Asymmetric Dilemma: Difference between revisions

 

This joke often overlaps with [[I Would Say If I Could Say]], where a character can't use a common expression because it ''technically'' doesn't apply to them, like [[The Undead]] claiming to be "breathless with anticipation".

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* ''[[The Killing Joke]]'' features the Joker telling a joke that uses such a dilemma to Batman. Two men escape from an insane asylum by climbing onto the roof. One jumps to a nearby building, but the other is too scared to follow. The first offers to shine a flashlight across the way, letting the second walk across the beam. The second man replies "What do you think I am? Crazy? You'd turn it off when I was half way across!".

 

 

== [[Film]] ==

* From ''[[Meet the Robinsons]]'':

{{quote|'''Bowler Hat Guy:''' Oh, I know! I'll turn him into a duck! Yes, it's so evil! Oh... I don't know how to do that... and I don't really need a duck... this may be harder than I thought.}}

{{quote|'''Groucho:''' Have you ever had any experience as a kidnapper?

'''Chico:''' You bet. You know what I do when I kidnap somebody? First I call 'em up on the telephone, then I send 'em my chauffeur.

== [[Literature]] ==

* The "bacon and eggs" variant shows up in [[Timothy Zahn]]'s ''[[Star Wars]]'' novels. "[[Hold Your Hippogriffs|If we had bruallki, we could have bruallki and menkoroo -- if we had some menkoroo]]."

* A couple of books in the ''[[Animorphs]]'' series take place on the Hork-Bajir planet, where several deep chasms open down to the molten planetary core. The Arn, a winged species, have cliff dwellings extending partway down these chasms, with very thin walkways. In two separate instances, Andalites have concluded that there is no need to worry about the magma, because the body would ''probably'' be disintegrated in mid-fall.

 

* On ''[[Red Dwarf]]'', Kryten was fond of these:

{{quote|'''Kryten:''' What on Earth are we going to do?

'''Cat:''' Hey, I got it! We laser our way through!

'''Kryten:''' An excellent suggestion, Sir, with just two minor drawbacks. One, we don't have a power source for the lasers, and two, we don't have any lasers. }}

{{quote|'''Cat:''' Let's just put on the jet-powered rocket pants and Junior Birdman the hell out of here.

'''Kryten:''' An excellent idea sir, with just two small problems: First, we don't have any jet-powered rocket pants. And second, there's no such thing as jet-powered rocket pants outside of the fictional serial 'Robbie Rocketpants'. }}

{{quote|'''Cat:''' Why don't we raise the defensive shields!

'''Kryten:''' An excellent idea, sir, with just two small problems: First, we don't have any defensive shields. Second, we don't have any defensive shields. I realise that technically speaking that's only one problem, but it's such a big one that I thought [[Department of Redundancy Department|it was worth mentioning twice]]. }}

'''Ian:''' Uh...

'''Matt:''' Because we don't have either. }}

{{quote|'''[[Munchkin|Red Mage]]''': Wait! That is ''not'' how we do things around here, buddy. First we have to argue incessantly over semantics. Then one of us has to hurt one or all of us. Also, you're a villain.}}

{{quote|"One, it's spelled 'echinacea', and two, homeopathic medicines are no better than placebos and your entire magazine is a sham."}}

 

* ''[[Futurama]]''

{{quote|'''Zoidberg''': Oh joy, a coupon! Two oil changes for the price of one! Now if only I could afford the one. And a car.}}

{{quote|'''Ben''': And since I don't have a car ...

'''Kevin''': Or a licence.

 

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