Hands Go Down

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

A character, usually a School Teacher, makes a comment or asks a question, prompting others to raise their hands. Someone (usually the original speaker) changes the question ("… but without using your computer?") or adds a comment ("No, the answer isn't "cheese"), which causes the hands to go down, implying that the hand-raisers' next statements were very predictable. Usually Played for Laughs.

Examples of Hands Go Down include:


Comic Books

  • Happens to Bruce Banner at the beginning of Ultimate Avengers: "Any questions not about the Hulk?"
  • During the time that Commissioner Gordon left the force to become a teacher, he frequently had to tell his students that he would not answer questions about Batman.

Film

Grant: Does anyone have a question?
(all hands in the room go up)
Grant: Does anyone have a question that does not relate to Jurassic Park?
(most of the hands go down)
Grant: Or the incident in San Diego, which I did not witness?
(several more hands go down)

  • In Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian, Kah Mun Rah after being asked about his tunic (thinking it's a dress) by Al Capone and Ivan the Terrible.

Kah Mun Rah: Are there any other questions?
(Napoleon's hand goes up)
Kah Mun Rah: Any questions not about the dress... tunic.
(Napoleon's hand goes down)

Live-Action TV

Teacher: How many people here have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark?
(virtually all students raise their hands)
Teacher: Now in the movie, whom was Indiana Jones fighting?
(one hand goes up)
Teacher: Besides the snakes.
(hand goes back down)

  • From Friends, when Ross has begun teaching his class in an English accent, then admitted he's not English:

Ross: Are there any questions?
(hands go up)
Ross: About paleontology?
(hands go down)

  • The kids in the Step by Step episode where Frank and Carol remarried after finding out they're not legally married.

Preacher: If anyone rejects to this union, speak now or forever hold their peace.
(The kids raise their hands up)
Frank: (not even looking behind him) Hands down.

  • In the American version of The Office, the other students in Michael's improv class are happy to take part in a scene... until Michael is chosen to be in it.[context?]
  • Miles tries to invoke this trope on Murphy Brown when taking about civility:

Miles: Who in here has been part of an actual fistfight?
(Murphy raises hand)
Miles: I meant as grown adults.
(Murphy keeps her hand up)
Miles: This week.
(Murphy sighs and keeps it up)

Leonard: Show of hands, who actually wants to do this?
(Howard raises his hand.)
Leonard: We'd all be naked. In front of each other.
(Howard lowers his hand.)

Machinima

Washington Any ideas on how to break into the base?
Grif I know
Washington "Let's not do it," is not an appropriate answer.
Grif Probably should've mentioned that before you started asking.

Theatre

Daniel: "How many of you have seen or read a Shakespeare play?"
(whole audience raises their hands)
Daniel: "Oh, all right. How many of you have seen King John?"
(everyone lowers their hands except for Adam, who is planted in the audience)
Daniel: "Oh, yeah right."

Web Comics

Western Animation

Patrick: Is mayonnaise an instrument?
Squidward: No, Patrick. Mayonnaise is not an instrument.
(Patrick raises his hand)
Squidward: Horseradish is not an instrument either.
(Patrick puts his hand down)

  • The Simpsons used this a lot.
    • One example from a parenting seminar Homer and Marge are forced to attend:

Instructor: Now, who here can think of a way to resolve the Skinners' problem?
(Everyone raises their hands)
Instructor: Without resorting to violence?
(All hands go down except Kearney's)
Instructor: Or childish name-calling?
(Kearney lowers his hand)

    • Done again on The Simpsons when Bart and Homer glue a rainbow wig onto George H. W. Bush's head before his press conference.

Bush: Any questions?
(all reporters put their hands up)
Bush: Keeping in mind that I already explained about the wig.
(reporters put their hands down)

    • They really do love this one. When trying to find Springfield's oldest citizen at an award ceremony for the oldest citizen (the original candidate having died on stage upon receiving the award):

"Anyone over seventy, please stand up."
(Several people stand up)
"Anyone over eighty."
(Many sit down, including Abe Simpson who is quite visible in the front row)
"Ninety."
(Abe stands back up again)
"One hundred years old?"
(Abe goes down again and the award goes to Mr. Burns)

    • Used again in "Deep Space Homer".

Scientist: Ladies and gentlemen and members of the press. I'd like to present the new generation of NASA astronauts: the average American. *Homer and Barney appear*
Reporter: Jim Wallace, Associated Press. Is this a joke?
Scientist: Far from it, Jim. One of these men will prove space travel is within the reach of the common man.
Reporter #2: Toby Hunter, Minneapolis Star. No really, is this a joke?
Scientist: No, Toby, and no more questions about whether this is a joke. *Everyone disappointedly lowers theirs hands*

  • The Penguins of Madagascar, "Launchtime": Skipper wants to go on vacation and Private suggests going to a zoo (which is shot down because they already live in one). Later...

Skipper: Gentlemen, we are going to the moon!
(Private raises his hand)
Skipper: And no, there's no zoo on the moon.
(Private's hand goes down)

Stewie: Uh, excuse me. We're looking for a Mr. Goldman.
(Every man raises their hand)
Brian: Mr. Mort Goldman.
(Half the men lower their hands)
Stewie: He's a small business owner. Tends to whine a lot. Kind of a hypochondriac.
(The half that lowered their hands raise them again)
Stewie: No, no! You can't put your hand back up after you've put it down...You know what, never mind.

  • This Robot Chicken sketch involving Saved by the Bell and Saw: the cast can escape if they press a button that will torture Screech. They refuse to do so, until they are told they will receive free corvettes. When Belding explains that it was just a trust exercise, the cast beats up Screech and end up in detention.

Slater: So we really don't get Corvettes?
Belding: No. Are there any other questions?
(hands go up)
Belding: Are there any other questions not pertaining to Corvettes?
(hands go down)

2003 Leonardo: Any idea what we should do next?
1987 Turtles: Ooh! Ooh! I know! I know!
2003 Leonardo:...other than going out for a slice?

Sunny: Who knows what we need to beat Easley in the band competition?
(hands go up)
Sunny: And do not say 'musical ability'.
(all hands go down except Tamika and Madison)
Sunny: Or wedgies.
(Tamika's hand goes down)
Sunny: Or dolphins.
(Madison's hand goes down)

Mr. Hornbill: (explaining an assignment involving eggs) Any questions?
[a girl Badger happily raises her hand.]
Mr. Hornbill: No, Lacey, you may not eat the eggs.
[Her hand goes down after turning her smile into a frown.]

"Can anybody tell me what photosynthesis is? ... And PLEASE don't say plant farts."

Phineas: Has anyone else here been leading a bizarre double-life? (Beat, without looking) Put your hand down, Ferb.

  • In Recess before a vocabulary test.

Ms. Grotke: Does anyone have any questions?
almost all students raise their hand
Student: Does spelling count?
Ms. Grotke: Yes.
all other hands go down

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