The Straight Man takes a fall. His usual position is far above the prevailing attitude of his crew, wackiness, pettiness or just general slacker-itis.
In a story where the wackiness level is really high, the straight man is still goofier and wackier than anyone you know, but he has his standards to maintain. Under no circumstances will he allow himself to be pulled down into the general chaos of those around him.
Until he does. You can only fight the tide for so long. As the age-old adage goes: "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link." If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Compare with Not So Stoic, which can also be Played for Laughs, but has potential for seriousness. May be implemented with an ...Or So I Heard. If he somehow brings it on himself, it might overlap with Break the Haughty, but not necessarily so. See also Hypocritical Humor, where often the Straight Man in question had just told someone off for doing something goofy and is now doing it themselves.
See also Only Sane by Comparison, where the character is more openly "wacky", yet still manages to be the one who holds everything together.
Sometimes related to an Idiot Ball moment. Contrast Smart Ball, when their dimmer co-star may have a moment of clarity or tact.
Not so Above It All has been suggested to play 19 roles. Click below to see other actors suggested for each role, and vote for who you think would play the role best.
