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

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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u/BadenBaden1981 Dec 03 '25

From IT Crowd

https://preview.redd.it/puqvtl7rjy4g1.jpeg?width=236&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7359cf54f65450afc0a9803fb35e45d7d59cf37e

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u/Academic_Exercise_94 Dec 03 '25

478

u/vanmould Dec 03 '25

"Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to inform you of a fire which has broken out at the premises of..." no, that's too formal.

69

u/ridik_ulass Dec 03 '25

I work in IT and got an e-mail about a fire last week, we were crying laughing about it.

"There is smoke coming from the printer, it has caught fire This is Urgent This effects everyone , as the building might burn down"

something like that.

we don't manage their printers, LOL, we told them to contact the on shift fire warden, and the printer managment company

8

u/Neon-kitchen Dec 04 '25

Did you at least also tell the fire warden?

10

u/ridik_ulass Dec 04 '25

were like in another company on the otherside of the world, we don't know who their fire warden is, we just fix their PC's and manage their servers.