Line #101 Main/QuackingUp


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/HowardTheDuck https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/howard_9.png]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:"What the [[{{Pun}} duck]] is going on here?!"]]
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10
11	->''"Quack, quack, quack, Donald Duck''\
12	''He's my little pal''\
13	''Quack, quack, quack, Donald Duck''\
14	''Daisy is his gal''\
15	''Quack, quack, quack, Donald Duck''\
16	''In his sailor suit''\
17	''Quack, quack, quack, Donald Duck''\
18	''Gee, I think he's cute"''
19	-->-- '''[[Series/TheMickeyMouseClub Jimmie Dodd]]''', WesternAnimation/DisneySingAlongSongs
20
21	Not unlike chickens, "duck" is often seen as an {{inherently funny word\|s}}, and this is frequently applied to duck characters themselves. When not depicted as selfish and temperamental (or clumsy and dim), ducks are commonly shown as hilarious characters, sometimes ''because'' of the aforementioned negative qualities. It's also not uncommon for ducks to have some form of speech impediment a la [[WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck Donald]] or [[WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck Daffy]]. Ducks are often very [[NoisyDuck loud]], whether anthro or not.
22
23	Ducks can also garner humor through playing on the alternate meaning of {{Duck}} (take cover!), or occasionally through serving as a LastSecondWordSwap for [[PrecisionFStrike a certain obscenity]].
24
25	Compare to SwansASwimming, for a more elegant and graceful waterfowl. Contrast FoulWaterfowl, for aggressive and dickish aquatic birds.
26
27	----
28	!!Examples
29	[[foldercontrol]]
30
31	[[folder:Advertising]]
32	* Since 1999, the insurance company AFLAC has employed a white American Pekin duck mascot who has appeared in loads of commercials for the company. Voiced for many years by Creator/GilbertGottfried and later by Daniel [=McKeague=], the bird was often seen quacking the company's name in frustration in hopes of attracting potential policy holders.
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
36	* ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'': Misty's Psyduck was depicted as comically inept at both battling ''and'' swimming. It's a different story when it gets a headache and unlocks its latent PsychicPowers...
37	* Mousse from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' turns into a duck when splashed with cold water. HilarityEnsues.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Comic Books]]
41	* ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse: An entire [[TheVerse 'verse]] centering around such memorable characters as WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, his uncle Scrooge, and countless more. Donald has a famously comical HairTriggerTemper and often serves as the ButtMonkey. His Uncle Scrooge's cheapness and {{Greed}} are commonly portrayed as amusing flaws. Finally, their nephews (Huey, Dewey, and Louie) are usually seen as immature pranksters and troublemakers.
42	* ''ComicBook/HowardTheDuck'': The titular character is a sardonic DeadpanSnarker who even got [[Film/HowardTheDuck his own movie]] in the '80s.
43	* ''ComicBook/TheEyeOfMongombo'': Anthropologist/adventurer Cliff Carlson has been [[ForcedTransformation turned into a duck]] by a vengeful WitchDoctor named Jumballah.
44	* ''ComicBook/SuperDuck'' used to be an AnimalSuperhero comic until it got retooled into a slice-of-life suburban comedy comic about an anthromorphic duck, not unlike Disney's own Donald Duck comics.
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
48	* Wade Duck from ''ComicStrip/USAcres'', and its AnimatedAdaptation on ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'', is a duck who wears an inner tube. He's friendly, but he's an extreme coward, fearing everything, even things that should come naturally to a duck like swimming and flying. However, when he puts his mind to it, he [[CowardlyLion displays courage and faces his fears, particularly when his friends are in trouble]].
49	* Guard Duck from ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' is a violent, unstable military duck Pig got to guard his and Rat's house[[note]]They were unable to afford a proper guard dog[[/note]] who views the entire neighborhood as his battlefield.
50	* Ducks are a frequently recurring subject on ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'', where they are depicted in a variety of humorous fashions, including as {{Killer Rabbit}}s, rivals/parallels to chickens, or conflicting with duck hunters.
51	* ''ComicStrip/WhatTheDuck'' featured a hapless duck character struggling to make a living as a professional photographer, being a bit of a NoRespectGuy.
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Films — Animation]]
55	* ''WesternAnimation/AlphaAndOmega'' and some of its sequels feature the character Paddy, a [[BritishStuffiness British]] duck who serves as caddy for his French-Canadian golf-playing goose friend Marcel. Paddy is very much a DeadpanSnarker and TheJeeves all rolled up into one.
56	* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4'' has Ducky, a stuffed duck who escaped a fair prize booth with his partner Bunny. As the two accompany Woody on his mission, Ducky makes frequent quips and has crazy [[ImagineSpot imagine spots]], much to Woody's annoyance.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
60	* A RunningGag in ''Film/{{Babe}}'' is Ferdinand the duck [[CockADoodleDawn crowing like a rooster in the morning]] in an attempt to make himself indispensable so [[BlackComedy the humans won't eat him]].
61	* The aforementioned ''Film/HowardTheDuck''. The plot involves the eponymous character being accidentally zapped to Earth during the [[AppliedPhlebotinum test-firing of a laser]], acclimating to human culture, and trying to find his way back home. A flop replete with [[{{Narm}} narmy]], NeverLiveItDown, and [[{{Squick}} squicky]] moments combined with ''very'' noticeable SpecialEffectsFailure, it's often considered one of the worst movies ever made.
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:Game Shows]]
65	* ''You Bet Your Life'' contained a pair of comical duck depictions of its host, Creator/GrouchoMarx.
66	** The show's opening cartoon title sequence showed Groucho as a duck, complete with glasses, cigar, bow tie, and bushy eyebrows.
67	** If a contestant said the "secret word" of the day, a toy duck that looked like Groucho would drop from the ceiling bearing the $100 prize, to be split between the two contestants. Doubles as a CallBack to "Why a duck?", a routine Groucho did with Chico in ''Film/TheCocoanuts''.
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Jokes]]
71	* A ''very'' old joke, which could be either the TropeCodifier or TropeNamer: What happens when ducks fly upside down? They quack up!
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Literature]]
75	* Daniel Pinkwater's book ''Literature/LizardMusic'' parodies ''You Bet Your Life'', presenting a game show on the lizard television station called "You Bet Your Duck." The host and contestants (who are lizards) wear duck masks.
76	* In the children's book ''Literature/TruckFullOfDucks'' by Creator/RussBurach, a dog runs a business delivering live ducks. Unfortunately, one of the ducks eats the address of the customer he is supposed to deliver them to. While looking for the customer, he and the ducks encounter several odd people, such as an alien whose UFO has broken down and a pirate with a parrot on his shoulder ("I ordered crackers, not quackers!")
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Music]]
80	* The 1976 novelty song "Disco Duck," by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots, has the title character morph into an arm-flapping duck while on the dance floor.
81	* The 1985 album ''Music/DareToBeStupid'' by Music/WeirdAlYankovic features the song "I Want a New Duck," a parody of the Huey Lewis hit "I Want a New Drug."
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
85	* ''Series/ElmosWorld: Doctors'' plays up the "quack doctor" metaphor; a duck dressed as a doctor shows up a few times.
86	[[/folder]]
87
88	[[folder:Radio]]
89	* Campus-community station WQAX, 100.3 on your cable FM dial at Indiana University-Bloomington, got its name from the coaxial cable signal transmission lines. They're called "co-ax" for short, which when spoken fast sounds like "quacks". The station's logo was a very [[TheStoner relaxed-looking duck]] with a headset (1973 was a primo year for marijuana jokes, especially in Bloomington, where even the mayor and some cops were known to partake.) A later logo designed by commercial artist Mike Cagle showed a [[DarkerAndEdgier scowling duck]] in profile. Some volunteer announcers would answer the phone "Quack quack".
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Video Games]]
93	* There are a total of nineteen duck villagers in the ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' series. Four are jocks, four are lazy, four are snooty, four are peppy, two are "normal," and one is smug. Most of the ducks' catchphrases contain the word "quack", and as with every other species of animal villager, the player character can form a friendship with them by talking to them, giving them presents, and performing tasks for them.
94	* In ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'', Kris must build a "machine to thrash your own ass" midway into Chapter 1; while most of the parts are standard for a weaponized vehicle, you ''also'' have the option of using parts from an oversized toy duck. Using any of these has the game note that "your machine sucks ass," and building the entire duck results in special dialogue riffing on the result. Carrying over a Chapter 1 save file to Chapter 2 brings over the thrash machine, and the completed duck has comedic results there as well, [[spoiler:making Rouxls Kaard's attacks pitifully avoidable during his battle and replacing the "Attack Mode" option in the FinalBoss fight with "Duck Mode" (which does less damage but has a slight health-draining effect and adds silly squeaky toy noises)]].
95	* Ducks are a running gag in ''VideoGame/DinkSmallwood'', and on your journey you will run into an island inhabited with giant, talking ducks who participate in blood sports, a man training ducks for a parade, as well as a village that worships ducks.
96	* Lucky the Duck from ''VideoGame/OnlyTheBraveCanRescueTheKidnappedPrincess'' is a wisecracking duck who provides a generous amount of zany humor.
97	* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
98	** Psyduck is a rather dopey-looking duck-based Pokémon, who the Pokedex describes as frequently confused and often suffering from headaches. However, it has very strong psychic powers, though it can't remember using them. It loses its absentmindedness after evolving into the Kappa-like Golduck.
99	** The rare Farfetch'd carries around a leek and gets very temperamental towards those who try to remove it. The only Farfetch'd available in ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' is obtained through trade and has the silly nickname of "DUX." Farfetch'd is based on a proverb with a DoubleMeaning, one of said meanings being more or less "a fool and his money are soon parted." Just like how a duck walking through a forest with duck soup ingredients is [[TooDumbToLive just begging to be eaten by someone]], anyone who believes that such a ridiculously favorable-sounding trade has no strings attached is kind of just begging to be swindled. Additionally, both forms of Farfetch'd and the Galarian evolution Sirfetch'd sport [[BigOlUnibrow black unibrow-like]] markings on their heads, which give them all a sort of perpetually knowing, smug look.
100	** Ducklett is a bit on the cartoony, gawky side design-wise and noted to be a better swimmer than flier. Its evolution into the beautiful, graceful [[SwansASwimming Swanna]] is likely a reference to ''Literature/TheUglyDuckling''.
101	** [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIXFamilies Quaxly]] is cartoonish duckling with a mostly white body, teal legs and a [[SixtiesHair pompadour-like crest]] and a cat-like grin. In the first trailer of ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'', Quaxly is seen fliping its crest for dramatic effect.
102	[[/folder]]
103
104	[[folder:Web Comics]]
105	* The convent that ''Webcomic/LittleNuns'' takes place in raises a large number of ducks. Ducks appear in every drawing after a certain point, and their antics usually make for a FunnyBackgroundEvent. Some of the ducks are even recurring characters (like the Chili Duck, a duck that fell into a bag of chili powder, or the IdiotHair Duck, who is caught in a continual love triangle).
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Web Original]]
109	* Vinny of {{WebVideo/Vinesauce}} fame has an odd fascination with ducks. Said fascination tends to leak into fangames about Vinesauce.
110	* Oozora Subaru of ''WebAnimation/{{Hololive}}'' has a duck motif and is noted to sound a somewhat like Donald Duck, especially in her ASMR video attempts. The exceptions being [[SingingVoiceDissonance when she sings]] or when she's exhausted.
111	* ''WebVideo/SgtDucky'': Ducky's avatar is a green Duck and the animated universe consists of ducks, with the exception of a few characters where they are instead depicted as humans.
112	[[/folder]]
113
114	[[folder:Western Animation]]
115	* Captain William Le Duck from the ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' episode "[[Recap/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehogS01E59TailsTale Tails' Tale]]" is a duck with a French accent who is said to be one of Mobius' greatest pilots. He is afraid of the dark, and the only way he enters dark territory is by closing his eyes. He is also afraid of flying, which isn't something you'd expect from an AcePilot. Nonetheless, [[CowardlyLion he will face his fears if he has to do so to save his friends]]. He is very friendly towards Tails and assists him in his quest to find and rescue Sonic when the latter goes missing and is later revealed to be [[BadassInDistress imprisoned in the temple of Komometz]].
116	* ''WesternAnimation/BabyHuey'' is a gigantic, naive duckling cartoon and comic book character who was briefly a star in Paramount Pictures shorts from the 1950s and continued to appear in Harvey Comics. A big and well-meaning but clumsy fellow, he was often the target of predators such as foxes but proved virtually indestructible.
117	* The titular character of ''WesternAnimation/CountDuckula'' is a VegetarianVampire duck as an end result of a resurrection ceremony where tomato ketchup was mistakenly used instead of blood. This incarnation of Duckula dislikes the habits of his ancestors and previous incarnations such as drinking blood, torturing innocent victims, and taking in stranded travelers seeking shelter and ensuring they are never seen again. He'd much rather become a famous musician, actor, or race car driver. He first appeared as an antagonist on ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'' and while being more bloodthirsty, he was show-biz crazy back then as well. He reappeared in the 2015 reboot pretty much unchanged.
118	* WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck of the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' franchise, who started out as a hyperactive screwball but later became a selfish jerk, especially when paired up with WesternAnimation/BugsBunny.
119	* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'': The eponymous hero and show itself were [[AffectionateParody affectionate parodies]] of Batman and similar superheroes. Darkwing was comedically inept and hampered by his vainglory, short-sightedness, bad temper, and general klutziness. He also often provided his own narration.
120	* Disney's WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck has a comically bad temper and a nigh-unintelligible voice. He usually appears as a blustering ButtMonkey in cartoons.
121	* Both ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'' and ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' feature Scrooge and his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie getting into all kinds of crazy adventures and hijinks with their other family and friends.
122	* ShowWithinAShow example; In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode, "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS7E10FOXyLady FOX-y Lady]]", Peter pitches a pilot to the FOX Network for an animated series called ''Handi-Quacks'', a show about three ducks; Red Heinie Monkey, Poopy-Face Tomato Nose, and Colonel Tushfinger, who become handicapped after getting run over by a bus. The pilot episode is [[StylisticSuck drawn crudely in crayon]] and the three ducks are voiced by Joe, Quagmire, and Cleveland. However, the President of the FOX Network likes the pilot, but only wants to make one change; make Poopy-Face Tomato Nose's nose a plum. When Peter refuses to make the change, the President decides to pick up the show Peter's way, but Peter still turns him down, only to regret it later.
123	* ''WesternAnimation/LittleBear'': Duck is frequently the source of comedy. For instance, when asked why she cut part of Hen's shortcake off and ate it, she claims it "didn't look short enough", and her PlatonicValentine to Little Bear read, "I love you more than mud."
124	* ''WesternAnimation/LoonaticsUnleashed'': Danger Duck is every bit the selfish, jerkish ButtMonkey [[WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck his ancestor]] is/was.
125	* ''WesternAnimation/MightyDucksTheAnimatedSeries'': A '90s Creator/{{Disney}} cartoon about anthropomorphic ducks who play hockey, fight evil dinosaur aliens, and shoot lasers. Interestingly, it is not part of Disney's larger Duck universe.
126	* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' introduces Plucky Duck, the young protegee of Daffy Duck, who shares his mentor's greed, selfishness, and hunger for the spotlight.
127	* Little Quacker from ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' is a jovial, naive, and innocent duckling who [[TooDumbToLive spends most of his appearances obliviously walking straight into danger and requiring Jerry's protection]]. His voice can best be described as an exaggerated WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, making it rather hard to tell what he's saying most of the time.
128	* Quack-Up Duck was a very obscure Creator/HannaBarbera character from 1978, appearing on ''WesternAnimation/YogisSpaceRace'' and its component feature ''Galaxy Goof-Ups''. He really served no purpose other than to be a ditz.
129	* Quacula was a vampire duck from the Filmation studio (predating Count Duckula by three years). He spent each episode trying to frighten Theodore Bear from his castle.
130	* ''WesternAnimation/WordWorld'': Duck is the youngest of the main cast. He is often naive and careless in his actions, but he loves to have fun and crack jokes. He acts as an AudienceSurrogate to the young viewers, as he is still learning his letters.
131	* ''WesternAnimation/YakkyDoodle'': The eponymous character is a small, naive duckling with a WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck-style voice. An {{Expy}} of Little Quacker from some of the later day ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' cartoons, Yakky first appeared in three ''WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw'' episodes but later got his own dedicated segments on ''[[WesternAnimation/YogiBear The Yogi Bear Show]]'' not long afterwards. Yakky's often pursued by predators such as Fibber Fox and Alfy Gator, but luckily he has a BullyBulldog friend in Chopper who looks after him. Yakky's quirky behavior often sees him singing the old Vaudeville song "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay" and asking "Are you my mama?" to dubious candidates for that role.

Context Main / QuackingUp