Leaning on the Furniture: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

Our character is trying to show that he (usually a man, occasionally a woman) is cool, casual, and intent upon whatever is being said by their superiors. The character does this by artfully leaning in a doorframe, putting one foot up on a chair or other set-piece, or flipping an armless chair around and sitting facing the chair-back. While not always taking part in the dialogue, they are engaged in the scene as an on-camera observer, and ready to interject an idea or quip.

 

{{examples}}

* Flo from the Progressive commercials does this when she is talking to the [[Badass Biker]].

* There's a commercial currently{{when}} out (think it's for 1-800-Contacts) where the presenter starts to lean on the furniture ''before there's anything there to lean on'', and a table (along with some contacts) magically pops up beneath his elbow. He's just that cool.

 

* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'''s Ed Elric is rather fond of this. He once did it in a church, just to be extra rude.

** In Episode 24, when Al discovers the new hideout of the refugee Ishbalans, Scar is seen leaning against a wall to deliver a few sparse comments on who Al is, that he's not a threat, and why their new hideout is (literally) underground.

* In ''[[Princess Tutu]]'', Autor leans forward onto a piano when he's essentially bossing a character around. (Although this may be more because he's trying to assert himself more than a casual gesture.) He also has a tendency to lean against a wall with his arms crossed. Fakir also does this at least once or twice.

* Mirielle of ''[[Noir]]'' occasionally leans against her desk chair when talking about new jobs, and Kirika also does this at least once when deep in contemplation.

 

* Han Solo is Leaning on the Furniture in the Mos Eisely saloon when introduced. All that's missing are the spurs on his boots.

* The Comedian does this in ''[[Watchmen]]'' while the very first meeting of the Watchmen are being briefed, complete with a newspaper and a flask of whiskey.

* In ''[[Dirty Rotten Scoundrels]]'', part of [[Steve Martin]]'s [[Training Montage]] involves learning how to casually approach and lean against a pillar while holding a cocktail.

 

* Riker does this incessantly in ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]].'' Due to the actor's physical build, this was probably originally to make sure that he was actually in frame for his scenes.

** Riker's most iconic variant of this now has its own trope: the [[Captain Morgan Pose]]. He does it in plenty of other ways as well.

** Q was also quite fond of this trope, especially when he was using furniture that directly belonged to - and would undoubtedly anger - Picard.

** Later on, he does it again *High-Pitched Voice* "that was a particularly bad one...."

* In the pilot for ''[[Happy Days]]'' Richie leans on the doorframe of his date's apartment when he's talking to her outside. Which is also the side of the door the doorbell is on.

* In the first episode of ''[[Red Dwarf]]'' Rimmer (apparently still not used to being a hologram) leans on a console and goes through it.

* Olly in ''[[The Thick of It]]'' tries this in Malcolm's [[Whitehall|Number 10]] office. It does not go down well: "Feet off the furniture, you [[Oxbridge]] twat. You're not on a punt now."

** Malcolm's [[Bastard Understudy]] Jamie does this habitually but gets away with it because [[Psycho for Hire|most people are terrified of him]].

* Conversations between Don Draper and Roger Sterling in ''[[Mad Men]]'' tend to involve one or the other standing and the other Leaning on the Furniture (both [[Jon Hamm]] and John Slattery are pretty tall, so it probably helps keep them in-frame). When Bert Cooper is around, it often ends up looking like a round of "[[Whose Line Is It Anyway?|Standing, Sitting, Leaning]]."

 

* Draco Malfoy in ''[[A Very Potter Musical]]'' constantly tries to do this, usually falling over what he tries to lean on.

 

* Not sure how much this counts, but, while he is rarely seen inside the Narumi Detective Agency, the title character of [[Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army]], when he ''is'' seen (usually in cutscenes), is always, without fail, leaning against the stair railing.

 

* David Jackson does this in a flashback during v1 of ''[[Survival of the Fittest]]'', leaning back in his chair so it rises onto its back legs, and putting his legs on the table. However, this wasn't so much to be rude as to relax, as he was exhausted from [[Training from Hell|practice]] earlier. Amusingly, he is sitting back to back with Jack O'Connor, his teammate, so not only is his chair resting against Jack's, but they converse (with a [[Shout-Out]] to [[Battle Royale]]) without even facing each other.

 

* Danny tried this once in ''[[Danny Phantom]]'' by leaning his hand on a tree to play off as a cool guy to his crush [[Alpha Bitch|Paulina]]. Unfortunately, his [[Puberty Superpower|nervousness triggered his invisibility]], causing his entire arm to go intangible. He came crashing down, much to his embarrassment.

 

== Real Life ==

 

{{reflist}}