History Main / ABloodyMess

* One of Usopp's moves in ''Manga/OnePiece'' is the "Ketchup Star" which he uses (on himself) to make the enemy think he's been fatally injured.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'': In "Flippin' Burgers", Cuddles accidentally squirts ketchup on Giggles while they're having lunch. Flippy walks into the restaurant and mistakes it for blood. This causes him to flip out and [[SubvertedTrope spill more than just ketchup]].

* In the ''Series/LawAndOrder'' episode "Extended Family," the detectives think they've found a shirt stained with dried blood in a suspect's apartment. It turns out he has a job making fine chocolate and they've merely found his unwashed work shirt.

* ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'': During the fake bird attack, the insects mush red berries all over themselves to scare the grasshoppers.

* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'':
** In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations'', a ketchup stain on a white apron is first mistaken by everyone but the partially color-blind prosecutor for blood.
** In ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth'', Rhoda Teneiro mistakes grape juice for blood on a wallet Edgeworth was holding. This led to him being the prime suspect for much of the case.

* ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'': "Flippin' Burgers". The immediate results are messy, and most definitely ''[[SubvertedTrope not]]'' just ketchup.

A subtrope of NotWhatItLooksLike. Compare with SymbolicBlood and GrossoutFakeout. Prop blood is KensingtonGore. When it really ''is'' blood, but not belonging to the splattered person, it's NotHisBlood. If someone deliberately invokes it using sauce, it's overlapping with UnconventionalFoodUsage. Not to be confused with the ChunkySalsaRule, nor with a ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' trait/perk. See DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch for confusion about the rude word "bloody." See also PrankInjuries.

* In Adam Troy-Castro's ''Literature/SinisterSixTrilogy'', Spider-Man manages to fake his death using a plate of lasagna and a shard of the window he was blasted in through. Electro is thoroughly fooled, though that isn't saying much. A bystander also reports on the phone to being a witness to the death of Spider-Man; Either he was hiding under a counter during the set-up or was faking it for Spidey's benefit.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'':
** In ''ComicBook/SpiderMan1990'' #17, this is used for an in-universe RetCon when Spider-Man was killed by a bomb and fought Thanos. Returned to Earth, he found that what had been blood was now the contents of a smashed jar of tomato sauce.
** In Adam Troy-Castro's ''Literature/SinisterSixTrilogy'', Spider-Man manages to fake his death using a plate of lasagna and a shard of the window he was blasted in through. Electro is thoroughly fooled, though that isn't saying much. A bystander also reports on the phone to being a witness to the death of Spider-Man; Either he was hiding under a counter during the set-up or was faking it for Spidey's benefit.

* The message from the Heir of Slytherin in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'' is implied to be written in rooster's blood, but it's much later revealed to be just red paint. In the movies, though, Hermione outright says it's blood.
** Where did the book say ''anything'' about paint?

** In ''ComicBook/SpiderMan1990'', this is used for an in-universe RetCon when Spider-Man was killed by a bomb and fought Thanos. Returned to Earth, he found that what had been blood was now the contents of a smashed jar of tomato sauce.

** In ''ComicBook/SpiderMan1997'', this is used for an in-universe RetCon when Spider-Man was killed by a bomb and fought Thanos. Returned to Earth, he found that what had been blood was now the contents of a smashed jar of tomato sauce.

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'':
** Used for an in-universe RetCon when Spider-Man was killed by a bomb and fought Thanos. Returned to Earth, he found that what had been blood was now the contents of a smashed jar of tomato sauce.