Distinguished Gentleman's Pipe: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

When a writer wants to show that a character is just a little bit "above" everyone else in the group, in one way or another, he'll give them a pipe. Almost [[Always Male]]. The man with the pipe is usually depicted as being a little bit older, a little bit (or a lot) smarter (often a [[The Professor|Professor]]), in control, composed, unruffled and dignified. Perhaps even pompous, snooty, aloof or a bit haughty. When being held, the stem points back at the smoker, drawing attention to them as being the most important; it can also be used by them to point with.

Generally does not apply to [[Deep South|hillbilly]]/[[Father Neptune|sailor]] corn cob pipe smokers, who usually defy the trope, though there are notable exceptions.

 

 

{{examples}}

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* Bruce Banner smoked a pipe in his first appearance, in ''The Incredible [[Hulk]]'' #1. In [[The Nineties]] when [[Hulk]] had Bruce Banner's brain he also smoked a normal sized pipe, which for him was very tiny.

* Reed Richards of the [[Fantastic Four (Comic Book)|Fantastic Four]] used to smoke a pipe from time to time, before it became [[Politically Correct|PC]] not to smoke.

** As did [[Ant-Man|Hank Pym]].

** And [[X-Men (Comic Book)|Charles Xavier.]]

* [[Blake and Mortimer|Francis Blake and Philip Mortimer]].

* Banshee would often smoke a pipe during his downtime while he was a member of the [[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]].

* Doc Magnus, creator of the [[Metal Men]], is rarely seen without his trademark pipe. Even in the present day he looks like a stereotypical intellectual from [[The Sixties]].

 

== [[Film]] ==

** Honorable Mention: Theoden. ''Smoke, then, and think of him.''

* ''[[Inglourious Basterds]]'': SS Colonel Hans Landa. A rare [[Good Smoking, Evil Smoking|Evil Smoker]] example.

* Michaleen Flynn in ''[[The Quiet Man]]''

** Also Father Lonergan and Rev. Playfair.

* Professor Brainard in ''[[Flubber|The Absent Minded Professor]]'' (played by Fred MacMurray)

* Sam Neill in ''[[The Dish]]''.

* Part of Jason's gentleman disguise in ''[[Mystery Team]]''.

* Very rare female example - Juno MacGuff is seen sporting a distinguished gentleman's pipe, though not actually smoking it, in ''[[Juno]]''.

 

== Jokes ==

* Why do professors and scientists smoke pipes (if they smoke at all), while politicians and managers smoke cigarettes? A pipe's got a head, a cigarette only a mouthpiece.

 

* ''[[Remington Steele]]'' (also played by Pierce Brosnan)

* Dan Rowan of ''Rowan and Martin's [[Laugh In]]''

* Jim Anderson on ''[[Father Knows Best]]''

* Played with in a sweet way on ''[[The Pacific]]''--[[The Woobie|Sledge]] doesn't take up smoking cigarettes, like nearly all the other Marines, but he does take to smoking a pipe. When his friend back home teases him about it, he explains that he finds the process calming. (In real life, Sledge's widow was so taken with Joe Mazzello's performance that she [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|sent him her late husband's real pipe as a gift.]])

* Played straight during a Season 10 news segment on ''[[Top Gear]]'' with James May...and then completely averted by Jeremy Clarkson ten seconds later when he burns his tongue after putting the wrong end of the pipe in his mouth.

* Discussed by [[Bill Bailey]] on ''[[QI]]'', who observes that a tradesman who's puffing on a pipe looks much more knowledgeable and trustworthy than one who's taking drags on an [[Instant Dogend]].

 

== [[Music]] ==

* [[Professor Elemental]] smokes a calabash.

 

== [[Religion]] ==

* J.R. "Bob" Dobbs, iconic symbol of [[Parody Religion|The Church Of The Sub-Genius]]

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

 

== [[Web Original]] ==

* Several members of ''[[The League of STEAM]]'' smoke pipes.

 

* Scott of ''[[Basic Instructions]]'' occasionally has a Pipe (and a smoking jacket and fez).

* Dad from ''[[Homestuck]]'' has several pipes, suggesting he all too keenly embraces the stereotype of [[Standard Fifties Father]]. His IM handle is "pipefan413".

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* Basil in ''[[The Great Mouse Detective]].''

* In the animated TV show ''[[The Venture Bros]]'', Professor Richard Impossible. Who is also a [[Standard Fifties Father]], or rather, husband.

* Professor Utonium in ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'' smokes a pipe.

** Occasionally, it's a [[Bubble Pipe]].

 

== [[Real Life]] ==

* [[Albert Einstein]]

* [[Mark Twain]] - a notable exception to the corn cob pipe rule.

** Him being a quintessential [[Southern Gentleman]], down to the white suit, it's inevitable.

[[Category:An Index of Ladies and Gentlemen]]

[[Category:Intelligence Tropes]]