One Scene, Two Monologues: Difference between revisions

 

Not to be confused with [[One Dialogue, Two Conversations]], which is part of an [[Oops I Did It Again]] plot.

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* Variation in ''[[Excel Saga (anime)|Excel Saga]]'': Misaki Matsuya complains to Dr. Kabapu about the legitimacy of their civil service training, while Watanabe is complaining to ''himself'' about the same. Things get a little weird when they both simultaneously mention the apparent cheapness of their prototype laser guns.

* In one of the ''[[Slayers]]'' OVAs, Naga gets into an extended argument with the main villain. He has kidnapped Lina for use in a super-chimera and thinks Naga is there to rescue her, Naga is convinced that the villain and Lina are going behind her back just to cheat her out of some profit. The "conversation" goes absolutely nowhere, [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] by one of the spectators wondering to another "You get the feeling they're not actually listening to each other?"

* In the manga ''High School Debut'' Haruna doesn't realize that they area having two different conversation and Asoka hangs a lampshade on this saying, "Even though we are speaking of different things unexpectedly, we get along quite well."

 

== Comic Books ==

* [[Neil Gaiman]] does this all the time in [[The Sandman]], pointing out its use in his commentary for the 'A Midsummer's Night Dream' story, and claims it's practically one of his signature techniques.

 

 

== Literature ==

* The narrator of [[Brian Aldiss]]'s story "Appearance of Life" finds two holographic messages which turn out to be from a husband and wife. When he turns them on they appear to be conversing with each other, but it soon becomes clear that the wife's message is an expression of her undying love for her husband, while the husband's is a confession of his infidelity.

* Chapter 4 of ''Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys'' presents a scenario in which a woman named Elaine says to a guy named Roger: "Do you realize that, as of tonight, we've been seeing each other for exactly six months?" From that point, two internal monologues diverge: Elaine thinks about her relationship with Roger and their feelings toward each other, while Roger's thoughts concern car repairs.

** He uses it a lot; the three people (well, two people and a talking dog) [[Drowning My Sorrows|Drowning Their Sorrows]] in ''[[Discworld/Moving Pictures|Moving Pictures]]'' also do it, and some of Magrat and Verence's awkward conversations come close as well.

** The cultists' meetings in ''[[Discworld/Guards! Guards!|Guards Guards]]'' use this every single time they talk, usually of the "random 3rd person keeps ranting while everyone else moves on" variety.

* In [[G. K. Chesterton]]'s ''The Return of Don Quixote'', two characters talk about the play. One is discussing his chances to show off in it; the other is discussing its philosophical underpinnings. Neither of them figures out that they are talking past each other.

 

* Seems to be a favourite of [[David Simon]]; it happened frequently on ''[[Homicide: Life on the Street]]'' and ''[[The Wire]]''.

* In one example from ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'', three characters all monologue about issues regarding their manliness, each continuing the next part of his own monologue from the last phrase of the previous person's monologue, all the while never paying attention to each other. Amazingly, they all reach the same solution to their manly dilemma: going to the mall.

{{quote|'''[[Stephen Fry|Arnold]]''': Glen is having a little difficulty concentrating on our Bible study readings because he has something of an obsession with the size of my girlfriend's breasts.

'''[[Hugh Laurie|Glen]]''': Well, I like to put it this way: Arnold is having difficulty concentrating on our discussion of the size of his girlfriend's breasts because he's a little too interested in analysing passages from [[The Bible]]. }}

 

== Newspaper Comics ==

* An ongoing theme in [[Get Fuzzy]]-usually between Bucky and Satchel. [http://www.gocomics.com/getfuzzy#mutable_747868 Case in point].

* There was a ''[[Beetle Bailey]]'' comic where the enlisted men's lounge had two TVs on, one showing a romance and the other a football game. By chance, the football announcers appeared to be commenting on the action in the romance.

 

== Theatre ==

* Musicals do this a lot. One particular example comes from ''[[Les Misérables (theatre)|Les Misérables]]'' in which Javert and Jean Valjean talk past each other without really listening.

* Mushnik and Seymour in ''[[Little Shop of Horrors]]'' obsess about their respective paramounts (money and Audrey, respectively). As is typical, it's not Seymour who takes the initiative for the ensuing musical number.

* [[Cyrano De Bergerac]]: This happens in a very subtle way with Cyrano and Roxane at act II scene VI: Cyrano invokes [[Leave the Two Lovebirds Alone]] and tells Roxane the stock phrase [[I Can't Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me]]. Roxane talks about Cyrano calling him [[Like Brother and Sister|brother]] and [[Just Friends|friend]]. [[Selective Obliviousness|Cyrano and Roxane are so enthralled by their own emotions to really put attention to the other]].

* The play ''The Real Inspector Hound'' has a scene in which one theatre critic rants about only being hired to fill in for another, while his companion professes his love for the leading actress in the play they are reviewing.

 

== Video Games ==

'''Judge:''' High! This person's really flying high! }}

* Kotomi and Tomoya in [[Clannad (visual novel)|Clannad]] have one of these at their first meeting. It somehow goes from Tomoya asking why she's cutting paper out of library books to her asking him if he wants to eat the paper. And then if he wants to eat clay, but adds that it would give her indigestion. ''This is normal for her.''

 

== Web Comics ==

* From ''[[Spacetrawler]]'', [http://spacetrawler.com/2010/11/02/spacetrawler-90/ this scene]: Pierrot is pissed about getting locked in a duct and won't talk about anything else, while Emily calmly lists off the food she brought for him. Then she ends the conversation by giving Pierrot a [["Shut Up" Kiss]].

 

== Western Animation ==

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Dialogue]]

[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]

[[Category:Scenes]]