Disobey This Message: Difference between revisions

{{examples}}

== Advertising ==

* Any commercial touting individuality. The [[An Aesop|Aesop]] seems to be "[[Be Yourself]]; [[The Man Is Sticking It to the Man|buy what everyone else is buying]]."

** Sprite was ''especially'' bad with this. "Image is nothing" was their slogan even after they stopped doing ads which used this trope.

 

== Comic Books ==

* Lampshaded in the [[Batman]] [[Elseworld|Legends Of The Dead Earth]] story "Fables of the Bat-Man". In a [[dystopia]]n future, [[Sdrawkcab Name|Posea]] tells kids stories about Batman that each have [[An Aesop]] designed to make them question their society. The first one is that you shouldn't let anyone force you to think their way. One of the kids asks "Except for you, Posea?" and he replies "Well now, maybe you've got me there, pup, so I'd urge you to question ''everything'', even what I tell say. Find your own truths - and always think for yourselves."

 

== Film ==

** It should be noted that this line was a [[Throw It In]], and the guy that did it got a bonus for thinking it up.

* Played straight in ''[[Team America: World Police]]'', where the Aesop is "Don't listen to celebrities for political advice, unless they're Trey Parker and Matt Stone".

* ''[[Dead Poets Society]]'': Don't do what grown-ups like me tell you! Let's all be individuals... together!

 

== Literature ==

* [[Socrates]] discouraged writing, saying that insight is best gained from debate. People pore over the writings of [[Plato]], trying to find out what Socrates thought.

* Subverted in the first ''[[Harry Potter]]'' book. Harry, Ron and Hermione more-or-less teach this lesson to Neville after he's cursed by Draco Malfoy. Later on, this causes Neville to decide to try and stop the trio from sneaking out at night, unaware they need to in order to [[Save the World]]:

** Artie: Samuel Beckett once said that any word is an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness. (Beat). On the other hand, he SAID it.

 

* ''[[Law and Order Special Victims Unit]]'' perfectly illustrates the problem with this message in the episode "Authority." [[Robin Williams]]' character Merrit Rook is constantly telling people to question authority and "don't be a sheep", but you can clearly see that his followers ''still'' follow ''him'' like mindless sheep... which he clearly enjoys. {{spoiler|Elliot "defeats" Rook by repeteadly refusing to bow to him, even when subjected to [[Mind Rape]] type psychological games with the plus of his "rival" using Olivia as a hostage. Rook then admits his defeat (and even says Elliot won because he didn't let Rook get to him), lets Olivia go and then pretty much disappears (it's heavily implied he was [[Driven to Suicide]] by drowning.}}

* Subverted again in ''[[The Prisoner]]'' episode "Checkmate", the prisoner of the title teaches other prisoners how to tell real prisoners from guardians. They apply this lesson to him and conclude he's a guardian, foiling his escape plan.

 

== Music ==

* [[Tool]] was well known for tricking concerts goers into saying stupid things like the above Scrubs example.

* [[Throbbing Gristle]]'s "Don't Do As You're Told, Do As You Think" is an ''[[Invoked Trope|intentional]]'' version of this. The entire point of the song—to which the title serves as [[Madness Mantra|the sole lyric]]—is to [[Deconstructive Parody|highlight the absurdity of such statements]] while, paradoxically, [[Mind Screw|giving the listener exactly that message]]. "Convincing People" is similarly circular.

 

== Newspaper Comics ==

* Classically done in ''[[The Parking Lot Is Full]]'' strip shown above.

* ''[[Dilbert]]'' poked fun using this trope by having Dogbert interview a rapper who espoused individuality while dressing and acting like every other rapper.

 

* Or, this segment from [[Steve Martin]]'s first comedy album:

{{quote|'''Steve''': Let's repeat the non-conformists' oath! "I promise to be different!"

 

== Video Games ==

* This is the entire point of several video games, namely ''[[Metal Gear|Metal Gear Solid 2]]'', ''[[BioShock (series)]]'', and ''[[Portal (series)|Portal]]''. Tragically, taking such advice to heart when you start playing results in [[But Thou Must!|a woefully incomplete gaming session]].

** Especially interesting in ''[[BioShock (series)]]'' where you can only advance the game by obeying orders, {{spoiler|only to learn that your character has been mind-controlled into obedience without realizing it.}} What commentary this makes on the nature of video games is left to our interpretation.

* ''[[Depict 1]]'' combines this with [[Mission Control Is Off Its Meds]]. If he says you need to collect gems, you die the moment you touch them. If he says the [[Spikes of Doom|spikes will kill you]], you can pick them up and use them as throwing weapons. If you fail to "press Esc to end the game" at what he says is the ending, he leaves you in a huff.

* In [[Bit.Trip|Bit.Trip FLUX]], this ''would'' be the message {{spoiler|to the ''player'', ''from'' the player character in the ending. His journey is over, but yours isn't. '''Put down the controller and live your life.'''}} Instead this trope is played with, as {{spoiler|[[Sheathe Your Sword|it is required for the ending to the series.]]}}

 

== Western Animation ==

* ''[[South Park]]'' gives this one a [[Lampshade Hanging]]. In one episode, some Japanese men plot to conquer the United States by brainwashing kids using a ''Pokémon''-like TV show and video game. All the kids like [[Bilingual Bonus|"Chinpokomon"]] and go along with the evil plan to bomb Pearl Harbor primarily because it's what everyone else is doing. Eventually, the South Park adults catch on and come up with a counter-plan: the surest way to get their children to stop liking something is to like it themselves. It works. Stan then goes into his "I've learned something today" speech and praises individuality, and all the kids decide that no, they shouldn't bomb Pearl Harbor. Kyle, however, reasons that if going along with the group is bad, then now that everyone else has decided not to bomb Pearl Harbor, he should show his individuality by bombing Pearl Harbor by himself. Stan then tries again, beginning with "A group mentality is helpful sometimes." Kyle gets confused, gives up, and goes home.

** A better Aesop is, "Do what is right, even if it is popular."

* Subverted in ''[[The Replacements]]''. Riley becomes a celebrity and everyone starts imitating her. After spending the whole episode trying to get them to stop, she realizes it's their right to act like whomever they want.

* Lampshaded in ''[[Daria]]'', "The Pinch Sitter", in which Daria and Jane un-brainwash two [[Creepy Child|"kids"]] and teach them to think for themselves. Near the end of the episode, the children turn to Daria and ask how they can trust what she said to be true, to which Daria replies: "You can't, and that's the greatest lesson of all."

 

== Real Life ==

* The whole concept of mass-produced [https://web.archive.org/web/20141127214023/http://banksyt-shirts.com/shop/ Banksy paraphernalia] fits this trope perfectly, especially considering the artist's vehement anti-commercial stance.

* Almost every conspiracy theorist peppers his theory with requests to "think for yourself" and "form your own opinion". Obviously enough, if your own opinion does not match his own, you are either a governmental agent or just too dumb to see the Truth.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Stock Aesops]]