History Main / AppealToObscurity

-->'''Freeza''': Tell me...have you ever heard of the planet Vegeta?\\

* This actually makes sense in one ''ComicBook/SheHulk'' story, and in quite a disturbing fashion. The Time Variance Authority doesn't just kill people, it [[RetGone prevents them from ever existing in the first place]]. Like Knight Man and Dr. Rocket--not that you'd have heard of them.

* ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlack'': Agent K's way to make Agent J (and the viewers) understand a certain weapon's power was mentioning Earth's ''second'' moon. When J pointed out Earth had no second moon, the trope came into play.

* Any kind of ad that relies on a ConsumerConspiracy: the idea that there's a huge (yet amazingly simple) secret to getting rich, curing your chronic illness, getting the credit card agencies off your back, removing wrinkles, etc. that "they" (doctors, Wall Street, the credit card companies, etc.) "don't want you to know." Often this secret is discovered by "a mom in {{Suburbia}}" or a schoolteacher, or someone who's ''not'' part of these industries. (And apparently, you're not supposed to question ''why'' "a mom" has more authority than a doctor. Or why doctors will hate a guaranteed miracle cure for an ailment when by rights they should be cheering it.)

-->'''Wade:''' "On planet Earth, you either coexist, or you cease to exist. Just ask the '''Skrulls.'''"
-->'''Warda:''' "Who are the Skrulls?"
-->'''Wade:''' "'''Exactly,''' my point."

-->'''von Cunth''': Do you remember the assassination of UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter?
-->'''Constantine''': No, sir, but that never happened.
-->'''von Cunth''': ''No'', it ''didn't.'' Do ''not'' underestimate this man.

-->'''Ravenswood''': ...And, as the head alien promised, no-one from his planet ever came to Earth ever again.
-->'''Melody''': Did you just make that up?
-->'''Ravenswood''': No! Of course not. It’s all true. I can prove it. How many reports have there been of tentacled, bald, green-skinned aliens on Earth between 1959 and today? None.

-->'''Bolton''': Our goat should have consulted the Tarbecks or the Reynes. They might have warned him how your lord father deals with betrayals.
-->'''Jaime''': There are no Tarbecks or Reynes.
-->'''Bolton''': My point precisely.

--> '''Coulson''': Do you remember the panic when that anti-matter meteorite landed off the coast of UsefulNotes/{{Miami}} and nearly devoured half the city?
--> '''Skye''': No.
--> '''Coulson''': Exactly.

--> '''David:''' Wait, how do you know no one made it [out of Dinotopia by boat]?\\

-->'''Ethel''': It's like expecting Creator/ClarkGable and getting Hubert Grimstadt.
-->'''Lucy''': Hubert Grimstadt? I never heard of him.
-->'''Ethel''': Exactly!

-->'''Dad:''' The last band to cancel interviews with this guy was The Happy Teens.
-->'''Joe, Nick and Kevin:''' Who?
-->'''Dad:''' Exactly.

-->'''Lloyd:''' Holy cow!!!! If Phil hadn't messed around with the controls, we would have been stuck in a massive timestorm!!! Like what happened to the Jabensons on their time travel!!!
-->'''Phil:''' Who are the Jabensons?
-->'''Lloyd:''' Exactly.

-->'''Samantha''': Who is H.R. Pickens?
-->'''Abraham H. Parnassus''': EXACTLY!

-->'''Moira:''' It's Gord Whatshisname's funeral all over again.
-->'''John:''' Who's Gord Whatshisname?
-->'''Moira:''' Exactly. He was some kind of crew person on ''Sunrise Bay'', I made an obligatory appearance at his service and his hysterical girlfriend cornered me into saying a few words. I didn't have a thought in my head so I just stood up and sang "Danny Boy."

-->'''Agent Lamwood:''' We make people disappear all the time. You don't hear people still talking about Glen Goldfarm, did you?
-->'''Jerry:''' Who?
-->'''Agent Lamwood:''' Exactly.

-->'''Joan:''' The night [my mom] died….um, I was preparing my presentation for the Google smart pencil. Do you remember that?
-->'''Zoey:''' Um, barely?
-->'''Joan:''' Exactly.

-->Cinderella never gave up. And as you walk down the pathways of life, never give up.
-->UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus never gave up
-->Creator/BenjaminFranklin never gave up
-->UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln never gave up
-->Oliver Twiddledee...
-->Who's he? You see, you don't know 'cause he gave up!

-->'''FBI Agent:''' The secret of the Sierra Madre, the secret recipe for Coke, and the secret of UsefulNotes/GeorgeBush's appeal.
-->'''Steve:''' The secret of George Bush's appeal?
-->'''Agent:''' That's right.
-->'''Steve:''' George Bush doesn't ''have'' any appeal.
-->'''Agent:''' Well, ''that's'' the secret!

-->'''Zizi:''' The redclaw tribe once hosted a noble visit, but the leaf riders planted some notes talking bad about the nobles. You know of the redclaw tribe?
-->'''Fen:''' Yes.
-->'''Zizi:''' And you know of the leaf rider tribe?

** From his review of ''Film/ScoobyDoo'':

'''Nostalgia Critic''': [[SarcasmMode Yeah, and I'm sure that never dated either]]. Just like having Sandy Duncan or the Harlem Globetrotters.\\

--->"For those of you who are young and have no idea who Pauly Shore is... ''[[YouDoNotWantToKnow good]]''.

--->'''Nostalgia Critic:''' Remember the movie Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland? ([[BigNo Buzzer]]) Well, how about [[ComicStrip/LittleNemo the comic strip]]? ([[BigNo Buzzer]]) The opera? ([[BigNo Buzzer]]) [[VideoGame/LittleNemoTheDreamMaster The game]]? ([[BigNo Buzzer]]) The frickin’ postcards? ([[BigNo Buzzer]]) Well, then! I guess there is no point in reviewing this! Bye!
--->(Credits music plays until he's punched back into his seat)
--->'''Nostalgia Critic:''' Okay, let me explain...

-->'''Stewie:''' Music/JustinBieber is so yesterday. I'm all about Quentin Vashay now.
-->'''Brian:''' Who's Quentin Vashay?
-->'''Stewie:''' Exactly.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Talespin}}'' episode "Bearly Alive", when Baloo is expressing his intent to fly through the [[BermudaTriangle Bearmuda Trapezoid]] and go down in history, he compares himself to Amelia Airhead, Charles Limberger, the Kitty Hawk Kids and Oscar Wigglestomper. Rebecca asks who Oscar Wigglestomper is, and Baloo replies "''He'' never did anything historic!" (This turns out to be a BrickJoke, when the aviators trapped in the Trapezoid include ''all'' the names Baloo mentioned, and Wigglestomper is unsurprised that Baloo doesn't recognise him.)

* In ''Film/AuthorAuthor'', Creator/AlPacino is Ivan Travalian, a playwright who really needs his latest work/Broadway debut to be a success. He and all his family are waiting in the cold street at 4:00 A.M. for the ''New York Times'' with the review of the premiere, [[ReviewsAreTheGospel because the only thing that matters is the critic's opinion:]]

%%* Done in ''Webcomic/CatAndGirl'' [[http://catandgirl.com/?p=2371 here.]]
* ''Webcomic/DorkTower'': Igor [[http://www.dorktower.com/2011/12/06/dork-tower-tuesday-december-6-2011/ educates Matt]] on the efficiency of [[Website/{{Kickstarter}} Kickstopper]].
* ''Life of Wily'', an early ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' {{sprite comic}}, features [[http://low.newbsoft.com/index.php?date=2001-08-10 a unique delivery on the idea]]:
-->'''Roll''': ''[as Zero]'' You want Pop Culture? I'll show you Pop Culture!\\
'''Wily''': ''[as Sigma]'' Sure you will... You're about as Pop Culture as Dee Dee Stockton was.\\
''[BeatPanel]''\\
'''Roll''': You just made that name up!\\
'''Wily''': No I didn't!

* ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries''
** One of the earlier ones:
--->'''Kaiba''': Since he's the star, he thinks he can hog all the screentime to himself. I mean, just look at Bakura.\\
'''Mokuba''': Who the hell is Bakura?\\
'''Kaiba''': Precisely.
** Bakura seems to get this a lot.
--->'''Yami-Yugi''': Hey remember when Bakura was in this show? Neither do I!
* ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'':
** Vegeta in Oozaru form threatens to crush Goku like an Arlian. "A what?" "Exactly!"
** Used dramatically just before Freeza kicks the crap out of Nail, one of the few surviving Namekians:
-->'''Freeza''': Tell me...have you ever heard of the planet Vegeta?\\
'''Nail''': ...n...no...\\
'''Freeza''': Funny...because I expect to hear the same from the next person when I ask them about ''Namek''.

* ''Webvideo/BadMovieBeatdown'' twice did it, regarding ''Film/{{Driven}}'' star Kip Pardue and ''Film/TheSpirit'' protagonist Gabriel Macht.

* Early in ''Roleplay/FenQuest'', a noble is about to visit Fen's tribe and he fears a rival tribe may try to frame them for offending the noble. He voices his concerns to his brother Zizi, who recounts the last such incident:
-->'''Zizi:''' The redclaw tribe once hosted a noble visit, but the leaf riders planted some notes talking bad about the nobles. You know of the redclaw tribe?
-->'''Fen:''' Yes.
-->'''Zizi:''' And you know of the leaf rider tribe?
* During debates regarding the fact that female soccer stars in the US were paid far less than their male counterparts despite getting far better results, ''Website/TheOnion'' [[https://sports.theonion.com/u-s-soccer-federation-argues-it-ridiculous-for-female-1836254379 offered the headline]] "U.S. Soccer Federation Argues It Ridiculous For Female Players To Expect Same Pay As Huge Stars Like Daniel Lovitz, Djordje Mihailovic."
* During ''WebVideo/GuruLarryAndWez's'' list of "5 Games You Never Knew Had Sequels" he is talking about how ''VideoGame/{{Zool}} 2'' was intended to be an [[UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} Amiga CD32]] exclusive with the character being the console's mascot, but ended up in DevelopmentHell and was replaced by ''Oscar''.
--> Remember him? ''Exactly!''
* During ''WebVideo/{{Rerez}}'s Worst Ever'' series when chronicling the disastrous launch of ''UsefulNotes/GoogleStadia'', he remarks at the end that he doesn't know if Stadia will eventually be a success or go the way of [=OnLive's=] Cloud Gaming Service.
--> '''Rerez:''' What's [=OnLive=], you ask? ''Exactly my point!''

* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''; after Lisa fails her audition for first chair in the school orchestra and tells herself there's no shame in being second place, she has a dream about being a member of "[[Music/SimonAndGarfunkel Garfunkel,]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_%26_Oates Oates,]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loggins_and_Messina Messina,]] and Lisa", the second-most popular band in America. The group is sponsored by Avis Rent-a-Car and has a #2 single called "Born To Runner-Up".

* From the ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' episode "Piano Rag":
-->'''Yakko:''' Very [[Music/TheWho Pete Townshend]]-esque.\\
'''Dot:''' Who?\\
'''Wakko:''' Exactly.

* Maybe more a kind of appeal to annihilation than an appeal to obscurity, but in ''ComicBook/AchilleTalon'' there's a dialogue which goes along these lines:
-->'''Lefuneste:''' I don't want to swim in that pond: the water looks deadly cold!\\
'''Achille:''' Come on, you wimp! Think of the [[TheSpartanWay Spartans]]! In the midst of the winter they would play water-polo using ice balls in the rivers they were gladly swimming in!\\
'''Lefuneste:''' Exactly: there are no more Spartans!
* ''ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'' (Vol. 4) #25 is set in the alternate future of 2099. When Deadpool's daughter Warda Wilson confronts him about the fate of her mother Shiklah, who tried to conquer the world, the following exchange occurs:
-->'''Wade:''' "On planet Earth, you either coexist, or you cease to exist. Just ask the '''Skrulls.'''"
-->'''Warda:''' "Who are the Skrulls?"
-->'''Wade:''' "'''Exactly,''' my point."

* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl''.
-->'''Norrington:''' You are without a doubt the worst pirate I have ever heard of.\\
'''Jack Sparrow:''' But you ''have'' heard of me.
* In ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'', Chad tries to convince Troy (they're both high school basketball players) that basketball practice is more important than singing:
-->'''Chad''': Have you ever seen Creator/MichaelCrawford on a cereal box?\\
'''Troy''': Who's Michael Crawford?\\
'''Chad''': Exactly my point!

* Invoked by the titular character in ''{{Film/Chopper}}'' when trying to provoke a fellow prison inmate into a fight.
--> '''Mark "Chopper" Read''': Beethoven had his critics too, Keithy. See if you can name three of them. ''(Keithy gives him a puzzled look)'' See, you can't, can you?
* From ''Film/WhatAGirlWants'':
-->'''Glynnis:''' Look what happened to Olivia Nixon when she went to China last summer.\\
'''Clarissa:''' Who's Olivia Nixon?\\
'''Glynnis:''' Exactly.
* In ''Film/Mr3000'', Stan Ross warns budding superstar Rex Pennebaker that if he doesn't support his team, he'll end up standing at the end of his career next to "Big Horse" Borelli. When Pennebaker asks "Who?", Ross says "exactly." "Big Horse" Borelli was the obscure no-name player who was the only one of Stan's former teammates willing to speak at Ross's tribute ceremony earlier in the film.

* ''Film/{{Jade}}'' has a governor telling an assistant district attorney to drop a case, or he'll "have as much of a future here as UsefulNotes/JerryBrown," to which the DA responds, "Who’s Jerry Brown?"
** Also an example of HilariousInHindsight -- while Jerry Brown was out of government at the time ''Jade'' was released, within a few years he made a comeback and successively served as mayor of Oakland and California attorney general, eventually becoming the governor of California himself again.
* In ''Author! Author!'', Creator/AlPacino is Ivan Travalian, a playwright who really needs his latest work/Broadway debut to be a success. He and all his family are waiting in the cold street at 4:00 A.M. for the ''New York Times'' with the review of the premiere, [[ReviewsAreTheGospel because the only thing that matters is the critic's opinion:]]
--> '''Ivan’s son:''' Why are we waiting here? It was a success! The public loved it, they gave an standing ovation!\\
'''Ivan:''' They also gave an standing ovation at the premiere of ''Microheaven''.\\
'''Ivan’s son:''' Of what?\\
'''Ivan:''' Exactly.

* In ''Film/TheBlackBalloon2007'', Thomas and Jackie discuss an invasive weed Jackie likes.
-->'''Thomas''': They strangle all the native plants and probably poison all the native animals.\\
'''Jackie''': What native animals?\\
'''Thomas''': Exactly.

* In the ''Literature/{{Relativity}}'' story "Legend of the Cheese Maidens," Ravenswood uses this trope to "prove" that the legend is true:
-->'''Ravenswood''': ...And, as the head alien promised, no-one from his planet ever came to Earth ever again.
-->'''Melody''': Did you just make that up?
-->'''Ravenswood''': No! Of course not. It’s all true. I can prove it. How many reports have there been of tentacled, bald, green-skinned aliens on Earth between 1959 and today? None.
* ''Literature/DoctorWhoNovelisations'': In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E2DoctorWhoAndTheSilurians The Silurians]]", a scientist uses this excuse to keep quiet about the Silurians, rather than go public and find his place in history obscured by journalists and politicians, by mentioning the controversy over who invented the radio (it wasn't Marconi).
* ''Literature/{{Dinotopia}}'': Dinotopia has a dense barrier reef and terrible offshore weather, which combine to make getting off the island by sea nearly impossible (the books are set in the 19th century, so there's no air travel, either, besides the native pterosaurs). The Dinotopians are certain that nobody has ever gotten out, because they've never met any new arrivals who have previously heard of a tropical volcanic island half the size of Germany with a shared human-dinosaur society living on it.
* Stephen Manes' ''Chicken Trek'':
-->Donald got his parents to invest in my cousin's latest invention, monster repellent. The idea is that if you wear it while you sleep, no monster will come near you. Dr. Prechtwinkle has already tested it on hundreds of people. Not one has ever been attacked by a monster, if you don't count big mosquitoes and killer bees.

* ''Series/FreaksAndGeeks'': The heroine doesn't want to go to college. She lists famous people who never went to college, and her guidance counselor adds, "Frank." When she says, "Who?" his response is "The guy who pumps my gas."
* ''Series/ILoveLucy'': In "The Benefit", Ethel expresses her disappointment that Lucy will be performing at her club benefit instead of Ricky.
-->'''Ethel''': It's like expecting Creator/ClarkGable and getting Hubert Grimstadt.
-->'''Lucy''': Hubert Grimstadt? I never heard of him.
-->'''Ethel''': Exactly!

* ''Series/{{Jonas}}'': Used by the boys' father in "Forgetting Stella's Birthday".
-->'''Dad:''' The last band to cancel interviews with this guy was The Happy Teens.
-->'''Joe, Nick and Kevin:''' Who?
-->'''Dad:''' Exactly.
* On ''Series/SchittsCreek'', after John gets guilted into giving a eulogy at a virtual stranger's funeral:
-->'''Moira:''' It's Gord Whatshisname's funeral all over again.
-->'''John:''' Who's Gord Whatshisname?
-->'''Moira:''' Exactly. He was some kind of crew person on ''Sunrise Bay'', I made an obligatory appearance at his service and his hysterical girlfriend cornered me into saying a few words. I didn't have a thought in my head so I just stood up and sang "Danny Boy."
* On ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', Archer has an example: "Do you know what Buzz Aldrin said when he landed on the moon?" Waitress: "No." Archer: "That's because Neil Armstrong got there first."

* In ''Series/BigTimeRush'':
-->'''Kelly:''' If you have a bad day with Deke, you'll be bigger nobodies than Tanyon Labelle.\\
'''BTR:''' Who's Tanyon Labelle?\\
'''Kelly and Gustavo:''' Exactly.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''
** The changing-history version (see ''She-Hulk'') is used when Balthazar prevents the sinking of the Titanic.
--->'''Dean:''' Why did you un-sink the ship?\\
'''Balthazar:''' Ugh, because I hated [[Film/{{Titanic 1997}} the movie]].\\
'''Dean:''' What movie?\\
'''Balthazar:''' Exactly!
** And another one from the same conversation.
--->'''Balthazar:''' That godawful Music/CelineDion song made me want to smite myself.\\
'''Sam:''' Who's Celine Dion?\\
'''Balthazar:''' Oh, she's a destitute lounge singer somewhere in Quebec -- and [[TakeThat let's keep it that way, please.]]

* ''Series/{{Phil Of The Future}}'': Lloyd says this after he found out the family being stuck in the past was a {{Necessary Fail}}.
-->'''Lloyd:''' Holy cow!!!! If Phil hadn't messed around with the controls, we would have been stuck in a massive timestorm!!! Like what happened to the Jabensons on their time travel!!!
-->'''Phil:''' Who are the Jabensons?
-->'''Lloyd:''' Exactly.
* ''Series/{{Castle}}''
** Played entirely straight in the episode "A Dance With Death":
--->'''Brad''': I'd be off the ''show''. I'd be Brian ''Dunkleman''!\\
'''Beckett''': ''[{{beat}}]'' Who's Brian Dunkleman?\\
'''Brad''': Exactly.
** In "Swan Song", Castle can totally see why a lead singer going solo would provide his bandmates motive for murder:
--->'''Castle''': He wasn’t about to stay and they weren’t about to let him play George Michael to their Andrew Ridgeley.\\
'''Esposito''': Andrew who?\\
'''Castle''': Exactly.[[note]]Michael and Ridgley played together in the rock duo Music/{{Wham}} before splitting up, with Michael achieving a much greater degree of prominence and success.[[/note]]
* On ''Series/ANTFarm'' in the episode "[=TranplANTed=]", when Chyna wants to get her lunch from her locker and eat in the cafeteria, and Olive tells her its not safe for them out there.
-->'''Chyna''': I left my lunch in my locker.\\
'''Olive:''' Emma left her lunch in her locker.\\
'''Chyna:''' Who's Emma?\\
'''Olive:''' Exactly!
* In ''Series/BoardwalkEmpire'', an upset Eddie Cantor asks Billie Kent if she's ever heard of Lucy Danziger, Nucky's former lover who was {{Put on a Bus}} in season 2 after she abandoned [[spoiler:Nelson van Alden with their out-of-wedlock baby]], to remind her of the realities of being Nucky's fling.
* A (probably justified) use in the ''Literature/{{Dinotopia}}'' miniseries:
--> '''David:''' Wait, how do you know no one made it [out of Dinotopia by boat]?\\
'''Mayor of Waterfall City:''' Had you ever heard of Dinotopia before you arrived?\\
'''David:''' No.\\
'''Mayor:''' Exactly!
* In ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'', Coulson defends S.H.I.E.L.D's policy of covering up supernatural events:
--> '''Coulson''': Do you remember the panic when that anti-matter meteorite landed off the coast of UsefulNotes/{{Miami}} and nearly devoured half the city?
--> '''Skye''': No.
--> '''Coulson''': Exactly.
** Comes up again in "The Girl in the Flower Dress." Raina tells the pyrokinetic of the episode that he needs a code name. She demonstrates by asking if he knows who Steve Rogers is. When he says he doesn't know who that is, she tells him he's Captain America--a name everyone knows.
* Used in ''Radio/TheBurnsAndAllenShow'', both the radio and TV series. Gracie, when encouraging a young aspiring actress not to give up on her dreams: "Just look at what happened to (name)." "I've never heard of her..." "Of course you haven't! She gave up!"
* On ''Series/{{Wizards of Waverly Place}}'', Agent Lamwood uses this tactic to threaten the Russos after he captured them.
-->'''Agent Lamwood:''' We make people disappear all the time. You don't hear people still talking about Glen Goldfarm, did you?
-->'''Jerry:''' Who?
-->'''Agent Lamwood:''' Exactly.
* In ''Series/ZoeysExtraordinaryPlaylist'', Joan explains to Zoey why work isn't actually that important:
-->'''Joan:''' The night [my mom] died….um, I was preparing my presentation for the Google smart pencil. Do you remember that?
-->'''Zoey:''' Um, barely?
-->'''Joan:''' Exactly.
* In ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', Sheldon has a rant about how he has a long history of choosing wrong in technology wars such as VHS vs Beta, HD-DVD vs UsefulNotes/BluRay and iPod vs Zune. Amy asks what a Zune is, to which Sheldon replies, "Exactly."
* ''Series/DiagnosisMurder'': Dr. Sloan, while held hostage by domestic terrorists, managed to convince the revolutionary group to stand down and surrender to the Feds, rather than try to shoot their way out and likely get themselves killed, by invoking this trope. He pointed out that they would ultimately be forgotten as martyrs but if they stood trial, they would get 24-hour news coverage.
-->'''Dr. Sloan''': No martyr ever got interviewed by Larry King.
* ''Series/NewTricks'': In "The Fame Game", Steve is interviewing an agent who specializes in celebrity lookalikes, and who bemoans that reality television has made celebrities ten a penny:
-->'''Agent:''' Who wants a lookalike when you can have Joey Essex?\\
'''Steve:''' Who?\\
'''Agent:''' Exactly.
* ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily'': In "Mom Drops Out," a promoter tells Keith and Laurie what will happen if they break their contract with him.
-->'''Logan''': You break this one, and you'll find that the Partridge Family's gonna end up like Sky and the Four Clouds.\\
'''Laurie''': Who're they?\\
'''Logan''': Right on.

* From the politically-tinged 1970s [[NewspaperComics comic strip]] ''ComicStrip/{{Conchy}}'':
-->'''Conchy''': Is there any chance the war with the East Islanders will reach the nuclear stage?\\
'''The King''': Not a chance. North Island tested a nuclear bomb and since then we've all been a little uneasy.\\
'''Conchy''': North Island? There is no North Island.\\
'''The King''': Exactly.
* This doesn't quite work in one strip of ''ComicStrip/{{Candorville}}''. SpecialGuest Creator/StephenKing argues that Creator/CharlesDickens's fictional portrayal of slum life taught more people more about the slums than [mumble]'s factual reporting. Lemont, unable to hear him, asks "Who?" King responds "Exactly," and both wind up confused.

* ''Theatre/HolyMusicalBatman''
-->'''Franchise/{{Superman}}''': Have you ever heard of Mr. Mxyzptlk?\\
'''Franchise/GreenLantern''': No.\\
'''Superman''': No! That's right. It's because I do my damn job.

* In ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'', [[NietzscheWannabe Haer'Dalis]] deflates Edwin's ambition for eternal life through godhood by this trope:
-->'''Edwin:''' You assume my death to be inevitable, but perhaps I think beyond those terms. [[ImmortalitySeeker Mortality seems escapable by others, so why not me?]]\\
'''Haer'Dalis:''' Edwin, do you remember the name of the ancient [[{{Precursors}} Netheril]] god of the sea?\\
'''Edwin:''' Eh... no.\\
'''Haer'Dalis:''' Everything ends, Edwin. Everything dies. The dust of a god looks much the same as yours and mine will.
* Invoked through DialogueTree in one of [[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Karin's]] pep talks in the Olympic Mode in ''VideoGame/CapcomVsSNKMillenniumFight2000'' for the UsefulNotes/NeoGeoPocket:
-->'''Karin:''' You have as many medals as Irving Thiddlebakker! How do you feel about events now, champ? How are they?\\
'''Your first choice of response:''' Piece of cake!\\
'''Karin:''' You're going to be just like Irving: [[BrutalHonesty forgotten!]] It's not over yet. There are more valuable medals still to be won!

* From the UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan page on Wiki/ThisVeryWiki: after a long list of conquered nations, the page asks you to "consider the Khwarazmian Dynasty. Oh, you've never heard of them? ''Exactly''."[[note]]The Khwarazmian Dynasty was the imperial dynasty of Persia after the Seljuks died out, ruling a territory that today encompasses Iran, western Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and southern Uzbekistan. Genghis Khan wiped them all out over a diplomatic insult, causing 300 years of Mongol and Mongol-successor rule over Persia.[[/note]]

* In the ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'' episode "Crisis Point", which is set around a holodeck program that's a parody of the ''Star Trek'' movies (rather than the series), Brommler refuses to take part, and Marriner says he probably wouldn't have been in it anyway because he's "kind of a Xon". (Xon being a Vulcan who was cut from ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'',)
-->'''Brommler''': Who's Xon?\\
'''Marriner''': Exactly.

'''[[BaldBlackLeaderGuy Officer 1]]:''' No.\\

* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'' contains a very dark and strange when Makima claims to Kishibe that the Chainsaw Devil eating another Devil [[spoiler:[[RetGone erases them and the concept they represent from history]]]]. Kishibe doesn't believe her, but Makima asks if anyone but her remembers [[spoiler:what the Nazis did to the Jews]]. Despite not being an obscure fact ''at all'' in real life, Kishibe has no idea [[spoiler:what Nazis are (an ironic inversion of Hitler's own quote below)]], demonstrating to the audience Makima is right.

* ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland''

** Bobbin Threadbare is the protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Loom}}'', a previous adventure game by Lucasarts. [[FunnyAneurysmMoment Sequels were planned to create a trilogy, but were never realized.]]

* Any kind of ad that relies on a ConsumerConspiracy: the idea that there's a huge (yet amazingly simple) secret to getting rich, curing your chronic illness, getting the credit card agencies off your back, removing wrinkles, etc. that "they" (doctors, Wall Street, the credit card companies, etc.) "don't want you to know." Often this secret is discovered by "a mom in {{Suburbia}}" or a schoolteacher, or someone who's ''not'' part of these industries. (And apparently, you're not supposed to question ''why'' "a mom" has more authority than a doctor.)

* Done in ''Webcomic/CatAndGirl'' [[http://catandgirl.com/?p=2371 here.]]

* Done in ''Webcomic/CatAndGirl'' [[http://catandgirl.com/?p=2371 here]].

* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''; after Lisa fails her audition for first chair in the school orchestra and tells herself there's no shame in being second place, she has a dream about being a member of "[[Music/SimonAndGarfunkel Garfunkel]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_%26_Oates Oates]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loggins_and_Messina Messina]], and Lisa", the second-most popular band in America. The group is sponsored by Avis Rent-a-Car and has a #2 single called "Born To Runner-Up".

* When Mira is talking about her arch enemy, Hanharr in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'', Depending on which option you choose to link her question and explanation, you can get something like this:

** It was "[[{{Anticlimax}} That's a good last step...]]" (referring to the 3 foot gap from the lander's last step to the surface), FYI.
*** However, a couple sentences later he described the view as "Magnificent desolation." The phrase was so poetically apt that to this day [[SubvertedTrope hardly anyone talks about the moon's surface without quoting him]].
** And when the lunar lander first landed on the moon, Buzz's first words were: "OK, engine stop."[[note]]"Contact light" doesn't quite count in this case; that referred to a probe dangling off one of the lunar lander's landing pads touching the moon's surface. To say the lander was "on" the moon at this point would be akin to saying a helicopter was "on" the ground when the ''only'' part of the aircraft that was touching the ground was a rope dangling from the aircraft.[[/note]]

-> '''Gorilla:''' Did you hear about the gorilla who escaped from the zoo?\\

* ''WesternAnimation/SuicideSquadHellToPay'': When the Squad having their {{Explosive Leash}}es injected, the technician tells them not to move because they don't want the apparatus triggering too early.