History Main / ImagineTheAudienceNaked

This is definitely ''not'' TruthInTelevision; if this isn't a DiscreditedTrope yet, it should be. The notion that such a visualization can ease the nerves that come with public speaking is nonsense, as explained [[http://www.examiner.com/presentation-and-communications-skills-in-los-angeles/visualize-your-audience-underwear in this editorial.]] In fact, assuming a speaker is actually ''capable'' of vividly calling forth this image under the stressful circumstances of speech delivery, [[http://blog.jvf.com/2009/01/24/public-speaking-myths-imagining-your-audience-in-their-underwear-makes-you-less-nervous/ this blog post]] does a good job of explaining why [[AdviceBackfire it might backfire]], especially if you happen to be a young male student with attractive women in the audience. Most textbooks on the subject give advice that revolves around keeping the speaker focused on the actual content of the speech and successful delivery (such as imagining the audience giving a positive reaction to your speech or other performance), not something that would be pointlessly distracting.

This is definitely ''not'' TruthInTelevision; if this isn't a DiscreditedTrope yet, it should be. The notion that such a visualization can ease the nerves that come with public speaking is nonsense, as explained [[http://www.examiner.com/presentation-and-communications-skills-in-los-angeles/visualize-your-audience-underwear in this editorial.]] In fact, assuming a speaker is actually ''capable'' of vividly calling forth this image under the stressful circumstances of speech delivery, [[http://blog.jvf.com/2009/01/24/public-speaking-myths-imagining-your-audience-in-their-underwear-makes-you-less-nervous/ this blog post]] does a good job of explaining why [[AdviceBackfire it might backfire]], especially if you happen to be a young male student with attractive women in the audience. Most textbooks on the subject give advice that revolves around keeping the speaker focused on the actual content of the speech and successful delivery, not something that would be pointlessly distracting.

* In one episode of ''Series/RedDwarf'', Kochanski encourages Kryten to stand up to people by imagining them on the toilet. When it actually comes down do it though, he can't manage it. So he forces them, at gunpoint, to go sit on the toilet so that he can laugh at them and have the courage to say that 'No, he does not want to be reset to factory settings'. For some unaccountable reason they decide to do it anyway.

** In the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E5HomerDefined Homer Defined]]", Homer becomes a hero after accidentally saving the power plant. When he's invited to give a speech about how he did it, he imagines the audience in their underwear, then shrieks and hides behind the podium because he imagined himself in his underwear, too.
** In another episode, Homer is hired by Mr. Burns to help him write an important speech, due to the fact that at the time he was hired, Homer had been using medical marijuana and found everything funny. Since he was clean now, and no longer found Burns funny, Marge suggests Homer [[{{Squick}} picture Mr. Burns naked]], [[BrainBleach resulting in him screaming]]. Trying to make the situation better, she then changes it to picturing him in a funny hat. This idea is worse, causing Homer to curl up in a ball shuddering.

-->-- '''Squidward Tentacles''', ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': In "The Triangle", Leslie tells Darwin to test this in the cafeteria. It works at first, but then Mr. Small drops things and when he bends to pick them up, his butt gets very close to Darwin's face. Darwin gets terrified.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': Parodied in "Enchanting Grom Fright". King offers to be co-emcee for Gus at Grom, but suffers an attack of PerformanceAnxiety. Gus tries to give him advice, but King thinks he's just going to suggest something like "Imagine the audience in their underwear", which leaves Gus weirded out.

'''King:''' I dunno, I always do that. (''laughs'') I ''am'' a little weirdo!

** In the episode "Homer Defined", Homer becomes a hero after accidentally saving the power plant. When he's invited to give a speech about how he did it, he imagines the audience in their underwear, then shrieks and hides behind the podium because he imagined himself in his underwear, too.

** In the episode "Squilliam Returns", while Squidward tries to stand up to [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter his rival]], Squidward imagines Squilliam in his underwear, only to also imagine Squilliam with a toned and muscular body.
--->'''Squidward:''' [[StupidSexyFlanders Oh no, he's hot!]]
** In the episode "Oral Report", Sandy gives [=SpongeBob=] special goggles that let him see people in their underwear so he can get over his fear of speaking in public. Unfortunately, Patrick breaks them, which makes it seem as if the underwear comes to life and heckles [=SpongeBob=].

* In ''Film/TheMuppets'', Kermit asks Scooter to do this. Then Scooter goes out on stage and says "You are all naked!" He manages to imagine them in their underwear, but this is close enough for him.

** In "[[{{Recap/AngelS01E06SenseAndSensitivity}} Sense & Sensitivity]]", Kate Lockley is nervous about giving a speech for her father's retirement party. Angel suggests she try "that old saw about imagining people in their underwear". Kate's eyes flick downward to check out Angel's body and she mutters "[[EatingTheEyeCandy Way ahead of you]]."

* The ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E9ThePuppetShow}} The Puppet Show]]" features this trope when the high school is holding a talent show.

* In the pilot episode of ''Series/{{Shake It Up}}''. [=CeCe=] suggests to a nervous Rocky picturing everyone in the tryouts for ''Shake It Up, Chicago!'' naked, although Rocky is {{Squick}}ed by the idea.

* ''WesternAnimation/FanboyAndChumChum'': Chum Chum advises Fanboy to overcome his nervousness by pretending everyone is wearing their underwear on the outside.

* ''WebAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsDigitalSeries'': "Fluttershy's Butterflies" has Fluttershy seeking help overcoming stage fright. In the "Ask Applejack" ending, Applejack advises her to imagine that [[CluckingFunny everyone in the audience is a chicken]]. Fluttershy ends up imagining the audience is full of Applejack clones cheering her on, which works just fine, and Applejack is relieved because her backup plan apparently involved releasing ''actual'' chickens into the audience.

* In ''Film/NowYouSeeMe2'', Lula thinks the saying is to picture ''each other'' naked. Even after she was corrected, she insists it's a new strategy.

** Guest host Pam Anderson did an opening monologue where she said (paraphrased): "I'm really neverous. They say when you're nervous you're supposed to imagine the audience naked...that's not working. Maybe you're supposed to imagine ''yourself'' naked...no, that's not working, either. Oh wait, maybe you're supposed to '''really be''' naked! (takes off clothes) Oh yes, that's much better, I'm more relaxed now." (Full transcript [[http://snltranscripts.jt.org/96/96rmono.phtml here]])

** In the episode "Squilliam Returns", while Squidward tries to stand up to [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter his rival]], Squidward imagines Squilliam in his underwear, only to discover that Squilliam is really, really buff.

-->'''Ray:''' If you start to get nervous, imagine them naked. You start to get really nervous, ''make'' them get naked. Still nervous? ''You'' get naked; you can do whatever you want, you're killing these people!

* In a ComicStrip/{{Nemi}} strip, Nemi is nervous about a job interview. She follows her friend Cyan's advice and imagines her hunky potential employer wearing nothing but his underpants. It backfires and she becomes sexually aroused instead.

* In a ComicStrip/{{Nemi}} strip, Nemi is nervous about a job interview. She follows her friend Cyan's advice and imagines her hunky potential employer wearing nothing but his underpants. It backfires and it ends up arousing her instead.

* In a ComicStrip/{{Nemi}} strip, Nemi is nervous about a job interview. She follows her friend Cyan's advice and imagines her hunky potential employer wearing nothing but his underwear, which ends up arousing her instead.

->''"Don't be intimidated, Squidward! Try to imagine him in his underwear! ...Oh no, '''[[StupidSexyFlanders HE'S HOT!]]'''"''

* In the fourth season of ''Series/TheShield,'' Glenn Close's character Captain Monica Rawling is nervous delivering a speech to the other police. Vic tells her that normally you're supposed to imagine the audience naked but "with this audience, I wouldn't recommend it."

* ''Series/{{Whitney}}'': When Alex is going to be guest speaker at a university, Whitney tells him to do this. Then, realising the audience will be filled with attractive coeds, she adds "Except the women". She tells him to imagine them looking disappointed.

* In the musical ''Theatre/WhenMidnightStrikes'', waitress/resting actress Josephina advises nervous party guest Edward to do this. After a few seconds silence as he can't stop staring at her, she storms off with a disgusted 'Dude, not me!'

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': In "The Triangle", Leslie tells Darwin to test this in the cafeteria. It first works, but then Mr. Small drops things and when he bends to pick them up, his butt gets very close to Darwin's face. Darwin gets terrified.

* Apparently Tina in ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'' is so awkward and nervous when talking in public because she's always picturing everyone naked, at all times (Or she is just a pervert). Her brother Gene advised her to imagine audience with clothes.

* Happens in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheReplacements'' with the twist that one of the audience [Shelton] actually is sitting there in his underwear.

->''"Don't be intimidated, Squidward! Try to imagine him in his underwear!...Oh no, '''[[StupidSexyFlanders HE'S HOT!]]'''"''

* In ''Film/TheMuppets'', Kermit asks Scooter to do this. Then Scooter goes out on stage and says "You are all naked!"

* Carla's trick on ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' is to imagine the audience naked, but wearing black socks.

* In ''Webcomic/TwoKinds'', Laura [[http://twokinds.net/?p=415 walks in on Keith]], whom his brother had just convinced to model for a nude statue. [[spoiler:Just as Alaric had planned: he was sincere in wanting to finish the statue, but chose his timing for maximum awkwardness.]]