Parrot Exposition: Difference between revisions

 

 

'''Snake''': It'll make me smarter, huh?|''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'', in a typical demonstration}}

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* An [[Egregious]] example from an episode of ''[[Black Cat (manga)|Black Cat]]'':

'''Eve:''' Nanotechnology... }}

** Considering nanotech is one of the most popular current [[Hand Wave|Hand Waves]] in every other light sci-fi vehicle, and that practically every viewer knows what it is by now, this sounds like an intentional lampoon.

** Many plot-heavy manga love to use this variation, though again, Takahashi seems to be one of its biggest fans.

* In the ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS]]'' manga

'''Shamal''': You know, them. The kids that Fate-chan always visits before a mission. [[As You Know|Remember]]? }}

* ''[[Dragonball Z]]'' - It's OVER NINE THOUSAAAND!

== Fan Works ==

* Naturally, this can carry over into ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' fanfiction, although certainly not as often. One memorable example from a tongue-in-cheek Snake/Otacon [[Slash Fic]], in which Otacon, more from being a nerd than a pervert, films the 'action' using the Metal Gear MkII and its new "accessory."

'''Snake:''' A microphone boom? }}

* Done several times by [[Ace Attorney|Phoenix]] in ''[[Turnabout Storm]]'', a lot of times out of sheer disbelief at the stuff he gets told in [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|Equestria]]. One instance in particular:

'''Phoenix:''' Celestia? Magic of friendship? Ponyville?... Wait a minute, [[Oh Crap|are you saying there's more talking ponies!?]] }}

 

== Films -- Animated ==

* Lord Farquad and Gingy parodied this [[Waxing Lyrical|with the children's song "The Muffin Man"]] in the first [[Shrek]] movie

Farquad: She's married to the Muffin Man... }}

* Neil decides to copy the emergency alarm in [[Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within|Final Fantasy the Spirits Within]]:

'''Neil:''' I think we should proceed to the nearest evacuation facility. }}

 

== Films -- Live-Action ==

* ''[[The Court Jester]]'':

'''Griselda:''' Just remember that. }}

* ''[[The Matrix]]'' also had this with Neo, with the [[Dull Surprise]] addition.

* ''[[Prince of Space]]'' is riddled with this. (To the point of being an alternate [[Trope Namer]]: [[Prince of Space Sir]])

'''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000|Tom Servo]]''': For crying out loud... '''[[This Is Sparta|EACH! OF! YOU! WILL! ENTER! A! SPACE! CAPSULE!]]''' }}

** This may be a result of inferior English dubbing. Presumably the dialogue made more sense in the original Japanese.

* The verses of [[Ear Worm|"Zydrate Anatomy"]] in ''[[Repo! The Genetic Opera]]'' are based around this.

'''Everyone else''': [[Overused Running Gag|*disinterested murmurs*]] }}

* ''The Cat In The Hat'' - Making Cupcakes scene. The cook, all the way from CHE-SHIRE ENGLAND, states that the "Amazing Kupcake-Inator" can turn ANYTHING into delicious cupcakes...

'''Host''': [[Overly Long Gag|... aaanythingg??]] }}

* ''[[Star Wars]]'': ''[[The Phantom Menace]]'' - the explanation of what midichlorians are was delivered by Anakin starting with a question of what they are and continues like so:

'''Anakin''': Symbiont? }}

** In Anakin's defense, the first line sounded like an expression of disbelief, with the second line being more like asking "What is symbiont?"

** Since nobody in the audience can understand what Chewbacca can say, almost all his conversations involve someone repeating what he's (assumingly) just roared, as if to clarify. One imagines this must be annoying for him.

'''Chewbacca''': [[This Is Sparta|*roars*]]<br />

'''C-3PO''': No, I will not be quiet, Chewbacca! }}

*** An exception occurs when Chewie simply roars, and Han replies, "You said it, Chewie." Listening to the original tape reveals that he said "That old man's mad!" Han's next line however, is "Where ''did'' you dig up that old fossil," so Chewbacca's line can be reasonably guessed.

* ''[[Galaxy Quest]]'' [[Lampshades]] this, given that Gwen's job is to repeat the computer voice - it's stupid, but it's her only job, so she's doing it anyway.

* If Bill Harford, [[Tom Cruise]]'s borderline [[Cloudcuckoolander]] protagonist from Stanley Kubrick's ''[[Eyes Wide Shut]]'', didn't repeat everything everyone around him said, the film would be about half an hour shorter.

* Amusingly, even ''[[Escape from New York]]'' has an instance of this. If this isn't [[Hilarious in Hindsight]], then I don't know what is. <ref> The character of Solid Snake from the ''[[Metal Gear]]'' series is largely a [[Shout-Out]] to Snake Plissken, the protagonist of this movie, [[Don't Explain the Joke|for those of you who didn't get the joke.]]</ref>

'''Snake:''' 24 hours, huh? }}

** In Snake's case, it seems that he's planning to cheat Hauk. This is before, of course, the bomb capsules are implanted.

* A writer to [[Roger Ebert]]'s ''Questions For The Movie Answer Man'' took note of this Trope in action.

* ''[[Harry Potter]]'' is known for doing this:

Voldemort [[Foe Yay|put something of himself]]... into ''me''? }}

** Notably, he's most likely to do this during scenes where it is revealed he's important. Or, to put it more simply, he has a hard time believing he's special. He is, after all "Just Harry".

* [[Michael Crichton]] in ''[[Sphere]]'' has a character use [[Parrot Exposition]] on purpose as a psychological trick (the character in question is a psychologist, and wants to get more info without putting much in). The other person catches on soon enough.

* Used quite often in ''Deep Storm'', usually by Dr. Crane. One example:

Dr. Crane: Radio frequency identification? Is that necessary? }}

* Eragon from the [[Inheritance Cycle]] is infamous for doing this:

"I'm a Rider!" }}

 

* ''[[Harry Hill's TV Burp]]'' parodies the ''[[Emmerdale]]'' scene [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM0Nn0KINV8 after watching it] as he telephones other television shows and various characters and presenters just say the word "cataracts?"

** This is [[Call Back|called back]] to later when a man accuses Val of getting worked up over a misunderstanding, she gets angry and asks if her ears have cataracts as well.

* This happened regularly in ''[['Allo 'Allo!|Allo Allo]]'', mostly by Rene, and out of disbelief of the [[Once an Episode|next "bird-brain" plan]] they were going to do. Usually it helps set up the jokes.

** The Christmas episode gives us this conversation.

'''Rene:''' Oh my god... It's the [[Running Gag|gateau from the chateau!]]<br />

'''Hans:''' What about the gateau from the chateau?<br />

'''Hans:''' [[Overly Long Gag|A bomb in the gateau from the chateau?]] }}

* Used to disastrous consequences in ''[[Malcolm in the Middle]]''. A therapist tells Lois and Hal to try repeating what their children say in their own words, which culminates in Lois parroting Malcolm ad nauseum instead of helping him through his problem.

'''Lois''': [Clearly perturbed by her inability to stop] You say something... I say it back... }}

 

== Theater ==

* [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare's]] ''[[Hamlet]]'', Act 1 Scene 2, thus fulfilling the [[Zeroth Law]]:

'''Hamlet:''' The king my father! }}

* This exchange in "I Am the Captain of the Pinafore" in [[Gilbert and Sullivan]]'s ''[[H.M.S. Pinafore|HMS Pinafore]]'':

'''Captain''': Well...hardly ever! }}

 

== Toys ==

* ''Bionicle'' featured this very often. One notable example from the "Visorak" story arc:

'''Whenua''': (sees the spinner be reflected) [[Captain Obvious|It's reflecting!]] }}

 

== Videogames ==

* ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' has its protagonist, Solid Snake, repeating everything that whoever is telling him about something, or going "huh?". Used less in ''[[Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater|Snake Eater]]'' (although when the name "Metal Gear" is mentioned for the first and only time, of ''course'' Naked Snake has to say it), but still pretty abundant. Snake's voice actor, [[David Hayter]], made fun of this tendency in a podcast, in which he joked that most of his dialogue was "repeating whatever everyone else says but with a question mark on the end." This happens less often in ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots]]'', though it's less because Snake understands what people are saying and more because he just doesn't care. So, rather than saying "So it'll make me smarter, huh?", he'd say, "Okay, so... what now?". This was [[Lampshaded]] in ''Metal Gear AC!D2'', when an amnesiac Snake accesses a terminal and comes across data on the eponymous machine.

"Huh? You're familiar with it?"<br />

"...No. Just... had to blurt it out." }}

*** [[Overly Long Gag|Metal Gearing!?]]

** Parodied in the [http://lparchive.org/UFO-Aftermath/Update%2018/ UFO: Aftermath LP] with a team made up entirely of Snakes.

'''Hunter''': Shut up snake. They're transgenants, just shoot them. }}

* Every single acquired weapon in ''[[Mega Man (video game)|Mega Man]] 7'' leads to an exchange between Mega Man and Dr. Light: [[Captain Obvious|"The Scorch Wheel shoots a flaming wheel, right?" "Yes, and it can also be used to burn things!"]]

** [http://www.rockmanpm.com/?p=original/rockman7/labtalk At least in the Japanese version], sometimes Roll or Auto will appear instead to provide some comic relief.

* A famous line in ''[[Advance Wars]]'':

* Found in ''[[Metal Wolf Chaos]]'':

'''Michael''': An email? }}

* Hilariously played straight in ''[[Fallout 3]]'', where the ''higher'' your intelligence stat, the ''worse'' it gets. Here's an abridged sample dialog:

'''PC''': [Intelligence] So you use the GNR radio to fight the good fight? }}

** When Claude's the main character? Christ. Every other freaking line of his dialogue in the first four hours is [[Parrot Exposition]].

* In its sequel, Fayt cannot stop using this trope.

* ''[[Final Fantasy V]] Advance'' (this version is noted for its very tongue in cheek translation) lampshaded this tendency when the sage Ghido described the twelve legendary weapons.

'''Ghido''': "Sometimes I wonder if you say things like this to spite me.... Yes, the twelve legendary weapons. They are weapons. They are legendary. There are even twelve of them." }}

* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' is fond of the trope, including, from ''Sonic Heroes'', preceding the boss fight with {{spoiler|[[Humongous Mecha]] Metal <s>Gear</s> Overlord}}, the following.

'''Sonic:''' So THAT'S {{spoiler|Metal Sonic}}? }}

* There's plenty of this in the ''[[Shadow Hearts]]'' series, but it's most common (and annoying) in ''Covenant''.

* ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]]'', both games: Whenever T3-M4 says anything, somebody will repeat what it said back to him so the player can understand. (Oddly, all the various incomprehensible alien languages get subtitles...but T3's subtitles are just transliterations of his beeps.)

** Lampshaded in the second game, during [[Player Character|the Exile]]'s first conversation with the HK-50 unit on Peragus.

'''HK-50''': Irritated Statement: Master, if you insist on echoing everything I say, this already tedious conversation is in danger of becoming even longer. }}

* Basically every RPG ever allows you to do this.

* ''Xenosaga'' is perhaps one of the most constant users of this trope, with one of the most common things you'll hear in the cutscenes is one character expositing, and another repeating a keyword with a questioning inflection. And this happens at least once in every. Single. Cutscene.

* Lampshaded in ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'', in a dialogue with Nordom.

* In ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'''s "Meet the Spy'':

'''Soldier''': We need to protect the briefcase! }}

* Done in ''[[Trauma Center]]'':

'''Derek:''' ...I know what antihistamines do. }}

** Really more of an aversion of the trope, since the character didn't repeat anything and pointed out it was just a gap in their knowledge.

* [[Played for Laughs]] in ''[[Portal 2]]'', with [[Department of Redundancy Department]] thrown in for good measure.

'''Achievement Earned:''' The Part Where He Kills You (This is that part.) }}

* Not even [[Deus Ex|JC Denton]] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOKt1z1TkvU is immune:]

'''JC:''' [[Captain Obvious|A bomb!!]] }}

* Samus in ''[[Metroid: Other M]]'' is a frequent offender of this, reiterating plot points in [[Up to Eleven|drawn-out monologues;]]

* [[Code Ment]]: The "team deathmatch!" scene.

* [[Loading Ready Run]]'s CSI: CSI, internal investigations [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshades]] this.

'''Morgan:''' Dumbing it down? }}

* Parodied in ''[[Metal Gear Solid 2 The Sons of Abridgerty]]'' when Ocelot shouts "STOP SAYING METAL GEAR!" at Snake and Octacon.

* If we had a leg of meat for every time this happened in the more recent episodes of ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'', we'd be able to feed most of the hungry children in this world. The eponymous sponge even managed to do this with the [[Fun with Acronyms|long and rather clumsy]] S.D.E.A.S.E. ("Snail Disease Expert and Snail Expert") - no fumbling over it or anything, he just did it. I know I'd have trouble with it.

* Used in [[Freakazoid]] in a classic exchange between Freakazoid and Roddy McStew.

'''Freakazoid:''' I... don't think there's a goblin in there... }}

* [[Chowder]] uses this a lot with Schnitzel. Occasionally lampshaded when he gives exposition and needs to tell Chowder to stop repeating everything he says.

* [[Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy]]: Ed does this a lot.

'''Eddy:''' *shoving Ed away* Numb-skull. }}

 

** It's also used sometimes to help oneself remember instructions.

* Also a helpful technique for doctors and nurses to get patients to clarify their problems. Example:

'''Patient''': Yes, it feels like someone is stabbing a knife down here. *points* }}

** In particular, Rogerian psychotherapy is largely based on this, at least in parodies such as Joseph Weizenbaum's [[wikipedia:ELIZA|ELIZA]] and this one from the ''Journal of Irreproducible Results'':

'''Therapist''': You seem concerned about my parroting you. }}

* Also useful to call center operators, especially with details like numbers, dates, or unusual spellings of names. Making sure you understand the caller correctly allows you to not waste time solving the wrong problem, which makes the number-crunchers who might decide you're taking too long on calls for them to continue to employ you feel a little better.

 

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