It's Been Done: Difference between revisions

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A lengthy joke in which a character describes some new idea, invention, story or script—but is informed that somebody already got there before him, and that all the tropes he thinks are new are [[Older Than They Think]]. The punchline is usually a ridiculously mundane or roundabout name for the proposed "new" work, and for added humour value, the story that the character has unknowingly plagiarized is usually something mind-bogglingly well known.

It's based on the well-known phenomenon that there are so many things out there it's incredibly ''hard'' to come up with something new, especially since [[Seinfeld Is Unfunny]] and oftentimes, people get the idea inspired by something. (Even the great [[J. R. R. ~~Tolkien|JRR~~ Tolkien]]'s stories were inspired by pulp fantasy writers in the 1930s and borrow heavily from Germanic myths about a ring of massive power to who wears it... sound familiar?)

It's based on the well-known phenomenon that there are so many things out there it's incredibly ''hard'' to come up with something new, especially since [[Seinfeld Is Unfunny]] and oftentimes, people get the idea inspired by something. (Even the great [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s stories were inspired by pulp fantasy writers in the 1930s and borrow heavily from Germanic myths about [[The Ring of the Nibelung|a ring of massive power to who wears it]]... sound familiar?)

There are many other ways of phrasing this, including:

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== Anime and Manga ==

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== Anime & Manga ==

* In ''[[Yakitate!! Japan]]'', several types of "Ja-pan" that Kazuma developed on his own turn out to be just variants on well-known types of bread. For example, Ja-pan Number 34 is basically a croissant, and Ja-pan Number 16 is a ''naan'' (an unleavened Indian bread often served with curry) bread bowl in the shape of Mount Fuji.

* In ''[[Bleach]]'', Soifon reveals while fighting Yoruichi that she has been developing a new kido that combines kido with unarmed combat, saying that she hasn't even named it yet. When she demonstrates the attack against Yoruichi, Yoruichi reveals that it already has a name and counters with the completed version of the attack. Yoruichi then goes on to explain how the attack affected the uniform design for Soifon's position, which Yoruichi previously had. Because it destroys clothing over the back of the user, the uniform is backless and shoulderless.

== Comic Books ==

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== Comics ==

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* A ''[[Bloom County]]'' strip parodied this in which a teacher claims there no new ideas in the universe. A student argues the point, but is told that "Failure is hardly original."

* [[Carl Barks|Gyro Gearloose]] from the ''Donald Duck'' comics has a tendency to invent things which already exist. In one comic he is asked to repair a suitcase with 4 wheels, of which one is broken. He keeps adding improvements, such as a seat, a steering wheel, bigger wheels and so on, and proudly delivers it back to the owner, only to be told "We already own a trailer!" In another comic, he goes picnicking, but is bothered by various elements like ants, the wind and rain, causing him to create a floor, walls and a roof. In the end, he's re-invented the house, and wonders why he didn't just stay home. In another comic, Gyro is found in the woods studying woodpeckers so he can make a "machine that can make holes like them." In other words, a drill.

** In [[Don Rosa]]'s story "Mythical Menagerie", [[Donald Duck]] tries to pull a prank on Huey, Dewey, and Louie, who are going animal-spotting for a Junior Woodchucks merit badge, by gluing props onto farm animals to make made-up creatures... unfortunately, all the creatures Donald makes up are unwittingly based on creatures from mythology: A yellow rabbit with a horn? A mi'raj from India. A polka-dot cat? A gulon from Scandinavia, and so on.

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* UK newspaper strip ''[[The Perishers]]'' had Marlon, the keen but not-very-bright kid, who on one occasion took up inventing for a hobby. When his friends pointed out that his inventions (fire, the wheel and the horse and cart) had all been invented by other people, he wasn't worried because he invented them quicker and was therefore catching up.

* Used in a [[Franco Belgian Comics|French comic]] parodying the superheroes genre, ''Man!'' The title character, wishing to become a superhero, tries to convince his parents of this career choice. When it comes to select a name and costume, he first chooses a bat-themed one and the name "[[Batman|Bat-Man]]"! But his parents tell him "It's been done already." Frustrated, the hero then chooses to be "[[Superman|Super-Man]]"!... and a [[Sued for Superheroics|bunch of lawyers]] appears out of nowhere, explaining how much trouble he's in. Fed up with American-style heroes, the protagonist then decides to aim for something more specifically French... "Superdupont-Man"! Only to have [[Gotlib|Marcel Gotlieb]]'s avatar showing up and tsk-tsking.

* Snapper Carr in ''[[Young Justice (comics)|Young Justice]]'' put it nicely.

{{quote|'''Snapper:''' There's nothing new under the sun. The only recent new idea was casting Danny DeVito and [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] as [[Twins|identical twins]]. Before that you've got to go back to the Magna Carta.}}

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* In a ''[[Dilbert]]'' strip, Dilbert was presenting his idea for a way to use electricity to cook your food "Without the need for charcoal or lighter fluid" to Dogbert, and announced he would name it the X-39 Energy Transfer Module. Dogbert simply replies "Did the name 'Electric Stove' ever occur to you?", pointing out Dilbert's invention fell back on this trope.

== Fan Works ==

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'''Robin:''' Illuminati already did it. They don't like competition. }}

* One spinoff short story to ''[[You Got Haruhi Rolled]]'' has [[The Ditz|Kyouko]] telling [[Deadpan Snarker|Fujiwara]] about the plot of a fanfic she is writing, about a [[Living Toy]] who learns, to his horror, that he is just a [[No Indoor Voice|CHILD'S PLAYTHING!]] Fujiwara then says that this is the exact plot of ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]]''.

== Films -- Animation ==

* The Italian film ''[[Allegro Non Troppo]]'' begins with the director explaining his concept to the audience: a collection of animated shorts set to pieces of classical music, "a ''[[Fantasia]]'', if you will." Then he gets a call saying that it had already been done by someone named "[[Walt Disney|Prizni]]".

** At the end of the film, he goes on explaining his idea for a new film, a [[Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (novel)|romance of some sort between a beautiful woman and not one or two, but SEVEN little men]].

== Films -- Live-Action ==

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{{quote|'''Reuben:''' This guy actually tasted fresh oxygen before they grabbed him. Of course, he was breathing out of a hose for the next three weeks. Goddamn hippy.}}

* The plot of ''[[Secret Window]]'' revolves around a man threatening Mort for stealing his story, only to find out that Mort ''published'' his story a full two years before he claimed to have written it. {{spoiler|Of course, it all ends up being a moot point when it's revealed the whole thing is Mort arguing with himself.}}

== Literature ==

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"OBJECTION!" thundered the district attorney. "He's introducing the plot from the blockbuster science thriller and motion picture ''[[Jurassic Park]]''!" }}

* [[Sherlock Holmes]], in his early novels, claimed that part of his investigative talent lies in his comprehensive study of the records of earlier crimes.

== Live-Action TV ==

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{{quote|'''Reid''': First of all, it's a police box, not a phone booth. Second of all, Doctor Who started a quarter of a century before Bill and Ted even went on their bodacious adventure, so really they should have called it Bill & Ted's Excellent Ripoff.}}

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== Newspaper Comics ==

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* A ''[[Bloom County]]'' strip parodied this in which a teacher claims there no new ideas in the universe. A student argues the point, but is told that "Failure is hardly original."

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* UK newspaper strip ''[[The Perishers]]'' had Marlon, the keen but not-very-bright kid, who on one occasion took up inventing for a hobby. When his friends pointed out that his inventions (fire, the wheel and the horse and cart) had all been invented by other people, he wasn't worried because he invented them quicker and was therefore catching up.

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* In a ''[[Dilbert]]'' strip, Dilbert was presenting his idea for a way to use electricity to cook your food "Without the need for charcoal or lighter fluid" to Dogbert, and announced he would name it the X-39 Energy Transfer Module. Dogbert simply replies "Did the name 'Electric Stove' ever occur to you?", pointing out Dilbert's invention fell back on this trope.

== Puppet Shows ==

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*** Unfortunately, Dr. Price didn't invent body-snuggies so we wouldn't have to deal with those direct response ads.

* ''[[Between the Lions]]'' has a scientist character named Dr. Nitwhit who announces that he's discovered "the only word in the English Language that X" (has the same consonant at the beginning and the end, is spelled with a given sound). When his assistant responds, it's always with words that just happen to prove that the rule is more general than poor Nitwhit thought.

== Radio ==

* During one ''[[Big Finish Doctor Who]]'' audio drama, ''The Wormery'', [[The Nth Doctor|the Sixth Doctor]] (post "Trial of a Time Lord"), runs into Time Lady Iris Wildthyme. The plot culminates with the revelation that the villain is basically her version of {{spoiler|the Valeyard}}, and throughout the entire ending the Doctor complains to both of them just how amazingly unoriginal they're both being, outraged by the plagiarized dialogue and recycled scenario.

** This is something of a habit for Iris, as many of her adventures bear a striking resemblance to the Doctor's (or possibly vice versa).

== Theater ==

* In ''[[Rent]]'', Roger's attempts at writing the perfect song all end up sounding like Puccini's "Musetta's Waltz" (which is to say, "Quando m'en vo" from ''[[La Boheme|La Bohème]]'', on which ''[[Rent]]'' is based.)

* In Norm Foster's play ''Office Hours'', one character unintentionally pitches an idea identical to ''[[Tarzan]]''.

== Video Games ==

* One of the human male/silly options in ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' is one of these for ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'':

{{quote|"So, I have this idea for a great movie. It's about two gnomes who find a bracelet of power, and they have to take it to the Burning Steppes and cast it into the Cauldron. They form the Brotherhood of the Bracelet. Along the way they're trailed by a murloc named Gottom, who's obsessed with the bracelet, and nine bracelet bogeymen. It could be a three-parter, called ''Ruler of the Bracelet''. The first part would be called ''The Brotherhood of the Bracelet'', followed by ''A Couple of Towers'', with the climactic ending called ''Hey, the King's Back!''"}}

== Web Animation ==

* The web cartoon ''Kerri's Big Invention'': At one point Kerrigan comes up with an idea for an invention called "Stick'ems" that turns out to be identical to Post-It notes. One other character points out that she even put notes about this new idea ''on'' Post-It notes.

* ''[[Retarded Animal Babies]]'' has apparently been accused of ripping off ''[[Happy Tree Friends]]'', simply because they both feature cute animals and sometimes gory violence. The creator responded to these claims with a [[Take That]] in the second episode.

== Web Comics ==

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* In [http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=837 this] ''[[Questionable Content]]'', [[Deadpan Snarker|Faye]] snarks on one of Raven's costume ideas by comparing it at great length to Hooters. [[The Ditz|At no point does Raven notice what she's doing]].

* In [http://www.meninhats.com/d/20031017.html this] ''[[Men in Hats]]'' strip, Aram decides to keep Beriah from talking to him by demanding he fill out an application first. Beriah says that he saw this done in a cartoon, which makes Aram reconsider—but he still won't let Beriah talk to him, just because.

== Web Original ==

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* The year the television shows ''The Singing Bee'' and ''Don't Forget The Lyrics'' came out, [[Rhett and Link]] did a [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRESQFqqLt8 sketch] where they played two producers pitching the shows at the same time.

* In her Month of Miyazaki review of ''[[Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]'', [[JesuOtaku]] wishes that Miyazaki would the movie and redo it really well, "give the heroes more human traits and motives, give the ''villains'' more human traits and motives, portray nature - even a fantasy vision of nature - in a more honest light, and then wrap it all up in more conversational dialogue." While thinking of how awesome this hypothetical movie would be, she remembers ''[[Princess Mononoke]]'' exists.

== Western Animation ==

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'''Stan:''' Yeah, and they've been on the air for like, [[Long Runners|thirteen years]]. Of course they've done everything.

'''Mr. Garrison:''' Every idea's been done, Butters, even before ''The Simpsons''.

'''Chef:''' Yeah. In fact, that episode was [[Whole-Plot Reference|a rip-off]] of a ''[[The Twilight Zone|Twilight Zone]]'' episode. }}

'''Chef:''' Yeah. In fact, that episode was [[Whole-Plot Reference|a rip-off]] of a ''[[The Twilight Zone|Twilight Zone]]'' episode.}}

*** An interesting note that ''The Simpsons'' successor ''[[Futurama]]'' already did it in an episode "Godfellas" aired just months prior to ''South Park'' when Bender is drifting in outer space which microscopic space aliens settled on him and becomes God (Bender's back side being ignored). Both sides end up nuking each other.

** Done again in the Halloween episode ''Hell on Earth 2006'' where [[Satan]]'s attempts at a shocking 16th birthday party entrance are rejected when his minions repeatedly tell him "Diddy did it."

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** Another episode involves Marge writing a romance novel. Her inspiration was the painting on the wall behind the couch, from which she proclaimed "A book about whaling! That's never been done before! Thank you..." She then looks at the painting's title, "...'Scene from ''[[Moby Dick]]'''."

*** Especially odd, considering a separate episode indicated that ''she'' [[Negative Continuity|was the one who painted the picture]].

** Yet another episode has Homer pitching ideas to Mel Gibson for movies that are all this trope. The scene ends in a subversion when [[What an Idiot!|Homer asks if anyone owned the rights to]] ''[[Indiana Jones]]''.

** Yet another episode has Homer pitching ideas to [[Mel Gibson]] for movies that are all this trope. The scene ends in a subversion when [[What an Idiot!|Homer asks if anyone owned the rights to]] ''[[Indiana Jones]]''.

** In yet another ''Simpsons'' episode, Homer saves a troubled horse, only for Comic Book Guy to tell them that the [[Continuity Nod|Simpsons already owned a horse once]]. [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] again in the same episode, when Marge starts to develop a gambling problem.

{{quote|'''Homer:''' The Simpsons are getting a horse!

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** In the episode "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace" Homer's attempts to become an inventor after being inspired by Thomas Edison. After several disasters, the one invention that works turns out to have been invented by Edison himself but apparently unnoticed, prompting Homer and Bart to travel to Edison's workshop to destroy it. Homer decides not to once he sees that Edison himself also had a "rivalry" similar to his with Leonardo da Vinci.

*** Homer decides to split the difference and take both his and Edison's frustrations out on the Eli Whitney museum.

** At the end of "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", the titular band are recreating the famous moment when the Beatles [[Rooftop Concert|played a spontaneous live concert on the rooftop of their offices]], on the top of Moe's Tavern. George Harrison drives past for the sole purpose of pointing out that it's already been done. Of course, the entire episode is a riff on the career of the Beatles, so pretty much everything that the B'Sharps did had been done before.

** At the end of "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", the titular band are recreating the famous moment when the Beatles [[Rooftop Concert|played a spontaneous live concert on the rooftop of their offices]], on the top of Moe's Tavern. [[George Harrison]] drives past for the sole purpose of pointing out that it's already been done. Of course, the entire episode is a riff on the career of the Beatles, so pretty much everything that the B'Sharps did had been done before.

** During a feud with kids from the town of Shelbyville, Milhouse insisted that kids from Springfield invented wearing your backpack over one shoulder, and the Shelbyvillians are copycats. A kid from Shelbyville insists the opposite.

*** Ironically, both children then bond over the fact that they share the same first name.

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*** In addition, [[Seth MacFarlane]], creator of ''Family Guy'' and voice actor for Peter, contributed voices to the ''Robot Chicken Star Wars'' episode.

*** MacFarlane also got "It's been done" jokes during the [[David Hasselhoff]] roast, a common accusation made against the man because of so many similar scenarios inside ''Family Guy'' that seem lifted from ''[[South Park]]'' and ''[[The Simpsons]]''. MacFarlane does not seem to mind too much and is a good sport about it.

*** The series seems to have taken to lampshading this recently; with ''Cool Hand Peter'' and ''Viewer Mail No. 2'' being standouts.

*** The series seems to have taken to lampshading this recently;{{when}} with ''Cool Hand Peter'' and ''Viewer Mail No. 2'' being standouts.

* A recurring segment on ''[[The Alvin Show]]'' was [[Bungling Inventor]] Clyde Crashcup who, along with his [[Hypercompetent Sidekick|long-suffering and far more competent assistant]] Leonardo, tried to invent the chair, baseball, jokes, the bed and dozens of other things, and seldom got it right.

* In the ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' episode "Interview with a Platypus", Dr. Doofenshmirtz's evil plan is to flood the town of Danville and sell his new invention to the citizens: the Buoyancy Operated Aquatic Transport, or "[[Fun with Acronyms|BO-AT]]".

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* In the Western animation of ''[[Darkstalkers]]'', Lord Raptor gets told this word by word when he tries to get into the music industry. [[Rob Zombie|"I'm a Zombie who rocks!"]]

* ''[[The Looney Tunes Show]]'': In "Peel of Fortune", Daffy tries to come up with an invention that will make him rich. His first three inventions are sliced bread, toilet paper and the suitcase.

== Real Life ==

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* Qatar plans on using an "artificial cloud" to shade their stadium for the 2022 World Cup. Turns out not only did ''[[The Simpsons]]'' come up with the idea before them, but ''[[South Park]]'' [[Lampshade Hanging|made fun]] of building the structure and finding out it was done previously by ''The Simpsons'' before Qatar planned on doing it.

* [[William Shakespeare]] [[The Zeroth Law of Trope Examples|once said there are only 6 plots]]. [[Stephen King]] did as well. So did a bunch of other people. The idea that that everything's been done before is not even original.

* Within mainstream music ~~amoung~~ more the more older fans it's common for them to say, It's Been Done or every is a repeat of prior things. Especially ~~amoung~~ female stars the fight to be "Completely new" is huge.

* Within mainstream music among more the more older fans it's common for them to say, It's Been Done or every is a repeat of prior things. Especially among female stars the fight to be "Completely new" is huge.

* Listen to this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKtYqh7VDEo piece of music.] Now listen to ~~this~~ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i139Ew6mMFM one.] Even to this day, people are still confused as to who ripped off who's music. (If only they checked out the dates: ''[[Leviathan (film)|Leviathan]]'' came out in 1989, whereas [[Record of Lodoss War]] came out in 1990.) And to even ask if the veteran composer like [[Jerry Goldsmith]] ripped off music from an obscure (at that time anyways) anime series is kinda unthinkable.

* Listen to this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKtYqh7VDEo piece of music.] Now listen to [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i139Ew6mMFM this one.] Even to this day, people are still confused as to who ripped off who's music. (If only they checked out the dates: ''[[Leviathan (film)|Leviathan]]'' came out in 1989, whereas ''[[Record of Lodoss War]]'' came out in 1990.) And to even ask if the veteran composer like [[Jerry Goldsmith]] ripped off music from an obscure (at that time anyways) anime series is kinda unthinkable.

* One tenet of postmodernism is that ''nothing'' we can do is original, the trick is either to do old things in new ways, or to [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshade]] the hell out of it.