Compensating for Something: Difference between revisions

== Comics -- Books ==

* [[Deadpool]] once had a gun [[Lampshade Hanging|actually called]] "The Compensator", as per the quote:

* Herr Starr from ''[[Preacher (Comic Book)]]'' develops an obsession for large handguns {{spoiler|after he gets his junk bitten off by a trained dog}}. He poses in front of the mirror holding one in front of his crotch and goes: Doom cock. DOOM COCK! DOOOOOOM COOOOOOCK!!!!!!!!!

* In ''[[Doom Patrol]]'', one minor villain was an impotent man with a... size problem... who designed a phallus-shaped multi-purpose crotch weapon and dubbed himself "Codpiece" before a short-lived crime spree (see the page pic).

* In ''[[Stranger Than Fiction]]'', this trope is invoked in reference to a double-necked guitar.

* There's a rather long monologue in ''[[M. Butterfly]]'' (a [[Deconstruction]] of ''[[Madame Butterfly]]'' and many Asian Stereotypes that's very vaguely based on a true event) related by the protagonist that his ex-girlfriend said that boils down to this: "Big Cars, Big Buildings, and all the great, big inventions are done by the guys with the smallest dicks."

* Parodied / [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] in ''[[I'm Gonna Git You Sucka]]'', when a [[Mook]] questions why the heroes have such bigger guns than they do; his compatriot replies, "It's a phallic thing, I dunno."

* Even mentioned in James Cameron's ''[[Titanic]]'', during a scene in which one of the boat's backers is bragging about the ship's capabilities, claims which our heroine Rose greets with some skepticism. "Do you know of Doctor Freud, Mr. Ismay? His ideas on the male preoccupation with size might be of some particular interest to you."

* In ''[[Undercover Brother]]'', after noticing the size of Undercover Brother's car, hair, and jewelry, Sista Girl believes that he is "overcompensating for something." And of course, there's the matter of his "big, black, fuzzy balls" hanging from his car's rear view mirror.

* From ''[[Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time|Prince of Persia the Sands of Time]]'':

* In the pre-credits sequence from ''[[Goldfinger]]'', a girl asks [[James Bond (film)|James Bond]] why he always carries a gun. He just shrugs and says he has a "slight inferiority complex".

* Averted in the 1987 movie version of ''[[Dragnet]]'':

'''Officer Joe Friday:''' I've never needed more. }}

* In the first sequel to ''[[Police Academy]]'', it is revealed that gun obsessive Tackleberry is still a virgin.

== Live-Action TV ==

* On ''[[Top Gear]]'', they stick nearly all flashy supercars in the "Uncool" section of the Cool Wall for this very reason:

'''Richard Hammond:''' Let's move on! }}

* One episode of ''[[A Bit of Fry and Laurie]]'' has a hospital patient who has just had his genitals removed. The doctor, in order to help him cope, gives him a pet Doberman, a Jeep, a subscription to ''Guns and Ammo'', and a lot of camouflage clothing, telling him that it's standard policy. This joke doubles up when the patient complains about needing to urinate. The Doctor's response? If he drives around in that car, in those clothes, with that dog, people will be taking the piss out of him all the time.

* In the reboot series of [[Doctor Who]], the Master's "Laser Screwdriver", longer, thicker and more dangerous than the Sonic Screwdriver. It's never brought up in the show, but the producer claims that on the first day the prop was brought on set, he received a text message from David Tennant saying "His screwdriver is bigger than mine".

* Happens in an episode of ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'', "Playthings"

'''Sam:''' Well you are kind of butch, they probably think you're overcompensating. }}

** On another occasion, Dean implies that Cas is doing this when Cas boasts to another character about how large his true form is.

* ''[[Stargate SG-1]]''. Shortly after returning as a regular cast member, Vala makes an accusation of this {{spoiler|to the chairman of the appropriations committee}}. General Landry was not amused.

* In an episode of ''[[Friends]]'', "The One Where They All Turn Thirty", Ross buys himself a sports car:

'''Chandler:''' Ross, a sports car? Wouldn't it be cheaper to just stuff a sock down there? }}

* In the episode "Night Of The Nearly Dead" of ''[[Father Ted]]'', the character Eoin [[Mc Love]] is an arrogant manchild who gets what he wants regardless of the effect it has on other people. Eventually, his PA makes him apologise and he confesses to Ted and Dougal: "I haven't got a willy".

* ''[[Noah's Arc]]'': This exchange between Noah and Wade in the first episode:

Wade: "Nah playa, it's all good in my hood." }}

** [[BioWare]] also hit this one with [[Dragon Age]], where [[Token Evil Teammate|Morrigan]], [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Sten]], and [[The Alcoholic|Oghren]] may all comment on how the [[Mage Tower|Circle Tower]] is a giant phallic symbol. Sten will actually say "Humans, overcompensating as always."

** Party banter between Anders and Carver in ''[[Dragon Age II]]''.

'''Carver:''' I've got a [[BFS|big blade]] on my shoulder, magey.<br />

'''Anders:''' Right. Wonder what you're compensating for? }}

* ''In [[Exit Fate]]'', Trevor's ridiculous [[Ridiculously Huge Sword]] is mocked by both Daniel and Sick for this reason.

'''Sick:''' He's [[Compensating for Something|compensating]]. }}

** Done in the main comic, also; upon seeing Wily's gigantic fortress, a character remarks that he must be compensating for something. When he targets them with an absurdly large laser cannon (shaped suspiciously like a phallic symbol), one says "He IS compensating for something!"

** After the character Dive Man destroys the cannon, he says something along the lines:

* ''[[Girl Genius]]'' implies this about the Wulfenbach household [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080829 here], in particular taking note of the [[Airborne Aircraft Carrier|giant floating Castle]]. There are lots of jokes about this in general, involving "death rays" or "tool belts".

** Dot's nottink. One of participant brought to the assault on Mechanicsburg troops riding [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20111116 something] between a [[Walking Tank]] and the lower half of [[Powered Armor]]. That is, "vehicles" looking like wide pants... with a big gun set on the fore end.

* Is mentioned once in ''[[Beyond Reality]]'' in regards to Orion's [[BFS]], as well as having much of the fanart (especially about the time a dragon snapped it in half) talk about it in a [[Freud Was Right|certain]] way.

* Lampshaded in [http://www.antiheroforhire.com/d/20080111.html this] ''[[Antihero for Hire]]'' strip.

"Well, I don't have to compensate for things like some people." }}

* In ''[[The Last Days of Foxhound]]'', Vulcan Raven has a pet peeve for "Compensation" jokes made at him because of his weapon of choice. Later on, Grey Fox outright asks him if he's got a small penis, to which Raven responds that he's officially made his death 25% more painful.

* The comic ''Chaos Campus'' has a similar female example, in the character Jamie Schaffer, a goth poser who is unusually short and compensates by having massive, cartoonish, 72"-of-inadequacy breast implants.

* ''[[Exterminatus Now]]'' in the strip named after one stunt from ''[[Predator]]'':

* In a ''[[Fanboys (webcomic)|Fanboys]]'' page lampooning the [[Doomed Hometown]] trope, the [[Genre Savvy]] generic RPG hero complains that he has a sword that can "compensate for the entire village's manhood".

* Iceland in ''[[Scandinavia and The World]]'' has [http://satwcomic.com/the-collection disturbing ways] of [http://satwcomic.com/brand-new-equipment dealing with] a severe insecurity complex related to his small... population. His severed penis collection is based on a [[Real Life]] phallus museum in Iceland.

* In an episode of ''[[Futurama]]'', the crew visits Washington, D.C. We see them fly by the Washington Monument, and the Clinton Monument, which looks just like Washington's except twice the size.

* In ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'', Rev. Lovejoy just comes right out and says it.

'''Rev. Lovejoy:''' To compensate for my own sense of smallness. }}

* Used openly on ''[[Robot Chicken]]'', when a dweeb who's shopping for a new vehicle demands something appropriate for a guy with an extremely small penis.