First Name Ultimatum

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A type of verbal Running Gag that's not quite a Catch Phrase and not quite a Stock Phrase. A Plucky Comic Relief character, of the more annoying Characters As Device variety (i.e. a Trickster, Devil in Plain Sight, or Tagalong Kid), is so annoying, one or more other characters can only express their exasperation by saying their name. They use the exact same tone and inflection every time, maybe even accompanied by the same music/ sound effect. The tone is so individual and memorable that some cases, if old enough, can even be parodied in future shows.

Full Name Ultimatum (if it becomes a Running Gag), and Loud Last Name, could also be examples of this. Compare Say My Name.

Examples of First Name Ultimatum include:

Anime and Manga

Comic Books

Jubilee: Why does everyone say my name like it means "shut up"?

Film

  • This one is likely to be incomprehensible to non-Swedes, but it has to be said: "EEEEMIIIIIIIL! FÖRGRÖMMADE ONGE!!" (Just in case: Astrid Lindgren, Emil of Lönneberga, The Movie (well, one of them). It's always Emil's father who yells this ('Wretched child!'.)
  • Parodied in Last Action Hero, where the police captain always should out Slater's name whenever he does something to piss him off. (Which is usually the case)
  • Does it count when it's directed at a villain generally taken seriously? KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!
  • LEON!

Literature

Live-Action TV

  • Jory!
  • "CROOOOOOOOOW!" (That's one O!)
    • Used more traditionally thanks to Memetic Mutation; MST Fanfic has a habit of turning one member of the riffing crew into a pervert, whose lewd comments often elicit a First Name Ultimatum from the group's Straight Man.
      • It was used this way in a couple of episodes, memorably Riding With Death when Crow took the "trucks as metaphor for sex" gag a little too far. What most forget is, Mike follows up with a joke that makes Crow remark "And you say I'm bad..."
    • Another last name: "STIF-LER!"
  • Seinfeld: "Newman." (Maybe another example of a last name being used as a First Name Ultimatum, but it's unclear whether Newman is his last name or a first name.) Newman used "Jerry" in the same way.
  • Drake and Josh: "Megan!"
  • "Jack..." "Daniel..." To the point that even when they're completely unrecognizable, that exchange is usually enough to make them realize who they're talking to.
  • Kyle of 8 Simple Rules tends to cause this in Paul.
  • "Lucyyyy! You got some 'splaining to do!"
  • Der-rek!
  • Gus's signature Shawn! so much that there's a montage on the DVDs.
  • RAAAAAAAAAAAIN!!!
  • "Miss FINE!" So habitual that it was still used as-is after Fran got married. Also once lampshaded with a Shout-Out to I Love Lucy: "Miss FINE! You got some 'splaining to do!"
  • "GIBBY!"
  • DAVE!(usually accompanied with Dope Slap to back of the head)
  • An inversion; in Moonlighting, many, if not all episodes end with Maddie yelling David's last name. "ADDISON!!" And that's when she's not arguing with him[1]
  • In the Mexican sitcom El Chavo del Ocho, Quico knows he's in trouble if his mother Doña Florinda calls him by his real name (¡Federico!).

Newspaper Comics

Radio

  • Referenced on The Now Show: in one episode, Robin Ince says that John Howard (former Prime Minister of Australia) should be in a generic children's sitcom (he suggests the name Don't Ask Stanley!) playing the grumpy old man who lives next door; he decides an episode would end with Howard's house burning down and him staring over the fence (hat slightly aflame) yelling "Staaaaan LEEEEEEY!!!".

Recorded and Stand-up Comedy

  • This is the reason Rodney Carrington gave for giving his sons one-syllable names. When he's pissed at them, he doesn't want to spend a lot of time thinking (IE, "Bartholomew!").

Video Games

  • In The ClueFinders 3rd Grade Adventures, we get this little one in the opening.

Fletcher Limburger: Well.... peanuts, anyone?... that's what folks are saying— and there's an old superstition about a monster and a lost city.
Santiago: Superstition!
Leslie: Lost city?
Joni: Monster?!
Owen: ...peanuts?
All: OWEN!

SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!!!!!!
LIQUIIID!!!!!!!!!!

Web Animation

  • In the Siblings episode "Don't Sleep, Robby!", Rob yells Johny's name offscreen ("JOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNN!") when Johny turns off his internet connection at the beginning.
    • Later in the same episode, Johny yells Rob's name ("ROOOOOOOOB!").

Western Animation

  • Bloo from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Both Frankie and Mac did this often, with Mac sounding shocked and indignant (surprising, considering he invented Bloo) and Frankie just sounding enraged.
    • This troper believes that the maker of an imaginary friend puts the parts of themselves they don't like into it.
    • Explicitly not the case as explained in the movie. Kids will often make an imaginary friend that fits the role they want for a friend, but the incidentals of the friend's personality usually end up being what the kid NEEDS in a friend. For example, the scary-looking but cowardly Gentle Giant Edwardo was able to scare off bullies for his creator and make her feel safe, but really needed someone to stand up for HIM in the end, exactly what the girl who made him needed to learn to do (she grew up to be a cop).
  • The Simpsons:
    • Superintendent Chalmers did this all the time with Principal "Skinnn-errrr!", even when he wasn't particularly angry at him. In "Future-Drama", the "future" Chalmers can no longer say anything else.
    • Similiarly, Skinner's mother had that distinctive cry of "SEYMOUR!"
      • ...so when he walks in on their date, he's greeted with "SEYMOUR!" "SKINNER!"
    • Homer Simpson, before he goes to put a choke-hold on his only son, always says, "Ba-rrt!" then possibly "why you little" before proceeding to the execution. (At least he uses his name; most of the time, Bart is just "the boy".)
    • Mr. Burns referred to Smithers as "Waylan" in the first part of "Who Shot Mr. Burns" when he got angry at him.
  • The Joker shouting: "HAAAAARRRR-LEEEEY!"
  • Man, I'm not that old to be the first one to remember this, right? WILLLLLL-MAAAAAA!
    • Wilma sometimes did a more subtle version of this when Fred did something (or was somehow being) annoying. She would even give him a full name ultimatum when she got especially mad.
  • David Seville of Alvin and The Chipmunks: "AL-VIN!"
    • Parodied once by Eric Camden on 7th Heaven: "SIII-MON!" (Simon was the name of another Chipmunk.)
    • Also parodied on Scrubs after Dr. Kelso's new RV is destroyed in the course of the road trip to Tacoma. Ted, who had been taking the RV for a car wash when it was commandeered, runs away just before Kelso notices, prompting him to bellow "THEO-DOOORE!" (Theodore was the name of another Chipmunk.)
    • In Alvin and the Chipmunks meet the Wolfman, when Dave answers the phone, Miss Miller (The Chipettes guardian) yells "DAAA-VID!" into his ear in the same manner he yells at Alvin.
  • The entire class on The Magic School Bus in unison (After every instance of an Incredibly Lame Pun): "Car-los!" Parodied when his father appears in the Parents' Day episode: "Mr. Ramon!"
    • This gag is also occasionally played with involving some of the other students:
      • In the episode "For Lunch": "Ral-phie!"
      • In one episode, after Phoebe says she wanted to feed the sea monster: "Phoe-be!"
  • Stickin' Around: "BRAD-LEY!"
  • Kim Possible: "SHEGOOOO!"
  • Candace: PHIN-E-AS! Interestingly, she rarely mentions Ferb, perhaps because she knows he won't answer.
    • It's also probably because Ferb is her stepbrother, and Candace has had Phineas as her brother her whole life. Knowing how much the brothers get on her nerves, she's probably been saying "PHIN-E-AS" even before Ferb came along.
  • ReBoot: Whenever Mike the TV starts going all Robin Williams the rest of the cast cuts him off with a chorus of Mike!
  • In the "Crippled Camp" episode of South Park: MIMSY!
  • In KaBlam!!, this always happens with Henry and June. Jutified, as we never learn their last names.
  • Sonic Sat AM - for the good guys, it was "ANTOINE!" For Robotnik, it was "Snive-LAAAAAYYYY!!"
  • Hey, he's not called "BUMBLEBEE!!" for nothing.
  • In Jem, whenever Pizzazz (lead singer of The Misfits) blames Eric Raymond for Jem and the Holograms beating them, she'll often give him an earful.
    • "EEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIICCCCCCC!!!!"
  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, "The Ticket Master": Twilight Sparkle does this to Pinkie Pie after Pinkie throws a party in Twilight's honor in a shameless attempt to butter her up.
  • NOBBYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!

Real Life

  • One of the principles of how to choose your child's name: Stand at the back door and scream it, in full, First-Middle-Last. This'll give you a good idea of whether the name sounds good when used in full. (Actually heard this in some baby-name book.)
    • A Baby Blues strip had a similar gag: when Wanda suggested the name "Wren" for their third child, Darryl tested it by shouting as if admonishing said child. They were talking in bed at the time, though.
  • Ozzy Osbourne's near-catchphrase. Say it with me now: "SHAROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!" (Sharon is Ozzy's wife.)
  1. ↑ Like she almost always does...
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