KevinAndKell'', when Rudy asks if Kevin is feeling a midlife crisis now that he needs bifocals, Kevin points out that, as a [[FunnyAnimal prey species]], he's lucky to have lived long enough to ''need'' bifocals.
** Although there ''was'' one strip that showed Kevin being reluctant to consider the idea he needed glasses, months before his mother forced the issue.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' also took the glasses plot to its logical extreme, giving not only Bart thick glasses, but also oversized shoes and a spray that made his voice sound more nasal than usual.
** He originally went in for just the glasses, but the optometrist noticed something wrong and recommended Marge take him to another specialist. And so on, and so on, dealing with a wide variety of disorders including strep throat, flat feet, and a dry scalp. [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation It's debatable if he really needed any of the extra treatments or if the doctors were faking]] since the medical practice they worked for was named [=HMO=] Hibbert Moneymaking Organization.

* In ''CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'', Sam adopted a DumbBlonde [[ObfuscatingStupidity persona]] (and stopped wearing her glasses) after being teased for being smart as a kid, though in her flashback we only see her being taunted for wearing glasses.

* Variant in ''Film/{{Star Trek II|The Wrath of Khan}}''. Kirk's discomfort with his reading glasses is that they're a sign of his age, rather than a symbol of dorkiness.
** ZigZagged a bit too, as one of the first times he actually wears them is right before outsmarting Khan for the first time in the film, transmitting the [[TrojanHorse command override codes]] to make ''Reliant'' lower her shields rather than sending Khan the Genesis data as was demanded of him.

* ''HomeImprovement'' did it.

* ''Series/SmallWonder'' had an episode titled "Vicki's Glasses".

* In the ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' episode "48 Hours", Detective Amy Santiago's contacts dry out, forcing her to wear these. Jake Peralta constantly teases her about them. Played with in that Amy already was nearsighted beforehand, hence the contacts.

** ZigZagged a bit too, as one of the first times he actually wears them is right before outsmarting Khan for the first time in the film, transmitting the [[TrojanHorse command override codes]] to make ''Reliant'' lower her sheilds rather than sending Khan the Genesis data as was demanded of him.

* In a radio episode of ''OurMissBrooks'', Miss Brooks goes to an optometrist after Mr. Conklin accuses her of needing glasses. She borrows a pair of glasses to see their effect on Mr. Boynton. He compliments her on how ''mature'' she looks. So much for any chance of Miss Brooks wearing glasses!

* Very much truth in real life. Because glasses are often associated with nerds and "ugly" people, many children who need glasses dread them.

** Not to mention that glasses can be very uncomfortable until you get used to them. The nosepieces are hard to get accustomed to for some people. Plus, in some cases, people have trained their eyes to compensate for their bad eyesight, which can be a hard habit to get out of when you have glasses and don't have to do that anymore. Even though you can see better, the sharp clarity and your brain getting used to not having to strain can actually give many people a headache at first.

* ''Series/mallWonder'' had an episode titled "Vicki's Glasses".

* This happened to Karen in the ''BabysittersClub'' spinoff series ''Babysitter's Little Sister''. The boy who made fun of her ended up needing glasses, too.
* Ed, from ''LAConfidential'' has this about him. He can see without his glasses, but not well enough to shoot, drive, or read from a distance. But since he's climbing the social-celebrity ladder, he is told he can't be seen wearing them, so he takes them off as soon as he no longer needs them.

* Happened to Jan on ''TheBradyBunch''.

* Stephanie in ''FullHouse''.

* Happened to Tony of ''MenBehavingBadly'', one of the cases where contact lenses allowed a SnapBack (but the glasses show up again as part of his new nerdy image in the last episode)

** Mary, in the 1975 episode "Four Eyes." For those who also read the novels, this episode would actually foreshadow Mary's future health problems and eventually becoming completely blind.
** Jason Carter, in the 1983 episode "Home Again." You remember that plot, don't you? No? Because you probably remember the far-more famous main plot about Albert's drug abuse and painful withdrawal. Jason's eyesight problems was simply a lighthearted subplot that was used to relieve the heavy-handed main story while, at the same time, focusing on Dr. Baker as a caretaker for the whole community and an individual staunchly against drug abuse.
* ''SmallWonder'' had an episode titled "Vicki's Glasses".
* ''HannahMontana'': Lily lost her contact lenses and no replacement would come before the finals of the skateboarding contest and she'd rather forfeit than wear her glasses until Miley encouraged her.
* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' did this in a season three episode with Clark who was recovering from being briefly blind. It also functions as ''MythologyGag'' given Clark's famous [[ClarkKenting disguise]].

* ''ForBetterOrForWorse'' did this with both Liz and Elly. Since it was an arc-based strip, they eventually adapted to it, and Liz doesn't need them anymore, but early on, a few jokes were based around them. In particular, Elly squinting and holding the menu at arm's length in a restaurant, looking very peculiar. Michael asks why she just doesn't put her glasses on...and John says she thinks they make her look silly.
* Linus in ''{{Peanuts}}'' made a big deal way back in the 1960s, when he started wearing glasses. At first partly subverted in that after a while, his glasses tended to come and go at random, until finally he stopped wearing them altogether.

* A variant was done in a ''SomethingPositive'' storyline. Davan, who already wore glasses, was prescribed bifocals by his optometrist. [=PeeJee=] mocked him for getting old, so he went back to wearing his old glasses. His father, who wears bifocals, called him out on it, at which point Davan notes that his father is guilty of the same thing, because he ''should'' be wearing trifocals.
* In an early ''TheOptimist'' strip, the fat kid is accidentally given [[http://the-opt.com/?p=70 a wrong prescription]] (a three strip story arc).

* ''ThePowerpuffGirls'' (though that wasn't permanent, and Bubbles accepts them after they magnify her {{Eye Beam}}s to ludicrous power).
* ''HeyArnold'' had [[AlphaBitch Rhonda Wellington Lloyd]] getting glasses and immediately losing her cool reputation, having to sit in the back of the bus with the loser kids, and generally becoming a klutz (accidentally breaking her glasses, leading to an even worse-looking tape-based repair job; trailing toilet paper under her shoe, etc.). Then she gets over her paranoia, regains her self-confidence, gets a better-looking pair of glasses, and almost seems to learn AnAesop about the nerds who had come to her rescue. Aside from one reference later on about her having since gotten contacts, it's never mentioned again.

* Inverted in ''{{Daria}}'', when her mother tried to convince her to wear contact lenses instead of her glasses. People keep saying she looks better this way, but the contacts hurt her eyes too much to wear; as a result she goes to school without glasses ''or'' contacts, bumps into everyone and everything, and winds up feeling miserable that [[NotSoAboveItAll she does, in fact, care about her looks]].
* An episode of ''GoofTroop'' hit this one. Max had to wear glasses for a few weeks "from playing too many videogames", and was distraught over how nerdy he looked with them.
* In the ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' episode "Kid Stuff", it turns out John Stewart needed glasses as a kid, and so needs them when he's been de-aged. He uses his power ring to recreate the Urkel-esque specs, then realizes he can make them look cooler -- and turns them into a [[MythologyGag Kyle Rayner-style mask.]]
* Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/BluesClues,'' when the characters are all rather supportive when Blue's friend, Magenta, gets glasses, as part of a VerySpecialEpisode. However, given the presence of this trope, [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to show little kids after all]].
* Also inverted in ''WesternAnimation/CowAndChicken,'' where not only does everyone think Cow looks better with glasses, but they ''[[RuleOfFunny actually make her smarter]].'' Of course, since that show had NegativeContinuity, Cow was without glasses from then on. Not so much of a NegativeContinuity since she was putting contact lenses during the epilogue.
* ''CareBears'': A boy refused to wear his glasses because other kids told him cowboys didn't wear glasses.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheKidsFromRoom402'': Jessie was so afraid of needing to wear glasses he cheated on the school-sponsored eye exam and ended up forced to wear thick glasses (his family's insurance wouldn't cover anything cooler) or, as the shop called it, glasses "for the not so active". Not only he was constantly mocked by his peers but the glasses damaged his eyesight making it harder to run. He eventually broke them and faced the consequences of cheating. In the end, Vinnie had to wear a similar pair of glasses (his family's insurance wouldn't cover anything cooler either) and, to Jessie's dismay, managed to look cool with them.