[[quoteright:203:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/588080caf62f23a40509dc0d8f71696b-med_7754.png]]
[[caption-width-right:203:Um...no. [[VisualPun You're doing it wrong.]]]]

The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_trumpet Ear Trumpet]] (or Ear Horn) is a very old-fa--

->HM?! WHAT'S THAT, SPEAK UP, BOY!

Ahem. The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_trumpet Ear Trumpet]] (or Ear Horn) is a very old-fashioned type of hearing aid that was fir--

->''WHAT?! YOU'LL HAVE TO SPEAK LOUDER, SONNY!''

[=*sigh*=]...

'''The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_trumpet Ear Trumpet]] (or Ear Horn) is a very old-fashioned type of hearing aid that was first invented in the 17th century. For the most part, they exist only as relics of older eras. However, they still serve a purpose in fiction.'''

->''DANGIT, KIDDO. YOU'RE SPEAKING TOO LOUD! THESE OLD EARS ARE SENSITIVE YOU KNOW!''

Oh for the love of--

There are usually three types of Ear Trumpets in fiction:
* Serving an accurate role in a PeriodPiece, where they reflect the setting.
* Used for comedic effect, to make it obvious that the person cannot hear.
* Another comedic usage, usually to illustrate how ridiculously old a character is.

Frequently accompanying an ICantHearYou gag.
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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Comics ]]

* Old timers in ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'' are often seen with these, especially if said geezers are weakened to wheelchair condition. Usually the ear trumpet user still cannot hear and has to rely on someone else to personally deliver "what he says".
* Professor Calculus uses one in ''[[Franchise/{{Tintin}} Destination Moon]]'' (which gets switched out at one point for the Captain's pipe). For the actual trip, he uses an earpiece that allows him to hear perfectly. Needless to say, [[StatusQuoIsGod later volumes return him to his hard-of-hearing state]].
** Well those are for deaf people, and he's just a little hard of hearing in one ear.
* ''{{Jommeke}}'': Both Baron Huppelvoet and the eldest nun of the "Begijntjes" have one.
* ''ComicStrip/HagarTheHorrible'' once was trying to communicate with an old Viking. The problem: The EarTrumpet was full of letters.
* Used for a noticeable gag in the italian comic ''Alan Ford'': during a bank robbery, one of the [[ItMakesSenseInContext ghost robbers]] tries to intimidate a seemingly deaf old man with a ear trumpet, who can't hear what's he's saying. Then the ghost just [[AmusingInjuries shoot a bullet down the trumpet]], causing it to exit from the old man's other ear, much to his shock.
* In ''TheBeano'', Eric Wimp ate an old Banana and became an older version of {{Bananaman}} who used an ear trumpet to attempt to hear a cry for help.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* There's an old character in ''TheQuietMan'' that uses one.
* A villain in ''Film/WildWildWest'' is briefly seen with one, tipping out accumulated ear wax for disgusting effect.
* An old friend of Benjamin (and Gabriel's future father-in-law) in ''ThePatriot'' has this; he lost his leg and most of his hearing in the French and Indian War. He sometimes uses it to mess with Gabriel by pretending he cannot hear him properly.
* {{Gilbert|AndSullivan}}'s sickly mother uses one in ''TopsyTurvy''.
* Óin the Dwarf is shown to use one in the film adaptation of ''Film/TheHobbit'', leading to a visual gag where he takes time out from Elven music by stuffing a handkerchief in it.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Trumpkin uses an ear trumpet in ''Literature/TheSilverChair''. This is both for comic effect (he mishears a good bit of information before he finally gets his ear trumpet) and to emphasize how old he is, and thus how much time has passed since the last trip to Narnia.
* Surrealist novel ''TheHearingTrumpet''.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Unseen University's elderly wizard Windle Poons apparently used to have one. By ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}'' it was used to give [[{{Magitek}} HEX]] verbal commands.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* In ''TheAdventureGame'', one of the Argonds had an ear trumpet that was completely useless; his hearing only improved when he wore his spectacles.
* Appeared in the ''{{Dragnet}}'' TV series as Joe Friday and his partner attempt to question a hard-of-hearing witness.
* Adam Savage parodies this during a ''Series/MythBusters'' build -- he was assembling a huge funnel, and when he finished it he held it up to one ear.
-->What's that you say, sonny? I can't hear you!
* Several in ''Series/TheBennyHillShow''. In the sketch "Benny Kelly, Son Of Ned Kelly" he pours some alcohol into someone's ear horn and the fluid comes out the man's mouth.
* Referenced by Lionel in ''Series/AsTimeGoesBy'' when he's having hearing problems.
* ''Series/HorribleHistories''- During their special edition at the Proms, one sketch has LudwigVanBeethoven being provided a literal trumpet for this purpose by WolfgangAmadeusMotzart in order to argue over which of them was the greatest composer.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Videogames ]]

* In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestV'', Graham encounters an old hermit that uses a conch seashell as one. Without it the only thing he can hear is the incredibly loud bell he has hanging outside his door.
** The hero in VideoGame/KingsQuestMaskOfEternity has to find one to hear some whisps whispering in a swamp.
* There's on old man on Booty Island in ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland2LeChucksRevenge'' whose job is to fire a cannon when the mail boat comes in. Probably because of being deafened by proximity to that loud cannon, he needs an ear trumpet to hear what Guybrush is saying.
* Lord Spookyraven in ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' has one, which you win by defeating him; because he dabbled in ancient unspeakable evil, wearing it in certain areas lets you learn the names of demons, which allows you to summon them for special effects. It also gives you a nice boost to your initiative.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* Abe Simpson has used one in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Simpsons}}''. Abe's age is a frequent point of comedy.
** Professor Frink uses an ear trumpet as an echolocation device to find the kids in town who are running a [[BuccaneerBroadcaster pirate radio station]] giving away all the adults' secrets.
** Mr. Burns has used an ear trumpet once or twice.
* A WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes cartoon ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRua64ACGFg&NR=1 Now Hear This]]'' had an old man finding a new ear trumpet in place of his old and worn-out one. He is overjoyed to have a new shiny trumpet, but it is, in fact, Satan's lost horn, and it has the old man's world turn into a synesthetic, nightmarish acid trip sequence.
* In Max Fleischer's ''WesternAnimation/GulliversTravels'', one of the Lilliputians uses his ear trumpet as a bugle to summon a crowd to the beach where Gulliver washed up.
* Played for laughs in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' when Fry travels in time and accidentally has sex with his grandmother when she was younger; upon having it spelled out for him she responds to his screams with "What was that dear?" and uses an ear horn.
* Used by Beethoven in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}''. The Warners tried using it as an instrument until they learned where it had been.
--> Yakko: "You shouldn't put stuff like that in your ear. You'll go deaf."
--> Beethoven: "I ''am'' deaf!"
--> Yakko, Wakko, and Dot (to the audience): "Too late!"
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->'''''WHAT?! COULD YOU REPEAT ALL THAT?! I WASN'T USING MY TRUMPET!'''''