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Oblivious Mockery: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
Sometimes, be it in a realistic universe or in a [[World of Badass]], there are actions that are deemed ridiculously dangerous, totally stupid or [[Impossible Task|downright impossible]] to pull off. Nothing to be really proud of in any case. The characters talk about such actions and, soon enough, Alice will wonder out loud (probably sniggering) − "[[Who Would Be Stupid Enough...?]] to do that?"
What she doesn't know is that Bob, to or in presence of whom she said it, ''actually did'' the stupid thing in question. Whether he succeeded or failed miserably, he will either not answer anything or pretend to agree with Alice with an embarrassed expression; he may even be personally proud of it. If the ''viewer'' knows it, [[Hilarity Ensues|A Smile Ensues]]: it's a form of [[Continuity Nod]]. What makes this trope funny is the fact that Alice says it totally innocently, without any clue she is mocking someone within hearing range. Hence the Oblivious Mockery. In some cases, Bob may reveal out-loud that he did said action, and may or may not try to justify himself.
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Can overlap with an in-universe [[Old Shame]].
Compare [[Oblivious Guilt Slinging]] and [[Insult Friendly Fire]]. Contrast [[Noodle Incident]], where the characters vaguely talk about an event they know but the viewer doesn't. Contrast and compare [[Who Would Be Stupid Enough...?]], when Alice [[Tempting Fate|tempts fate]] and is proven right away that someone ''is'' stupid enough, and [[Schmuck Bait]].
The inverse trope is [[Right Behind Me]], when Alice talks dirty about Bob without knowing he's, well, right behind her.
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== [[Film]] ==
* In ''[[Sunset Boulevard]]'', writer Joe Gillis complains to the producer Sheldrake that Betty Shaefer, a script reader, would have turned down ''[[Gone
== [[Literature]] ==
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* Played with in ''[[Friends]]'': Rachel & Monica discover a message on Ross's answering machine from Emily, Ross's ex-wife. Emily is having second thoughts about her upcoming marriage to someone else. They debate whether or not to erase the message - Monica wants to, Rachel doesn't.
{{quote| '''Monica:''' All right, look. She's obviously unstable, okay? I mean, she's thinking about running out on her wedding day.... {{spoiler|(In the first episode, Rachel ran out on her wedding)}} Okay, fine, but... I mean, look at the position she's putting him in. I mean, what's he going to do? He's like... Ross is going to run over there on the wedding day and break up the marriage? Who would do that? {{spoiler|(Rachel did this when Ross & Emily were getting married)}}.... Okay, fine. All right? But that's... you know, that was different. Although it did involve a lot of the same people.}}
* From ''[[
{{quote| '''Max:''' But even if they do get a man into the Pentagon, that's not saying he'll be able to get out. I remember one of our own agents was lost in there for three days.<br />
'''Chief:''' Three days? Max, no agent could be that confused.<br />
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== [[Video Games]] ==
* In the ''[[Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney]]'' games, a museum worker says that any intelligent person would think that the writing on an urn belonging to a clan whose founder was Ami Fey would say "Ami," and would reassamble the urn to say that if they broke it. Unknown to her, a little girl who broke the urn and is standing with her reassembled it incorrectly such that the name was spelled wrong.
== [[Web Comics]] ==
* In ''[[Super Effective (
{{quote| '''Brock''': You know, some people actually come here choosing fire as their starter Pokemon. Crazy, huh?}}
:: He says this while standing next to Red, who just happens to have chosen fire.
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* Early in the ''[[
* In one episode of ''[[Daria]]'', Daria lets Trent talk her into getting her navel pierced. When Jodi finds out, she thinks it's pretty cool "As long as you didn't do it for some guy." causing Daria to say "Uh, no, that would be wrong."
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