Giving Someone the Pointer Finger: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

'''Elaine:''' You get yours out, I was here first!|''[[Seinfeld]]'', "The Set-Up"}}

 

 

In real-world Japanese society, personal space is at a premium and thus of the utmost importance. One is careful to avoid even the appearance of proximity, and one keeps one's hands at one's sides.

 

 

 

Often used to denote a new [[The Rival|rival]] or [[Unknown Rival]], although more often than not it is the trademark of a character who is simply a [[Large Ham]].

Make note that this mindset is also quite present within Western culture, which holds that it's not polite to point. The reason was mainly because of the superstition that pointing a finger was how witches cast a spell or curse on their victims. Aggressively thrusting body parts at people is also subconsciously taken as a show of physical force, which is why pointing is often a [[Berserk Button]] for people.

 

 

 

* Sana from ''[[Kodomo no Omocha]]'' is fond of the inappropriate use of this.

** Not the guys trying to arrest Kaiba, though; their pointing was 4Kids [[Executive Meddling]] to remove their guns.

** [[Macekre|Mr. Pegasus would like to have a word with you]].

* [[Suzumiya Haruhi|Haruhi]] does this a few times in a non-homage context, because she's loud, brash, and doesn't care about personal space.

** Tsuruya has a tendency of doing this when she laughs.

** Also done when Ichigo and Ganju meet unexpectedly in Kuukaku Shiba's house. [[Hilarity Ensues]].

* Used by Amelia in ''[[The Slayers]]'' when she is introducing Zelgadis and Gourry to her father, and trying to rally them to return to the fight with Zanafar. She also poses and points dramatically when they finally do confront Zanafar again. None of them pay attention to what she is saying and all of them comment on how impolite she is being, including Zanafar.

** And she's [[Moe Moe|too cute]] for anyone to get mad at her for long.

* Yuma Tonami from ''[[To Heart]] 2'' does when the male protagonist beats her at something. She points at him and yells at him that he hasn't won yet.

* Konata's finger-pointing in the ''[[Lucky Star]]'' [[Dancing Theme]] has been parodied countless times already. Give her some space, viewers.

** Also, the detectives often point dramatically at the suspect when making their accusation. (Especially Mouri Kogoro, who is usually wrong.)

* [[The Kindaichi Case Files]] - Kindaichi also dramatically points at his chief suspect at [[The Reveal]].

* [[Eyeshield 21|Hiruma]] does this a lot, rude [[Manipulative Bastard|bastard]] that he is.

** Not to mention Monta, who even has the swirl on his fingertips, ''even when he's wearing gloves''.

** Honorable mention goes to Tetsuya's Great Mazinger, whose Thunder Break attack [[Elemental Baggage|produces]] and absorbs a lightning strike, then fires it out the pointer finger.

** Duke Fleed, the main character of the third series, sometimes fell into this, too.

* Allison from ''[[Allison and Lillia]]'' does this a fair bit; as a [[Genki Girl]] who clearly wears the pants ([[Ace Pilot|flight suit]], actually) in her relationship with childhood friend Wilhelm, it's practically a given.

* Pixy Misa in the ''[[Pretty Sammy]]'' canons does this fairly often.

* Zoro from [[One Piece]] does this to Tashigi when he rants about how she resembles his dead childhood friend, lapsing into ''really, really'' childish behavior.

* Kyouka's pointing finger is prominently displayed throughout ''[[Kyouran Kazoku Nikki]]''.

* [[Kare Kano]]: Yukino to Arima in the third episode; she's actually a rude bastard, ''and'' she probably enjoys invading his personal space anyway.

* In ''[[Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro]]'', the titular detective has his partner point out criminals this way once he's figured the mystery out.

* '''[[Great Mazinger|SANDAA BUREKU!!!]]'''

* Kai from ''[[Beyblade]]!'' points his finger at Brooklyn. Dramatically.

* In ''[[The World God Only Knows]]'', the protagonist uses this often in argument.

* Ubiquitous in ''[[Doraemon]]''. About the only ones who don't do this are Shizuka ([[The Smurfette Principle|who is a girl]]) and Doraemon ([[Fridge Brilliance|who doesn't have visible fingers]]).

 

* Just about any comic drawn by [[Jack Kirby]].

* God almost always does this when sending someone to hell in [[Jack Chick]]'s strips.

** "Do you want to have '''SEX'''? I think we should have '''SEX'''. '''CASUAL SEX'''."

 

** Though he has to stop gesturing altogether after he gets [[Super Strength|super-strong]].

** Also, John does it to As'taris just after getting the Kansael. While jabbing his finger at the elf, he accidentally squirts him; and when he looks at his own finger, he squirts himself.

 

* Gunnery Sergeant Hartman is very fond of doing this in ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]''.

* ''[[The Sunshine Boys]]'' "The finger?!? Again with the finger?!?"

 

* At the end of the first ''[[Harry Potter]]'' book, Ginny excitedly points at Harry after he arrives back at King's Cross and Mrs. Weasley tells her that it's rude.

* In [[Ciaphas Cain|''For The Emperor'']], Inquisitor Vaile confronts {{spoiler|the treacherous}} Governor Grice, "pointing an accusing finger at him like a schola tutor admonishing an unsatisfactory student." {{spoiler|Of course, she was wearing a digital needler that shoots poisoned darts.}}

 

* [[Stephen Colbert]]. [[The Colbert Report|You're all "on notice"!]]

* Chris Morris sometimes does it on ''[[Brass Eye]]''.

* ''[[Kamen Rider Double]]'': "Now, let's count up your crimes!"

 

* Western example: uber-star [[Hulk Hogan]] did this all the time when he [[My Name Is Inigo Montoya|made his big comeback]]. Inevitably, after the fingerpoint (punctuated by the crowd yelling "YOU!"), the match would be won within a minute.

 

* Phoenix Wright's signature move from the ''[[Ace Attorney]]'' games whenever making an exclamation ("[[Catch Phrase|OBJECTION!]]") is to pound the stand and point. Heck, everyone in those games do. It's their ''job''. The game logos in all regions even features the title character's silhouette striking a dramatic pointing pose. This is recognized enough that ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi|Haruhi]]'' paid [[Homage]] to it during the "Murder Mystery" episode. There is massive [[Lampshade Hanging]] over the constant forceful pointing and yelling.

** Defense lawyer Calisto Yew strikes this pose near the end of one of your rebuttals in ''Investigations'', with the added twist that {{spoiler|she's holding a gun}}.

** Miles Edgeworth lampshades this at one point in case two with the line "Don't fall asleep while I point my finger at you!"

** Daryan Crescend does it in the rude fashion when making fun of Apollo Justice.

* And now it looks like [[Crossover|Layton and Wright]] will be [[Professor Layton VS Ace Attorney|working the same case]]. Even just the first round of promotional material included lots of pointing from both.

** Even Phoenix's introduction in the trailer starts with him doing the desk-slam and point.

** Well, it also doesn't help that Battler looks like Phoenix.

* In the CD-i game, ''Hotel Mario'', Luigi does this near the end of the opening cutscene:

Luigi: "And YOO!" *[[Breaking the Fourth Wall|points in the general direction of the player]]* "Gotta help us!" }}

** When Liquid Ocelot did this in Act 3, it resulted in several choppers crashing, some gunfire from his troops, and (via a hand gesture resembling a gunshot to the head) several seizures. It's strongly implied that these were caused by Liquid Ocelot shutting down their dependence on the SOP system.

* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'''s signature pose, even being used as one of his taunts in ''[[Super Smash Bros Brawl]]''.

* ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'': If {{spoiler|Legion}} is Shepard's second squadmate during Tali's loyalty mission, a few additional seconds of cutscene-footage are added where Admiral Korris does this to {{spoiler|Legion}} at the very beginning of the trial.

* A couple character portraits in ''[[Infinite Space]]'' point at the player, including Commander Vladykin of Elgava and Coyle, a Lugovalian administrator.

* Invoked by Shao Kahn in ''[[Mortal Kombat]]''. [[Large Ham|"You weak, pathetic FOOOOOOOOL!!"]]

 

* [http://eecomics.net/?strip_id=943 This] most epic page from [[Emergency Exit]].

* [http://www.leasticoulddo.com/comic/20090504 This strip] of [[Least I Could Do|LICD]].

* Paulo and David from ''[[Bittersweet Candy Bowl]]'' do this pretty frequently.

* Bro from [[Homestuck]] is pretty fond of this.

* ''[[Terminal Lance]]'' has a comic where they discussion the common American military subversion of this trope: "[http://terminallance.com/2010/08/27/terminal-lance-59-knife-hand-anger-gauge/ The Knife-Hand Anger Guage]"

 

 

* [[Uncle Sam Wants You|Uncle Sam]], who wants '''YOU''' for the U.S. army.

* For the Brits, Lord Kitchener, who wants '''YOU''' to join your country's army.

* Averting this trope is considered common speech etiquette. [[Bill Clinton]] is most famous for averting it, using the common technique of pointing with his thumb pressed against the first joint of his index finger, which became a hallmark of his impersonators.

* At [[Disney Theme Parks]], "cast members" are trained to gesture with their whole hands, mostly for the benefit of international guests whose cultures follow variations of this trope.

 

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{{reflist}}

[[Category:Body Language]]

[[Category:Hand Tropes]]