Not Tropeworthy: Happy Ending Massage

Is Happy-Ending Massage really trope worthy, or is it simply "sex act happens"? We don't exist to document types of sexual acts or services. At best, I think the story telling significance needs to be clarified in the description and the examples.

It shows up a lot as a punch line in mainstream comedy.

It does, even without actually happening (the expectation of it happening, or the fear of it, rather than actually happening). I'd say "Trope".

Aye, trope. Seems to be frequently used in comedies indeed, judging by the live action example section.

So the punch line being that it was offered but not expected? Maybe, but the description and examples right now don't seem to limit it to that.

No, that's just one way that it's used.

Looking at the examples, why do you think that it's not a trope? You're the one suggesting the change; you need to support your position.

edited 29th Jul '14 10:15:46 AM by Madrugada

I'm not saying specifically it is not a trope. I'm initiating a conversation on if it is a trope, if so what makes it a trope, and suggesting that if it is a trope it could use a clearer description.

For one thing, the examples are all over the place.

• A fully consensual example happened in the She Hulk graphic novel, where Jen gets one from her current boyfriend Wyatt Wingfoot at the end. It was only implied that a "happy ending" would occur; if it did, given the Hell they both went through during the story, it might have also counted as Glad-to-Be-Alive Sex.

What does that have to do with anything? Girlfriend gives her boyfriend a handjob. Is this a joke? Is she even a professional masseuses?

• At one point in A Dirty Job, the main character had too much "sexual energy". Even though he ended up at a massage parlour, he didn't ask for a "happy ending" but instead later went to an "official" hooker. This led to trouble, as the girl he chose turned out to be a crazy incarnation of Death. Even the cop who saved him said that he should have just chosen the happy ending.

Is this a a joke? What does this have in common with the first one, other than a vague reference to a sex act?

• There's an episode of Malcolm In The Middle that references this.

How so?

• Dr. Kelso from Scrubs took Turk to one of these once. Turk got a crick in his neck and had to watch Dr. Kelso receive his Happy Ending. YIKES.

Is this a joke? What is the joke here? Is it the same "joke" as previously mentioned examples? What does this have in common with the next example?

• The titular character from Dark Reign: Mister Negative is a crimelord, who among many other criminal businesses owns a brothel masked as massage parlor. In one scene inside it we see a guest that just asks for "happy ending" - seconds later both he and girl are killed by a supervillain working for The Hood, who had just declared a gang war on Negative.

Criminals run shady business. John gets killed. Is this funny ha ha or funny ho ho?

• In the short-lived series In Case of Emergency Kelly Hu's character works at one of these parlors.

So? What does this have in common with Death By Sex in the last example? Is this a joke?

• Horribly subverted in One Thousand Ways To Die. An American tourist in Thailand goes to a massage parlor to get one of these... and ends up stung to death by a bunch of Asian Hornets.

Death By Sex. But what makes the fact that it is a Erotic Massage Death By Sex any more important that it being a blow job Death By Sex. What does it have in common with the use of Happy-Ending Massage in Malcolm in the Middle, other than the prices nature of the sex act referenced?

• The premise of Lifetime Movie of the Week-turned-series The Client List starring Jennifer Love Hewitt revolves around the protagonist specializing in this for money to take care of her child. Complications ensue.

No doubt a laugh a minute.

edited 29th Jul '14 11:34:27 AM by Catbert

Much of that is generic ZCE. They don't mean anything with respect of a trope repair - they appear on other pages as well.

Yeah, but if there are a ton of bad examples even on the page, that suggests something is wrong with the page.

For one thing, the description is basically:

However, sometimes this "uncomfortable situation" is exactly what the customer is looking for. Beyond that, in fact, the customer is paying for sexual acts under the guise of getting a massage. When this happens, the customer will almost always be male, and the masseuse will almost always be an Asian female.

Nothing about comedy. Nothing about Death By Sex. Nothing about a comedic situation being created because the person expects a happy ending and doesn't get it or doesn't expect a happy ending and is shocked when it happens. Just a person wants and and gets it. People buy sex. People buy bread. People sit on chairs. So what? This is a bit about the Asian Hooker Stereotype, which is lacking in most of the examples.

The only thing in the description about comedy is in the first paragraph:

''Massages are good fodder for comedy, because the near-intimate touching is uncomfortable or can create an uncomfortable situation. However..''

However, that isn't this trope. This trope isn't people being made uncomfortable by near intimate touching in massage. We don't even seem to have a page for that trope. This trope is people want it and they get it.

Tacked on to the description is also two paragraphs about Truth in Television and advice about how to avoid this in Real Life.

edited 29th Jul '14 11:45:18 AM by Catbert

It doesn't have to be comedy. It often is, but it doesn't have to be.

But what does it have to be to have relevance as a story telling plot device other than "sexual transaction happens"?

I mean, regular old prostitution isn't a trope. Hooker with a Heart of Gold is. Hookers and Blow is. Hooker gives a person oral sex is not a trope. So what make masseuses give a person a hand job a trope?

Based on the description, the trope appears to be, basically, "Place that appears/claims to offer massages actually offers sex."

Clock is set.

Clock's up; locking for inactivity.