One-Hour Work Week: Difference between revisions

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The reason for this trope is that going to have adventures while you're supposed to be working is not a good work ethic (unless you have the kind of job that's a conceivable part of), and no audience wants to watch someone at work with nothing interesting going on for any long amount of time. However, when you only ever see a lot of free time, and at times of day when the character really should be working, [[Fridge Logic|you may wonder]] how the character manages to earn anything.
The reason for this trope is that going to have adventures while you're supposed to be working is not a good work ethic (unless you have the kind of job that's a conceivable part of), and no audience wants to watch someone at work with nothing interesting going on for any long amount of time. However, when you only ever see a lot of free time, and at times of day when the character really should be working, [[Fridge Logic|you may wonder]] how the character manages to earn anything.


For the childhood equivalent of this trope, see [[Shouldn't We Be in School Right Now]]. Compare [[The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything]] (who are literally their profession [[In Name Only]]) and [[What Exactly Is His Job]] (when the profession isn't even named).
For the childhood equivalent of this trope, see [[Shouldn't We Be in School Right Now?]]. Compare [[The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything]] (who are literally their profession [[In Name Only]]) and [[What Exactly Is His Job?]] (when the profession isn't even named).


This can also be contrasted to shows that take place primarily around the profession (when the profession itself is exciting enough, or can be made exciting through creative license), where the focus can be almost entirely on [[Work Com|the work itself]]. Examples are ''[[Greys Anatomy]]'' for medical drama, ''[[Band of Brothers]]'' for drama about soldiers, and ''[[MASH]]'' for both.
This can also be contrasted to shows that take place primarily around the profession (when the profession itself is exciting enough, or can be made exciting through creative license), where the focus can be almost entirely on [[Work Com|the work itself]]. Examples are ''[[Greys Anatomy]]'' for medical drama, ''[[Band of Brothers]]'' for drama about soldiers, and ''[[MASH]]'' for both.
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** Monica has a character arc about her career as a restaurant chef. This is usually a job with 14 hour days, often seven days a week, but she seems to work about as much as Joey.
** Monica has a character arc about her career as a restaurant chef. This is usually a job with 14 hour days, often seven days a week, but she seems to work about as much as Joey.
** Joey shouldn't be let off the hook either. It was justified when he was a struggling and mostly unemployed actor. However, daily soap opera stars have incredibly long work hours.
** Joey shouldn't be let off the hook either. It was justified when he was a struggling and mostly unemployed actor. However, daily soap opera stars have incredibly long work hours.
* Sportswriter is a popular vocation; Paul Hennessy from ''[[Eight Simple Rules]]'', Oscar from ''[[The Odd Couple]]'', Raymond from ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]'' and Tony from ''[[Listen Up]]'' (based on the writings of sportswriter Tony Kornheiser) all fitting the part. This is probably so the character could be manly AND lazy at the same time.
* Sportswriter is a popular vocation; Paul Hennessy from ''[[8 Simple Rules]]'', Oscar from ''[[The Odd Couple]]'', Raymond from ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]'' and Tony from ''[[Listen Up]]'' (based on the writings of sportswriter Tony Kornheiser) all fitting the part. This is probably so the character could be manly AND lazy at the same time.
* Carrie of ''[[Sex and The City]]'' is a columnist, which only requires a laptop these days as a convincing prop. Oddly enough, Miranda is supposed to be a lawyer, yet she seems to have just as much free time as Carrie, except when the plot requires her to be too swamped with work to spend time with her boyfriend Steve. For some reason Miranda is never too busy to go brunching or out to fancy nightclubs.
* Carrie of ''[[Sex and The City]]'' is a columnist, which only requires a laptop these days as a convincing prop. Oddly enough, Miranda is supposed to be a lawyer, yet she seems to have just as much free time as Carrie, except when the plot requires her to be too swamped with work to spend time with her boyfriend Steve. For some reason Miranda is never too busy to go brunching or out to fancy nightclubs.
** Lampshaded slightly with Samantha, a PR agent, who in real life would be just as busy as Miranda is supposed to be, yet always has time to go shopping, to nightclubs, to restaurants. . .but as a PR person, she would no doubt HAVE to do this as part of her job.
** Lampshaded slightly with Samantha, a PR agent, who in real life would be just as busy as Miranda is supposed to be, yet always has time to go shopping, to nightclubs, to restaurants. . .but as a PR person, she would no doubt HAVE to do this as part of her job.
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== [[Real Life]] ==
== [[Real Life]] ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinecure A sinecure] used to be a government position that gave you a fancy title and a salary, but few or no responsibilities. It was awarded to people to either reward them for past services, or to enable them to concentrate on their art (Goethe held one, for instance).
* [[wikipedia:Sinecure|A sinecure]] used to be a government position that gave you a fancy title and a salary, but few or no responsibilities. It was awarded to people to either reward them for past services, or to enable them to concentrate on their art (Goethe held one, for instance).
** The Master of the Mint position awarded to [[Isaac Newton]] was ''supposed'' to be one. However, much to the shock of everyone, [[Reassignment Backfire|Newton actually took it quite seriously]], instituting Britain's shift to the gold standard and cracking down on counterfeiters.
** The Master of the Mint position awarded to [[Isaac Newton]] was ''supposed'' to be one. However, much to the shock of everyone, [[Reassignment Backfire|Newton actually took it quite seriously]], instituting Britain's shift to the gold standard and cracking down on counterfeiters.
* Some freelance positions can appear like this, not because they never work, but because they tend to be able to stagger their hours so they can get time off at certain times. They can, for example, do a majority of their work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday so they can have Thursday and Friday off, or they can work late at night.
* Some freelance positions can appear like this, not because they never work, but because they tend to be able to stagger their hours so they can get time off at certain times. They can, for example, do a majority of their work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday so they can have Thursday and Friday off, or they can work late at night.
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[[Category:Romance Novel Tropes]]
[[Category:Romance Novel Tropes]]
[[Category:One Hour Work Week]]
[[Category:One Hour Work Week]]
[[Category:Trope]]
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/One-Hour_Work_Week"