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{{trope}}
{{quote|''"Is that camera still running?!"'' (gunfire)
|'''Kane''', ''[[Command & Conquer]]'' }}
A character is making an announcement on TV/the radio/a PA system/what-have-you. Either at the beginning or, more commonly, after the end, the character will be heard making some tangential offhand or vulgar remark, realize what he or she has just done, and ponder:
Line 6 ⟶ 7:
"Oh God, is this thing still on?"
Compare [[Did I Just Say That Out Loud?]], [[Oh God, Did She Just Hear That?]] A spontaneous and usually
Time to go find that page... Wait. [[Self
{{examples|Examples}}▼
== Anime
* In the [[Show Within a Show]] for ''[[
* Moral from [[Fullmetal Alchemist (
* ''[[
* A variation in ''[[
* In [[Super Dimension Fortress Macross]] Kamjin is reporting via audio-visual radio to his new commander Breetai when his aide arrives and claims the prize of their bet about their ability to ram more of Breetai's ships than the number of their ramming ships by defolding not far enough. Breetai was not amused.
== Comic Books ==
* A variant is used in ''[[ROM Spaceknight]]'' when Rom manages to free himself from a female Dire Wraith scientist's restraints, gets to a friendly human who is similarly restrained and orders the trapped villain to free him. She does so, but also quietly turns on an intercom and plays up being trapped and threatened by the alien for the benefit of the lab complex's security forces. By the time Rom realizes what she is doing, it's too late and security is charging to the room.
* In an early issue of "Threeboot" ''[[Legion of Super-Heroes (
* ''[[The Far Side (Comic Strip)|The Far Side]]'' has a comic of a pair of airline pilots talking. One of them is horrified, screaming that the fuel light is on, and that they're all going to die. "Oh, wait. My mistake. That's the intercom light."▼
* In one of the strips for ''[[Brewster Rockit Space Guy (Comic Strip)|Brewster Rockit Space Guy]]'', the title character has to give a speech about the R.U. Sirius to the crew, but can't seem to figure out what he says. The inept Engineer Cliff Clewless attempts to feed him on what to say via a bug, but the plan quickly unravels when, shortly after having Brewster give the greeting, Cliff ends up being distracted by a female member passing by in his vicinity, tries to give a pickup line along the lines of "You must be a parking ticket, because you've got "fine" written all over you", and subsequently being peppersprayed, all of which Brewster ended up parroting, causing either Brewster to realize that it was still on or him parroting Cliff's response. Lieutenant Pamela Mae Snap later tells Agent X that the speech in question, despite the obvious fact that Brewster ended up actually parroting what he should say via a bug, was actually one of Brewster's better speeches, implying that the previous ones usually turned out far worse.▼
* In ''[[FoxTrot (Comic Strip)|FoxTrot]]'', Roger is singing "Love Machine" in the shower, and Jason, who was programming the voice answering machine, included Roger singing "Love Machine" as part of the message as one of his pranks. A few weeks later, in the final panel, has Roger confronting Jason on this fact, and Jason reminds Roger that Roger [[Hoist By His Own Petard|was the one who bought the model that had a cord that reached all the way upstairs.]]▼
* In ''[[Doonesbury (Comic Strip)|Doonesbury]]'', Mark has a "guest" named Chase Talbot on his radio show. Mark keeps dropping hints about their being a couple, and they argue about it during the commercial break before realizing the mike was still on.▼
== Fan Works ==
* In the ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (
* ''[[
* ''[[Yet
{{quote|
* In the ''[[Calvin
* In the ''[[Harry Potter]]'' fanfic ''[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9051968/1/Harry-Potter-Unexpected-Animagus Harry Potter: Unexpected Animagus]'', Triwizard commentators Fred and George Weasley let slip to fellow broadcaster Hermione Granger that Harry is in love with her. Immediately afterwards, Fred turns around in his seat and spots the shocked expressions on the faces of Remus Lupin and Snuffles the Dog (aka Sirius Black). Fred then asks if they're still live. Remus and the dog nod in unison. Fred curses and laments that Harry is going to to kill them.
* ''[[Toy Story]] 2'', with Tour Guide Barbie at the end. Undoubtedly one of the best parts of the movie.▼
* Darla Dimple in ''[[Cats Don't Dance (Animation)|Cats Don't Dance]]''. She tells off Danny the cat, because she's angry he's upstaged her at her big premiere. Unaware that in her frantic attempts to sabotage him from doing so, she accidentally turned on one of the boom mics. So her boss and all of Hollywood hears her scream, "I should've drowned you all when I ''[[Power Echoes|FLOODED THE STAGE!!!]]''"▼
==
▲* ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]] 2'', with Tour Guide Barbie at the end. Undoubtedly one of the best parts of the movie.
* Subverted in ''[[Anchorman the Legend of Ron Burgundy]]'' -- "What? I'm on right now?... I don't believe you." Ron Burgundy in fact cheerfully and obliviously subverts this two more times in the movie, being compelled to say anything that's written on the teleprompter -- something which takes a much darker (though still hilarious) turn when a mean-spirited prank causes him to drop the F-Bomb on live television.▼
▲* Darla Dimple in ''[[
▲* Subverted in ''[[Anchorman:
* A time reverse case in ''[[Head of State]]'' when Mays make a bad comment regarding school shooting to the camera, thinks it wasn't on yet, but it was revealed that it was on all the time and is still recording. Lewis then use the tape to attack Mays' presidential campaign.
* How Willie Stark (Broderick Crawford) finally destroys his political career in the classic 1949 movie ''[[All the
* A made-for-TV Hallmark movie had the main female trying to get into an airport, and ended up professing her love for the main male. Which turns out to be a good thing.
* Frank Drebin wears a remote mic in ''[[
* Slightly before the climax of ''Problem Child'', Ben asks his [[Jerkass]] father Big Ben for money to pay the ransom of his kidnapped wife and son while the former is preparing for his Mayor campaign speech. When he turns him down, Ben then asks "Hey dad! Why don't you tell all the voters what you really plan on doing with this town!" and surreptitiously turns on the camera:
{{quote|
* In a deleted scene from ''[[Young Frankenstein]]''.
* Subverted in ''[[Escape From
* In ''Bringing Down the House'' Steve Martin "infiltrates" the bad guys' club in a very bad "wigger" disguise, complete with his own boombox. After sitting down with the bad guy, he is ordered to turn off the
* In the [["Weird Al
* Occurs toward the end of the classic ''[[A Face in the Crowd]]'' from 1957. Antihero "Lonesome" Rhodes spends the bulk of the film riding his television-friendly image to fame and power, cynically hiding his true nature behind an aw-shucks facade. {{spoiler|At the conclusion of one broadcast, Rhodes is sitting on stage with his fellow performers, apparently engaging in casual chitchat. As the show's theme music dominates the soundtrack, the home viewers can't hear what Rhodes is really saying: he's expressing his venomous contempt for his audience. Marcia Jeffries, a disillusioned former lover and business partner, commandeers the studio's control room and switches the audio so Rhodes's words are broadcast to the world. Rhodes is thereby ruined.}}
* In ''[[
* ''[[
** Right after Rex Kramer says that their only hope is to build up Ted Stryker's confidence, he launches into a rant about how poorly suited Stryker is to fly the plane, not realizing that his microphone button is pressed.
{{quote|
'''Stryker:''' No, never.
'''Kramer:''' Shit! It's a goddamn waste of time. There's no way he can land it! [snip] Route him into Lake Michigan. At least avoid killing innocent people! }}
** ''[[
{{quote|
'''[[William Shatner|Buck Murdock]]:''' If it weren't for the people up there, I'd say let Ted Stryker go down in a fiery twisted mass of molten metal. }}
* Twice in ''[[Apollo 13]]'': the first time, Jim Lovell uses some colorful language while attempting a tricky bit of piloting, not realizing (until [[Mission Control]] informs him) that his mike is live. Later, the astronauts are having a heated argument when Houston calls; Lovell snaps, "Are we on [
** Another, more serious live-mike mistake Lovell actually made on that mission: "Well, I'm afraid this is going to be the last lunar mission for a long time..."
* Jindrake in ''[[Max
* Happens in ''[[Mister Roberts]]'' when Morton leaves the mike to the ship's PA switched on when screaming at Roberts. This lets the crew know the truth about Roberts strange behaviour and that Morton is really the one to blame.
* ''[[
== Jokes ==
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** Told as a joke in ''[[Good Will Hunting]]''.
** In an extended version he says, "After we finish our coffee let's screw the stewardess." Upon hearing that, the stewardess storms to the cockpit in fury, only to be stopped by an elderly passenger who says: "Why such a hurry? They've yet to finish their coffee first."
== Literature ==
* This happens to Mr. Kidswatter in the ''[[Wayside School]]'' books. As soon as he finishes a long welcome-back announcement about how he's so glad school is back in session after the cows left (don't... ask...) and how the students can come to him any time because they're all friends, he launches into a diatribe about how much he hates kids and how much it sucked to be called away from his vacation in the Bahamas. He's also not very nice to the secretaries telling him the microphone was still on...
* ''[[A Series of Unfortunate Events]]'': In the eighth book Count Olaf began laughing maniacally until his girlfriend informed him the intercom was still on.
* ''A Colder War'', a [[Cthulhu Mythos]] short story by [[Charles Stross]]. [[The End of the World
== Live-Action TV ==
* ''[[
** In the ''[[Mitchell]]'' episode, Frank accidentally contacts the Satellite of Love by leaning on The Button. Since Joel and the 'bots are on survival test maneuvers, Gypsy is the only one to respond. She overhears the Mads discussing how to kill temp worker Mike - and thinks they're planning to off ''Joel'', which leads to Joel's escape from the S.O.L.
** Played with in a later episode: Mike decides to find out whether the communications system works both ways and tries calling the Mads... who, not even knowing they're on in the first place, are caught engaging in some very suspect [[Ambiguously Gay]] pastimes.
{{quote|
* Somewhat on one episode of ''[[Babylon 5]]''; Marcus sings, "I Am the Very Model of a Model Major General" near the
* Occurs frequently on Aaron Sorkin's shows, especially ''[[
* And subverted in ''[[The West Wing]]'', when Bartlet makes an insulting comment about his election opponent while the mic was still open just after a radio interview. Panic sets in amongst the staff and it seems they get away lucky when the opposition's response is totally inept. CJ is the only one to realize, at the end, that the president had to have done it deliberately.
* In one episode of ''[[Murphy Brown]]'', the FYI anchors are instructed to pretend to talk to each other during the closing credits. Unfortunately, Murphy forgot to turn off her mic and her inappropiate commentary goes on the air.
* ''[[
** Happens ''twice'' to Liz Lemon in the second episode. First she assures Jenna that Tracy Morgan is a talentless nut who nobody wants to be involved with the show but Jack. Jenna is still wearing her microphone however and everybody (including Tracy) hears. Later on she attempts to apologize to him by explaining that she was just trying to calm the "paranoid and neurotic" Jenna, and also insults the other writers. This time she's actually in front of a camera and everybody both sees and hears her.
** It also happens to Jack Donaghy, when he doesn't realize that a remote mic is broadcasting him while he gives himself an extremely embarrassing pep talk.
* This is the basis for an episode of ''[[Yes Prime Minister]]''. Humphrey, as a senior government official, records a radio interview on the subject of unemployment, but while chatting to the host afterwards, he freely admits that "nobody tells the truth about unemployment" because "no politicians have got the guts to do anything about it". Of course, the microphone was still on, and the rest of the episode is about Humphrey trying to get hold of the recording before it can get him into trouble with the Prime Minister. The PM does find out, and is surprised that the usually sophisticated Humphrey didn't know better than to fall victim to this trope, saying that you should always treat every microphone as if it were a live microphone.
* ''[[
{{quote|
'''Producer:''' Stephen... this ''is'' live. }}
* On ''[[Have I Got News for You]]'', [[Guest Host]] [[Top Gear|Jeremy Clarkson]] managed to offend several countries with offhand remarks. Panelist Charles Kennedy noted that he'd offended Scotland and Ireland and wondered if he was planning to try for Wales next. Jeremy added that he'd also offended Birmingham, but that it was before recording had started. Paul Merton pointed out that they were, however, recording ''now''.
* On ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway
{{quote|
'''Colin Mochrie:''' Hawaii's shaped like a liver, right?
'''Ryan Stiles:''' This is easier than I thought!
'''Colin Mochrie:''' I'm so horny I can't think straight!
'''Brad Sherwood:''' Did you see the jugs on the girl in row 4? }}
* Used [[Running Gag|frequently]] on ''[[Reno 911
* A regular feature of ''[[Frasier]]'', which justifies the trope by having the title character repeatedly broadcast embarrassing or insulting comments on his radio show (in one instance actually having sex on the radio), unaware that he is on the air. Notable uses include:
** "The Adventures of Bad Boy and Dirty Girl":
{{quote|
'''Frasier:''' ''(cuts in orgasmically)'' Yes! YES!!! I am a bad boy, aren't I, you dirty girl! Come to your bad boy! Oh, yes... Oh, no! Is that the on-air light?
'''Kate:''' ''(on radio, whispering)'' Stop talking.
'''Frasier:''' You must have hit the switch with your elbow while we were...
'''Kate:''' Stop talking!
'''Frasier:''' We'd better hurry up and get dressed while we still...
'''Niles:''' ''(listening to them from his car radio)'' STOP TALKING! ''(Niles rear ends another car, causing the airbag to inflate in his face)'' }}
** "A New Position for Roz", when she is teaching Noel how to produce Frasier's show:
{{quote|
'''Noel:''' I thought it was just about Frasier doing good work.
'''Roz:''' Please, it's all about ratings! If the station had its way, ''every'' call would end in an auto-erotic suicide.
'''Frasier:''' ''(from the booth)'' Thank you, Roz, now that Seattle knows how we do things around here, perhaps you could let Noel know to keep his elbow off the mic button! }}
* In ''[[Ellen]]'', the title character accidentally broadcasted her [[Coming Out Story|coming out]] over an airport PA system.
* From ''[[
{{quote|
'''Mal:''' Jayne, you aware that your radio's transmittin'? Cause I ain't feelin' particular girlish or dirty at the moment. }}
** Also in the Pilot, where Jayne tests an earworm transmitter... while standing right next to Mal.
Line 131 ⟶ 117:
* ''[[Radio Active]]''
** One episode involves Morgan accidentally playing her singing along with a song over the radio, and her singing becoming a hit. The other students on the show try to fake things "accidentally" going over the air to show some talent of theirs, but the student body quickly tires of it.
** Another episode involves Morgan accidentally playing over the air that she intends to quit the radio show because it's too much stress, and [[Hilarity Ensues]] as the others go to great lengths to get her to stay, since she's the only one who is actually organized.
* On ''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]]'', Sydney and Vaughn discuss a romantic night together. After they start getting dirtier, Sydney suddenly asks "Wait, are we still on comms?" Her father Jack answers "Yes, you're still on comms! ''Right now!''"
* In ''Salvage'', the pilot for the shortlived series ''[[Salvage 1]]'', Skip Carmichael suggests to Mel Slozar [[Zero
* An episode of ''[[Empty Nest]]'' has Dr. Harry Weston fielding calls from the public on a radio talk show. After an incredibly long day, Harry declared, "Thank God that's over, because I ''really'' have to go to the bathroom!", leading his embarrassed producer to tell him to turn off his microphone.
* ''[[
** In the episode "Mr. Monk Gets Fired", Stottlemeyer admits to his wife that he realizes that having her do the documentary on him and the rest of the police force was a very big mistake, as the Lithonian Torso case, Monk getting fired, and the Commissioner hounding him is getting on his nerves... and then he realizes the camera's still on.
** In "Mr. Monk and The End Part 1", Stottlemeyer and a squad of policemen were staking out at a train station for Kazarinski to capture him alive and find out what product he poisoned Monk with, as well as which poison he used. Disher arrives at the control tower after their odd lack of a response, and finds the tower staff murdered with blood everywhere. Unfortunately, Kazarinski left something else besides dead bodies at the tower, as he also left the mic on, causing the staff and passengers to hear Randy attempting to report to Stottlemeyer.
* On an episode of ''[[Frontline]]'', Mike starts insulting one of Elliot's songs after his microphone has been cut off at the end of the show. Unfortunately, he forgets that the camera is still on him during the end credits and that there's a sign language interpreter next to him. His comments are translated accurately and reported in the following day's newspaper.
* On ''[[
* In ''[[
* In an episode of ''[[Wizards of Waverly Place]]'', Justin reports to Rudy, the head of the Monster Hunter Council that three level 6 monsters (his vampire girlfriend and her parents) have been detected on Waverly Place and Rudy says he'll send over their best available monster hunters. After the conversation ends, Rudy says "That kid'll be a bone necklace inside of an hour", prompting an appropriately frightened look from Justin. Rudy notices this and begins backpedaling, saying that he meant a different bone necklace.
{{quote|
* In the ending credit ''[[Roseanne]]'' episode, '''The Parenting Trap''', Roseanne is discussing with Neil Conrad on a family way of explaining about erections on an [[Breaking the Fourth Wall| ABC show]]. Conrad was trying to explain how the censors would interfere. This leaves Rosanne to explain to Conrad that it was "too late" for the protest. Cue this [https://youtu.be/K0oDbfvy-l0 moment].
== Music ==▼
* In the last chorus of ''Steve Earle'' by [[
* The Cuban Boys' "Cognoscenti vs. Intelligentsia", a cover of Roger Miller's "[[Robin Hood (Disney film)|Whistle Stop]]", ends with a reenactment of the supposed Uncle Don incident.
== Newspaper Comics ==
▲* ''[[
▲* In one of the strips for ''[[Brewster Rockit: Space Guy
▲* In ''[[
▲* In ''[[
== Radio ==
* The famous [[Urban Legend]] has it some children's radio presenter in the '30s finished up his show, then said "That oughtta hold the little bastards!" on an open mic. He was allegedly fired immediately. The slip is supposedly uttered by Uncle Don, but [http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/radio/uncledon.asp his career says otherwise].
* A 1969 NBC radio news capsule ended with the anchor recapping the headline, followed by somebody in the background uttering the word "bullshit".
▲== Music ==
▲* In the last chorus of ''Steve Earle'' by [[Sugarland (Music)|Sugarland]], the line "The others wanted your whole heart, but I just want your sleeve..." degenerates into a rapid-fire stream of speech-- "...and the shirt that goes with it 'cause it smells like you and you know I like to sleep in that, and a vacation house, at the beach, and a really small wedding, only 'bout three hundred people, did I tell you that I've got kids?..." -- until Jennifer Nettles finally stops to ask, "Is this thing on?"
== Tabletop Games ==
* The old airline joke was used as the basis of a ''[[Warhammer
{{quote|
The male pilot comes on the radio and says, "We are just entering the atmosphere now and will be landing at base alpha zero zero in half an hour."
The pilot forgets to switch off the intercom and turns to his male co-pilot and asks, "So what are you going to do when we've landed?"
The co-pilot says, "Well firstly; I'm gonna have a HUGE dump, 3 day anti-grav flights don't do my bowels any good. Then I'm gonna go see that new lieutenant, you know, the one with the dark hair and huge breasts, take her out, wine her, dine her, then I'm gonna take her to my quarters...." he then proceeds to go into graphic detail of the night's animalistic loving.
The new lieutenant, horrified at the detail spewing from the speakers about various uses for the butt of the co-pilot's las-pistol, runs down the aisle to switch off the intercom, trips over a boltgun, and lands flat on her face.
A new recruit sitting opposite turns and says, "Whoa! Calm down Ma'am! He's gotta take that shit first!" }}
== Theater ==
* In ''Follies'', Max and Stella Deems say that their radio career ended this way.
== Video Games ==
* The Statesman Task Force for ''[[City of Heroes]]'' has a cutscene where the resident [[Mad Scientist]], Dr. Aeon, traps the player characters in a desolate future, before rambling on about how they can escape. Realizing that he goofed by revealing exactly that, he orders the tape erased and the speech done over, but is reminded that (per his orders) they're broadcasting live.
* ''[[Ratchet
** Supreme Executive Chairman Drek broadcasts his plan to take parts of other planets (destroying them) to piece together a new planet to replace his polluted homeworld. He starts in a polite tone, but drops it after a crewman yells "cut!
{{quote|
'''Crewman:''' CUT!
'''Chairman Drek:''' ... and if you don't like it, you can take your whiny, sniveling, snot-nosed population, form a line behind me, and kiss my--! What, is it still on? Well, turn it off, you idiot! }}
** When you reach a certain point in ''[[Ratchet and Clank Up Your Arsenal]]'', Big Al professess his love for Helga over the intercom at the Starship Phoenix, then realizes the intercom is on.
* In the first ''[[Command
* ''[[
* In ''[[
{{quote|
* In ''[[The Movies]]'', on the radio announcement two years before the depression event hits early in the game.
{{quote|
* Both of the UNN reporters in ''[[
* Used in one of Eggman's PA announcements in ''[[
{{quote|
* During ''[[World of Warcraft]]''{{'}}s Operation Gnomeregan event, the [[Mad Scientist]] who's taken over the gnomes' underground city uses a "Brag-Bot" to taunt the heroes. First he launches into his rant, stops to make sure that the mike is on, and then starts over. Later, while gloating how his trump card will vaporize everyone, he wishes aloud that he could see his arch-rival's face before realizing that the mike is ''still'' on.
* In ''[[Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee]]'', the Vortaak leader finishes his speech, pauses for about two seconds, and realizes the camera is still rolling.
{{quote|
* In ''[[Subnautica]]'' you receive a radio message from Alterra HQ letting you know that they can't get a rescue ship out to you and that they've sent plans for a ship you can build to the computer in the ''Aurora''{{'}}s captain's quarters... in between ordering a ham and cheese from an office sandwich run, all of which is ''also'' sent as part of the message.
== Web Comics ==
* ''[[Concerned]]'': "Welcome to City 17, also known as HELL! HELL! [http://www.hlcomic.com/index.php?date=2005-05-03 YOU'RE ALL GONNA DIE! YOU'RE ALL DEAD! HAHAHAHAHA!"]
* ''[[
* ''[[
* Inverted in ''[[Megatokyo]]'': "is this thing already on?" happened to [http://megatokyo.com/strip/68 work well for Kimiko].
* In ''Swords'' a god [https://swordscomic.com/swords/XC/ makes this mistake].
== Web Original ==
* Terrorists McLocke, Kaige and Rice from ''[[
* Parodied in ''[[Red vs. Blue]]'' Season 9's trailer, where Pelican pilot 479'er insults the air traffic controllers, leading to this exchange:
{{quote|
'''479'er''': "Yup. That's cause I transmitted it." }}
* [[De Rez]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20151014200452/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/de-rez/41-Searching-for-Gordon-Freeman "Searching For Gordon Freeman"]: While having a private discussion about the fact that the cameraman doesn't know how to edit, Dave decides they can work with it, doing everything in one take, as long as there are no screw-ups. Then, "Is that on?"
== Western Animation ==
* ''[[
** Happens in "I Never Met The Dead Man" where all the cable TV in Quahog shut down, and the people on the news start saying offensive things before being told that they're still on in Boston.
** And in the episode "The Story on Page One", Stewie puts a mind-control device on Chris and speaks through him, and then accidentally transmits a conversation between himself and a bum while Chris is in a store trying to buy murder supplies.
* ''[[The Simpsons (
** Subverted with Groundskeeper Willy on "Do What You Feel Day" in "Bart's Inner Child":
{{quote|
'''Technician:''' ''(whispering)'' The mic is still on.
'''Willy:''' ''I know it's on!'' }}
** In one Halloween episode, a vampiric Burns greets the Simpsons over the intercom:
{{quote|
'''Smithers:''' Sir, you have to let go of the button.
'''Burns:''' Oh, [[Curse Cut Short|son of a bi]]-- }}
** Let's not forget the episode with Gabbo and "all the kids in Springfield are SOBs" (a line inspired by a [[Truth in Television|real life kids' entertainer]] who got caught in his own
{{quote|
** In yet another episode, Homer is brought on stage to demonstrate a motion capture suit for animation. After hamming it up a bit, he goes off to the bathroom, complete with the CG dog doing likewise. "Urinal cake eroding...eroding...gone!"
* On ''The [[
{{quote|
* In a 1996 episode of ''[[
** And in "Yes, Always", Pinky does it. He makes a rude remark regarding Brain to the sound engineer, not realising that he is standing on the microphone button.
* The following occurs in an episode of ''[[Justice League]]'':
{{quote|
'''Camera person:''' ... Okay, now you're off.
''(Linda slaps her reading card on her forehead in embarrassment)'' }}
* Lrrr from ''[[
{{quote|
* Used in an episode of ''[[Sushi Pack]]'' to give the villain of the day, a [[Nice Character, Mean Actor]] kids' show host, his comeuppance.
* ''[[
{{quote|
'''Aide:''' Uh, Mayor, the mic is on. }}
** Another episode has a demon manipulate a Republican speaker into supporting the extended life support of Kenny even though he was stuck in a vegetative state, so every time he spoke the Republican would repeat what he just said. However, his tendency to speak in snarls had the Republican repeat that too, then he complained about how he wasn't supposed to say that, only for the Republican to repeat that he wasn't supposed to repeat that.
* An episode of ''[[Doug]]'' combined this with [[Engineered Public Confession]]; Roger, who framed Doug for stealing one of Vice-Principal Bone's yodeling trophies, goes into the office to taunt Doug, sits at Bone's desk and kicks his feet
* The [[Urban Legend]] mentioned in the Radio section is given a nod in the ''[[
* In the ''[[Arthur (
* Used and lampshaded several times in the ''[[
* In one episode of ''[[Combo
* The "beginning" variant shows up in ''[[Batman:
== Real Life ==
* This happens often enough that one mantra of politics is "Every microphone is live." But to get down to specifics...
* [[George W. Bush]]:
** Bush's much-mocked "get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit" aside to Tony Blair concerning the Middle East. The [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article688879.ece full transcript] is enlightening, and ends with a literal "Is this thing on?"
** Then there was the time when Bush had a press conference with some US troops in Iraq, a PR event advertised as the President's chance to have a "frank, spontaneous conversation" with the soldiers. Problem was, a news channel picked up a live feed of the conference room before the event showing a full-blown ''rehearsal'' with every question and cute one-liner laid out in advance.
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** His "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzgOS8dbF64 anti-fly ninjitsu]" that got him in trouble with PETA...
* From [[Overheard in New York]]: [http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/007282.html This quote].
* There's a moderately famous recording of a bewildered Brooklyner named Gloria accidentally leaving a long and rambling conversation on [[They Might Be Giants (
* [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/03/peggy-noonan-mike-murphy_n_123647.html This incident] from the 2008 Republican National Convention, in which Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy (commentators one would normally expect to be sympathetic to Republicans) made dismissive comments about the party's prospects and selection of Sarah Palin as its Vice-Presidential candidate.
* Jesse Jackson was caught on mic whispering, "I wanna cut his nuts off," referring to Barack Obama. Made further hilarious by the jerking motion he made, as though motioning just how he would go about with the castration.
* [http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090323/SPORTS/90323012 Three employees]{{Dead link}} were [https://web.archive.org/web/20110605231818/http://www.kcci.com/news/19010464/detail.html fired] from a Des Moines sports radio show when their [[Cluster F
* While attending a course during his time posted to Egypt, then-Lieutenant Charles Hazlitt Upham (later winner of TWO Victoria Crosses) once looked out into a briefing-theatre full of generals and muttered, "My oath -- what a galaxy of bloody talent!"... not realising he was standing next to a live microphone.
* When showing live coverage of a speech given by George W. Bush on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, CNN anchor Kyra Phillips [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp7QhEeQF_o visited the bathroom, leaving her mic on]. Parts of a personal conversation between Phillips and a
* Similarly, several years ago during some sort of Hollywood celebrity event Joe Pantoliano left his mic on after he thought the interview was over and proceeded to take a long and luxurious leak in the men's room, an act which gives new meaning to his nickname Joey Pants.
* In July 2009 Michael Duvall, a California state assemblyman, was captured on tape describing to a
* There's an extra on the fourth season DVDs of ''[[
* During the eighties and early nineties it was very common for US TV networks to transmit satellite feeds without any form of scrambling or encryption so anyone with a satellite dish and satellite TV tuner could view them. Because of this it was possible for people to watch (and record) satellite interviews as they were being conducted. For live broadcasts, the feed was usually setup far before the interview began and when the network cut to commercial or another segment of the program the satellite feed usually stayed on leading to many real-life instances of this trope. Several of them were collected in a documentary called ''Spin''
* News anchor Sue Simmons, displeased with some off-camera incident, unleashes a hilarious [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETnp8Tq3CFw bit of profanity.] She later apologized, but David Letterman still had a tremendous amount of fun at her expense.
* Pat Robertson [https://web.archive.org/web/20130824004908/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953778_1953776_1953758,00.html had a simliar blunder] when he tried to insult the caller he had just spoken to, thinking his mic was off. It wasn't.
* At the end of an interview, having thought that the broadcast had ceased, Mel Gibson added a little something to the end of his farewell to the interviewer [https://web.archive.org/web/20120304000756/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/1008066/mel-gibson-denies-abusing-reporter-on-live-tv he probably didn't intend to go to air].
* During a group photo with his sons, Prince Charles muttered "I can't stand that man," referring to a prominant newspaper's royal correspondent. Naturally, because the man ''was'' that newspaper's royal correspondent, he had to report this comment about himself in the press.
* Famous British football commentator Ron Atkinson said, referring to French player Marcel Desailly: "He is what is known in some schools as a lazy thick nigger." Although transmission in the UK had finished, his comment was broadcast to various countries in the Middle East. He had to resign from his job.
* Vice President Joe Biden on health care reform: "This is a big fucking deal."
* Bill [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tJjNVVwRCY "Fuckin' thing SUCKS!"] O'Reilly, as mentioned under ''[[
* Casey Kasem wants to know why he's coming out of a [http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=fDYK2H0ldbo fucking up tempo record into a death dedicaton.] Kasem knew the mic was on, he just didn't expect the outtakes to ever be heard outside of the recording studio.
* During his tenure on [[CBS]]' Early Show, Bryant Gumbel was interview [[Media Watchdog|Media Research Center]] president [[Culture Police|Brent Bozell]] in 2000 when Gumbel turned around and [http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jun/07060604.html dropped an F-bomb] on Bozell (keep in mind, this is fairly early in the morning). Also keep in mind that he was being forced to talk to a man arguing that gay people should be forbidden to become scoutmasters in Boy Scouts.
* CNN, covering the 2004 Democratic National Convention, cut to a live feed from producer Don Mischer's microphone, just in time to catch him upbraiding his staff for a mediocre balloon drop. [[Cluster F
* While being driven to his next appointment after a conversation with a local voter about immigration, UK Prime Minister [[Gordon Brown]] [http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/04/28/gordon-brown-apologizes-for-calling-a-pensioner-a-bigoted-woman/ referred to her as "a bigoted woman"]. After the audio made the news, he took a trip to her house to personally apologize. In between, he also failed to realise there was a camera filming him in the radio studio where the news was broken to him on air.
* Back when Oliva Munn was part of ''[[Attack of the Show
* Similarly, during the 1989 election campaign, Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke referred to a pensioner who had just harrangued him during a meet-and-greet as a "silly old bugger". The muttered comment was recorded by a television crew accompanying the PM and quickly became front page news across the country.
* From Reader's Digest: an air traffic controller aboard a US Navy aircraft carrier didn't realize his mic was still on after talking to a pilot, saying "That guy [[Elmuh Fudd Syndwome|sounds just like Elmer Fudd.]]" After a long, awkward silence the pilot radioed back: "Be vewy vewy quiet. We're hunting submawines."
* BBC weatherman Tomasz Schafernaker [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BImuobqTcds gave a sarcastic newsreader the finger], then realised half a second too late that he was live on air. His goggle-eyed [[Oh Crap]] face is priceless.
* During the September 11th, 2001 attacks, broadcasters had far bigger things to concentrate on than FCC regulations, so most news broadcasts gave viewers an almost uninterrupted 8-hour stream of [[Cluster F
* In 2009, Chilean senator Fernando Flores is about to finish an interview for the CNN Chile channel. His host makes some questions that he dislikes, then finishes the interview. Just before the transmision was about to finish, a pissed-off Flores rants about how the guy's questions were [[Precision F
* During the Apollo 16 lunar mission, while the astronauts were resting after a moonwalk, John Young told his colleague Charlie Duke how the potassium-laced orange juice they were given to drink was giving him gas, and how he intended never to eat another [[Precision F
* Shortly after the astronauts aboard Apollo 13 moved to the lunar module, the mike setting was switched to [
* At a city council meeting in 2010, [[Stargate City|Vancouver]] mayor Gregor Robertson landed himself in hot water when he was recorded [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IDcmUQa0WM insulting his constituents as "hacks" of a rival local political party] because they opposed his rental housing development plan. Annoyingly, the media (and inevitable backlash against the reports) focused on a [[Windmill Political|supposed outrage over his use of profanity]] rather than the fact that he was [[Unfortunate Implications|belittling anyone who disagreed with him]] as a "hack" of a local political party. (The idea of a "hack" of any municipal political party sounds hilarious to this Vancouverite).
* [[Ronald Reagan]] once, as a part of a sound test, announced [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgSSRE27GQ0 "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."]. However, the joke was leaked (sometimes erroneously reported as having been broadcast immediately), and the Soviet Union was very unpleased.
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* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfKyHvaAZxA A Southwest Airline pilot ranted] to his co-pilot about the lack of [[Sexy Stewardess]] on his flights, and being around with only gays, grannies, and overweight folks. Unknowingly, he had turned on the mic, broadcasting to everyone in Texas airspace, but didn't even stop when an air traffic controller tried to butt in.
* In October 2011, this happened to two world leaders for the price of one. At a G20 summit, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a liar; President Obama responded "You're fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day!"
* Another rather innocent thing, A local news station had an anchor who was feeling sick to his stomach, but was going to do the broadcast either way since it was live and he had a devotion to his job. Eventually he started to feel sick during the broadcast and asked them to cut. The cameramen saw that he was getting pretty pale and sweaty, so they killed the video feed...unfortunately the audio was still being recorded, so viewers could hear the news anchor shout, "GET A BUCKET! QUI-" and then the sound of him throwing up on the floor, and it was broadcast live. [[Never Live It Down|20 years after the incident, they still played that clip]].
* During an interview on ITN, the unpopular British Prime Minister John Major - thinking that his microphone was off - was caught on tape referring to rebellious members of his Cabinet as a shower of "bastards".
* '[[Scandalgate|Bigotgate]],' a scandal centred around British PM Gordon Brown insulting one of his voters, came about because he forgot to switch off his microphone.
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