Banana In the Tailpipe: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

You've got someone on your tail. Could be a cop, [[The Bully|the local bully]], or a ''[[Implacable Man|very]]'' [[Implacable Man|persistent]] [[Loan Shark]]. You could try to slow them down by shoving a banana (or a potato, or similar size-filling object) in the tailpipe or muffler of their car. That way, you could give yourself time to escape and have a good laugh at the victim's expense as their car sputters and churns and fails to go anywhere. If the script calls for it, the car might even [[Every Car Is a Pinto|explode]].

 

[[Reality Is Unrealistic|If only it worked like that in real life]]. While a banana or a single potato jammed into the tailpipe will probably be ejected at high speed, completely blocking the tailpipe of a car with something that can't simply be blown out ''will'' smother the engine. It will not, however, set the car on fire.

 

{{examples}}

== Anime and Manga ==

* There was an episode of the ''[[Little Lulu (anime)|Little Lulu]]'' anime where Wilbur's butler was replaced by a [[Drill Sergeant Nasty|stricter butler]] who anticipated all of the tricks that Lulu and the others were going to pull on him. Finally, they come up with a plan to work together to get rid of the mean butler. One of the tricks involved Tubby stuffing a handkerchief in the tailpipe of the limosine, and when the mean butler checked the tailpipe, the handkerchief came loose and he wound up with a face full of smoke and soot from the tailpipe.

 

== Comic Books ==

* Messed with in one of the early issues of the comic ''[[Spy Boy]]'', where Bombshell stops a (moving) car of bad guys by tossing what ''appears'' to be a lit cigarette into the tailpipe. The car blows up several blocks later. Considering that Bombshell is an explosives expert, however, [[Justified Trope|it's not quite as far-fetched]].

* ''[[Billy the Cat]]'' uses it too.

 

== Film ==

* The [[Trope Namer]] here is the film ''[[Beverly Hills Cop]]'', where Eddie Murphy's character used this technique to foil a group of bumbling police officers. Famous for a notorious editing screwup: the banana he holds is curved, but the one in the tailpipe is straight - they couldn't fit the bent one in the tailpipe.

** Parodied in the "Trial of the Century" episode of ''[[Clerks the Animated Series]]''. Judge Reinhold (the actor, acting as the courtroom judge) is lured away from Dante's trial by Axel Foley, who "needs (his) help!" - and they spend the evening stuffing bananas in people's tailpipes and watching them stall, but the fun ends when the local grocer reveals that he's run out of bananas. Then Judge Reinhold wakes up ("No! Axel! Come back!").

*** "I had that dream again!"

* In the movie ''[[Hollywood Knights]]'', the titular gang shoves a potato into the tailpipe of the squad car of [[Police Are Useless|two bumbling cops]] at the local drive-in diner... with hilariously loud results!

 

* This happened in ''[[The Three Stooges]]'' a couple times.

* ''[[Columbo]]'' did this with a potato.

 

== Radio ==

* In the fictional town of Lake Wobegon (as heard on ''[[A Prairie Home Companion]]'') everyone buys either Fords or Chevys, depending on religion. This is mandatory. In one case someone who bought foreign couldn't get his car started the next day 'cause someone had stuck a potato up the tailpipe.

* In ''[[Tree From My Youth]]'', Salsa is able to destroy a Pig Mask tank by shoving what is implied to be his own feces in the tailpipe.

 

== Video Games ==

* The second case of ''[[Apollo Justice|Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney]]'' featured a car being disabled by - wait for it - {{spoiler|a pair of panties. MAGICAL panties.}}.

** {{spoiler|To the relief of one and all, the person who they were stolen from (yes, stolen from) doesn't wear them; they're part of a [[Bag of Holding]]-type act. But that doesn't make the choice of prop any less disturbing...}}

 

== Western Animation ==

* In the ''[[Futurama]]'' episode "The Honking", Leela plans to kill the were-car by shoving a silver potato in its tailpipe. Unfortunately, it doesn't have one, "thanks to Ed Begley Jr.'s electric motor, the most evil propulsion system ever conceived!"

** Again in "Into the Wild Green Yonder" when the Feministas sabotage a sweeper by pouring sugar in the fuel tank and shoving an organic potato in the tailpipe.

* In the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "Viewer Mail No. 2 (Point of Stew)", Stewie attempts to stuff a Twinkie in Brian's tailpipe of his car only to have it shot back on his face and ends up on an unexpected ride with Brian.

 

 

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And [[Freud Was Right|stop snickering]], already!!

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fruit and Vegetable Tropes]]