| 1 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13kr52o8k3fh9x6q31tiauzr |
| 2 | %% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 3 | [[quoteright:275:[[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/incredibly-obvious-bug_team-fortress3_7342.png]]]] |
| 4 | [[caption-width-right:275:You wouldn't mind if I read this top secret document with my beard, would you?]] |
| 5 | |
| 6 | ->'''Q:''' ''How do you know that {{UsefulNotes/the Stasi}} has bugged your apartment?''\ |
| 7 | '''A:''' ''There's a new cabinet in it and a generator running outside.'' |
| 8 | -->-- '''[[UsefulNotes/EastGermany East German]] [[GermanHumour joke]]''' |
| 9 | |
| 10 | Listening devices and [[SpyCam "hidden" cameras]] that are large and obvious, often with a big red or green light on them, that go unnoticed. Sometimes they get hidden in ventilation grates in such a way that the light they emit can be seen by anyone walking by. And sometimes they're right out in the open, apparently unnoticed by people who really ought to know better. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | {{Tracking device}}s are even worse for this, not only having a red light, but ''beeping audibly'', which is several kinds of stupid. One would think that '''''Franchise/{{Batman}}''''' of all people would realize that perhaps it's not a good idea to stick a beeping, light-equipped device onto somebody's car and expect them not to notice. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | Still played straight on occasion, just as often it's subverted or parodied. Such variants include: |
| 15 | * The target actually finding the bug, then either destroying it or [[BluffTheEavesdropper using it to mislead the person listening in]]. |
| 16 | * An Incredibly Obvious Bug being used to [[InfractionDistraction distract]] attention from another far less obtrusive bug. |
| 17 | * It's intended to be found to unnerve/annoy an [[ParanoiaGambit already suspicious or paranoid person]]. |
| 18 | * It's PlayedForLaughs. The bug is so ''absurdly'' large or obvious that it should be utterly impossible to miss, yet no one notices. (e.g., one the size of a bowling ball stuck to the back of someone's head, beeping with the volume of a truck horn). If someone points it out, they're dismissed as being paranoid. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | Sometimes the bug itself isn't obvious, but is discovered because [[TwoWayTapping it allows two-way communication]] for some reason. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | The reason this trope is used is [[RuleOfPerception for the audience's benefit]]. Bugs in television are big and obvious so the director can point the camera at the bug to tell the audience that a bug has been planted on that person without wasting dialog telling the audience. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] the things you find in [[ObviousBeta Obvious Betas]]. Or with actual insects ([[LiteralSurveillanceBug usually]]). |
| 25 | |
| 26 | See Also: FindingTheBug, IncrediblyObviousBomb, IncrediblyObviousTail, InsecurityCamera. Contrast SpyCam. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | ---- |
| 29 | !!Examples: |
| 30 | |
| 31 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 32 | |
| 33 | [[folder:Animation]] |
| 34 | * In various seasons of ''Animation/{{Tobot}}'', 1 and 14 in particular, the Buggys- small larvae robots- attach to the bottom of cars and cause them to go out of control. In doing so, they emit blue electric bolts, and thus can be seen easily from the side. |
| 35 | [[/folder]] |
| 36 | |
| 37 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 38 | * In ''Anime/VariableGeo'', a listening device the size of a yoyo with a huge green light on it is affixed to the seat of the woman in charge of the corporation behind the tournament that is the center of the series. This powerful, hypercompetent woman never notices. |
| 39 | * In ''Anime/SpaceRunawayIdeon'', the Buff Clan plant a tracker on the escaping Solo space ship. Said bug later gets picked up by the crew, inspected, tossed around, and ran over by the Ideon itself, and still continues working. Justified by the space ship being lost technology and the crew not knowing what belongs and what doesn't... but you would think someone would eventually catch on. Especially considering that one of the members of the Solo Ship crew (Karala) is a former Buff Clan soldier, and up until halfway into the series (when prototypes fresh off the drawing board were launched at the Solo Ship), knew every piece of Buff Clan military technology down to the last detail. Of course, if they threw away the tracker, the Buff Clan would probably never find them after a few DS Drives, and the series would end early. |
| 40 | * Dr. Gero in ''Manga/DragonBall'' used {{Literal Surveillance Bug}}s to monitor several character for years without being detected. Once pointed out, one was clearly visible even at a distance and also made a beeping sound. |
| 41 | * The ones used in ''Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman''. About an inch across, blue, with little silver legs to cling to the target, a blinking red light, and at least one was left in an ''incredibly'' obvious place. Just below the window of the back door of a car. On the driver's side. |
| 42 | * In ''Anime/GirlsUndPanzer'', the device used to listen in on Oarai's radio communications is fairly conspicuous. This is probably a function of where it needs to be in order to operate properly, and all the normal aspects of combat are going on on the ground, so who's going to be looking up in the sky? Miho, apparently, and she used Alisa's surveillance against Saunders by [[BluffTheEavesdropper giving false orders over the radio and having Saori text the real orders to the other teams.]] |
| 43 | [[/folder]] |
| 44 | |
| 45 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 46 | * Averted in the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' comic ''ComicBook/SerenityBetterDays''. A stolen assault robot releases hundreds of tracking devices that appear no bigger than a grain of sand. |
| 47 | * Spoofed in ''ComicBook/GorskyAndButch''. In a scene which was a parody of ''Matrix'', one of the agents threatened Jerry with implanting a "miniature tracking device" into his body. It was about the size of a cellphone. |
| 48 | * ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': |
| 49 | ** Spider-Man has spider-tracers, red peanut-sized spider-shaped devices he used to track people down. Usually, they are fired from the top of his web-shooter at fleeing villains who are none the wiser. One of the reasons why Spider-Man doesn't use the spider-tracers anymore may be due to the fact the bad guys he attached them to frequently found them and used them against him. Especially bad since they're designed to set off his spider sense, meaning they can be used to trigger false positives in that sense, turning one of his greatest edges into a weakness as ComicBook/IronMan has demonstrated. |
| 50 | ** The tracers were easy to find, since they were red, shaped like the spider-insignia on his back, and they looked like the kind of trinkets one would find in a Cracker Jack box. His clone, the ComicBook/ScarletSpider, was much smarter about this: he created Minidot Tracers, which were still red, but were also circular and MUCH smaller. |
| 51 | ** One story arc has a villain with a penchant for paying attention framing Spider-Man for a slew of murders, by leaving found spider-tracers on all of the victim's bodies. |
| 52 | ** In a ''ComicBook/BrandNewDay'' story, one of them ''was as big as a CD''. The trackee of course noticed it. |
| 53 | * In ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' storyline "ComicBook/DeathAndTheFamily", the bug-shaped tracking devices built to infiltrate the Insect Queen's hive are visibly shiny and metallic-looking, and have a very conspicuous spherical head from which sprout red-glowing lenses. |
| 54 | * ''ComicBook/ExMachina'': Kremlin gives Mitchell a tie pin in the shape of a gear to reflect his roots as an engineer and a former machine-based superhero. The pin is engineered so that Mitchell can't "hear" it, so it goes unnoticed, but it is featured rather prominently in the first arc. |
| 55 | * Averted in ''ComicBook/{{Diabolik}}'', where tracers and listening devices are ''always'' small, easy to miss and well hidden. Even then, Diabolik and Ginko can often find them, sometimes by luck (one of Diabolik's bugs was found because it was hit by sunlight and shone, allowing a passing Ginko to notice and check), sometimes because [[ProperlyParanoid they suspect there's one and check in every place they would hide it and some places it should be impossible]] (Diabolik makes a point to check everything he steals, and checks even more since that time Ginko still slipped one under his nose). And given he and Ginko can still slip bugs under each others' noses, [[CrazyPrepared Diabolik often undresses people he kidnaps and throws their clothes into acid just in case he missed a bug]] ([[ProperlyParanoid in at least one occasion, the kidnapped guy was an undercover cop and his clothes had a bug that Diabolik had missed]]). |
| 56 | * ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon: The titular secret agents are given a micro-camera hidden in a lighter. The criminals suspect because the camera requires an external flash that must be visibly attached. |
| 57 | * In a ComicBook/MickeyMouseComicUniverse Pete was hired by a security firm as a consultant, and his ''first'' change took advantage of this trope: knowing that if bandits ever assaulted their offices they'd immediately shoot the security cameras he had them replaced with cardboard copies, with the actual ones being smaller and hidden. |
| 58 | [[/folder]] |
| 59 | |
| 60 | [[folder:Comic Strips]] |
| 61 | * In one strip of ''ComicStrip/GetFuzzy'' Fungo drops off a huge collar with an obvious lens in it so that Bucky and his roommates can be recorded for a Reality TV Series. Satchel acknowledged that it was heavy but that he found the beeping noises soothing. |
| 62 | * In one ''ComicStrip/JudgeParker'' storyline the Parkers -- visiting April's weapons dealer father in his jungle hideout -- have an incredibly obvious bug placed on their jeep ... which turns out to be there to distract them from the ''actual'' bug in the gas tank. |
| 63 | [[/folder]] |
| 64 | |
| 65 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 66 | * Invoked in ''Fanfic/HisHonorTheMayorDrewLipsky'': Jim and Tim want to deal with Kim's ImmoralJournalist classmate because he posts fake stories about her on the internet so they give him a recording device they know isn't hard for Kim to find to get him in trouble. |
| 67 | * ''Fanfic/{{Wyvern}}'': In order to spring the trap set for Taylor at Winslow, Carol Dallon gives Taylor the Decoy, a bulky neon-yellow tape recorder with "YOU ARE BEING RECORDED" printed on the side in big obvious letters. [[JustifiedTrope As the name suggests, the Decoy is not actually an audio recorder]]. It's actually a very durable remote microphone for the ''real'' audio recorder (which is hidden safely in Taylor's pocket), and also contains a tracking beacon and is coated in a UV-reactive dye. Taylor takes the Decoy to Winslow, shows it to the Trio, and informs them that they are being recorded (which she legally has to do to be able to introduce those recordings as evidence in a court case). [[BatmanGambit As expected,]] the Trio promptly steal the Decoy, only for Taylor to call the police, leaving the Trio caught with their hands covered in the UV-reactive dye from the Decoy, a complete record of their stealing it from Taylor, and with the tracking beacon tracing the Decoy to Sophia's locker. |
| 68 | [[/folder]] |
| 69 | |
| 70 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 71 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'', Emmet is tagged on his leg with a tracking device by Bad Cop. It hits him hard enough for him to cry out in pain, but he doesn't notice the device. It's huge (bigger than their claw hands) and blinking, but Batman doesn't notice it when they meet up with him. Emmet then stands in the middle of a stadium, the focus of attention of 100 people, who completely surround him, and none of them notice it. |
| 72 | [[/folder]] |
| 73 | |
| 74 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 75 | * In ''Film/ShortCircuit'', when the protagonist #5 wanders off, its creator turns on its homing beacon so that his corporation can track it down. When #5 notices the beacon, it's about the size of an apple, with a prominent blinking light, easily detached and tossed into the back of some hapless bypasser's pickup truck. In this case, #5 was never intended to become self-aware enough to decide that the homing device should be gotten rid of, which may excuse its obviousness, but there is no reason a robotics company spending a fortune on a self-operating war machine wouldn't take care to integrate its homing beacon more effectively into the device. Even a prototype would have the homing beacon properly secured to prevent it from being knocked off during exercises -- and a final production version would've been even ''more'' ruggedized. |
| 76 | * Parodied in "A Fistful of Yen", the ''Film/EnterTheDragon'' parody from ''Film/TheKentuckyFriedMovie''. The hero engages in conversation with the woman he's there to rescue while she points out the bugs in his room, starting with a visible but not-so-obvious one in a bouquet of flowers and moving on to really obvious (but not totally ridiculous) one on the lamp, progressing to studio microphones on the side of pictures, a boom mike overhead, a technician in the corner waving a big listening device around, and finally an annex to his room holding an entire audio studio with technicians wearing headphones. |
| 77 | -->'''Ada Gronick:''' The guards will have to be bribed. We'll need money.\ |
| 78 | '''Loo:''' We can raise the money, that's no problem. ''(pulls down the boom mike and speaks directly into it)'' [[AndThatWouldBeWrong BUT IT WOULD BE WRONG]]! |
| 79 | * In ''Film/BattlefieldEarth'', not only are the cameras large enough to be seen easily, but they even make a noise when operating. Despite this, the assistant bad guy never notices them, even though he has viewed other people through them before. But then the movie is so awful anyway.... |
| 80 | * In ''Film/AustinPowersTheSpyWhoShaggedMe'', Felicity Shagwell is charged with planting a homing beacon on Fat Bastard. The beacon is roughly the size of a small egg and a good third of it is a flashing red light with a beeping sound attached. She successfully plants it on him by seducing him, sleeping with him and then when he rolls over to look over the side of the bed (for food) she [[AssShove shoves it up his backside]]. He just thinks she's "frisky" and jumps back on top of her. This turns out to be a stupid idea as he just craps it out. [[spoiler:Although the vegetative makeup in said stool sample does allow them to find Dr. Evil's lair.]] |
| 81 | * Surprisingly, used by Jason in ''Film/TheBourneIdentity'', when he places a large can-like object under the rear bumper of a van. To his credit, it doesn't beep or blink, but it's pretty large and obvious to anyone that walks up from behind the van.... |
| 82 | * Invoked in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'': [[spoiler:triple-agent Mac drops several devices with big, flashing red lights and loud beeps to lead Spalko to the City of Gold]]. In this case, [[spoiler:Mac]] was counting on them being spotted, so it would make sense for them to be conspicuous. |
| 83 | * Parodied in ''Film/TheFifthElement'': one of Zorg's agents spies on a top secret government meeting by strapping a microphone to a cockroach. The cockroach is huge and the microphone is half as big as the cockroach. The obviousness of it is increased by the person driving the cockroach leaving it on the President's desk in plain view... where the President sees it and squashes it flat. LifeImitatesArt: ''[[http://wireheading.com/roboroach/index.html we can do this already]]''. |
| 84 | * ''Film/TheNannyDiaries'' has a teddy bear with a rather obvious camera on it. Subverted since near the end, the nanny is ranting into it for the housewife to see. |
| 85 | * In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', Lucius leaves a bugged cell phone behind. It beeps aloud and scrolls text in the display while bugging. |
| 86 | * ''Film/{{Brannigan}}'' (1975). The police plant a magnetically-attached bug on the vehicle of the mob lawyer used to make the ransom exchange, but he finds it and plants it on another vehicle while stopped in traffic. Unfortunately Creator/JohnWayne has planted a second bug inside one of the bundles of ransom money. |
| 87 | * Averted in ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry''. Spock put a tracking device on Captain Kirk's shoulder before he beamed to Chancellor Gorkon's ship. It was a different color from the rest of the uniform and visible to anyone looking closely, but otherwise just looked like a bit of cloth. Evidently the Klingons don't bother searching prisoners or confiscating their clothing. Probably saves on the prison budget at Rura Penthe. |
| 88 | * Averted in both version of ''Red Dawn'' where after the final battle where DirtyCommunists used one to track the Wolverines to their lair. ''Film/RedDawn1984'' has TheMole swallow the homing device, and ''Film/RedDawn2012'' has it planted under the guise of a stab wound. |
| 89 | * Unsurprisingly averted several times in ''Film/TheConversation'', which centres around the life of lonely bugging expert Harry Caul, played by Gene Hackman. As a prank, his rival Bernie Moran gives him an ordinary ballpoint pen with a microphone hidden inside, and it is so well concealed that Harry, the "expert", doesn't clue in at all. Later, [[spoiler: when he learns that his own apartment is bugged, he frantically rips apart his room but [[ParanoiaFuel isn't able to find anything]]]]. |
| 90 | * Done to a truly awful degree in Creator/JohnWoo's ''Film/ABetterTomorrow''. In order to bug a mob boss, an undercover detective gives him a ship in a bottle. But instead of building the bug into the ship he attached the huge obvious thing to the outside. The kicker? He doesn't attach in it advance, but instead stands right outside the guy's office sticking it on. |
| 91 | * Subverted in Jean-Pierre Melville's ''Film/LeSamourai''. When the Paris police sneak into assassin Jef Costello's apartment to plant a listening device, the one they initially choose is a huge black box with a big antenna and a red light. The officer puts it in the hiding place, scrutinizes it briefly, and then decides to go with a smaller model. Even the small one is pretty big, though considering the film was made in 1967, it's hard to judge whether that really would have been the best they had available. |
| 92 | * Parodied in ''Film/TheNakedGun 2''; Frank Drebin is captured by the bad guys and gets patted down. The mook patting him says "he's wired!", and shows us the device: it takes up all of Frank's chest, complete with flashing lights and whirring tape. |
| 93 | * This trope is used for comedy in ''Film/TheGlassBottomBoat''. A bug is made to blend in with a plate of hors d'oeuvres. Unfortunately, it is rather plastic and fake-looking. Even worse, it moves around on the plate. A nervous guest still manages to eat it. |
| 94 | * ''Film/PoliceAcademy 2: Their First Assignment'' (1985). Mahoney is sent undercover to infiltrate Zed's gang, but the best wire his incompetent fellow recruits can come up with is a huge microphone taped to his chest. Which has a tendency to broadcast nearby radio stations. |
| 95 | * ''Film/TrueRomance''. The battery pack for the HiddenWire worn by Elliot drops down into his underpants, and he keeps trying to push it back up again. Fortunately no-one notices. |
| 96 | * In ''[[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice Batman v Superman]]'', Batman tracks the truck [=LexCorp=] is using to transport Kryptonite with a bug that's not only the size of an adult man's thumb, but also equipped with a blinking red light. They completely fail to notice it even after the vehicle is checked for damage when they arrive on-site. |
| 97 | * In ''Film/KingOfThieves'', the police plant some obvious bugs, but plant them in non-obvious places (e.g. under the dashboard of a car and in a breadbasket on a pub table). |
| 98 | * In ''{{Film/Solo}}'', Enfys Nest's second-in-command places a tracking beacon on the ''Millennium Falcon'''s hull with bright red lights on it. The lights kind of look like bars to indicate signal strength. |
| 99 | * Throughout ''Film/TheTrumanShow'', several black dome-type cameras are very clearly visible throughout the town. |
| 100 | [[/folder]] |
| 101 | |
| 102 | [[folder:Jokes]] |
| 103 | * There's a well-known [[RussianHumor Russian joke]] involving the fictional Soviet spy Stierlitz in Nazi Germany, from ''Series/SeventeenMomentsOfSpring'': |
| 104 | -->(''Hitler walks into the war room and sees a large, heavy grey box in the middle of the table'')\ |
| 105 | '''Hitler:''' What's that?\ |
| 106 | '''Heinrich MĂĽller:''' It's a latest Soviet audio-recording microscopic bug, possibly put here by Stierlitz.\ |
| 107 | '''Hitler:''' (''exasperated'') So get rid of it!\ |
| 108 | '''Heinrich MĂĽller:''' We tried. Nobody can lift the damn thing. |
| 109 | * An [[GermanHumour East German]] variant poking fun at the omnipresent secret service Stasi as well as the often horribly outdated technology in the GDR: How do you know that your apartment has been bugged by the Stasi? You've got a new closet, and there's a generator running down in the street. |
| 110 | [[/folder]] |
| 111 | |
| 112 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 113 | * In the ''Literature/BattlefieldEarth'' '''book''' (which is quite a bit better than the movie, has somewhat more explanation, and a rather more complex plot) there is a setup with several cameras which are intended to be found, complemented by several more which are considerably smaller, with lead-coated covers that flick closed when a bug detector is used in their vicinity. Needless to say, these ''aren't'' detected. |
| 114 | * ''Literature/ArtemisFowl: The Eternity Code'' uses the 'obvious bug to draw attention away from the other one' variant. The less obvious bug was pretty much undetectable, and the more obvious bug (obvious only by comparison, it is indistinguishable from a shirt button) was only there because the villain would've been suspicious if he hadn't found anything at all. |
| 115 | * ''Literature/PerfectDark'' the novel. Yes, the novel. Daniel Carrington uses a bug in the flowers to steal info from a rival. It might have worked...if one of Daniel's people hadn't been caught out doing the SAME THING earlier to one of the rival's employees. |
| 116 | * ''Literature/TheTalisman'': all the boys' rooms in the Sunlight Home are bugged. A subversion, as the bug is in plain sight because Sunlight Gardener ''wants'' the boys to know he's listening. |
| 117 | * One of the original ''Literature/JamesBond'' books used this. The audio bugs were meant to be discovered easily, leading to the heroes speaking through notes. They didn't see the hidden cameras, though.... |
| 118 | * Inverted in an issue of ''Literature/PerryRhodan''. The delegation of the planet Camelot (coordinates unknown to outsiders at this time) moves into their new embassy on Arkon and discovers... no detectable bugs at all. It's this very fact that arouses their suspicions enough to launch a ploy to confirm that their embassy is in fact bugged after all, and the discovery that their hosts have found a way to [[spoiler:turn all the ''plants'' in the area, both indoors and out, into rather effective 'bugs' by means of nigh undetectable wires threaded through their very cells and leading out through the roots]]. |
| 119 | * Creator/RogerZelazny's ''Literature/LordOfLight'' has bugs very similar to ''Film/TheFifthElement'' scene quoted above. The current point-of-view character is asked not to kill them because he is in a temple. (He does anyway.) |
| 120 | * Averted in the ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse''. Grand Admiral Thrawn manages to bug the New Republic's main government building on Coruscant. They do constant sweeps with the best droids they have, but to no avail. Turns out the bugs were [[spoiler: the trees that had been planted by the Emperor some time ago as a means of spying on politicians. They would convert the vibrations from sound waves into electronic signals that could then be played back as audio and give the Imperial technicians a perfect link to their plans]]. |
| 121 | ** Type 2 example used in ''[[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Dark Force Rising]]'' (also by Zahn), where ship-thief Niles Ferrier plants an obvious bug on the hull of Lando's ship while his invisible associate sneaks into the ship itself to plant a second one. [[spoiler: It works. Lando finds and leaves the first bug on the planet, but the second one remains undetected and helps Ferrier get a lead on the Katana Fleet]] |
| 122 | ** In the ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' duology (also by Zahn), mercenary/bodyguard Shada Dukal wears incredibly obvious ornamental needles in her hair...except they're not actually ornamental at all; most are highly lethal throwing darts and at least one is a recording device/transmitter. But the first person she goes up against in the story is another mercenary who was ''trained by Shada'' and knows all of her tricks, forcing Shada at gunpoint to turn it off so that she can't call for backup. |
| 123 | ** ''[[Literature/LegacyOfTheForce Exiles]]'' by Creator/AaronAllston has a spider-shaped, mobile bug planted on a spy-trained Jedi by folks who know he is trained to spot bugs. Somewhat quickly discovered and neutralized. The Jedi also detects the aerial surveillance by pure Force skill. Not quite sure what the bug was supposed to accomplish... |
| 124 | *** Allston likes this trope. In ''[[Literature/XWingSeries Wraith Squadron]]'' one of Zsinj's plots involves putting smallish, flat box-shaped clinging droids on the hulls of New Republic starships, so they can report on where the ships go. Big ships might never notice - these are space ships, after all - and when one is spotted on a factory-new X-Wing it's assumed to be just another one of the stupid unauthorized things added on by the manufacturers. The Wraiths really only discovered it on accident, because of another Zsinj plot. These "bugs" don't blink, beep, or move (at least when anyone's present; they do sometimes switch from one ship to another, which is how it was eventually discovered), and they try to blend in with the color scheme of the ship they're attached to, but they're still a good twenty centimeters to a side. |
| 125 | *** Another Allston example, though this one's justified: In ''[[Literature/NewJediOrder Rebel Dream]]'', Iella Wessiri finds a relatively obvious microphone on a water pipe in the Skywalker's bathroom--a ''double'' sign of incompetence, as the microphone would only be useful if water were not running through the pipe. The corresponding "listener" is found in the quarters of Tycho Celchu (who everyone knows was ''definitely'' not involved). Figuring that the real spy likely has a second "listener" of their own, they choose to leave the microphone in place for a FeedTheMole ploy. [[spoiler:It later turns out that the ''actual'' spy who planted it wasn't doing so willingly, and while he was trained in journalism, those skills did not translate well to spying in this case. He was later freed from his programming. When he finally figured out that the info he'd gathered had only ''hurt'' the Yuuzhan Vong cause, he was much relieved.]] |
| 126 | *** Allston also averts the trope when it suits the story. In ''[[Literature/XWingSeries Starfighters of Adumar]]'', Wedge Antilles has Tycho Celchu do a sweep of the quarters for listening devices. He finds a couple, but is savvy enough to realize there might be more he ''hasn't'' found. They do determine to their own satisfaction that their fighters and clothes are bug-free, however, and documentarian Hallis Saper later reveals the balcony is also clear of listening devices, giving them a few options for private conversation that they use. [[spoiler:It works; the New Republic Intelligence officer has no idea how much they've guessed about the situation, until Wedge has a rather heated discussion with him later.]] Speaking of Hallis Saper (an IntrepidReporter type with a {{Paparazzi}} background), she has numerous ingenious ways to hide her recording equipment. One of her more obvious methods involves placing it in a 3PO droid head and mounting it on her shoulder, but this is an invocation of IconicOutfit that allows her to be more covert when she wishes; after she's forced to abandon the 3PO droid head, she hides her recording devices inside an [[ImprobableHairstyle intricate hairstyle with gems]]; it works here because she's at a major diplomatic function with several others sporting similarly fancy looks. |
| 127 | * ''[[Literature/CherubSeries CHERUB]]'' has a malfunctioning bug begin repeatedly beeping, causing a mission to fail. Most of the time, however, CHERUB averts this trope. |
| 128 | * ''Literature/TheActionHerosHandbook'' advises that if you find such a bug, don't stop looking, because a savvy spy may have planted a less obvious bug elsewhere and counted on you to assume this trope. |
| 129 | * H Beam Piper's ''Little Fuzzy'' subverts this trope hilariously. [[BigBad Victor Grego]] has plans, and having the Fuzzies' [[spoiler:sentience exposed]] will ruin them. But somehow the government knows ''exactly'' what he's up to. [[spoiler:That big gorgeous globe of Zarathustra with the electrical display, smack in the middle of his office, that he got as a present? It's got a full-scale audio-visual-transmission set-up in it.]] |
| 130 | * In ''Literature/GoingPostal'', Lord Vetinari uses these in the Palace so that people will hush up around the obvious bugs and he can observe their behavior, or get them to be talkative in places with ''less'' obvious bugs. Given the Disc's tech level, these are concealed (or ''almost'' concealed) speaking tubes, rather than anything electronic. |
| 131 | * In ''[[Literature/TheStainlessSteelRat The Stainless Steel Rat for President]]'', the titular GuileHero taps into a corrupt BananaRepublic's media network with two bugs. One is a chunky (albeit functional) decoy; the other integrates seamlessly with the wires using technology beyond anything the State knows about. |
| 132 | [[/folder]] |
| 133 | |
| 134 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 135 | * Parodied in ''Series/TheGoodies'' episode "Clown Virus". US Military Intelligence officer Major Cheeseburger denies that his conversation with the Goodies is being recorded, whereupon two ashtrays on his desk start to rotate like tape reels and he starts speaking into the desk lamp. This becomes an OverlyLongGag as Cheeseburger activates one bug after another as the Goodies find them. |
| 136 | * In the BBC ''Literature/{{Wallander}}'' episode ''The Dogs Of Riga'', Wallander finds that the Lithuanian mafia has hidden a microphone inside his hotel room landline phone's receiver. He only discovers it though when he hears it glitching out whenever he receives a call on his mobile (based on a real phenomenon of radio transmissions getting interrupted by cell connections). |
| 137 | * ''Series/{{Titans|2018}}''. Donna Troy tags a car with a tracker, a golden shuriken with a flashing green light on it, that beeps audibly even as the truck it's on is a fair way away. It probably would have been less conspicuous to just follow the truck a bit closer, considering that she and Dick Grayson do that anyway. |
| 138 | * In the pilot miniseries of the new ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'', a large and obvious Cylon device is located in a prominent place in the center of the bridge. To their credit, technicians did apparently notice it, but they thought it had been installed properly as part of the battlestar's transformation into a museum and didn't report it; Colonel Tigh had words to say to them on the topic. |
| 139 | ** Baltar notices the device and figures it's Cylon in design but can't very well come out and say it, as they might suspect him of being a Cylon. Instead, he frames a recently-arrived crewmember, who is left behind on a space station. The kicker? [[FramingTheGuiltyParty That guy really was a Cylon.]] |
| 140 | * ''Series/VeronicaMars'': |
| 141 | ** Though the devices themselves are not incredibly conspicuous in design or form, merely the fact that Veronica Mars has given you a teddy bear, stapler, iPod, novelty pencil, gift basket, paperweight, school spirit button, etc. should be a red flag not to divulge your deepest secrets directly into it. Chances are that it not only captures perfect audio, but also captures video that can be [[EnhanceButton blown up into high resolution stills]] when appropriate. |
| 142 | ** There's a pretty straight instance in "Clash of the Tritons": Veronica plants a tracking device under Duncan Kane's car. With a big, convenient red LED to show you that it's active. It's still hard to see above the tire, granted, but in a dark garage... |
| 143 | ** And when she's trying to bug someone with a little bit of savvyness, she'll sometimes plant ''two'' bugs: One incredibly obvious one for her target to find, and a less obvious one for them not to find. |
| 144 | * An attempt at making a truly unobtrusive listening device was made on ''Series/GetSmart'', with CONTROL spending thousands of dollars to create a literal "bug" -- a tiny, perfectly lifelike, robotic fly with listening devices and radar built in. At the rollout, Max is so fooled by the disguise that he swats the fly. |
| 145 | * In ''Series/AmericanVandal'', Peter, unable to use his video camera on school grounds, tries to secretly record conversations with his smartphone planted in his breast pocket. Sam warns him that no one is going to be fooled by it, and indeed, no one is. |
| 146 | * Subverted in season 4 of ''Series/TwentyFour''; when CTU hands Behrooz Araz over to the terrorists with the intention of finding their base, they plant two bugs on him - an incredibly obvious one they intend for the terrorists to find, and a second subdermal implant which they expect that the terrorists won't think to look for after finding the first one. Unfortunately, they find both, and Behrooz is [[LeftHanging never heard from again]]. |
| 147 | * Played for laughs in ''Series/AlloAllo'', where a listening device in the Colonel's office is disguised as a vase of daffodils. When it is activated, one of the daffodils rises a few inches and rotates to point at whoever's talking. In a later episode, this incident is referred to, and everyone agrees that they won't be fooled again... and we notice that the desk lamp is rotating to point at whoever's talking. |
| 148 | ** Subverted: Whilst prominently large and anyone would know the device contained a microphone, it does not look out of place on Colonel von Strom’s desk: [[spoiler:''The ℡ephone'']] |
| 149 | *** DoubleSubversion: It’s the first thing the General checks when he commandeers von Strom’s office. |
| 150 | * Subverted on ''Series/{{LOST}}'': your typical flashing bug is planted in the terrorists' hangout, but it's put there to allow Sayid to find and disable it, thus winning favor with the terrorists and beginning his infiltration. |
| 151 | * Played for comedy on ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': |
| 152 | ** Frank uses a baby monitor as a bug. He comments that people buy baby monitors because everybody is "suspicious of babies." |
| 153 | ** Charlie thinks that he's in ''Film/{{Serpico}}'' and tries to narc on the gang by wearing a full-sized microphone attached to an 1980s-era tape deck as a bug. The gang comment that it's clearly visible. |
| 154 | * Subverted in the pilot of ''Series/{{Leverage}}''. The protagonists plant a bug that's found by the mark. Realizing the plan, he intends to trap the protagonists by informing the FBI of the plan, not knowing that he's running headlong into the protagonists' KansasCityShuffle. |
| 155 | -->'''Dubenich:''' I found the transmitter!\ |
| 156 | '''Nate:''' No, you found the transmitter with the blinking light. |
| 157 | * Seen in an episode of ''Series/TheStreetsOfSanFrancisco''. The tracking device is large and obvious (although not blinking or beeping), but it is planted on the back bumper of the car after the hero has gotten in, thus {{justif|iedTrope}}ying them not noticing it. |
| 158 | * Parodied in sketch show ''Series/BigTrain'' where a group of spies leave a number of incredibly obvious recording devices in a hotel room, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8Vh1AjAaJc including replacing a wall lamp with a full-size microphone hanging from a cord.]] The room's occupants look around suspiciously, then find and remove the only not immediately obvious bug, and continue reassured. |
| 159 | * In ''Series/TheITCrowd'', Jen worries about how visible Roy's hidden camera set up is, and he assures her modern technology is very discreet. [[GilliganCut Cut]] to a highly visible full-size camera lens sticking out of a hole in a box... which turns out to be ''the box the camera came in'', complete with a lifesize photograph of it. |
| 160 | * Averted in ''Series/MissionImpossible''. The standard bugs used by the team were metal disks no more than an inch across (tiny for the period) with no lights or beeping, and were generally hidden under tables or in other inconspicuous places. |
| 161 | * ''Series/PrettyGuardianSailorMoon'' Act Zero has Sailor V and Artemis attaching (offscreen) a rather noticeable blinking tracking device to the suitcase the villains of this episode carried around. Of course, they only notice it after she finds them and points this fact out; then again, this entire episode was never meant to be taken seriously.... |
| 162 | * Subverted in an episode of ''Series/OceanGirl''. A bug the size of an ashtray with a blinking red light is placed under a table. The two children who find it don't hesitate at all to destroy it. The evil corporation hunting them down wonder how it got found. |
| 163 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': |
| 164 | ** Averted in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS16E1TheRibosOperation The Ribos Operation]]". A discrete listening device about the size of a thumbnail was hidden on the inside of an architectural folly, out of sight for anyone not thoroughly searching the room or who was phenomenally lucky. It still got found. |
| 165 | ** The large, blinking tracking bug that is concealed inside the Master's recall device in "[[Recap/DoctorWho20thASTheFiveDoctors The Five Doctors]]". The High Council smash it once they find it, but by then it has done its job and led the Cybermen to the Master. |
| 166 | * {{Exploited|Trope}} in ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' in an episode where Dwight gives Jim a wooden mallard with a listening device planted in the bottom. Jim quickly discovers the conspicuous walkie-talkie underneath it; however, [[RedHerring the true purpose of the mallard was to distract attention away from]] the ''real'' bug, which Dwight had hidden inside a ballpoint pen. |
| 167 | * ''Series/HogansHeroes'': A large bucket of water sat outside Hogan's barracks with a ''very visible'' periscope that popped up and looked around. (The eyepieces were in the two-tap faucet in the barrack's sink.) There is also the picture of Hitler in Col. Klink's office. It shows Hitler giving a speech with a microphone. [[HiddenInPlainSight Of all obvious places to stick a hidden microphone]].... |
| 168 | * ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'' has statues with cameras in the eyes. This in itself would be rather obvious, but [[UncannyVillage The Village]] takes it [[strike:one]] ''two'' steps further: The cameras in the eyes have blinking lights, and the ''statues themselves rotate to track people.'' |
| 169 | * Usually averted on ''Series/BurnNotice''. The exceptions invariably come with a [[JustifiedTrope justification]]; for example, in one case, the person planting it was the buggee's [[TrueCompanions friend]] being coerced into it, and "all but signed my name on the damn thing" specifically to tip him off. |
| 170 | ** In one episode (don't have the name on me), they [[InvokedTrope invoke a subversion of this trope]] to make a ConMan very paranoid about people being after him. |
| 171 | ** Played straight in the pilot, though. Once again, justified by Michael being low on cash. Effectively, it includes a cheap cell phone (i.e. has a microphone without any noise filters) jury-rigged with two batteries from better cell phones. Sam did put it under the car seat, where most people don't look, though. |
| 172 | * ''Series/ICarly'': |
| 173 | ** In the episode "iSpy a Mean Teacher", Freddie gets a giant plastic piece of pie with a very obvious camera lens in the side. It even comes with a giant fork! |
| 174 | ** Also, in the episode "iStakeout" Carly and Sam wear glasses and a hat which are obvious cameras. |
| 175 | * In ''Series/TheMonkees'' episode "The Spy Who Came In From the Cool", the bug is in a lamp at the center of the table which the guys blatantly move back and forth between them and the spies. |
| 176 | * In Swedish comedy series ''Hipp Hipp'', TV reporter Morgan PĂĄlsson is talking to an illegal weapons dealer, while holding a potted plant. |
| 177 | -->'''Morgan:''' Please say "I sell guns." Into this flower. |
| 178 | * The subject of a ''Series/MrShow'' sketch, in which an undercover police officer uses a variety of very poorly disguised cameras and microphones in an attempt to bust a criminal. |
| 179 | * In the ''Series/StargateSG1'' episode "Fair Game", the Goa'uld accuse their hosts of this: |
| 180 | -->'''Nirrti:''' Your crude surveillance devices were poorly hidden in our quarters.\ |
| 181 | '''Daniel:''' Well that’s because they weren’t hidden.\ |
| 182 | '''Lord Yu:''' ''[hands Daniel a broken camera]'' |
| 183 | * Subverted on ''Series/BabylonFive''. In "The Geometry of Shadows", Londo tries to plant a (small for this trope, but still visible to the audience) spy camera in order to capture a symbolic image for his own gain. The other party involved (in this case a [[MagicFromTechnology Technomage]], who are experts at planting sophisticated microscopic, i.e. ''nanoscale'', bugs) notices the bug, ([[StuffBlowingUp disposes of it spectacularly]]), and is ''very'' unhappy. |
| 184 | ** Another case had someone putting a listening device on Londo's coat, which would have been obvious, but it turns invisible. |
| 185 | * ''Series/OnceUponATime'': Sydney brings a potted plant to Emma's office for no reason at all other than to plant a bug there. {{Downplayed|Trope}} in that the bug itself isn't visible, but they do [[LawOfConservationOfDetail focus on the plant for the benefit of the audience]], who by this point already knows he's TheMole. |
| 186 | * Aversion PlayedForLaughs in ''Series/{{Psych}}''; [[DitzyGenius Shawn]] ''himself'' can't find the bug in the mental hospital in "Shawn Interrupted." Cue a sequence of him talking to the wrong plant three times in a row, and then ''still'' having to move the bugged plant several times while distracting a patient with [[TrademarkFavoriteFood a bowl of Skittles]]. |
| 187 | * There was an Australian mini-series ''The Bite'' about a couple recruited by the Federal Police to help them investigate a drug-smuggling operation. The wife is given a recorder which gives a loud beep during the conversation with the villains. Fortunately she improvised by pretending it was a toy belonging to their children that had been left on. She makes sure to give the AFP a piece of her mind at the embassy. |
| 188 | * In the ''Series/MiamiVice'' episode "Heart of Darkness", the wire Tubbs is wearing is accidentally miswired so that it picks up FM radio. This makes the wire all but useless for its intended purpose and nearly gets Tubbs killed when it starts playing loud music in the middle of a meeting with armed criminals. Tubbs tries to beat up the technician responsible. |
| 189 | * ''Series/MurdochMysteries'': In "Murdoch Air", James Pendricks finds a microphone hidden in his lab, that's about the size of an alarm clock. Of course this is justified by the time period (the early 20th century), since even for spy tools miniaturization had yet a long way to go. |
| 190 | * ''Series/{{Banacek}}'': One is planted in Banacek's home in "Rocket to Oblivion". |
| 191 | * In the ''Hale and Pace'' sketch "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_-h7ihvGa8 Moscow Vice]]", our heroes are wearing {{Hidden Wire}}s of the latest Soviet technology...which are the size of a backpack. |
| 192 | * An episode of ''Series/JamesMaysManLab'' involved trying to find the best way to remember people's names by going to a dinner with military men and women. James watched the whole thing using a hidden camera...which was a [=GoPro=]. Everyone at the party just pretended not to notice. |
| 193 | * ''Series/BreakingBad'': A double-subversion in Season 5. Jesse arrives to retrieve a barrel of methylamine from Lydia's warehouse as per their deal, only for Lydia to spot a tracker stuck to the bottom of the barrel. When Jesse relays this to Mike, he thinks the situation smells extremely fishy due to [[LampshadeHanging how unhidden the tracker was]] and concludes that Lydia herself stuck the tracker to the barrel to try and weasel her way out of the deal. Jesse wants to make absolutely sure Lydia is guilty before they kill her, so Mike forces Lydia at gunpoint to make a scripted call to the DEA. It turns out they were in fact dumb enough to stick the trackers on the ''outside'' of the methylamine barrels instead of ''inside'', and Lydia is innocent. |
| 194 | [[/folder]] |
| 195 | |
| 196 | [[folder:Radio]] |
| 197 | * In the ''[[Radio/{{Fruehstyxradio}} Onkel Hotte]]'' three-parter "Sam Hotte, Privatdetektiv" (Sam Hotte, P.I.) which is ''Film/{{The Maltese Falcon|1941}}'' [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] "Literature/SnowWhite", evil queen Silicone Collins orders private eye Sam Hotte to find her stepdaughter and give her a present from her late husband and the latter's father, a Malteser Sackratte (Maltese crab louse) figurine. It is beeping audibly, and both Sam (in the first part) and one of the dwarfs (in the third part) point out that it looks like a big tracking device which Silicone Collins explains to Sam with artistic license. |
| 198 | [[/folder]] |
| 199 | |
| 200 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 201 | * A magical variant with ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': powers like Clairaudience and Clairvoyance, and other scrying methods, are perfectly discreet ways of spying on people, since only those with supernatural senses or the proper spells can notice them. However, in the ''{{TabletopGame/Ravenloft}}'' setting, any scrying will create a ghostly organ (ear or eye) which is ''visible''. Newcomers to the demiplane not privy to this fact may get a surprise on their first spying attempts. |
| 202 | * Occasionally played with in ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}''. In Alpha Complex most places are bugged to some extent or another, often quite subtly, but that doesn't stop the Computer from occasionally having very obvious cameras, or other obvious tracking devices. |
| 203 | ** Of course, the presence of an obvious camera probably means it's less likely for anyone to be watching. After all, how often do things actually work as intended in Alpha Complex? |
| 204 | [[/folder]] |
| 205 | |
| 206 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 207 | * In ''VideoGame/GoldenEye1997'', an objective in one level requires you to place a tracking device on a helicopter. The bug is actually the same color as the helicopter and specially designed to be undetectable -- but the game isn't programmed to notice if you place the bug on the ''windshield''. Then there's the "covert" modem in the Dam level, which is enormous, as is required to be planted right on the monitor of a computer. Averted in [[VideoGame/GoldenEye2010 the remake]], where Bond places his GPS-enabled smartphone on the helicopter's landing gear in a cutscene. Played straight with the security cameras, which have highly-visible lights showing their field of vision. |
| 208 | * In ''VideoGame/TheWorldIsNotEnough'', you plant rather obvious bugs on the phones in Elektra's mansion. |
| 209 | * Subverted in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', Leon attaches a beeping, flashing tracker bug to Ashley's back when the BigBad takes her away. Not surprisingly, Leon finds it discarded in a puddle two scenes later. |
| 210 | * You get one of these planted on you in the original ''VideoGame/MetalGear1''. |
| 211 | * ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'': |
| 212 | ** Happens once unobtrusively and once inserted into an open wound by Ocelot. Ocelot's transmitter ''would'' be pretty hard to find, if it weren't for the fact that you have to manually heal your wounds, and the transmitter shows up as... well, as [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a transmitter in a wound]]. Leaving it in means you have to sneak past several enemies in an area that would be unoccupied otherwise, but grants an extra cutscene when Snake meets up with EVA where she finds the transmitter and helps remove it in [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything the most innuendo-laden manner the devs could think of]]. |
| 213 | ** The Boss plants a less obvious one on Snake so the Cobra unit can track his movements and [[BossRoom set up ambushes]], which Volgin finds. |
| 214 | * In ''VideoGame/MegamanLegends 2'': Teisel and the others listen in onto a conversation on the Sulphur-Bottom about the {{Cosmic Keystone}}s and Barrell spots the bug on one of the security guards. Cue the loud screeching noise in Teisel's ear. |
| 215 | * ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}}: Playground of Destruction'': South Korean listening posts are human-sized structures with transmitters on top- the in-game manual lampshades how un-subtle South Korea is being with them. Destroying them rewards you with a cash bounty and faction rep from China. |
| 216 | * ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'' has lights on things that probably wouldn't have lights, such as steam powered turrets and flying attack bots, that arbitrarily change from red to green when you convert them by re-plumbing them, and "security cameras" the size of two toasters[[labelnote:+]]at least the size can be explained that Rapture is stuck in a SteamPunk-like version of TheFifties that never heard of miniaturization[[/labelnote]]. They throw spotlights as part of their search function, [[JustifiedTrope which makes sense]] given [[WhoForgotTheLights the lack of ambient light throughout most of the game]]. Most cameras can be spotted easily, either by their search lights or by the incredibly loud sounds their servos make while swiveling. |
| 217 | * The cameras in ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'' that inspired the ''VideoGame/BioShock'' cameras above also apply, but to a lesser extent. Gigantic green light that turns yellow, when they see you, then red when the alarm is tripped, and goes out when the camera is destroyed. Unlike their successors, these cameras move silently, have no spotlight and their colors blend into the background, making it very easy to get caught out unawares by them despite them being fairly large. |
| 218 | * ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'': In Mission 3-1 (Chicago), you must place a Tracking Device on a Datadyne limo. On an additional note, you'll fail the mission if the guards see you planting the device. |
| 219 | * ''Franchise/TouhouProject'''s 11th game, ''VideoGame/TouhouChireidenSubterraneanAnimism'', has [[BarrierMaiden Reimu]] or [[BarrierMaiden Marisa]] travelling to the Underground Hell, while their weapons have been modified by [[RealityWarper Yukari]], upgrading them to "walkie-talkie". The funny thing? Reimu and Marisa didn't even know about this, until they started hearing voices from nowhere. [[HandyHelper Nice co-op!]] |
| 220 | * ''VideoGame/DragonFable'' has a quest that involves a flying eyeball with perhaps the most obvious bug of all time planted on it by the player. How obvious you say? [[http://general-tommy.deviantart.com/art/Incredibly-Obvious-Bug-120898094 I think this says everything you need to know...]] |
| 221 | * One sidequest in ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' has the protagonist sneak into an actress' home to plant cameras so her rival-turned-Nosferatu can get some dirt on her and ruin her reputation. The three cameras are roughly fist-sized (think USB-cable cameras for your computer) and ''placed in open view''. You don't make a single attempt to hide them, just put 'em down on coffee tables and desks, then connect them to the internet ''through the resident's own computer''. And just to complete the unbelievable, the rival gets her dirty laundry on her right away. It involves a llama. That's right, she ignored the incredibly obvious cameras and brought a ''llama'' to her apartment for some unspeakable acts. RefugeInAudacity much? And as a finishing touch to blow your mind, you have to place said cameras ''while sneaking'', since said woman (and her boyfriend) are still in said apartment, walking from room to room. God only knows why neither of them goes "Hey, was this nice camera really here five seconds ago?". |
| 222 | * [[SpoonyBard Edward]] deliberately uses one in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIVTheAfterYears''. In his tale, he [[spoiler:suspects something is wrong with Cecil, and pays him a visit, giving him a "gift" of some Damcyan flowers. His suspicions are confirmed when Cecil fails to recognize it as a Whisperweed, which Cecil used in the original game]]. And then he uses it to spy on the bad guys, making him the first character to know something was up, and to actually put one over on the villains at the same time. |
| 223 | * ''VideoGame/DeusEx'': |
| 224 | ** In the first title, security cameras glow green and emit a constant beeping sound if they spot someone, which is rather useful for alerting nearby guards. |
| 225 | ** Justified in ''[[VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution Human Revolution]]'': the cameras are not generally intended to be invisible, and Adam's optic augmentations show the cameras' cone of vision on his HUD. |
| 226 | * Played with and lampshaded in ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves''. Since Rajan's second hideout is in [[JungleJapes the jungle]], your MissionControl points out that an electronic device would be too obvious and gives you an ''actual'' bug that can transmit sound back to you. Unfortunately, said bug makes a high-pitched noise when it's away from water for too long, so unless you frequently release it into nearby pools, you'll have half the guards on the map running towards you. Then, towards the end of ''[[VideoGame/Sly3HonorAmongThieves Honor Among Thieves]]'', [[GadgeteerGenius Penelope]] releases a gigantic, flashing disc over [[WretchedHive Bloodbath Bay]] and it's almost immediately shot down by superstitious henchmen. |
| 227 | * Pictured above: A RED Spy wearing the Camera Beard. This being ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', [[YourRewardIsClothes it's just for show and lulz.]] |
| 228 | * The Recon class in ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield 3}}'' can deploy gadgets that automatically spot enemies. In the interest of CompetitiveBalance, any enemies in detection range can hear the devices beeping and see their location through walls. Merely aiming in the direction of a gadget may also highlight them for all to see. |
| 229 | * ''Franchise/MassEffect'': |
| 230 | ** Averted and played with: bugs are tiny things not visible to the naked eye, and are implied to require advanced scanners to detect. Even the best bugs are Incredibly Obvious to Dr. Mordin Solus, though: |
| 231 | --->''Found a large number of surveillance bugs and cameras. Destroyed most of them. Returned expensive one to Miranda.'' |
| 232 | ** And Tali. |
| 233 | --->'''Shepard:''' The Illusive Man isn't running this show, I am.\ |
| 234 | '''Tali:''' So ''you're'' the one who put the monitoring devices all over the ship? |
| 235 | * Lampshaded in the iPhone game ''Battle Nations'' in a mission where the scientist needs a TrackingDevice to study the local raptor population the resident WrenchWench asks what color he wants the blinking light, "they always have one." |
| 236 | * The premise of ''VideoGame/NightTrap'' is that a special police unit has snuck a wiretap onto the security system of a house, which controls internal cameras and a series of traps. The wiretap is a large, visible cable hanging inside from a window in the entrance hallway of the house. You are even told that you will lose control if the cable is pulled, but no one even bothered to try to hide it. |
| 237 | * In the GBA version of ''VideoGame/TheUrbz'', there's a mission in which you're tasked with bringing a briefcase to a detective so he can plant a recording device on it. When he gives the briefcase back to you, it has ''a stage microphone taped to its side''. Obviously, it's played for humor here, as the device works perfectly. You can even joke about the briefcase being bugged for you to the thug you're supposed to drop it off, which doesn't affect the mission outcome. [[spoiler:The fact that he isn't fazed by how obvious the bug is indicates that there's more to him than it seems...]] |
| 238 | * ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'': You can place bugs to gather information that Info-chan might find useful. Such bugs are black, fist-sized, and often placed in the open. At least they don't flash or make noise, and are often placed in out-of-the-way spots. |
| 239 | [[/folder]] |
| 240 | |
| 241 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 242 | * The protagonist of ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'' manages to find and destroy all of the hidden cameras on Dennis’s yacht. However, while searching, and in full knowledge that Dennis was spying on them in this way, he never thinks to check for hidden ''microphones'' as well. He pays dearly for his mistake when Dennis plays a recording of a damning conversation between MC and Tamara talking about their role in [[spoiler:the avalanche that spring]]. |
| 243 | [[/folder]] |
| 244 | |
| 245 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 246 | * ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': |
| 247 | ** In an episode of ''WebAnimation/CheatCommandos'', the eponymous characters are invited to the villain's house for [[GoKartingWithBowser Thanksgiving dinner]]. Somehow, Gunhaver can see everything that's going on. It's eventually revealed to be [[MeaningfulName Reinforcements]] standing on the other side of the room with a camera. |
| 248 | ** Played with in the WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail "[[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail81.html date]]" when Strong Bad gets a close up of Strong Mad punching Strong Sad in the face: |
| 249 | --->'''Strong Sad:''' (''to Strong Mad'') When did you start wearing a glass ring?\ |
| 250 | '''Strong Bad:''' (''offscreen, watching the video'') Oh, beautiful!\ |
| 251 | '''Strong Sad:''' ...With a camera in it? |
| 252 | * In ''[[https://youtu.be/ISfNviwVs_A?t=194 Testificate Man: The Movie]]'' by ''WebAnimation/ElementAnimation'', Testificate Man plants a tracking device on Dr. Inconsiderate, stating that he'll never find it. It's a huge blinking device on his nose that makes a very loud beeping noise, which he never discovers. |
| 253 | [[/folder]] |
| 254 | |
| 255 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 256 | * ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'': "[[http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2007-05-11/comic/shades-of-black-and-white/video-recording-devices-prohibited Who]]... is that bitch with the ''video camera?''" Said [[http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2007-05-25/comic/shades-of-black-and-white/i-spy/ video camera]] also has a ''sticker'' reading ''"Property of the Mobian Inquisition"'' |
| 257 | -->'''Morth:''' [[LampshadeHanging Well, it seems the inquisition hasn't increased its R&D budget since I left.]]\ |
| 258 | [...]\ |
| 259 | '''Jamila:''' ...I told them it should say "[[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial not property of Mobian Inquisition]]".\ |
| 260 | '''Morth:''' Yes, [[SarcasmMode because that would have fooled me completely]]. |
| 261 | %%* ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'': Seen on chapter 14. |
| 262 | * Played with a couple times on ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary''. For instance, one scene has an attractive female [[spoiler:reporter]] start making small talk with the mercenaries while wearing invisible contact lens cameras. Invisible to the humans, that is; ''clearly'' visible to certain non-human crewmembers with better eyesight. Oops. |
| 263 | * In ''Webcomic/{{Spacetrawler}}'', the bugs that King places on Dmitri actually are pretty well-hidden, but the Conspiracy has "the most advanced bug detecting equipment in existence" and quickly finds them. [[http://spacetrawler.com/2013/02/05/spacetrawler-298/ Well, most of them.]] |
| 264 | -->'''Secret society member:''' I just can't help but wonder, who the hell would plant eighty-six bugs on somebody?\ |
| 265 | '''King:''' ''[listening over the radio]'' The same being who would actually plant '''ninety-two''', and hope you missed some. |
| 266 | * In ''Webcomic/{{Precocious}}'', the "florist" has one [[http://www.precociouscomic.com/archive/comic/2016/06/10 depicted]] on his job fair booth. |
| 267 | [[/folder]] |
| 268 | |
| 269 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 270 | * ''Website/OrionsArm'' has (or had) the spy plant. This attractive potted plant is easy to take care of, you just need to water it regularly, and speak about your subversive activity loudly and clearly. |
| 271 | [[/folder]] |
| 272 | |
| 273 | [[folder:Web Videos]] |
| 274 | * In ''[[WebVideo/ImAMarvelAndImADC The Randomverse]]: Marvel/DC Happy Hour'', Batman attaches a tracer to the Joker, but Joker immediately notices and puts it on the Green Goblin. |
| 275 | * Appears in ''WebVideo/DrHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' where Dr Horrible throws a cola can sized tracking/remote control device onto a van; making a huge "CLUNK" as the magnet attaches, and proceeds to use his iPhone to control its movements. Unfortunately his archnemesis Captain Hammer notices it almost immediately and crushes it. |
| 276 | * In ''WebVideo/FamiliarFaces'' episode 36, CR receives a fruit basket from ''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic''. It's shown to contain a few fruits and one large buzzing camera. |
| 277 | * In the ''WebVideo/LoadingReadyRun'' skit "The Wire", a mob boss checks the mole for a wire, but having confirmed there's nothing attached to his chest is then oblivious to the woman standing in plain view holding a boom mic in front of him, the guy with a mounted video camera pointed at him, and quickly accepts the need to have a studio light shone on him as it being a bit dark inside. After learning by phone that there's a mole, he refers to "undetectable listening devices". |
| 278 | * An episode of ''WebVideo/PittsburghDad'' has Dad accuse New England Patriots' coach Bill Belichick of having a SpyCam installed in Dad's basement to "get the episodes quicker". Said camera being a wall-mounted security camera set in the corner of the room directly behind where Dad usually sits to watch Steelers' games. |
| 279 | [[/folder]] |
| 280 | |
| 281 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 282 | * Exaggerated in the ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode "Choosy Wives Choose Smith", where Stan's attempts to secretly spy on Francine are thwarted by the fact that his idea of a "hidden camera" is a camcorder (tripod and all) shoved haphazardly into a potted plant. Stan even admits that he should've hid them better. |
| 283 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}:'' At the end of "[[Recap/AmphibiaS3E10MrX Mr. X]]", Anne asks her parents how they knew which bathroom stall she and the Planters were hiding from the agents in, and they reveal they secretly planted a tracking device on Hop Pop while he was sleeping earlier. This "tracking device" turns out to be a large beeping device that was duct-taped to Hop Pop's chest underneath his disguise, and he apparently knew it was there the whole time but just didn't know ''what'' it was or bothered trying to remove it. |
| 284 | -->'''Hop Pop:''' I was wondering what that was. |
| 285 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "Robin's Reckoning", Batman plants a bug under an armrest on mob boss Arnold Stromwell's chair roughly the size and shape of a peanut butter cup. For extra points, it has glowing lights in a darkened room. But Stromwell is too distracted yelling at Batman's target, Tony Zucco, to notice; Batman's then spotted by one of the lookouts on patrol. Chances are the thing's battery died before Stromwell could've found it. |
| 286 | * ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'': In ''[[Recap/SupermanTheAnimatedSeriesS2E16To18WorldsFinest World's Finest]]'', Batman plants a dime-sized ''flashing'' bug on Superman. Superman can't even find the bug until after he's changed into Clark Kent and Batman's figured out his identity. The thing ''was'' hidden in the folds of his cape, and Bats made sure to piss Superman off before he planted it, thus ensuring the Man of Steel wasn't thinking clearly on his way home. |
| 287 | * Used in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko''. Secret service agents think Jeremie is hacking into weapons databases, so Jim volunteers to be the one to plant a tracking device on him. His method? He slaps it onto him. |
| 288 | * Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/{{Detentionaire}}'' features bugs that are large enough to fill your palm, flash red, and beep, and several that we see are in completely open and obvious places, and yet nobody seems to notice them. |
| 289 | * ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether'': Parodied when Spanky Ham, in order to record Captain Hero's illegal manipulation of gambling, attempts to have a conversation with Hero concerning the swindle while secretly recording the conversation on a hidden tape recorder. Said tape recorder is taped to the front of his shirt and is half the size of Spanky. Subverted in that Captain Hero does suspect that Spanky is acting suspicious so he ends the conversation quickly by [[TheDitz "describing all the specifics and incriminating details of his illegal scam"]]. |
| 290 | * ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' takes it to new levels when Ed hides a camera on Kevin's lawn. And by "hides", we mean "puts in plain sight and tapes a twig to it". And by "plain sight" we mean "a tripod standing right in front of the front door". |
| 291 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents''. Mr Crocker's dead beeping flowers (fairy detector) |
| 292 | -->'''Mrs. Turner:''' Are those dead beeping flowers?\ |
| 293 | '''Mr. Crocker:''' Actually that's my fairy detector -- I mean yes! Dead beeping flowers. [[DepartmentofRedundancyDepartment That are dead.]] |
| 294 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantomcat}}'' episode "The Swords of the Scorpion", the members of the Wildcat Detective Agency stuck one on Scorpio's shoulder. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome It's spotted effortlessly]] by Marmagora's second-in-command, Vile the Bluebottle, through a videophone. |
| 295 | ** This also happens in the episode "Great Balls of Fire" when Vile sends a [[VisualPun literal bug]] to spy on Fantomcat inside Castle Fantom. |
| 296 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' film ''[[Recap/FuturamaM4IntoTheWildGreenYonder Into the Wild Green Yonder]]'', Bender plants a wiretap on Fry's cell phone [[RuleOfFunny with several blinking lights and spinning radar dishes that triples the size of the phone.]] He even lampshades this earlier when telling Nixon that he only needs one wiretap, but the latter decides to give him six, which Bender decides to use all of them at the same time. |
| 297 | * A tracking bug stuck to Goliath in the first story arc of ''{{WesternAnimation/Gargoyles}}'' is fairly inconspicuous... but blatantly labeled with the logo of the people who placed it! Goliath gets bugged two more times in the course of the series: the second time by Xanatos again and the last one by [[DarkActionGirl Robyn Canmore]]. |
| 298 | * In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'', there's a bug in an office - a man in a [[LiteralMetaphor bug suit]]. |
| 299 | * An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheHairBearBunch'' has the zookeeper Mr. Peevly order video cameras hidden throughout the zoo to keep tabs on the titular bunch. The Bears found the cameras easily. Justified in that the one who actually hid the cameras, Lionel J. Botch, isn't a very bright person. |
| 300 | * {{Parodied|trope}} in ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'', when X reveals [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/birdman_9329.png he knows too much:]] |
| 301 | -->'''Harvey:''' How did you find out about that?\ |
| 302 | '''X:''' Oh, I have my ways.\ |
| 303 | ''(Harvey looks up and sees a giant camera with X's insignia on it)''\ |
| 304 | '''Harvey:''' HOW LONG HAS ''THAT'' BEEN THERE?! |
| 305 | * ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' Seems to love this gag: |
| 306 | ** The pilot cuts from the eavesdropping Zim bragging about his hidden, 'ingenious listening device' to a giant metal tick, with antenna and twitching legs clutching the back of Dib's cartoonishly large head. |
| 307 | ** In "Tak the Hideous New Girl", Zim is able to follow Dib to Tak's lair because he'd planted a tracking device on him... a device that turns out to simply be GIR clinging to the back of Dib's head. |
| 308 | --->'''GIR:''' Your head smells like a puppy! |
| 309 | ** In another episode, Dib plants a listening device in Zim's base during a FlashBack by tricking Zim into turning his head and then throwing a trashcan-sized device through a wall. |
| 310 | --->'''Dib:''' HEY! Take a look at that garbage can!\ |
| 311 | '''Zim:''' Why yes, it is quite impressive, that can... |
| 312 | ** "[[Recap/InvaderZimS2E3ZimEatsWaffles Zim Eats Waffles]]" is set in motion by Dib smuggling a rather sizeable video recorder into Zim's kitchen (where it would presumably stick out like a sore thumb) by... [[[RefugeInAudacity Asking GIR to install it.]] |
| 313 | --->'''Dib:''' Hey, could you install this video camera in Zim's house so I can, um, spy on his evil and stuff?\ |
| 314 | '''GIR:''' ...OKEY DOKEY! |
| 315 | * ''WesternAnimation/MegaManRubySpears'': The episode "The Big Shake" was one of the few times Dr. Wily used an actual bug instead of sending Battons as spy robots. He averted this trope by using a very small, soundless bag placed right on the back of Mega Man's neck where nobody thought to look until Dr. Light saw it while doing repair work. |
| 316 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In "Party of One", Pinkie Pie dangles a [[TinCanTelephone can-on-a-string]] ''right in front of Twilight Sparkle's face'' to listen in on her conversation with Mrs. Cake. HilarityEnsues when Twilight finally notices it. |
| 317 | * In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', Candace sticks a camera into a cowboy hat, the lens fully exposed. The boys either don't notice, or, more likely, just don't care. |
| 318 | * An episode of ''WesternAnimation/ProjectGeeker'' had a huge emitter dart that actually served as a decoy for the nano-emitter it injected. |
| 319 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': |
| 320 | ** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E13HomerAndApu Homer and Apu]]" an undercover Homer is sent in to record health violations at the Kwik-E-Mart, wearing "a camera so small, it fits into this oversize novelty hat." Said camera also emits an audible buzzing noise and is incredibly heavy, which causes the user to have trouble balancing it (in fact it's ''so'' heavy that using it for over 20 minutes causes ''permanent neck damage''). Apu notices easily and tricks Homer into throwing it down and stomping it, but he makes the mistake assuming it destroyed and/or not live: He soon walks up to it after putting a hot dog that fell on the floor back on the rack and says, "Now, this is just between me and you, smashed hat." |
| 321 | ** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS9E20TheTroubleWithTrillions The Trouble with Trillions]]", the FBI places a listening device under Homer's shirt that makes a noticeable rectangular bulge. Homer goes into Moe's and, of course, immediately asks if anyone has any illegal activities they would like to discuss. When one barfly is arrested, and the others smell a rat (though nobody suspects Homer), Homer audibly mumbles "End Transmission" into his stomach and slinks off. |
| 322 | ** The treehouse phone (consisting of [[TinCanTelephone two cans and a string]]) was tapped by another string running into a van. |
| 323 | ** In season 13, "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS13E22PoppasGotABrandNewBadge Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge]]", when Homer starts a security company, he busts Fat Tony and his gang for selling ferrets disguised as toy poodles to pet shops. One of the ferrets, that they already disguised as a toy poodle, is wearing a large listening device that's strapped to its back that has a beeping red light, with an antennae, wires, an on/off switch, and a microphone sticking out. Somehow they never noticed the device while they were disguising it. |
| 324 | ** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS12E18TrilogyOfError Trilogy of Error]]", Wiggum makes a deal with Bart and Milhouse when he finds them with fireworks: they won't get into trouble if they can get evidence of Fat Tony illegally selling the fireworks. Cue Bart wearing an obvious walkie talkie under his shirt, Milhouse talking towards it and Wiggum blowing the whole covert operation. |
| 325 | * Franchise/SpiderMan sometimes has these when the writers remembered to use them. They are small devices tuned to his spider-sense that Spidey would throw onto the bumpers of cars or onto the backs of thugs so he could follow them. They were also bright red and spider-shaped. Not very discreet. Other were white and oval in shape with a highly stylized spider-motif (like the symbol on his back). They are also very small compared to some of the examples here. Sometimes he actually uses more than one, with one being very obvious, so as to distract them from the more cleverly hidden one. Spidey uses one of the clingy-stylized-spider type as an engagement ring. It comes in handy when she's kidnapped. |
| 326 | * ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': In "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS2E11LightsaberLost Lightsaber Lost]]", Jedi Master Tera Sinube sticks a large tracking device with a ''flashing light'' on Ione Marcy's back. It's a wonder her partner in crime Cassie didn't notice it sooner. |
| 327 | * Lampooned in ''WesternAnimation/TheTick'' season 2 episode, "Coach Fussel's Lament", in which The Tick orders a "Fiend Finder" which is an Incredibly Obvious Bug with matching tracker. On the other hand, what would you expect from surveillance equipment purchased ''from the back of a magazine''? |
| 328 | -->'''The Tick:''' You're telling me we have to find the fiend before we can use the Fiend Finder?! WHAT A RIP-OFF! |
| 329 | * ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'': |
| 330 | ** ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'': Subverted in "Bad Spark". Megatron attaches a cartoonishly large bug to Blackarachnia's back... and, as she walks away, we see it fade to invisibility. Later in the episode, we see Megatron sitting and looking down in a manner that implies he's perfectly aware of the large, spider-shaped listener Tarantulas has placed under Megatron's own chair. Played straight, however, in the episode "Tangled Web," where Tarantulas chucks a large, red, beeping bug onto the equipment Quickstrike had collected... ''and it makes a loud clanging sound as it lands.'' Naturally, Quickstrike doesn't notice. |
| 331 | ** In the ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' comic prequel/side-story ''The Arrival'', Blackarachnia attaches a tracking device to Starscream, which he fails to notice. |
| 332 | [[/folder]] |
| 333 | |
| 334 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 335 | * While rarely resembling the incredibly obvious bugs of fiction, this trope actually represented reality for some places and time periods. In particular, a famous [[GermanHumour joke]] in UsefulNotes/EastGermany went: |
| 336 | -->'''Q:''' ''"How do you know that the [[SecretPolice Stasi]] has bugged your apartment?"''\ |
| 337 | '''A:''' ''"There's a new cabinet in it and a generator running outside."'' |
| 338 | * Thinkgeek sells over-sized security cameras with blinking lights. Makes perfect sense; it's better a burglar decides not to rob your house than to rob you and possibly get caught. Taking this logic even further, some places sell false but obvious security cameras whose only purpose is to ''appear'' to be an Incredibly Obvious Bug. |
| 339 | ** Relatedly, one can find instructions for installing a blinking LED in your car's dashboard to make it appear to have a car alarm. A few cars have even been marketed with the blinking LED already installed. |
| 340 | ** And going even a step further, you can now buy ''real'' security cameras that look exactly like the fake security cameras pretending to be real security cameras. |
| 341 | ** Large stores with the black domes in the ceiling may or may not have a security camera in them. Among other things like this. |
| 342 | ** In many countries bugs being obvious is a legal requirement - if a camera can see public areas, such as around shops or the path outside your front door, you're required to let people know that they are on camera. |
| 343 | * [[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/15/husband-finds-out-wife-put-tracker-on-his-car-after-calling-poli/ A street was cordoned off and the bomb squad called after a businessman found a flashing device under his car -- which turned out to be a tracking bug fitted by his suspicious wife.]] |
| 344 | * As [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DkBl_3VEKs this video]] shows, the [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Pyongyang Hotel]] has its share of them in its rooms, complete with a large radio that has a massive bundle of seemingly unnecessary Ethernet cables running into it. |
| 345 | -->'''Comment:''' no it's not bugged that's why there's 47 wires running into one radio |
| 346 | [[/folder]] |
| 347 |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Main / IncrediblyObviousBug
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
