Chain of Corrections: Difference between revisions
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Due to the nature of this trope with [[Shown Their Work|multiple cultural references]] in quick succession, some of the allusions may fly over the audience's head. This usually doesn't actually hurt the comedic potential though. |
Due to the nature of this trope with [[Shown Their Work|multiple cultural references]] in quick succession, some of the allusions may fly over the audience's head. This usually doesn't actually hurt the comedic potential though. |
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See [[Who's |
See [[Who's on First?]] for this trope dealing solely with people with unfortunately confusing names. |
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{{examples}} |
{{examples}} |
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== [[Comedy]] == |
== [[Comedy]] == |
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* [[Abbott and Costello]]'s famous "[[Who's |
* [[Abbott and Costello]]'s famous "[[Who's on First?]]" comedy routine, where Abbott tries identifying the players of a baseball team to Costello, but Costello's constant misinterpretation of the players' names and nicknames as non-responsive answers leads to Abbott constantly invoking the trope ... and leaving Costello even more confused and frustrated! |
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== [[Live Action TV]] == |
== [[Live Action TV]] == |
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'''Oscar:''' That's Fancy Feast. Ultra-Feast is something they made up so they can pig out together in the name of ceremony.<br /> |
'''Oscar:''' That's Fancy Feast. Ultra-Feast is something they made up so they can pig out together in the name of ceremony.<br /> |
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'''Michael:''' What is Oktoberfeast? (sic) }} |
'''Michael:''' What is Oktoberfeast? (sic) }} |
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* A short but funny example from ''[[ |
* A short but funny example from ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', after Willow has been called "Old Reliable." |
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{{quote| '''Willow:''' (sarcastically) Old Reliable, yeah, that's really a sexy nickname.<br /> |
{{quote| '''Willow:''' (sarcastically) Old Reliable, yeah, that's really a sexy nickname.<br /> |
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'''Xander:''' She means you're like a geyser of fun that goes off at regular intervals.<br /> |
'''Xander:''' She means you're like a geyser of fun that goes off at regular intervals.<br /> |
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'''Willow:''' That's Old Yeller.<br /> |
'''Willow:''' That's Old Yeller.<br /> |
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'''Buffy:''' Xander, I beg you not to help me. }} |
'''Buffy:''' Xander, I beg you not to help me. }} |
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* This exchange from ''[[Wings (TV)|Wings]]'': |
* This exchange from ''[[Wings (TV series)|Wings]]'': |
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{{quote| '''Lowell:''' It's like Dylan said. "Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage, for the times they are a-changing."<br /> |
{{quote| '''Lowell:''' It's like Dylan said. "Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage, for the times they are a-changing."<br /> |
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'''Roy:''' I think you're confusing [[Bob Dylan]] with Dylan Thomas.<br /> |
'''Roy:''' I think you're confusing [[Bob Dylan]] with Dylan Thomas.<br /> |
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'''Lowell:''' Don't be silly, Roy. Dylan Thomas was the poet laureate of Wales. Bob Dylan was the star of ''[[ |
'''Lowell:''' Don't be silly, Roy. Dylan Thomas was the poet laureate of Wales. Bob Dylan was the star of ''[[Gilligan's Island]]''.<br /> |
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'''Roy:''' No, no, no, that's Bob ''Denver''!<br /> |
'''Roy:''' No, no, no, that's Bob ''Denver''!<br /> |
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'''Lowell:''' No, Bob Denver was the guy who sang "Rocky Mountain High".<br /> |
'''Lowell:''' No, Bob Denver was the guy who sang "Rocky Mountain High".<br /> |
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'''Gladstone:''' Well I wouldn't have thought so, but it is starting to look that way.<br /> |
'''Gladstone:''' Well I wouldn't have thought so, but it is starting to look that way.<br /> |
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'''Goody:''' Perhaps that is why she is scared to go outside, sir.<br /> |
'''Goody:''' Perhaps that is why she is scared to go outside, sir.<br /> |
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* Ziva, from ''[[ |
* Ziva, from ''[[NCIS]]'', absolutely ''constantly.'' }} |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[Community]]'' has a chain of offensive statements that probably qualifies: |
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{{quote| '''Jeff:''' I'm saying you're a football player. It's in your blood!<br /> |
{{quote| '''Jeff:''' I'm saying you're a football player. It's in your blood!<br /> |
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'''Troy:''' That's racist.<br /> |
'''Troy:''' That's racist.<br /> |
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'''Ellie''': Dad, you're not going to make me laugh.<br /> |
'''Ellie''': Dad, you're not going to make me laugh.<br /> |
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'''Bartlet''': The only thing you ever had to do to make me happy was come home at the end of the day. }} |
'''Bartlet''': The only thing you ever had to do to make me happy was come home at the end of the day. }} |
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* From ''[[Arrested Development (TV)|Arrested Development]]'': |
* From ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'': |
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{{quote| '''Wife of Gob''': I'm in love with your brother-in-law.<br /> |
{{quote| '''Wife of Gob''': I'm in love with your brother-in-law.<br /> |
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'''Gob''': You're in love with your own brother? The one in the army?<br /> |
'''Gob''': You're in love with your own brother? The one in the army?<br /> |
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'''Fibber''': Well, that's what I say. Any place that sells flowers on every street corner is a swell joint. }} |
'''Fibber''': Well, that's what I say. Any place that sells flowers on every street corner is a swell joint. }} |
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* From ''[[The Reduced Shakespeare Company|The Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show]]'': |
* From ''[[The Reduced Shakespeare Company|The Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show]]'': |
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{{quote| '''Austen''': Now, Adam. Speaking of film versions of ''[[Hamlet]]'', remember that one a few years ago with [[ |
{{quote| '''Austen''': Now, Adam. Speaking of film versions of ''[[Hamlet]]'', remember that one a few years ago with [[Mel Gibson]]?<br /> |
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'''Adam''': Was that the one with Tina Turner in it?<br /> |
'''Adam''': Was that the one with Tina Turner in it?<br /> |
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'''Austen''': No, you're thinking of ''[[Mad Max]] 3''.<br /> |
'''Austen''': No, you're thinking of ''[[Mad Max]] 3''.<br /> |
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'''Adam''': Mel Gibson was in ''What's Love Got To Do With It''?<br /> |
'''Adam''': Mel Gibson was in ''What's Love Got To Do With It''?<br /> |
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'''Austen''': Well, no, I didn't say that ... he wasn't ... He was [[Phil Spector]]. }} |
'''Austen''': Well, no, I didn't say that ... he wasn't ... He was [[Phil Spector]]. }} |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[Hello Cheeky]]'' sometimes did this, but with words instead of references. |
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{{quote| '''Tim:''' Look here, Cryer, that's a calumny!<br /> |
{{quote| '''Tim:''' Look here, Cryer, that's a calumny!<br /> |
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'''Barry:''' What is?<br /> |
'''Barry:''' What is?<br /> |
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== [[Western Animation]] == |
== [[Western Animation]] == |
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* From ''[[Frisky Dingo]]'': |
* From ''[[Frisky Dingo]]'': |
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{{quote| '''X-tacle #1:''' So...who's read ''[[ |
{{quote| '''X-tacle #1:''' So...who's read ''[[Flowers for Algernon]]''?<br /> |
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'''Nearl:''' Ken!<br /> |
'''Nearl:''' Ken!<br /> |
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'''X-tacle #2:''' Oooh, about the kid with all the chains, and the goggles, and at the end he gets killed with a shotgun?<br /> |
'''X-tacle #2:''' Oooh, about the kid with all the chains, and the goggles, and at the end he gets killed with a shotgun?<br /> |
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'''Jefferson Twilight:''' They fought with Spaghetti-o's and meatballs?<br /> |
'''Jefferson Twilight:''' They fought with Spaghetti-o's and meatballs?<br /> |
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'''The Alchemist:''' Why would a company called Franco-American make Italian food? }} |
'''The Alchemist:''' Why would a company called Franco-American make Italian food? }} |
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* Frequently [[Playing |
* Frequently [[Playing with a Trope|toyed with]] on ''[[Family Guy]]'' |
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{{quote| I'm sorry, it was Tom Berenger, we were looking for Tom Berenger.}} |
{{quote| I'm sorry, it was Tom Berenger, we were looking for Tom Berenger.}} |
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** also: |
** also: |
Revision as of 19:02, 8 April 2014
Bob makes a historical/cultural/pop culture reference and Alice thinks he is referring to something entirely different. Bob corrects Alice but this only leads to another correction, which only confuses Alice again. Bob makes another correction and so on and so on.
Just one mistake and this would just a simple misunderstanding, however string together a chain of these and Hilarity Ensues.
Due to the nature of this trope with multiple cultural references in quick succession, some of the allusions may fly over the audience's head. This usually doesn't actually hurt the comedic potential though.
See Who's on First? for this trope dealing solely with people with unfortunately confusing names.
Comedy
- Abbott and Costello's famous "Who's on First?" comedy routine, where Abbott tries identifying the players of a baseball team to Costello, but Costello's constant misinterpretation of the players' names and nicknames as non-responsive answers leads to Abbott constantly invoking the trope ... and leaving Costello even more confused and frustrated!
Live Action TV
- From Psych:
Shawn: "I decided to be and therefore I am." Socrates said that. |
- The Office has been doing this a lot, for example:
Michael: I am going to donate to Afghanistanis with AIDS. |
- Aaaaand a somewhat shorter one:
Pam: It's almost time for Ultra-Feast! Where's Kevin? |
- A short but funny example from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, after Willow has been called "Old Reliable."
Willow: (sarcastically) Old Reliable, yeah, that's really a sexy nickname. |
- This exchange from Wings:
Lowell: It's like Dylan said. "Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage, for the times they are a-changing." |
- Incidentally, that was actually John Denver.
- Referenced, oddly enough, in Family Guy.
- In another episode the main cast correct each other over people who have the words 'ice' in their names; such as musicians and athletes.
- The Thin Blue Line:
Goody: I don't want to buy the queen a present, sir, she's an antichrist.
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- Community has a chain of offensive statements that probably qualifies:
Jeff: I'm saying you're a football player. It's in your blood! |
- The Electric Company lived for this. They did numerous sketches like this one, where Rita Moreno and Judy Graubert drove each other nuts:
Rita: Hey, how do you like my new giggles? |
- And that was just in the first episode...
- On The Golden Girls, Sophia and Rose attempt to figure out who the president is married to:
Rose: Well, it doesn't matter anyway, they're not married anymore. Now he's married to Nancy Davis. |
- From The West Wing:
Bartlet: I hear you're thinking about ophthalmology. |
- From Arrested Development:
Wife of Gob: I'm in love with your brother-in-law. |
- From episode "Foiled Again" on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody:
London: Too late, we're gonna get married, buy a big villa, and live in Acapella. |
Newspaper Comics
- A Sunday strip of Pickles did this once. Two of the main characters did this in order to drive a third character to leave the bench they were sitting on.
Radio
- On Fibber McGee and Molly, the character of Mayor LaTrivia was subjected to these practically Once Per Episode. They'd usually involve him innocently using some figure of speech, which Fibber or Molly (or both) would either take too literally or otherwise misinterpret, sometimes on purpose. LaTrivia's subsequent attempts to clear things up would only create more confusion, making him increasingly flustered and confused and generally reducing him to sputtering, incoherent rage by the time his visit was over.
- One not involving Mayor LaTrivia, from "Cleaning the Closet":
Fibber: Remember that spring we were up there, and those people were selling flowers on the street corner? Trailing arthritis, I think they were. |
Austen: Now, Adam. Speaking of film versions of Hamlet, remember that one a few years ago with Mel Gibson? |
- Hello Cheeky sometimes did this, but with words instead of references.
Tim: Look here, Cryer, that's a calumny! |
Web Comics
- This trope is illustrated beautifully in a Penny Arcade strip entitled "Linguaphiles Unite".
- According to Gabe on the podcasts, most people blame Tycho for those, even though it's his "favorite joke, ever." From the third series of D&D podcasts:
DM: ... and he has a cataract in his left eye. |
- Played with in Darths and Droids with Jim. He's wrong more than he's right though.
- From DM of the Rings:
DM: As you look out over the water, you see many corsairs passing, making for Minas Tirith. |
Web Original
- From Red vs. Blue:
Doc: I'm a pacifist. |
Vegeta: I don't even know where that's from |
- From This video
Adam the Alien: Did you burrow? |
- Basically this entire sketch from Bri TA Nick. And it's sequel
Western Animation
- From Frisky Dingo:
X-tacle #1: So...who's read Flowers for Algernon? |
- From The Venture Brothers:
Jefferson Twilight: On three we give him the old Rochambeau. |
- Frequently toyed with on Family Guy
I'm sorry, it was Tom Berenger, we were looking for Tom Berenger. |
- also:
Lois: Okay, one more minute, and then if there are two pink lines... |
Real Life
- Old joke here - three old men:
Old man #1: Windy, isn't it? |
- And in the same spirit
Old man: Look at my new watch! |
- An absolutely epic one from Facebook