Analysis / Potty Emergency

• Situations in which a character might have a Potty Emergency:
  • After a Gigantic Gulp. The drink could be any drink, and some characters, especially ones who consume a lot anyway, may not get a potty emergency from this, but if drinking a gigantic gulp is responsible or partially responsible for the potty emergency, expect the character to say "I shouldn't have had so much X" or "I drank too much X" at least once. The weird thing is that sometimes the characters will have a potty emergency directly after drinking the gigantic gulp, whereas in Real Life fluids take time to digest and the bladder takes time to fill up, and additionally, the whole reason we drink liquid anyway is for hydration/nutrients, so not all the drink will be peed out. But if this does happen, expect a Brick Joke about having too much of the drink in question.
  • After eating way too much unhealthy/high in fiber food.
  • If they are sick or drugged (with No. 2 and throwing up). But we won't go into this as it's squicky.
  • In the woods. Particularly in the Camping Episode. If the character is in the woods and needs to pee expect them to refuse to pee in the woods or have a Shy Bladder.
  • In a city. Common gags with a character who is having a Potty Emergency in the city is having them go into shops and ask for the bathroom but it's for paying customers only, dirty public bathrooms (often in a gas station), and imagery related to toilets or water. If the character is doing a Potty Dance, the surrounding characters might give them some weird looks, and expect lots of Cringe Comedy if one of them is a Love Interest.
  • In a car. Particularly for children, and if it's a child, the driver would probably say something like "Didn't I tell you to go before we left?" The child will probably have to stop by the side of the road, where there may or may not be a toilet.
  • During a traffic jam or stuck elevator, where there may or may not be a time limit for the character.
  • During a formal setting. Expect lots of Cringe Comedy.
  • After just waking up. The trope for this is Rip Van Tinkle.
  • While asleep, and in a dream. May result in Embarrassing Damp Sheets or a downplayed version of Rip Van Tinkle when they wake up.
  • In any situation when a person in authority doesn't allow someone to use the bathroom for any reason, e.g. a teacher doesn't allow a student to use the bathroom.
  • Upon hearing a Brown Note. However, this is not the very definition of Brown Note. A brown note is something which causes something, anything, bad to happen to the character upon seeing/hearing/touching/whatever it. As such, if the noise makes Alice need to pee, or if it causes her to poop her pants, that's a brown note, but it's also a brown note if it just makes her into a Butt-Monkey for the episode.
  • At home, if someone is already in the bathroom. Even worse if they're taking precious time in there doing vanity-related things, e.g. makeup.
  • If the character feels the need to go and doesn't want to stop what they're doing to visit the bathroom. This variant is pretty common with child characters or childish adults.
• Characters who might have a Potty Emergency:
  • The Protagonist(s). Bonus points if two or more of them are simultaneously afflicted.
  • The Plucky Comic Relief.
  • Any character with a Shy Bladder.
  • The Butt-Monkey.
  • Children, particularly preschoolers, extra particularly if they are being potty trained.
• Possible outcomes of a Potty Emergency:
  • Potty Failure. Expect them to be embarrassed if that happens, or, if they are a Neat Freak, angry/sad. Sometimes, however, they don't care.
  • Using a Jar Potty. Mind another character doesn't drink it, though!
  • Going outside, or in a body of water. This will usually gross out/embarrass everyone involved, but again, sometimes the potty-goer doesn't care, and if they are childish they may even enjoy it.
  • Using the bathroom. The best outcome for everyone, especially if they washed their hands. Usually, if a character has had a lengthy Potty Emergency and finally uses the bathroom, they will greatly enjoy it.
• If a character is having a Potty Emergency, expect them to be:
  • Doing a Potty Dance.
  • Groaning.
  • Acting nervous.
  • Announcing their need to use the bathroom (the trope for this is Calling Your Bathroom Breaks).
  • Having water remind them of peeing.
  • Being very easily distracted.
  • Being seemingly obsessed with bathrooms.
  • As such, characters like The Spock, the Comically Serious, and any other "stoic" or "serious" characters are hardly ever seen having Potty Emergencies.

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