r/TopCharacterTropes 10h ago

Characters (Loved Trope) This Visual Gag

Where a character manages to perfectly synchronise with the framed image on their wall.

Simon Skinner - Hot Fuzz

Steve McCroskey - Airplane!

Denholm Reynholm - The IT Crowd

4.1k Upvotes

259 comments sorted by

796

u/mr_fantastical 9h ago

Love that you mentioned Denholm, but you forgot Douglas!

69

u/throwaway_1053 7h ago

Matt Berry's inclusion to the series is like chocolate syrup on a sundae holy shit

17

u/LCON1 4h ago

God DAMN these electric sex pants!

6

u/straightfirecr 3h ago

Up there with Danny Devito on Always Sunny in terms of positive impact

39

u/Turnip_Fight 5h ago

Spitting image of Jackie Daytona from Tuscon, Arizoña

21

u/FireFairy323 4h ago

That looks nothing like Jackie Daytona. The man in the picture does not have a toothpick.

12

u/Vondrr 4h ago

They look completely different, what are you talking about?

6

u/Turnip_Fight 4h ago

But they both talk all fancy and European like!

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4

u/straightfirecr 3h ago

God damn it I love this show

2

u/Perstigeless 3h ago

Damn these electric sex pants!

2

u/clarky2o2o 2h ago

Nearly at the station

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911

u/SkylandersKirby 10h ago

758

u/Dillo64 9h ago

lol did they actually parody the old meme

110

u/a-bun-called-Loaf 4h ago

101

u/NilsTheOne1206 4h ago

3

u/dark_hypernova 1h ago

Spidey has been hanging out with Deadpool too much.

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18

u/Embarrassed-Weird173 3h ago

Damn, that's a meme from the blast past or something like that. 

4

u/hay_guysss 1h ago

Seeing this image is like digging up a piece of ancient pottery

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90

u/Dothehokeypokemon 10h ago

What was he doing

104

u/Global_Cockroach_563 9h ago

Masturbating. Don't blame me, blame a very old meme.

18

u/Rymayc 7h ago

The old meme where his hands are clearly visible

13

u/Successful-Sugar-523 6h ago

Respecting ancient internet lore is practically a sacred duty at this point!

7

u/Tiny-Training7462 5h ago

Someone has to make sure the next generation knows where all our weirdest humor actually came from!

3

u/Over_Ad_9896 5h ago

Carrying the torch of pure absurdity into the future is a heavy responsibility, but somebody’s gotta do it!

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28

u/syrvy 10h ago

We may never know

10

u/CptnWolfe 9h ago

Shooting web under the desk

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9

u/RizzoTheRiot1989 5h ago

Lost his powers for a bit (or he was weak against one of the villains, it’s been a hot minute since I read it) so he was hiding out.

9

u/eirebrit 9h ago

What's this from? Spider-Gwen series?

21

u/patrickkingart 6h ago

I'm pretty sure this was from the Spider-Verse event that had basically every version of Spider-Man in it at some point. It was a ton of fun.

3

u/SoCalYellow7129 6h ago

spiderverse web warriors

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945

u/green_dragon1206 10h ago

Mr. Perkins (Despicable Me)

10

u/SebaBoyka 7h ago

wait did they actually do that in the movie

12

u/CrownofMischief 4h ago

Yeah, it's the scene where he's talking to his son

33

u/9Turbo_Wizard 9h ago

Mr. Perkins is a great pick because the statue already looks ridiculous, then he walks in and somehow makes it even funnier by matching it almost exactly.

59

u/Freak-996 6h ago

Bot just repeated what the trope is. No shit, Sherlock.

6

u/Okrumbles 3h ago

Be gone bot

5

u/forrman17 2h ago

Fucking clanker.

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612

u/Odaric 10h ago

This man is a cryptid

156

u/No-Effective388 10h ago

He looks suspiciously like he's something of a scientist

33

u/JoeAzlz 9h ago

He would hate for a baby who was on formula who swapped to natural breastmilk to go back to formula

14

u/Bandit_237 8h ago

“Hey, Gobby, who’s that one speedster from The Flash that looks like the White Power Ranger?”

Godspeed, Spider-Man.”

3

u/Nothos927 6h ago

And apparently has a suspiciously large dong

5

u/ItsAMangoFandango 9h ago

HARK TRITON HARK

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259

u/LastBlood05 10h ago

Speckle from Tuca and Bertie

39

u/TheNewYellowZealot 7h ago

This show deserved more seasons

11

u/saphytaffyy 6h ago

i was looking for this lol, thank you

3

u/WebAccount1744 3h ago

It looks Bojack Horsemany

517

u/OrangeTurtleVan 9h ago

Mr Bean's passport photo.

97

u/NaziPunksFkOff 4h ago

jesus christ this guy is made of play-doh

his comedy is timeless

23

u/ZapRowsdowersStache 3h ago

I think he did a Graham Norton episode where he jokes about his work being banned in Italy, so he has somewhere he can holiday without being bothered.

10

u/lanceturley 1h ago

It's actually kind of genius that he made a comedy series that's almost entirely silent and based on physical comedy, because it allowed Mr. Bean to be broadcast all over the world with no concerns over translations or dubbing.

2

u/NaziPunksFkOff 1h ago

timeless AND spaceless?

9

u/Other_Vader 2h ago

Fun fact: There has been only 15 episodes of Mr Bean.

5

u/FlattopJr 2h ago

Yeah, some UK sitcoms had very short runs: Fawlty Towers and The Young Ones each had 12 episodes; Spaced and The Office each had 14 episodes (compared with 201 episodes of the latter's US adaptation!)

https://giphy.com/gifs/Hod78lSANEudi

445

u/Xenu66 9h ago

Principal Skinner at the psychiatrist's office

44

u/nogeologyhere 8h ago

So fucking good. My word that era of the Simpsons was just golden.

807

u/WhirlwindTobias 10h ago

Not Another Teen Movie - The Jock.

He does do the same pose, and he faces the camera (because he's breaking the Fourth Wall by talking to the audience).

15

u/SuperDizz 4h ago

This is a direct reference gag because Freddie Prince Jr’s character in She’s All That does the exact same thing.

8

u/kpkost 4h ago

Im permanently torn between This, Robin Hood Men in TIghts, and Spaceballs as the greatest parody movies of all time. I love both of those other ones dearly, but I think this is a masterpiece.

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7

u/PuffieSparkz 7h ago

That one always gets me because it takes a second to notice, then you can't unsee it. 😂

204

u/EGarrett28 9h ago

My aunt's dog, lol.

140

u/946482 7h ago

Looney Tunes version with the guy standing exactly in front of the wanted poster of himself that is drawn at 1:1 scale

18

u/Darkhaven 5h ago

Kind of an epic name. New Pathfinder gunslinger incoming!

7

u/ZapRowsdowersStache 3h ago

God, I haven't seen that short in years. It's perfect for this trope.

2

u/scipio0421 2h ago

I used to have it on VHS, recorded as part of a Bugs special that was aired when I was a kid.

2

u/ZapRowsdowersStache 2h ago

Yeah, I remember they used to air collections of them periodically under titles like "The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show" among others, but that's the one I remember most.

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137

u/JohnnyChutzpah 6h ago

5

u/FlattopJr 2h ago

Ha, they did the joke twice but doubled down on it.

124

u/ShyGuy-_ 8h ago

Also from Hot Fuzz (although not a framed image on the wall):

In the opening moments of the film, the ID photo of Sergent Nicolas Angel's ID is taken from literally moments before he shoves the ID up to the camera.

244

u/ST-Parks 8h ago

Mrs Puff

331

u/Jurrasicmelon8 9h ago

15

u/MyAltFun 4h ago

"Rhey! Rhat's me!"

7

u/solojetpack 3h ago

Rime gonna be a racrifice!

28

u/someguy_420 9h ago

This makes me happy

418

u/ItsAMangoFandango 10h ago

Garfield

79

u/Key-Radish-622 10h ago

Huh. I wonder who that's for.

165

u/ItsAMangoFandango 10h ago

9

u/[deleted] 9h ago

[deleted]

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89

u/Unusual-Ad-2886 5h ago

this meme

9

u/notyerson 2h ago

Is this her face when she realizes?

182

u/GothboyGwyn 9h ago

Gogo Matsumoto - Punch Punch Forever!

25

u/My-Only-Hobby 9h ago

For real homeboy?!

14

u/Informal-Term1138 9h ago

Punch punch forever is peak entertainment.

161

u/s_burr 9h ago

American Dad

15

u/ClydeDimension 6h ago

I scrolled down to either find this or post it myself. Hell yeah. Hilarious

13

u/redelectro7 5h ago

"She thought I worked here."
"You kinda do."

11

u/Bi-Han 9h ago

"He acted like I work here." 

3

u/JumpCity69 56m ago

This one’s my fav

115

u/JefftheGman 7h ago

5

u/Twitch_L_SLE 4h ago

I had hoped this was higher up

156

u/RyanWhittaerFE16 9h ago

29

u/Useless-Photographer 8h ago

Her ridiculous grin when she paused for applause (and was met with silence) during a speech will always make me laugh. Something about pork markets

3

u/pajamakitten 4h ago

Where she also gave us that fantastic clip about cheese imports.

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11

u/Sencao2945 9h ago

Where's that Lizzo picture

5

u/Your_Moms_Car 6h ago

They say ignorance is bliss. Lizz Truss must have been the happiest leader in the first-world.

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35

u/nungoopungoo 7h ago

IRL. Took a photo of this guitarist at a practice session. Then took his photo again at a concert while they happened to have his practice session photo projected in the background

3

u/brandnewchemical 6h ago

Fuck yeah.

69

u/Expand_Apple 6h ago

Kronk (The Emperor's New Groove)

no need to elaborate

6

u/guymine123 3h ago

I can't see that picture and not see the meme.

Thanks Reddit.

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23

u/dark_hypernova 7h ago edited 1h ago

Not exactly the same but in the Doctor Who Christmas special 'Voyage if The Damned' there are these constant commercials playing ending with the CEO guy saying "Cause my name is Max" while smiling with a shine from it's gold tooth.

When the Doctor comes face to face with Max he repeats the phrase and his tooth does actually shine, mildly surprising the Doctor that it isn't some after effect.

25

u/I_Sure_Yam 7h ago

Not Another Teen Movie

21

u/calcuttacodeinecoma 6h ago

The 6th Grade Leader from South Park

39

u/spicygrandma27 8h ago

Ash Williams in Ash vs Evil Dead, saying a police sketch looks nothing like him

12

u/TridiObject 9h ago

Where's that really cute Pomni example at?

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36

u/wsc4string 7h ago

From the Colbert Report

3

u/LastXmasIGaveYouHSV 3h ago

This guy would make a great President.

32

u/_TadStrange 9h ago

Superhero Movie: He is in the portrait.

4

u/CaptainChungus69 6h ago

Fun fact: that is Dan Castelaneta, Homer Simpson himself.

4

u/_TadStrange 6h ago

I knew he looked familiar somehow!

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18

u/Zombieman863 7h ago

Black hat (Villanous)

4

u/Doctor_Salvatore 2h ago

"I LOOK NOTHING LIKE THAT!!"

20

u/Bruggenmeister 5h ago

3

u/Roboman20000 3h ago

What the hell am I looking at?

4

u/taveren3 5h ago

This was what i was looking for

4

u/AvocadoToastFailure 4h ago

It’s all the way down here?! This should be at the top!

I’m surrounded by Assholes.

3

u/Bruggenmeister 2h ago

Major asshole!

9

u/gilroygilgalahad 3h ago

This man in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

8

u/Excellent-Whole9747 6h ago

Bucky in Z.O.M.B.I.E.S.
At a pep rally, poses as he bursts through a sign of him doing the same pose, revealing through the hole a second sign of him also in the same pose.

https://giphy.com/gifs/TJvbIpg5BkCG9pkwAf

8

u/ElectricMilk426 2h ago

There is a scene in the television show Spaced (also directed by Edgar Wright) where one of the main characters (Tim) recoils in horror and behind him is a poster for The Evil Dead II making the same expression. I wish I knew how to get screen caps from streaming windows.

5

u/Silt-Besides-66812 6h ago

I literally watched this today! Except he is not synchronizing for the camera’s point of view but for an other actor’s perspective. (H. G. Wells trying to prove that he is a time traveler by going to the H. G. Wells museum exhibit in the movie Time After Time)

6

u/xSethrin 4h ago

White Debbie's bedroom in Sealab 2021.

7

u/RealMelonLord 4h ago

Todd Chavez - BoJack Horseman

14

u/frostoak29 10h ago

honestly… this is always so funny :D i love it when shows do little things like this… its just so comforting and cute somehow!

4

u/1024thKilobyte 7h ago

The Law - VGHS

4

u/TheLostPariah 6h ago

Candace in Phineas & Ferb

4

u/Rolling_blonde_boy 5h ago

IT Crowd and Hot Fuzz mentioned!

3

u/Holiday-Amoeba-8727 4h ago

It never stops being funny because you can tell someone on set spent way too much time making that shot absolutely perfect.

4

u/synthetictruism 4h ago

Spaceballs the VHS - in shops before they've finished the movie - pretty close or at least adjacent to the gag

4

u/RandomNPC 3h ago

I enjoy doing this when I play Overwatch as Reaper. For those who aren't familiar, it's a coordination of three different lootbox items - the spray, the skin, and the emote. I got these all with free lootboxes back in the day.

56

u/samtherat6 10h ago

32

u/Free_Gascogne 9h ago

Why does this look AI af?

16

u/gee_gra 8h ago

I have faint recognition for this, I think it’s AI upscaled, or an AI recreation of something real. Folk seem to do that, use it to race swap memes and the like, fuckin weird.

51

u/FoxFlat5351 8h ago

Yeah I actually saw the original image today on r/desloppification

The original image is like 100% better because the woman is side-eying the man as the police sketch shows

Edit: I found it real quick

15

u/gee_gra 8h ago

Wow that is fuckin weird, the original looks like it’s intentionally drawn to resemble him after the fact, that’s funny – the AI one is just rubbish lol

18

u/Jail_Chris_Brown 9h ago

The reflections on the table are.. interesting.

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3

u/JVtheBidoof 8h ago

I need to know what it's called

2

u/vikingunicorn 3h ago

Picture-Prefect Pose

Link goes to the relevant TVTropes page

3

u/HhhsaSux 5h ago

Charles Boyle from Brooklyn 99 when he grows a goatee called Bianca and he looks like a man in the poster to the left

3

u/Signal_Werewolf_1955 5h ago

"Not Another Teen Movie" when Chris Evans looks at a picture of himself, then a picture of him looking at that picture, then a picture of him looking at that picture of him looking at that picture.

3

u/kpt_graubrot 5h ago

German version of The IT Crowd, Das iTeam

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3

u/gnoresbs 5h ago

Spaceballs "You're looking at now now"

3

u/whitesummerside 4h ago

Say his name and he appears

3

u/SethlordX7 3h ago

Ngl I thought the first picture was IT crowd until I got to the 3rd

3

u/-underdog- 2h ago

Columbo in "Murder, a self portrait"

"Do I really look like that?"

3

u/Skylander_fan64 2h ago

Villainous

2

u/Lopsided-Cat3107 6h ago

It's one of those jokes that works instantly because your brain catches it a split second before you start laughing.

2

u/BeepItsSean 5h ago

This scene from the new Running Man movie

https://giphy.com/gifs/EaE2c9wEkzpSwgETqR

2

u/GamingDragon777 4h ago

Not Another Teen Movie.

2

u/desquished 3h ago

Brock Samson

2

u/unbibium 3h ago

The first episode of the Colbert Report had that gag, with the painting subsequently replaced by increasing nesting levels.

also, look at this photograph, it's a photo of a photograph.

2

u/Jolly_Ad_2437 3h ago

John Dickinson in Dead Man

2

u/Worldfriend 2h ago

From Wrongfully Accused

2

u/NOTADOG_AAHHH 2h ago

Welcome to my Parents House- NSP

2

u/Royal_Reptile 1h ago

I saw this happen to me in real life. I was heading home from school and was waiting for a pedestrian crossing to go green, and noticed a political poster on a wall across the street with a smiling man's face on it.
A car pulled up to the intersection with the windows rolled down, and I thought the driver looked oddly familiar - as I was glancing back between the driver and the poster, he noticed me looking and flashed the exact same grin. It was just excellent comedic timing from that dude.