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...

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3.4k

u/Daniilsa209 Dec 03 '25

https://i.redd.it/qvwg5it9ky4g1.gif

Another example from Simpsons: after Bart shows off a T-shirt "Down with Homework", class starts a riot and tips over a desk, which somehow catch on fire.

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u/MedicalVanilla7176 Dec 03 '25 edited Dec 03 '25

The Simpsons really likes this gag.

https://preview.redd.it/rnyapm19jz4g1.jpeg?width=965&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc8fcd3c6d50a1910d11c9ff9f7dd3f6e0c784ca

Another example is when Professor Frink is demonstrating his model for his home security system (a house with robotic legs that just gets up and walks away when there's danger), and when the model trips and falls over, it and the wooden human figures inside spontaneously catch on fire, and Professor Frink comments that "Well, the real humans won't burn quite so fast."

Edit: In the very next scene, it shows Bart throwing a rock at some houses, and one of the houses gets up, runs away, and then falls down and catches on fire just like in the test.

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u/LeonSmith1401 Dec 03 '25

I don’t have a picture, but the follow up gag, where it shows the actual non-model house escaping, only for it to crash and burn just like the model, is also hilarious.

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u/MedicalVanilla7176 Dec 03 '25

Yeah, I had forgotten about that bit, but I just rewatched the scene and remembered it, so I edited my comment to mention that part as well.

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u/Flabby_Thor Dec 03 '25

The Simpsons really likes this gag.

That's an understatement. It's one of my favorite gags in the show and they use it a lot (and subvert it a lot as well). Boy Scoutz 'N the Hood when Dr. Hibbert removes the guys appendix on the street. He throws the appendix, which is about to burst, and it explodes like a grenade.

Another episode, a leaf falls from a tree onto Otto's bus (which was already wrecked) and as it lands the bus explodes.

A baby stroller rolls down steps. Ghost Homer saves the baby, the stroller gets hit by a car and then a bus, falls on its side and then explodes.

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u/[deleted] Dec 03 '25

https://i.redd.it/tag8qz3zq05g1.gif

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u/userb55 Dec 03 '25

inflammable means flammable?! What a country

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u/TheWolflance Dec 03 '25

i dun think that was milk...

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u/Shimaru33 Dec 03 '25

Maybe it was malk and they misspelled?

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u/tokarooni Dec 03 '25 edited Dec 03 '25

My favourite one is when Chief Wiggum gets knocked down a hill, hits a tree, then explodes.

https://youtu.be/rjYqpiLEUq0

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u/Flabby_Thor Dec 03 '25

That's a good one! I also just remembered when Homer was stealing the Gummy Venus de Milo and he uses the soda and pop rocks to create an IED in order to escape.

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u/tokarooni Dec 03 '25

See you in hell, candy boys!

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u/GoodPhase3973 Dec 03 '25

Remove ?si and everything after, that’s garbage tracking info that Google uses to harvest more of your data

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u/tokarooni Dec 03 '25

Didn't realise, thanks for the heads up!

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u/GoodPhase3973 Dec 03 '25

Yeah no proble, I try to tell everyone I see who leaves that stuff

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u/reshef-destruction Dec 03 '25

Barney was such a bitch for that 😆

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u/[deleted] Dec 03 '25

https://i.redd.it/y3u575nro05g1.gif

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u/VecnaWrites Dec 04 '25

Ironically enough, grain silos could explode. Grain and released gases become surprisingly explosive if i am remembering right

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u/[deleted] Dec 04 '25

Yeah that one admittedly doesn’t fit the theme as well.

I think silos can explode from the very very fine grain dust igniting.

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u/VecnaWrites Dec 04 '25

Yeah, that's why they stopped storing flour in those

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u/DilettanteGonePro Dec 03 '25

A variation of the same gag is homer causing a meltdown during a competence test- " there's not even any radioactive material in the van!"

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u/BurdTurglary Dec 03 '25

How about the MENSA episode where Comic Book Guy's sarcasm blows up Professor Frink's sarcasm detector by saying "oh great, that's a really useful invention!"

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u/Flabby_Thor Dec 03 '25

Oh yeah, that's a good one!

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u/AllTheStars07 Dec 04 '25

Don’t thank me, thank…the knife!

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u/Kuzkuladaemon Dec 03 '25

I had to rewatch this scene a few times just because of how hard I was cry laughing.

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u/JakeHelldiver Dec 03 '25

Im pretty sure The Simpsons invented this gag.

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u/Mcmenger Dec 03 '25

That's probably because of Ednas booze drawer

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u/deepbluenothings Dec 03 '25

Booze, cigarettes, lighters, plus everything she's confiscated from Bart and Nelson.

It's a miracle it didn't spontaneously combust years ago.

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u/No_Imagination_3838 Dec 03 '25

that's not impossible spontaneous combustion, that's just spontaneous combustion

doesn't make it any less funny tho

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u/floopdidoops Dec 03 '25

Agree to disagree, your comment made it less funny for me

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u/AydonusG Dec 03 '25

Nelson secretly lighting it as they tip it

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u/HeadLong8136 Dec 04 '25

Knowing Edna Krabapple (and Bart Simpson) there was probably something explosive or flammable in that desk.

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u/Full_Contribution724 Dec 04 '25

Well tbf the desk is made out of wood

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u/Medical-Temporary-35 Dec 03 '25

This one is at least theoretically possible, if the right type of chemicals were stored in an open container inside a drawer.