I Was Just Joking: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

This line results from a conversation between unequally [[Genre Blindness|genre blind]] characters. Basically, Alice says something meant entirely as a joke that Bob takes completely seriously.

If Alice's suggestion had reminded Bob of a different idea instead, that's a [[Eureka Moment]].

 

 

 

'''Shinji''': N-n-no, I d-didn't. I-I stopped! }}

* ''[[Code Geass]]'':

'''Rivalz''': Crap, you really do? }}

* Koizumi from ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi]]'' uttered this at least on one occasion. The thing is, he did it just after one of his countless [[The Philosopher|philosophical monologues]]. Just as he actually made Kyon feel ''uneasy'' about it, he responds "Just kidding, that's not what I think at all."

** He also inverts the trope at one point, when suggesting that they deal with Haruhi's latest Reality Warp by convincing her that "It was all just a dream. *long pause* I wasn't joking, that was my idea."

* ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]''

'''America''': I lied. }}

'''November 11:''' ...Kidding. }}

** Also an example from Mao which has the benefit of actually being funny. At the end of the episode with the body-stealing Contractor, he's talking to Hei about the benefits of the cat body he's trapped in. He asserts that he likes being a cat "because of all of the delicious kibble he's able to eat". After Hei gives him a look, he tells him he was joking and winks at the viewer.

** There's some other very good ones too, like the one where November 11 might actually have been [[Sarcastic Confession|telling the truth]]:

'''November 11''': Just kidding. }}

** He also tends to be the victim of the occasional [[Ironic Echo]], and Kirihara {{spoiler|came up with the most fitting memorial to him possible after his death.}}

 

* In one ''[[Astro City]]'' storyline, Jack-in-the-Box is visited by two insane alternate-timeline versions of [[Kid From the Future|his future son]]. One of them declares that he took his father's line "Of course you realize [[This Means War|this means war!]]" as a mantra for his [[Knight Templar|ruthless war on criminals]]. He does not react well when Jack-in-the-Box tries to explain that he was jokingly quoting [[Bugs Bunny/Characters|Bugs Bunny]].

 

 

* ''[[The Faculty]]'':

'''Stokely''': ''[[Invasion of the Body Snatchers]]''. Small town gets [[Alien Invasion|taken over by aliens]]... That was a joke. }}

* From ''[[Clear and Present Danger]]''

[[Gilligan Cut|Cut]] to Ryan knocking on a door in the outer wall of Escobedo's compound and handing the guards a business card. }}

'''Theo Brown:''' That can be arranged. ''(Cut to Gilbert Carson tied up in a deer net beneath the villain's helicopter)'' }}

* In Madagascar Skipper does this almost deliberately with Gloria.

'''Skipper:''' ''(grinning hugely)'' Gotcha, didn't I? }}

 

'''Dumbledore:''' You disgust me. }}

* In the non-fiction book ''Homicide: A Year On the Killing Streets'' by journalist [[David Simon]], one of the detectives receives a phone call from a police officer reporting another body and asking what they want done with it.

'''Detective:''' ''(frantically searching for the division's phone number)'' "Oh shit, he believed me..." }}

 

* In an episode of ''[[Boston Legal]]'':

'''Denny Crane''': (also flabbergasted) I say that to everybody! You're the first person who said yes! }}

* In ''[[The Adventures of Lano and Woodley]]'', when they've horribly damaged a wall close to an inspection in their apartment, as well as the other side of the wall in their neighbour's flat:

'''Col''': ...No I wasn't... }}

* Particularly sexy version done in ''[[Scrubs]]'':

'''Elliot''': No, I mean it. Like you did last night. (Takes off shirt) Come and bite me. }}

* ''[[Pushing Daisies]]'', after Chuck and Ned almost walk into each other, which could kill Chuck if they touch:

'''Chuck''': I'm not wearing a bell. }}

** Made even funnier when, in "Bzzzzzzzz!", ''Ned'' has slippers with bells on.

* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', "Doppelgangland": Willow enters the library, where Giles, Buffy, and Xander are trying to come to terms with the fact that she's dead, because Xander and Buffy have seen her (vampire) counterpart from an alernate dimension:

'''Willow''': (panicked) Oh, God, who died? }}

** Also when Xander and Buffy were about to get into a fight in "Dead Man's Party".

}}

* ''[[Law and Order Special Victims Unit]]'': Alex Cabot comes into the squad room, seeing everyone standing together, quiet, like they're mourning.

'''Alex''': Please tell me you're kidding. }}

* [[Truth in Television]]: On ''[[The Daily Show]]'', Jon Stewert called his 2000 presidential election coverage ''Indecision 2000'' as a reference to MSNBC's label of ''Decision''. When the entire mess in Florida started, [http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-november-8-2000/indecision-2000---choose-and-loose he admitted it was a joke and wasn't meant to be taken seriously].

* In ''[[Supernatural]]'', when the Winchester's lead suspect is an old woman who apparently had a stroke:

Sam: You are NOT poking her with a stick. }}

* There's an episode of ''[[Friends]]'' in which Rachel starts smoking in order to get in the important conversations her boss and coworker have in the smokers' room. The first time she lights a cigarette the following transpires:

'''Rachel:''' Me too }}

** Subverted in an episode where Joey tries to come up with a new stage name. Chandler sarcastically suggests "Stalin" in response to "Joe." Joey, not knowing his history, takes him seriously. Subverted in that, while Chandler has this reaction visually, he then encourages Joey to actually use the name. His next audition does not go well.

* The pilot episode of ''[[MacGyver]]'';

'''[[MacGyver]]:''' Why, you got some? }}

* Played [[Dead Baby Comedy|kind of horribly]] on ''[[The Big C]]'' when Cathy finally tells Sean about her cancer and Sean breaks down entirely. In a panic, Cathy blurts out that she was kidding, getting revenge on him for an early scene where he'd made her believe their father had molested him.

'''Perconte:''' ''(meekly)'' I was just kiddin'. }}

* A variant from ''[[Gilmore Girls]]''

'''Taylor''': No, I was making a joke, too. }}

A moment later Luke looks and claims that he can see the dent.

 

 

* ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]'':

'''Hobbes:''' I was kidding. }}

 

 

'''Chip''': Oh, that's all right, little pal -- it's not like ''you wished for this to happen.'' }}

* Too many times to count on ''[[Daria]]'', when someone (usually the [[Too Dumb to Live]] characters Kevin and Brittany) takes one of Daria's snide remarks as a suggestion.

* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'', "The Painted Lady," though in this case, she knew he was joking and was just making an excuse:

'''Sokka''': ''I was joking!'' I also said to use spirit magic and made funny noises! ([[Face Palm]]) }}

** In "The Phoenix King," when Aang is trying to [[Thou Shalt Not Kill|find an alternative to killing Ozai]]:

'''Zuko''': NO! }}

** Zuko finds himself on the other end of one of these in "The Boiling Rock":

'''Mai:''' The warden's my uncle, [[Baka|you idiot]]! }}

* [[Kim Possible]], the episode "Monkey Fist Strikes", as Kim attempts to retrieve an ancient monkey statue from a [[Temple of Doom|booby-trap-laden temple]]...she provides the page quote.

* In the [[Futurama]] episode ''Love's Labours Lost in Space'', when Leela seems strangely unwilling to ask Zapp Brannigan for help:

 

'''Vincent''': Don't ''worry''! [[Suspiciously Specific Denial|It's just]] a ''joke''. }}

* From ''[[Mass Effect]] 2'':

'''EDI''': That is a joke. }}

** And in ''[[Mass Effect]] 3'':

'''EDI''': That is a joke. }}

'''Phoenix''': W-Wait Wait Wait! I was kidding! It was Joke! }}

 

* You'd be surprised how often this occurs as [[Truth in Television]]. Or maybe you wouldn't.

 

* From ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]'', on a happy holiday to sunny Genosha, where Magneto is rallying his army...

'''Cyclops:''' "... Me too." }}

* Dead Girl from [[X-Force|X-Statix]] once suggested she was considering leading an army of the risen dead against the living. After a [[Beat Panel]], she assured her teammates she was only kidding.

 

** Data having [[No Sense of Humour]] does this a fair bit; one memorable example is where Picard jokes Riker should be taken to the brig because of his actions during the episode. Data doesn't gets the joke and leads Riker away while he's protesting "Data he's joking, you know that right?".

'''Morden:''' One thing at a time, ambassador. }}

* ''[[Firefly]]'':

'''Wash''':: Damn right it's true! They'd be forced to stop and dig out our signal before they could go anyplace! [[Beat Panel|(pause)]] Well, maybe I should do that, then! }}

** In this case, I think Mal was actually trying to snap Wash out of the funk he'd induced earlier when Mal forced Wash from Zoe's side. He knew exactly what he was doing.

** Once used the other way around, when House sarcastically snarls that since their patient is a kid they should cure her with puppies and sunshine. Which leads to Chase solving the mystery.

 

** Subverted in that {{spoiler|[[Crazy Prepared|von Karma had RETRAINED the parrot]]}}

** And then double subverted when {{spoiler|Phoenix is able to get enough out of the parrot to continue with the case anyway}}.

 

* Occurs in ''[[Questionable Content]]'' [http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1483 in this strip].

** The best part? It worked. Clank eventually found its way to the door from outside and opened it.

* Played straight in ''[[Sequential Art]]'' [http://www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.php?s=172 in this strip].

 

* Combined with a [[Gilligan Cut]] in the ''[[Kate Modern]]'' episode "Spiders":

'''Tariq''': I was only joking! }}

* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Special Edition]]'' includes a brief interview with the game's programmers, explaining how this (fictional) [[Updated Rerelease]] came to be:

 

* ''[[The Lion King]]'': "What're we supposed to do, kill Mufasa?"

** Plus, there's this classic line of Timon's: "[[We Need a Distraction|What do you want us to do]], [[Crowning Moment of Funny|dress in drag and do the hula?!"]]

** A variation occurs in Lion King 1 1/2. Timon is unhappy with his life, and Rafiki tells him to seek Hakuna Matata, and to go beyond what he sees, prompting Timon to go on a journey to find a place where he'll be happy. The problem comes when Rafiki is talking Timon's mother later.

* ''[[The Great Mouse Detective]]'': "We may as well set it off now!"

* Gus in ''[[Recess]]'' is prone to delivering these lines: "What are we going to do, get the entire playground up here?" "What are we going to do, give everyone negative fives?"

* In ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' episode ''Legend of the Crystal Coconut'', after being told by the Idol of Inka-Dinka-Doo that "To Know everything one must give up everything" Donkey Kong wonders what he could give up...

'''DK''': Who else? ''(Cut to King K.Rool's lair)'' }}

 

* [[Truth in Television]]: When Naoko Takeuchi came to her boss one day in the 1990's and said that she would like to draw a manga about a female superhero, the editor remarked: "Right. A female superhero. Maybe a schoolgirl at that, who is a crybaby, and yet saves the day?" And thus, ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' was born.

* Behind the scenes of the ''[[Superman]]'' comics, Clark's wedding to Lois had to be held back in order to coincide with event's occurence in ''[[Lois and Clark]].'' When the writers were talking about what to do in the meantime, one said "Why don't we just kill him?" He was kidding, but [[The Death of Superman|they did it. And it was awesome.]]

[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]

[[Category:Stock Phrases]]