Line #36 Main/TomatoSkunkStinkCure


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tta_tomatoskunkstinkcure_6.jpg]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:"[[WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}} I already tried that. All it did was stain the bathtub.]]"]]
6
7	A well-known North American remedy for being sprayed by a skunk is to take a bath in tomato juice--although tomato paste, tomato sauce, and even just tomatoes themselves are also popular alternatives. In fiction, whenever a character is sprayed by a SmellySkunk, they'll be forced to take a bath in some kind of tomato solution.
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9	Unfortunately, [[UrbanLegends this doesn't work in real life]], at least not in the way that most people think--at the most, tomato juice will just mask the smell instead of truly getting rid of it. There are better remedies out there than dousing yourself in tomatoes. The [[https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/skunk-spray-tomato-juice1.htm most popular recommendation,]] for those curious, is a combination of peroxide, baking soda, and liquid detergent.[[note]]This combination of chemicals breaks down rapidly and must be prepared immediately before use. It breaks down the nasty-smelling sulfur compounds that are insoluble in water into odorless (and water-soluble) sulfonates, which instantly puts a stop to the smell.[[/note]] This also counts as BizarreBeverageUse for juice and UnconventionalFoodUsage for paste, sauce, soup, and raw tomatoes.
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11	SubTrope of ArtisticLicenseBotany and GrubTub.
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13	----
14	!!Examples:
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16	[[foldercontrol]]
17
18	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
19	* In [[https://www.nickalive.net/2020/11/classic-rugrats-comic-strip-for_14.html this]] ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats\|1991}}'' comic strip, Phil and Lil see what they think is a cat. Phil notes that he never saw a cat with a white stripe on its back before. In the next panel, the twins are seen taking a bath in a tub filled with tomato juice.
20	[[/folder]]
21
22	[[folder:Fan Works]]
23	* ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony:'' In the [[TheAbridgedSeries abridged]] parody of "Winter Wrap Up", UFP cuts the scene where Twilight Sparkle gets sprayed by a skunk -- but keeps the following scene where she bathes in tomato juice to get rid of the scent. So in this version, Spike claims that tomato juice is the cure for ''snake bites'' (and snarky captions note that snake bites apparently give you [[VisibleOdor visible stink lines]]) while Twilight complains that tomato juice is [[YourAnswerToEverything his solution for everything]].
24	* ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/439616/my-little-pony-tales-camping-troubles Camping Troubles]]'' sees the [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTales Tales Seven]] having to deal with a skunk in their tent during a camping trip, with several of them getting sprayed. This is used to remove the smell at the end. The creator knew it didn't work in real life, but [[GrandfatherClause as it was commonly believed to be true when the show was airing, it was used anyway.]]
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
28	* In ''Film/AirBuddies'', one of the human protagonists bathes in tomato juice after getting sprayed.
29	* ''Film/FurryVengeance'': Dan takes a bath loaded with about ''two gallons'' of tomato juice after getting a blast from the skunks that snuck into his car.
30	* ''Film/UnderTheSilverLake:'' Sam is being followed by a shadowy figure and runs - only to surprise a skunk enough to get him sprayed. The next scene, Sam's friend is talking to him while holding her nose while he soaks in a bath filled with tomatoes and tomato juice. [[Main/SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome The bath doesn't work well at all]], and Sam [[Main/RunningGag keeps getting asked if he's aware of his odor]] through the rest of the film.
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	[[folder:Literature]]
34	* ''Literature/AlmostPerfect2014'': After the poodle Breaker has a run-in with a skunk, Bess and Benny wash him in tomato juice.
35	* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': One book sees Visser Three get skunked. The Visser has them cornered, but Ax points out that the smell is going to linger, and that returning to his spaceship (an environment not known for being easy to air out by opening a window) will only transfer the smell and require a weeks-long cleaning at a major space station. The Visser lets them go in exchange for the secret, and the book ends with Tobias reporting the Visser is now a lovely shade of purple, and the Animorphs musing that they should maybe have told him he should bathe in tomato juice, not grape.
36	* ''Literature/ADogsPurpose'': Bailey comes across a skunk while wandering in the woods. He doesn't know what it is, goes to investigate, and ends up sprayed. His owners are forced to bathe him in tomato juice and he isn't let in the house for a few days. Unfortunately, Bailey doesn't correlate the smell with the skunk and tries to get near her a second time. After one more tomato bath, he figures out that maybe he should avoid skunks.
37	* ''Literature/{{Fudge}}'': In ''Fudge-a-Mania'', Turtle the dog gets sprayed by a skunk, and Buzzy Tubman Senior, Sheila's grandfather, is the first to suggest making him bathe in tomato juice. Peter and Fudge's dad Warren drives away to get some but ends up buying a special shampoo called Skunked instead, which presumably works better.
38	* ''Literature/{{Bat}} and the Waiting Game'': Referenced and averted. Bat smuggles Thor the skunk into Janie's school play, and he sprays in the middle of her solo, causing everyone to flee the auditorium. Afterwards, Bat's mom washes his clothes with hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap, and calls everyone who was at the play to give them the recipe. Bat hears her telling multiple people that tomato juice doesn't work.
39	* In ''Looking For Dash'', a book based on ''Film/{{Babe}}'', Babe searches for Dash, one of Fly's missing puppies. When Babe finds Dash, the puppy ends up getting sprayed by a skunk, who apologizes to him, saying she doesn't like to be surprised. Babe then tells Dash that he needs a bath in tomato juice, and on the last page of the book, Farmer Hoggett is seen bathing Dash in tomato juice.
40	* ''Literature/ThePlantThatAteDirtySocks'': Used in book 4 after Fluffy gets sprayed by a panicked skunk that he tried to move away from him. Since tomato juice also contains salt, which can kill plants, Michael and his family have to carefully apply it and then wash it off in a hurry to make sure he won't get hurt further.
41	[[/folder]]
42
43	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
44	* ''Series/FullerHouse'': Stephanie, Tommy, and Max have to bathe themselves in tomato soup when a skunk ends up getting loose in the Harmon Veterinary.
45	* In the C-plot of the ''Series/GoodLuckCharlie'' episode, "Charlie in Charge", Bob is on his way to take Amy to the spa when he finds a coupon for it that expires the next day. However, he gets called into an extermination job to remove a captured possum. Since he is too big to fit into the crawl space where the possum is captured, he sends Amy in to get it out, only for them to find out that it wasn't a possum that got captured, it was a skunk that ends up spraying Amy. When Bob and Amy return home, Bob has Amy stay outside the house and scrub herself with tomato juice in the hope that it will get rid of the smell.
46	* The ''Series/{{Jackass}}'' skit "The Skunk" ends with Johnny Knoxville pouring tomato juice on himself in the shower after, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin of course]], getting sprayed by a skunk.
47	* One of the various myths tested by the ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}''. The result: the smell of the sauce masked the stench, but it didn't get rid of it completely. A better solution was to wash the sprayed part thoroughly with commercial cleaners, preferably those with an oxygen solution.
48	* ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily'' has an episode, "But the Memory Lingers On," where the Partridges all get skunked on the way to a show. Reuben comes up with the tomato juice bath cure. It works, but then their dog Simone, who wasn't washed yet, gets the stink all over them again.
49	* Oddly invoked on one episode of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' where the stench involved wasn't even generated by a skunk. "Sunny" Dey informs her colleagues, as calmly as she can, that she's going home to bathe in tomato juice after she's unlucky enough to be in the same room as one patient's particularly rancid fart.
50	* In the ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' episode "The Smelly Car", Elaine's hairstylist offers tomato sauce as a backup plan to get rid of the super-strong and persistent bad smell from Jerry's car. Toward the episode's ending, she accepts it.
51	* ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'': Alan gets sprayed by a skunk in "Skunk, Dog Crap and Ketchup". He tries to clean himself with Herb's garden hose to no avail, so Herb suggests tomato juice. He immediately adds he doesn't have any, but he does have V8 Vegetable Juice, which may not taste like tomato juice but Alan can't smell any worse anyway. The V8 doesn't work, so they try ketchup. It doesn't work either and Alan has to leave smelling like skunk, ketchup, and the dog crap he stepped in.
52	* ''Series/Zoey101'': In the episode "Bad Girl", a skunk sprays Michael and Logan, making them seek odor removal. They try drinking multiple cans of tomato juice, only to learn that they were supposed to bathe in it.
53	[[/folder]]
54
55	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
56	* ''Series/UnderTheUmbrellaTree'': At the end of the episode "Twins," when Gloria and Jacob get sprayed by Sparky and Spunky Skunk, Iggy and Holly are revolted, but Gloria and Jacob take it in stride, since it's happened to them before, and calmly ask Holly if she has any tomato juice so they can wash themselves.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Webcomics]]
60	* ''Webcomic/BreakingCatNews'': Elvis gets sprayed by a skunk and then put in a tomato juice bath. Naturally, he's extremely annoyed about it.
61	* Comes up every so often in ''Webcomic/KevinAndKell'', with skunks showing up as recurring characters or extras every once in a while. Angelique, who has adopted several skunks, has a water tower of tomato juice attached to her house.
62	* This is {{invoked\|Trope}} in [[https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4229 this]] ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' strip, mostly to embarrass Elliot. When it actually happens, however, Yay recommends [[https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4236 the actual remedy]].
63	* ''Webcomic/SabrinaOnline'': In one strip Sabrina and her boyfriend R.C. get cornered by a mugger. Sabrina sprays the mugger, and R.C. gets caught in the crossfire. Cue this trope.
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Western Animation]]
67	* In the ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode "An Irish Goodbye", Jeff gets sprayed by a skunk. Hayley cleans him but can't quite get the smell out, so she asks Francine to get her a big can of tomato juice when she goes to Costco. Francine refuses and Jeff is left to solve the issue himself.
68	* In the ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'' episode "[=BoJack=] Kills", Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter get sprayed by a skunk and use the tomato juice method to get rid of the smell.
69	* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/CuriousGeorge'', the titular monkey comes across a skunk. He goes close to it to study it and gets sprayed. The Man with the Yellow Hat gives him a bath of tomato juice. This happens multiple times throughout the episode, the man remarking that he's down to his last bottle.
70	* In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS12E19MegStinks Meg Stinks]]", Brian dumps and bathes himself with tons of tomato juice after getting sprayed by a skunk. [[Main/SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome It doesn't work]].
71	* ''WesternAnimation/KampKoral'': In "[[Recap/KampKoralS1E25TheTasteOfDefeatScaredySquirrel The Taste of Defeat]]", Plankton gets sprayed by some [[SmellySkunk skunk snails]]. To get rid of the smell, Karen puts Plankton in a can of tomato juice and shakes it.
72	* In the ''WesternAnimation/KatieAndOrbie'' episode "Peeheew!" Orbie gets sprayed by a skunk and the parents wash him with tomato juice in the kiddie pool outside. It takes four baths before the smell finally goes away.
73	* In the ''Literature/LittleBear'' episode "The Wedding," where two skunks get married and Little Bear is accidentally sprayed by the bride, the final scene shows Little Bear in a bubble bath with a can of tomato juice added to it.
74	* In the ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' episode, "The Boss Maybe", Lana gets sprayed by a skunk. Leni later gives her a bath in tomato juice, much to the latter's disdain.
75	* ''WesternAnimation/MollyOfDenali'': In "A Splash Of Mink", Molly and Trini were sprayed by a mink. They find an online article that says that tomato juice gets rid of mink smell, but when Molly and Trini try it, it doesn't work. Nat tells them not to believe everything they read.
76	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In the episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E11WinterWrapUp Winter Wrap Up]]", while waking up the animals from their hibernation, Twilight Sparkle gets sprayed by an entire family of skunks, and later she is shown taking a bath into a tub filled with tomato juice.
77	* In the ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrol'' episode "Pups Save a Surprise", Marshall rigs his cannons to shoot tomato juice after Mr. Porter gets sprayed by a skunk.
78	* Subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/PuppyDogPals'' episode "A Stinky Story". After Hissy gets sprayed by a skunk, this is one of the remedies Keia attempts to remove the smell. Needless to say, it doesn't work out so well.
79	* In the ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' episode "Skunked", Rigby gets sprayed by a [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent were-skunk]] and will turn into one unless he can get rid of the smell. Naturally, the solution is tomato paste.
80	* Discussed in the ''WesternAnimation/Rugrats1991'' episode, "[[Recap/RugratsS2E16ChuckieLosesHisGlassesChuckieGetsSkunked Chuckie Gets Skunked]]". After [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Chuckie gets skunked]], Chas tries everything to get rid of the smell. Didi and Stu question Chas if he bathed Chuckie in tomato juice or tomato paste, respectively--[[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Chas claims he tried both, but it didn't get rid of the skunk smell and just made a mess of the bathtub]]. Bathing him in borsht does the job, though.
81	* In the episode "Looking for Mr. Goodbart" of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Homer thinks he's about to catch a Stunkasan in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGo Peekimon Get]]'', but actually is approaching and agitating a real skunk. After getting sprayed, Marge gives him a tomato juice bath. The result is that it seems to have helped, but Homer also threw vodka and celery into his kiddie pool, so it wasn't just tomato juice he bathed in.
82	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' episode "Market Forces", Spider-Man gets stuck with a persistent garbage smell after fighting Shocker [[DownInTheDumps in a dump]]. J. Jonah Jamerson, upon smelling Peter, assumes he got the stench photographing the scene and tells him that tomato juice is the only thing that will get rid of the smell. This results in a BrickJoke at the end when Aunt May asks Peter why he smells like tomato juice.
83	* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'': The short "Out of Odor", which is a part of the episode "[[Recap/TinyToonAdventuresS1E55ViewerMailDay Viewer Mail Day]]", has Elmyra wanting to capture Fifi La Fume because she mistakes her for a cat, but Fifi's strong stench is a powerful deterrent. So Elmyra douses her with tomato juice to get rid of the smell so she can cuddle Fifi. Fifi is eventually able to wash off the juice and tries to fight back. Unfortunately, an allergic reaction to roses leaves Elmyra unable to smell anything, which allows her to capture Fifi.
84	* ''[[WesternAnimation/TotalDrama Total Drama Action]]'': In "[[Recap/TotalDramaDialMForMerger Dial M for Merger]]", the contestants each need to defuse a stink bomb with undisclosed content. They fail and so they are treated to a bath of tomato soup that doubles as dinner to get rid of the stench. They have to soak for over twelve hours to get any effect.
85	* Twice in the ''WesternAnimation/TUFFPuppy'' episode, "Law and Odor", Kitty gets sprayed by a group of skunks when they get scared. She's later seen being lowered into a vat of tomato juice.
86	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' episode "Pinstripes & Poltergeists", Brock Samson and Shore Leave try a tomato bath to get rid of the stench of a chemical weapon's lab they took down. Notably, it doesn't work, causing Hunter Gathers to comment they now smell like "tomato and crap soup".
87	* Subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/WildKratts'' episode "Skunked!". After Jimmy gets sprayed by a spotted skunk, the crew use tomato soup as their first attempt to get rid of the smell. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome It doesn't work]]. At the end, they [[ShownTheirWork correctly]] use the combination of peroxide, baking soda, and liquid detergent to finally wash off the scent.
88	[[/folder]]

Context Main / TomatoSkunkStinkCure