Never Heard That One Before: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

This is the usual response most people have when they hear a comment or joke they've heard [[Seen It a Million Times|a million times]] or more; particularly when said remark has long since stopped being funny, and moved past tiresome. For instance, when a person mentions [[Aquaman]], she might mention that he talks to fish, and nothing else. The reaction of a comic fan? "Gee, I've Never Heard That One Before (often overlaid with heavy [[Sarcasm Mode|sarcasm]])." (It's also [[Did Not Do the Research|untrue]], for the record).

 

[[Truth in Television]]: This happens in [[Real Life]] to people with distinctive or [[Unfortunate Names]]. Or people with names linked to something with pop cultural significance. Or another obvious distinguishing feature, for example working at a company that has the same name. Can lead to rage if done too frequently or the wishes of the person on the receiving end to ''cut it out already'' are not respected.

{{examples}}

* There's a whole episode of ''Zoku [[Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei]]'' about this trope, as well as a chapter in the manga.

 

* ''[[Y: The Last Man|Y the Last Man]]'' has a protagonist named Yorick. [[Hamlet|Alas]].

{{quote|'''Victoria''': [As she is preparing to execute him] 'Alas, poor Yorick...'

'''Yorick:''' Gee, never heard that one before... you fucking '''''[[Defiant to the End|TWAT!]]'''''. }}

* The miniseries ''[[Superman: Secret Identity]]'' has the protagonist [[Like Reality Unless Noted|living in our world]], who begins to develop the identical powers of Superman. His name's Clark. Clark Kent. Yes, like the [[Comic Book]].

 

{{quote|'''[[Big Bad]]''': You cannot escape, Doctor!

'''[[Doctor Who|The Doctor]]''': I can't begin to tell you how often I've heard that line over the centuries. }}

{{quote|'''[[Death Note|L]]:''' Just go to sleep. You... ha, you go out like a [[Punny Name|light.]]

'''[[Death Note|Light]]:''' I've heard them all before, L, and they weren't funny the first time. }}

 

* In ''[[Finding Nemo]]'', everyone who notices Marlin is a clownfish wants him to tell a joke, but seems to expect he's never gotten that response before ''and'' has a joke prepared. By the end, he's lightened up a little and even has a decent ocean-themed pun.

* In ''[[The Incredibles]]''. Frozone's reaction ''might'' be because he lacks humor, but really, that one's very obvious.

{{quote|'''Caspian''': You... you are a mouse.

'''Reepicheep''': I was hoping for something a little more original. }}

{{quote|'''Mook''': You... you are a mouse.

'''Reepicheep''': You people have no imagination! }}

'''Devil''': ''Yes'', there is a God. Honestly, you'd think meeting the Devil would be interesting enough. }}

* In ''[[The World Is Not Enough]]'', upon introducing herself to [[James Bond]], Doctor Christmas Jones says, "Don't make any jokes, I've heard 'em all." Bond effortlessly replies, "I don't know any doctor jokes." He does make a couple Christmas jokes eventually, including a truly wince-inducing one that's [[Quip to Black|the movie's last line]] ("I thought Christmas only comes once a year.").

* When the heroine of ''[[Juno]]'' introduces herself to the prospective adoptive father of her baby, he says "Like the city in Alaska!" She ''immediately'' deadpans "No." (She's actually named after the Roman queen of the gods; the city's name is spelled "Juneau.")

* Subverted in the 2008 remake ''[[Get Smart (film)|Get Smart]]'':

* In ''[[The Librarian]]'': Return to King Solomon's Mines, when Flynn goes to Casablanca, he makes the inevitable quotes. The taxi driver is understandably unamused.

{{quote|'''Driver''': Ah, from the movie! [[Sarcasm Mode|How delightfully original of you]]}}

 

== Literature ==

* The protagonist of ''[[About a Boy]]'', who lives off the royalties of his father's popular song, is quite tired of people singing it once they learn about this fact.

* [[Discworld|Tiffany Aching]] refers to her father's pun as The Joke. He's a farmer and he works hard. Do the math. "He was Aching when he woke, and he'll be Aching when he sleeps." They recognize that it's not a funny joke, but it's got sentimental value behind it, like an elderly aunt.

* Whenever [[Harry Potter (novel)|Harry Potter]] meets anyone who knew his parents, they inevitably tell him, "You look like your dad, but you've got your mum's eyes." When Slughorn says this in the sixth book, Harry thinks that he's starting to get sick of it. [[Fanfic]]tion tends to exaggerate this to the point where it becomes Harry's [[Berserk Button]]. Also, there were a number of common cracks made on his name that got really lame after a while (and they indicated as much), and his friends. "Oh, Potter, you rotter," "potty wee Potter," "crackpot," "Potty and the Weasel," "Weaselbee," And Hermione's reaction to the "Potter Stinks" badges? "Oh, very funny. Really witty."

* In ''[[The Dresden Files]]'', Wizard Harry Dresden mentions he gets the occasional phone call from people who just have to ask if he's 'a wizard named Harry'. He seems to be less than amused by this.

* [[The Spoony Experiment|Noah Antwiler]] comments during his review of ''[[Highlander II the Quickening]]'' that as a kid he had to deal with a lot of "Where's [[The Bible|the Ark]]?" jokes.

{{quote|Oh and by the way, just because I do actually happen to have an ark in the backyard has nothing to do with the fact that my name is Noah, and when the polar ice caps finally melt, flood the earth, and destroy all life, I am not gonna let any of you dickweeds who made fun of me in!}}

{{quote|ATTENTION WORLD, STOP ASKING ME TO PLAY PIANO MAN WHEN I SIT DOWN IN FRONT OF A KEYBOARD. I AM SICK OF PIANO MAN. NO MORE PIANO MAN.}}

* [[Dragon Ball Abridged]]: Lord Freeza has been keeping track of things that would-be heroes (or just empire topplers) have said to him before trying to kill him; even "I'm going to f*** your FACE!!" has come up twelve times. This is then subverted in Episode 27, when Goku shows up.

'''Goku:''' Awesome! I'm-a deck you in the schnoz!

'''Freeza''' ''(after dropping Vegeta)''''':''' ...I'm sorry, that's a new one. }}

 

* Angela from [http://www.punchanpie.net/cgi-bin/autokeenlite.cgi?date=20080811 this] ''[[Punch an' Pie]]'' comic. A short joke she's "never heard" before.

* In ''[[Get Medieval]]'', ex-lawyers are fed up with "decided you'd rather go to heaven" [[Evil Lawyer Joke]]s.

* In ''[[Walkyverse|Shortpacked]]'', [http://shortpacked.com/comic/book-2-pulls-the-drama-tag/06-the-drama-tag/free/ played entirely straight].

* [[Tailsteak]] [http://tailsteak.com/archive.php?num=203 scans his drawings] to get them on his website. He has a scanner.

* In ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'', when the [[The Greys|Uryuoms]] [http://egscomics.com/?date=2003-09-02 first appear].

{{quote|'''Elliot''': Hey, cool! I'm having a Close Encounter of the Fifth Kind!

'''William''': Hey, cool! Some nerd is pointing at me! }}

* [http://ffn.malletspace.net/?p=116 This strip] of ''[[Full Frontal Nerdity]]''.

 

== Western Animation ==

'''Peter''': What's your ''handicap''?

'''Joe''': OH, HAHA! EVERY HOLE! IT'S A JOKE THAT JUST DOESN'T GET OLD! }}

* ''[[The Simpsons]]'' visit an exhibit of luxury cars, one of which is presented by a blonde bikini bimbo. Homer quips "Do ''you'' come with the car?" and she giggles, "Oh, ''you''!". The next person to come by makes ''the exact same joke'' and she replies in the ''exact same way''. Either she's ''very'' used to it and has practiced it, or [[The Ditz|she has the memory of a goldfish]].

* Dr. Harleen Quinzell's response in [[Batman: The Animated Series|"Mad Love"]] when the Joker points out that her name [[Steven Ulysses Perhero|shortens to]] Harley Quinn. Of course, she later adopts the name.

{{quote|By the way, Corbin Bleu should not, under any circumstances, be confused with chicken breasts stuffed with ham and swiss. And boy, I'm sure he's ''never'' heard anyone make a joke like that.}}

* [[Ben Affleck]] has complained about people coming up to him and saying "AFFLECK!" in the same tone as AFLAC.

* [[wikipedia:John Bytheway|John Bytheway]]. Yes, that is his name. He's gotten tired of people saying, "By the way, John." He realized in 8th grade that his last name is a prepositional phrase and that if his child's middle name is a verb "he or she will be a sentence." He also has traced his family name back to 16th century England. He relates a story in which, after decades, a new joke was made. "If you have a son, will you name him Owen?"

* In the book of ''[[Harry Enfield and Chums]]'', Enfield recounts a story about looking for a dog he was supposed to be walking. ''Every person he passed'' said "You don't want to do it like that", in reference to his character Annoying Dad (aka Mr [[Catch Phrase|You-Don't-Want-To-Do-That]]). Finally he snapped, and responded "And ''you'' don't want to be the hundredth person to say that to me today!" In the book he takes the opportunity to apologize to the person, if they're reading.

* Chris Barrie mentioned in an interview that until about ten years after the last episode of [[Red Dwarf]] was broadcast, he could not go on the [[London Underground]] without someone on the platform shouting "Oi! Smeghead!".

* Averted by Billy Crystal, who commented in a standup routine that he thought it was very amusing the variety of people who would greet him with "You look mah-velous!" (Apparently this was better than the greeting he often got during the run of ''[[Soap]]'', which consisted largely of "Hey faggot!")

 

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