Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context AmericanDad / TropesKToO

Go To

1AmericanDad/{{Tropes A to E}} | AmericanDad/{{Tropes F to J}} | '''Tropes K to O''' | AmericanDad/{{Tropes P to T}} | AmericanDad/{{Tropes U to Z}}
2----
3[[foldercontrol]]
4
5[[folder:K]]
6* KafkaKomedy: Stan agrees to pretend to be Greg's husband so that Terry's homophobic dad doesn't suspect his son is gay. Tank proceeds to make the situation worse by antagonizing ''everything'' Stan does simply because he thinks he is CampGay.
7-->''[Stan leaves Greg & Terry's house]''\
8'''Tank''': Look at him. He's just gonna float away. Float away '''''like a fairy.'''''\
9''[Stan carries two heavy trash cans to the sidewalk]''\
10'''Tank''': Look at him! Carrying those heavy trash cans '''''like a girl!'''''\
11''[Stan moves a giant boulder]''\
12'''Tank''': I bet he wished that rock was '''''a big, naked man!'''''\
13''[Stan wolf whistles at a lady on a bike]''\
14'''Tank''': Yeah, '''''whistle a show tune, ya drag queen!'''''
15* KansasCityShuffle: Roger's plan in "Toy Whorey": when he's trying to get a bottle of wine that only Greg and Terry have, Roger shorts out the Smith house's power with a RubeGoldbergDevice, saying the two will come over to check on them. Francine, frustrated with the unnecessary complexity of Roger's plan, simply goes to Greg and Terry's house and takes the wine by force. When she returns home and grabs a corkscrew to open the wine, she triggers a wrecking ball that knocks her out of the way, all so Roger can eat both his steak and Francine's.
16%% ZCE** Steve's plan in "Bar Mitzvah Shuffle".
17* KarmaHoudini:
18** Roger enslaves a group of foster children to work in inhumane conditions at his vineyard for nearly a year, and gives two of the girls to Steve, who dresses them in skimpy costumes and sexually harasses them. His only punishment is that the CPS takes them away, which actually makes Roger happy because the wine they made wasn't any good.
19** The Ladybugs have gotten away with killing their members who know too much and continue to cheat on their husbands without any consequences. The worst part is that nearly every woman in Langley Falls (except for Francine and Linda) is a member.
20** Francine's friend Kelly in "The Kidney Stays in the Picture". It was partially because of her that Hayley needed a new kidney. She was also the one who convinced Francine to cheat on Stan some 20-odd years before the show's timeline, yet at the end of the episode, she gets no comeuppance.
21** In "News Glance with Genevieve Vavance", Steve goes along with Genevieve Vavance's (one of Roger's many personas) bogus news story about him being kidnapped by Hayley in order to get attention from a bunch of girls at his school. He later exposes Roger and clears Hayley's name, but he himself is not punished for selling out his own sister for something she didn't even do to begin with.
22* KentBrockmanNews: Greg and Terry are low on exposition but high on drama, usually doing their dirty laundry over the airwaves.
23-->'''Terry:''' This recession is affecting everyone; even we're cutting back. Last night we only [[{{Pun}} sixty-eighted]].\
24'''Greg:''' Really? ... that's terrible.\
25'''Terry:''' ''[smug smile]'' Oh well.
26* KickMePrank:
27** During the opening, Hayley sticks a peace sign on Stan's back, while Francine takes it off before he even notices.
28** When Stan gets braces, the other employees prank him by sticking "Shoot Me" on his back. He was lucky to be wearing his bulletproof vest.
29* KidsPlayMatchBreaker: Stan in the episode “Oedipal Panties”. Since his early childhood, he’s been kidnapping his mom’s boyfriends and leaving them to rot on an uncharted desert island to prevent them from breaking her heart like his father did when he left them. Forget that she’s already heartbroken from thinking her dates just up and abandoned her.
30* KinkySpanking: In "The Missing Kink", after Francine objects to Stan spanking Steve, Stan spanks her to demonstrate that spanking is harmless. She ends up finding it to be a turn-on.
31* TheKrampus: Krampus, the Christmas demon, turns out to be NotEvilJustMisunderstood. [[spoiler:Santa Claus is the real "bad guy", since he's a CorruptCorporateExecutive who makes all his money in toy shares. "Bad" children buy the most toys, and the Krampus is only trying to set them on the path to being good. Hilariously, ''Roger'' points out at the total lunacy of the situation, especially at the reveal of Santa]].
32* KubrickStare: Francine describes George Clooney's alleged overuse of this trope as one of the reasons she wants to "destroy" him in the episode "Tears of a Clooney".
33-->'''Francine:''' My dream is to destroy George Clooney. That arrogant, overrated, memo-writing bastard! He's not even an actor! He just does the same cheesy move every time. Looks down, then looks back up squinting underneath his eyebrows. And ''[punches car dashboard with each syllable]'' EVERYBODY'S BUYING IT!
34[[/folder]]
35
36[[folder:L]]
37* LackOfEmpathy: Roger and Stan take this to extremes at times. Roger's mindset got screwed up psychologically the first time he felt for anyone before himself ("The One That Got Away"), and his conscience physically manifested into [[IncorruptiblePurePureness perfect, good-natured person]] who lived completely independently of Roger. Roger is also very casual and matter-of-fact about describing himself as a sociopath ("Cops & Roger"). Being a Creator/SethMacFarlane work however, nearly every character displays this trait at times (though it's not as prevalent here as it is on, say, ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''). This also apparently extends to Roger's whole race, as they will literally die if they try to be nice to others.
38* LactatingMale: In "A Pinata Named Desire", Stan, while bragging about being better than Roger at everything, states he can wet nurse better than Roger -- proven when wet patches appear on his shirt.
39* LandlineEavesdropping: In "Roger and Me", Francine (suspicious about what happened during a trip to Atlantic City) uses a landline extension to listen in when Roger calls Stan at work.
40* LanternJawOfJustice: Stan Smith, an unusual non-superhero iteration. In the episode "Roger Codger", Roger calls Stan a "Lantern-jawed Sasquatch."
41* LargeHam:
42** Stan Smith, as early as the pilot. ("Did somebody order a ''brand new dog''?!")
43** Similar with Principal Lewis, established the same time as Stan. "You can read! The system works!"
44** Roger, but usually only when imitating something from a film or another show.
45** Like father, like son for Steve at times.
46** The Antichrist from "Rapture's Delight" (but considering that Andy Samberg -- who can be a LargeHam in his ''SNL'' sketches -- voiced him, that's not a big surprise)
47** Also, Barry, from time to time, thus making it a visual pun. ("'''''They'll give us boo-boos on our feelings!'''''")
48** A strange case is Buckle, the Jewish Ex-Disney Imagineer mountain man introduced in "An Apocalypse To Remember". In his debut episode, he spoke with a normal, albeit gravely voice, but as it was revealed that [[spoiler: he went completely off the deep end spending years in isolation, away from any female contact, and being convinced that he and Hayley were supposed to repopulate the Earth after the supposed nuclear war]], his voice is firmly established as often being no lower than a booming shout.
49* LaserGuidedKarma: In "Hurricane!" Roger drowns his annoyingly clingy girlfriend. He's then electrocuted by Stan by accident and blackened to a crisp after Stan lets a bear into the house.
50** Also, Stan in Bully for Steve. After tormenting Steve for most of the episode, Stan's childhood bully beats him to a pulp.
51* LastNoteNightmare: After Stan is done singing while hallucinating ("The Magnificent Steven") the transition back from his [[ArtShift Disney-style]] vision to the real world features a classic example.
52* LateToTheRealization:
53** Stan is frequently subjected to this trope. [[{{Squick}} One example]] comes from the episode "Deacon Stan, Jesus Man". In that episode, Roger was going through his reproductive cycle, and had accidentally eaten all of Francine's potato salad for a pot-luck wake. Scrambling to make more, he realized he was out of mayonnaise, and had to resort to desperate measures. It was not until after the wake that Roger revealed that he made the salad, and that the secret ingredient was [[spoiler: his breast milk]]. Cue Steve, Klaus, Hayley, and Francine recoiling in horror and even vomiting from the news. But it takes Stan a full 90 seconds (the average length for a [[BreakingTheFourthWall commercial break]] to run its course) for him to realize, and take advantage, of the situation.
54** Given a rather hilarious, and subtle, [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] by [[Creator/PatrickStewart Bullock]] in "Francine's Flashback":
55--->'''Stan''': Yeah, I'm, uh, laying low. Today is the anniversary of a huge fight me and Francine had last year.
56'''Jackson''': Yeah? What about?\
57'''Stan''': Oh, I [[ForgottenAnniversary forgot our anniversary]]. Huh, I'm never going to do that again.\
58''[Jackson tries to speak up, but Bullock raises his hand to silence him]''\
59''[long, awkward {{beat}}]''\
60'''Stan''': ''[realizing]'' AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!\
61'''Bullock''': There it is.
62* LaughablyEvil: Roger is a selfish, [[LackOfEmpathy unempathetic]] creature who's willing to murder anyone without a second thought to get what he wants. At the same time, his moments of villainy are often mixed with humorous instances of Roger being emotionally sensitive, in poor physical and mental health, a drunkard/drug addict, or just weird for no apparent reason.
63-->'''Roger:''' ''[stands up on kitchen chair]'' Mark my words... this time... ''[[[LargeHam in dramatic voice]]]'' I will be avenged! ''[leaves, then returns, using the same dramatic voice]'' Please call me when dinner is ready! ''[leaves again]''
64* TheLawOfConservationOfDetail: In the opening scene of "Why Can't We Be Friends", the rock that Stan throws at Snot is there from the beginning as opposed to being pulled out of nowhere or just showing up.
65* LawyerFriendlyCameo: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in "Spring Break-up".
66-->'''Partier:''' Carmen [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Selectra]]? Doesn't he mean Carmen ELECTRA?\
67'''Second partier:''' No! No, he doesn't!
68* LeParkour: Stan and Francine engage in "freerunning" through apartment buildings with an energetic young couple. Francine makes a game effort for a first-timer, but Stan can barely keep up and falls several floors down a stairwell and breaks his legs (with his shinbone sticking out of one).
69* LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn: When Francine gets mixed up with a secret society of housewives known as the Ladybugs, she's introduced to an asian member who has an oriental theme play whenever she enters the scene. When she becomes enticed by Francine's involvements that lead her to become a member of their society, she gives a long smile and just freezes for a minute while the music plays. Francine begins to check her watch, wondering when the music will finally end. Said music also plays when she farts.
70* LetsGetDangerous: When properly motivated, Hayley has been able to easily compete with, and even overpower, Stan (a highly skilled weapons expert) on several occasions.
71* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: In S3 [=Ep01=], "The Vacation Goo", the Smiths end up [[spoiler: engaging in cannibalism, which they discovered (after the fact) was unnecessary]]. Francine comments that nothing bonds a family like a dark, horrible secret, which presumably makes the Smiths one of the closest families on Earth.
72* LiarRevealed: Invoked brilliantly by Stan in "Frannie 911". Throughout the episode, Francine had been perpetuating a ruse that Roger had been abducted by murderous kidnappers. She thought Stan would come rushing to his rescue (which would show Roger that Stan cares about him), but Stan never showed up. Eventually, Stan himself lies to Francine, claiming that Roger went back to his home planet, imploring her to get on the roof with him (while she wears a cooking pot on her head, for reception) so Roger can send them a message from space:
73-->'''Stan:''' He said if we went up on the roof, he'd fly over and send us a goodbye message. Of course, you'll have to wear this. ''[hands Francine a pot]''\
74''[cut to Stan and Francine on the roof, with Francine wearing the pot on her head]''\
75'''Francine:''' ''[incredulous]'' Where's ''your'' pot?\
76'''Stan:''' I have these tongs. Ooh, ooh! I'm getting a message! Quick, wave! He wants us to wave! What's he saying to you?\
77'''Francine:''' Uh... I guess pretty much the same thing he's saying to you.\
78'''Stan:''' No, he said everyone would get their own personal message. Adjust your pot. Come on, what's he saying?\
79'''Francine:''' Um... I uh... I think...\
80'''Stan:''' Is he saying "We have caller ID"? Is he saying "Next time you kidnap Roger, don't use your cell phone"? Is that his message? ''[smiles boastfully]''\
81''[{{beat}}]''\
82''[Francine's eyes widen as realization sets in]''
83* LifetimeMovieOfTheWeek: "A.T. The Abused Terrestrial" parodies the concept; Roger seeks attention from another boy when Steve starts paying less attention to him, but the boy eventually turns abusive and Steve goes to save Roger from him (Roger becomes attached to the abusive boy despite being mistreated).
84* LighterAndSofter:
85** While ''American Dad!'' features all the humor and character hallmarks of a Seth [=MacFarlane=] show, compared to ''Family Guy'', it isn't as brutal or offensive, meaning it doesn't have as much foul language, gore, and domestic abuse/violence.
86** The last season on FOX is noticeably lighter and softer than the show's previous several seasons as the foul language and even gore are significantly toned down. There's isn't even a single instance of a PrecisionFStrike at all in these episodes.
87* LikeFatherLikeSon:
88** Or rather, "like daughter." Despite her radically different political views, Hayley's actual ''personality'' is very similar to her father, right down to the patronizing way she treats her romantic partner.
89** Subverted with Steve and Stan, and again with Stan's estranged father Jack. Though in this case, it also works in that the failure to have any sort of relationship with their son/father is pretty much the same.
90* LikesOlderWomen: One episode's side story was about Steve frequently making out with a friend of his grandfather's. And as it turns out, [[spoiler:his best friend Snot does too. The episode even ends with the two declaring that no woman will come between their friendship, right before an elderly woman walks by with an oxygen tank, whom they eagerly chase after]].
91* LimitedWardrobe: ''American Dad!'' characters will wear clothes other than their normal attire [[DownplayedTrope if the situation calls for it]] (for example, the family wearing vacation clothes in the episode "Killer Vacation"). Otherwise, Stan's blue suit, Francine's pink dress, Hayley's black tank top/blue jeans, and Steve's red button-up shirt are par for the course. Hayley [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it in one episode when Steve is locked in Hayley's closet:
92-->'''Steve''': Let me out, or I'll rip up all your clothes!\
93'''Hayley''': Go ahead! If you haven't noticed, I only wear this one outfit!
94** Done again in "Stanny Boy and Frantastic" with Stan:
95--->''[Stan opens a wardrobe containing only several duplicate suits]''\
96'''Stan''': Maybe this blue suit, with the white shirt and a black tie? Yeah, that's it!
97** Roger is an interesting example. He has so many personas that he often switches clothes many times during an episode, but the characters he plays appear to be limited to one set of clothing, thus playing the trope straight. When Roger isn't in disguise, he's usually naked, but when he's not dressing up as any one of his made-up personas in particular but wants to wear clothes, his outfits tend to vary.
98* LineOfSightAlias:
99** In one episode, Roger tries to come up with an excuse for Bullock and attempts to do this.
100--->'''Roger:''' Mug... spoon... stir... counter... glass... George Glass! That was the name of [[Series/TheBradyBunch Jan Brady]]'s fake boyfriend!
101** At one point Roger and Steve are playing detective when Roger calls Steve's character "Squirt Cinnabon Wheels". When Steve asks where the name came from, Roger said he "[[Film/TheUsualSuspects Keyser Soze]]'d" his name, followed by cut across the room to a bottle Squirt soda and a Cinnabon box.
102* LipstickLesbian: The Smiths' neighbor, Linda Memari, who is also in love with Francine.
103* LivesInAVan: Jeff Fischer lived in his van parked in front of the Smith's house, Hayley moving in with him. They both move inside the Smith house [[spoiler:after they marry]].
104* LivingADoubleLife:
105** Roger and his disguises, to the point of [[ZigZaggedTrope zig zagging]].
106** Played straight with [[spoiler:Hayley turning out to be a pie maker in the episode "Every Which Way But Lose"]].
107* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Stan, on several occasions, has been shown to be completely incompetent at most tasks despite working as a [=CIA=] agent; in "Fartbreak Hotel", Stan asserts that he is more than capable of dressing himself, but after Francine leaves, he realizes can't remember if navy or black socks go better with his suit ''and spends the rest of the episode trapped in his room sobbing because of it.''
108* LiteralMetaphor: In one episode, Francine gets sick of Roger's {{Jerkass}} nature and asks him if it would kill him to be nice to a change. As it turns out, Roger's species are MadeOfEvil and have to let their "bitchiness" out or it will turn to bile and fatally poison them. So, as it turns out, being nice ''will'' literally kill Roger.
109* LogicBomb: In at least three separate episodes[[note]]"Shallow Vows", "I Am the Walrus", and "The One That Got Away"[[/note]], a Smith encounters evidence that one of Roger's personas is actually a real person with a full life; this is their reaction.
110* LooseFloorboardHidingSpot: In "White Rice", Francince learns that Stan has been regularly taking her to a hypnotist to make her forget things he didn't want to talk about. When her memories start to return, she realizes that the room Stan uses to keep his commemorative plates was formerly her own workspace. With this in mind, she removes a floor board, revealing a video tape of her stand-up comic routine hidden underneath.
111* LostAesop: In "Hurricane!", a running theme is how, in a crisis, Stan will make decisions that at first ''sound'' like they could work, but actually always end up making things worse. When Stan comes to realize this and has a HeroicBSOD, Klaus cheers him up by saying he's got to keep trying 'til he gets it right. So Stan gets up, dusts himself off... and just makes everything a whole lot worse while trying to help. The episode closes with Francine telling him to just accept that, in a crisis, he needs to stand back and let others handle things. Stan ponders that for a moment... then decides he's not gonna do it for no adequately explained reason. [[spoiler: He ends up shooting her by mistake only seconds later, driving home the extent of his incompetence]].
112* LotusEaterMachine:
113** "The Vacation Goo" has the family discover that every summer, Stan sticks them in a set of machines from the CIA (which puts them in a DreamSequence that they can't distinguish from reality) so he can have some "me time". When the family finds out, Steve and Hayley do the same thing to the other Smiths in order to have their own "me time". After the third fantasy vacation of the episode, Francine gets upset and the others resolve to give her a real vacation. Unfortunately, she assumes they're still in the goo (because Steve has an attractive girlfriend and Roger just happens to be performing a musical number on their vacation cruise ship) and doesn't admit that they're not until after she jumps into the ocean to prove it. After the whole thing turns nightmarish, the Smiths declare LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain and the episode ends with a shot of all four of them in the goo, big smiles on their faces.
114** According to "Rapture's Delight", [[spoiler: Stan's vision of heaven is this, despite being dead he's still living his everyday life because it's his heart's greatest desire]].
115* LousyLoversAreLosers: Stan is a selfish lover and the majority of the sex scenes between Stan and Francine, it's mostly for Stan's satisfaction since he believes it proves his manliness. As such Francine started faking her orgasm on the regular.
116** Men (particularly Stan) being clueless about pleasuring women is used as a throwaway joke in the two-parter "[[Recap/AmericanDadS2E5StanOfArabia Stan of Arabia]]". Francine sings a Torch Song about how much it sucks being a woman in a Muslim nation, at one point listing off various parts of the female anatomy. When she mentions the clitoris, one of Stan's Arab friends asks him what that is; Stan just shrugs.
117** Stan being so selfish in bed becomes a focal plot point in the episode "Poltergasm", when the Smith family is haunted by the ghost of Francine's sex life, who demands that Stan starts addressing Francine's need for pleasure and give her a proper release. Once they start doing it affectionately, they finally exorcise the house, and Francine's "poltergasm" disappears under a [[TheImmodestOrgasm thunderous cry of orgasmic pleasure]].
118* LoveHurts: The reason why the emperor of Roger's species locked Jeff up and turned his race's mothership into a gigantic shopping mall was to cope with the fact that [[spoiler: Roger]] cheated on him and broke his heart.
119* LoveMakesYouCrazy: In Season 8, [[spoiler:Roger]] finds himself falling in love with [[spoiler:Hayley]]. At first, he simply has a hard time being around her without acting unnaturally, [[spoiler:but when she rejects him after he admits his feelings, his immediate reaction is to shoot her, kidnap her, and tie her to a bed in an abandoned ice factory where he plans to [[GenuineHumanHide cut off her skin and wear it]]]].
120* LoveMartyr: Hayley's long-suffering loser boyfriend Jeff. He even calls her on the phone ''when she's in the next room'' because he just wrote her a song about loneliness. [[spoiler: This gets him dumped on the spot (and [[TheDitz he can't believe she did it over the phone]])]].
121** His persistence eventually pays off when she [[spoiler:marries him in season six]].
122[[/folder]]
123
124[[folder:M]]
125* MadAtADream: "The Most Adequate Christmas Ever" shows that Stan once had a dream where Steve convinced him to give a kidney to a homeless man. Stan [[CatapultNightmare woke up]] just before the surgery, then went to Steve's home and shoved him out of bed, yelling at at him to "stay out of [his] dreams".
126* MeatgrinderSurgery: In "The Mural of the Story", Stan, being LethallyStupid at this point in the series, attempts to help Hayley avoid the blame of ruining the local mural (which was Stan's fault for doing such a terrible job) but starts by removing her eyes from their sockets with a chisel, then cutting her face off with a scalpel (and we see this all happen)! By the end of it, she's horribly disfigured.
127* MagicFeather: In "The Scarlett Getter" Steve believes wearing a pair of Hayley's panties gives him good luck. After Snot steals them Hayley explains to Steve using an old episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'' as an example, that it was really his confidence that gave him luck, not the panties. This trope is subverted when it is revealed Hayley does believe they're magic and beats up Snot and takes back the panties from him.
128* MailOrderBride: She's Russian, of course, and she comes with a fidelity contract. Toshi snags her, which is [[ContinuityNod mentioned in a later episode]].
129* MaleGaze:
130** Francine is often subject to this with major focus during "My Morning Straitjacket" and "Rubberneckers" where she wear skimpy outfit and [[HeadTurningBeauty catches the eye]] of many men.
131** In "The Life Aquatic With Steve Smith" when Steve meets Amy, a girl that works on the school newspaper, he doesn't even bother trying to make eye contact with her.
132* MamaBear:
133** In "100 A.D.", Francine actually tries to [[spoiler: shoot Jeff Fischer when it appears as though he's willing to dump Hayley in order to collect Stan's $50,000 bounty on them. The idea is actually a ruse he and Hayley came up with in order to get the money and still elope, but he would have been dead had the gun had any bullets in it]].
134** In "Season's Beatings", Hayley fights Stan to keep him from killing her adopted baby even though it's revealed [[spoiler: he's the Anti-Christ]]. She takes it to the extreme by shooting Stan to save her child.
135** Lessie the maid acts as one to Cookie, the emotionally deprived, drug-addicted daughter to the senator Stan has been sucking up to ("School Lies"). In about half a minute she revives the overdosing Cookie with a shot of adrenaline, asks if she'd like some cake, and simply says "you're a troubled child" when Cookie screams at her.
136--->'''Lessie''': I washed you in the sink when you were a baby; I ain't gonna let you die!
137* ManChild:
138** According to Hayley, Jeff once had an imaginary friend named Philip, who was the [[spoiler:best man at Jeff and Hayley's wedding]]. Overall, Jeff is also naive, innocent, and gullible to an alarming extent.
139** Everyone who works at the CIA ends up being one sooner or later. Notable examples includes shooting tranquilizer darts like spitwads in a classroom, and placing [[KickMePrank "Shoot Me"]] signs on other's backs. Bullock himself is no exception, though he sometimes has to scold other employees for acting childish...by giving them punishments you'd expect a 4th grade teacher to give her students. The CIA evidently even has a "Show-and-Tell Day," which the agents go through with the same (lack of) enthusiasm as an eight-year-old.
140---> '''Sanders:''' ''[completely monotone]'' This [medal] was my grandpa's. He got it in the war. He was very brave.\
141''[other agents lightly applaud]''
142* MandatoryLine:
143** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in "Escape from Pearl Bailey". Stan mentions that it was "Nice of Steve to acknowledge us this week, even if it was only this once." With the exception of that scene, none of the Smiths outside of Steve appear in the episode.
144** Averted in "Lost in Space." Stan, Francine, and Steve ([[AndZoidberg and Klaus]]) do not appear.
145* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Parodied in "Indie Movie" when Steve meets and falls for quirky girl with dyed hair played by Creator/ZooeyDeschanel while on a {{road trip|Plot}} taking Snot to his estranged father's funeral. He even invokes the trope by name.
146* MarsNeedsWomen:
147** Klaus the goldfish is in lust with Francine Smith. True, he used to be human, but still...
148** Reggie the Koala and Hayley have a brief fling in Season 5, though Reggie, like Klaus, used to be human.
149* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Hayley and Steve.
150* {{Melodrama}}:
151** Played for [[PlayedForLaughs comedic effect]] in "A Ward Show." After Steve gets beaten up, Roger (acting as Steve's guardian) reacts with unmitigated despair, to the point where he rips his shirt off in angst and does a SkywardScream, complete with dramatic music and rain starting to fall ''inside the house''.
152** Roger lampshades Hayley's melodrama in the episode "Hurricane!":
153--->'''Francine:''' Hayley, please come with us.\
154'''Hayley:''' I can't, Mom. What of... ''[[FriendToAllLivingThings the animals?]]''\
155'''Roger:''' Why, why'd you have to say it like that?
156* {{Metaphorgotten}}:
157** From the very first episode, this exchange takes place when Stan tries to explain why Roger can't leave the house.
158--->'''Stan''': No, Roger, you cannot borrow the car! If my superiors at the C.I.A. found out you were living here, we'd all have our memories erased! Did ya see ''Film/{{Memento}}''? It's not as good the second time... the point is you are not allowed to leave the house!
159* MexicanStandoff:
160** Most notably Joanna vs. Stan in "When A Stan Loves A Woman". Apparently "a little gunplay" is something that Stan finds arousing (see TriggerHappy entry).
161* MidairCollision: Happens in the episode "A Ward Show" when Principal Lewis plans to kill himself and Steve by driving his car over the Grand Canyon. However, the white man and black boy they encountered earlier are doing the same thing and the two cars collide into each other in mid-air.
162* MightyWhitey: Referenced, when Stan escapes on a Predator Drone used as decoration for a float.
163--> '''Old Chinese Guy:''' The dragon awakens! The prophecy has been fulfilled!\
164'''Chinese Girl:''' With a white guy riding it. [[SarcasmMode Awesome]].
165* MindRape: Said word for word by Stan after getting tricked by a car salesman.
166-->'''Stan:''' Son of a bitch, he mind raped me!
167* MindScrew: Usually interwoven with [[RefugeInAudacity some audacious plotting]]. See "Widowmaker" for an example that would make Series/JonathanCreek and Series/{{Columbo}} proud.
168* MissConception: Subverted in a SpaceWhaleAesop kind of way in S1 Ep07, "Deacon Stan, Jesus Man". Due to some [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong alien spawn]], [[spoiler:Steve's neighbor, Betsy White, does actually get pregnant just from kissing Steve]].
169* MistakenForIncest: In "Pulling Double Booty", Francine walks in on Hayley kissing her father Stan's stunt double Bill. Francine [[FaintInShock faints at the sight of this]] and angrily accuses Stan of making out with his daughter. Even when he explains to her that it's just his body double, she can't help but be disgusted.
170* MistakenForInsane: In "American Fung", Stan puts Francine in a psychiatric ward so he can have more time to prepare for their anniversary ([[ForgottenAnniversary which he has forgotten]]). Francine screams at him for what he's done, so the doctors falsely believe she has some kind of anger disorder and have her locked up again.
171* MistakenForSubculture: An episode had one of Steve's friends under fire for supposedly stealing a classmate's Bar Mitzvah money. When a bunch of bald guys ragged on him for it, he said "But you're skinheads; you hate Jews." Turns out they were just the [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Lex Luthor]] fan club; the skinheads were one table over.
172* MistakenForSuperpowered:
173** In "Joint Custody", the Smiths are trying to figure out where they left the keys to Francine's car, when Steve is electrocuted while hotwiring the vehicle. He is convinced that the accident must have given him psychic powers, and decides to use his "gift" to deduce where the keys are. As it's revealed later on, he was simply delirious, and his guesses that the keys were behind walls have only contributed to the family destroying much of the house.
174** In "Stan & Francine & Connie & Ted", a blind Roger accidentally kills a man by striking him with a cane, causing him to fall to the ground and snap his neck. The incident makes Roger believe that he has super senses, and he decides to become a crime fighter à la ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}. Later in the episode, he invades a drug-dealing gang's hideout and fights them in the dark. When the lights turn on, it's revealed that no criminals have been hurt, but Roger has somehow eviscerated himself.
175* MistakenForTransformed: In "Finances with Wolves", Steve gets bitten by a wolf and believes he'll turn into a werewolf. Later that night, the same wolf, whom Roger had been secretly keeping as a pet, viciously kills a puppy and makes a bloody mess in Steve's room; when he wakes up the next morning, he finds himself covered in blood with paw prints everywhere, and he thinks it was himself in werewolf form.
176* MisterSeahorse: Roger and then Steve in "Deacon Stan, Jesus Man".
177* AMoltenDateWithDeath:
178** At the end of "Tearjerker", Tearjerker (Roger) winds up falling into a volcano to his death, only for B (Bullock) to tell Stan in the sequel "For Black Eyes Only" that he survived, as you can apparently survive falling into a volcano if you fall in "[[InsaneTrollLogic the rig]][[ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext ht way]]."
179** In "Black Mystery Month", President Jimmy Carter gets knocked into a lava pit by a falling boulder [[TalkingIsAFreeAction during his "God Bless America" speech]], flailing about until he submerges and rises back up, melting down to just his skeleton.
180* {{Montages}}: Usually bizarre and accompanied by lively music.
181* MondegreenGag: In the episode "Bush Comes to Dinner", Roger lures then-President Bush to the attic [[CashLure with an autographed George Brett baseball tied to a string]]. When Stan can't find the President, he yells to the other room for Francine, but she somehow thinks he's asking for Klaus.
182-->'''Stan:''' Francine, is the President in there with you?\
183'''Francine:''' ''[from other room]'' Who, Klaus?\
184'''Stan:''' No, the President.\
185'''Francine:''' Klaus is here with me!\
186'''Klaus:''' I'm in here, Stan, I'm fine! Thank you!
187* MoodWhiplash:
188** The B-plot of "Irregarding Steve" suddenly turns dark when Francine, Stan, and Hayley [[spoiler:believe that Steve and Roger have been killed when their treehouse is struck by lightning and explodes]]. It goes on for an entire scene where the family struggles with their emotions and Francine has a breakdown while lashing out at Stan, all without a single shred of comedy to be found until the very end (and even then, it's based on a GilliganCut, so the gag technically isn't part of the more serious scene).
189** In "A Ward Show", when Roger discovers Steve has been beat up, he performs three BigNo's, before pulling a SkywardScream, dramatically tearing his shirt off and screaming through the inexplicable indoor thunder and rain. Cut to Roger and Steve quietly enjoying soup together and calmly discussing it.
190** Done again in "Stanny Slickers 2: The Legend of Ollie's Gold"; in the final minutes, Stan learns that his true legacy is his children, rather than the eponymous gold. The family shares a heartwarming moment. Then:
191--->'''Stan:''' [[ItMakesSenseInContext And the robot and piercings are gone by tomorrow]] or this pit becomes your grave.
192** In "Red October Sky" when Hayley announces to Francine that Mr. Hallworthy has died, she feels sad... until:
193--->'''Francine:''' ''(happily)'' Nutty bars! They sell nutty bars now! I asked the man and he got them!
194** In "A.T.: The Abusive Terrestrial", when Roger calls Steve, he is in hysteria about Henry trying to kill him. No more than five seconds later, he calls again and says that everything is fine.
195* {{Mooning}}: In "A Ward Show", after Principal Lewis steals a bag of oranges from a Mexican street salesman, a woman stops her car and asks how much. He says, "10 bucks to see it; 20 bucks to ride," with the woman clarifying that she meant how much for the oranges, with Principal Lewis saying they're not for sale. She pays the $10 to "see it", but doesn't realize until after she's paid him that Principal Lewis was talking about showing her his butt; not his "ding-dong".
196* MoonLandingHoax: In "Phantom of the Telethon", After the UsefulNotes/{{CIA}} loses funding for torture equipment, Stan hosts a {{telethon}} to raise money needed to continue. He opens up to the audience with a joke.
197-->'''Stan:''' This is the very soundstage where we faked the moon landing... and the JFK assassination. No, I'm sorry, this is where we ''planned'' [[WhoShotJFK the JFK assassination]].
198* MoralMyopia: "Stan Goes on the Pill" tells up that it's wrong and disrespectful for Stan to pretend to listen to Francine, but it's perfectly okay for her to ignore everything Stan says.
199* MsFanservice: Both Hayley and Francine have been used to cater to a variety of fetishes over the course of the series.
200* MushroomSamba:
201** "Joint Custody", in which Stan and Roger get high on burned weed.
202** "The Magnificent Steven" when Stan eats Mad Cow-tainted beef and trips in his undies.
203** "My Morning Straitjacket": non-drug related, but when Stan daydreams about My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James.
204** "A Jones for a Smith": Stan smokes crack in his bathroom and sees his world as a commercial for crack as a prescription medication.
205** In "100 A.D.", Roger injects amphetamines into his eyes while driving (much to passengers Steve and Klaus' horror); in "[[Recap/AmericanDadS7E2SonOfStan Son of Stan]]" when Roger uses a bong in order to "think like a stoner" so that he can track down the eloped Hayley and Jeff (when his trip ends, he discovers it took him straight to them, much to his surprise).
206** "For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls": Roger gets drunk on moonshine, and imagines himself in a ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' scenario dodging liquor barrels.
207* MusicalEpisode:
208** "Hot Water", which serves as a Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors parody.
209** The episodes "Minstrel Krampus" and "Rubberneckers" also qualify.
210* MyBelovedSmother:
211** Francine in "Iced Iced Babies".
212** Sublimely inverted by Stan in "Oedipal Panties".
213* MyEyesAreUpHere: In one episode, Roger shows Steve around a mall, including a stop at a room filled with no longer being used mannequins. When he sees Steve stare at one's bust he says "her dead, flesh coloured eyes are up here."
214* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Stan says this ''exactly'' world-for-word when he realizes that keeping Steve down from being the alpha-male means he won't become the man Stan wants him to be.
215** Stan says this frequently after finding out his actions have caused near-irreparable damage to his family or life, to the point of qualifying as a catchphrase.
216* MyopicArchitecture: In "Toy Whorey", Roger's cliffside estate has the garage doors leading over the cliff, so when he backs up out of the garage he plummets to the ground.
217* MySisterIsOffLimits: In "Best Little Horror House in Langley Falls", Toshi is ready to kill Steve with a samurai sword for not bringing his sister Akiko home in time after trick-or-treating.
218* MysteriousPast:
219** Roger's past on Earth is referenced and rarely shown, with an exception in the Christmas special "The Best Christmas Story Never". His history on his home planet (including which planet it actually '''was''') is even ''more'' rarely referenced and never shown. In "Weiner of Our Discontent," Roger learns that his initial purpose for coming to Earth was to be a crash test dummy for a spaceship that his people were testing, not as "The Decider" of Earth's fate, as he was told. [[HilarityEnsues Stan was less than supportive:]]
220--->'''Stan:''' ''[after Roger has spent a month moping in his room]'' Hey, look who ''decided'' to come to dinner!\
221'''Roger:''' ''[runs away, crying]''
222** We are given a brief glimpse of what seems to be his home planet in a flashback in "Brains, Brains and Automobiles".
223* MythArc: "The Golden Turd" has been an on-again/off-again storyline that spanned throughout the series. It was a literal swirl of hardened golden poop topped with jewels that was laid by Roger and served as an ArtifactOfDoom, corrupting anyone who holds onto it. An [[IncorruptiblePurePureness young girl immune to its influence]] was eventually able to [[AssShove return it to where its rightful owner]].
224[[/folder]]
225
226[[folder:N]]
227* NakedPeopleAreFunny: In [[https://twitter.com/americandadtbs/status/514135106181939201 a promotional image]], which was released shortly after FOX's original run ended in September 2014, Stan Smith is shown completely naked, save for his shoes and socks after giving his suit to his scarecrow.
228* {{Narcissist}}:
229** Stan, who stared at his topless self in a mirror in one early episode.
230** Roger frequently indulges in this trope. In "The Magnificent Steven", he even boasted to Francine and Hayley that he was the "prettiest" one in the house.
231* NarratingThePresent: Klaus in one episode. When asked what he was doing he explained he was pretending his life was a DVD and he was doing the [[DVDCommentary audio commentary]]. Later in the episode Klaus' voice is head narrating over the scene so that we can't hear what anyone is saying. According to Klaus we miss the funniest line in the episode because of this.
232* NarrowedItDownToTheGuyIRecognize: Invoked in "Manhattan Magical Murder Mystery Tour", when Roger suspects Robert Wuhl of kidnapping Francine, stating that in ''Series/MurderSheWrote'', the celebrity guest is always the one who did it.
233* NasalTrauma: In "National Treasure 4: Baby Franny: She's Doing Well: The Hole Story", Francine finds Henri Watkin, the fireman who rescued her living as a hermit in the bottom of a well for decades. When Henri is reintroduced to his wife, the two reconcile, and then ''he suddenly bites off her nose.''
234* NeckLift: Stan, to Roger.
235-->'''Roger:''' You wouldn't kill me; you love me too much!\
236'''Stan:''' ''[sighs, calmly grabs Roger's neck and lifts him off the ground]''\
237'''Roger:''' ''[gasps for breath and attempts, unsuccessfully, to wriggle free]''\
238'''Stan:''' ''[checks watch as Roger turns blue and goes limp, then lets him go]''
239* NerdsSpeakKlingon: In "All About Steve", Stan hunts down a domestic terrorist hacker who sends taunting messages that the UsefulNotes/{{CIA}} cannot decipher. [[JewishAndNerdy Snot]] recognizes the writing as Elvish and sure enough, the hacker turns out to be a nerdy [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Lord of the Rings]] fan.
240-->'''Steve:''' They're doing a Klingon wedding, followed by a Klingon divorce.\
241'''Barry:''' Rok-pra!\
242'''Snot:''' You said it! Get a prenup.
243* NegativeContinuity: A decent chunk of episodes, especially in the TBS era, end with several main characters dead or permanently trapped in a bizarre situation that would normally completely up-end the status quo, only for everything to be back to normal by the beginning of the next. Some changes (such as Rogu's birth, or Jeff's ever-shifting relationship with Hayley and the rest of the family) do stick, though. The [[ChristmasEpisode Christmas Episodes]] are also explictly non-canonical for the most part. There's also a [[SeriesContinuityError/AmericanDad general lack of consistency]] with the continuity in general, most obviously with Roger's ExpansionPackPast.
244* NetworkSideswipe: In "Jenny Fromdabloc", Roger's "Jenny" disguise involves him using a rubber ball as an impromptu vagina. When he washes it after having sex with Snot, he notices that it's actually a promotional item for ''Sons of Tuscon'' (a short-lived series that briefly took over the show's timeslot).
245-->'''Roger:''' When was this on? I watch FOX; I never saw this!
246* NeverASelfMadeWoman: Averted in "Fart-Break Hotel". Francine ultimately comes to the conclusion that extreme devotion to family or career/non-family activities, to the exclusion of the other, is bad. She only becomes happier when she is able to balance the two as she finds fulfillment in both.
247* NeverHeardThatOneBefore:
248** During one Halloween-themed episode, we get this exchange between Stan and Terry.
249--->'''Terry:''' Looking forward to your party tonight.\
250'''Stan:''' It'll scare you straight!\
251'''Terry:''' ''[dryly]'' Every year...
252** In the episode "Stan's Best Friend", Snot jokes that when he walks his dog, who's bigger than Snot himself, the two attract comments such as "Who's walking who?"
253* NewJobAsThePlotDemands: Officer Turlington, IRS/Spa Inspector/Officer of Internal Affairs, who usually shows up to give the characters a ''really'' good, in-universe MindScrew. As it turns out, he's just having a hell of a difficult time with his personal life, as demonstrated in "Meter Made", "Live and Let Fry", and "Chimdale".
254* NewJobEpisode: Stan in "Meter Made"; Roger, Hayley, Jeff, and Francine also have episodes/side-plots of this variety.
255* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands:
256** Roger ''is'' this trope. His notable abilities include being buoyant enough to be used as a raft ("Choosy Wives Choose Smith"), resistance to fire ("Big Trouble In Little Langley") and becoming immune to gravity when he inhales marijuana smoke ("Joint Custody"). He can also probe people to gain all their memories and skills ("Roger 'N' Me"), and can move "Really, really fast," showing us how [[spoiler: he faked the death of Steve's "cousin from New Jersey" (Roger in disguise) by opening up a manhole cover, pulling out a body double mannequin, going back down into the sewer, coming back out with red paint and various other colors, and decorating the dummy with enough time to reflect on his creation before throwing it in front of a moving bus]], all within a split second ("Jenny Fromdabloc").
257* NewsTravelsFast: When Hayley breaks up with Bullock on live TV, the news ticker at the bottom reports in exact and ''greater'' detail about the break-up more than even Bullock himself is learning as he's having the conversation with Hayley.
258* TheNicknamer:
259** Stan, in "Roy Rogers [=McFreely"=], assigns nicknames to the members of his resistance group:
260--->'''Stan:''' We already lost [[spoiler:Old Guy]]-- we're not losing Speakerphone [[note]]a man with agoraphobia who talks to the team via a speakerphone[[/note]]!\
261'''Hayley:''' Dad... they have names.\
262'''Stan:''' There's no time for names! Come on! Jugs (Hayley), Nerd (Steve), Gays (Greg and Terry), to the van!
263** Roger often gives people patronizing nicknames, such as "Redbeard Raccooncoat" for Buckle, and "Grandma Chase-Em-Away" for Stan's mother.
264* NightmareFace:
265** Francine's face after the CIA secretary uses acid to attack her. Played with in that for nearly the entire episode, her face is concealed from the audience through methods from facing the opposite direction to having her face concealed by a desk lamp. She's practically TheFaceless... until the camera cuts to her at the end.
266** Ghost!Francine's face from "Poltergasm" transforms into a horrible monstrosity upon finding out that she's being filmed, scaring both Steve and Roger (and likely the audience).
267* NightmareFuel: InUniverse example with "Vacation Goo". When Francine decides to take the Smith family on an actual vacation and not one that is a [[spoiler: virtual simulation]], the experience turns out to be so traumatizing that they decide the only way to take quality family vacations is to do it through a virtual simulator.
268* NightmareFetishist: Francine is ''really'' happy that Stan has the blood of a man he killed on his hands, and has him carry her up to the bedroom, after he boops her nose with blood.
269* NinjaLog: Robert Patterson can replace himself with Cardboard Cutouts of himself without people noticing.
270* NoBisexuals:
271** Stan purchased a gaydar watch from Sky Mall, which is 45% straight, 45% gay, and 10% curious.
272** Hayley has hinted a couple of times that she might be bisexual, most prominently in "Pulling Double Booty", where she suggests having a three-way with a waitress and Bill the Double ([[spoiler:actually Stan impersonating Bill]]). And in "Haylias", when Hayley tells her parents that she's moving to France to have an affair with many men and even experiment with a woman named Simone.
273* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Numerous times throughout the series, including: Francine beating up Stan for forgetting their anniversary, which was so brutal, it was filmed for an episode of ''Series/{{Cops}}''. Stan has beaten up Bullock, an elderly security guard, and a meter maid in three separate episodes. Hayley also beat Snot to within an inch of his life after she learned he stole her lucky panties, although Snot seemed to have enjoyed it.
274* NoListeningSkills: Exaggerated in the episode "Stan Goes on the Pill", where men can only hear a faint hiss when forced to listen to a woman talk. Stan takes am experimental CIA pill that allows him to bridge the barrier and listen to Francine, but because he couldn't listen to the female scientist's advice about the dosage, he ends up turning into a woman.
275* NoManOfWomanBorn: In an early episode, an attractive classmate of Steve's agrees to go out with him, but only if he finds someone to go out with her wholly unattractive friend. His attempts to hook her up with a guy are unsuccessful to say the least.
276-->'''Steve:''' It's like there's not a human being alive that would go out with that girl.\
277'''Roger:''' ''[walks into Steve's room]'' Hello.
278* NoNonsenseNemesis: Subverted in "Persona Assistant". When Stan is taken over by the Ricky Spanish persona, Roger concludes that the only way to save him is by impersonating Ricky's nemesis, who is one of his "most powerful, dangerous and apocalyptically destructive personas". This description leads the audience to believe he is talking about Valik, who is a homicidal maniac; but Roger instead impersonates Jeannie Gold (Valik's boss), who is one of his most harmless and comical personas.
279* NoSympathy: Stan has had a ridiculously traumatic childhood yet his family show no sympathy for this. Steve has even so far as to [[YoureNotMyFather disown]] Stan for not instantly forgiving his father.
280** Francine is probably the worst offender recent episodes have evolved his parents abuse to sexual. Yet Francine doesn’t care because it makes it difficult for Stan to give Steve TheTalk.
281* NobodyEverComplainedBefore: When Stan goes to Heaven and is denied a chance to return to life, he pulls out his gun and threatens to shoot. Everyone laughs and points out that Earth Guns don't work. The Bailiff pulls out a Heaven Gun and mentions that these do. Stan immediately grabs the gun and threatens to shoot his now-hostage lawyer. Everyone is shocked as Stan runs away. One guy complains.
282-->''[Stan grabs the gun; various reactions of gasping and other comments from the crowd]''\
283'''Bystander:''' Why do we have those again?\
284''[Stan runs away with his lawyer as a hostage]''\
285''[{{beat}}]''\
286'''Bystander:''' Seriously, ''why'' do we have Heaven Guns? I don't mean to be ''that guy''; I'm happy here... but why is this not an issue?
287* NobodysThatDumb: In the Season-12 episode "CIAPOW", when Stan and his friends are trying to avoid the police in Thailand, Hooper's idea of a safehouse is taking refuge in a [[Advertising/TheBurgerKing Burger King]] restaurant, thinking that [[ArtisticLicenseLaw since it's a U.S. corporation it's technically U.S. soil]]. Despite the Burger King cashier's lack of education, even he points out Hooper's flawed logic:
288-->'''Stan''': Hooper, this isn't a safe house. It's a [[Advertising/TheBurgerKing Burger King]]!\
289'''Hooper''': It's a U.S. corporation, Stan, which makes it technically U.S. soil. They can offer us asylum.\
290'''Burger King cashier''': Welcome to Burger King. May I take your order?\
291'''Hooper''': We're C.I.A. agents, and we require asylum. You know, 'cause this is American soil?\
292'''Cashier''': I grew up in a pile of straw. The only education I have is one week of Burger King training, and even ''I'' know that's not how the international justice system works.\
293''[Stan, Jackson, and Dick glare at Hooper]''
294* NoodleIncident:
295** In "Finances with Wolves", after a novelty-sized watch on a necklace protects Stan's heart:
296--->'''Stan:''' For the second time in my life I've been saved by hip-hop... *[[AsideComment turns to the camera]]* But that's another story..."
297** When Hayley returns from being sabotaged by Stan:
298--->''[Hayley appears holding bloody pickaxe, wearing torn clothing and a shackle on her ankle]''\
299'''Stan:''' ''[gasp]'' You escaped the pit of no return?! How'd you get past my-\
300'''Hayley:''' They're all dead, Dad.\
301'''Stan:''' [[Film/RevengeOfTheSith Even the younglings]]?\
302'''Hayley:''' [[GenuineHumanHide I made you a wallet out of their hides]]. ''[casually tosses wallet to Stan]''
303*** This is done again in the following episode when Hayley escapes being trapped in the basement:
304---->'''Hayley:''' Hello, father! Wondering how I escaped from the basement?\
305'''Stan:''' No, not really.\
306'''Hayley:''' Oh. ''[beat]'' ... but it involved training rats.
307** In "Virtual In-Stanity":
308--->'''Klaus''': You're really gonna kill five people ''over twenty dollars?!''\
309'''Roger''': Are you really asking that to the guy who, just last week, killed ''six'' people over ''nineteen dollars''?
310** A series of short flashbacks is shown during the episode "Four Little Words", depicting the four instances in which Francine said the phrase Stan hates to hear from her: "I told you so." First, a British double-decker bus that has crashed through their garage, with Stan dressed as a palace guard; second, the Smith family gathered around their pool, which is on fire; third, Stan losing a game of chess (badly) to a chicken; fourth, two men having died from being hanged off the ledge of a bridge at (per the sign shown) "Stan's [[XtremeKoolLetterz Xtreme Bungee Xperience]]."
311** In "Homeland Insecurity", Stan traps his Muslim neighbors in the Smiths’ backyard and surrounds them with an electric fence so they can’t escape, under, not to mention spying on them repeatedly, because he’s convinced they’re terrorists. However, they claim that Stan is still better than their last neighbor.
312** In one episode, Steve is having a problem when the kid next to him declares it looks like he'll need Chad's help. At first it sounds like the kid is referring to himself, until Steve tells him to stop pretending he's Chad because Chad's dead. Steve mentions he would've loved to get Chad's advice because Chad was great. A short while later, Stan encounters a guy wearing a shirt dedicated to Chad's memory. Who or what Chad was and how he died never get explained.
313** In "Poltergasm", a ghost that looks exactly like Francine (revealed to originate from [[spoiler:Francine's sexual frustration]]) is haunting the Smith house. When Steve and Roger tell Stan that the house is haunted, [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial he denies that a pizza guy was murdered at the house and buried under the foundation]].
314* NoodleImplements:
315** Toshi's coconut girlfriend in "Failure Is Not A Factory-Installed Option". Whether or not Steve, Barry, and Snot also have one is never made clear.
316** Another example is from the "American Dream Factory" B-story, where Roger enters carrying an abacus, an octopus and a hairdryer, but fails to explain the obscure thing he's doing because whatever Steve's doing with his guitar "looks more interesting."
317** "The Missing Kink" sees Stan explore his own sexuality, and he discovers that he has a plethora of sexual fetishes after Roger introduces him to the world of "kinks." Stan acquires numerous objects to use during sex with Francine, but is never seen using them. Among them are the world's largest candle (for hot wax), hungry prairie dogs, a dead bird, a leaf blower with a rubber glove attached to the hose, a raccoon holding a Popsicle in each paw, a fish, and a midget wearing a one-piece swimsuit.
318*** While we're not shown how Stan uses all these things, he has a couple of spectators who witness the use of the objects in question. Their expressions range from shock, horror, joy, and disgusted contempt.
319* NoOneCouldSurviveThat:
320** PlayedForLaughs in "For Black Eyes Only", where it is revealed that Tearjerker survived falling into a volcano. You can survive a volcano if you fall in at just the right angle, according to Tearjerker himself.
321** At one point, Stan wants to make sure that a man he kills will stay dead, so he shoots him, [[DoubleTap caps his motionless body]], throws him off a cliff, runs him over with his SUV six times, feeds him to an alligator, kills the alligator, and then has the gator made into a handbag, boots, a tie, and a belt.
322* NotDistractedByTheSexy:
323** Stan takes in a stripper, Tanqueray, who's the same age as Hayley purely for non-sexual reasons (then takes in several more, also for non-sexual reasons). He doesn't so much as imply that he's attracted to them at all, other than refusing to let himself see Tanqueray naked when she wakes up, [[SceneryCensor using his hands to cover her private areas]], before ordering Francine to meet him in the shower.
324--->'''Stripper:''' Hey, has Stan tried to rape either of you guys yet?\
325'''Other strippers:''' No.\
326'''Stripper:''' That's weird, right?
327** In "Stan Time", Roger and Steve attempt to write porn films. While trying to visualize in a diner, they don't notice two busty blonde ice cream shop waitresses playing around in sexually suggestive situations.
328--->'''Waitress:''' ''[in a sexy voice]'' If there's anything else you need... ''anything''... just call us. And I mean ''anything.''\
329'''Roger:''' What's wrong with you? You get a dollar every time you say the word "anything"?
330* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Creator/PatrickStewart, as American CIA head Avery Bullock, makes no attempt to conceal his British accent. This is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in at least one episode.
331* NotGoodWithRejection: Exaggerated with Hayley. If a boy dumps her, she will go on a destructive rampage. It's getting to the point where the police tell Stan and Francine that if she gets dumped again, Hayley will have to go to prison.
332* NotSoDifferentRemark: Travis points out that, despite their political views being opposite, Stan and Francine are pretty similar.
333-->'''Travis:''' ''[to Stan and Francine]'' You're ''both'' complete lunatics! You two were made for each other!
334* NotWhatItLooksLike: In "Rough Trade", Stan goes through a series of these type of events, due to an unlikely number of independent circumstances coming together. It starts when Roger, stressed from being overworked, accidentally strikes Francine and gives her a black eye, while Stan's been drinking to mask his depression. When a drunken Stan answers the door alongside Francine and her new shiner, the neighbors put 2 and 2 together. And that's just the first of many coincidences in this episode that implicate Stan.
335-->'''Francine:''' Hello, Linda.\
336'''Linda:''' My god, what happened to your eye?!\
337'''Stan:''' ''[drinking, wearing only a tank top and underwear]'' Yeah... what ''did'' happen to your eye?[[note]]The implication being that he was indirectly bullying Francine into lying; in reality, he honestly didn't know how it happened and was genuinely asking[[/note]]\
338'''Francine:''' [[CutHimselfShaving I, uh... walked into a door...]]
339* NoWomansLand: Saudi Arabia turns out to be one in "Stan of Arabia", much to Francine's frustration and Stan's delight.
340* NoYou:
341** In "Failure Is Not a Factory Installed Option", [[ItMakesSenseInContext the daughter of a used-car salesman tells an impoverished Stan that he "smells like potty."]] Stan's immediate reply is to tell her that ''she'' smells like potty.
342** From "Naked to the Limit, One More Time":
343--->'''Roger:''' There's gotta be a way for me to be naked! Stan, there's always a way around things!\
344'''Stan:''' Listen to me, Roger. It is never gonna happen.\
345'''Roger:''' ''You're'' never gonna happen!
346[[/folder]]
347
348[[folder:O]]
349* ObjectTrackingShot: Done with Steve's lone [[spoiler:pubic hair]], ''a la'' the feather scene from ''Film/ForrestGump'' in "1600 Candles".
350* ObnoxiousInLaws:
351** Francine's adoptive parents, who are Chinese, basically force their views/lifestyle on Stan whenever they visit, much to his displeasure. Ends up being a subversion, however, as Francine's parents actually like Stan simply because he makes Francine happy.
352** Inverted, similarly to the above (but for different reasons), with Stan's mother. She doesn't have any problems with Francine, but Francine hates how close Stan is to his mother and often feels as if she's being pushed aside as the main woman in Stan's life when she visits.
353* OffingTheOffspring: Stan tries to do this to Steve and Hayley in "Old Stan in the Mountain", when he mistakenly believes they're going to do him in.
354* OhCrap:
355-->'''Steve''': ''[to the cat that has been viciously attacking him all episode, and has now seemingly passed away silently in his arms]'' Poor Simon... you're in a better place now. You look so peaceful; almost as if you're [[NotQuiteDead sleeping...]] ''[beat]'' Oh, shit. ''[Simon opens his eyes and attacks Steve]''
356** Stan in "Wiener of Our Discontent" when he finds out that Roger actually ''does'' have a "Fortress of Solitude."
357* OhLookMoreRooms: Explored in "Toy Whorey" when Roger goes to fetch wine, only to pass through several ridiculously out-of-place rooms.
358* OneDialogueTwoConversations:
359** A moment from "Pulling Double Booty" once provided the page quote for that article.
360** Also done in "Stannie Get Your Gun". It's even [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Roger ("I just love it when crap lines up like that.")
361* OneSteveLimit: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] for a gag in "Adventures in Hayleysitting," where Hayley and Jeff search the neighborhood for Steve and call out his name, only to be answered by another guy named Steve.
362* OnlyOneFindsItFun: In "Stan of Arabia", Stan is reassigned to Saudi Arabia, forcing the Smiths to move. The family finds the county horrible due to the strict and oppressive laws, but for the highly conservative Stan, it's a dream come true.
363* OnlySaneMan: Hayley usually emerges as the only sane ''woman'' a lot of the time. Sometimes falls to Steve, and even Klaus from time to time.
364* OohMeAccentsSlipping: In the episode "The Best Christmas Story Never", a woman claiming to be "[[Literature/AChristmasCarol the ghost of Christmas past]]" visits Stan. She speaks with an elegant English accent as she and Stan travel into the past to Stan's childhood, but when Stan suddenly runs away [[ItMakesSenseInContext to kill Jane Fonda]], the ghost of Christmas past reverts to what's presumably her natural American cadence.
365-->'''Christmas Past:''' ''[English accent]'' Ah, look at you... basking in the love of your family. You knew what Christmas was about back then, didn't you, Stan? ... Stan? ''[reverts to American accent as she sees Stan running]'' What?! Hey, no, no, no! Dude, where are you going?! You can't run away!
366* OneDoseFitsAll: Averted. Stan drugs Steve and his friends with spiked cheeseburgers so he can put them in the CIA holograph deck and force them to have outdoor adventures like he had as a kid. Steve, Toshi and Snot immediately nod off after a few bites... but not [[FatIdiot Barry.]]
367-->'''Barry''': Mine's not working!\
368'''Stan''': Have three more!
369* OpeningShoutOut: In "Stan Goes On the Pill", the scene where Francine crashes into the CIA exterior sign mimics the show's opening sequence.
370* OpenSaysMe: If a member of the Smith family is angry and needs to get through a door, he/she ''will'' kick it in, locked or not.
371* OperatorFromIndia: In "Four Little Words", Francine is teaching English to a village of Indian children. The phrase she is teaching them to say is "Thank you for calling Apple tech support."
372* OpposedMentors: Played with. At one point, Stan and Francine argued over the proper way to raise Steve; Stan decides to clone his son, allowing both parents to try their own ways as a single parent to Steve and his clone respectively.
373* OscarBait:
374** Mercilessly spoofed, and also {{exaggerated|trope}}, with ''Oscar Gold'', the ShowWithinAShow in "Tearjerker". The movie, created solely by a genocidal madman to make people "cry themselves to death," takes place during the Holocaust, and stars a disabled Jewish boy who befriends a puppy. And the puppy dies of cancer.
375** From the same episode: as a backup plan, the film's creator plans to make another Oscar Bait movie-- in his own words, it's "six hours of a baby chimp trying to revive its dead mother."
376* OurNudityIsDifferent: PlayedForLaughs in the pilot episode, where a CutawayGag shows a Muslim man being appalled at his wife's blatant display of nudity and telling her to put some clothes on. She's fully clothed except for her eyes, so she covers up her eyes and immediately trips over a table.
377* OutOfFocus:
378** After Hayley got married, she and Jeff were gone from the show for quite a few episodes.
379** Klaus seems to be the one who suffers this trope worst of all. There will only be about one episode per season that actually puts central or significant focus on him and in other episodes, he'll only get two or three lines and that's it.
380* OutsideInsideSlur: {{Inverted|Trope}}. Francine is starring in a comedy based on her adoptive Chinese family. Her mother -- in the show -- calls her a "reverse banana": white on the outside, yellow on the inside (i.e., actually Asian) as a compliment.
381* OverlyLongGag:
382** Mostly avoided, but one does occur in "Finances With Wolves" during a very long sequence where Stan tries to park at the mall.
383** In "Weiner of Our Discontent", Stan laughs for a full 30 seconds in a manner seen previously in WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy. The gag was so long that, according to the [[WordOfGod DVD commentary]], Creator/SethMacFarlane was exhausted due to performing the entirety of the laughing in single takes.
384** "Con Heir" drags the same lengthy gag into the episode three times.
385--->''[Francine tells Stan that his family's love makes him the richest man in the world]''\
386'''Stan''': ''[picks up phone]'' Hello, Bill Gates? Turn's out ''I'm'' the richest guy in the world because I have an adoring wife and a loving family! [...] Hello? Unicef? I'd like to donate some of my immense riches. What's that? Children are still starving in Africa because wife love is worthless to you? What an odd policy!\
387''[later, when Stan quits his job for adventure]''\
388'''Francine''': Oh! Adventure! Hold on. ''[picks up phone]'' Hello, [=MasterCard=]? Do you accept payment in the form of adventure? [...] Hello, colleges? I'd like to pay my son's tuition; I don't have any money, but my husband is rich in adventure!\
389''[later, when Stan discovers his father betrayed him to live a life of crime]''\
390'''Jack''': Oh, hold on one second. ''[picks up phone]'' Hello, French Riviera? Yes, can I buy a Chateau with my son's love?\
391'''Stan''': [[LampshadeHanging Yes! Yes! We all know the bit]]!
392** In "Meter Made", Francine picks up Stan's khakis, and loose change falls out of the pockets for ten seconds while Francine and Stan watch it happen in silence.
393** "Delorean Story-An" features one involving cottage cheese.
394** In "Four Little Words", there's a short sequence during which Stan does nothing but adjust the position of the driver's seat in Francine's car with a bored, blank expression on his face the entire time. [[spoiler:[[ItMakesSenseInContext At the end of the gag, a midget pops out of the steering-wheel airbag and strangles Stan]]]].
395* OvernightAgeUp: Stan pulls one of these on Steve (who had already been regressed to a young child by Francine) with an aging serum, but adds an extra dose to age him to 21 years old in an effort to dodge dealing with another child going through puberty. [[spoiler:He put in too much, resulting in Steve transforming into an old man]].
396[[/folder]]
397
398

Top