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{{trope}}
{{quote|
{{quote|'''Goku''': Click-buuuuuuuuuuur ''(takes a breath)'' uuuuuuuuuuuurrrrr....
'''King Kai''': He hung up on me! [[Lampshade Hanging|How did he even do that?!]]|[[The Mentor|King Kai]] wondering how [[Idiot Hero|Goku]] [[Crowning Moment of Funny|hung up on a telepathic conversation]] in [[Dragon Ball Abridged|DBZ Abridged]].}}
The predictable but surprisingly effective method of ending a [[Cell Phone]] conversation in TV
When trying this on a fixed-line phone, tradition requires you to press and release the switch in the phone cradle rapidly and repeatedly.
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Alternate variant is to have a character claim that they "lost the connection" while communicating via satellite, radio, or [[Subspace Ansible]].
Contrast [[Can You Hear Me Now?]], [[I Can't Hear You]].
{{examples}}
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* In ''[[Dragonball Z Abridged]]'', Goku does this to King Kai, during a ''telepathic'' phone call. King Kai tries to call Goku back but ends up getting George Takei instead.
* In ''[[Sailor Moon Abridged]]'', Serena attempts this... on a videophone.
{{quote|
'''Amy:''' Serena, I can see you!
'''Serena:''' ...No you can't. }}
== Films -- Animation ==
* ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]] 2'': Al claims to be going through a tunnel while talking to Mr. Konishi.
== Films -- Live Action ==
* In the 1997 ''[[The Parent Trap (1961 film)|The Parent Trap]]'', Hallie does this to Annie when she is unwilling to believe that her father is going to marry [[Gold Digger]] Meredith.
* In ''[[Star Wars]]: A New Hope'', Han Solo claims his radio is malfunctioning when trying (and failing) to pass as a Stormtrooper, then shoots it. Though in this case, he ''knows'' it didn't fool them ("Boring conversation anyway -- ''Luke, we're gonna have company!''").
* In ''[[Pee
* ''[[Patton]]'':
{{quote|
'''Patton:''' That's what you think it says. I think it was garbled in transmission. Ask them to re-transmit the message. That'll take half a day at least. }}
* ''[[Total Recall]]'':
{{quote|
'''Richter:''' What was that, sir? I couldn't hear you... Switching to another channel. I've got sunspots.
'''Cohaagen:''' Call him back!
'''Richter:''' I'm losing you. }}
* In ''[[Star Trek VI:
* Denzel Washington gets a particularly [[Crowning Moment of Funny|hilarious]] example in ''Out of Time'', where he yells "YOU'RE BREAKING UP!" at the top of his voice as he's stamping on the phone.
** And he does it again in [[Unstoppable]] when his character, Frank Barnes, uses this tactic to end his conversation with Galvin before Galvin can order him not to try his plan to stop the train.
* ''[[Blue Thunder]]''. Officer Murphy has been ordered to fly the title helicopter back to the police airbase. He decides to do something else, so he repeatedly tells the tower that their transmission is garbled and he can't read them. His captain later calls him on it.
{{quote|
* In [[John Woo]]'s ''[[Broken Arrow (1996
* ''[[Men in Black (
* A variant is done in the movie ''Heartbreakers''. The person doing it isn't doing it to ''avoid'' someone, it's to get the person on the other end of the line to unknowingly volunteer information.
* Used as psychological coercion in ''[[
{{quote|
'''King Roland:''' ''(outraged)'' A ''million''!
'''Barf:''' ''(starts fiddling with dials)'' Oh, you're starting to fade here, we're losing picture your Highness...
'''King Roland:''' All right all right I'll pay it, only find her, save her! }}
* ''[[
* In ''[[
* ''[[The Brady Bunch Movie]]'' has Mr. Dittmeyer attempting to use this on his boss in the opening scene.
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* ''[[X Wing Series|Wraith Squadron]]'' has a pair of pilots rubbing their gloves on their mics to simulate the sound while disobeying orders. Their commander is frustrated, knowing that he's [[Military Maverick|done that himself]], but he can't stop them. Both contribute hugely to the success of the mission, but both also [[Anyone Can Die|die.]]
* Near the end of ''Porno'', Sick Boy scrapes the grill of his phone's mouthpiece to fake static for this, so he doesn't have to argue with Begbie about returning to Leith for a card game. From Cannes.
* Dresden pulls this on Murphy in ''[[Dresden Files|Storm Front]]''
* In the ''[[Ciaphas Cain]]'' book, ''Traitor's Hand'', Cain explains that
{{quote|Calling [the sentinel pilots] off would be difficult and time-consuming and probably involve an inordinate number of freak vox failures}}
== Live Action TV ==
* In ''[[
** This causes an interesting little anachronism, as commercial radio and the radio weather forecast (both of whom Blackadder imitates) had not been invented yet at that point. Apparently, the static was so bad it was picking up interference from the future ([[Rule of Funny|Then again, it was hardly the most egregious anachronism ever to appear in the show]]).
** The message was something about he had a lion up his end, so there's an advantage to an enema at once.
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* ''[[Friends]]'' does this one a few times, both with the tunnel excuse and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE7t6pHhmGU various others] (skip to 1:30).
* In the pilot episode of ''In Plain Sight'', Mary simulates a bad signal by holding her phone out the window of her moving car and shouting, "What? I'm losing you!"
* Ezri Dax also tries this once in ''[[Star Trek
* ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'': "Sorry, I'm about to lose you because I'm driving through a tunnel, in a canyon, on an airplane, while hanging up the phone."
* In ''[[
** Then when he finally answers her call, "Oh, for the love of...WHAT!!!?!?!"
* ''[[Better Off Ted]]'': Veronica uses this to get out of a conversation. [[Blatant Lies|She's not on the phone, the person she's talking to is right in front of her]], but no one dares call her on it.
* A [[Running Gag]] in Brazilian [[
* In the December 31, 2002 episode of ''[[Royal Canadian Air Farce]]'', an Al-Qaeda receptionist uses fake static to avoid speaking with the CEO of Nortel on the phone (even the Al-Qaeda Credit Union has standards!).
* Spike pulls this on [[
* Pierce attempts this when he is unable to turn his phone off in ''[[
* Often in [[Burn Notice]]. An excellent example would be when Fiona's about to ask where a fake banker was dropped off, Michael tells her over the phone to be gentle on the human smuggler, over the phone, when she responds with "You're breaking up" and hangs up on him.
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== Video Games ==
* In ''[[
* In ''[[Halo]]: OSDT'', Sadie tries to do this to end the conversation with her father. Probably wouldn't have worked even if it wasn't video feed.
* Used sarcastically in ''[[
** (S)he doesn't bother to make any fake static, but Renegade Shepard still shoots down The Illusive Man's attempt at a tirade after {{spoiler|blowing up the Collector Base}} with the line "I'm sorry, I can't quite hear you - I'm getting a lot of ''bullshit'' on this line". And, yes, [[Running Gag|(s)he can have Joker hang up on him]].
** In the third game, you can find Joker and Liara talking over intercom on the Normandy. After Joker slips up and tells Liara how Shepard used to hang up on the council, he immediately claims they're "going through some dark matter".
* ''[[Modern Warfare]]'': [[That's an Order|"I'm not asking you, this is an order! You're to--"]] ''*click*'' "Hm. Looks like we lost our connection."
** A similar example in the new ''[[Medal of Honor]]'' reboot, made all the more awesome because the guy who decides to disconnect the call with the [[General Failure]] is ''an unnamed technician''.
* Parodied in ''[[Ratchet and Clank Up Your Arsenal]]''. Ratchet tries to pull this trick during a call. He forgot the other guy could see him, though.
* Spoofed in ''[[Saints Row:
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* Used in ''[[Darths and Droids]]'', during their version of ''[[Attack of the Clones]]''.
* Communications Officer Skip Taylor of [[Legostar Galactica]] uses a variant when he "accidentally" hangs up on an antagonistic [[Expy|Remulen]] General
{{quote|
'''Skip:''' [[Motor Mouth|Whoops,hunguponhim,sorry.]]
'''Captain Bob Smith:''' No apology necessary, Lieutenant, I would have done it myself in a second }}
* During a "Life With Rippy" strip in ''[[Something
{{quote|
"Hey, Randy! He has the same hold tone your parents use! What do you call this song?"
"'The Gullibility Waltz'." }}
* [http://gogetaroomie.chloe-art.com/2010/05/go-get-a-roomie-11/ The tunnel excuse is parodied in an early strip] ([[NSFW]]) of ''[[
* ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'' had "Dr. Lorna" [http://archives.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=971119 doing this] with an awkward call.
== Web Original ==
* During an ''[[SF Debris]]'' review of a ''[[Deep Space Nine]]'' episode, he wonders exactly how an Admiral would react to Benjamin Sisko's actions. It ends with...
{{quote|
'''Sisko:''' ''(static noises)'' Whats that sir? ''(static)'' You're breaking up! ''(static)''
'''Admiral:''' Holo-communicator, Ben, I can see you making the noises right now. }}
== Western Animation ==
* In ''[[Star Wars: Clone Wars]]'', Anakin claims the radio connection is breaking up when Obi Wan orders him not to pursue a Sith fighter alone.
* ''[[Code Lyoko]]'': Jérémie calls Jim, using the Supercomputer to disguise his voice as the principal's, to get him to release Ulrich and Odd. Jim falls for it, but then tries to discuss "a personal matter. It's about Suzanne Hertz..." Jérémie quickly blurts out, "Oh, it's a tunnel. We're about to get cut off!"
* In an episode of ''[[The Fairly
* Moltar does this to Space Ghost in ''[[Space Ghost Coast to Coast]]''. Space Ghost calls him on it: "You're just making noises with your mouth!"
* ''[[Justice League (
** Galatea is busy beating the crap out of Supergirl when her boss realizes Lex Luthor's treachery. Her boss tries to call off Galatea's attack, but she claims the signal is breaking up. Then she tells Supergirl it was a wrong number.
* Bumblebee in ''[[
* Ron tried doing this in an early episode of ''[[Kim Possible]]''; he might have pulled it off if he didn't drop the fake static in between every word of his otherwise complete sentence.
* ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'': Princess' limo driver tries to do this in the Christmas special when she asks him if she's naughty.
{{quote|
'''Princess:''' ''(leaning forward and knocking on his window)'' No, we're not! I'm in the car, you twit! }}
* ''[[
{{quote|
'''Zap:''' Well, well, well. [[Malaproper|Do my eyes believe me]], or is that my bosomy swan, Leela?
'''Leela:''' Say again? You're breaking up. ''(throws the book she's reading at the videophone)'' }}
* In the ''[[Batman: The Animated Series
{{quote|
'''Tim:''' Squeaked through again, didn't you? }}
* Jade of ''[[
* In the ''[[Dan Vs.]]'' episode "The Animal Shelter," Dan does this to get out of a phone call with Elise. She gets annoyed that he isn't even bothering to make the noises, but is simply [[Saying Sound Effects Out Loud|saying "crackle" and "buzz"]].
* In the ''[[South Park]]'' episode, "A Ladder To Heaven", to cut off an interview with a pedophile, the news broadcasters hold up a cardboard test pattern with an image of TV static on it, shake it in front of the camera, and make static noises with their mouths.
* Comes up twice in the ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' episode "One Good Scare Ought to Do It!" First, Candace calls her mom to bust her brothers, but ends up talking to her crush, Jeremy, instead and freaks out, crinkling a ball of paper to fake static, claiming the call is breaking up. Second, Candace calms herself down and calls Jeremy, only for his little sister to pick up the phone and pull the same trick on her, which Candace calls her out on.
* Lagoon Boy tries to do this on ''the team psychic link'' in ''[[Young Justice (
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** The superior (Sir Hyde Parker) was ''expecting this'', [[Batman Gambit|if Nelson was in condition to continue the battle]]. The order to retreat was given only to allow Nelson to keep his honor (and his life) if Nelson and his force were in no condition to continue the battle.
* David Hackworth mentions in his memoir ''About Face'', that he would do the "radio interference" bit fairly frequently. Usually by using an electric shaver.
* [http://notalwaysright.com/getting-landlines-tangled/7590 This incident] at ''[[(The Customer is) Not Always Right]]''.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Narrative Devices]]
[[Category:Phone Tropes]]
[[Category:
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