Fascinating Eyebrow: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

The best way to portray amused superiority or superior amusement, the arched eyebrow is a prime weapon in the expression arsenal for the [[Chessmaster]], [[Manipulative Bastard]] or (in possibly the most famous modern example, hence the trope name) [[The Spock]]. Often raised just as the heroes comprehend what the [[Evil Plan]] was all about. For instance, [[Xanatos Gambit|finding out that by foiling one objective they helped their enemy achieve a second,]] the planner will arched an eyebrow as if to say 'suckers!'.

 

This is not to be confused with Alistair Darling's eyebrows which, while fascinating, are rarely raised. [[Overly Long Gag|Also not to be confused with Michael Dukakis's]] [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Dukakis1988rally.jpg eyebrow-forests].

{{examples}}

== Advertising ==

** [[The Nostalgia Chick]]'s [https://web.archive.org/web/20110307144346/http://nostalgiachick.blip.tv/file/4521464/ review] on the franchise talks about their habit of doing this in great detail.

** This has been termed ''[[Memetic Mutation|The Dreamworks' Face]]''.

*** Although there's an inverse image macro parodying the one linked above making the claim that the same could be said about Pixar. Make of that what you will.

 

* A few times in ''[[Kyon: Big Damn Hero]]'', like Haruhi when Mikuru said [[Not a Date|her going to see a movie with Kyon wasn't a date]] before countering she saw both of them kissing.

 

== Film ==

** Belushi was a master of that, such as just before the [[Food Fight]] in [[Animal House]].

*** It ran in the family. Watch the beginning of ''The Principal''.

** Pretty much a requirement if you are to play the role of [[James Bond]]. Observe [[Roger Moore]].

* Paul Giamatti does this a lot.

* [http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oyro_eUL_Ck/Tck_p_1TVQI/AAAAAAAAADg/z09KCko5beQ/s1600/Scarlett%2BO%2527Hara.JPG Scarlett] [http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-izqihy6kFdA/TbzotTv7TSI/AAAAAAAAABs/qKc4nP5qc3w/s1600/Vivien+Leigh.jpg O'Hara].

* [[Angelina Jolie]] is a master of this. ''[[Tomb Raider|Lara Croft: Tomb Raider]]'' is a good example.

* Expect Billy Zane to do this a lot if he's playing a villain, most notably in ''[[Titanic]]''.

 

== Literature ==

** What's worse, Cosmo couldn't actually raise his eyebrow on his own. He has to rely on a small mechanical device to raise his eyebrow for him.

** There is a small asylum dedicated to people who think they are Vetinari. They have eyebrow-raising competitions.

* Dallas was a frequent user of the Fascinating Eyebrow in the novel ''[[The Outsiders]]''.

* [[Timothy Zahn]] likes reminding people that [[The Thrawn Trilogy|Grand Admiral Thrawn]] can cock his eyebrows. It's an [[Author Catchphrase]].

* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/drianis/3165262252/ Snape] from ''[[Harry Potter]]'', in both the books and films.

* Vampires in ''[[The Hollows]]'' [[Our Vampires Are Different|either gain this ability upon infection]], or they all practice it because it [[Rule of Cool|looks so cool.]] Either way, Rachel is jealous.

* In ''Chrome Circle'' by [[Mercedes Lackey]] and Larry Dixon, Tannim's mentor, a dragon currently wearing human form, arrived (magically) in response to a call for aid and "raised one long eyebrow at Tannim in a gesture that Tannim knew perfectly well had been copied after long study of [[Leonard Nimoy]]."

 

== Live-Action TV ==

* Angus Deayton's eyebrow soon gained a fan following ''in its own right'' on [[Have I Got News for You]]. Paul Merton mocked it a lot.

* ''[[Jeeves and Wooster (TV series)|Jeeves and Wooster]]'': Jeeves does this ''quite'' frequently. Of course, he ''is'' played by [[Stephen Fry]].

** McCoy does it on occasion as well.

*** What does an eyebrow on kill look like? [[Angry Eyebrows]]?

** And another [[Expanded Universe]] novel involved Sulu, Chekov, and a random engineer doing an impression of a typical Kirk/Spock/McCoy interaction, complete with Chekov attempting and failing to raise one eyebrow.

{{quote|"Don't you give me that eyebrow!"}}

** Seven of Nine from ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' would arc her ocular implant when the occasion required, of course, said implant was ''always'' in this position so it'd be hard not to...

*** She even fought [[Dwayne Johnson]] in a [[Forced Prize Fight]] episode, with The Rock doing his famous eyebrow flick to the audience.

** The Doctor from the same series was a master of it.

** Captain Picard also did this a few times. In his ''Nitpicker's Guide'' series author Phil Farrand jokes that this is a result of his mind-meld with Spock's father Sarek. Vulcans all over Trek are masters at the Fascinating Eyebrow.

*** In the novel ''[[Star Trek: The Lost Era|Well of Souls]]'', Talma Pren (a Human) can’t do it, but Vaavek (a Vulcan) can. Talma muses that all Vulcans seem capable of doing so.

* This is one of Scully's trademarks on ''[[The X-Files]]''.

** Also The Stupendous Yappi.

* Puck from ''[[Glee]]'' has a habit of this as well.

** Finn does the same thing, albeit more out of confusion than anything.

* David Tennant's Doctor in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' tends to do this a lot.

** To the point where someone made a parody tribute about his eyebrow, his left [http://youtu.be/FBgn4PIFzxw one]

 

== Professional Wrestling ==

* [[Dwayne Johnson|The Rock]] brought the eyebrow to the people.

** Parodied by [[Triple H|HHH]] when he dressed up like The Rock in order to mock him, painting on an exaggerated eyebrow in pencil.

 

* ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' has a predefined emote for this (/eyebrow), although it is not animated.

* The Sims from ''[[The Sims|The Sims 2]]'' does this when dancing. There's a bug that they could have this face even when s/he's not dancing.

** {{spoiler|Legion}} also does this when you tell the customs officer that the two asari are not Geth because they don't have flashlights in their heads.

* Mr. House of ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'' is doing this on the picture displayed on his monitor. Since said picture is static, it means he's constantly making this expression.

 

* In ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]],'' Princess Voluptua does this a lot, since she's got a royal sense of superiority, and she's got [[Disembodied Eyebrows|ginormous eyebrows]] that almost double as [[Hair Antennae|antennae.]]

* The titular character of ''[[The Adventures of Dr. McNinja]]'' likes this one. In a world where a [[Ninja Zombie Pirate Robot|ninja doctor]] is sometimes the [[Only Sane Man]], this (and [[Eye Take]]) is gonna come up a lot.

* According to ''[[Cyanide & Happiness]]'', [http://www.explosm.net/comics/2299/ it's infectious].

* In ''[[Girl Genius]]'', Vanamonde von Mekkahn has displayed a rather [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110418 wicked incarnation].

* In ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'' Ellen gives Justin a questioning variant [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-03-02 here].

 

== Web Originals ==

* MasakoX, co-creator of ''[[Naruto the Abridged Series]]'' and anime reviewer at [[That Guy With The Glasses]], does this very often. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks8hcDdFZIw Observe.]

* Quite a few people of [[That Guy With The Glasses]] are capable of pulling this off. Notable examples: [[The Nostalgia Critic]] adds one to his "scheming face" at the end of [[Suburban Knights]], [[Phelous]] pulls quite the dangerous-looking one in [[Kickassia]], and Linkara's "I am not amused by this" face comes with it as well.

 

== Western Animation ==

* [[Johnny Bravo]] uses it when scoping out babes, or whenever the events around him confuse him. Considering the likelihood of either one, it's a wonder his eyebrows are ever down at all.

* Used many times in ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'', mainly by [http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/File:Katara_raises_eyebrow.png Katara].

* In ''[[Superman/Batman: Public Enemies]]'', [[Lex Luthor]] did quite an impressive version of this when Power Girl walked into his office with "something to talk about." Given that Power Girl, is, erm, [[Most Common Superpower|powerful]] even by [[DC Comics|DC's]] standards, one can't help but be suspicious of his intentions.

* In ''[[Fireman Sam]]'', Station Master Steele's face appears to be stuck this way.

** Octavia, one of the ''many'' fan-favourite background characters, pulls this expression in "The Best Night Ever" when Pinkie makes a request. [http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Octavia Even her wiki page uses it].

** Well, well, well. It seems we have some [[Incredibly Lame Pun|neigh-sayers]] among the Tropers! Even if Celestia and Octavia can pull off the Fascinating Eyebrow, the fact remains that [[Large Ham|THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE]] can [http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/File:Trixie_eye_close_up_E6-W6.png do it]{{Dead link}} better! In fact, she does it at ''least'' one time other than this, along with the standard >=D look during [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic/Recap/S1/E06 Boast Busters|her episode]].

 

== Real Life ==

* Football manager Carlo Ancelotti does this whenever interviewed, to hilarious effect.

* Hugh Dennis. It appears that one of his eyebrows just naturally sits about a centimetre above the other.

* Gary Barlow. Not only is his right eyebrow higher than the other, it [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QouH9XocU00 sometimes] seems to have life of its own.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Character Reaction Index]]

[[Category:Body Language]]