Line #100 Main/CoveredInMud


1	[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7f417e5a_e4e7_4b2a_92ac_dff42a1b00ec_8.png]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:How embarrassing.]]
3
4	->''"He was so crusted with alluvial deposits that one realized how little a mere bath would ever be able to effect. To fit him to take his place once more in polite society, he would certainly have to be sent to the cleaner's. Indeed, it was a moot point whether it wouldn't be simpler just to throw him away."''
5	-->-- '''Creator/PGWodehouse''', "[[Literature/JeevesAndWooster The Ordeal of Young Tuppy]]"
6
7	Face it, we all take ''some'' stock in our appearance: at least, enough that we don't want to be all dirty, especially not in front of others. So what's a universal way for someone to be brought down a few notches? Well, by them being muddy, of course! Mud is a particularly dirty substance, hard to wash out.
8
9	Occasionally they'll be ''pushed'' into mud by someone, or simply [[SlippingIntoStink fall on their own]], which either way is an embarrassing experience. Bonus humiliation points if it's right in their face, or if they fall into a patch of mud that had [[MessyPig pigs wallowing in it]] — this implies that the character is even more lowly than a pig, and, of course, there's a chance they're going to stink afterward. It may be part of a HumiliationConga.
10
11	It can also have practical purposes for [[AHandfulForAnEye temporarily blinding an opponent in battle]].
12
13	Now, while getting muddy may ''not'' be the character's choice, there are times when they'll intentionally cover themselves in mud. It may have a practical purpose such as helping to camouflage them or keep off [[ScaryStingingSwarm stinging insects]]. Or, perhaps, they may be getting extremely dirty in order to help someone else out, in which case they're seen as being more humble and selfless because they put themselves in that position. Sometimes, if the mud is from a character that spends a lot of time outside, such as gardening, it can imply that they're more of a down-to-earth person who spends more time actually ''doing'' things than worrying about their appearance.
14
15	May be used as BodyPaint. Sub-trope of CoveredInGunge — if it's anything other than mud, it goes there. Not to be confused with ThePigPen, a character who could be covered in either mud or something equally dirty so often that it's a matter of routine (no special explanation needed for why he's so muddy ''today''), and usually seems content with this situation. The TropeNamer for ThePigPen was thoroughly covered in dirt, but even in his case at least it was only dry dirt rather than mud.
16	----
17	!!Examples:
18	[[foldercontrol]]
19
20	[[folder:Advertising]]
21	* In one advertisement for Capri-Sun orange juice, the protagonist was a schoolboy unwillingly participating as goalkeeper in a football game. By the end of the advertisement, he'd been knocked flat in the ankle-deep mud of the goalmouth, but consoled himself that he had managed to save his orange juice.
22	[[/folder]]
23
24	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
25	* In ''Manga/FruitsBasket'', Tohru's uniform is dirty from the mudslide that fell on her tent. Once she gets cleaned up, one of Yuki's fanclub, jealous that Tohru arrived at school with Yuki, says "That mud looked so good on you".
26	* As a combination of ButtMonkey and MsFanservice, the title character in ''Manga/MissMachiko'' ends up covered in muck from time to time, usually while losing articles of clothing. This was double subverted in the episode in which she helps her students fight against bullies by knocking them in a big mud pit (all ends covered in the mud).
27	* The heroines of ''Anime/ZombieLandSaga'' end up doused head to toe while participating in the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashima_Gatalympics Kashima Gatalympics]].[[note]]This particular event wasn't just made for the series; it's a real world athletic event held on the tidal flats at Kashima in Saga Prefecture, on the coastline of the Ariake Sea, and involves such activities as running, cycling and sumo wrestling.[[/note]] It's later enforced, as while there are public showers for the contestants to clean off in between events, doing so washes off their make-up, running the risk of revealing their zombie forms to the public. So they run right back into the mud again.
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder:Comic Books]]
31	* In ''ComicBook/{{Violine}}'', Violine is covered in mud after escaping via the airvents and being launched into a muddy pigpen.
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Fan Works]]
35	* Manages to be a plot point in [[https://derpibooru.org/306249 this]] ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fancomic where Shining Armor and Fleur de Lis bump into each other and tumble into a mud puddle then start arguing while completely covered in mud, disguising their identities. Shining's wife, Princess Cadance, who can spread love wherever she goes, causes them to fall in love before she realizes her husband was one of the two ponies and gets really angry.
36	* This was also a plot point in ''FanFic/WhyAmICrying'', where Apple Bloom looking at an old photo of her and Diamond Tiara happily playing in the pigpen at Sweet Apple Acres [[spoiler: causes her to finally remember her long-buried memories of their friendship]].
37	* After fighting many dirt and mud golems in ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone: The Soft World'', Paul is covered head-to-toe in mud.
38	* Happens to Twilight in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fan comic ''Webcomic/TwilightsFirstDay'' after begging the taxi ponies to take a shortcut through a field, with predictable consequences.
39	* Brad frequently ends up this way in ''Fanfic/{{FREAKINGENSOKYO}}'', thanks to plenty of rain and no paved roads. In Chapter 78, Renko and Maribel get caught between the mud and a [[GravityScrew trigger-happy antigravity device]].
40	* In a two-panel cartoon from ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'', Smurfette says to Empath, "Smurf at me, I'm all covered in mud", but as Empath just [[MaleGaze continues to stare at her]], probably with [[AllMenArePerverts something dirty on his mind]], she later says, "Okay, [[DontLookAtMe stop smurfing at me!]]" This scene is used in the story "Empath's Honeymoon" where Smurfette is covered in chocolate mud, and then soon after Empath when he just dawdles and stares at Smurfette being covered in mud, and Smurfette ends up pulling him in.
41	* ''Fanfic/TheBoltChronicles'': In "The Blood Brother," Bolt's friend Duke gets coated head to tail in muck after rolling in a mud puddle.
42	* ''Fanfic/LincolnsMemories'': "The Blarney Suit" ends with [[WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse Lincoln Loud]] rolling down the hill and into a mud puddle.
43	* ''Fanfic/GazsHorribleHalloweenOfDoom'': While walking home in the rain after having had a terrible Halloween, Gaz gets covered in mud when it splashes on to her from the wheels of a passing truck.
44
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
48	* In Disney's ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', after Belle rejects Gaston's marriage proposal, Gaston falls over and lands in the pigs' mud hole.
49	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride'', you can tell Zira's group/the bad guys because they're muddy from walking through a river.
50	* In the first segment[[note]]originally the short film "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree"[[/note]] of ''WesternAnimation/TheManyAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh'', Pooh covers himself in mud on purpose via rolling in a mud puddle and floats up to a bee hive using Christopher Robin's balloon to attempt to get honey. It doesn't work and the duo have to hide in a different mud puddle to escape the swarm of bees.
51	* {{Downplayed\|Trope}} in ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro'': Mei trips and falls into a mud puddle, getting mud all over the front of her dress and her face while she and Satsuki are running home from school in the rain.
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
55	* A staple of many war films, particularly those depicting World War I. Used to show that a character has been in the trenches for a long time and been covered in grime from shelling.
56	* In the 1994 film version of ''Film/TheLittleRascals'', at the end, Alfalfa decides to fight back against the bullies, and sends one of them flying into a pig pen. He threatens to punch the other one as well, who decides he'd rather leap facefirst into the mud instead of getting punched! Both of them get completely ''covered'' in mud.
57	* In ''Film/{{Dragonheart}}'', some of Kara's former neighbors throw mud and [[ProducePelting fruits/vegetables]] at her when she tries to convince them to rebel against the king. Bowen taunts her about the mud, and she responds by smearing a smashed watermelon in his face.
58	* In ''[[Film/{{Dragonheart}} Dragonheart: A New Beginning]]'', TheRival Roland trips and gets a face full of stable mud.
59	* In ''Film/CruelIntentions 2'', Sebastian pushes Kathryn in a pool of mud as a declaration of war.
60	* Getting covered in mud is the standard method of avoiding thermal detection in ''Film/{{Predator}}'' and its sequels.
61	* ''Film/BehindEnemyLines'' has this happen to the protagonist when he is forced to hide among the bodies in a mass grave.
62	* ''Film/TomAndHuck'': Tom (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and Huck (Brad Renfro) get coated head to toe in brown mud to camouflage themselves in the woods.
63	* Late in the MadeForTVMovie ''Film/TheInvisibleWoman1983'' (nothing to do with the ''Fantastic Four'' character) the title character, played by Alexa Hamilton, gets doused with mud in a mud puddle, making her visible and [[SpecialEffectFailure showing]] that she's not really an InvisibleStreaker. As Alexa herself said in a UPI story the week before the movie aired:
64	-->In one shot I had to fall into a mud puddle in the body stocking and hood. The mud congealed on the hood and I couldn't breathe. I had to rip the hood off before I passed out.
65	* In Disney's ''Film/PetesDragon1977'', Elliot knocks the entire Gogan family into a giant mud hole, one by one, to distract them from their pursuit of Pete.
66	* ''Film/{{S1m0ne}}'' - When Taransky tries to discredit Simone, he has her rolling in the mud with pigs, in the hopes that the audience would be completely disgusted. The ploy backfires because the film gets a standing ovation.
67	* Pivotal at the steeplechase at the end of the Creator/MarxBrothers' ''Film/ADayAtTheRaces1937'': Jockey Harpo on the good guy's horse and another guy on the bad guy's horse are neck and neck to win when they take a spill into a big mud hole. Hurrying back into the race, the other guy comes in first...but a quick wash-off reveals it's on the good guy's horse.
68	* In ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman'', the titular huntsman spends most of the movie completely covered in dirt. He's even dunked in a watering trough at one point, but it doesn't improve matters much.
69	* The most moving scene in the Israeli war movie ''Kippur'' (2000) involves the protagonists who are army medics, trying to evacuate a stretcher-born casualty through the mud, but they keep slipping and falling over.
70	* One of several indignities that befall Leslie Bibb's character in ''See Spot Run''.
71	* During ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'' final fight between Neo and Smith. Smith slams Neo into the ground making a nice mud and water-filled crater, by the end of the scene both are nearly completely covered in mud because of [[MudWrestling their continued fight.]]
72	* Possibly the earliest movie example is the 1913 short ''A Muddy Romance'', in which the villain drains Echo Lake while the rest of the cast are on it in boats. They then have to be dragged to safety across the muddy lakebed. The whole film is also an example of ThrowItIn: Mack Sennett, hearing that Echo Lake was being drained, sent his actors, writers and cameramen to film it, and came up with the storyline en route.
73	* During ''Film/RolloAndTheSpiritOfTheWoods'', Millie the Elf trips over a root while she runs, landing face down in a sludge pond. With her face covered in mud, she goes to meet Rölli who doesn't at first recognize her until she washes herself.
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Literature]]
77	* Professor Sprout in the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series is described as having lots of earth on her clothes and fingernails that would make prim and proper Aunt Petunia faint.
78	* In ''Literature/TheHungerGames'', Peeta uses a large amount of mud with plants on top to disguise himself as part of a riverbank when he is too injured to move. This probably helps his infection along.
79	* In the ''Literature/WarriorCats'' series, the Tribe rolls in mud to cover their fur in order to disguise their scent and blend into the rock better so that prey doesn't spot them so easily. The visiting Clan cats try this, and aren't too thrilled at the idea, but it works.
80	* In one ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' book, Cassie jokes about how Rachel never seems to get dirty - that any mud just seems to be deflected away. She throws a ball of mud at Rachel, who knocks it away without it splattering all over her. Cassie comments that Rachel's hand probably isn't even muddy, but Rachel refuses to show her.
81	* In ''The Curse of the Pharaohs'', the second ''Literature/AmeliaPeabody'' novel, Amelia's son Ramses interrupts a tea party after having gone digging in the compost heap and getting covered in mud (among other things). Ramses is described as not so much leaving muddy footprints as having a stream of filth trailing behind him.
82	* In ''[[Literature/InheritanceCycle Eldest]]'', Eragon has a seizure caused by a cursed injury to his back. He's feeling terrible already because of the seizure and because it was in front of his teacher, but then he becomes especially embarrassed when he realizes that rolling around on the ground caused him to get his clothes (which were new and a gift from the elves) covered in dirt/mud.
83	* Literature/WinnieThePooh covers himself with mud to [[PaperThinDisguise disguise himself as a rain cloud]] to fool the bees while he gets their honey. The bees aren't fooled.
84	* In ''[[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Cold Days]]'', Harry Dresden's friends have to pass through a magical barrier, and [[ItMakesSenseInContext end up covering themselves in mud]] to do it.
85	* In ''[[Literature/CodexAlera Furies of Calderon]]'', Tavi is caught out in a furystorm and has to flee from windmanes (extremely dangerous furies of the air). He ends up rolling in the mud, which, as [[ElementalRockPaperScissors earth cancels out air]], prevents them from sensing him.
86	* Creator/PGWodehouse:
87	** As quoted above, in the short story "[[Literature/JeevesAndWooster The Ordeal of Young Tuppy]]", the eponymous UpperClassTwit gets involved in the annual [[RugbyIsSlaughter rugby grudge-match]] between [[SmallTownRivalry two small villages]]. Narrator/observer Bertie Wooster comments that he's seen drier swamps than the "field" where the match takes place.
88	** In the novel "A Damsel in Distress", Maud's interfering brother Percy shadows her, trying to keep out of sight by walking in a muddy ditch beside the road. He quickly becomes so filthy that Maud has no difficulty in convincing the locals that she's being stalked by a dangerous tramp.
89	* In Richmal Crompton's short story "William the Invisible", the titular William crawls along a muddy ditch after playing a trick on some children who he has convinced that he is invisible; while escaping across the neighbours' gardens, covered head to foot in mud, he manages to create an "escaped gorilla" scare. (IT'S COMPLICATED!)
90	* ''Literature/GodsAndWarriors'': Pirra covers herself in mud to throw hunting dogs off the scent in ''The Burning Shadow''. She's still so muddy Hylas briefly mistakes her for a [[VerberCreature snatcher]] when she rescues him from one of the dogs.
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
94	* In episode 3 of ''Series/TheBorgias'', assassin Michelotto goes to a sauna and has himself covered in mud as a disguise.
95	* In the pilot episode of ''Series/{{Bunkd}}'', Emma is doing a tightrope over a pit of mud when Hazel tosses a dodgeball at her, causing Emma to lose her balance and fall face-first into the mud with everyone laughing at her. Xander helps the mud-covered Emma out and wipes her with a washcloth and she smiles, leaving Hazel very pissed.
96	-->'''Lou''': A pretty girl covered in mud and you thought he wasn't gonna like that? What's next? You hand her a tray of hot wings and have her turn on football?\
97	(''Hazel storms off'')
98	* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E6TheDoctorsDaughter "The Doctor's Daughter"]], Martha decides to take a shortcut over Messaline's hostile planetary surface to get to the MacGuffin. Thanks to an encounter with a pool of quicksand-like mud, she is filthy by the time she gets there.
99	* ''Series/EvenStevens'': In "Boy on a Rock", Louis (Creator/ShiaLaBeouf) trips on a tree trunk and flies face-first into a mud puddle in the forest. He spends the rest of the episode caked in mud and attacked by girl scouts screaming "Mud Monster!"
100	* ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys''
101	** Iolaus is on the run from somebody and their mooks, so he hides himself by [[WallpaperCamouflage covering himself in mud and lying in a mud puddle]]. He stays covered in mud for a few scenes afterwards.
102	** Iolaus (Michael Hurst) and Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) are handcuffed to each other and fight until they fall down a hill into a pool of wet mud. They spend the next few scenes completely covered in the mud.
103	** In "War Bride", Iolaus and Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) spend time at a spa where they indulge in a slimy mud bath until they are completely covered in the gray mud.
104	* ''Series/ICarly'': In ''iGo to Japan'', Carly tries to tell Sam and Freddie to be confident that they will be rescued, only for a giant truck drive on a puddle, splattering them with mud.
105	-->'''Carly:''' I'm depressed.
106	* ''Series/LoisAndClark'': in the PilotMovie, Lois and Jimmy are captured by ComicBook/LexLuthor's TheDragon; Clark goes in to rescue her (as Clark, not as Superman). There's a bomb in the building and as it goes off Clark flies Lois & Jimmy a little bit, as if they're being pushed by the blast and they land in a pile of mud just far enough away that they're all safe.
107	* ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'': At the end of the episode "Victor's Other Family" , The oldest brother Reese (Justin Berfield) runs on the porch completely covered in brown mud.
108	* In the ''Series/{{MASH}}'' episode which introduces new doctor BJ Hunnicutt, before he even gets to the unit he, Hawkeye and Radar get caught in a bombing raid by the North Koreans along with some [=GI=]s. As he runs from one wounded soldier to another he slips and falls into some mud, ruining his dress uniform.
109	* ''Series/TheMiddle'': In "The Ditch", Mike, after trying Axl's plan to get the car and boat unstuck.
110	* ''Series/RelicHunter'': One episode has Sydney covered in mud, along with the female VillainOfTheWeek, and the two proceed to duke it out while getting increasingly covered in the stuff for a few minutes. Sydney wins and later showers it off.
111	* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''. Happens to the [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness normally staid and uptight]] Captain Picard after he gets into a [[SiblingRivalry fight with his brother]]; the fight ends with Picard sitting in the mud laughing, then a MoodWhiplash to him shedding ManlyTears, talking of the humiliation and helplessness he felt after being assimilated by the Borg. The scene leads to Picard reconciling with his brother, but also to them getting chewed out by his brother's wife for bringing FootprintsOfMuck into her house.
112	* ''Series/StepByStep'': In "The Wall", Frank (Patrick Duffy) goes to a beauty spa and sits in a bath tub. Suddenly slimy brown mud begins to fill the tub and Frank frantically tries to stop it but only gets coated entirely in the mud.
113	* In the [[Recap/SupernaturalS01E01Pilot Pilot]] of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' Dean and Sam are standing on a bridge, and Dean's car turns on. Dean is holding the keys. The Lady in White guns the car at Dean and Sam. They jump off the bridge. Sam manages to catch hold of the bridge, Dean falls into the mud below. They are sitting on the Impala and Sam tells Dean he smells like a sewer.
114	* In ''Series/{{Wipeout\|2008}}'', sometimes there'll be mud instead of water under the obstacles for the contestants to land in. So not only do they suffer an embarrassing fall, but they also have to be coated in mud.
115	* ''Series/{{Zoboomafoo}}'': In several episodes of this children's show, Martin and Chris Kratt swing on vines and fly face-first into the mud puddle at Animal Junction.
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Music]]
119	* The song "Yukon" by the band Lindemann is about a [[AnthropomorphicPersonification personification]] of the Yukon River who is said to be dressed in mud.
120	* When they performed at Woodstock '94, Music/NineInchNails were completely covered in mud for their set, having messed around in the mud before getting on. Trent Reznor told the crowd that he even had some in his eyes.
121	[[/folder]]
122
123	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
124	* [[Wrestling/NelsonErazo Homicide]]'s famous match with El Chico Illegal Chicano in IWA Puerto Rico, where it rained on the baseball field the show took place in but the fans held their ground [[TheShowMustGoOn so]] the wrestlers [[BattleInTheRain pressed on]], with Cide and Chicano ending up in the dugout.
125	* Wrestling/BlackRose's feud with manager José Chaparro in New Wrestling Stars culminated in a match between the two, after Rose had just defeated [[Wrestling/IvelisseVelez Sexy Juliette The Huntress]] in a {{mud\|wrestling}} pool to make it happen.[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Sports]]
128	* This is usually what results from playing tackle sports, such as American football or rugby, in rainy weather. Though it carries the upshot of making the ground you're going to be falling into over and over again anyway significantly softer.
129	[[/folder]]
130
131	[[folder:Video Games]]
132	* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', rogues have the ability "blind" which pretty much consists of [[AHandfulForAnEye throwing dirt in one's face]] (previous versions had them carry special "blinding powder", which became ShopFodder after the need for it was removed). {{Lampshade}}d in blinding powder's new item description:
133	-->Once favored by rogues as a blinding agent, it was abandoned for more readily available resources... like dirt.
134	* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter3Tri'' introduces the Barroth, the [[TRexpy love child of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a Bulldozer]] that is often covered in mud. It has a habit of shaking said mud off, and any hunters unfortunate enough to get hit by the flying globs are covered in quickly-hardening mud that makes it impossible to attack (and open to getting plowed under by the Barroth). ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterPortable3rd'' instroduces the subspecies Jade Barroth, which instead covers itself in snow.
135	* A few ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' attacks do this to the opponent, all but one of them being Ground-type attacks. As well as inflicting damage, Mud Bomb, Mud Slap and Muddy Water (the one non-Ground attack) reduce accuracy while Mud Shot reduces speed. Mud Sport does this to ''everyone'', giving everything in battle additional resistance to Electric attacks. Granted, it's somewhat less useful when you realize [[FridgeLogic most of the Pokémon that learn it are immune to Electric attacks already]], but it can be helpful for protecting teammates in double or triple battles.
136	* ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'' has mud puddles which Hat Kid can trip into which will cover her from head to toe. In the stage "She came from Outer Space" the Mafia will think she's a "Slimy Space Alien" and will flee from a mud caked Hat Kid in terror.
137	[[/folder]]
138
139	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
140	* The Urashima Woman from ''VisualNovel/SpiritHunterNG'' is covered in mud from the lake, which gives off a bad stench comparable to sewer water. She tracks mud into Akira's apartment when she haunts it, and presses herself up against his front door, leaving a muddy imprint of her body there.
141	[[/folder]]
142
143	[[folder:Western Animation]]
144	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
145	** Katara and Toph take full body mud baths in their spa day in "Tales of Ba Sing Se". Toph uses earthbending to traumatize the spa employee during her CucumberFacial.
146	** In "The Runaway", Katara and Toph get into an argument that turns into something of a mudwrestling match because of their water and earthbending abilities respectively.
147	* ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'':
148	** Max and PJ fall into the mud while crushing the cans in "Good Neighbor Goof". PJ later tracks mud all over the house, which leads to Pete finding out that PJ has been spending time with Max. He's not happy about it.
149	** In "Midnight Movie Madness," Goofy slips in a mud puddle while trying to get into his house, which Max and PJ have barricaded to stop the Mutilator from getting in. This results in Goofy getting so muddy that Max and PJ mistake him for the Mutilator and refuse to let him in.
150	** In "Inspector Goofy," Pete, who is [[ItMakesSenseInContext trying to sell car parts]], becomes muddy as a result of a RoadsideWave.
151	* ''WesternAnimation/TheHarlemGlobetrotters'': Near the end of the episode "Hold That Hillbilly", Granny has Cora Coy dive into a mud puddle. She thus transforms Cora from HollywoodHomely into a ravishing sexpot, with whom Rock Flatfield is instantly smitten.
152	* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'': He-Man frequently threw his opponents into conveniently-placed mudholes or bodies of water. A soft landing, to be sure, but not very dignified. Sister superhero [[WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower She-Ra]] did it too.
153	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}'': The Misfits near the end of [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0934193/ "Hot Time In Hawaii."]] Later shown in the video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bqa2Y5REQQ "The Last Laugh,"]] a mini ClipShow video shown in the episode [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0935597/?ref_=ttep_ep3 "Video Wars."]]
154	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': In "Scales of Justice", Lana and Hops end up covered in mud when a bulldozer dumps a load of earth on them. Lana remains this way even when she goes home, leaving a trail of mud behind, much to her parents' dismay. And it causes Leni to mistake her for a monster, thus giving Lana the idea to try a ScoobyDooHoax to save the pond. At the end of the episode, she ends up covered with mud again.
155	* ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicSchoolBus'': In the episode "In the Rainforest", Tim falls off a low hanging tree branch into mud, winding up completely covered in it and surrounded by midge flies.
156	* ''WesternAnimation/MikeLuAndOg'': The episode "For the Love of Mike" had Mike getting the [[AbhorrentAdmirer unwanted attention]] of Haggis and Baggis after getting covered in mud. The same thing happens to Lu at the end.
157	* ''WesternAnimation/MollyOfDenali'': In "[[Recap/MollyOfDenaliS1E32BusyBeaversTheNightWatchers Busy Beavers]]," Molly, Trini and Tooey high five after completing their dam, which splatters mud all over their faces.
158	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
159	** Played with in "Look Before You Sleep": Applejack can't understand why Rarity hates being muddy but enjoys {{Cucumber Facial}}s. When circumstances conspire to cover Rarity in mud, Applejack quickly applies some sliced cucumber to make her feel better.
160	** Rarity, who can't stand the thought of dirt or behaving in an "uncouth" way, refuses to participate in the Sisterhooves Social with her little sister. She eventually realizes how much it means to her sister, who in the meantime has decided to run the race with Applejack, so [[spoiler:during one stretch of the race, Applejack falls in mud. Rarity comes out of the mud in Applejack's place, and runs the rest of the race with Sweetie Belle, who only sees a mud-caked pony and doesn't realize until the end that it's Rarity.]]
161	** In the end of The Break Up Breakdown, a devastated Sugar Belle is leaving Ponyville after Big Mac broke up with her when her cart breaks strategically in a pool of mud. She gets covered from mane to hooves, which doesn’t lift her spirit up; fortunately, Big Mac shows up to apologize and explain he only broke up with her because he thought that she was planning to dump him. They reconcile, Big Mac fixes her cart and brings back a Sugar Belle hapiily covered with mud. Both are unaware that Discord broke up the cart to make it up for having advised Big Mac to break it up first.
162	* ''WesternAnimation/PBAndJOtter'': Baby Butter loves to do this and when the Otters' Aunt Nanner sends them a MysteryBox as a gift that they must wait to open until she arrives, Butter imagines that the box contains mud.
163	* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'':
164	** In "That Sinking Feeling", Baljeet and his childhood friend Mishti, in a flashback from before she "[[SheIsAllGrownUp turned into a]] ''[[SheIsAllGrownUp girl]]''", are seen playing and covering each other in mud.
165	** "Run Candace Run" has Candace and Jeremy both covered head to toe in mud after her borrowing the boys' speed shoes helps them win a wheelbarrow race.
166	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'': The series focuses on elementary-school children and usually takes place in the playground, so getting messy is common for the child characters.
167	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'': The episode "Crime and Punishment" involves Chuckie accidentally breaking his father's glasses, and because his father Chas has invited a traffic cop named Naomi to the Pickles' residence, Chuckie fears that he might go to jail. The babies try to get Chuckie to dunk himself in a mud puddle just so his dad will take him home, only for Chas, Naomi, Stu, and Didi to slip into the mud. When the babies see that Naomi isn't mad at anyone upon discovering the broken glasses, the babies also jump in the mud, culminating in an EverybodyLaughsEnding.
168	** Another episode has Chuckie get sprayed by a skunk. Tommy's Grandpa Lou suggests soaking Chuckie in mud in order to get rid of the stench. It doesn't work, but instead seems to have made him smell even worse.
169	** At the beginning of the episode "Tricycle Thief", Angelica rides Susie's tricycle without her permission and ends up crashing it into a garden gnome and flying into a mud puddle. The babies find this hilarious, but Angelica storms off in a huff.
170	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', in a WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror episode parodying Creator/OrsonWelles' ''Radio/TheWarOfTheWorlds'' broadcast: Springfield is terrified of being invaded by Martians. Sideshow Mel tells everyone to take off their clothes and wallow in the mud. That way the Martians will leave them alone, not realizing that they're humans.
171	** In an early episode where the family went camping, Homer and Bart get lost, Homer ends up covered in mud, unintelligible and raging from bee stings, and gets mistaken for Bigfoot.
172	* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManAndHisAmazingFriends'': In the WholeEpisodeFlashback detailing Firestar's origin, Firestar takes the AlphaBitch and drops her in a mud puddle, whereupon she throws a splashy tantrum.
173	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'': Abomination, in response to being compared unfavorably to a dog, digs a huge pile of dirt and covers Reptil, Wolverine, and Thor in dirt to the point only their eyes are showing.
174	* ''WesternAnimation/WhatsNewScoobyDoo'': This happens in the episode "Reef Grief!", where Scooby and Shaggy compete in a sand castle tournament. Spencer Johnson covers his hypnotized competitors with mud so they can build his underground freeway.
175	[[/folder]]
176
177	[[folder:Real Life]]
178	* The common association of pigs and mud is TruthInTelevision, because it helps them maintain their body temperature during the summer, although they appreciate a supply of fresh water just as much. Pigs can only sweat through their nose, and this makes hanging around in the sun quite dangerous for them if they don't have access to a damp environment to keep cool. As the water in the mud evaporates, it takes excess heat with it, effectively fulfilling the same role sweat does with humans. Elephants, rhinoceroses, and other large mammals are also known to use the dirt for a similar purpose, though it also helps prevent biting insects from attacking their skin.
179	* As many parents of young children and owners of dogs, especially puppies, can testify, this happens quite often.
180	* Advice given in wilderness first aid courses: If you become lost in the forest without supplies, the best thing you can do is cover yourself in mud. The mud will protect your skin from stinging insects, poisonous plants, and UV radiation, plus when it dries the caked on dirt is good insulation to keep you warmer once it gets dark.
181	* [[http://www.mudathlon.com/ Welcome to Mudathlon!]] You'll have a mucking good time!
182	* Mud pits have been common at music festivals ever since the original UsefulNotes/{{Woodstock}}. Unfortunately for the partiers at Woodstock 99, the mud people played in was not in fact mud, but overflow from the poorly maintained toilets, and many suffered adverse health consequences.
183	[[/folder]]

Context Main / CoveredInMud