Lampshade-Wearing/Playing With

Basic Trope: A (usually drunk or high) character puts a lampshade on his (or more rarely, her) head.
Played Straight: Bob gets drunk at a party and puts a lampshade on his head to the amusement of other guests.
Exaggerated: Bob wears said lampshade home from the party.
- Bob wears several lampshades on his head.
Justified: Bob is very, very, very drunk and/or high.
- It's a costume party, and Bob forgot his costume, so he grabs the lampshade and hopes nobody notices he didn't come in with it.
Inverted: Bob crouches on top of the lampshade while drunk.
- Bob puts a lampshade on his head, but isn't drunk or high at all.
Subverted: Bob drinks at the party, but doesn't put a lampshade on his head, even though he is extremely drunk.
Double Subverted: But as he stumbles home, he puts a traffic cone on his head.
Deconstructed: This behavior could cause embarrassment for Bob or others. Also, Bob could get hurt as he cannot see where he's going.
Reconstructed: Bob doesn't get hurt, and everyone is amused (not embarrassed) by Bob's behavior.
Parodied: Bob wears the lampshade home. At work the next day, he is still wearing it.
- Everyone has lampshades on their head during the party.
- Alice wears the lampshade as a skirt.
Lampshaded: "That was some party last night!"
Averted: Bob doesn't put anything on his head. He may not get that drunk (or get drunk at all), and he may not even be at a party.
Enforced: Rule of Funny
Invoked: Bob has had too many drinks at the party, and eyes a lamp.
Defied: Bob doesn't drink at the party, knowing he'll make a fool of himself if he does.
Discussed: "I swear, he does this at every party."
Conversed: "Yeah. It's amusing and embarrassing at the same time."
Played For Laughs: Almost always is.
Played For Drama: Bob's behavior embarrasses his wife, gets him fired, or otherwise comes back to haunt him.

Back to Lampshade-Wearing