Wild Card Excuse: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''"Uhhh... internet."''|'''Timmy Turner''' to everyone who asks where he got his stuff from, ''[[The Fairly OddParents]]''}}

The '''Wild Card Excuse''' is a Subtrope of [[Blatant Lies]]. It often consists of a [[Blatant Lies]] or a [[Lame Excuse]] that is elevated to a [[Running Gag]] in the series.

The '''Wild Card Excuse''' is a Subtrope of [[Blatant Lies]]. It often consists of a set of [[Blatant Lies]] or a [[Lame Excuse]] that is elevated to a [[Running Gag]] in the series.

In a game of cards, a wild card can be played in any situation. The wild card excuse is the same way. Late for class? You hit your head. Acting strange? You hit your head. You were seen lighting things on fire with your mind? You hit your... Okay, you get the point. What matters is that the same excuse is always used, no matter the situation, no matter how implausible it is, and it is always believed.

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== [[Fan Works]] ==

* Shirou of [[In Flight]], every time someone calls him on anything strange about him. Eventually his flock start completing the sentence for him.

* Shirou of ''[[In Flight]]'', every time someone calls him on anything strange about him. Eventually his flock start completing the sentence for him.

* In ''[[Oh God Not Again]]'', anytime a character asks Harry how he knows seemingly impossible things.

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== Literature ==

* In [[Everworld]] the characters often pretend to be traveling minstrels as a cover for the fact that they're from an alternate dimension

* In ''[[Everworld]]'' the characters often pretend to be traveling minstrels as a cover for the fact that they're from an alternate dimension

* [[Terry Pratchett]] [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshades]] this one in the [[Johnny Maxwell Trilogy]].

{{quote|[[It's for a Book|A project]]. If Saddam Hussein had said he was doing a project on Kuwait, the Gulf War might never have happened.}}

* In ''[[Discworld/Interesting Times|Interesting Times]]'', Rincewind visits [[Imperial China|the Agatean Empire]], where foreigners are routinely executed. He's advised to tell anyone who gets suspicious that he's from Bes Pelargic, an Agatean town looked down on by everyone else for being a bit weird.

** Likewise, when the Patrician, Nobby and Colon are undercover as Klatchians in ''[[Discworld/Jingo|Jingo]]'', Sgt Colon is explained as being from Um, a town proverbial for stupidity. Every time someone gets suspicious about him (he doesn't know what a mineret is, he's unfamiliar with couscous, he's surprised by a flying carpet), the Patrician deftly turns it into an Um joke, and everyone laughs and relaxes.

* In the first book of the Song of the Lioness series, Alanna always uses "I fell down" to explain her black eyes, and broken bones, and other conspicuous injuries obviously gotten from fighting. This is Justified in that this is the traditional response for brawling pages.

* In the first book of the ''[[Tortall Universe|Song of the Lioness]]'' series, Alanna always uses "I fell down" to explain her black eyes, and broken bones, and other conspicuous injuries obviously gotten from fighting. This is Justified in that this is the traditional response for brawling pages.

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** There are sometimes further questions, but very rarely answers, at least none that are directly relevant.

* On ''[[Lost]]'', mentioning Canada is always a clue that the speaker is lying. Fugitive Kate tells Ray she's Canadian. Ethan claims to be from Ontario. The Others believe Bonnie and Greta are on assignment in Canada, not jamming signals in the Looking Glass Station. In "The Other 48 Days," Nathan tells Ana-Lucia he's from Canada, which is probably true, but the audience is meant to ''think'' it's a lie because Ethan said the same thing.

* ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' - The [[Coneheads]] handwave their weirdness by claiming to be from France.

* ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' - The [[Coneheads]] handwave their weirdness by [[Foreigner Excuse|claiming to be from France]].

* ''[[Fawlty Towers]]'' - Manuel being from Barcelona. It explains his bad English. It fails to explain anything else.

* ''[[Fawlty Towers]]'': Manuel being from Barcelona. It explains his bad English. It fails to explain anything else.

* ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'' has a minor variation: The brothers have fake identities every case (FBI agents, doctors, etc), and stick with that for the entirety of the episode—which makes sense, considering they're stuck in a small town. This has led to truly ridiculous claims, such as managing to get everything for a case by being ''health inspectors''.

{{quote|'''Naked Woman:''' Wh-what are you and that kid doing in the women's showers?

'''Sam:''' Don't worry, ma'am. I'm with the health department. }}

* One episode of [[Scrubs]] had Jordan repeatedly justifying her [[Jerkass]] tendancies with "My parents were mean to me". Everyone immediately accepts this as a sufficient explanation. At one point she even says it out loud in response to something she was merely ''thinking''. And of course, it turns out to be a lie anyway.

* One episode of ''[[Scrubs]]'' had Jordan repeatedly justifying her [[Jerkass]] tendancies with "My parents were mean to me". Everyone immediately accepts this as a sufficient explanation. At one point she even says it out loud in response to something she was merely ''thinking''. And of course, it turns out to be a lie anyway.

* ''[[The X-Files]]'': In ''Bad Blood:'' "We were drugged."

* Kelly Kapoor in the American version of [[The Office]] has a melodramatic wild card up her sleeve:

* Kelly Kapoor in the American version of ''[[The Office]]'' has a melodramatic wild card up her sleeve:

{{quote|'''Michael:''' You cannot say "I was raped" and expect all your problems to go away Kelly, not again. Don't keep doing that.}}

{{quote|'''Michael:''' You cannot say "[[Rape Is the New Dead Parents|I was raped]]" and expect all your problems to go away Kelly, not again. Don't keep doing that.}}

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== [[Visual Novels]] ==

* In ''[[Princess Waltz]]'', Liliana uses "I lived abroad" to explain how [[Super Strength|she was able to jump out of a second-story window with a friend on her back without injury]].

* In ''[[Princess Waltz]]'', Liliana uses "[[Foreigner Excuse|I lived abroad]]" to explain how [[Super Strength|she was able to jump out of a second-story window with a friend on her back without injury]].

{{quote|'''Suzuku:''' Ah, that explains it.

'''Nishimoto:''' That's someone who lived abroad for you. }}

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** In one episode, while trying to explain why he was suddenly rich, he tried both an inheritance claim, and the usual claim, before settling on "I inherited the Internet!"

*** That particular example eventually becomes a subversion, as a [[POV Sequel|later episode that follows the friends he told this to]] has them not buying it.

*** The peak, however, has to be Superman-esque HEAT VISION being accepted as coming from the Internet... ''[[Time Travel|before the Internet existed]]''.

** The peak, however, has to be Superman-esque HEAT VISION being accepted as coming from the Internet... ''[[Time Travel|before the Internet existed]]''.

*** Weirdness is turned [[Up to Eleven]] when Vicky wants to get married to Chip Skylark. Where does she find a justice of the peace willing to marry a pop idol to his crazed teenage fan against his will? "On the Internet!"... Which implies that you really ''can'' get anything and everything on the Internet.

** Weirdness is turned [[Up to Eleven]] when Vicky wants to get married to Chip Skylark. Where does she find a justice of the peace willing to marry a pop idol to his crazed teenage fan against his will? "On the Internet!"... Which implies that you really ''can'' get anything and everything on the Internet.

* ''[[Johnny Test]]'': Dukey the speaking dog is always "a kid with a rare hair disorder".

* In the "Knifin' Around" episode of ''[[Space Ghost Coast to Coast]]'' featuring Thom Yorke from Radiohead, Space Ghost takes a break from the interview to discretely reveal to his director, Moltar, the fact that he has illegally copied Radiohead CDs. When Yorke appears to be listening in, Space Ghost covers by saying, "Don't look at me... we're talking about dragons!"