Line #112 Main/SillySpook


1	[[quoteright:324:[[WesternAnimation/CasperAndTheAngels https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/harryscary_4246.jpg]]]]
2
3	->''"We spectres are a jollier crew than you, perhaps, suppose!"''
4	-->-- '''Sir Roderick Murgatroyd, Bart (deceased)''', ''Theatre/{{Ruddigore}}''
5
6	Ghosts are often portrayed as inherently somber beings, doomed to remain near the place of their death and mourn their own demise forever. These ghosts however, will have none of that. Silly Spooks are the clowns of the undead, causing laughter instead of, or sometimes in addition to, fear. In some cases, the characters will be scared of the ghost while the audience laughs. Other times, the Silly Spook will be funny InUniverse and out. But at the end of the day, SOMEONE will have the giggles.
7
8	The comedy inherent in this trope can be deliberate on the ghost's part or not. Silly Spooks that don't want to be funny tend to be portrayed as hilariously incompetent at scaring people, which is often their job.
9
10	Despite the name, this trope can apply not only to ghosts, but to any stereotypically scary supernatural being.
11
12	The TropeNamer is ''Franchise/TheHauntedMansion'' ride at Ride/DisneyThemeParks and the assorted media directly based upon it. Compare FriendlyGhost, who is also a non-scary but not necessarily funny spirit, or the ReluctantMonster who isn't even aware of its role. This is one of the polar opposites to GhastlyGhost. Can be a RidiculouslyAliveUndead.
13
14	----
15	!!Examples:
16
17	[[foldercontrol]]
18
19	[[folder:Advertising]]
20	* UsefulNotes/GeneralMills' [[Advertising/MonsterCereals monster-themed breakfast cereal]] Boo Berry has a ghost as a mascot. In the original ad, Frankenberry and Count Chocula both are scared of the ghost and perform a SecurityCling with each other, despite the fact that they're a FrankensteinsMonster and a ClassicalMovieVampire. But Boo Berry just wants to share his cereal.
21	[[/folder]]
22
23	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
24	* The first ghost-types to appear in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' turn out to be pretty funny. They're fond of Creator/TexAvery-esque {{Eye Pop}}s and {{Wild Take}}s and clearly see their hauntings as pranking Ash and Pikachu, not attacking them.
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder:Fan Works]]
28	* Since the fanfics ''Fanfic/HauntedMansionAndTheHatboxGhost'' are based on the TropeNamer, Disney's "Haunted Mansion" ride, they keep this important aspect of the characters.
29	* ''Fanfic/LucysSecret'': Discussed when, while using the Ouija board, Luan hopes they won't summon any prankster ghosts who like to give "ou-edgies".
30	[[/folder]]
31
32	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
33	* The 1944 film version of ''Literature/TheCantervilleGhost'' has the ghost being a big coward, as are all his descendants. He can't pass on until a descendant does something brave.
34	* In ''Film/TheTimeOfTheirLives1946'', [[Creator/AbbottAndCostello Lou Costello]] plays a ghost wrongly accused of treason, just trying to clear his name (with the typical Costello bumbling, cowardly comedy).
35	* The ghosts in ''Film/{{Topper}}'' and its sequels are helpful but often mischievous.
36	* Beetlejuice of ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'' is an interesting situation -- referring to him, the movie's tagline was "The name in laughter from the hereafter!", but the movie itself is more intentionally comedic than Betelgeuse himself, who is more of a MonsterClown.
37	* Stuart and Cyrus from ''Film/TheFrighteners''.
38	* Elements of this can be found in Brad Greenquist's performance as the mutilated ghost of Victor Pascow in ''Film/PetSematary1989''. Although he's presented solely as a GhastlyGhost in the novel, in the film he can be seen cheerfully settling into his seat when Rachel returns to Maine from Chicago (even though he's still quite ghastly).
39	* In ''Film/{{Poltergay}}'', the five ghosts of gay partyogers have been partying in the house where they perished for 27 years. Those with CampGay mannerisms still affect them. The worst they do is playing mischievous pranks on protagonist Marc and teasing him about his butt since they're, well, gay ghosts.
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Literature]]
43	* The ghosts in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' are mainly there for comic relief, though they become relevant to the plot occasionally.
44	* ''Literature/FamilySkeletonMysteries'': Sid the ambulatory skeleton, who's generally cheerful and loves to make bad jokes.
45	* Elizabeth, the CuteGhostGirl in ''Literature/{{Maburaho}}'', [[SkinshipGrope takes a liking]] to [[MsFanservice Kuriko]], because her large breasts remind Elizabeth of her mother. In fact, she mistakes Kuriko ''for'' her mother ''because'' of Kuriko's breasts. When Kazuki and the girls help Elizabeth out to escape from the house in which she's been bound, she opens up and becomes quite playful.
46	* In ''{{Literature/The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus}}'', ghosts Chelsea and Carmen must become this in order to put on a circus show and distract some poltergeists.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
50	* ''Series/BigBadBeetleborgs'' featured Flabber, a friendly ghost who grants Drew, Jo, and Roland their powers.
51	* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Ghosts and spirits can be very scary, but the episode "[[Recap/SupernaturalS05E08ChangingChannels Changing Channels]]" features a very silly BedsheetGhost during the opening credits.
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Music]]
55	* The meme-tastic song "Spooky Scary Skeletons" by Creator/AndrewGold admits that [[DemBones the skeletons]] "are silly all the same".
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Poetry]]
59	* "[[http://monologues.co.uk/Childrens_Favourites/Colonel_Fazackerley.htm Colonel Fazackerley]] Butterworth-Toast, Bought an [[HauntedCastle old castle complete with a ghost]]." Upon their first meeting, the ghost tries to scare the Colonel away from the castle, but the Colonel is instead entertained by the ghost's antics. When the Colonel goes so far as to call out for more, the ghost gives up and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere never appears again.]]
60	* The nameless ghost in Creator/LewisCarroll's [[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/651/651-h/651-h.htm "Phantasmagoria"]] is a bit of a goof with a taste for awful puns. He also mooches food and drink off the narrator.
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
64	* Three {{Bedsheet Ghost}}s on the Creator/VincentPrice episode of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' who tell corny ghost jokes and sing "[[Music/TheBeatles I'm Looking Through You]]". They also appeared in the live show ''The Muppets Take the Bowl''/''The Muppets Take the O2'', singing "Boo Danube" (a series of "boo!"s to the tune of ''Blue Danube'').
65	[[/folder]]
66
67	[[folder:Theatre]]
68	* In Creator/GilbertAndSullivan's GothicHorror spoof ''Theatre/{{Ruddigore}}'', the ghosts of the past [[AristocratsAreEvil Bad Baronets]] of the Murgatroyd family haunt their [[HauntedHouse ancestral castle]], acting like TheComicallySerious versions of {{Ghastly Ghost}}s. They also get an [[TheDeadCanDance awesomely spooky song]] called "When the Night Wind Howls" about all the fun they have on [[ItWasADarkAndStormyNight dark and stormy nights]].
69	-->When the night wind howls\
70	In the chimney cowls\
71	And the [[BatOutOfHell bat]] in the moonlight flies\
72	And the inky clouds\
73	Like funeral shrouds\
74	Sail over the midnight skies\
75	When the footpads quail\
76	At the night-bird's wail\
77	And black dogs [[WolvesAlwaysHowlAtTheMoon bay at the moon]]\
78	Then is the spectre's holiday!\
79	Then is the ghost's high noon!
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Theme Parks]]
83	* The TropeNamers are the ghostly stars of ''Franchise/TheHauntedMansion'' ride at Ride/DisneyThemeParks, who are clearly more interested in partying than anything frightening or sinister. Even "Grim Grinning Ghosts", the ride's ThemeSong, admits that these ghosts only ''pretend'' to terrorize.
84	** Emma and Ezra from the [[Film/TheHauntedMansion2003 2003 film adaption]] are these.
85	[[/folder]]
86
87	[[folder:Video Games]]
88	* ''VideoGame/MoshiMonsters'':
89	** Zoinks the ghost and his cousin are mischievous pranksters.
90	** [=McScruff=] the ghost is a practical joker.
91	* Yu from ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' is a punny GenkiGirl of a ghost. With that said, she ''does'' outright try to kill others, but it's actually because she loves being a ghost so much that she wants others to feel the good effects of being one as well (apparently not realizing what she's doing is murder), and she's quite friendly otherwise.
92	* In ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' we have the Boos, known for nearly always sticking their tongues out at you like a kid making a silly face and hiding behind their hands when Mario looks at them as if they were playing Peek-A-Boo.
93	* Kogasa from ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' is a {{Karakasa}} whose main ambition in life is to JumpScare people and surprise them. Unfortunately, she's a CuteMonsterGirl, so all her attempts end in failure.
94	* ''{{Videogame/Undertale}}'' has Napstablook, who does funny things like leading you to believe that they're asleep when in fact they're [[SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud awake and saying "ZZZ" out loud]], as well as [[spoiler:Mettaton, who has more of a LargeHam comedic style.]]
95	* ''Franchise/YoKaiWatch'' has Whisper, a KnowNothingKnowItAll who's known to occasionally make cheesy puns and transform himself to go along with the jokes.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Web Comics]]
99	* Mort of ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt''. He ''is'' supposed to scare people, actually, but when he's not on the job, he borders on EndearinglyDorky.
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:WebOriginal]]
103	* Carol "Ghost Pupper" Walters, a character created by artist [[https://twitter.com/Stedilnik Stedilnik]], is an adorable young woman [[KillTheCutie who was gruesomely stabbed to death in 1986]]. She's still as adorable as a poltergeist as she was when she was alive, although she ''can'' get genuinely terrifying if she wants to.
104	* [[CuteGhostGirl Wanda]] from ''WebAnimation/BamanPiderman'' giggles, plays pranks and does cutesy things like boop Piderman on the nose and make an origami crane kiss Pumkin.
105	* Creator/FilmCow has the ''WebAnimation/GhostHouse2014'' series of videos, which are about a man stuck in a house full of silly ghosts.
106	* [[WesternAnimation/CasperTheFriendlyGhost Casper]] as portrayed by the ''WebVideo/NostalgiaCritic''. The silliness comes from how OutOfCharacter it is for {{Canon}} [[WesternAnimation/CasperTheFriendlyGhost Casper]] to be malicious and from the fact that he's still not scary even with the meaner personality.
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Western Animation]]
110	* Hairy Scary, pictured above, more so than {{WesternAnimation/Casper\|TheFriendlyGhost}} in ''WesternAnimation/CasperAndTheAngels''. Casper is supposed to be a "guardian ghost" to the SpaceCop Angels along with Hairy, but the latter brings about most of the show's laughs.
111	* ''WesternAnimation/TheFunkyPhantom'', who is a scaredy-cat ghost.
112	* Slimer, the team mascot/pet in ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters''. Instead of "busting" him, the team lets him hang around and be the PluckyComicRelief.
113	* The ghosts in the WesternAnimation/{{classic Disney short\|s}} "WesternAnimation/LonesomeGhosts". They call ghost exterminators Mickey, Donald and Goofy so they could have someone to scare, and are clearly having a ball while doing so.
114	* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': Danny Phantom himself qualifies. Although he possesses the power to become a ghost (which tend to be the source of most misfortune in the Danny Phantom universe), he is generally a pretty outgoing, BookDumb kid who can be a bit of a ButtMonkey. There's also the Box Ghost, whose job is to haunt...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin boxes]]. Absolutely no one is afraid of him, and his bothering the main characters is a recurring gag.
115	* Beetlejuice of ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'' (see {{Film}} above).
116	** The animated character is ''far'' LighterAndSofter than the film version and fits the trope ''much'' better.
117	* The ''WesternAnimation/WackyRaces'' episode "Creepy Trip to Lemon Twist" features two mischievous ghosts in the abandoned saloon. They play pranks on some of the racers, until Big Gruesome turns the tables on them.
118	* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'''s Hi-Five ghost doesn't have much in the way of a developed personality, but his design is definitely silly. He looks like a BedsheetGhost or a ''VideoGame/PacMan'' ghost with a single arm and hand growing out of the top of his head.
119	* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMeetsTheBooBrothers'': The Boo Brothers, who come across as a ghostly version of the Three Stooges.
120	* ''WesternAnimation/The13GhostsOfScoobyDoo'' has Bogel and Weerd, two ghosts who originally tricked Scooby and Shaggy into opening the Chest of Demons, and in subsequent episodes would frequently act as bumbling minions to the MonsterOfTheWeek.
121	* ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes'': Spanky and Crudde from the episode "Parents' Day" are two mischievous ghosts who live in the basement of Enid's house. Much to the annoyance of Enid's mom, Wilhamena, they like to possess house guests and make them do embarrassing or destructive things.
122	* Spooky, the little spook in the ''[[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Cool Cat]]'' cartoon "Big Game Haunt", is a hybrid of Casper and Elmer Fudd.
123	* WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}} encounters one in the 1960 short "Popeye and the Phantom".
124	* Scratch, the titular ghost in ''WesternAnimation/TheGhostAndMollyMcGee'', a lazy, shiftless grump who would rather eat and sleep than scare people (though he's really good at it when he applies himself). He attaches himself with [[ThePollyanna Molly]] after a curse gone awry and is forced to be her best friend.
125	[[/folder]]

Context Main / SillySpook