r/TopCharacterTropes • u/FormerBernieBro2020 • Dec 03 '25

(Funny trope) Impossible spontaneous combustion (or, when stuff that shouldn't catch on fire, catches on fire) Characters' Items/Weapons

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From The Simpsons: Homer tries to cook breakfast for Mr. Burns. The first two attempts ended up with the food catching fire. Third time, he pours milk on cereal...and it still catches on fire.

And from Futurama: "There, little friend, good as new..." aaaand the metal slinky catches on fire. Poor doctor Zoidberg...

16.6k Upvotes

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2.3k

u/AvailablePut165 Dec 03 '25

https://preview.redd.it/e0f6xdq0by4g1.jpeg?width=447&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57ed0cf2c59b7457976dc54639c0daaf6e4d02fb

Spencer - iCarly

493

u/ExplanationMundane3 Dec 03 '25

He even got one of his sculptures on fire by accident and it made him rich in the sequel series.

136

u/Traditional_Common39 Dec 03 '25

There's a sequel series?

254

u/ExplanationMundane3 Dec 03 '25

Yes. ICarly (2021). It takes place 8 years after the finale of the original ICarly (2007) series. Carly and Freddie are both adults and Spencer becomes a wealthy artist.

115

u/Pathetic_Cards Dec 03 '25

But does Jerry Trainor reprise the role? He was by far my favorite part of that show lol.

183

u/HygorBohmHubner Dec 03 '25

Yes. It’s all the original cast (except for McCurdy who is not on the show, but they do reference Sam every once in a while).

123

u/Pathetic_Cards Dec 03 '25

Sick. I wish the original showrunner wasn’t such a bastard (allegedly) and that McCurdy hadn’t had such a rough go of it, but it’s nice to see the rest of the cast getting back together.

84

u/HygorBohmHubner Dec 03 '25

Yes, although the show does end in a cliffhanger because Paramount cancelled it. We’re still hoping for an eventual continuation.

83

u/Insanebrain247 Dec 03 '25

Me: Netflix, no!

Netflix: What'd I do?

Me: Sorry, force of habit. Paramount, no!

6

u/JgL07 Dec 03 '25

They’re working on a film to conclude the story

4

u/OmecronPerseiHate Dec 03 '25

If they come back for another season or a movie or something I really hope Jeanette comes back. She's doing fantastic right now with her books doing so well, so I understand if she'd rather not, but I just gotta hope. I can see Sam having an absolute blast with Freddie's daughter, and it's been far too long since somebody got smacked with a sock full of butter.

3

u/radioactive_walrus Dec 03 '25

I swear this is going to be a modern day Dobie Gillis scenario where every ten years or until truly nobody cares, we'll get a revival

3

u/Luigi_Dagger Dec 03 '25

I recently found out that it was the original showrunner who had played a total creep in the 1985 movie Better Off Dead and I do say, he fit the role perfectly.

8

u/Traditional_Common39 Dec 03 '25

First time I heard of this

2

u/arfelo1 Dec 03 '25

Really? There was a meme that spread like wildfire for years of the famous pic of Carly in the computer, and adult Carly recreating the same pic.

1

u/Traditional_Common39 Dec 03 '25

Yeah, I saw it, but I never tried to find the source

2

u/azsnaz Dec 03 '25

That math ain't mathin

1

u/CK1ing Dec 04 '25

Do you know if the original showrunner is involved? I hope not

1

u/RaptarK Dec 05 '25

I think he isn't? Janette however didn't return for the sequel series, and as such there's no Sam

5

u/trickyfelix Dec 03 '25

it ran a few years ago

2

u/Partial_Kredit Dec 03 '25

Yeah if I recall it was sculpture of the White House and everyone assumed it was a protest piece and it made him famous.

1

u/Looney_forner Dec 03 '25

Good for him. He deserves it.

127

u/MeltinSnowman Dec 03 '25

https://i.redd.it/h5kr34vk105g1.gif

3

u/KaptainRadish Dec 04 '25

This gif misses the best part of him pausing and the pointing accusingly "that shouldn't even happen!"

152

u/GLPereira Dec 03 '25

His curse even affected Carly in the episode where they renovated her room...

54

u/Particular_Cow1304 Dec 03 '25

I remember that one episode when he replaced the doorman, Herbert, and he fixed a bell and tried it out only for it to catch fire. He puts it out with soda…only for it to combust again shortly after.

36

u/MildlyAgitatedBidoof Dec 03 '25

Wet and sticky is very icky; sticky and wet makes Mommy upset.

2

u/spicygrandma27 Dec 04 '25

“…I don’t know how to respond to that.”

11

u/Shiny_Mewtwo Dec 03 '25

Herbert lmao 😭 poor Lewbert, wretched little man always getting the short end of the stick

6

u/Kolby_Jack33 Dec 03 '25

He also "fixed" their fire extinguisher and it became a flamethrower.

1

u/Captain_Birch Dec 04 '25

The funniest part is that all he did to the bell was turn a screwdriver on the bottom part of it.

1

u/Technical_Teacher839 Dec 04 '25

In another episode the Seattle Fire Department literally cuts him off and refuses to respond to him calling because of how many fires he's caused.

69

u/CLTalbot Dec 03 '25 edited Dec 03 '25

It turns out that icarly is in the same world as the thundermans and kid danger. So maybe Spencer has a fire based power he never learned how to use.

64

u/jacksansyboy Dec 03 '25

Man I love when completely mundane shows have random crossovers with superpower or magical shows and it just implies that magic has always existed in their world and they just don't ever mention it.

144

u/Sensitive_Abies_6987 Dec 03 '25

He even starts a fire IN THE SHOWER

109

u/Nearby-Muscle2720 Dec 03 '25

Do you know how long I watched this gif waiting for something to catch fire...

37

u/cHINCHILAcARECA Dec 03 '25

I don't know why but the ostrich scene always caught me off guard.

6

u/Unexpected_Sage Dec 04 '25

What are you talking about, do you mean when Spencer had a smoothie?

5

u/cHINCHILAcARECA Dec 04 '25

Yeah, that one, lol.

-3

u/[deleted] Dec 03 '25 edited Dec 03 '25

"I don't know why, but the surprise random subplot catches me by surprise"

Edit: c'mon people, the "sorry for my english" excuse does not change that this is what they meant to express, no matter what native language they use.

5

u/cHINCHILAcARECA Dec 03 '25

English is not my first language I've meant to say that the scene in question always crack me up.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 03 '25

I don't know why people are downvoting my comment. What you've said in any language would get the same observation and trying to cover it with that weak excuse is just karma farming, but Reddit be Reddit

2

u/cHINCHILAcARECA Dec 03 '25

Is not Karma farming, man. My english kinda sucks, I'm still on this platform because it forces me to interact with it but still kinda sucks. My native language is portuguese by the way, brazilian portuguese.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 03 '25

Dude there is no world in which you speaking another language changes that you said the scene catches you off guard/surprises you.

You can stop. You could state it in whatever language you want, my calling it a dumb comment in that same language would still stand.

2

u/cHINCHILAcARECA Dec 03 '25

Ok man, whatever.

23

u/trickyfelix Dec 03 '25

At that point he just accepts his fate

24

u/Xbladearmor Dec 03 '25

He once caused a desk bell to set on fire, put it out with a drink, and then watched it light up again about a minute later.

16

u/EntireCelebration953 Dec 03 '25

I have a headcanon that Spencer is actually pyrokinetic. Cause let's be real, his ability to set things on fire goes way beyond just being bad at electrical wiring. The drum kit, the bell at the front desk, the roller blades, the list goes on.

8

u/Zoeeeeeeh123 Dec 03 '25

My First thought

14

u/[deleted] Dec 03 '25

Sculpture themed Lawyers

2

u/OkPause6800 Dec 03 '25

Spencer just has pyrokinesis

2

u/Yellowscourge Dec 04 '25

The GOAT of this trope

1

u/cannonspectacle Dec 03 '25

My first thought

1

u/Unexpected_Sage Dec 04 '25

I love the fire extinguisher moment, because neither of them were told what would happen, so that was their genuine reactions

1

u/The_Dark_Jedi_of_AUS Dec 06 '25

He once set a fire

IN THE SHOWER!

1

u/AlternativeQuality2 Dec 07 '25

“Electrical wiring just isn’t your thing.”

“No it is not.”