History Main / TandemParasite

[[quoteright:349:[[Creator/DCComics https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/worlds_finest_comics_54.png]]]]

* ''ComicBook/WorldsFinest1941'': In #54, Superman, Batman and Robin ride a tandem bike. However, Robin is the only who is pedalling as his mentors are calmly sitting cross-legged and arm-folded on their seats.

* [[ComicBook/ArchieComics Jughead and Archie]] did it. Archie was pedalling.
* Franchise/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}} and Comicbook/{{Robin}} [[http://www.superdickery.com/superman-batman-vs-robin/ in a World's Finest comic.]] [[ButtMonkey Robin was pedalling.]]

* Robert Fulghum wrote a piece on this. A New Age couple riding a tandem bicycle. The guy in front thinks he's in control 'cause he decides where they're going. The gal in back knows she's in control 'cause she can stop pedaling and look around every so often. A nice essay on gender roles.

* An unintentional example in ''Manga/SpyXFamily''. When the Forgers have fun on a resort island following a cruise, one of the things they do is ride on a tandem bike. Yor, who has been established as having borderline SuperStrength, pedals extremely fast, while Loid (who is ''trying'' to pedal but does so much slower than Yor) and Anya (whose feet can't reach the pedals at all) look back in shock at what she's doing.

* Team Rocket on ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' uses a lot of pedal-powered vehicles. About half the times they use one, Jessie sits back and lets James and Meowth do all the work, which occasionally leads to disaster.

* Robert Fulghum wrote a piece on this. A New Age couple riding a tandem bicycle. The guy in front thinks he's in control 'cause he decides where they're going. The gal in back knows she's in control 'cause she can stop pedalling and look around every so often. A nice essay on gender roles.

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* [[ComicBook/ArchieComics Jughead and Archie]] did it. Archie was pedalling.

* Occurs in ''Literature/OneFishTwoFishRedFishBlueFish''. The children have a creature, called Mike, who sits on the back of their bike and doesn't pedal. Subverted, however, in that, while Mike never pedals, he gets off the bike and pushes it up steep hills while the children relax on the seats.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* Variation with the Chucklemobile from ''Series/{{Chucklevision}}'', where the two brothers supposedly pedal side by side but Paul never bothers, even though Barry can see him not doing it. ([[IronButtMonkey Presumably he's just used to it at this point.]]) On some versions of the Chucklemobile prop it doesn't look like there even ''are'' pedals on Paul's side!

* Burns and Smithers on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. It gets worse when Smithers gets stung by a bee and begs Burns to get him to a hospital. How does Monty do it? By ordering Smithers to do it, of course.

* Mr Herriman does it to Bloo in the ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' episode "Let Your Hare Down" when Bloo is attempting to teach him how to have fun and Herriman isn't having a bar of it.

* In ''WesternAnimation/LittlestPetShop2012'', Roger escorts the Biskit Twins on a tandem bicycle ride through a park in an attempt to get through to be nicer, and of course, [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lps_tandem_bike_350x220_4638.jpg they made no attempt to cycle along with him.]] [[spoiler:Surprisingly, it works, to where they eventually pull a rickshaw for Roger in gratitude]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': Invoked in the episode "Cheater By The Dozen". When following Bobby around town on the [=McBrides=] old tandem, Clyde actually asks Lincoln not to pedal because he wants to exercise.

A DeadHorseTrope, or even a DeadUnicornTrope.

!This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16666997230.51344500 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.

But, not all is good, because, as always, evil rears its ugly head in the form of a Tandem Parasite. This is the one in the back seat, whose parasitism is not visible to the hard-working front-seater. The rear-seater doesn't pedal at all, but rather crosses his leg and smiles as the poor soul in front of him does twice the work he should be doing - the idea here is that the rear-seater is mockingly taking advantage of the rider.

It should be noted that, sometimes, the parasite has some reason not to pedal, like being distracted, or having been hurt, if you buy those cheap excuses. If it's a tandem bike version of RomanticRideSharing, however, the gallant gentleman in front might be happy to do all the work while his beloved relaxes in the back.

** Bender and his two clones take a three-person bicycle in "Benderama", only ''all three'' are leaning back. The bike promptly falls over.

* Kif and Amy in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Three Hundred Big Boys". The twist is that it's a flying bicycle, and the pedals power the wings. In this case, Amy is just easily distracted (waving to some friends on the ground below) and wasn't trying to be rude.
** Bender and his two clones in "Benderama", only ''all three'' are leaning back. The bike promptly falls over.

** In Creator/TexAvery's "The Bear's Tale", Papa and Mama Bear are the parasites, leaving poor Baby Bear to do all the pedaling.

* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'': While captive aboard the alien spaceship in "Lost In Space", Jeff undergoes a trial about wether or not he truly loves Haley and deserves to return to her. Unfortunatly, the trial is rigged and only reveals the bad times. One of the images shown about how selfishly he's acted toward her is Haley being forced to pedal a tandem bike by herself... because Jeff is making her ''lug his van around with the bike!''

It should be noted that, sometimes, the parasite has some reason not to pedal, like being distracted, or having been hurt, if you buy those cheap excuses.

* In ''WesternAnimation/LittlestPetShop2012'', Roger escorts the Biskit Twins on a tandem bicycle ride through a park in an attempt to get through to be nicer, and of course, [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lps_tandem_bike_350x220_4638.jpg they made no attempt to cycle along with him]]. [[spoiler:Surprisingly, it works, to where they eventually pull a rickshaw for Roger in gratitude]].

* Brian and Lois on ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''

[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/worlds_finest_comics_54.png]]
[[caption-width-right:349:"[[SuperDickery Pedal faster, Boy Wonder. Crime isn't going to stop itself!]]"]]

* '''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': Invoked in the episode "Cheater By The Dozen". When following Bobby around town on the [=McBrides=] old tandem, Clyde actually asks Lincoln not to pedal because he wants to exercise.