Line #36 Main/EarTrumpet


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/ShrekForeverAfter https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ear_trumpet.png]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:[-''Roar.''-]]]
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7	The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_trumpet Ear Trumpet]] (or Ear Horn) is a very old-fa--
8
9	->HM?! WHAT'S THAT, SPEAK UP, BOY!
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11	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--
12
13	->''WHAT?! YOU'LL HAVE TO SPEAK LOUDER, SONNY!''
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15	[=sigh=]...
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17	'''The [[https://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.'''
18
19	->''DANGIT, KIDDO. YOU'RE SPEAKING TOO LOUD! THESE OLD EARS ARE SENSITIVE YOU KNOW!''
20
21	Oh for the love of--
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23	There are usually three types of Ear Trumpets in fiction:
24	* Serving an accurate role in a PeriodPiece, where they reflect the setting.
25	* Used for comedic effect, to make it obvious that the person cannot hear.
26	* Another comedic usage, usually to illustrate how ridiculously old a character is.
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28	Frequently accompanying an ICantHearYou gag, and, if on the phone, a FunnyPhoneMisunderstanding.
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31	!!Examples:
32	[[foldercontrol]]
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34	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
35	* ''Anime/AstroBoy'': In the first episode of the 1963 series, an old scientist is seen using one while Dr. Boynton, who is having major SanitySlippage over the death of his son, announces his plans to create a robotic son.
36	-->'''Scientist:''' I believe that Dr. Boynton's going mad.
37	-->'''Old Scientist:''' Eh?
38	-->'''Scientist:''' I said I believe that Dr. Boynton's going mad!
39	-->'''Old Scientist:''' ''Eh?''
40	-->'''Scientist:''' ''(shouting into the trumpet)'' '''I SAID I BELIEVE THAT DR. BOYNTON'S GOING MAD!'''
41	-->'''Old Scientist:''' ''(also into the trumpet)'' '''''Shhhhhh--!'''''
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Comics]]
45	* 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."
46	** Well those are for deaf people, and he's just a little hard of hearing in one ear.
47	* Professor Calculus of ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' fame uses an ear trumpet in ''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]].
48	* ''ComicBook/{{Jommeke}}'': Both Baron Huppelvoet and the eldest nun of the "Begijntjes" have one.
49	* ''ComicStrip/HagarTheHorrible'' once was trying to communicate with an old Viking using one of these. The problem: The trumpet was full of letters.
50	* 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 an ear trumpet, who can't hear what's he's saying. Then the ghost just [[AmusingInjuries shoots a bullet down the trumpet]], causing it to exit from the old man's other ear, much to his shock.
51	* In ''ComicBook/TheBeano'', Eric Wimp ate an old banana and became an older version of ComicStrip/{{Bananaman}} who used an ear trumpet to attempt to hear a cry for help.
52	[[/folder]]
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54	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
55	* One of the White-hats in ''WesternAnimation/TheBoxtrolls''.
56	* The judge at the Daltons' trial in ''WesternAnimation/GoWestALuckyLukeAdventure'' uses one, but even with it and the jury shouting things for him at the top of their lungs he can't hear a damn thing.
57	* 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.
58	* After signing Rumpelstiltskin's contract in ''WesternAnimation/ShrekForeverAfter'', Shrek goes around scaring villagers by roaring at them, but he simply whispers "roar" into an elderly woman's ear trumpet (pictured above).
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
62	* Grandpa in ''Film/MeetMeInStLouis'' uses one occasionally.
63	* There's an old character in ''Film/TheQuietMan'' that uses one.
64	* ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen'': [[BlowYouAway Gustavus]] used to be able [[SuperSenses to hear the slightest of sounds from thousands of miles away]] but by the time that the Baron and Sally find him inside a giant fish, he needs a giant ear trumpet to hear.
65	* [[GeneralRipper General]] [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast "Bloodbath"]] [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar McGrath]] in ''Film/WildWildWest'' has one permanently affixed to his skull, to the point that the trumpet IS his ear rather than simply being placed in it. At one point he tips out the accumulated ear wax in the trumpet [[{{Squick}} for disgusting effect]].
66	* An old friend of Benjamin (and Gabriel's future father-in-law) in ''Film/ThePatriot2000'' 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.
67	* Creator/{{Gilbert\|AndSullivan}}'s sickly mother uses one in ''Film/TopsyTurvy''.
68	* 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.
69	* Fozzie Bear uses one in a throwaway gag at the end of ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol'', shaking a present Scrooge gives him.
70	[[/folder]]
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72	[[folder:Literature]]
73	* Some comic relief in the otherwise serious ''Literature/ADeathInTheFamily'' involves Grandma Catherine, her acute deafness, and her ear trumpet which still leaves her misunderstanding words. Her son Andrew thinks it looks like a pelican's mouth and is filled with the temptation to throw in a fish.
74	* 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.
75	* Surrealist novel ''Literature/TheHearingTrumpet''.
76	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Unseen University's elderly wizard Windle Poons apparently used to have one. By ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'' it was used to give [[{{Magitek}} HEX]] verbal commands.
77	* ''Literature/{{Micromegas}}'': Micromegas makes one to communicate with what he sees as insects:
78	--> he briskly took out a pair of scissors with which he cut his fingernails, and from the parings of his thumbnail he improvised a kind of speaking-trumpet, like a vast funnel, and put the end up to his ear.
79	[[/folder]]
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81	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
82	* In ''Series/TheAdventureGame'', one of the Argonds had an ear trumpet that was completely useless; his hearing only improved when he wore his spectacles.
83	* Appeared in the ''Franchise/{{Dragnet}}'' TV series as Joe Friday and his partner attempt to question a hard-of-hearing witness.
84	* 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.
85	-->What's that you say, sonny? I can't hear you!
86	** In the Chinese Invasion Alarm myth, Kari and Adam use construction cones as these to help them hear the faint beats emanating from their sunken drum. It doesn't help "Deaf as a post" Adam, but Kari does hear the drum responding to the pickaxes digging through the rock below.
87	* 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.
88	* Referenced by Lionel in ''Series/AsTimeGoesBy'' when he's having hearing problems.
89	* ''Series/HorribleHistories''- During their special edition at the Proms, one sketch has Music/LudwigVanBeethoven being provided a literal trumpet for this purpose by Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart in order to argue over which of them was the greatest composer.
90	* In the GrandFinale of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Q (manifesting as an elderly man) uses one to annoy an elderly Picard by implying he's gone senile.
91	-->'''Picard:''' Q, what is going on here?! Where is the [[UnknownPhenomenon anomaly]]?
92	-->'''Q:''' What's that? You've lost your mummy?
93	[[/folder]]
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95	[[folder: Newspaper Comics]]
96	* In the ''Muppet Show'' strip, Kermit goes to the theater's lost-and-found and asks Pops if he's seen Zoot's missing saxophone. Pops says, "Eh?" and... well, you can probably guess what he has in his ear.
97	[[/folder]]
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99	[[folder:Theatre]]
100	* ''Theatre/AllTheWayHome'': Mary's mostly deaf mother Catherine wears one. Catherine's mishearing things and people having to shout into the ear trumpet are a running gag.
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Video Games]]
104	* In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestV'', Graham encounters an old hermit who lives on the seashore and is so hard of hearing that all he can hear is his very loud doorbell. After exploring some islands Graham finds a conch shell, which he can give to the hermit to use as a trumpet, allowing them to communicate normally.
105	** The hero in ''VideoGame/KingsQuestMaskOfEternity'' has to find one to hear some whisps whispering in a swamp.
106	* 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.
107	* 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.
108	* The Boys of Silence in ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'' have these built into their helmets.
109	* In ''VideoGame/TheSims2'', if you take your time in Create-A-Sim, Elder Sims will sometimes take one of these out and listen for something.
110	* 138-year-old wizard Windle Poons uses one in the ''VideoGame/DiscWorld'' adventure game.
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Web Animation]]
114	* In ''WebAnimation/SuperThings'', Grafon, a long-retired and elderly superhero, is a living phonograph. During his final battle, the last attack deafened him. As such, he now uses his own phonograph horn as an ear trumpet.
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Webcomics]]
118	* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Chief Quartermaster Salma of the Incorruptible Library has an ear horn, though she remains hard of hearing even when [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20160127 using it.]]
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
122	* Used by Beethoven in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}''. Wakko tried using it as an instrument until he learned where it had been.
123	--> '''Yakko:''' You shouldn't put stuff like that in your ear. You'll go deaf.
124	--> '''Beethoven:''' I ''am'' deaf!
125	--> '''Yakko, Wakko, and Dot:''' (to the audience) Too late!
126	** Also used by Slappy Squirrel after Skippy told her the school counselor suggested he use a nonviolent approach to deal with a bully, when she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
127	* ''WesternAnimation/Animaniacs2020'': In "Hindenburg Cola", the elderly shopkeeper uses one, and still has trouble hearing what the Warners want to purchase. Yakko has to shout and use the trumpet as a megaphone to get him to hear them clearly.
128	* Alex uses one as part of a sight gag in ''WesternAnimation/CloseEnough'' episode "Logan's Run'd", to further illustrate that he, Josh and Emily were getting ''old''.
129	* Used in a cutaway gag in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''. After Stewie compares Brian to "aging supermodel Carol Alt", we cut to an old man shouting about her being mentioned on TV (and getting the name of the show wrong), and we see the trumpet sticking out of bedsheets in the other room and an old woman shouting "What?".
130	* 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.
131	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': The 1963 short "WesternAnimation/NowHearThis" 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.
132	* ''Animation/MotoPerpetuo'': One sight gag has a reproduction of the iconic "His Master's Voice" painting of a dog listening to a gramophone record, except that the dog has an Ear Trumpet in his ear, basically using a trumpet to listen to a trumpet.
133	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' used this in the episode "Putting Your Hoof Down" with an elderly pony who cut in front of Fluttershy at the asparagus stand.
134	* Abe Simpson has used one in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. Abe's age is a frequent point of comedy.
135	** 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.
136	** Mr. Burns has used an ear trumpet once or twice.
137	* Gargamel uses one of these to listen to the Smurfs while waiting out in the forest to spring his Trickle Trap in ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'' episode "The Chief Record Smurf".
138	* The Grand Grizzly from ''[[WesternAnimation/YogiBear Yogi The Easter Bear]]'' uses one of these.
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147	[[/folder]]
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149	[[folder:RealLife]]
150	* In the 1920's and 1930's, as aircraft grew larger and governments began to panic over the possibility of serious aerial bombing by bomber fleets, [[https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2122/2244136934_d404cae3d1_o.jpg some truly heroic ear trumpets]] were built in fixed turret mountings along the south coast of England. The intention was that these could be angled towards France and listeners would strain their ears for the first magnified signs that a bomber fleet was on the way. (so as to get fighter interceptors up in the air). Whilst the technology worked as well as could be expected, the listener stations diminished in importance as radar was developed and did the job much more efficiently. But in an attempt to keep the radar secret from Germany, the listening stations and their massive ear trumpets were maintained and kept staffed, with the RAF's success in intercepting German raids officially credited to them and to the Royal Observer Corps who manned them.
151	* At least one was in use in TheSeventies (!!), showing up in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZS1qVedz-Q this video]] of Ann-Margret and the Bay City Rollers playing for an audience of senior citizens. (Around 1:09.)
152	* When Music/LudwigVanBeethoven began to lose his hearing, he had some ear trumpets manufactured for him by Johann Nepomuk Mälzel, but they didn't work very well and the embarrassment of having to use them in public contributed to his SenseLossSadness.
153	* The [[MemeticMutation Charlie Chaplin Time Traveler]] (a woman caught on camera at the premiere of ''Film/TheCircus'' apparently holding some kind of device up to her ear and speaking) was most likely using a then brand-new, more compact model that magnified sound to the point she could hear distinctly for the first time in who knows how long, and she was talking to herself to get used to it.
154	[[/folder]]
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Context Main / EarTrumpet