World's Smallest Violin: Difference between revisions

== Film ==

* In [[Reservoir Dogs]], Mr. Pink plays the world's smallest violin for underpaid waitresses during a debate about tipping.

 

 

== Live-Action TV ==

* Possibly the [[Trope Maker]]: Margaret does this on ''[[M*A*S*H|Mash]]'' in 1978 when Charles complains that an overflow of post-op patients has kicked him out of his tent.

* Repeated on ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (TV series)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]'', when Principal Kraft, under a spell, mouths off to [[Alpha Bitch|Libby]]:

* Charlie mentions the world's smallest violin in an early episode of ''[[Two and A Half Men]]''.

* This exchange in the [[Warehouse 13]] episode "Merge With Caution" after the Warehouse agents just jumped out through a window and Pete is complaining about his knees:

'''Myka''': The world's tiniest purple violin. (she's wearing purple protective gloves) }}

* In [[School Of Comedy]], a brash character attending a group therapy session actually produces a miniature violin to play for someone relating their story.

== Music ==

* Invoked in [[Pantera]]'s "Walk":

Those same friends tell me your every word }}

 

== News Media ==

* Used by a columnist in the ''New York Times'' (11/9/2003) about the travails of bluebloods having trouble finding jobs.

** Was the general reaction to [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/15/AR2009081502957.html this] article about a family that's ''just squeaking by'' on an annual $300,000 income. How the [[Wa Po]] thought for a second they'd garner any sympathy whatsoever is beyond me.

 

== [[Web Original]] ==

* [[Atop the Fourth Wall|Linkara]] once got out a violin when Ultimate Wolverine was about to get into a long flashback involving how he had sex with Wanda's mother.

* Doctor Tease once played a tiny violin to accompany [[The Nostalgia Chick]] angsting.

** Which according to the commentary, had been an actual gift from Lindsay, prior to that.

* In a soundtrack gag on ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'', a violin plays very, very softly during Toph's brief attempt to bond with an unsympathetic Zuko during the series finale.

* Pictured above: a scene from the ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' episode "Squilliam Returns" in which Mr. Krabs ''literally'' plays the World's Smallest Violin as a variant of this trope.

'''Mr. Krabs''': I know, this really ''is'' the World's Smallest Violin. See? (camera focuses on his claw to show World's Smallest Violin) }}

* Apu, from ''[[The Simpsons]]'', does this gesture in response to his wife's complaining but with a sitar rather than a violin.

** In the episode "Them Robot" Lenny also plays the world's smallest violin for Homer, but it turns out he was actually holding a real tiny violin. Moments later he loses the bow.

* In an early episode of ''[[Family Guy]]'', Peter gets sent on a [[Vision Quest]]. When the trees start talking to him, he asks the old question:

'''Tree 2:''' ''(rubbing branches together)'' Ooh, look at me Frank, I'm playing the world's smallest violin! }}

* In episode 5 of ''[[Animals of Farthing Wood]]''. While it's not a ''tiny'' violin, Rabbit does pick up a stick and mock-play sad violin music when Mr. Pheasant starts to get a bit theatrical about "when one faces death as often as me" before leaving back to the farm to help Adder find her way to the others. True enough, Mr. Pheasant just lost his wife to the farmer's gun, but the general opinion of his established character is that he's all too concerned in himself.