Flippant Forgiveness

""I trust you implicitly, thieving child.""

- Joey, Yu-Gi-Oh the Abridged Series

Alice does something nice for Bob out of the goodness of her heart. Bob's response to that is to go "Oh, you did it wrong. But that's okay, I forgive you." Alice bristles at his audacity.

In a variant, instead of using the Stock Phrases, Bob may just let Alice know he doesn't blame her for something because it's not her fault she's useless at whatever she was trying to do in the first place.

Sometimes there is genuine misunderstanding somewhere in there. Sometimes Bob is just taking Alice too literally. Sometimes he's really that clueless. Sometimes he just thinks he's being funny. Sometimes he's genuinely being a Jerkass. This doesn't need to be intentional-- it's only necessary that Alice interpret it this way: he has no authority to "lift blame" off her when whatever happened was not her fault in the first place, or it's something that's not even a real offense. That's why it's funny.

Compare with Backhanded Apology. See also Forgiveness.

Films -- Animation
"Molly: If you had been waiting to see a unicorn, as long as I have... Schmendrick: She's the last unicorn in the world. Molly: It would be the last unicorn that came to Molly Grue. It's all right, I forgive you."
 * Rare non-funny example from The Last Unicorn:


 * Shrek: "All right, Donkey. I forgive you... for stabbing me in the back!"
 * Monsters vs. Aliens: After dumping her earlier, Derek returns to Susan to forgive her, because "it wasn't your fault you got hit by a meteor and ruined everything."

Films -- Live-Action
"Salieri: Mediocrities of the world, I absolve you!"
 * Taken to a global scale in Amadeus. Salieri attempts to establish himself as The Messiah, claiming the events of the movie as his sacrifice:

"Ugarte: You are a very cynical person, Rick, if you'll forgive me for saying so. Rick: I forgive you."
 * From Casablanca:

"Daphne/Jerry: Well, I have a terrible past. For three years now, I've been living with a saxophone player. Osgood: I forgive you."
 * In Cool as Ice, Kathy's fiancee watches her dance with Vanilla Ice at a party, and afterward takes her aside and forgives her for it. This is meant to be seen by the audience as evidence that he's a pompous asshole and she'd be better off dumping him for Ice.
 * In Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Dr. Malcolm lets Peter Ludlow know that "when you try to sound like Hammond, it comes off as a hustle. I mean, it's not your fault. They say talent skips a generation. So, I'm sure your kids will be sharp as tacks."
 * In Mean Girls, when Ms. Norbury makes all the girls in school confront the fact that they've been mean to someone else, one girl apologizes to another girl for calling her a gap-toothed bitch, because "it's not your fault you're so gap-toothed."
 * Some Like It Hot gives us the following exchange, as Daphne, who's really Jerry, tries to tell Osgood she-- he can't marry him:

"Frank: Since when do you get manicures? Kathleen: Oh, I suppose you could never be with a woman who got manicures... Frank: Never mind. It's okay. I forgive you. (Beat) Kathleen: You forgive me?"
 * From You've Got Mail:

Literature

 * In Discworld, Granny Weatherwax has a way of graciously not blaming Magrat for things that were clearly not Magrat's fault (and may have been Granny's).
 * In Book Two of The Dresden Files, Lt. Karrin Murphy shoots in Harry's direction to save him from some crazy who was about to kill him. Harry, who was facing the opposite way at the time, hadn't seen his attacker and thought she shot at him instead, because she doubted his loyalties. However, he had previously betrayed her trust, so he decides he can't blame her for thinking him a bad guy and he forgives her for shooting him. Murphy thinks he's a big idiot for thinking that way, and lets him know it.
 * It should say something that the moment was enough to restore their friendship. Yup, they're Vitriolic Best Buds to the finest.
 * Hazel to Anne in Anne Of Windy Poplars in her parting letter.

Live-Action TV
"Dee: Okay, I did try, it just didn't happen to work out. Frank: It's not your fault, sweetie. You're just not pretty enough. Dee: Wow, thank you! That's my dad, everybody."
 * From It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia:

"John: (after Sherlock explains clues) Why didn't I think of that?
 * From Sherlock:

Sherlock: Because you're an idiot. *John opens mouth to retaliate* No no no, don't be like that, practically everybody is."

Radio
"Major Bloodnok: How dare you call me Major Bloodnok! Seagoon: That's your name. Major Bloodnok: In that case, I forgive you."
 * From The Goon Show:

Theater
"Scaramouche: Don't blame yourself, Gazza. It's not your fault. Galileo: Thanks, Scaramouche. Scaramouche: I mean it's not your fault you're a spineless, gutless, whinging litle crybaby!"
 * From the Queen musical We Will Rock You:


 * A darker version is used in Ibsen's A Dolls House. Nora Helmer has borrowed money to send her seriously ill husband Torvald on a trip that saves his life. Unfortunately, the man who lent her the money (who is Torvald's employee) blackmails her that he'll tell her husband unless she gets him a promotion. After some complications, Torvald finds out what she did and snaps at her because the blackmail and her actions reflect badly on him (especially since she had committed forgery at some point). Then he finds out that the other man changed his mind about blackmailing him. He generously "forgives" her and gives her a good deal of the "you didn't know better" part of the trope. Nora coldly thanks him, but then she proceeds to give him "The Reason You Suck" Speech and leaves the house. The exit scene is described as the most dramatic doorslam in the history of theatre.

Video Games
"GLaDOS: Okay. Look. We both said a lot of things that you're going to regret. But I think we can put our differences behind us. For science. You monster."
 * Portal 2 has this in spades, mostly on the part of G La DOS, who's spent an undefined but very long time reliving the last few minutes of her defeat at Chell's hands on endless repeat and is (perhaps understandably) very bitter.

Western Animation

 * In The Simpsons episode, "The Nedliest Catch", Homer convinces Ned that Edna's previous sexual encounters should not break Ned and Edna up when they were such a perfect couple. Ned invites Edna over to his place to apologize for freaking out, and then announces his forgiveness. They come down to a Make Up or Break Up and...that's the end of the season. The viewers vote for which happens..