Popping Buttons



A character is getting ready for a date with a beautiful girl or a party with his friends. He has just finished showering and has just put on some cologne, but when it comes time to put on his clothes, he puts on his pants, but when he puts on his tuxedo, he finds that he is having problems trying to button it. Just when he finally gets the suit all buttoned, the buttons suddenly pop off after a few seconds and fly in different directions. Apparently, the character has either gained weight, or the suit is not as big as he remembered it to be.

This is a Comedy trope in which a character has trouble buttoning his shirt or pants, because he has either gotten too fat or the clothes are too small for him. Of course, there are also some cases where when the shirt is buttoned, the buttons don't pop off, but the shirt is completely stretched out at the buttons. It's also happened with belts as well as it also happening at the breasts. You can see this trope pop up in most forms of media.

Can go hand in hand with either Breast Expansion, Hulking Out or Balloon Belly.

Also Truth in Television

Advertising

 * A few Subway commercials use a variant where burst shirts, pants, (chairs, etc.) (to the tune of the 1812 Overture) are used to imply overweight/obesity caused by other fast foods.

Anime and Manga

 * Happened to Tubby in the very first episode of the Little Lulu anime.
 * At the beginning of episode 6 of Seikon no Qwaser, Tomo tries to squeeze her massive breasts into a maid outfit. All the buttons pop off and hit Miyuri right in the face.
 * In Axis Powers Hetalia, Ukraine's boobs cause a button on her shirt to pop off. She's later seen sewing it back on.
 * In one chapter of Keroro Gunsou, Natsumi tries to brush off having put on a few kilograms over the winter by pointing out to herself that it doesn't really show... then a button tears off her skirt as she's getting dressed. Cue Keroro discovering Natsumi doing aerobics in her room with the heater turned up.

Film

 * This happens in Harry Potter And the Prisoner of Azkaban when uncle Vernon's sister Marge comes to visit the family and she bullies Harry into jinxing her to bloat. Film adaption makes one of the popping buttons knock Dudley out.
 * In the teaser trailer for The Incredibles, Mr. Incredible has difficulty putting on his belt because of obesity. When he finally gets it buckled, it suddenly comes undone and rockets across the room.
 * Shrek The Third had Shrek's belt buckle pop off and hit Donkey in the face, leading to a very nasty chain reaction.
 * Happens on Wallace and Gromit in Curse of the Were-Rabbit when  turns into the Were-rabbit.
 * In Village of the Giants when the teens eat the substance that makes things grow, there is a close-up of the chest of one of the girls as the buttons pop off her sweater.
 * In Monsters vs. Aliens, as Susan grows her wedding garter snaps off and knocks out a poor bystander.
 * Galactically stacked Japanese model-turned-pornstar Fuko has the breast version as part of her repetoire.

Live-Action TV
"Granny: Ellie May done popped the buttons off her shirt again. Jed: Ellie May carries herself proud with her shoulders throwed back Granny: It ain't her shoulders that have been poppin' these buttons."
 * On Just Shoot Me, Maya is dating a Chubby Chaser and thinks he's fattening her up. Jack dismisses it until her pants button pops with such force it embeds itself to the wall.
 * Referenced on The Beverly Hillbillies:

Video Games

 * Lei Fang's Ending from Dead or Alive 4.

Web Original

 * Popular in media targeted at Chubby Chasers.

Western Animation

 * The Tale Spin episode "Gruel And Unusual Punishment" had Baloo getting ready to go to the Pilot's Ball with Rebecca, but when he gets his old tuxedo all buttoned up, the button pops off and ricochets all over the room..

Real Life

 * Reportedly, on the set of The Pirates of Penzance, Marlon Brando's overeating made him burst over forty pairs of costume pants.