History Main / UnwantedGlassesPlot

* Played with in one ''WebComic/AwkwardZombie'' [[http://awkwardzombie.com/index.php?page=0&comic=010212 strip.]] Katie isn't happy about needing glasses when she drives, saying that one of the reasons she doesn't like having them is that she's always interpreted them as a part of someone's face and that she doesn't want to make herself look different to other people by wearing them. Her other reason is that she has a hard time drawing glasses so that they're visible but not keeping readers from properly seeing the expressions that she draws in her comics.

* Cartman of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' got glasses in the episode [[Recap/SouthParkS3E3Succubus Succubus]]". The doctor referenced this trope, and so stapled Cartman's glasses onto his face. Eventually he got retina transplants (courtesy of Kenny, who has just died again) and [[SnapBack it was never brought up again]].

** Here's a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GI_glasses link]] to Website/TheOtherWiki's article on that type of glasses. Not only does it show that modern versions are not terribly different from thick framed glasses, the modern trend of thick framed "nerd" or "hipster" glasses, may make the [=BCG=] not seem as bad to a modern eye.

** Here's a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GI_glasses link]] to Website/TheOtherWiki's article on that type of glasses. They don't look too bad...

* One episode of ''Anime/SallyTheWitch'' involves one of Sally's classmates needing glasses, but being unwilling to get them because she believes boys will laugh at her if she wears them. Sally attempts to fix the girl's eyes with magic... but then finds her own vision compromised. Her parents explain to her that if a witch tries to heal a human's ailment with magic, they'll come down with the symptoms him/herself. The girl eventually relents and agrees to wear glasses after [[spoiler: her little brother is hit by a truck, which apparently she couldn't see coming because her vision was just that bad. The boys DO laugh at her, but after Yoshiko scolds them for mocking the girl when she was courageous enough to wear them, they apologize and admit she's actually not bad looking even with them.]]

%%* Happened to Jan on ''Series/TheBradyBunch''.

** Here's a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GI_glasses link]] to Wiki/TheOtherWiki's article on that type of glasses. They don't look too bad...

* This trope was played out ''to the letter'' in ''Series/KidsIncorporated'''s Season 2 episode "[[Recap/KidsIncorporatedS2E17IdenticalProblems Identical Problems]]": "Best of all, I got contacts for when I'm onstage singing!" And, apparently, for every time ever, since we never see Renee in her glasses again.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'': In the episode "Bubble Vision", Bubbles ends up needing glasses. However, she hates wearing them because of her sisters making fun of her for them and the way she looks with them on. The Professor does ''not'' make fun of her and tells her not to let what they say get to her and what's important is she needs to fight crime. At the end, after begging her to put on her glasses to help them deal with a giant ant, Bubbles overcomes the embarrassment, puts them on and fires her EyeBeams, which get turned UpToEleven [[SolarPoweredMagnifyingGlass by the glasses]], melting the ant. Since StatusQuoIsGod though, she no longer needs glasses at the end up the episode due to Buttercup accidentally destroying the glasses and giving her laser eye surgery. Only afterwards, [[HereWeGoAgain she now needs a hearing aid]].

* This happened to Karen in the ''Literature/TheBabysittersClub'' spinoff series ''Babysitter's Little Sister''. The boy who made fun of her ended up needing glasses, too.

Contrast {{Meganekko}}, where the glasses are [[NerdsAreSexy part of the appeal]], and PurelyAestheticGlasses, glasses worn specifically to look smart.

* ''WesternAnimation/CareBears'': A boy refused to wear his glasses because other kids told him cowboys didn't wear glasses.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'': In the episode "Bubble Vision", Bubbles ends up needing glasses. However, she hates wearing them because of her sisters making fun of her for them. At the end, after begging her to put on her glasses to help them deal with a giant ant, Bubbles overcomes the embarrassment, puts them on and fires her EyeBeams, which get turned UpToEleven [[SolarPoweredMagnifyingGlass by the glasses]], melting the ant. Since StatusQuoIsGod though, she no longer needs glasses at the end up the episode due to Buttercup accidentally giving her laser eye surgery. Only afterwards, [[HereWeGoAgain she now needs a hearing aid]].

* Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/BluesClues'', when the characters are all rather supportive when Blue's friend, Magenta, gets glasses, as part of a VerySpecialEpisode. However, given the presence of this trope, [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to show little kids after all]].

* In the second semester of ''WebComic/DumbingOfAge'' Joyce's friends realize she has a hard time seeing the blackboard and Dorothy forces her to an optometrist. Joyce is highly against getting a pair, as she's experienced a ''lot'' of changes in the first semester and this is just the straw that breaks the camel's back, and is enabled by Becky, who's automatically against anything Dorothy suggests because she sees Dorothy as a threat to her status as Joyce's best friend. Joyce is eventually diagnosed as near-sighted and gets a blue pair, with her being irritated about it, much to Sarah's pleasure.

* Happened to Jan on ''Series/TheBradyBunch''.

* According to flashbacks this occurred to Kaname from ''Manga/KimiToBoku'' when began wearing glasses in his first year of middle school. He didn't want to wear them because he thought they were uncool and he didn't want to be teased for them. Kaname began wearing them permanently after he lost a thumb wrestling contest.

* Cartman of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' got glasses in the succubus episode. The doctor referenced this trope, and so stapled Cartman's glasses onto his face. Eventually he got retina transplants (courtesy of Kenny, who has just died again) and [[SnapBack it was never brought up again]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' also took the glasses plot to its logical extreme, giving not only Bart thick glasses, but also oversized shoes and a spray that made his voice sound more nasal than usual. He originally went in for just the glasses, but the optometrist noticed something wrong and recommended Marge take him to another specialist. And so on, and so on, dealing with a wide variety of disorders including strep throat, flat feet, and a dry scalp. [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation It's debatable if he really needed any of the extra treatments or if the doctors were faking]] since the medical practice they worked for was named [=HMO=] Hibbert Moneymaking Organization.

* Military recruits who need glasses will be issued [=BCGs=] for the duration of training. They are made more for their NighInvulnerability than fashion. [=BCG=] is [[FunWithAcronyms an acronym for]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Birth Control Glasses"]] as the line is that they're so unattractive that no man has ever been known to "get lucky" while wearing them.

This has become a DiscreditedTrope in recent years, due to the wide acceptance of glasses to the point that some people are actually buying PurelyAestheticGlasses just for the look, the stigma associated with glasses is pretty much gone. And with the increased recognition of glasses fetishism, you're more likely to see someone use their glasses as a selling point when flirting than take them off.

* Military recruits who need glasses will be issued [=BCGs=] for the duration of training. They are made more for their NighInvulnerability than fashion. [=BCG=] is [[FunWithAcronyms an acronym for]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Birth Control Glasses"]] as the line is that they're so unattractive that no woman has ever been known to "get lucky" while wearing them.

* This trope was played out ''to the letter'' in an episode of ''Series/KidsIncorporated'': "Best of all, I got contacts for when I'm onstage singing!" And, apparently, for every time ever, since we never see Renee in her glasses again.

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife''. Rocko almost immediately becomes far-sighted around the time that he's training for a jackhammer contest. The insurance glasses are too awkward for him, so he tries to avoid wearing them in spite of his ability suffering. When it finally comes time for the contest, he comes out without wearing any glasses, causing Heffer to panic ("He can't see anything! Watch out!"). He does perfectly, which was revealed to be because, yes, he discovered contact lenses. It's then revealed that the big hero of the jackhammer ring wears contacts as well, but only while jackhammering because "with glasses, I look like an intellectual". He demonstrates this by putting on his glasses and within two seconds, some girl walks up and asks "are you an intellectual?"