Seriously, look at it. "a plumber's buttcrack is exposed while hunching"... Isn't this People Sit On Chairs? unless you already know about this trope, you wouldn't even be able to spot it even if you see it.

What i mean to say is, if you didn't know about it in the first place, you'd call it either Fanservice or Fan Disservice depending on how it is used. On it's own, it's just that, your buttcrack is showing.

also, there are fourteen wicks, with eleven inbounds. Not a tear would be shed if it's cut eh?

edited 20th Apr '14 9:23:42 AM by ShanghaiSlave

Is dast der Zerstorer? Odar die Schopfer?

For what it's worth, I agree that showing butt-crack is a bit narrow to form a trope all by itself, rather existing as a sort of stock Fan Disservice.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"

This is a comedy trope in all appearances I've seen it. Not a fanservice or -disservice trope.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

Yeah, it's a stock gag/showing that someone is working class.

I mean, there's an example of a giant robot who has Plumber's Crack. You can't say that it's People Sit On Chairs, there are certain connotations to it and it's always done on purpose in shows. In real life? It's absolutely Chairs-y, it happens to anyone all the time. But on TV? It's always done to emphasize someone's crude behavior.

Found a Youtube Channel with political stances you want to share? Hop on over to this page and add them.

Basically says, "this guy doesn't care much about his appearance."

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It's all but expected for any plumber bent under a sink to have a plumber's crack. I bet it would be quite a shock to see a plumb without one. Ha ha! I think it's trope worthy, but may need to be more concise or clear perhaps.

I don't think butt cracks are really played for fan service. Nah.

edited 30th Apr '14 7:51:11 PM by Lakija

It is what it is.

Usually not in this case at least. But yeah I agree this is definitely a comedy trope.

"You cannot erase God with an edict."-Romney Wordsworth

Y'all say "comedy trope", but let's see what it's used for.

In the page (including ZCE)

• Happy Gilmore — Plumber shows his crack. this is not a gag, but People Sit On Chairs. makes as much sense as "plumber bends forward to fix pipes".

Live-Action TV

• Married... with Children— Fanservice/Fan Disservice. The gag here is Male Gaze or Distracted by the Sexy, basically voyeurism or peeping.
• Saturday Night Live — ZCE
• ''The Nanny' — ZCE via "trope happens".
• Whose Line Is It Anyway?— ZCE via "trope happens".

Video Games

• Mario — Averted Trope. guess why.
• Ratchet & Clank — ZCE

Web Original

• this parody — ZCE

Western Animation

• Rocko's Modern Life — used as a props for a You, Get Me Coffee gag, but is not the gag itself. as In he thought he'd be an assistant, but his job is to actually just pull his boss's pants.
• Rugrats — ZCE
• Recess — "character shows his buttcrack" = People Sit On Chairs.
• Phineas and Ferb — so where's the "plumber's crack" here?
• The Fairly Oddparents — The joke is paranoia, the props is the buttcrack.
• The Simpsons — Discussed Trope, technically correct.

Wicks

• Mary And Max — people show buttcracks, also, not on a plumber.
• Playing With.Mooning — now it's a downplayed act of mocking someone by showing one's ass.
• I Thought It Meant/O-R — Just for Fun page, context irrelevant.
• Truth in Television/P-R — NA
• PlayingWith.Plumbers Crack — People Sit On Chairs. really, the resemblance is uncanny.
• The Fairly Oddparents — same as page entry
• The Simpsons — same as page entry
• Phineas and Ferb — same as page entry.

Is dast der Zerstorer? Odar die Schopfer?

3 Septimus Heap — yeah, but it's not the gag itself, but props to other ones.

4 Larkmarn — usage doesn't reflect that. it's all over.

5 Another Duck — the trope is not used for characterization at all.

Is dast der Zerstorer? Odar die Schopfer?

I think the trope description suffers from Example as a Thesis. This isn't "when a plumber bends over, his pants fall down". This is "menial labourers (construction workers, plumbers etc.) wear trousers that aren't pulled up properly and show their buttcrack". Extra points if the (Always Male) worker is big/fat and otherwise slovenly in appearance.

And this is definitely a trope. Heck, where I live, "builder's bum" is the commonly used expression for when someone's pants are showing too much.

It does not matter who I am. What matters is, who will you become? - motto of Omsk Bird

"Heck, where I live, "builder's bum" is the commonly used expression for when someone's pants are showing too much."

Commonly used expression? So are Whaletail and Cameltoe. Yet these aren't tropes.

"menial labourers (construction workers, plumbers etc.) wear trousers that aren't pulled up properly and show their buttcrack"

The way you worded it makes it perfectly fit People Sit On Chairs: people (menial labourers) sit on chairs (wear trousers that aren't pulled up properly and show their buttcrack).

Is dast der Zerstorer? Odar die Schopfer?

Emphasis mine. That part may have storytelling elements, as a very specific form of Fan Disservice, I guess.

Isn't Fan Disservice frequently Played for Laughs, though?

edited 1st May '14 3:16:33 AM by theAdeptRogue

Commonly used expression? So are Whaletail and Cameltoe. Yet these aren't tropes.

But it is a commonly used expression because it is a stereotype.

The way you worded it makes it perfectly fit People Sit on Chairs: people (menial labourers) sit on chairs (wear trousers that aren't pulled up properly and show their buttcrack).

But that's the thing: There is no pressing reason why menial laborers_have_ to have their buts showing. Properly fitting clothes worn carefully would prevent that, even when bending down. The stereotype is that menial laborers are always slovenly about their appearance, which leads to this being something of a stock gag.

edited 1st May '14 4:26:24 AM by Catbert

Yeah, I can't see this as People Sit On Chairs. It's not like people do it all the time.

It's not like people do it all the time.

People Sit on Chairs is not about stuff that people do all the time. Plenty of stuff that never happens can be PSOC, and much stuff that happens everywhere is not PSOC.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

What I meant was that when Plumber's Crack happens, it's notable.

12 the Adept Rogue & 13 Catbert

So both your point is that: This is a trope about the stereotype that Menial Laborers are slovenly?

then the trope here is A Dirty Job For A Dirty Man = Slovenly men work at dirty jobs like plumbing.

NOT

"Workers show their buttcrack when bending down".

Also Catbert, as i've shown in the wick check this "trope" is not used as "a gag where his buttcrack is showing". it is used as "buttcrack showing is part of other gags".

Is dast der Zerstorer? Odar die Schopfer?

So it's used by anyone regardless of characterisation?

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Nevermind, misread.

edited 1st May '14 6:20:47 AM by Willbyr

As it is now, yes.

Is dast der Zerstorer? Odar die Schopfer?

That's a problem with the examples. Tossing out a trope because it is misused is an absolutely last-ditch move. You are simply repeating "it's misused." as though that makes it not a trope. You aren't making any counter-case to the people who are explaining how it is used in a way that makes it a trope.

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

My counter-case is that as it is written now, it is completely People Sit On Chairs.

"Plumber's show their crack when working", that's it, no more no less. "Played Fol Laughs" and "Fan Disservice" are just after-thoughts, and even then if it is used as such, it is used as a prop to other gags rather than being the main gag itself.

as it is used, it is not used in the manner that makes it the trope(s) the people here want it to be, which are the following:

• "it's a stock gag/showing that someone is working class." — Sleazy Worker Antics, not "plumber showing his buttcrack".
• "this guy doesn't care much about his appearance." — Slobby Menial Worker, not "plumber's crack"
• "menial labourers wear trousers that aren't pulled up properly and show their buttcrack" Dirty Job Uniform Code, not "pants that shows buttcrack"

Aside from those points. the examples are all over the place, and the majority are useless for analysis because of Zero Context Example, mostly because it is misused both as Exactly What It Says on the Tin plus the name just begs for misuse like the Mario example, who is listed as an aversion because of his overalls.

Is dast der Zerstorer? Odar die Schopfer?

Narrative significance doesn't necessarily mean "important to the story". A sight gag that's designed to evoke a laugh is as much a trope as a major plot twist.

We say that it's played for Fan Disservice because it's almost always used to gross out either the audience or the other characters. It's also a characterization trope in that it denotes a working-class, often overweight individual who cares little about his appearance.

For the examples to be relevant, they must demonstrate these things. It can be as simple as, "Joe calls a plumber to fix his sink. We are treated to a shot of the man's sunny side, while Joe is visibly revolted. Cue Laugh Track."

edited 1st May '14 8:11:55 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"

They don't always have to be working class either. Uncle Phil on Fresh Prince Of Bel Air tried to do some plumbing once, and yep, we got a view of his butt crack. Will even lampshades this trope by saying "You sure have the pants for it".

That too. So, another component is that when any character decides to do household maintenance, especially plumbing, they will fall victim to this trope for laughs.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"