History Main / PowderGag

An old one dating from theatrical cartoon shorts, practically Administrivia/SelfExplanatory. Take a powder, any powder, circumstances (a SneezeOfDoom, a fan, a hairdryer, a PracticalJoke or even spontaneous explosion) causes it to be blown all over the place. The camera goes blank for several seconds, turning the color of what has exploded.

When liquids are involved (e.g. in a BucketBoobyTrap), the result is usually CoveredInGunge.

* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': In "Drumforgiven", Louise plans to send a pawn shop owner a glitter bomb disguised as a present, as payback for banning Gene from playing with the instruments in his shop. She has to abort the plan when Gene arrives to confront the owner himself. After all has been settled, Gene sees the bomb in Louise's hands, thinks it's a present for him and opens it, covering everyone with glitter.

When the dust clears and we see the characters again, they and their surroundings are completely, utterly covered in the stuff. They stand stiff and still, often trying to get the stuff off their eyes. Then one makes some sort of a joke before the scene cuts away. HilarityEnsues if the character is confused for a ghost or some other monster.

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': In "Let's Take a Quiz", Candace is the victim of this gag.

* The coke-sniffing scene in ''Film/AnnieHall''.
* [[Film/BlazingSaddles Mongo open candy box, candy box go KABOOM!]] Powder fill screen. Scene end.

An old one dating from theatrical cartoon shorts, practically Administrivia/SelfExplanatory. Take a powder, any powder, circumstances (a sneeze, a fan, a hairdryer, a PracticalJoke or even spontaneous explosion) causes it to be blown all over the place. The camera goes blank for several seconds, turning the color of what has exploded.

* Shows up in ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'', if you can believe that. Will Whitfoot, mayor of Michel Delving and the fattest hobbit in the Shire, is caught in the collapse of the Town Hole and emerges covered in chalk, thus earning the nickname "Flourdumpling". It happens off screen -- er, off page -- but still, there you are.

* A running gag on ''The MiltonBerle Show'' was for someone to holler "MAKEUP!", resulting in someone running on stage and smacking the victim in the face with a big, soft, loaded powder puff. Copied by many others.

* The ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' episode "In Like Ed" featured this gag, produced by a baking powder smoke bomb [[ShoePhone shaped like a jawbreaker]].

* ''ScoobyDoo'' has done this more than once, at one time this was the complete disguise for the [[MonsterOfTheWeek villain of the week]] who covered himself in flour. Must have been very convincing because when Shaggy and Scooby get covered in the stuff he thinks they're ghosts.

An old one dating from theatrical cartoon shorts, practically SelfExplanatory. Take a powder, any powder, circumstances (a sneeze, a fan, a hairdryer, a PracticalJoke or even spontaneous explosion) causes it to be blown all over the place. The camera goes blank for several seconds, turning the color of what has exploded.

* The nuclear cheese blast in ''Film/OverTheHedge''.

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[[AC:StandUpComedy]]
* In ''TheUnfinishedSpellingErrorsOfBolkien'', Gimli blows on the horn of Helm Hammerhand and gets covered in powder that old Helm left in there as a joke.

When liquids are involved (e.g. in a BucketBoobyTrap, the result is usually CoveredInGunge.

[[AC:Theatre]]
* The Milton Berle "Makeup!" variation happens to Mr. [=MacAfee=] during the Ed Sullivan Show scene (it's plausible that this was done by the in-universe stage crew for the specific purpose of getting him to shut up, as he's being a bit of a pain).

* In ''TheUnfinishedSpellingErrorsOfBolkien'', Gimli blows on the horn of helm hammerhand and gets covered in powder that old helm left in there as a joke.

* Shows up in ''Film/LordOfTheRings'', if you can believe that. Will Whitfoot, mayor of Michel Delving and the fattest hobbit in the Shire, is caught in the collapse of the Town Hole and emerges covered in chalk, thus earning the nickname "Flourdumpling". It happens off screen -- er, off page -- but still, there you are.
* The ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' episode "In Like Ed" featured this gag, produced by a baking powder smoke bomb [[ShoePhone shaped like a jawbreaker]].
** "Smile For the Ed" had Ed shouting "Makeup!" and ''poof''ing Eddy through the wall with a chalkboard eraser. The episode ends with him doing it to himself, producing this trope.

* ScoobyDoo has done this more than once, at one time this was the complete disguise for the [[MonsterOfTheWeek villain of the week]] who covered himself in flour. Must have been very convincing because when Shaggy and Scooby get covered in the stuff he thinks they're ghosts.

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