History Main / HumansAreSmelly

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', the Imga, a minor race of intelligent "ape men," consider the races of Men to be beneath them, copying their [[OurElvesAreBetter Altmeri (High Elf)]] idols, and pretend to find their smell offensive. They wear {{Pimped Out Cape}}s at all times, with one perfumed corner which they hold over their noses when humans are around.

* ''Literature/TheWitches'': Human children, though not adults, smell just like dog droppings to witches. [[BlessedWithSuck They use this trait]] to help them track down children [[ChildHater to destroy them]].

Note that for this trope to apply, it applies to ''all'' humans and not just ThePigpen. Compare CallAHumanAMeatbag, another example of humans' biological processes being the basis of an insult, and HumansAreUgly, which is based on humans' appearance rather than smell. In literal cases, may cross with StinkSnub.

-->I admit it is difficult to even think encased in this rotting piece of meat. The stink of it filling every breath, a suffocating cloud you can't escape. Disgusting.

* General Thade in ''Film/PlanetOfTheApes2001'' tells the orangutan Limbo (a human pet/slave trader) that he stinks of humans. Off-screen, an ape child commented that humans smell.

* In ''{{Literature/Animorphs}}'' book #7, the Animorphs are wandering around in cockroach morphs as Ax says he smells humans. Someone objects that humans don't smell, but Ax insists they do--not that it's a ''bad'' smell, of course.
** However, he denies vehemently that Andalites have ever been known to stink.

* ''Franchise/DoctorWho'': The Tenth Doctor once referred to the 'ripe old smell of humans'.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'', Wheatley tells a story about how he was landed with the job of "tending to all the smelly humans". He quickly remembers that Chell is human and corrects himself.

* In the webcomic of ''WebComic/FlintlockesGuideToAzeroth'', the elf Kathrena [[http://flintlocke.thecomicseries.com/comics/209 describes humans]] (to the fellow human Schweitzer) as all smelling as sweat and barbecue sauce and to which the dwarf Flintlocke shows up and ask if someone is cooking barbecue.

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[[folder:Web Video]]
* in ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'' Beauregard is told by an ogre that she smells "like a human."
-->"It's a terrible smell... It make me hungry."
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-->'''Grodd:''' Humankind is weak, brainless... [sniffs] ...and smelly.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "The Brave and the Bold", part of Grodd's speech claims that "Humans are slow, ugly, immoral, and have an unpleasant body odor!" Everyone listening ''is'' human, but they're all {{Brainwashed}} and under his control; he's doing it to [[SmugSnake feed his ego]]. Naturally, the [[ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne only part]] that ComicBooks/TheFlash himself takes offense to is being called 'slow'.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsResistance'': In [[Recap/StarWarsResistanceS1E11Bibo "Bibo"]], when Kaz (human) complains about the terrible smell of the title character, the new pet of Neeku (Nikto), Neeku retorts that he prefers Bibo's "natural musk" to the way Kaz smells, causing him to feel self-conscious and Tam (also human) to laugh.

Note that for this trope to apply, it applies to ''all'' humans and not just ThePigpen. Compare CallAHumanAMeatbag, another example of humans' biological processes being the basis of an insult, and HumansAreUgly, which is based on humans' appearance rather than smell.

* In the ''[[Franchise/TheMatrix Matrix]]'' films, Agent Smith is repulsed by the smell of humans. He admits this to Morpheus just before trying to physically torture him for Zion's access codes, and in ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'', during his final encounter with Neo while downloaded into Bane:

->''"I hate this place. This zoo. This prison. This reality, whatever you want to call it, I can't stand it any longer. It's the smell, if there is such a thing. I feel saturated by it. I can taste your stink and every time I do, I fear that I've somehow been infected by it."''

In many fantasy and mythology examples, this trope may be [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by the concept of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual_purification ritual purity]], which is a near physiological concern for supernatural beings in many worldviews that feature it, like toxicity for humans. Some myths feature supernaturals who describe ritual pollution as ''stinking''; many ritual purifications involve physical bathing.

* In ''Film/TheMatrix'', Agent Smith tells Morpheus that to him (and presumably to other agents and machine programs), humans stink.

* The spirit workers at the bathhouse in ''Anime/SpiritedAway'' complain about Chihiko's "human stench."

* In ''[[Literature/HumanxCommonwealth Nor Crystal Tears]]'', one of the things the thranx find objectionable about the weird bipedal creatures they've taken prisoner is their musky mammalian body odor. Inverted with the thranx, as many humans observe that they have quite a pleasant citrus smell for a [[InsectoidAliens species of giant bugs]].

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': Humans smell really bad to the Voth, a reptilian species descended from dinosaurs, with highly advanced olfactory faculties.

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* On ''Series/{{Angel}},'' we have one of [[HumanoidAbomination Illyria]]'s crazy rants in the middle of danger:
-->'''Illyria:''' Do you know what you were [[TimeAbyss when I was young?]] You were the muck at our feet. We called you the Ooze That Eats Itself. You were pretty at night. You sparkled, and you ''stank.'' You ''still'' stink of it!\\
'''[[VampireDetective Angel]]:''' [[ShutUpHannibal Will you just shut up for once?!]]
* ''Series/MakoMermaidsAnH2OAdventure'': One of the mermaids says that land people are quite bearable, once you get used to the strange smell.
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': Humans smell really bad to the Voth, a reptilian species descended from dinosaurs, with highly advanced olfactory faculties.
* ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' reveals that humans smell bad to Vulcans, and that T'Pol has had to take medications to desensitize her, though this may be justified as it is specifically the females who think humans stink, while the other Vulcan main characters have been male.
* In ''Series/{{Wilfred}}'', Wilfred the dog complains about Wilfred and others constantly smelling like "human shit" even after showering.
* In ''Series/WizardsVsAliens:'' "The humans are disgusting. They smell of sweat and meat."
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->''I hate this place. This zoo. This prison. This reality, whatever you want to call it, I can't stand it any longer. It's the smell, if there is such a thing. I feel saturated by it. I can taste your stink and every time I do, I fear that I've somehow been infected by it.''

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "The Brave and the Bold", part of Grodd's speech claims that "Humans are slow, ugly, immoral, and have an unpleasant body odor!" Everyone listening ''is'' human, but they're all {{Brainwashed}} and under his control; he's doing it to [[SmugSnake feed his ego]]. Naturally, the [[ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne only part]] that ComicBooks/TheFlash himself takes offense to is being called 'slow'.

* In an OriginsEpisode of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', the Aye-Aye spirit who agrees to take Wan (the future first Avatar) in dubs him "[[InsultOfEndearment Stinky]]" after earlier commenting that humans are disgusting.

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* In ''Anime/SpiritedAway'', several bathhouse workers complain about Chihiro's "human smell". Haku defends that Chihiro only needs 3 days of eating spiritual food for the smell to go away.
* In ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'', San expresses disgust at smelling "like a human" after interacting with Ashitaka. The gods and spirits refer to human scent as a "stink" or "stench".

* Related, humans aren't very tasty to most predators (smell does play a part in taste). One of the more famous examples is that of the Great White Shark which has been known to attack humans because they resemble seals when swimming. Great Whites first go for a "nibble" to inflict a serious (often fatal) wound before a more violent kill. When nibbling a human, the shark realizes that we are not seal and do not continue with the follow up attack because it hates the way we taste. Part of the reason why there are so few deaths from shark attacks is the "nibble" is usually quite treatable and with prompt medical attention, one can live a normal healthy life (though missing limbs are not uncommon). In fact, most apex predators do not hunt humans and will stay away from them. Most animal attacks are the result of animals feeling threatened by humans or humans provoking the animal. A human that was attacked for food normally means that the animal in question was really desperate.

Note that for this trope to apply, it applies to ''all'' humans and not just ThePigpen. Compare CallAHumanAMeatbag, another example of humans' biological processes being the basis of an insult.

* In ''WesternAnimation/GreenLanternFirstFlight'', the Guardians are complaining about a human (Hal) joining the Green Lantern Corp, [[HumansAreBastards listing all their faults]], then adds [[MurderArsonAndJaywalking "Plus, there's the smell."]]

* General Thade in ''Film/PlanetOfTheApes2001'' tells the orangutan Limbo (a human pet/slave trader) that he stinks of humans.

* In ''Anime/SpiritedAway'', several bathhouse workers complain about Chihiro's "human smell".

* Megatron in ''Film/Transformers'' [[TheNoseKnows uses his nose]] to figure out where Sam is.

* ''WebVideo/BackstrokeOfTheWest'', the RecursiveTranslation of ''StarWars Episode III: Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', has General Grievous refer to Anakin as a "smelly boy".

* The infamous "''WebVideo/BackstrokeOfTheWest''" version of ''StarWars Episode III: Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' has General Grievous refer to Anakin as a "smelly boy".