History Main / PopcornOnTheCob

* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}''. In a flashback to their childhood, Metro Man uses his heat vision to quickly make some Jiffy Pop. Determined to outdo him, Megamind builds Minion's first set of PoweredArmor and equips it with a laser to do the same, only he does it to a bucket of corn on the cob. This only succeeds in creating a small fire.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'' had Lumpy growing a giant ear of corn to be used for judging at the carnival, it happens to be a very hot day and the corn pops into popcorn and it ends up killing everyone.

* Applejack's corn field spontaneously begins popping in the season 2 premiere of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. In this case, there isn't even any fire (in fact, it's raining - chocolate milk, but still), as it's being caused by [[RealiyWarper Discord]].

* Applejack's corn field spontaneously begins popping in the season 2 premiere of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. In this case, there isn't even any fire (in fact, it's raining chocolate milk), as it's being caused by a chaos god.

** Similarly, in his ImagineSpot in ''For Butter or Worse'', Power Pig needs to stop a wave of melted butter (ItMakesSenseInContext). He accomplishes this by heating up a cornfield with his heat vision until it all pops, allowing the newly made popcorn to catch the butter. (Orson's method of solving the out-of-Spot problem is unrelated to this trope.)

In RealLife, "popcorn on the cob" is possible, but only if the ear of corn has been sufficiently dried out prior to cooking. Otherwise (such as with a freshly picked ear of corn), heating it over a fire only results in, well, roast corn on the cob.

-->'''Fry:''' Oh man, now it's even ''less'' done.

Contrast PassThePopcorn (which is where onlookers staring at something shocking and/or embarrassing have snacks handy for such an event).

** Similarly, in his ImagineSpot in ''For Butter or Worse'', Power Pig needs to stop a wave of melted butter (ItMakesSenseInContext). He accomplishes this by heading up a cornfield with his heat vision until it all pops, allowing the newly made popcorn to catch the butter. (Orson's method of solving the out-of-Spot problem is unrelated to this trope.)

* In the U.S. Acres episode "Cornfinger" on ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'', this is how Orson solves the mystery of who keeps taking the corn from the silo. [[spoiler: Roy was revealed to be the one stealing the corn by hiding it in his parka, so Orson outsmarts him by using an electric heater to pop all of the corn that Roy had been stealing.]]

** This event mirrors the climax of Orson's usual ImagineSpot earlier in that same episode. [[spoiler:Double-O Orson wields a spy watch that's actually a hefty explosive. He arms it, it gets tossed under Cornfinger's car (which the corn is hidden inside), and you can guess what happens when the explosion heats the car up.]]

** Similarly, in one of the ''Power Pig'' episodes, Power Pig needs to stop a wave of butter that threatens to flood the area (ItMakesSenseInContext). He accomplishes this by heading up a cornfield with his laser vision until it all pops, allowing the newly made popcorn to catch the butter.

* In the U.S. Acres episode "Cornfinger" on ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'', this is how Orson solves the mystery of who keeps taking the corn from the silo. [[spoiler: Roy was revealed to be the one stealing the corn by hiding it in his parka, so Orson outsmarts him by using an electric heater to pop all of the corn that Roy had been stealing]].

* In the U.S. Acres episode "Cornfinger" on ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'', this is how Orson solves the mystery of who keeps taking the corn from the silo. [[spoiler: Roy was revealed to be the one stealing the corn by hiding it in his parka, so Orson outsmarts him by using an electric heater to pop all of the corn that Roy had been stealing]].

* An episode of ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' briefly featured popcorn as being popped on the cob. It ended up popping all over the place because Tigger put too much corn in the popper.

* Happened in ''Film/RobinHoodMenInTights''.

* In SidFleischman's ''[=McBroom=]'s Wonderful One Acre Farm'' series, the weather becomes so hot that corn starts popping right off the stalks in the fields.

* In the ClassicDisneyShort|s "Mickey's Trailer", {{Goofy}} is eating corn on the cob when he accidentally sticks his fork in an electrical socket, causing the corn to pop as he gets shocked.

Popcorn shows up in many forms of media. Sometimes, in TV shows and movies, it is often seen as [[YouFailBiologyForever being popped directly off the cob]], which doesn't happen in RealLife.

* Happened in ''RobinHoodMenInTights''.

* Achieved in ''SpacedInvaders'' with a '''''grain silo'''''. It has the added effect of exploding and covering part of a town in popcorn.

[[AC: {{Newspaper Comics}}]]
* In one ''{{Zits}}'' strip, Jeremy uses the microwave to pop baby corn on the cob, which he then eats using a pair of tweezers.

[[AC: {{Western Animation}}]]

* In the {{Classic Disney Short|s}} "Mickey's Trailer", {{Goofy}} is eating corn on the cob when he accidentally sticks his fork in an electrical socket, causing the corn to pop as he gets shocked.

* In the U.S. Acres episode "Cornfinger" on {{Garfield and Friends}}, this is how Orson solves the mystery of who keeps taking the corn from the silo. [[spoiler: Roy was revealed to be the one stealing the corn by hiding it in his parka, so Orson outsmarts him by using an electric heater to pop all of the corn that Roy had been stealing]].
* ''TheSimpsons'' season 10 episode "They Saved Lisa's Brain," had this. During the "How Low Can You Go?" talent show (in which contestants perform the lowest, most disgusting acts ever), Homer wears a popcorn kernel suit and uses some blow-dryers to make them pop while singing a parody of Foreigner's "Hot Blooded" called "Hot Buttered." Soon, the suit gets too hot, Homer gets 4 out of a possible 10 for his "act," and Homer gets attacked by the chickens Barney was supposed to use for his act (which was Barney drinking an entire six pack and juggling chickens, but the audience thought his act was just drinking the six pack of beer and belching).
* Occurs in reverse on ''{{Futurama}}''. When the Planet Express ship is sent back in time, a bag of microwave popcorn has turned back into an ear of corn.

* An episode of ''HappyTreeFriends'' had Lumpy growing a giant ear of corn to be used for judging at the carnival, it happens to be a very hot day and the corn pops into popcorn and it ends up killing everyone.

* A scene in ''AnAmericanTail: Fievel Goes West'' briefly showed an ear of corn being raised over the fire, then turn into a bunch of popcorn which Tiger promptly catches in his mouth.
* ''IceAge'' actually did this with an acorn.
* Subverted in ''{{Megamind}}''. In a flashback to their childhood, Metro Man uses his heat vision to quickly make some Jiffy Pop. Determined to outdo him, Megamind builds Minion's first set of PoweredArmor and equips it with a laser to do the same, only he does it to a bucket of corn on the cob. This only succeeds in creating a small fire.

* An episode of ''{{Winnie-The-Pooh}}'' briefly featured popcorn as being popped on the cob. It ended up popping all over the place because Tigger put too much corn in the popper.

Contrast PassThePopcorn.

* One episode of ''TheSimpsons'' had a contest to see who could do the grossest thing ever imaginable. Homer entered the contest with a bunch of corn strapped to his body, which he then heats up with a blow dryer, causing the corn to pop which attracts some chickens.

* In Sid Fleischman's ''{{McBrooms Wonderful One Acre Farm}}'' series, the weather becomes so hot that corn starts popping right off the stalks in the fields.

* In another Disney cartoon, "Mr. Duck Steps Out", Huey, Dewey and Louie put an ear of corn in the stove until it starts popping, then send it down DonaldDuck's throat. The popcorn popping inside him makes him dance spastically, especially when he stands next to the fireplace.