This Is a Work of Fiction: Difference between revisions

{{quote|"Really? I thought water-walking, bisexual, bullet dodging vampires were a regular occurrence these days."|[http://lparchive.org/Metal-Gear-Solid-2-(Screenshot)/Update%201/ LP Archive, on the Metal Gear Solid 2 disclaimer].}}

Sometimes this disclaimer is [[Blatant Lies|the only part of the movie that's fiction]], especially when [[Historical Domain Character|the real people in question lived long enough ago that they're not going to sue anybody]]. (And sometimes publishers make the mistake of putting it in books openly [[Based on a True Story]]; e.g., the [https://web.archive.org/web/20110719002155/http://www.nizkor.org/features/denial-of-science/schindler-04.html first printing of the Touchstone paperback edition] of ''[[Schindler's List]]''.) Works [[Based on a True Story]] may use a modified disclaimer, acknowledging the historical basis for the work but stating that it doesn't necessarily conform 100% to history.

{{examples|Interesting uses:<ref>(As the disclaimer itself is ubiquitous, only parodies, [[Based on a True Story|inversions]], [[In-Universe]] examples and the like should be listed.</ref>}})

== Anime and Manga ==

{{quote| "This programme is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to the real Plan to Turn Humanity Into Livestock, Ozeki or [[Che Guevara]] is purely coincidental."}}

{{quote| ''"This is a work of fiction. Although it is based on real historical events, the characters have been created for the sake of this story. We are not trying to present a new interpretation of the era and its events."''}}

* ''[[500 Days of Summer|(500) Days of Summer]]'' begins with the standard disclaimer, and then appends, "[[Especially Zoidberg|Especially]] [[Suspiciously Specific Denial|you, Jenny Beckman.]] [[This Is for Emphasis, Bitch|Bitch.]]"

* ''[[Monty Python and Thethe Holy Grail]]'' has the regular "accidental and unintentional" message... but follows it up with "Signed [[Richard M Nixon]]".

* The infamous /b/ board on [[4chan]] has one of these:

{{quote| The stories and information posted here are artistic works of fiction and falsehood.<br />

{{quote| This is a work of fiction. All names and characters are either invented or used fictitiously. To the best of the author's knowledge, there is no such licensed product as a Double-Jointed Vampire Barbie, nor is there a cinematic portrayal thereof.<br />

{{quote| As in my other works of fiction: All persons living and dead are purely coincidental, and should not be construed. No names have been changed in order to protect the innocent. Angels protect the innocent as a matter of Heavenly routine.}}

{{quote| "Any resemblance to persons living or dead should be plainly apparent to them and those who know them, especially if the author has been kind enough to have provided their real names and, in some cases, their phone numbers. All events described herein actually happened, though on occasion the author has taken certain, very small, liberties with chronology, because that is his right as an American."}}

{{quote| The characters in this book are fictional in a limited sense, i.e. they haven't been born yet.}}

* Each book in the ''~[[87th Precinct~]]'' series features the following disclaimer (which is partly a shout-out to ''Dragnet''):

{{quote| The city in these pages is imaginary. The people, the places are all fictitious. Only the police routine is based on established investigatory technique.}}

{{quote| ''"This novel is fiction, except for the parts that aren't."''}}

{{quote| '''Mary''' (paraphrasing): You could publish it as fact, of course. But where would that lead? ...they would dig up your tulip bulbs and sell water from your garden hose as holy. They would flock to your house and turn it into a shrine. The prayers would drive you mad.}}

{{quote| This book is a work of fiction. The public figures, historical events, and popular entertainments referred to in the text are from a different universe, one with no libel or copyright laws.}}

* In ''You Have to Stop This'', the final book of the ''[[Secret Series]]'', the disclaimer reads "The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Of course, you know what they say about good intentions...."

{{quote| The story you are about to see is a fib, but it's short. The names are made up, but the problems are real.}}

* Many episodes of shows from the ''[[Law and Order]]'' franchise begin with the caption "The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event." Some have a modified version: "Although inspired by true events, the following story is fictional." Experienced viewers know that either means "Okay, this story's been [[Ripped from the Headlines]]. Please don't sue us."

* Every episode of ''[[Unsolved Mysteries]]'' started out with a warning in (first) an ominous male voice, and on the [[Lifetime Movie of the Week|Lifetime]] broadcasts, an equally ominous female voice:

{{quote| This program is about unsolved mysteries. Whenever possible, the actual family members and police officials have participated in recreating the events. What you are about to see is not a news broadcast.}}

{{quote| ''What more remains is but to say<br />

''All characters and all events<br />

''Incorporated in our play<br />

''Are fictional in every way,<br />

''Nor does one actor here portray<br />

''The person that he represents. }}

* Used at the beginning of ''[[Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty]]'' (and that game alone), because it was written in 1999, depicted terrorist attacks in New York and [[Too Soon|was completed in September 2001]].

* Can be seen at the beginning of both the English and Japanese versions of the ''[[Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army|Raidou]] [[Raidou Kuzunoha VS King Abaddon|Kuzunoha]]'' games, perhaps due to the historical([[Alternate History|ish]]) setting and the use of a few [[Historical Domain Character|Historical Domain Characters]]s.

* Because of the historical and religious implications of the plot of the ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' series, every game takes care to point out that it "was designed, developed and produced by a multicultural team of various religious faiths and beliefs".

* Due to the crazy and unfair court system used in ''[[Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney]]'', the Western version of the game manual features quiet promplty a message saying: "The courts, law and legal activities in this game were made speciiclyspecifically for entertaimententertainment purposes and in no way represent real courts of any kind shape of form". This is obviously so that the JusticJustice System of America don't get pee'd ofoff at how they represent their courts in the game. In the orginaloriginal Japanese version however (which is what the courts in the games ARE''are'' based on) they say that "the courts, laws and way of trials in this game are based on the court system however do not represent it with 100% acurrecyaccuracy. Many aspects are exsaggeratedexaggerated for entertainment purposes and therefore should not be taken as an accurate representaionrepresentation.". Of course the trials in the games are huge take[[Take thatsThat]]s at the Japan Legal System, a system which untilluntil theits revamp in 2009, was considered very unfair, harashharsh and too hard on suspects; a fact that was confirmed by ''[[Word of God]]''

* Played with in ''[[Touhou]]: Ten Desires'' - "This game is a work of fiction. All characters and organizations that appear have entered Gensokyo."

* ''[[Gunnerkrigg Court]]'': Tom Siddell says this, almost word for word, in the annotation for [http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=380 this page] and the one following. However, the the message here is not "''Although this looks like it could have really happened, it didn't.''", but rather "''[[MST3K Mantra|I KNOW this is impossible! It's a fantasy story, OK?]]''"

{{quote| "All characters and events in this show—even those based on real people—are entirely fictional. All celebrity voices are impersonated ... [[Self-Deprecation|poorly]]. The following program contains coarse language and due to its content it should not be viewed by anyone."}}

* ''[[Beavis and ButtheadButt-Head|Beavis and Butt-Head]]'' had two notable disclaimers at different periods of its series run, the latter essentially a slightly slimmed down version of the former, accompanied by jaunty banjo music:

{{quote| "Beavis and Butt-Head are not role models. They're not even human, they're cartoons. Some of the things they do would cause a person to get hurt, expelled, arrested, and possibly deported. To put it another way, [[Don't Try This At Home]]."}}