Don't Try This At Home: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

{{quote|''[[Fantastic Aesop|CAVEAT: Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous. Do not attempt it in your own home.]]''|''[[Good Omens]]'', by [[Terry Pratchett]] and [[Neil Gaiman]]}}

Mandatory disclaimer heard at least once, and often more times, during any show which presents outrageous stunts or death-defying acts of derring-do. Mandatory because there are more than a few [[Viewers are Morons|morons out there with so little common sense]] that they will actually ''try'' these things without the proper training and then [[Frivolous Lawsuit|sue everybody in sight]] when they get hurt (or their family will do it for them when [[Darwin Awards|they]] [[Too Dumb to Live|get killed]] or forgot/don't know how to sue.) Sometimes played for laughs ''within'' a show, as a character [[Breaking the Fourth Wall|turns to the audience]] and says "Do ''not'' try this at home" before beginning the most comically dangerous part of the [[Zany Scheme]].

 

 

== Advertising ==

* "Professional driver, closed course"—Any ad involving racing or car stunts. Or, in many cases, just plain driving. In fact, pretty much any ad that features a vehicle, really.

* ''[[The Red Green Show|The Red Green Book]]'' describes a fictional "game" that essentially involves drinking oneself into low-level alcohol poisoning. Understandably, that section of the book contains an editor's note that says "Do ''not'', under ''any'' circumstances, ''ever'' play this game."

* ''[[Curious George]]'': "George is a monkey, and he does things we can't do."

{{quote|"* A message from the author. Not all cauldrons are metal. You can boil water in a leather cauldron, if you know what you are doing. You can even make tea in a paper bag if you are careful and know how to do it. But please don't, or if you do, [[Plausible Deniability|don't tell anyone I told you]]."}}

** [[Call Back|One of the Tiffany Aching books had a Feegle queen boiling water in a leather cauldron.]]

* "''[[Captain Scarlet]]'' is indestructible. You are not. Remember this, Do not try to impersonate him."

* Frequently played around with on [[Tosh.0]]. Exaggerated when Daniel plays "Guess What Happens Next" with a video of an Asian kid who {{spoiler|lights his crotch on fire}}; he spends about a minute driving home the point that viewer should not try this at home.

* Web Soup has a segment called "Please, please, please, for the love of God, don't try this at home!"

* When ''[[Power Rangers]]'' first aired in the UK, it was broadcast in ITV's morning slot as part of their breakfast show GMTV. GMTV also included a fitness segment with "Mr Motivator", who would appear before ''Power Rangers'' to warn viewers that the Rangers were played by trained martial artists/stunt performers and kids should Not Try This At Home.

* The song "Cartoon Heroes" by [[Aqua]] features the line "What we do is what you just can't do" to remind kids not to try all the things they see their cartoon heroes doing.

* When the Irish music group Darby O'Gill covered [[Tom Lehrer]]'s ''The Irish Ballad'', they added this disclaimer after detailing one of the female protagonist's [[Self-Made Orphan|murders]].

* "Hellbent" by Self includes the line "I've been trying things at home that I saw on television, and I'm doin' 'em wrong!

 

** And recently they've been having wrestlers tell the viewers not to try any stunts at home about three times per two-hour episode, probably due to [[Executive Meddling]] caused by WWE now trying to pander to children as their main audience.

*** Now they've gone one further with their PSAs, saying "Don't try this." No at home. Don't try it '''anywhere'''. Someone probably used [[Exact Words]] and tried it somewhere other than at home.

 

== Radio ==

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Show Business]]

[[Category:Stock Phrases]]