Not Even Bothering with an Excuse
Someone in the show has a problem or asks a group of his friends for a favor. However, helping him out would result in something awkward or uncomfortable, so everyone makes an excuse to get out of it. This trope is not about the excuses made by the friends; we have other tropes for that. This trope is about the one person who's Not Even Bothering with an Excuse, saying, "I just don't want to help." There are many reasons for them to do this, maybe their friends took all the good excuses. Most of the time, however, it's because they want to be brutally honest, or they're a jerk; more likely the latter.
Film
- In 2016's Deadpool, Weasel, who's a Dirty Coward, makes no bones about it:
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Weasel: I'd come with you, but I don't want to. |
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Live-Action TV
- On NCIS, Jimmy comes into the office with an allergic reaction to henna on his back and asks for help to apply ointment. Tony's and Ziva's responses?
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Tony: I have to go to lunch. |
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- In the pilot episode of Friends, Joey asks Phoebe whether she wants to come help them put together Ross' new furniture. She replies
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"Oh, I wish I could, but I don't want to." |
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- In Just Shoot Me, Dennis excuses himself from listening to one of Nina's stories with:
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"Oh, I just remembered: You're boring, and my legs work." |
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- On Scrubs, Dr. Kelso pulled this one in response to Carla trying to organize a group photo:
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"Blah, blah, blah, I'm not going." |
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- Frequently happens in House, by the titular character mostly, but also by others.
- On Buffy the Vampire Slayer Spike didn't help fight the monster of the week once because he was "paralyzed with not caring very much".
- In Victorious:
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Beck: Wow, I gotta go to, um...*Walks out* |
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- More commonly Beck (and the rest of the cast) come up with some sad excuse for an excuse, and Jade just tells the person off.
- In the Press Gang episode "A Night In", Lynda is handing out 'yellow slips' which mean that the recipient has to work on Saturday evening. Cue a round of excuses...and, when the round gets to Kenny, a wry look and the question, "Can you tell me which excuses haven't been used yet?"
- One episode of The Big Bang Theory had Sheldon anxious at the prospect of giving a speech at an awards banquet. His friends offer to help him work through his anxiety in different ways. Leonard offers to do a therapy session with him, Raj says he will teach Sheldon some Indian meditation techniques, and Penny agrees to take him to buy a new suit for the occasion. Sheldon asks what contribution Howard will make, and Howard replies, "My contribution is to pretend I give a damn about your piddly-ass problems. And that's 24 hours a day, buddy." Sheldon appreciates his honesty.
- In one episode of How I Met Your Mother Robin is into Barney because she thinks he and Ted were in a fight. She asks him out, but then when she finds out he wasn't, she tries to think of a reason she can't go out with him.
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Robin: (backing out of the room) Oh, I just remembered, I've got that uh... that uh... that... uh... (closes the door) |
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Web Comics
- In one strip of Shortpacked!, Galasso calls on the radio for someone to deal with the two customers up front. Everyone either has a genuine reason or an excuse, in the middle of which, Mike offers "I don't feel like it."
Western Animation
- Combined with Rule of Three to make a minor Running Gag in one of the Nigel Planter-centric episodes of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy; whenever Nigel starts singing and playing with a puppet, two characters make up excuses to leave, while the third doesn't bother justifying themselves.
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Grim: I, uh... I have to meet somebody. |
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- In the My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic second season episode "Baby Cakes," four of the ponies asked to babysit have an excuse for not helping. The fifth one, Rarity, just outright refuses.