Biting the Hand Humor: Difference between revisions

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This trope would also fit those moments when an embittered author, or one cynical of the morality of the publishing industry, inserts into his work a thinly disguised slap to the face of the publishing house that is keeping him in work, albeit for not entirely satisfactory royalties or advance payments.

A sister trope to [[Take That]]. Related to [[Take That Audience]]. Remembering who wears the pants can combine this with [[End of Series Awareness]].

A sister trope to [[Take That]]. Related to [[Take That, Audience!]]. Remembering who wears the pants can combine this with [[End of Series Awareness]].

== Anime and Manga ==

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== Comic Books ==

* In the first ''[[Great Lakes Avengers]]'', [[Squirrel Girl]] and Grasshopper appear in an offstage prologue. Grasshopper says "The only people reading comics now are [[Take That Audience|overweight thirty-year-olds]] [[Basement Dweller|living in their mother's basement]]." [[Squirrel Girl]]'s sidekick replies in an inset: "Hey, fanboys, don't take that lying down! Write angry letters to [[Marvel]] today!"

* In the first ''[[Great Lakes Avengers]]'', [[Squirrel Girl]] and Grasshopper appear in an offstage prologue. Grasshopper says "The only people reading comics now are [[Take That, Audience!|overweight thirty-year-olds]] [[Basement Dweller|living in their mother's basement]]." [[Squirrel Girl]]'s sidekick replies in an inset: "Hey, fanboys, don't take that lying down! Write angry letters to [[Marvel]] today!"

* Hazmat in ''Avengers Academy'' #10: "Today's gonna suck as much as all the others... but just a little bit ''harder''. Because it's ''[[One More Day|one more day]]''... with ''no end in sight''."

* A comic story of [[The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy]] has Grim using his scythe for a rather ridiculous reason, to which Mandy responds "Doesn't this comic have ''any'' standards?"

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** Jay Leno of ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' must have similar writers - he makes a lot of jokes at NBC's expense, too. He even makes jokes about how bad his jokes are.

* [[The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson|CBS cares.]]

* ''[[~~Thirty~~ Rock (TV)|Thirty Rock]]'' also can't seem to stop making fun of NBC and General Electric.

* ''[[30 Rock (TV)|Thirty Rock]]'' also can't seem to stop making fun of NBC and General Electric.

** ''30 Rock'' once devoted it's entire [[B Plot]] to mocking the real-life sale of NBC from GE to Philadelphia-based Comcast by switching it to Philadelphia-based Kabletown. With a K.

** The episode ''Khonani'' has Jack trying to deal with the scheduling conflict he caused between 2 janitors, [[Conan O Brien|Khonani]] and [[The Tonight Show|Lennon]]. [[Does This Remind You of Anything|He even attempted an innovative schedule in which the 2 would split the shift. In the end Lennon stayed on the shift]].

** The episode ''Khonani'' has Jack trying to deal with the scheduling conflict he caused between 2 janitors, [[Conan O Brien|Khonani]] and [[The Tonight Show|Lennon]]. [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|He even attempted an innovative schedule in which the 2 would split the shift. In the end Lennon stayed on the shift]].

* A number of [[British Series]] knock their own channel.

** For example, ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' constantly made fun of [[The BBC]].

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** Brooker's ''[[Dead Set]]'', in which ''[[Big Brother]]'' contestants face a [[Zombie Apocalypse]], was also made by Zeppotron and was broadcast on [[Channel Four|E4]].

* Although not a comedy, ''[[The Bill]]'' had a moment where two character were checking a hotel's CCTV cameras during an undercover operation. They were making comments related to the order of channels on the TV set. [[BBC 2]] was gardening, ITV (the show's own channel, before it became [[ITV 1]]) was adverts and the final conclusion to the joke was that [[Channel Four]] (not named) was sex, as they discovered Dave and Polly kissing in a hotel room. Taking the joke further, [[Channel Five]] equals porn (although, not as much... [[CSI Verse|these days]].)

* In one skit on ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway (TV)|Whose Line Is It Anyway]]'', Colin Mochrie screamed at Ryan Stiles and Wayne Brady: "You're not human! You're less than human! You're ''network executives''!" However, after the game, Drew Carey went to great lengths to point out that Colin wasn't talking about ABC (the American one).

* In one skit on ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (TV)|Whose Line Is It Anyway]]'', Colin Mochrie screamed at Ryan Stiles and Wayne Brady: "You're not human! You're less than human! You're ''network executives''!" However, after the game, Drew Carey went to great lengths to point out that Colin wasn't talking about ABC (the American one).

** In one episode, they attempt to do an improv of a theme song for a sitcom featuring Bill Cosby and [[Adolf Hitler]]. When the executives (mid-skit nonetheless) bring down the hammer and bans them from using Hitler in the skit. For the entire rest of the episode, almost every single bit of improv became a [[Take That]] towards the executives, calling them prudes, taking every single opportunity to bring up the Fuhrer, etc.

** There was one episode where Ryan had to play a weatherman who discovered the portal to hell was behind his green screen. He goes through the portal and looks at Drew and says: "So THAT'S how you got two shows!"

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* While presenting the Best Animated Feature nominees at the 2009 [[Academy Awards]], [[Jack Black]] explains to co-presenter Jennifer Aniston his secret to success when it comes to making money at voice acting:

{{quote| '''Jack Black''': Each year I do one [[Dreamworks Animation]] [[Kung Fu Panda|project]], then I take all the money to the Oscars and bet it on [[Pixar]].}}

** [[Laser Guided Karma|And the winner]]? ''[[WALL-E]]''. (to which Black jumped and cheered...)

** [[Laser-Guided Karma|And the winner]]? ''[[WALL-E]]''. (to which Black jumped and cheered...)

*** What was especially funny about the moment, though, is that one of the people who laughed hardest when he made this joke was...Jeffrey Katzenberg.

* While we're on the topic of the Oscars, after the 2008 show played a montage of movies addressing the social issues of their time (in a very "look how awesome we are for doing this" tone):

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== Radio ==

* The "Radio 3" episode of ''[[Absolute Power (Radio)|Absolute Power]]'' (on Radio 4) was full of digs at [[The BBC]] including "In the BBC ratings are like sex; of course they're not important, just as long as you're getting some!"

** ''Absolute Power'''s [[Spin Off|parent show]], ''In The Red'' and sequels were ''made'' of this trope; BBC radio comedy dramas about an inept BBC radio journalist and his unpleasant BBC bosses.

** ''Absolute Power'''s [[Spin-Off|parent show]], ''In The Red'' and sequels were ''made'' of this trope; BBC radio comedy dramas about an inept BBC radio journalist and his unpleasant BBC bosses.

* In Season One of ''[[Old ~~Harrys~~ Game (Radio)|Old Harrys Game]]'', Thomas persuades Gary to lead a rebellion of the demons. Two demons keep insisting they need mission statements and brightly-coloured charts.

* In Season One of ''[[Old Harry's Game (Radio)|Old Harrys Game]]'', Thomas persuades Gary to lead a rebellion of the demons. Two demons keep insisting they need mission statements and brightly-coloured charts.

{{quote| '''Thomas''': Who are those two?<br />

'''Gary''': They're the demons in charge of torturing former BBC executives.<br />

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* ''[[The News Quiz]]'' and ''[[The Now Show]]'', because sometimes [[The BBC]] ''is'' the news.

* ''[[The Goon Show]]'' started off a lot of their shows with digs at the BBC.

* ''[[Car Talk]]'' has an inversion via [[Self Deprecation]]: the [[Stinger]] for the show is inevitably something to the effect of "And even though [something indicating deep disapproval/disappointment happens] every time ''we'' say it, this is NPR, National Public Radio." In other words, they compliment their network by calling themselves unworthy of it.

* ''[[Car Talk]]'' has an inversion via [[Self-Deprecation]]: the [[Stinger]] for the show is inevitably something to the effect of "And even though [something indicating deep disapproval/disappointment happens] every time ''we'' say it, this is NPR, National Public Radio." In other words, they compliment their network by calling themselves unworthy of it.

* Radio 4's statistics programme ''More Or Less'', reporting that one of their regular mathematician guests was appearing on BBC One's ''[[Wipeout 2008 (TV)|Winter Wipeout]]'':

{{quote| '''Tim Hartford''': I hadn't previously seen the show myself, but I now realise it's a bit like ''[[Its A Knockout]]'', but without the high philosophical concepts. After watching it, I had one question for David: ''Why?'' }}

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* Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo considers the ''[[Blur (Video Game)|Blur]]'' commercial, a [[Take That]] at ''[[Mario Kart (Video Game)|Mario Kart]]'', to be this [http://www.nintendoeverything.com/43116/ on the basis] that the game's publisher [[Activision]] is also doing the new ''[[Golden Eye Wii (Video Game)|GoldenEye]]'' game exclusively for Nintendo.

* [[Dragon Age]], Human Noble origin: [[Baldurs Gate|"Giant rats? It's like the start of every bad adventure tale my grandfather used to tell."]]

* Strong Bad does this quite often towards [[Telltale Games]] in ''[[Strong Bads Cool Game for Attractive People (Video Game)|Strong Bads Cool Game for Attractive People]]'' and its making-of mockumentary ''Behind The Bad'' (and eventually carried over in ''[[Poker Night At the Inventory (Video Game)|Poker Night At the Inventory]]''), usually complaining about how they never follow his idea of the "perfect" Strong Bad video game. This, however, is subverted near the end of "8-Bit Is Enough" when the developers [[Throw the Dog A Bone|finally made an albeit lo-res polygon render of a concept sketch from Strong Bad for the episode's final battle]], [[Hell Yes Moment|and Strong Bad couldn't be more happy about it.]]

* Strong Bad does this quite often towards [[Telltale Games]] in ''[[Strong Bads Cool Game for Attractive People (Video Game)|Strong Bads Cool Game for Attractive People]]'' and its making-of mockumentary ''Behind The Bad'' (and eventually carried over in ''[[Poker Night At the Inventory (Video Game)|Poker Night At the Inventory]]''), usually complaining about how they never follow his idea of the "perfect" Strong Bad video game. This, however, is subverted near the end of "8-Bit Is Enough" when the developers [[Throw the Dog A Bone|finally made an albeit lo-res polygon render of a concept sketch from Strong Bad for the episode's final battle]], [["Hell Yes!" Moment|and Strong Bad couldn't be more happy about it.]]

* Online game makers Nitrome did this and a bit of [[Self Deprecation]] with their 100th game, ''Nitrome Must Die''. Example: in one level, the whiteboard in the background shows ideas for a new game... with a deadline of 8 hours.

* Online game makers Nitrome did this and a bit of [[Self-Deprecation]] with their 100th game, ''Nitrome Must Die''. Example: in one level, the whiteboard in the background shows ideas for a new game... with a deadline of 8 hours.

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*** Yet another episode had Homer investing in "something called News Corp", followed by Lisa telling him that was Fox and Homer screaming "AHH! UNDO! UNDO!"

*** One of the earliest and more subtle ones may be in the Season 4 episode Mr. Plow. When a TV commercial starring the family airs on late at night on an obscure cable channel, Homer exclaims - "It may be on a crappy network, but The Simpsons are on TV".

*** In "Bart Gets An Elephant", Lisa ask someone if they're an ivory dealer, with the reply "Well, little girl, I've had lots of jobs in my day: [[Arson Murder and Jaywalking|whale-hunter, seal-clubber, president of the Fox network...]]"

*** In "Bart Gets An Elephant", Lisa ask someone if they're an ivory dealer, with the reply "Well, little girl, I've had lots of jobs in my day: [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|whale-hunter, seal-clubber, president of the Fox network...]]"

*** An even better example was in [[The Movie]]: During one of the scenes, a [[Commercial Pop Up]] crawler advertising the Fox networks starts moving across the bottom of the screen, ending with "Yes, we even advertise during movies now".

*** An even better example was in [[The Movie]]: During one of the scenes, a [[Commercial Pop-Up]] crawler advertising the Fox networks starts moving across the bottom of the screen, ending with "Yes, we even advertise during movies now".

*** Also there was Krusty bemoaning his good-for-nothing half-brother Luke Perry:

{{quote| '''Lisa''': But he's a big star!<br />

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*** In a flash-forward episode, set <s>[[Comic Book Time|in 2010]]</s> 15 years from now, we find out that all the programs on Fox have become porn. This happened so gradually that Marge hadn't noticed until that point in time.

*** The Road Rage episode ("Marge Simpson in: Screaming Yellow Honkers"). The family promotes NBC for its quality programming, ending with "How do we know if there's something good on now? Just change the channel", followed by Homer reading out a forced statement over the episode's credits that NBC sucks and Fox rules, under gunpoint, ending with him saying, "CBS: great," and being shot.

*** "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" has Homer and company tangling with Rupert Murdoch, who refers to himself as "the billionaire tyrant". (Murdoch was [[Self Deprecation|actually playing himself]].)

*** "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" has Homer and company tangling with Rupert Murdoch, who refers to himself as "the billionaire tyrant". (Murdoch was [[Self-Deprecation|actually playing himself]].)

*** Another example is when a promo for ''Joe Millionaire'' goes across the top of the screen. Homer then eats part of it, but disgustedly spits out the Fox logo.

*** In another episode, the Flanders' kids have been infected with the "Osaka Flu" going around town. Ned then asks himself why God has "forsaken" them only to have a flashback to the one time they watched ''[[Married With Children]]'' (complete with sinister lightning).

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*** In ''The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase'', Troy McClure says that FOX approached the Writers of ''The Simpsons'' to create "35 new shows" to fill a "few holes" in the schedule. Cue a poster of the FOX schedule: A slot each for ''The Simpsons'', ''[[The X-Files]]'', and ''[[Melrose Place]]'', All other slots are question marks.

*** In "Simple Simpson", the family watches ''Promiscuous Idiots Island'' on Fox, the home of promiscuous idiots.

*** Plus, there was a scene in a Sideshow Bob episode where Rupert Murdoch himself (speaking with a bad Australian accent) was in jail with Bob. They actually had to ask for and GOT permission from Murdoch himself for that one. His response was apparently "[[Self Deprecation|I would be honored to be in jail in The Simpsons]]".

*** Plus, there was a scene in a Sideshow Bob episode where Rupert Murdoch himself (speaking with a bad Australian accent) was in jail with Bob. They actually had to ask for and GOT permission from Murdoch himself for that one. His response was apparently "[[Self-Deprecation|I would be honored to be in jail in The Simpsons]]".

*** In the episode where Lisa was petitioning to have Springfield turn off all its lights so she could see an upcoming meteor shower, she complained that the only thing she could see in her telescope was the Fox satellite. The screen then cuts to a broken, falling apart satellite that's only being held up by regular party balloons.

*** And in the episode written by and guest starring Ricky Gervais, Fox is described as the home of the world's worst sitcoms, before Lisa points out that the show ''Mother Flippers'' (i.e. ''Trading Spouses'') is a rip-off of an [[Wife Swap|existing show]]. She is bribed with a Fox sweatshirt, but when she points out it's actually an ABC sweatshirt they throw her in the ''[[American Idol]]'' holding pen.

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{{quote| '''Pilgrim:''' Give me the bird!<br />

'''Yakko:''' [[Getting Crap Past the Radar|We'd love to, really]], but the Fox censors won't allow it. }}

** In the ''[[Pinky and The Brain]]'' [[Spin Off]], the opening song commented on [[Pinky Elmyra and The Brain|the addition of Elmyra]] with the lines "[[Executive Meddling|It's what the network wants, why bother to complain?]]". At the end of the song, Brain also says "I deeply resent this", and, given the very real hatred of the idea by the show's own writers, it seems likely enough he was referring to more than just his in-story predicaments with Elmyra. This was itself preceded by the episode ''Pinky and the Brain and Larry'', with an intentionally lame and useless extra character inserted just to show how the show didn't need a third wheel... but it was railroaded through anyway.

** In the ''[[Pinky and The Brain]]'' [[Spin-Off]], the opening song commented on [[Pinky Elmyra and The Brain|the addition of Elmyra]] with the lines "[[Executive Meddling|It's what the network wants, why bother to complain?]]". At the end of the song, Brain also says "I deeply resent this", and, given the very real hatred of the idea by the show's own writers, it seems likely enough he was referring to more than just his in-story predicaments with Elmyra. This was itself preceded by the episode ''Pinky and the Brain and Larry'', with an intentionally lame and useless extra character inserted just to show how the show didn't need a third wheel... but it was railroaded through anyway.

*** The most notable example would be the episode "You'll Never Eat Food Pellets In This Town Again", which features the titular lab mice as the stars of a hit TV show [[Executive Meddling|being heavily meddled with by network executives, who think heavily altering the show's premise will increase ratings]].

** After being forced to switch from FOX to The WB, practically every episode of ''Animaniacs'' used the [[Couch Gag|rotating gag credit]] at the end to bash their new network: "Be The First Kid on Your Block To Actually Watch The WB!"

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{{quote| [[Self Demonstrating Article|Oh look, another "witty" self-demonstrating]] [[The Stinger|stinger]] to show that [[TV Tropes]] is dumber--more informal!-- than [[The Other Wiki]]. [[Flat Joy|Joy]].}}

{{quote| [[Self-Demonstrating Article|Oh look, another "witty" self-demonstrating]] [[The Stinger|stinger]] to show that [[TV Tropes]] is dumber--more informal!-- than [[The Other Wiki]]. [[Flat Joy|Joy]].}}

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[[Category:Insult Tropes]]

[[Category:Biting The Hand Humor]]

[[Category:Trope]]

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