Constantly Curious: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

A person, usually young, who is ''full'' of questions. (All in [[Children Are Innocent|total innocence]], of course.)

Not the [[Mouthy Kid]]; generally perfectly polite except for their questions, and completely oblivious to the fact they could be considered rude.

 

 

 

See also [[Little Jimmy]], who has no characterization except his ignorance.

 

== Anime & Manga ==

* This trope manifests itself in the form of a hitchhiker personality in the manga ''[[Gatcha Gatcha Capsule]]''. She's not quite all that innocent, though.

* From ''[[MAR]]'', when Jack is KO'ed in his first match, 14 year-old girl Snow (who's been on the run for the last few years) turns to one of her friends and asks if it (getting hit between the legs) really hurts that much.

* [[Princess Classic|Nia]] from ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]''.

* [[Yotsuba&!|Yotsuba Koiwai]] is ''full'' of questions.

 

* In the ''[[Sandman]]'' story arc "Brief Lives", Dream is more or less guilted into chaperoning Delirium around trying to track down their missing brother, and all through the sequence Del keeps asking "What's the word for [insert thing there isn't a word for]?" She's generally ignored, to the point that the reader usually gives up trying to find answers to questions that clearly don't have them. {{spoiler|Eventually she asks "What's the word for things not being the same always?" as they're driving away, and Dream answers "Change."}} It's quite nicely done.

* It's implied in Neil Gaiman's story "When is a Door" that [[Batman|the Riddler]] was exactly this as a youngster, much to the irritation of his parents and teachers.

 

 

== Fan Works ==

'''Yami Bakura:''' Well, I suppose my parents never loved me enough. They were always dressing me like a girl. Do you know they wanted to call me Florence? Who names a boy Florence? Idiots, that's who! }}

 

== Films -- Animation ==

* Kirikou from ''[[Kirikou and The Sorceress]]''.

'''The Wise Old Man of the Mountain:''' You're quite right to keep asking me "why", but from one "why" to the next we'll go right back to the Creation of the World -- and beyond that knowing you. We'll never have time to talk about Karaba, the Sorceress. }}

 

== Films -- Live-Action ==

* ''[[Uncle Buck]]'':

'''Miles:''' I'm a kid -- that's my job. }}

* From ''[[Big Daddy]]'':

'''Sonny''' ''(interrupting him)'' Hey yappy, could you just end the conversation and I'll get you an Egg Mcmuffin. }}

* In ''[[Religulous]]'', Bill Maher uses this tactic during his interviews with religious believers:

'''Bill:''' So why don't you kill yourself? }}

'''Christopher:''' Oh. ''([[Beat]])'' I don't understand. }}

 

== Literature ==

** See if you can find the audio version, read by [[Jack Nicholson]] and with music by Bobby McFerrin. It's great.

** See also Kipling's "Six Honest Serving Men".

** Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is a member of a mongoose clan whose motto is "run and find out," and shows elements of this, except the humans can't understand his questions.

** Much later, in Lee Lightner's ''Wolf's Honour'', when {{spoiler|Bulveye}} lays out the plan, Ragnar asks him about until he says,

* [[Robert Heinlein]]'s ''Friday'' has the title heroine ordered to become this halfway through; she even refers to it as "feeding the Elephant's Child."

** While Merry was riding with Gandalf:

'''Merry:''' Yes, a good deal. More than usual. But you heard it all or most of it: you were close by, and we were talking no secrets. But you can go with him tomorrow, if you think you can get more out of him -- and if he'll have you. }}

** While Pippin is riding with Gandalf:

"The names of all the stars, and of all living things, and the whole history of Middle-earth and Over-heaven and of the Sundering Seas," laughed Pippin. "Of course! What less?" }}

* In [[Dan Abnett]]'s ''[[Ravenor]]'' novels, the [[Street Urchin]] Zael blossoms into this when he stops being unnerved by the inquisitor's retinue.

* Little Sophie from Els Pelgrom's ''[[Little Sophie and Lanky Flop]]'' ("''Kleine Sofie en Lange Wapper''" in the original Dutch) starts out at this. Her constant questions include "Why is the grass green?", "Why are people poor?" and "What is death?" Entirely subverted when the book turns into something rather a lot like ''[[Achewood]]'' and her questions are ''[[Nightmare Fuel|answered]]'' through ruthless demonstration.... It's written for 10-year-olds.

* In [[Diana Wynne Jones]]' ''[[The Chronicles of Chrestomanci|Mixed Magics]]'', the Sage of Theare is a child prophecied to bring about the end of the world by being an Elephant's Child in a world that runs on order.

* Littlest One ( {{spoiler|or Gossamer, as she is later known as}}) from ''Gossamer'' is this.

* Fawn from ''[[The Sharing Knife]]'' is full of curiosity and wonder. Dag takes it as a sign of her intelligence, that she doesn't accept the world at face value but wants to know how it works. Unfortunately, Fawn's hidebound family thought it was a sign of stupidity, that she could never just get on with her life but had to stop and harp on about trivial details.

* The Polish poem ''Staś Pytalski'' by Jan Brzechwa.

* German humorist Spoerl described himself as this in his memories:

:: As he concluded, "after this, our nineteenth nanny quit." }}

* [[Dave Barry]] brings this up in ''Babies and Other Hazards of Sex'' in a conversation with his son, Robert.

'''Robert:''' Why? }}

 

 

** Although Harmony is really [[The Ditz]] instead. Even Vampire!Harmony is [[The Ditz]].

** Buffy herself takes on this role upon joining the Initiative; constantly interrupting the [[Mission Briefing]] to ask questions as opposed to the strong, silent, need-to-know only soldier types around her.

* One purpose served by Donna in the early seasons of ''[[The West Wing]]'' was to ask Josh questions about whatever political process the senior staff were wrangling that week, so that [[Mr. Exposition|Josh]] could [[Info Dump|explain things]] to her and the audience at the same time.

* Almost all of the humour from [[Outnumbered]] is based on this trope. Especially if it involves Karen.

'''Karen:''' What about a hexagon? }}

* Mr. Morden from ''[[Babylon 5]]'' does this.

** Although really, he just asks one question ("What do you want?"), over and over again, to a rather creepy effect.

* In ''[[Scrubs]]'' when JD's brother gets mad at him, he likes to pretend to be a person he likes to call "The Constant Questioner"

 

 

 

== Radio ==

* Teeny, the little girl who chats with Fibber on ''[[Fibber McGee and Molly]]''. "Hey, mister, whatcha doin', hmm?"

 

== Stand-Up Comedy ==

* From ''[[Robin Williams]]: A Night At The Met'':

* Possibly Louis C.K.'s [[Crowning Moment of Funny]]:

'''Louis:''' Aw, fuck you, eat your French fries, you little shit. Goddammit. }}

** The set-up here is that whenever you see a parent snapping at their child to shut up, it's best to just assume this part came first and mind your own business.

* Dylan Moran also uses this in ''Monster''.

'''Dad:''' ''I DON'T KNOW!'' Bedtime, bedtime... }}

 

== Video Games ==

{{spoiler|Do you smell something burning?}} }}

 

 

== Web Comics ==

* From [[Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]]: [http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2096#comic This comic].

* Meela in [[Strays]].

* [[Pibgorn]] [http://www.gocomics.com/pibgorn/2009/04/09/ at least according to Nat Bustard]

* In ''[[Thistil Mistil Kistil]]'', [http://tmkcomic.depleti.com/comic/ch04-pg11/ Loki's sons]

* In ''[[Question Duck]]'', the punchline is always the duck asking an off-the-wall question.

 

== Western Animation ==

** Let it be noted that "incessant", in this case, means no pauses in between. As if the questions were one long sentence delivered speedily in one breath.

* [[Looney Tunes]]

** Porky Pig has a nephew who once behaved much like the MGM child above. But Porky was more patient.

** The semi-recurring character Little Blabber Mouse is like this. At the end of each cartoon, the W.C. Fields Mouse would do something to make him shut up like stick a piece of tape to his mouth.

 

 

** Clarification: [http://www.garlikov.com/Soc_Meth.html The Socratic Method in action]. The teacher is asking questions (75) of a class of third graders, and illustrating its usefulness as an educational tool.

* Many, many toddlers. "No," "Mama," "Papa," and "why" are among the first words children learn.

"''...why?''" }}

** Studies have shown that a child will stop asking why if it's an ''actual'' answer, but they keep asking 'why' if they're given the brush off. In other words, kids aren't stupid, just ignorant. If you do your best to provide an explanation within the scope of their understanding, they'll stop trolling you. If you give them bullshit to shut them up, they'll bug you until you provide an explanation within the scope of their understanding.

Note that the final answer is still mostly bullshit, but it's not totally false, it's an attempt at a middle ground, and it provides a comprehensive explanation that positively responds to the child's inquiry. }}

** Asking questions might be an uniqualy human ability. Apes have been taught sign language, and they are able to answer quite complex questions, but they never ask any.

[[Category:Truth in Television]]

[[Category:Information Desk]]