High-Class Glass: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
[[File:Monocle-
{{quote|'''Leela:''' I know Fry's rich, but do we really have to wear these top hats?
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Largely obsolete today, the monocle is a corrective lens applied to only one eye. In this sense it is no different from eyeglasses. But while eyeglasses have never been anything more than a medical appliance (with the possible exception of the pince-nez), the monocle has been a status symbol virtually since its invention.
They are never seen on the faces of the working class. Instead, they are the exclusive province of [[Blue Blood|titled nobility]], [[Officer and a Gentleman|high ranking military officers]], upper-echelon businessmen, academics, etc. They are also exclusively worn by
In media, the monocle's wearer will constantly clean it and fidget with it. It will be whipped out and squinted through when the wearer views something below his social station. In comedies, a monocle will pop off its wearer's face and/or shatter in shocked response to the working class hero giving this pompous toady his well-deserved comeuppance. The monocle is also a popular graffito to [[Face Doodling|draw on a sleeping person's face]].
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The female version is the lorgnette, which is a pair of spectacles on a small stick to be held up when you want to look at something. It is a common property of the [[Grande Dame]].
Given its association with wealth and status, it's a very popular prop for the [[Mock Millionaire]]. Today, putting a monocle and top hat on ''anything'' is sure to get a laugh just out of the pure absurdity.<ref>Unless you go by the name of [[Total Biscuit|John Bain]]</ref>
{{examples}}
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* Walter Dornez, loyal retainer to the Hellsing family in ''[[Hellsing]]'' wears a monocle. It goes into [[Scary Shiny Glasses]] mode when he's ready to kick undead ass.
* Dr. Adashino from ''[[Mushishi]]'' wears a monocle, presumably to make him look more intellegent and make him visually distinguishable from the other villagers, since the series' art style mostly averts the [[Hair Colors]] commonly see in anime and gives most people black hair.
* Cho Hakkai from ''[[Saiyuki]]}}'' has one over his artificial right eye, presumably to protect it. He's also generally the most level-headed and polite of the
* In ''[[Trinity Blood]]'', Cardinal Sforza is a woman who wears a monocle. She's also a duchess and half-sister to the Pope.
* ''[[Detective Conan]]'' and the Kaitou Kid. The monocle (and top hat) practically define the character, harkening back to [[Arsène Lupin]] and the whole [[Gentleman Thief]] bit. Also, the monocle has a tendency to do the [[Scary Shiny Glasses]] thing when Kid's being disturbing.
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== Fan Works ==
* In ''[[Pretty Cure Perfume Preppy]]'', classmate Arisa Erisawa wears a monocle over one of her
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== Literature ==
* Wilkins Micawber from ''[[David Copperfield]]''.
* [[Lord Peter Wimsey]] from [[Dorothy L. Sayers]]' detective novels. His monocle was actually a disguised magnifying glass, perfect for taking a really close look at
* ''[[Harry Potter/Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix|Harry Potter]]'' features two slight subversions of the trope. The persons wearing the monocles are a judge and a schoolteacher, but both are
* [[H. Beam Piper]]'s ''Uller Uprising'' has General Carlos Von Schlicten, who wears a monocle; the only thing ever observed to knock it out of his eye is a nuclear blast while kissing a lady. "Don't you know, lieutenant, that no gentleman ever wears a monocle while kissing a lady?"
* Count Olaf of ''[[A Series of Unfortunate Events]]'', when disguised as a wealthy, fashionable [[Funny Foreigner]] auctioneer, adopts a monocle as part of his getup. It seems to be a standard part of the V.F.D. disguise kit.
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:: Later he asks the guy if he's trying to kill [[James Bond (film)|James Bond]].
* In one episode of ''[[The Persuaders]]'', Danny Wilde has to impersonnate his friend Lord Brett Sinclair and portrays him as an [[Upper Class Twit]], naturally wearing a monocle that keeps popping off.
* In ''[[Dad's Army|Dads Army]]'', it's revealed that upper-class Sgt. Wilson requires a monocle because his sight is weaker in one eye than the other. Captain
* An incident on ''[[QI]]'' where Stephen Fry [[Pop Cultural Osmosis Failure|had to have the expression "beer goggles" explained to him]] resulted in the panel accusing him of using "Madeira pince-nez" or a "sherry monocle" instead.
* Queen Machina from ''[[Power Rangers Zeo]]'' wears a monocle over her left eye.
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* Subverted in [http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2255#comic a fantastic little strip] from ''[[Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]]''
* In ''[[Impure Blood]]'', [http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Chapter003/ib015.html Caspian's father]. [http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue4PAGES/ib084.html Plus one of the Watchers]
* In ''[[Minion Comics]]'', Von
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