Bedsheet Ghost: Difference between revisions

Over time, as the shroud became emblematic of the ghost, ghosts were depicted as less corporeal by showing the shroud without a body underneath it. Some stories even go one step further by showing the ghost as a whispy blob of ectoplasm, vaguely shroud-like in appearance, à la [[Casper the Friendly Ghost]].

 

 

Klan aside, dressing up as a Bedsheet Ghost is usually indicative of an ill-conceived or apathetic scare attempt, because on their own, a person in a white sheet [[Nightmare Retardant|really isn't that scary]] to anyone over ten years old. Like the armored ghost before it, the Bedsheet Ghost has long lost its fright appeal, and is mostly comical today. This in turn has led to a common subversion: The characters see what seems to be a person in a white sheet and [[Mistaken for An Impostor|laugh at the obvious costume]]. Then they lift the sheet and see [[Real After All|there's no one underneath it]]. [[Hilarity Ensues|Cue running and screaming]].

== [[Stand Up Comedy]] ==

* In his stand-up days, [[Woody Allen]] told a story about how he attempted to go to a costume party dressed as a bedsheet ghost... in the [[Deep South]]. Four guys in "ghost costumes" drive up to him and tell him to get in. [[Hilarity Ensues]].

{{quote|"Holy Ghost, this is not an episode of Scooby Doo!"

"I'd have got away with it if it wasn't for those God and Jesus fellas." }}

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

** Undead cloakers from the ''[[Ravenloft]]'' setting somewhat resemble this trope, although they were never human, but ghosts of creatures that resemble flying manta rays.

 

* While not using an actual sheet, at least one villain (the magician, Bluestone the Great, in the episode "Hassle in the Castle") in ''[[Scooby Doo]] Where Are You!'' had this appearance.

* One of Vlad's bad clones of ''[[Danny Phantom]]'' looks like a Bedsheet Ghost... because the sheet covers up its horrifying mutations (like the fact that it has no ''legs'', or ''skin'').

{{quote|'''Tucker:''' Nice costume, dude! Are those flaming bedsheets?

'''Fright Knight:''' Flaming bedsheets '''''of death!''''' }}

* ''[[American Dragon: Jake Long]]'' has the episode "Halloween Bash", a [[For Halloween I Am Going as Myself]] episode with a [[Muggle]] / Magical Being party. Two Normals show up, dressed as Bedsheet Ghosts, and are annoyed to see how many of the other "costumes" are so much better than theirs.

* In the ''[[South Park]]'' episode "Here Comes the Neighborhood", the townsfolk wish to drive the rich people (who just happen to all be black) out of town, so they figure what scares rich people? Ghosts. They then dress up as bedsheet ghosts and wind up looking like the Ku Klux Klan. There was some kind of message in that but I really don't know what it was.

{{quote|'''Cartman:''' Wow, Chef must be really scared of ghosts!}}

* In the episode "Scaredy Pants", [[SpongeBob SquarePants]] tries to go as the [[Flying Dutchman]] and scare everybody, but his costume consists of a sheet and wooden clogs. Because of his square shape, everyone called him a "haunted mattress", so he asks Patrick to shave his head down to a round shape. He goes to the Halloween party and almost gets away with scaring all his friends, but he is found out eventually. Just then the ''real'' Flying Dutchman arrives and, insulted by such a pathetic impersonation, unmasks him. He takes one look at him and runs screaming into the night, followed by everyone else, and eventually Patrick. Seems SpongeBob has been sheared down until there was nothing left but his ''brain''.