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{{trope}}
[[File:
{{quote|''"And the spinning... always the spinning. Let's see you do ''that'', computers!"'' (hurls laptop through the air)
Simultaneously showing the passage of time and the impact of events by showing newspaper headlines. For added effect, the papers emblazoned with these headlines spin towards the camera before pausing briefly and fading out. It is usually also accompanied by a trumpet sound effect.
The
The
Back in the days before this device had been done to death, some [[B-Movie
A
Compare [[Spinning Clock Hands]], [[Exploding Calendar]] to show the passage of time. As a narrative device to deliver plot-related info, [[Phony Newscast]] is an approximate broadcast counterpart.▼
▲Compare [[Spinning Clock Hands]], [[Exploding Calendar]] to show the passage of time.
{{examples}}
▲== Advertisement ==
* Parodied in a TV advertisement for Yogo, with the last paper of the montage saying 'Newspaper Readers Get Dizzy'.
▲== Anime and Manga ==
* Played straight in ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi]]'' with a tabloid press newspaper, showing what would happen if Haruhi was to spread the picture of the computer club president groping Mikuru.
*
▲== Film ==
▲* [[Spinning Paper]] was a standard trope of early 1930s "B" movies, especially in films dealing with organized crime. It went out of style at around the time the [[Hays Code]] was adopted; any use after about 1936 is usually a deliberate invocation of the trope as tribute or parody. These deliberate invocations include ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938), ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' (1941), and ''[[Singin' in the Rain|Singin in The Rain]]'' (1952). The last film used the audience's memory of the [[Spinning Paper]] trope to add to the nostalgic feel of the movie.
* A similar trope was used by [[Charlie Chaplin]] in ''[[The Great Dictator]]'' (1940), where papers coming off the press are used in the same way. This later became a popular [[Film Noir]] trope.
* The definitive parody of the Spinning Paper trope is in ''[[The Last Remake Of Beau Geste]]'', when a spinning newspaper is delivered to the Geste family's doorstep, and the paper continues spinning even as butler [[Spike Milligan]] attempts to pick it up. He has to keep circling around the spinning newspaper so that he can read the headline.
** There's a running gag involving the butler and several similar tropes, including a scene with the [[Exploding Calendar]], where the butler is desperately trying to stop the pages from flying off the calendar.
* The film ''[[Bill and Teds Bogus Journey]]'' ends with a minutes-long comic headline sequence where various real-world publications detail the band's rise to fame and the resulting steps towards world peace.
** [[Crowning Moment of Funny|The best one]]: "Death Wins Indy 5000: 'I Didn't Know I Could Run That Fast'"
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** The sequel had third one about a man who undergoes sex change surgery and marries him-(her?)-self.
* In the film ''[[Strange Brew]]'', there is a spinning newspaper, but when it stops, it is revealed to have the wrong side up and a hand quickly reaches out to flip the paper over to show the intended side.
* ''[[Harry Potter
* Used in ''[[The Incredibles]]'', in conjunction with [[Practical Voice Over]] and fake news footage, to explain the [[Super Registration Act|Super Relocation Act]].
* In ''[[Star Wreck]] 6'', a very popular Finnish hobbyist-produced sci-fi parody film, newspapers headlines following P-Fleet's conquest of the world are shown in this manner within an old-style propaganda film within the show.
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* Played straight in ''[[Hoodlum]]''.
* Played straight, but without spinning, in the first ''[[Spider-Man (film)|Spider-Man]]'' movie.
** And shows up in the second, as J. Jonah Jameson yells "[[Skyward Scream|I WAAANT SPIIIDEERMAAAAAAANNNN!!!]]", a spinning newspaper announces: "[[He's Back
** Scenes from the first two films are re-enacted by children in a play for the music video to Snow Patrol's song [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11KD3gN6Bus 'Signal Fire'] (which is part of the soundtrack to the third film), and features a live action spinning paper detailing Spidey's heroics.
* Played straight in ''[[The Godfather|The Godfather Part III]]''.
** And as a result spoofed in ''Mafia!''. One of the headlines is "A spinning paper appears over a cathedral"
* Used in the [[George Lucas Throwback]] movie ''[[Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow]]'' (2004), along with a [[Practical Voice Over]], to show that the robot attack on New York is part of a worldwide phenomenon. The short film version had the paper spin, the 2004 movie just had a pan across newspaper headlines from across the world.
*
* Happens in the "The Meek Shall Inherit" number from the film version of the musical ''[[Little Shop of Horrors]]''.
* In the film version of the musical ''[[Chicago]]'', just as Roxie's verdict is about to be announced, a paper with the headline "Roxie Hart Innocent" is shown. It's also revealed that the newspapers printed up some "Roxie Hart Guilty" issues, just in case.
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* Although not spinning, each of the Indians' [[Miracle Rally]] montages in the first two ''[[Major League]]'' movies (as well as their near-collapse in the ALCS of the second) give us newspaper headlines of big moments, which have as a picture the last frame of the previous scene.
▲== Live Action TV ==
* Used in the opening credits of ''[[The Adventures of Brisco County Jr]]'' to tell the pilot's back story of Brisco's dad getting killed, millionaires hiring his son, and Lord Bowler as a competitive bounty hunter.
* ''[[Siskel and Ebert]]'': Used as the title logo screen.
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* Parodied in ''[[Police Squad!]]!'' where a paper reading "Chump KO's Champ in Bar Fight" is followed immediately by another reading "Champ OK's Chump for Title Fight".
* Given this trope's popularity in old [[B-Movie|B Movies]], it should come as no surprise that it shows up many times in various episodes of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'', often with a [[Proportional Article Importance]] joke about the new petitions against tax, as seen in the link above.
{{quote|
* Used as part of the autobiographical musical Bret and Jemaine perform in the final episode of ''[[Flight of the Conchords]]'' - because it's a stage performance, they just turn down the lights and have a black-clad Dave slowly walk towards the front of the stage while twirling the paper.
* In November
* A [[Superman]]
** Also appears in the very first SNL episode, as part of a short film by [[Albert Brooks]].
* Used often in ''[[Corner Gas]]'' with the local ''Howler''. Parodied in "Wedding Card":
{{quote|
'''Spinning Paper:''' NEW BYLAW PROPOSED
'''Wanda:''' Nah, the big story's the new bylaw. }}
* ''[[Psych]]'': Parodied; the camera zooms out to reveal that the headline is on Gus's iPad, which he's spinning on a desk.
* Used in the 1970s ''[[Ellery Queen]]'' TV series. It is very prominent in the pilot episode "Too Many Suspects" but also used in other episodes. Undoubtedly a deliberate choice to help invoke the feeling of the 1940s when the series is set.
▲== Theater ==
* Shakespeare's ''[[Richard III]]'' summarizes an entire civil war with a series of messengers arriving at Richard's headquarters.
* ''[[The Solid Gold Cadillac]]'' opened its second act on a show curtain showing the tabloid papers putting the government sex scandal in big headlines, and the ''New York Times'' ignoring it in favor of financial news. (The movie version averted this trope.)
==
* The first ''[[Destroy All Humans!]]'' uses it straight at the end of each stage... if you can call the [[Implausible Deniability|increasingly implausible cover-ups]] for the mayhem Crypto has committed "using it straight". You'll also see a
* Shows up at intervals in ''[[Day of the Tentacle]]''; each new headline alludes to Purple Tentacle's progressing plan for world domination.
* Whenever a new feature is unlocked, you enter the playoffs, or you pitch a perfect game, this happens in ''[[Backyard Sports|Backyard Baseball]]''.
* The opening video of ''[[Zork: Grand Inquisitor]]'' has a couple, in addition to a lot of severely not-funny footage of book-burnings and mass arrests and the like with such hilarious narration that it [[Crosses the Line Twice]].
* Happens when you lose in ''[[Theme Hospital]]'', with a front-page scandal about you.
* You get one of these every time a new level begins in ''[[The Simpsons Hit
* ''[[Covert Front]]'' has these in the beginning of the first game, starting with one reporting the assassination of the French Prime Minister and ending with one reporting the beginning of [[World War
* In [[Command
* At the intro of Beaver Power in ''[[Fur Fighters]]'' a spinning paper is displayed showing that [[Evil Corp|Viggo Industries]] has bought the dam the hub is centred around. It spins into the hands of a beaver just before Viggo himself shows up.
▲== Web Comics ==
* In ''[[Kevin and Kell]]'', a newspaper with headlines discussing the destruction of Rabbit's Revenge {{spoiler|and Danielle's death}} blows by on the wind {{spoiler|at the graveyard}}.
* ''[[Hey Arnold!]]!'' had this during a [[Dream Sequence]] in the episode "Married".▼
▲== Western Animation ==
* In an episode of ''[[The Fairly
▲* ''[[Hey Arnold]]!'' had this during a [[Dream Sequence]] in the episode "Married".
** This trope was used much earlier in "Foul Ball", where Chester, son of the worst Major League baseball player in history, suddenly becomes ridiculously good at the game
▲* In an episode of ''[[The Fairly Odd Parents]]'' they did a spinning paper, and then pulled out to show it in the middle of Timmy's room with Cosmo spinning it in midair. Wanda complains that she can't read it, so Cosmo proceedes to spin her along with the paper.
* Also spoofed on ''[[Robot Chicken]]'', with a headline reading to the effect of "
▲** This trope was used much earlier in "Foul Ball", where Chester, son of the worst Major League baseball player in history, suddenly becomes ridiculously good at the game (thanks to Timmy's wish). Cue not newspapers, but magazines with Chester's face plastered across them (and ending with a picture of Timmy on ''Pack Mule Monthly'')
▲* Also spoofed on ''[[Robot Chicken]]'', with a headline reading to the effect of "[[Spinning Paper]] Voted Lamest Cinematic Cliche."
** Another episode has lampshades the trope by having one of the papers be named "The Spinning Times".
* Parodied on ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]''; after being played straight with two newspapers announcing plot points, a third one bears the headline "Spinning Newspaper Injures Printer".
** Another is in a [[Couch Gag]]: "Couch Gag Thrills Nation".
** The ''Springfield Shopper'' announcing Homer's challenge to [[Gentleman Thief]] Malloy is stolen by Malloy as soon as it stops spinning.
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* Parodied on ''[[The Oblongs]]'' with the first two having headlines about a "local hero woman" and the third one with a headline about the "unexplained newspaper spinning continuing."
** With a sub-header reading "Unconfirmed rumors of [[Exploding Calendar|pages falling off calendars]]".
* Played straight in ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]''. Additionally, Fox Kids used to preview the day's episode with ads using a
* The student election episode of ''[[Clone High]]'' has one of the best spinning paper gags. The main headline is the sensible and plot-relevant "New Polls In: JFK ahead", but below that is "New Poles In: Tetherball Club Ecstatic".
* The animated series ''[[
* Used multiple times (including the [[Couch Gag]]) in the ''[[Squirrel Boy]]'' episode "News It or Lose It".
* In the ''[[Futurama]]'' episode "Less Than Hero", after Fry, Leela and Bender become superheroes, a
* ''[[Superfriends]]'' 1973/74 episode "The Balloon People". "Balloon People land on Earth. Saucer lands in backyard after space trip."
* ''[[My Little Pony:
** Used in "Green Isn't Your Color", with magazines featuring Fluttershy's face demonstrating the runaway success of her modeling career.
** Used with the Ponyville school newspaper in "Ponyville Confidential".
* ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'' plays it straight during the episode which has Fuzzy Lumpkins running for Mayor of Townsville against [[Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"|the Mayor]], with the newspaper reporting on his seemingly inexplicable rise in popularity. This continues until the very end of the election, with the last newspaper actually hitting Fuzzy in the face... and then revealing that he won.
▲== Other ==
* Older versions of Windows Movie Maker had a video effect that let you show text as a spinning newspaper.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:News Tropes]]
[[Category:Time Tropes]]
[[Category:Montages]]
[[Category:
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
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