This Is Reality: Difference between revisions

A sort of [[Lampshade Hanging]] affirmation of the [[Fourth Wall]], with a subtle joke and a bit of dramatic irony rolled in. Basically, one character tells another, "This Is Reality", "This is not a movie", etc. in order to get them to divorce themselves from an unrealistic notion -- only, little do they know, it indeed ''isn't'' reality. This phrase is often used when [[Defied Trope|defying]] a trope.

 

 

Pretty much a message to the viewers that "Hey, this show/movie is more grounded in reality than average." This message is [[Informed Ability|not always true]]. Sometimes its done for [[Reconstructed Trope|reconstruction purposes]], where the characters ridicule the trope but then the trope somehow comes into play anyway (a very common example involves [[Santa Claus]] turning out to be real and [[True Meaning of Christmas|bringing joy to cynical modern adults]].) Its somewhat common in sci-fi and comedy, genres that feature wildly varying levels of realism and can be used to help the audience get a feel for what the limits are.

When inverted, this is [[Leaning On the Fourth Wall]].

 

 

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* In the ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' episode "Tangent", when Daniel assumed that ''[[Star Trek]]'' tropes would carry into the "real world", this exchange occurred:

{{quote| '''Daniel:''' We were hoping you could kinda... um, like... beam them out. <br />

** ''SG-1'' also has its very own [[Show Within a Show]], ''Wormhole X-Treme'', created by an alien (who doesn't know he is one) from not-entirely-suppressed memories and used by the USAF/SGC as part of their ongoing coverup of the Stargate program; rumors of the "real" thing can be dismissed as inspired by the television fantasy. ''Wormhole X-Treme'' is also an excuse for the SG-1 writers to merrily [[Lampshade Hanging|hang lampshades]] on everything.

* The ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]'' episode "Poisoning the Well" has this exchange:

* In the fifth season [[Angel]] episode "Lineage," when Wesley and Fred get attacked by ninja cyborgs, Wesley goes [[Guns Akimbo]] and starts shooting at them with two guns at once. Fred remarks: "Wesley, I'd like a gun too." {{spoiler|Then she gets a serious puncture wound from the ninjas.}}

* In the first episode of [[ALF (TV)|ALF]], the son (Brian) wants ALF to live with them, just like E.T.; his mother (Kate) explains, "E.T. was a movie. This is real. This is on our coffee table!"

* In ''[[Father Ted]]'', Dougal starts to swear. Ted admonishes him and claims that people don't talk "like that in the real world!"

* From the ''[[Hustle]]'' episode "The Delivery", in which Cool Hand Cooper is being chased by [[The Mafia]]:

'''Mickey''': No, Eddie, not like on the tellie. <br />

'''Cooper''': Yeah, not as cuddly in real life. }}

{{quote| '''Shawn:''' ...and Fred never spent more than 75 seconds at either location.<br />

'''Cory:''' Shawn, that was a cartoon, [[Cartoonland Time|time was compressed]], we're real, we're in real time. <br />

{{quote| '''Wolverine:''' So now what? [[Air Vent Passageway|Air ducts]]?<br />

'''Gambit:''' Heh, only in the world of cinema. In real life, they never hold. }}

** And in the [[Batman the Brave And The Bold (Animation)|fall 2010]] Bat-Mite appearance, Batman explains "This isn't a show for your amusement, Bat-Mite, this is reality!"

*** [[Breaking the Fourth Wall|Although Bat-Mite knows better...]]

'''Jake''': I WAS JUST USING MY IMAGINATION! Then everything got intense. }}

* In ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' on the episode 'A Real Boy' Doofenshmirtz [[Discussed Trope|discusses]] how [[Poor Communication Kills|mishearing things is something that happens in a sitcom]], but this is real life.

* Subverted in ''[[Kim Possible]]'' when Kim's gamer [[Geek]] cousin Larry says he has an idea for dealing with the current sitch: "This isn't one of your stupid science fiction games, Larry! Ron's facing [[Fantasy Kitchen Sink|a kung fu mutant with bio-engineered hands, and mystical monkey powers, and]]..." At that point, Kim decides that Larry might be on to something and hands him the Kimmunicator.

* In [[Turtles Forever]], the 2003 Turtles are baffled by the 1987 Turtles' occasional asides to the audience ("Who are you talking to?!") and {{spoiler|original comic-book Leonardo's [[Narrating the Present|comic-book style narration]] of the fight scene.}}

* It is.

* See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis Simulation Hypothesis] on [[The Other Wiki]].

 

{{reflist}}