What Is This, X?

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Zoolander: What is this, a center for ants? How can we be expected to teach children to learn how to read... if they can't even fit inside the building? Mugatu: Derek, this is just a small... Zoolander: I don't wanna hear your excuses! The building has to be at least... three times bigger than this! —Zoolander

Exactly What It Says on the Tin. This Stock Phrase is usually said in exasperation or annoyance to highlight an unlikely, unusual, nonsensical, or out of character moment. It is most often said by the Plucky Comic Relief or the Deadpan Snarker.

The related phrase "Who are you, and what have you done with X?" is used when a character is Not Himself. It may or may not be Leaning on the Fourth Wall.

Needs a Better Description

Examples of What Is This, X? include:

Anime and Manga

• In the Funimation dub of Dragon Ball, in one episode, when Bulma gets surprised that she has to wear a Playboy Bunny costume: "What is this, Easter Bunny?!"

Film

• The film Holiday Inn makes use of it:

Dance Extra: What is this, a daisy chain? Ted Hanover: Sorry, we're just looking for the back of a girl we don't know...

• The Black Ranger uses it in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Adam: What is this, pick on the Frog day?

• Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, during the creepy boat ride:

Violet: What is this, a freak-out!?

Web Original

• The Angry Video Game Nerd
  • In "Game Glitches", the Nerd is distracted by the Glitch Gremlin messing up Rocky Balboa (Bug-Eyed Balboa) and Spider Rico (Spider Rico with no jaw) on the Rocky PS2 game:

AVGN: They're like zombies! What is this, "Rocky: The Undead Edition"? You are really one sick fuck, you know that?

• • In the Pong episode:

AVGN: "You get 4 different kinds of Pong, like... what the hell is this, Reverse Pong? Okay... Oh, now what's this? Asshole Pong? That's not fair!"

Western Animation

• In one episode of Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman, Ruff does this when he sees Chet pasting an underwater wallpaper on the studio wall:

Ruff: Chet, an under-the-sea motif? What is this, "FETCH! with Ruff Rumblefish"? Come on!

• Family Guy gives us this example:

Pearl: spits "What is this, spit soup!?" Brian: "Tomato bisque." Pearl: spits "What is this, snot soup!?" Brian: "It's tomato bisque." Pearl: spits "What is this, diarrhea soup!?" Brian: "Look I'm not going to make you anything else, so just eat it, OK?"