Line #26 Main/AntennaAdjusting


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9	->'''Alice:''' ''(adjusts antenna)'' Can you see it now?
10	->'''Bob:''' No.
11	->'''Alice:''' ''(gets into strange position)'' Can you see it now?
12	->'''Bob:''' No.
13	->'''Alice:''' ''(gets into even stranger position)'' Can you see it '''now'''?
14	->'''Bob:''' THAT'S IT! Don't move!
15
16
17	Sometimes the TV goes on the fritz. What to do? Other than PercussiveMaintenance, try adjusting the antenna, which may take a while. Conversations can go like the quote above.
18
19	If in a comedy, expect the TV to work only if someone stands in a ridiculously awkward position.
20
21	Specifically, the only way to fix this condition in a comedy is to get the ButtMonkey to wear a tin-foil hat with rabbit ears and pose like an idiot at the direction of his so-called friends, possibly while also standing on the roof. This is a ''very'' common gag in Swedish media.
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23	This is a DeadHorseTrope, as due to improvements in television transmission and reception over the years, these sorts of aerials just aren't used anymore, especially if your country's made the switch to digital transmissions and digital media, rendering rabbit ears both obsolete and utterly useless. Unless it's a PeriodPiece from the [=2000's=], you'll likely never see this trope in modern works, unless it has to do with wi-fi routers (and even then, the routers themselves are seldom the issue).
24
25	Not related to DoNotAdjustYourSet.
26	----
27	!!Examples:
28	[[foldercontrol]]
29	[[folder:Advertisements]]
30	* An JustForFun/{{egregious}}ly annoying ad for [[WhatWereTheySellingAgain either]] [[CableSatelliteMudslinging Dish Network or DirecTV]]:
31	-->'''Son:''' Daaaad! The cable's out ''again''! Can't you '''fix''' it!?
32	* Conversely, the cable companies will [[CableSatelliteMudslinging take potshots]] at Dish and [=DirecTV=] for the fickleness of their dishes.
33	[[/folder]]
34	[[folder:AnimatedFilms]]
35	* Featured in the ''WesternAnimation/EightCrazyNights'' song "Bum Biddy", as one of the good deeds Whitey performed without getting as much as a "thank you" as a reward.
36	-->''Once when we were watching Sunday football, a fuzzy screen was all that we can see.\
37	Whitey came over with a hanger, and spent the game atop of our TV.\
38	And when the lightning struck him, he let out a wicked loud yell!\
39	[[NoSympathy But we just turned up the volume, and ignored the burning smell.]]\
40	[[MyGodWhatHaveIDone We should all rot in hell!]]''
41	[[/folder]]
42
43	[[folder:Live Action Films]]
44	* In the opening of ''Film/{{Blankman}}'', the young Darryl and Kevin rig their antenna up with kitchen items and utensils hanging on a line. During the scene, one of them ends up getting a foot in the toilet, which improves the signal, followed by repeated flushing that causes it to back up--And invokes the wrath of their grandmother.
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
48	* On ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', the Bundy family had [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDmkrDeHKzs#t=7m30 "Fox network viewing positions"]] to take when watching Creator/{{Fox}}. SelfDeprecation to their own network, and TruthInTelevision: Fox came in pretty badly at times in UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}, where ''Married'' was [[InNameOnly allegedly]] set, pre-Digital TV.
49	* Series/MrBean tries placing the aerial in increasingly silly places in order to watch his TV. Finally he discovers a position that works — but only when he can't see the screen.
50	* Creator/TonyHancock in his solo episode of ''Series/HancocksHalfHour'' spends several minutes moving his indoor antenna when the TV picture keeps breaking up. Inevitably, the picture clears up when he's out of sight of the set. Eventually he realises that it's not his reception but a studio fault.
51	* On ''Series/TheHoneymooners'', Ralph and Norton buy a TV together. They have trouble agreeing on what to watch before settling on a program. When Ralph complains about the fuzzy picture, Norton tells him to take the antenna and move around. When Ralph is holding it out of the apartment, Norton tells him that it's good and closes the door to watch his own show.
52	* In the Season 5 ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' episode "Dance, Diane, Dance", TheTeaser finds the Cheers crowd watching a football game when the picture quality suddenly drops. Sam sends Woody over to the set to adjust the antenna, which involves balancing on the panelling while hanging onto the set; inevitably, he loses his footing, but as he hangs from the set, several feet off the floor, the picture clears up - almost. Cliff makes a minor colour adjustment by picking up one of Woody's legs to balance his foot on top of the panelling.
53	-->'''Woody:''' Wow, I sure hope this game doesn't go into overtime!
54	* TheStinger of the ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' Season 3 opener "She's the Boss" sees Martin struggling to get a coherent picture on the television. Daphne solves the problem by picking up Eddie, who is wearing a ConeOfShame to stop him from scratching the cuts he picked up in a fight with another dog, and putting him on top of the set.
55	* ''Series/TheRedGreenShow'': In ''Snowed In'', the tv goes out due to the snowstorm, and being snowed in, nobody can get to the rooftop antenna from the outside, so [[ButtMonkey Harold]] is sent into the attic to try to adjust it from underneath. He fails. [[ItMakesSenseInContext Naturally, cannibalism jokes ensue.]]
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
59	* An early series of ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' strips, circa 1960, had Charlie Brown using Snoopy as a substitute TV aerial.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Video Games]]
63	* ''VideoGame/WarioWareSmoothMoves'': One of the microgames requires adjusting a house's antenna to the right position to win.
64	* You can do this to [=TVs=] in ''VideoGame/Condemned2Bloodshot''.
65	* ''VideoGame/CreepTV'': When the TV stops working, Courage has to fix the antenna on the roof of the house with [[spoiler:a wire hanger from the laundry bin]].
66	[[/folder]]
67
68	[[folder:Western Animation]]
69	* Came up on more than one occasion on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', for example, in ''Series/TheTraceyUllmanShow'' short [[http://www.snpp.com/episodes/mg48.html "TV Simpsons,"]] this is the entire plot.
70	* WesternAnimation/{{Garfield\|AndFriends}} gets Nermal to do this by telling him Jon thinks it's cute.
71	* ''Franchise/{{LEGO}} Franchise/StarWars: Revenge of the Brick'': General Grievous himself becomes the antenna while Count Dooku tells him how to adjust himself to get a good reception.
72	* On ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'', King Julien wins the penguins' TV set and has Mort hold up the antenna, yelling at Mort when he gets tired and can't hold the position any longer.
73	* In ''WesternAnimation/CampLazlo'', Edward's bullying brothers force Scoutmaster Lumpus to hold the TV for them and adjust his antlers until they get a reception.
74	* When ComicBook/{{Quicksilver}} is ordering the Brotherhood around in ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'', he has [[ButtMonkey Toad]] move around with the antenna on the roof. He tells him to hold his position just as Toad is struggling not to fall off.
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Real Life]]
78	* A 2010s example was the antenna on the [[https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-antennagate-scandal-timeline-10-year-anniversary-2020-7?r=US&IR=T iPhone 4]], which could lose effectiveness depending how the phone was held.
79	[[/folder]]
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Context Main / AntennaAdjusting