What Is This Thing You Call Love?: Difference between revisions

* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' - Negima has the [[Robot Girl]] Chachamaru, who is just one of the many girls in Negi's class to join his [[Harem]]. When her creator discovers this, she goes on a wild, rapid rant about the ethical and philosophical implications of a robot learning to love. See the [[What Is This Thing You Call Love?/Quotes|quotes page]].

* Akamatsu's earlier (pre-Love Hina) work ''[[A.I. Love You]]'', where the main character (the brother) creates an A.I. that he falls in love with, and vice versa. Of course, [[Hilarity Ensues]]:

* In ''[[SD Gundam Force]]'', the question is the subject of a Zako Zako Hour... two of them. And they still don't figure it out.

* The Angeloids of ''[[Sora no Otoshimono]]'' do not understand love, instead interpreting the blushing and feelings in their reactors as "malfunctions". The [[Ax Crazy]] Tykebomb Chaos, thanks to a bad logical interpretation of a line from Ikaros, eventually concludes that love is pain and promptly decides to share it with [[Kill'Em All|everyone.]]

== Audio Drama ==

* Subverted in the [[Big Finish Doctor Who]] audio drama ''The Cannibalists''. Lucie asks a robot why he writes poetry:

'''Lucie''': Sorry, my fault. Been watching too much ''[[Star Trek]]''. }}

 

** It may be more difficult for them to actually love but the do quiet often, when on long term assignments, develop feelings for humans.

* In ''[[Red Dwarf]]'', Kryten is confused when the the Dwarfers decide to fight for his right to survive.

'''Lister''': Don't give me the ''[[Star Trek]]'' crap, it's too early in the morning. }}

* Inverted by Cameron in ''[[The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'', in love with John from the get-go. Her human companions are constantly telling her she can't feel, despite obvious displays of emotion on her part and her pointedly stating that she wouldn't be much use if she couldn't feel. Sometimes she plays this up, however, denying she can feel when clearly upset, annoyed, jealous or shocked.

== Western Animation ==

* Parodied in a Halloween episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' when Bart befriends a robot. It says something like "I can do a lot of things, but I cannot love". Bart replies:

** Parodied again in "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" when Homer is watching 'Cyborganizer' a sitcom about a filing robot,

* Played for laughs in a science fair on ''[[Fairly Oddparents]]'' where Timmy's (now genius) Dad tries to convey the emotion of love to the scientific community. Cue a robot going "WHAT IS LOVE!? DOES NOT COMPUTE!" and blow up. Only to also have all the scientists in the audience go "LOVE? Is that an emotion?" and blow up as well.

* In Pixar's ''[[WALL-E]]'', WALL-E wordlessly ponders the gesture of hand-holding in his movie Hello Dolly(and does discover its true meaning...).

* In the premiere of ''[[Farscape]]'' Aeryn asks John what compassion is. After he realises she's serious and describes it, she says coolly "I ''hate'' that feeling." In the next season she says she now would call some previously un-named feelings she had for a man in her past "love," but her loyalties to the Peacekeepers- and her desperation to get back to Prowler duty- were stronger. {{spoiler|She had him arrested when she found out he was planning a mutiny}}.

* As per the example given on the [[Green-Skinned Space Babe]] page, ''[[Red Dwarf]]'' parodies this trope:

* ''[[Doctor Who]]''

** In "Four to Doomsday", the television serial, Monarch asks what love is after Nyssa mentions it.

** In "Enlightenment" Tegan is followed around constantly by Mr Mariner, who gives her longing looks and constantly tells her how amazing, unique and facinating she is, but when Tegan asks if he's in love with her, he replies "What is love? I crave existence!" {{spoiler|Because he's actually an [[Human Alien|Eternal]], a being from outside of reality, who can only interact with reality by using the memories and imagination of an Elemental (someone who exists in reality) who happens to find Tegan's mind the most interesting Elemental mind that he has encountered.}}

* There's one episode of ''[[Sesame Street]]'' where the yip-yip aliens [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY5y9a05ceQ&feature=channel discover two people in love] and try to figure out what it is. Incredibly, the two lovebirds never notice the incessantly yip-yipping aliens right in front of them.

== Western Animation ==

* Parodied on ''[[Futurama]]'', when a shipment of candy hearts is delivered to belligerent aliens as a peace offering; it backfires when the aliens are confounded by their cutesy messages.

'''Lrr:''' "This concept of 'wuv' ''confuses and infuriates us!''" }}

::In another episode, Dr. Zoidberg gets love lessons from Fry:

::Zoidberg's race in general seems ignorant to the concept of love:

'''Zoidberg:''' I just want to talk; it has nothing to do with mating! ''[to Fry]'' Fry, that doesn't make any sense! }}

::Later:

'''Fry:''' Nope. Must be some weird alien emotion. }}

** In the first episode of ''Futurama'', Fry actually lampshades this trope when Farnsworth offers him a job aboard his ship, and Fry asks if they're going to "teach alien babes how to love".

* ''[[Baccano]]''

** Chane Laforet from is roughly aware of love entails but, [[Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter|because of]] [["Well Done, Son" Guy|the way]] [[Manipulative Bastard|her father]] [[Tyke Bomb|raised her]], the idea that anyone could possibly care about her for who she is rather than for what she can do for them is so utterly foreign that {{spoiler|Claire's proposal}} and [[Martyr Without a Cause|Jacuzzi]]'s unconditional concern for her nearly lead her to [[Heroic BSOD|BSOD]] [[What Is This Feeling?|from the confusion]]

** Szilard's [[Our Homunculi Are Different|homunculus]], Ennis did not understand love at all at first. Firo more hopes she'll catch on without needing to be taught. {{spoiler|After about 50 years she apparently understands.}}

* Subverted in ''[[Ayashi no Ceres]]'', seeing as it was an assumption rather than a question, between [[The Stoic|Tooya]] and Aya right after their official first kiss. He gives a pretty damn [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|heartwarming]] speech about it too.

* Count D, owner of the ''[[Pet Shop of Horrors]]'', admits that love is beyond him. {{spoiler|At least concerning people. Animals are something else entirely.}}

* Because of her inability to love, [[Durarara|Anri]] has a difficulty with understanding this concept, and therefore she cannot tell apart the feelings she feels for Mikado, Masaomi, ''and'' Mika.

** Near the end of the anime, {{spoiler|Izaya states that it's not so much she's incapable of it but using [[Selective Obliviousness]] to avoid any potentially painful situation like what happened with her parents. Then again, it's [[Consummate Liar|Izaya]] we're talking about here. Coin toss for whether he was bullshitting or whether it's true.}}

* In ''[[Wild Fangs|Wild Rose]]'', Mikhail was raised to show no [[Emotionless Boy|emotion]] in order that his [[Power Tattoo|markings]] wouldn't appear. As a result he doesn't understand what separates love and indifference. In contrast, not feeling love is the only thing Kiri can't understand, which makes him want to teach him.

* In ''[[Gosick]]'', {{spoiler|Victorique - before she was freed from her prison and locked up in the tower -}} seems to have trouble understanding it.

* In ''[[Soul Eater]]'', Stein tells Medusa that "people like [[Mad Scientist|you and me]]" aren't capable of love. Nygus says this, too, but it's somewhat contradicted a few pages later when [[Armed with Canon|he's seen]] [[I Thought It Meant|physically comforting Marie]].

 

== Film ==

* Alta in the movie ''[[Forbidden Planet]]'', raised alone by her father, is unfamiliar in the way of kissing until crewmembers offer to explain to her.

'''Altaira Morbius:''' Hmm. But why should people want to kiss each other? }}

* ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' uses the catchphrase "What is 'Kiss'?" to mock this trope when a character reacts to a kiss with confusion, usually due to the actor's [[Narm|failure to emote properly]]. The quote "What is 'Kiss'" is often attributed to ''[[Forbidden Planet]]'' or ''[[Star Trek]]'', although the exact phrase was not used in either of these sources. The phase "what is 'kiss'?" is used verbatim in a skit of ''[[That Mitchell and Webb Look]]'', with the discovery of the garden store natives. Followed a few seconds later by "what is 'handjob'?"

* Jonas of ''[[The Giver]]'' grows up in a false Utopian society where the word "love" has become obsolete. When he learns about it through memories received from the Giver and asks his parents if they love him, they admonish him for not using precise language and say that asking "Do you enjoy me?" or "Do you take pride in my accomplishments?" would have been better.<br /><br />What makes it better is that they actually laugh and treat the question as meaningless. Jonas can't help but think that what he felt earlier was anything ''but'' meaningless. He realizes that further questions would also be met with either ignorance or programmed responses. It's also explained that there is no choosing of one's own spouses -- everyone is paired up according to how "compatible" they are. Couples also don't have their own children and aren't even allowed to chose the ones they adopt.

* The Bene Gesserit Question Book in ''[[Dune]]: House Harkonnen'':

* Used in ''[[Discworld/The Last Continent|The Last Continent]]'', with a twist: The questioner is the God of Evolution, and the explainers are a bunch of wizards who have managed to travel back in time to before sex was even invented. Ponder is trying to explain to the aforementioned god why things don't work in ones, and how babies could be made, but the conversation screeches to a halt when the topic of sex is broached. It is left to Mrs. Whitlow (the housekeeper of Unseen University who has been hauled along for the ride) to explain things, leading a few of the wizards to ask if anyone knows what happened to ''Mr.'' Whitlow.

* In ''[[Cat's Cradle]]'', a secretary relates a story of the time Dr. Felix Hoenikker bet her she could not tell him anything that was completely objectively true. When she responded with "God is Love", he simply asked "What is Love?" and considered the bet won.

== Live Action TV ==

* Parodied by [[Benny Hill]]...

'''The Director:''' Cut, cut, cut! No, no, no! It's "What is this thing, called 'love'?" }}

* Gob Bluth from ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'' experiences love for the first time.

'''Gob:''' I know what an erection feels like, Michael. No, it's the opposite - it's like my heart is getting hard. }}

* I'd say ''[[Dexter]]'' fits this one pretty perfectly, in the platonic way.

** And again about his adoptive father

* On [[The Odd Couple]], Felix breaks up Oscar's ex-wife's wedding (which would have ended Oscar's need to pay alimony) because he realized they weren't in love. Oscar calls him on it and demands to know what love is: (paraphrased a bit)

Oscar: "I feel that way about you, but I'm pretty sure it's hate." }}

* [[Wonder Woman (TV series)|Wonder Woman TV Series]]: Paradise Island is an uncharted island within the devil’s triangle, home of the immortal amazons. [[Lady Land|The youngest of these immortals never have seen a man]] and when pilot Steve Trevor lands there, the amazons have those strange feelings:

 

 

== Theatre ==

* The eponymous character in the [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] operetta ''Patience'' specifically does not, in the beginning, understand why all the other women love when it is clear that [[Love Hurts]]. When it is explained to her, she immediately sets out to fall in love:

* Happens all the time in [[Opera]], in which a character will sing "Could this be love?" (usually in another language, of course), generally followed by "Yes -- yes, it is!"<br /><br />The eponymous [[Defrosting Ice Queen|Defrosting Ice Princess]] of Puccini's ''Turandot'' is more or less thawed by a kiss from Prince Calaf.

 

* The youko ([[Obake|fox spirit]]) Tamamo from ''[[Hell Teacher Nube]]'' couldn't even begin to comprehend how or why Nube was so [[Determinator|determined]] to [[Papa Wolf|protect his students]], much less why such drive gave him power beyond (arguably) more powerful entities. Therefore, he stuck around to see exactly how [[The Power of Love]] worked, and also to annoy Nube as the school's physician. The interesting part is that he became just as attached to Doumori Elementary and its students without him ever realizing it, and gained the same kind of determination and selflessness as Nube.<br /><br />It came to a head when Tamamo exorcised an emotion-parasite [[Obake|yokai]] from a little girl, and, still wishing to explore emotions, attached it to himself. He was overcome with human feelings that overwhelmed even his demonic side.

* The conversation in ''[[Spirited Away]]'' between Lin and Kamaji (two spirits) as they watched Chihiro speak to the sleeping Haku both plays it straight and inverts it.

'''Kamaji''': Something you wouldn't recognize. It's called "love". }}

* [[Hanatsuki Hime]]: Siva, and arguably any of the other devils involved in making contracts with humans, ''want'' to experience this trope because the devils do not have emotions (or the emotions that humans have). It starts out as a game to relieve boredom and simply ends that way for most -- for some, however, the trope gets played straight.

** The trope is also featured in ''Disgaea 2'' with Rozalin, with her [[Defrosting Ice Queen|defrosting]] treated in much the same way.

** It gets spoofed in ''[[Disgaea 3 Absence of Justice]]'', when [[Mad Scientist|Mao]] tries a more scientific approach to figuring out love.

* Sanctus from ''[[Devil May Cry]] 4'' {{spoiler|mocks Nero and Credo on their efforts of rescuing Kyrie with "Held back by love" and "Love..? For a sibling?" respectively. While Sanctus was originally human, he's all but demonic by that point}}.

 

* [[Our Vampires Are Different|Spike]] in ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', once he's got a [[Government Agency of Fiction|government]] issued microchip in his noggin preventing him from harming humans, finds to his frustration his [[Slap Slap Kiss|obsession with Buffy Summers morphing into genuine affection]]. This cognitive dissonance eventually impels him to begin a [[Arc Fatigue|long]] [[Heel Face Turn]] culminating in a quest to [[Become a Real Boy|restore his human soul]].

* ''[[True Blood]]'' has an interesting variation on this when Eric (vampire) and Sookie (human) are discussing his [[I Love You, Vampire Son|relationship]] to Godric, who turned him into a vampire.

'''Eric''': ''(wistfully)'' Don't use words I don't understand. }}

 

** On the other hand, Richard does display an ounce of humanity on at least one occasion. His former minion, [[Sdrawkcab Name|Hctib Elttil]], was confident that the warlock would never break the curse that the imp placed on him and remain a weakened, miniature version of his former self forever, because the only way to break the curse was to perform a selfless act. Sure enough, Richard regained his former stature and power level by saving a small human child. It was indeed selfless, because at that point he didn't know how to break the curse.

** He's also fond of the rabbit the rest of the group jokingly got him as a mount. At least, he keeps it with him, and hasn't immolated the little guy yet. In fact, after Richard was sent to another plane, the little rabbit started crying; they later had a happy reunion, complete with running to each other on the beach. Lets not forget his battlecry:

 

 

** [[Truth in Television|That last sentence is reasonably true of this world, too.]]

*** In the first book...

*** In the sixth book...

'''Dumbledore''': Yes - just love... }}

 

* In ''[[Baldur's Gate|Baldur's Gate 2]]'', Viconia does have a concept of what love is but, being from a race where sex is used for either only pleasure or to have power over somebody, is quite unfamiliar with the more intimate aspects, such as cuddling, and is quite confused when she starts to "feel an ache" whenever your apart.

* Gently spoofed in the [[Team Fortress 2]] "WAR!" comic, where [[Mission Control|The Administrator]] has to ask her assistant exactly what friends ''do'' together.

'''Administrator''': '' '''Talking?''' Friendship is even worse than I thought.'' }}

* In Captain Blue's story in ''[[Viewtiful Joe]]'', [[Level Boss]] Alastor demands this of Blue after Alastor finds and reads a love letter Blue wrote to his wife.

'''Alastor''': "[[The Power of Love|Love is power]]... I'll remember that." }}

 

** Also, "The Beach" shows that she doesn't understand romance or flirting at all; her sales pitch is an outright [[We Can Rule Together]] because she doesn't have the slightest clue what else she can say to seem attractive.

* In ''[[Gargoyles]]'', it takes David Xanatos considerable effort to comprehend his feelings for Fox. It's actually [[Discussed Trope|discussed]] when he proposes:

'''Fox''': "True, but what about... [[Marry for Love|love]]?"<br />

'''Xanatos''': "I think we love each other... as much as two people such as ourselves are capable of that emotion." }}

* ''[[A for Andromeda]]''. Fleming explains to Andromeda (a synthetic woman created and controlled by an alien-designed [[Master Computer]]) the difference between right and wrong ('nasty' and 'nice') by pinching and then stroking her. Later on Fleming grabs her for a snog, though by that stage she has already started to develop emotions, including concern for his life.

* ''[[Fringe]]'': The episode ''August'' is about an Observer who saves a girl from dying in a plane crash, in violation of the Observers' rule against interference, and eventually sacrifices his own life to protect her. As he's dying he explains why to September:

'''September:''' Yes. You made her important. She is responsible for the death of one of us. }}

** Later, in the episode ''A Short Story About Love'', ''September'' seems to have started to understand the concept.

'''September:''' I believe you call it Love. }}

* The phrase is referenced on ''[[Would I Lie to You]]'' by Lee Mack to mock David Mitchell after he phrases a sentence strangely ("What did the vending machine... vend?").

== [[Web Original]] ==

* There's a [http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/general-10/linux-jokes-334249/#post1699455 series of old jokes] with *NIX commands giving "meaningful answers". One of them is

Make: Don't know how to make love. Stop. }}