Aside Glance: Difference between revisions

[[File:aside glance 350.jpg|link=Ouran High School Host Club|frame| Someone call a carpenter. [[No Fourth Wall|We seem to be missing a fourth wall]].]]

 

 

 

It's generally used as a way to acknowledge the audience's assumed reaction and show that the glancing character is just as smart as them and just as aware of the absurdity of the situation. Importantly, the glancer should never speak to the audience, nor should the other characters (if it is fiction) acknowledge that the person just glanced away.

 

{{examples}}

* In ''[[Kekkaishi]]'' Tokine is discussing with Tokiko about bridges to dimensions, Tokiko then makes a out of the blue comment that Tokine should not be so hyperactive, when she was acting normally the entire time, Tokine then proceeds to make a Aside Glance to the audience complete with the transitional [[Face Fault]].

* ''[[Clannad (visual novel)|Clannad]]'': Kyou and Tomoyo both do this after teasing [[Butt Monkey|Sunohara]] into another outburst.

* In the first chapter of ''[[Jeeves and Wooster (novel)|Please, Jeeves]]'', Bertie shoots a defiant glance at the reader, asking (via the narration boxes) if we think he's weak for giving in to Jeeves so easily.

 

* Through much of the [[The Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]] and [[The Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]], [[Superman]] would end a story by giving the reader a wink, usually when one of his supporting cast made a clueless remark about his [[Secret Identity]]. This was echoed in almost every episode of the '60s [[Filmation]] cartoon (and several of the classic old Fleischers, as well).

** ''[[Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?]]'' would be the last time he does it. At least for the pre-''Man of Steel'' version.

* [[Deadpool]]'s insanity often has him doing this.

** Insane? Perhaps the sanest of all? After all he is one of the few people who realizes where he is and what he is and uses it to his advantage (beating up enemies with his own health bar or asking the narrator if they can help).

* [[The Joker]] tends to do this, due to him being one of the only [[DCU]] characters who is self-aware of his status as a comic book character

 

* Used frequently by [[The Joker|the title character]] in ''[[The Joker Blogs]]'', but justified in the fact that there actually is a cameraman for the Joker to Aside Glance at, and that the Joker already has Medium Awareness and regularly breaks the fourth wall in the comics. One of the funnier uses:

{{quote|'''Joker:''' ''(to a bum on the street)'' Do you wanna ''die''?

'''Joker:''' ''(incredulous look at camera)'' }}

 

* Disney's ''[[Peter Pan (Disney film)|Peter Pan]]''. Captain Hook is taking Tiger Lily to be drowned. As the Crocodile follows them, he turns and looks directly at the viewers.

* ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit?]]''. After Jessica Rabbit knocks out Roger with a frying pan and dumps in the trunk of a car, she briefly looks into the camera in a knowing way.

* Esmeralda from ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' actually winks at the viewers for a few seconds during her dance at the Feast of Fools before poledancing with a spear.

* Ray from ''[[The Princess and the Frog]]'' does one when Louis has an overblown reaction to being pricked by a thorn.

* Critics noticed this in ''[[Meet the Spartans]]'', seemed aimed at the audience for watching the movie.

* Common in [[Buster Keaton]]'s short films.

{{quote|'''Tom Servo:''' What do you, the viewers at home, think?}}

* During the [[Training Montage]] in ''[[Robin Hood: Men in Tights]]'', the villagers are demonstrating their complete lack of skill while trying to draw arrows from their quivers. Robin just looks to the camera with a look of amused despair, then back to his pupils with a snort.

* In the ''[[Police Academy]]'' movies, Guttenberg's character would often do this—without actually looking at the camera. He'd just turn and stare disbelievingly in a vaguely camera-like direction.

* ''[[Fatal Instinct]]''. Lola Cain turns and looks at the audience after Ned Ravine turns her down.

* Done several times in ''[[Young Frankenstein]]''.

* In the third ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' film, we get this from a goat that Jack Sparrow's putting the moves on (no, it doesn't make sense in context).

 

* In the title sequence of "''[[The Cosby Show]]''," [[Bill Cosby]] almost never ''doesn't'' give one.

** The camera has come around to face him as he gives a "you gotta be kidding me" look, but Jayne is looking at Kaylee, not the camera.

* Felix does this several times on ''[[The Odd Couple]]''. Once after Oscar draws a mustache on Felix with a marker in an episode titled "You Saved My Life".

* Jonathan Ross uses this pretty much constantly in his [[Talk Show]], ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''.

{{quote|''(featured clip of battery hens)''

'''Voice:''' What animal, of any description, want to live in here?

* Happens from time to time in ''[[Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide]]''. On one occasion, Ned and Cookie's reasons why Moze shouldn't do a volcano (specifically) for extra credit included "Plus it's been done on every show ever" followed by a ''s-l-o-w'' turn towards the camera.

* Will often does this in a bit more of an obvious way (he looks directly into the camera) on ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]''.

* Mike Rowe of ''[[Dirty Jobs]]'' does this a lot.

* Stanley Roper occasionally does this, combined with a silent chuckle, on ''[[Three's Company]]'', generally after making a [[Double Entendre]] at his wife Helen's expense.

* A Finnish TV show called ''Frank Pappa Show'' did this with the character of "the milk maid", a blonde dressed in a traditional outfit, who would interview various celebrities of the time and occasionally shoot an aside glance with a blank expression towards the camera as they happened to say something unintentionally (on the interviewee's part, at least) comical.

** Since the character was not milked enough during ''Frank Pappa Show'', she also appeared in every ''Iltalypsy'' episode.

{{quote|Where are the hidden agendas?

I can't find them ''anywhere''.

* The titular character of ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'' does this frequently, particularly when something ridiculous has occurred or he's done something mischievious.

* "NAZI GOLD!" from ''[[The Colbert Report]]''.

* In one scene in ''[[Burn Notice]]'', Michael's mother gives him a look and then indignantly walks out the door. A few seconds later, Fiona (his partner in [[UST]]) does the exact same thing, causing Michael to give a truly freaked out look right at the audience, silently asking "Did you just see this shit?".

** He has also done it at least twice when the job involved religion. No, not at the audience, ''at [[God]]''.

* Fran Fine does this a lot on ''[[The Nanny]]'', often accompanied with a [[Fascinating Eyebrow]].

* ''[[Mad TV]]'''s Jordan Peele, playing as R. Kelly in "Trapped in the Cupboard," is in a grocery store and looks toward the camera during a line. Another customer notices this and looks in the same direction quizzically.

* ''[[The Burns and Allen Show]]'': George—too many to catalog.

* In ''[[Miranda]]'', the titular character. ''All the time.'' And once hilariously done by her mother Penny when she's imitating her daughter.

 

* In the clip for the [[Gorillaz]] song "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhPaWIeULKk Stylo]", {{spoiler|[[Bruce Willis]]}} does a couple of very obvious Aside Glances at the camera.

 

 

* Often done by the [[Muppet]] characters on ''[[Sesame Street]]'', ''[[The Muppet Show]]'', etc. In one scene in ''[[The Muppet Movie]]'', after getting thrown about in a bar brawl, Kermit mutters to the audience "I hope you appreciate that I'm doing my own stunts," and the piano player gives the camera a "who are you talking to?" sort of look.

* Happens in an episode of ''[[Mongrels]]'' that had numerous [[Dude, Not Funny|jokes surrounding 9/11]]. The characters lampshade it by repeatedly saying that the events in the episode had nothing to do with religion, then glance at the camera.

* In one episode of ''[[Candle Cove (Sugar Wiki)|Candle Cove]]'', Janice asks the Skin Taker why his jaw moves back and forth, he looks at the camera, not her, to give his answer "to grind your skin".

 

 

* ''[[Crash Bandicoot]]'', especially the original trilogy, in SPADES. On a side note, he even has separate stance animations depending on whether you turn him to the camera or sideways: straight brings a smirk on his face (he SEES you!), turning him sideways makes him look derpy.

* Moving on onto the [[Jak and Daxter|next generation]] of Naughty Dog's games, in ''[[Jak II]]'', in order to sign up for the races, Jak and Daxter must sign a contract. One of the stipulations is giving away rights to almost any use of their likenesses. When he gets to the final entry ([[Who Would Want to Watch Us?|"Game rights?!"]]) he and Jak glance at the screen.

* Donkey Kong does this in ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'' when one of the Tiki Tak Tribe members tries and fails to hypnotize him.

* In ''[[Spyro]]: A Hero's Tail'', Ember asks Spyro if the dark gem next to her would make a nice engagement ring, flirting with him. Spyro gives an [[Oh Crap]] look directly to the camera in response.

 

* Used at least once in ''Neurotically Yours''. In the "Jiggly Butt" episode, Germaine asserts that she doesn't have to stop shaking her rear because nobody can see her. Foamy glances knowingly at the audience.

 

* This is a trademark move of the titular character in ''[[Dominic Deegan|Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire]]''. But most major characters are guilty of it at one point or another. Mostly in response to a [[Incredibly Lame Pun|really bad, off-beat joke]].

** Possibly lampshaded, considering he's a seer who can not only see into other dimensions, but has actually BEEN to some of them.

* ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]'': Schlock does this [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20020603.html here].

** Also [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20080902.html here], though he's on camera that time and, admittedly, what he says next is about the cameraman.

** Ennesby [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20080716.html here]

** Roy does it [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0209.html here] in the comics proper when Elan is annoying Miko while she transports them to the Azure City.

* Savage Ladybird gives us a good one in this ''Maliki'' [http://www.maliki.com/strip.php?strip=209 strip.]

* ''[[Namir Deiter]]'': [http://www.namirdeiter.com/comics/index.php?date=20050119 "It's like there's this big conspiracy bringing us all together..."]

* In ''[[Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic]]'', the goat head of the Chimera doesn't hesitate to [http://yafgc.net/?id=161 look straight at the audience.]

* Alexander Hamilton give a jaunty smirk to the reader in this ''The Dreamer Comic'' [http://thedreamercomic.com/comic.php?id=256 strip].

* ''[[The Cartoon Chronicles of Conroy Cat]]'': Doggy does it [http://dtoons.com/conroy/2011/02/cougar-attack/ here].

* ''[[Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures]]'' uses it [http://missmab.com/Comics/Vol_306.php here.]

 

* ''[[Echo Chamber]]'' uses this all the time ([[Justified Trope|Justified]] in that the cameraman is an actual character), and [[Cloudcuckoolander|the other characters frequently have to react to him being extremely strange]].

* Used frequently in ''[[Kate Modern]]'', with the added bonus that the show's [[Character Blog]] format enables this while leaving the [[Fourth Wall]] intact.

* Done several times in ''[[Dorm Life]]'', justified due to its [[Mockumentary]] style.

* The characters in ''[[Zero Punctuation]]'' will stop and look at the fourth wall if Yatzee says something particularly odd. The ''[[Guitar Hero]]'' review is probably the best example.

* The recurring character Santa Christ from [[That Guy With The Glasses]] does this while laughing.

* In Act III of ''[[Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog]]'', Captain Hammer does one after the groupies claim to "do the weird stuff".

* [[The Irate Gamer]] does this all the time. Seemingly as an indication for the viewers to laugh.

 

* Turned up often in ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' cartoons and other animated shorts.

** Pretty much a trademark of Chuck Jones' work.

** For example, in ''[[Rabbit Fire]]'' Daffy does it after one of Elmer Fudd's bullets is imbedded in his scalp.

*** Bugs has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it one in the same cartoon just as he's about to pull the [[Duck Season! Rabbit Season!]] switch on Daffy.

** [[Crowning Moment of Funny|Dr. Director puts his face close to the TV to say "hello". But he doesn't see anyone.]] Of course, this was just a distraction.

*** Another example is with the Slappy the Squirrel being very [[Medium Aware]] in her first short.

'''Dot:''' ''[[Getting Crap Past the Radar|(knowingly looking at the camera)]]'' [[Getting Crap Past the Radar|I don't think so.]] }}

* ''[[The Fairly OddParents]]'' makes frequent use of this.

** Meta-awareness is frequently part of the Joker's toolbox. Near the end of the "Emperor Joker" comic storyline, he actually yells at the comic's ''artist''.

** And in ''[[Young Justice (animation)|Young Justice]]'', the Joker looks at the camera and says, "Admit it: you can't turn away," when the Injustice League is introduced.

* Proto Man turns to the camera and mutters, "Boy, what's the world coming to when you can't trust your own brother?" after Mega Man tricks him and his cohorts in "Bot Transfer" ''([[Mega Man (animation)|Mega Man]] cartoon)''. [[Hilarious in Hindsight|That episode came before "Bro Bots", mind you.]]

* In an episode of ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' ("Missing Identity"), SpongeBob tells some fish in a diner the story of how he lost his identity (to be exact, his name tag, {{spoiler|which was on his shirt the whole time, but he was wearing it backwards}}). Over the course of the episode, he does two of these glances, except he makes them particularly drawn-out, slowly turning and staring ''straight'' at the camera. The first is in response to one of Patrick's moments of incredible ignorance, and the second comes after the waitress in the diner says she's borrowing someone else's name tag.

** Another one crops up in "I'm With Stupid".

* [[Hanna-Barbera]] examples:

*** Pinkie does it in a '''[[Fourth Wall Observer|lot]]''' of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ4IjRsP7Qk&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL4D8887535A7C934F episodes].

* [[Mr. Magoo]] does this in "Hotsy Footsy." Magoo thinks he is at a college reunion dance, but he has walked through the exit door, through a back alley, and is in a gym where wrestler Francis the terrible is taking on all comers! Magoo sees the long line of wrestlers being carried off after being injured, turns to the screen and whispers "loaded!"

 

* Some people feel this even extends into [[Real Life]], giving an aside glance upwards to heaven, to a random side, or to an onlooker. No examples needed.

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLv1IcIdsms In an interview (starting at 2:00)] with [[Darren Criss]] for the ''[[Glee]]'' 3D Concert movie, the interviewer makes a mention that since he is filling [[Daniel Radcliffe]]'s role in ''[[How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying]]'', that there should be a "musical Potter" episode on Glee. When he remarks "Someone should do that," she replies, "You heard it here first." Cue Darren looking right into the camera to all the ''[[A Very Potter Musical]]'' fans out there.

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