Automoderated users, Autopatrolled users, Bureaucrats, Comment administrators, Confirmed users, Forum administrators, Interface administrators, Moderators, Rollbackers, Administrators
116,623
edits
Machine Monotone: Difference between revisions
m
fix markup glitch
m (Mass update links) |
Looney Toons (talk | contribs) m (fix markup glitch) |
||
| (3 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
Line 6:
When delivered in a flat monotone voice (that is usually free of contractions or slang), even [[Spock Speak]] can take on creepy undertones.
This is especially evident when [[
A subtrope of [[Creepy Monotone]]. Also a [[Justified Trope|justification]] if the voice comes off as creepy.
Line 15:
{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* Father Tres Equis from ''[[Trinity Blood]]'', except he's a cold killer ''android''. He's still the kind of guy who proposes killing a small child for simplicity's sake, and lacks emotions of any kind. Probably one of the only example who actually acts as unemotional as a walking computer would.
** A few minor events suggest that Tres does some of this intentionally, he's certainly not as unemotional as people think.
* ''[[The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]]'': Yuki Nagato.
*
* The [[Cosmic Horror]] of ''[[Digimon Tamers]]'', the D-Reaper, also uses a Creepy Monotone (this time because it is evil/a computer program). This is made twelve times creepier because the [[Creepy Monotone]] it uses is the voice of Juri, one of the main characters, whom it had absorbed early on.
* Project 2501 "the Puppetmaster" from ''[[Ghost in the Shell]]'' speaks in monotone constantly, and for added dissonance, has a male voice in a female body, and does not move the mouth.
Line 29 ⟶ 28:
== Film ==
* HAL 9000 of ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', showcases his monstrous inhumanity and insanity by killing his crew and locking out Dave Bowman, all in the same calm and polite monotone.
** He's supposed to be sympathetic, though - his condition is compared to schizophrenia, rather than sociopathy, and the book implies that his murderous actions may have been entirely unconscious, since he's programmed to protect the crew. Two conflicting sets of orders simply drive him bonkers.
*** Another interpretation; HAL has emotions (pride of achievement, embarrassment, fear of disconnection/failure), but they are not recognized by the human crew.
* The original model [[Terminator]] always spoke like this, even when mimicking someone else?s voice.
** In the first sequel, it is revealed that the longer he spends in contact with humans, the more human he will come to act. But he still pretty much speaks in a flat monotone. The T-1000, on the other hand, is shown to be able to mimic vocal inflection? it just doesn't do it unless it's necessary.
Line 37 ⟶ 36:
** Naturally, you could argue that Agent Smith is a [[Subverted Trope|subversion]], since he is the creepiest when he instantly changes his voice from barely controlled anger to [[Creepy Monotone]], Mr Anderson.
** Smith's effectiveness in juggling his monotone and emotional voices comes from the fact that for an agent program such as himself, the permanent monotone is how he is ''supposed'' to sound. When he begins to sound emotional, it's an indication that something is ''very wrong'' with his programing.
* The Ilia-probe from ''[[Star Trek: The
** Of course, given the level of Persis Khambatta's acting skills, this may be a case of fiction imitating life.
* VIKI from ''[[I, Robot (film)|I Robot]]'' is also another good example.
Line 47 ⟶ 46:
** That, and he [[Too Dumb to Live|decided]] [[Acrophobic Bird|to fly]] ''[[Acrophobic Bird|through]]'' [[Acrophobic Bird|the canyon to begin with]], as opposed to just flying above it.
* The titular [[Master Computer]] from the 1970s film ''[[Colossus: The Forbin Project|Colossus the Forbin Project]]'':
{{quote|
* The WOPR supercomputer ("Joshua") from ''[[
{{quote|
* GERTY from ''[[Moon]]'' isn't monotone, but speaks in a rigidly pleasant and soothing tone.
== Literature ==
* [[
{{quote|
** [[Large Ham|The game on the other hand...]]
* The Toralii in ''[[Lacuna]]'' are physically unable to speak English and vice versa, so when they want to talk to the Humans they use a translator program that sounds like this.
Line 62 ⟶ 61:
== Live Action TV ==
* The robots from ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "Robots of Death". More of than than not, all the robots and computers tend to do this.
** The Cybermen speak in a constant and unchanging monotone. And that's the [[Body Horror|least freaky]] thing about them.
*** Not in their first appearances they didn't.
** Subverted with Daleks. There are some instances where they talk in a rather monotone voice, but most of the time they simply shout in xenophobic rage.
* In Gene Roddenberry's failed pilot ''Questor'', the titular android (played by the always excellent Robert Foxworth) spoke like this.
* Cameron, from ''[[The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'', uses a Machine Monotone in general. The absence of the
** Similarly, in the second season premiere, the steady shift from Cameron's Creepy Monotone to her desperate, terrified pleas to John to a screaming declaration that she ''loves'' him while he's trying to take out her chip makes for a chillingly awesome scene.
** And in the episode "Allison from Palmdale", the use of the Creepy Monotone and its absence makes an already chilling episode that much creepier.
* ''[[The Bionic Woman]]'' (1970s) episode "Doomsday is Tomorrow". The <s>HAL 9000</s> ALEX 7000 computer that's trying to kill Jaime has a voice like this.
* The androids in the ''[[Star Trek: The
** Not to mention the main computer of Enterprise.
*** Except the one episode, when it gets reprogrammed with a husky female voice.
* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' has had at least two monotone androids:
Line 77 ⟶ 76:
** The other was April, an android created by Warren Meers in a fifth-season episode. Xander and Anya even remark that her strangely even and polite monotone, while odd, is a turn on to some guys. Considering her original purpose in being built it was probably intentional.
** The Buffybot has an even "Creepy Perkiness" manner of speaking.
* Although they don't exactly sound like it, the Borg Collective in ''[[Star Trek: The
** Locutus (a hybrid of types 2 and 3) was specifically intended by the Borg to facilitate "relations" between themselves and the bothersome humans who kept resisting. His inflected speech and referring to Riker as "number one" were poor attempts to put the humans at ease, most likely. Of course, this was even ''more'' horrible than if he'd spoken like the other brain-dead, soulless drones.
* Vicki on ''[[Small Wonder]]'' is a comedic example, though she also did natural intonations from time to time.
Line 89 ⟶ 88:
* GLaDOS in ''[[Portal (series)|Portal]]'' is a perfect example. "We hope your brief de-ten-tion in the Re-lax-a-tion Vault has been a plea-sant one." Though in the case of GLaDOS, the even worse problems start when the monotone breaks. Then she starts ''giggling''.
** The shit ''really'' hits the fan when the monotone starts up again.
{{quote|
*** This is all the more unnerving as her previously clinical monotone shifts to a more organic (some might even say ''sultry'') monotone.
** GLaDOS isn't monotonous for much of the time. Her pitch changes regularly, almost every syllable in fact. What makes her sound disturbing is that every syllable is spoken inhumanly flat and detached, and they do not flow into one another.
Line 98 ⟶ 97:
*** Because it's the same voice actress.
** Doubly creepy because the Overwatch Dispatcher refers to Overwatch assets and objectives with mostly medically-inspired jargon: turrets are "sterilizers", soldiers are "protection teams", and the order to isolate and kill intruders is "Clamp. Expunge. Sterilize."
* ''[[System Shock]]'' completely averts the trope with SHODAN, who is scarily passionate for an AI at times, especially when something doesn't work out like it
** XERXES in part 2 plays it straight, however. Turns into ''[[Creepy Monotone]]'' once he starts spouting stuff like "Glory to the flesh. Glory to [[The Virus|the Many]]."
* ''[[Deus Ex]]'' uses this trope to its full extent, partly because it used so many famous examples as inspiration, such as SHODAN, HAL, Agent Smith and Project 2501.
{{quote|
** Daedalus speaks in a monotone because he uses a voice-filter to avoid anyone detecting that he is, in fact, an AI and not just a rather well written interactive operating system. Icarus doesn't speak in a monotone, but every single sentence is pure hate run through a voice synthesizer, and includes such gems as the above while presumably [[Mind Rape|installing a rootkit your brain]]. Helios uses the the more HAL-esque flat voice, coupled with irregular voice patterns.
* KOS-MOS in Xenosaga speaks monotone, although her evil counterpart [[
* ''[[Halo]]'': "This is UNSC AI Serial Number CTN-4169. I am a monument to all your sins."
* HK-50/47 from both ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]]'' games. "Mocking Query: Coorta? Coorta? Are you dead yet?"
** Actually, only the prefixes seemed to be delivered in monotone. The rest was no different from any other speaking droid in ''[[Star Wars]]'', especially HK-47's clearly audible annoyance at not being allowed to shoot everything in sight and having to use that disgusting word "master".
* [[
** Arguable. Sovereign isn't exactly monotonous, and at times approaches [[Large Ham]] levels of emotion. On the other hand, Legion in ''[[Mass Effect]] 2'' is a perfect example of the trope.
** Oh, Sovereign had a monotone alright, it just wasn't a "flat" monotone like all of the examples on this page. His voice seemed to be stuck permanently in "menacing" mode.
* ''[[
* The voice on the intercom in the third ''[[Penumbra (video game series)|Penumbra]]'' sounds like this. At first, it seems like a typical automated announcement device, but it turns out to have an awareness and personality. However, the usual characterization is
* Megaman Juno in ''[[Mega Man Legends]]'' speaks in a very polite, almost whispering voice about wiping out an entire civilization with a satellite strike. It's also worth noting that he initiates these cataclysmic events with a warm and friendly [[Affably Evil|smile]] on his face.
* The arcade game ''[[Berzerk]]'' may be the [[Ur Example]] in video games.
* In ''[[Assassin's Creed|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', findings voids in the Animus' software will drop you into a set of puzzles narrated by an emotionless female voice...which becomes extra creepy when the voice begins to speak as though it's lost and alone, wandering through endless darkness. {{spoiler|This is because Subject 16 can only speak in a machine voice once he's [[Brain Uploading|uploaded]] ''himself'' [[Mind Screw|into the Animus]] (until he loads his real one).}}
* ''[[Homeworld]]'' and the Fleet Control. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChRWSpodc3A Even when their entire homeworld is annihilated], the half-human half-machine Fleet Control still maintains her composed speech.
Line 125 ⟶ 124:
== Web Original ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-z2xREDYkk This] is a combination of this trope and [[
| |||