Spinning Paper: Difference between revisions

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The [[Spinning Paper]] is more commonly used in movies rather than TV shows and is such an [[Discredited Trope|over-used cliché]] that these days it is usually used not for dramatic, but for comedic value, as in ''[[The Simpsons]]''.

Back in the days before this device had been done to death, some [[B-Movie|B Movies]] would--as an alternative to printing up a custom faux-newspaper--apparently use certain stock layouts, with everything below the massive main headline cut-and-pasted from previous fake front pages. This is why certain news articles, like [http://mst3k.wikia.com/wiki/New_Petitions_Against_Tax "New Petitions Against Tax"], appear on completely unrelated front pages with such frequency. Which [[Fridge Logic|does lead one to wonder]] why, with the main headline proclaiming [[The End of the World As We Know It|Armageddon]], [[Worst News Judgment Ever|some papers consider "Building Code Under Fire" to be newsworthy]].

Back in the days before this device had been done to death, some [[B-Movie|B Movies]] would--as an alternative to printing up a custom faux-newspaper--apparently use certain stock layouts, with everything below the massive main headline cut-and-pasted from previous fake front pages. This is why certain news articles, like [http://mst3k.wikia.com/wiki/New_Petitions_Against_Tax "New Petitions Against Tax"], appear on completely unrelated front pages with such frequency. Which [[Fridge Logic|does lead one to wonder]] why, with the main headline proclaiming [[The End of the World as We Know It|Armageddon]], [[Worst News Judgment Ever|some papers consider "Building Code Under Fire" to be newsworthy]].

A [[Spinning Paper]] will often display the [[Worst News Judgment Ever]]. See also [[News Monopoly]].

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== 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 (Film)|~~Citizen Kane]]'' (1941), and ''[[Singin in ~~The~~ Rain ~~(Film)~~|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.

* [[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.

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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 (~~Film~~)|The movie version]] of ''[[Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix]]'' features a series of dynamic and quite visually impressive Spinning Paper-esque headline montages, as well as using the moving pictures in the paper (''Magic'', people!) to transition smoothly from scene to scene.

* [[Harry Potter (film)|The movie version]] of ''[[Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix]]'' features a series of dynamic and quite visually impressive Spinning Paper-esque headline montages, as well as using the moving pictures in the paper (''Magic'', people!) to transition smoothly from scene to scene.

* 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.

* Played straight in the BBC production of ''Ballet Shoes'', with spinning theater posters.

* Played straight in ''[[Hoodlum]]''.

* Played straight, but without spinning, in the first ''[[Spider-Man (~~Film~~)|Spider-Man]]'' movie.

* 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|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 ~~(Film)~~|The Godfather Part III]]''.

* 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.

* Used and played straight in [[Tim Burton]]'s ''[[Batman (~~Film~~)|Batman]]''

* Used and played straight in [[Tim Burton]]'s ''[[Batman (film)|Batman]]''

* 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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* The film ''[[Revenge of the Creature]]'' features this trope after the creature's escape.

* ''[[The Incredible Mr. Limpet]]''. After Henry Limpet destroys the attacking U-boat wolf pack, a series of spinning newspaper headlines list the final events of [[World War 2]] until victory.

* The ending of ''[[~~Dumbo (Disney)|~~Dumbo]]'', after Dumbo has become a celebrity.

* The ending of ''[[Dumbo]]'', after Dumbo has become a celebrity.

* The prologue to the 1974 film version of ''[[Murder On the Orient Express]]'' features a montage of Spinning Papers chronicling the kidnapping, and eventual murder, of Baby Daisy Armstrong.

* The prologue to the 1974 film version of ''[[Murder on the Orient Express]]'' features a montage of Spinning Papers chronicling the kidnapping, and eventual murder, of Baby Daisy Armstrong.

* 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.

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== 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 (TV)|~~Siskel and Ebert]]'': Used as the title logo screen.

* ''[[Siskel and Ebert]]'': Used as the title logo screen.

* ''[[Married ~~With~~ Children]]'': During the baseball strike in 1994, one spinning headline reads, "Baseball Player Spinning Papers", before showing someone (the baseball player) doing just that.

* ''[[Married... with Children]]'': During the baseball strike in 1994, one spinning headline reads, "Baseball Player Spinning Papers", before showing someone (the baseball player) doing just that.

* ''[[Lois and Clark]]'' has spinning newspapers from across the world reacting to Superman's debut in the pilot. They do it again when he leaves Earth in the last episode of Season 3. On both occasions the trope is dealt with more or less straight... until the final paper is a supermarket tabloid with a ridiculous headline.

** They also did it when [[Lex Luthor]] was exposed for the criminal he was and plunged to death to avoid life in prison. The last headline said he and [[Elvis Presley]] opened a shop in Hawaii.

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== Video Games ==

* 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 [[Spinning Paper]] if Crypto gets killed, describing the cover-up used for the capture of his body.

* 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 [[Spinning Paper]] if Crypto gets killed, describing the cover-up used for the capture of his body.

* 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 (Video Game)|~~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]].

* 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 and Run]]''.

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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 [[Spinning Paper]] opener describing a key plot point of the episode.

* Played straight in ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]''. Additionally, Fox Kids used to preview the day's episode with ads using a [[Spinning Paper]] opener describing a key plot point of the episode.

* 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 ''[[Super Dave Daredevil For Hire|Super Dave: Daredevil For Hire]]'' featured two spinning newspapers in succession, the second one with the headline "Newspaper Spins!" and a photograph of the first paper.

* 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 [[Spinning Paper]] is shown... with the headline "No Action on Rates by FED". "Mysterious Vigilantes Foil Crime" is a title of a small article in the same newspaper.

* ''[[~~Super Friends~~]]'' 1973/74 episode "The Balloon People". "Balloon People land on Earth. Saucer lands in backyard after space trip."

* ''[[Superfriends]]'' 1973/74 episode "The Balloon People". "Balloon People land on Earth. Saucer lands in backyard after space trip."

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic ~~(Animation)~~|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'':

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'':

** 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".