Living Prop: Difference between revisions

They might also have been a [[Chekhov's Gunman]] the entire time. Or even [[The Dog Was the Mastermind|something more]].

 

 

== Anime and Manga ==

** This is a by-product of Todd Phillips' complete inability to write or direct women. Every one of his movies features at least one actress playing a living prop. In fact, almost every female character in ''The Hangover'' is either a living prop or depicted as a shrew.

* Ethan, in the 2007 ''[[I Am Legend]]'' movie. He is not a speaking role (or an ''emoting'' role), but he's there for the second half of the movie, always in the background or foreground. He doesn't do anything, he needs rescued a couple times, and his only real reason for being in the movie is so he can watch Shrek shortly after appearing on-screen. No, really.

{{quote| --'''Wes Mantooth''': What, you guys can't say one thing? Even the guy that can't think said something. You guys just stand there? Come on!}}

* ''W'': In the autobiographical film of [[George W Bush]], There is a scene where Bush is berating U.S Army commander Tommy Franks for not finding WMD's. Sitting next to Franks is a British officer (Presumably representing Air Marshal Brian Burridge, head of UK Forces) who shifts awkwardly in his chair and looks as if he is going to speak a few times. But he says nothing.

* Most of the deck crew in ''[[Battlestar Galactica Reimagined (TV)|Battlestar Galactica Reimagined]]'' started out this way, though several were promoted.

** The tattooed pilot was a particular fan favourite.

** Hey! Hey!

*** Sorry. Snoop Dogg ''Resident''.

** It's Snoop Dogg Attending now. He got promoted.

* The staff (and several customers) of Cafe Nervosa in ''[[Frasier]]''. While no waiter lasted the full 11 years of the series, they did tend to stick around for a few of them. Similarly many of the extras portraying customers stayed there for many years.

** The names "Nurse Able" and "Nurse Baker" are used, but not with any consistency. That is, "Nurse Able" will be one actress in one episode, and a different actress in another episode, even if the first actress is also in this one.

** Though Able and Baker are also part of the military alphabet at the time meaning Nurse Able and Nurse Baker may have been as much shift titles as anything else.

** Another writer is lucky enough to have the recurring name of ''[[No Name Given|Female Writer]]''.

*** Who was eventually given the full name of Sue LaRoche-Van der Hout when a joke called for someone to be offended in French and Dutch at the same time.

*** The writers referred to these remaining un-ascended characters as "socks," and were happy to be rid of them, freeing them up to focus the remainder of the series on the main cast and their nonsensical endgame.

* When ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]'' was about to be canceled, the staff writers completed a script that was intended to be the very last episode of the series, but which was ultimately not used. In this script, a mad bomber leaves a series of bombs in Minneapolis, and various clues indicate that the bomber is someone in the WJM-TV newsroom. The regular characters all start suspecting each other. The bomber turns out to be one of the dozens of faceless Human Props who were seen along the back wall of the newsroom throughout this series.

** Vecepia Trowley in ''Marquesas'' may also count.

** Recently, Purple Kelly was treated as one - chances are this was revenge by the producers.

* Brad the Pianist on ''[[Glee (TV)|Glee]]''. He literally does nothing but play the piano for the kids. Has received several lampshades.

{{quote| '''Santana:''' I went through that "Rumours"-album and found that best song that expressed my feelings for you. [beat] [[Armoured Closet Gay|My private feelings.]]<br />

* [[Batman (TV)|Batman TV series]]: In a [[Crowning Moment of Funny]], [[Large Ham]] King Tut madly screams his dialogue to the ear of one of the beautiful mute [[Living Prop]] slave girls of his harem. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTQ0RHE8ZhA She tries her best to do not change her indifferent expression].

* ''[[Big Brother]] 13'' had cast eight completely new people. You would not know this by watching the series.

 

 

 

== Western Animation ==

* Many main cast's classmates in ''[[South Park]]''. Some characters, like Butters, used to be Living Props before becoming major players.

* Several people from ''[[Kim Possible (Animation)|Kim Possible]]'', like the blond guy with spiky hair and Ned from Buenos Nachos. But the girl with a blue shirt that appears like everywhere anytime comes to mind. In the ''[[Grand Finale]]'' she even appeared twice in the same screen, thus making Fanon speculate that she has a twin sister.

* The Number Nine Guy in ''[[Futurama (Animation)|Futurama]]'' has a number of background appearances in the series until he finally has an actual role in the fourth DVD movie.

* In ''[[Iron Man Armored Adventures]]'', most of the students are only there as living props seen walking around the main cast at school.

* Most of [[Daria (Animation)|Daria]] and Jane's classmates.

* ''[[The Venture Brothers (Animation)|The Venture Brothers]]'' has a ridiculously small stable of civilian background characters, leading to many of them popping up in places that make no sense in context with the last time we saw them. The number of villainous background characters is similarly small, leading to a lot of familiar faces whenever a main villain throws a party or show up to an event. Publick and Hammer spend much of the commentaries bemoaning this.

== Real Life ==

* [[Subversion]]: Whilst everyone you don't know may seem like this at first, they are actually [[Hero of Another Story|heroes of different stories]].

* Invoked in Japanese theatre. The stagehands in western theatre would normally be offstage most of the time, only showing up if there was a [[Special Effect Failure]]. In contrast, Japanese theatre had the stagehands be visible a lot more, and they would dress in a black suit and wear a mask that only showed their eyes...[[Ninja|sound familiar?]] Thus, the audience was trained to ignore the people in black suits...and then would jump in shock when one of those living props draws a weapon and "kills" one of the characters.

* Plants.