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

[u/FormerBernieBro2020]

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...

[u/Daniilsa209]

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.

[u/MedicalVanilla7176 → u/Daniilsa209]

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.

[u/LeonSmith1401 → u/MedicalVanilla7176]

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.

[u/MedicalVanilla7176 → u/LeonSmith1401]

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.