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When a person, more often than not a woman, shown is behind a backlighted screen of some kind, usually during a conversation with a man. The person is often undressing while doing so.
Expect her to have to bend down, a lot, slowly. Expect also that the screen—which is apparently supposed to ensure some form of modesty—will be as thin as paper and positioned right in front of a source of light, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination and thus utterly defeating its supposed purpose.
Alternately, she's taking a shower - and stretching, of course - in a shower stall with a frosted-glass door.
Examples of Sexy Silhouette include:
Anime andManga
- Parodied inUmisho; various props made it seem like the silhouettes of the undressing girls suddenly grew extra bits.
- Shizuru inMy-HiME... inFan Disservice mode, since the scene in question is a flashback of her apparently raping Natsuki in her sleep (although whether it actually happened is debatable).
- Neon Genesis Evangelion, with Rei.
- Thetemporarily un-chibified Yuki inHaruhi-chan
- Reversed version inOne Piece. Califa's silhouette is shown while she isdressing, after she takes a bath in front of Nami to humiliate her.
- R.O.D the TV hasYomiko's Sexy Silhouettes in its opening credits.
- InTantei Gakuen Q, there is a scene involving Sakurako and Kyuu.
- Done in some of theLupin III movies - usually with Fujiko.
- Cowboy Bebop episode "Black Dog Serenade". Faye Valentine's silhouette is seen behind a shower curtain while she is taking a shower.
Comic Books
- Played in a sophisticated manner inLe Petit Spirou, where the curvaceous Maths teacher is seen waiting for a car lift. It's dark and headlights casts a clean shadow of her against a nearby wall. Add the fact her skirt is rather sheer, and that's about as nude as a fully dressed person's shadow can be. Cue slow motion walking.
Film
- Just about every title sequence of aJames Bond movie will feature these.
- Played with inWho Framed Roger Rabbit?. Eddy sees what he thinks is the silhouette of Jessica Rabbit in a hotel window, but once he gets up there, much to his horror it turns out to be Lina Hyena fromLi'l Abner.
- The firstAustin Powers movie.
- Played with in the secondAustin Powers movie, with the tent scene.
- Used in someBusby Berkeley Numbers.
- Subverted inThe Prince of Egypt: The sexy silhouette turns out to be a weirdly bound guard.
- The secondCannonball Run movie had the girls changing in the back seat with a blanket hanging in front—when a track pulls up behind with high beams to highlight them perfectly. Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise (who think the ladies arenuns) are practically biting their lips in the front seat.
- Happens toMulan in the beginning of her movie.
- Spoofed inThe Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult when Tanya (Anna Nicole Smith) undresses behind a screenbut reveals aBiggus Dickus, much to thechagrin of Frank Drebin and Rocco.
- With a 90-degree angle!
- Played straight inThe Shadow, when Penelope Ann Miller's character strips behind one of these while talking to Alec Baldwin's character.
- InSherlock Holmes, Irene Adler does this to Sherlock Holmes.
- Played around with inRobin Hood: Men in Tights. Robin and Marian are both behind a curtain that they don't know is see-through, and Robin, as he finishes an incredibly overdone opera-style love song, drops to one knee, causing his sword scabbard to rise up like a...you know.
- A character arc point inA Very Brady Sequel revolves around Greg and Marcia watching each other in this way. Then, they figure out that, well, if Roy is alive, then,well...yeah.
- InLeap Year, this trope is played with whenAmy Adams showers, unaware that herlove interest is watching her silhouette through the curtain - he points this out to embarrass her, and then gives her a similar show.
- Nicolette Sheridan got one inBeverly Hills Ninja. And so didChris Farley.
Live-Action TV
- Willow in a scene fromBuffy the Vampire Slayer. Ohhhh.
- T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) in theCarbon Creek episode ofStar Trek: Enterprise.
- Rachel does it in the hospital during theLaryngitis episode ofGlee, prompting Finn's rendition of"Jessie's Girl".
- Eureka's Jo Lupo (Erica Cerra) while taking a shower in "Momstrosity".
Music
- The logo for Dirty Workz, the Belgianhard dance record label.
Web Comics
- El Goonish Shivepresents Susan this way.Twice. Quoth the forum, "Hot damn!"
- Seekers: In their first meeting, Eloya spends hours staring at Giselda's shadow on the canopy before ever seeing her face.
- The trope is usedhere on Thelma fromNip and Tuck.
- Dangerously Chloe had the succubus (co-)protagonist first appearance like this, when she is summoned into Overworld on the 3rd page.
Western Animation
- Happened at least once onFuturama.[context?]
- In a nice bit ofParent Service, Minerva Mink does this inAnimaniacs.
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