History Main / BadNewsInAGoodWay

* This was done by UsefulNotes/HenryVIII's jester to break the news that Catherine Howard was cheating on him. He told it as a joke because no one else in the palace could give Henry bad news and not be executed.
* Apparently the jester of the French King Philip IV had to something similar, after the Court advisers were too scared to tell the King that his entire Navy had been destroyed in the Battle of Sluys in 1340.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* Played straight at first, then subverted in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast''. The Beast awaits the arrival of Belle to the dinner he demanded her to attend. When Cogsworth shows up, the Beast demands to know where Belle is. Cogsworth ''tries'' to tell him in a positive way, but eventually just gives up and admits, "She's not coming" - which sends the Beast into a rage.

* A variant. In ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'', Vimes receives note that one of his officers was killed, and asks who was sent to inform the family, hoping it wasn't Nobby Nobbs - he doesn't want a repeat of the "bet-you-a-dollar-you're-the-widow-Jackson" nonsense.

[[folder:Live Action Television]]

---> '''Patient's father''': Turk, I have a pit in my stomach because I'm afraid you've come here to tell me my boy is going to be paralyzed.
--->'''Turk''' (starts laughing): Oh, my God. I'm so sorry, something really funny popped into my head. You remember, uh, when the gopher started dancing at the end of ''Caddyshack''?
--->'''J.D.''' (watching from corridor): No, don't ''do'' the dance, Turk, don't ''do'' the dance ... Carla, your husband's not doing very well in there.

* In a first-season episode of ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', Sam's brother Derek - who he hates - is in town and coming to drop by, and Coach has a ''unique'' way of giving Sam bad news:

-->'''Pearl''': Good news! Only 20% of the village died of the plague today!

-->'''Emma''': "Is there ''any'' good news?
-->'''Ash''': "Yes, there is, yeah. It's protected overnight by a private Syrian security firm, with tasers, dogs and a bad attitude. They had an attempted robbery about 4 years ago; by the time the police got there, the Syrian security had beaten them half to death.
-->'''Emma''': "And that's good news how?"
-->'''Ash''': "Well, if we get caught, there might not be enough left of us to lock up."

-->'''Tom''': All right, the good news is there's only two pieces of bad news.

--> '''Earl''': [[TakeThat Speaking of]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext parasites]], remember when you said your mother would be staying with us for the rest of her life?
-->'''Fran''': Mm-hmm?
-->'''Earl''': Well, she's moved out!

-->'''Chidi''': We need to break up, but here's a puppy!\\
'''Simone''': Aw! Wait, what?\\
'''Chidi''': He's a puppy, it's over between us, and he's cute!\\
'''Simone''': Do you think I don't hear the bad parts of these sentences?\\
'''Chidi''': His name is Martin, I need my keys back, and he's a puppy!
* ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'': The game "Scenes From a Hat" occasionally provided the prompt, "the good news, and the bad news," which at least once resulted in this trope, with a performer giving a piece of "good" news that clearly telegraphs what the bad news is.
-->'''Brad''': The good news is we're going to name a disease after you. *turns around and walks off-frame*

[[folder:Stand Up Comedy]]

-->'''Baker's Wife''': I see you have the red cape!\\
'''Baker''': Yes! Yes, I have the cape. I have only two items left to locate.\\
'''Baker's Wife''': Three.\\
'''Baker''': Two. I have the cow and the cape.\\
'''Baker's Wife''': (cheerfully) You have the cape!

-->'''Oghren''': Oh... Um... Hey, Good news! You're single!

-->'''Advisor''': ''(sigh)'' How can I possibly tell our Sovereign the news? Um, Majesty, I have good news and bad. The good news is your uncle died! No, that won’t do. ''(ahem)'' My Liege, your late uncle has bequeathed you a town... of sorts. Hmm, maybe more positive. It pleases me to inform you that you’ve been granted a tremendous opportunity! You can be the first Ardanian sovereign to give the word "slum" a good name! Oh, that won’t work either. ''(sigh)'' It’s no use...

-->'''Chairman Rockwell''': Everyone will die. ''[cut]'' Everyone will slowly stop living. From malnutrition. But we're doing it together, and that's what matters!

--> '''Attez''': The point is son, I've got some good news. Your mom is dead.\\
'''Sven'''': That is terrible news!\\
'''Attez''': Is it? Hmmmmm. It certainly didn't seem that way to me. Well, I guess I've just moved on emotionally...which brings me to my next bit of good news. I've remarried.\\
'''Sven''': WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!

* Near the end of ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}},'' Mel and Artie have to inform Dave that [[spoiler: he's actually a clone of the original Dave outfitted with memories five years out of date]]:

'''Zim''' Worse... or ''better?''

-->'''Farnsworth''': Good news, everyone! Tomorrow you'll be delivering a package to [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Ebola 9, the virus planet]]!

-->'''Farnsworth''': Good news everyone!\\
'''Bender''': Uh oh, I don't like the sound of that.\\
'''Farnsworth''': You'll be making a delivery to the planet Trisol...\\
''' Bender''': Here it comes. . .\\
'''Farnsworth''': A mysterious world in the darkest depths of the Forbidden Zone!\\
''' Bender''': [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere Thank you, and goodnight.]]

-->'''Farnsworth''': [[LampshadeHanging Now I've often said "Good news" when sending you on a mission of extreme danger]]. So when I say this anomaly is dangerous, [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness you can imagine how dangerous I really think it is]].\\
'''Hermes''': [[BadIsGoodAndGoodIsBad Not dangerous at all?]]\\
'''Farnsworth''': Actually quite dangerous indeed.\\
'''Hermes''': [[ParrotExposition That is quite dangerous]]!\\
'''Farnsworth''': Indeed.

--->'''Farnsworth''': Good news, everyone! There's a report on TV with some very bad news.

---> '''Farnsworth''': Good news, everyone! The university is bringing me up on disciplinary charges... Wait, that's not good news at all.

** Then there's the episode where Maggie ran away, with Homer running through several versions of this to tell Marge in advance, including "She was only a baby, it's not like we grew attached to her" and "They grow up so fast, one minute they're a baby, the next they're out on their own."
** Homer: "Good news, everyone! I got in a fight with the garbage men and they're cutting off our service!" [[note]]Despite being in a Creator/MattGroening show and ''sounding'' an awful lot like a Farnsworth line, this couldn't possibly be a ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' reference: the episode aired in the 1997-98 season and Futurama didn't premiere until the 1999-2000 season.[[/note]]

--> '''Russ Cargill:''' Your government has realized that sealing you under this dome was a terrible mistake. Therefore, we are commencing with Operation Soaring Eagle.\\

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': Thanks to the way Tom Baker insisted on reading a line that was likely scripted straight, "Horror of Fang Rock" contains a truly wonderful moment where he announces to everyone stuck in TheSiege that "this lighthouse is under attack, and by morning we might all be ''dead''!!!" in the manner of someone announcing that he's brought along a picnic. Given that the Doctor ''is'' a bit of a NightmareFetishist, this isn't actually OOC at all.

-->'''Brad''': The good news is we're going to name a disease after you.

* In ''Film/TheRoom:'' "I got the results of the test back! I ''definitely'' have breast cancer."

* Professor Farnsworth from ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' has his CatchPhrase, "Good news, everyone!" The news in question would usually range from weird to bad to apocalyptic, with the occasional obligatory subversion of actual good news. [[InvertedTrope Of course, the good news will usually be preceded by "Bad news, everyone!" or something of the sort.]]

** "Law and Oracle" revealed that Farnsworth got in the habit of doing this in a well-intentioned effort to make Fry feel good about his pointless job. Whether it actually worked is questionable, [[CloudCuckoolander but this is Fry we're talking about]].

* ''Theatre/{{Pippin}}'' has a scene where couriers come on to report cheerfully such news as: "Peasants revolt. King slays thousands."

* Professor Farnsworth from ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' has his CatchPhrase, "Good news, everyone!" The news in question would usually range from weird to bad to apocalyptic, with the occasional obligatory subversion of actual good news. Of course, the good news will usually be preceded by "Bad news, everyone!" or something of the sort.
-->'''Farnsworth''': Good news, everyone! Tomorrow you'll be delivering a package to Ebola 9, the virus planet!

--> '''Farnsworth''': Good news everyone!
--> '''Bender''': Uh oh, I don't like the sound of that.
--> '''Farnsworth''': You'll be making a delivery to the planet Trisol...
--> ''' Bender''': Here it comes. . .
--> '''Farnsworth''': A mysterious world in the darkest depths of the Forbidden Zone!
--> ''' Bender''': [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere Thank you, and goodnight.]]
** [[SubvertedTrope To be fair]], [[NonIndicativeName it's just a name]]. ''All'' the Zones that names like that [[DoubleSubversion in the Galaxy of Terror]]!
** Also, this exchange:
--> '''Farnsworth''': [[LampshadeHanging Now I've often said "Good news" when sending you on a mission of extreme danger]]. So when I say this anomaly is dangerous, you can imagine how dangerous I really think it is.
--> '''Hermes''': Not dangerous at all?
--> '''Farnsworth''': Actually quite dangerous indeed.
--> '''Hermes''': [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment That]] ''[[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment is]]'' [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment quite dangerous]]!
--> '''Farnsworth''': Indeed.
** And yet another example:
-->'''Farnsworth''': Good news, everyone! Today you'll be delivering a crate of subpoenas to Sicily 8, the [[PlanetOfHats Mob Planet]]!

-->'''Farnsworth''': Good news, everyone! There's a report on TV with some very bad news.

--> '''Farnsworth''': Good news, everyone! The university is bringing me up on disciplinary charges... Wait, that's not good news at all.
** [[OverlyLongGag One more]]:
--> '''Farnsworth''': Good news, everyone! I'm afraid I have some bad news.

** [[ThisIsReality Reality]], in the episode with the poem, is just as bad. When JD gives Turk advice on giving bad news("My Na Na Na"), including thinking of the dancing gopher from ''Film/{{Caddyshack}}'' to stop himself crying, and "no false hope", Turk quickly ends up DiggingHimselfDeeper:

* Inverted in ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic Fumoffu'', where there's been a series of incidents involving a man in a pony mask stalking young girls. One morning, Sōsuke tells Kaname that their friend Kyoko was a victim of the "Pony Man"; the serious way he delivers the news makes Kaname (and the audience) believe that poor Kyoko was raped or killed; however, it turns out that all he did was style her hair into a ponytail. Kaname promptly beats the crap out of Sōsuke for scaring her like that.

* ''Anime/NegimaSecondSeason'' has the frog Motsu, who will always say "in a good way" [[VerbalTic at the end of everything]], often times very bad news. Often times it sounds something like "You'll be [[ForcefulTransformation turned into an ermine]]. In a good way."

* ''Anime/NegimaSecondSeason'' has the frog Motsu, who will always say "in a good way" [[VerbalTic at the end of everything]], often times very bad news. Often times it sounds something like "You'll be [[BalefulPolymorph turned into an ermine]]. In a good way."

* ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' had the episode "Banking on Marcy", in which Marcy D'Arcy had a [[PerformanceAnxiety fear of public speaking]]. So she decides to start thinking of sex while speaking to distract her from her nervousness. This results in her delivering an address about how poorly the bank is doing, during which she nears (and reaches) orgasm, complete with [[SmokingHotSex a cigarette that appears from nowhere afterward]]. She subsequently got more speaking gigs for this exact trope, as everybody was so focused on ''how'' she delivered the bad news that they didn't care about the bad news itself.

This is when bad news, often very bad news, is told in a way that's supposed to make it sound not quite as bad. Perhaps start it off with "a funny thing happened...", give it a positive spin, or tell it in a cheery mood. It also works if bad news is taken as good news.

[[folder:Film]]

* Played straight at first, then subverted in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast''. The Beast awaits the arrival of Belle to the dinner he demanded her to attend. When Cogsworth shows up, the Beast demands to know where Belle is. Cogsworth ''tries'' to tell him in a positive way, but eventually just gives up and admits, "She's not coming" - which sends the Beast into a rage.

* One ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' CutawayGag infamously took this to an [[UpToEleven extreme]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N3dI-j6enA when the doctor hired Peter to inform someone they had AIDS with a barbershop quartet.]]

* From ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': [[JustForFun/TheUglyBarnacle Once, there was an ugly barnacle. He was so ugly that everyone died! The end.]]"

** ''Nikki and Sarah'' also thought they can soften the blow of bad news with the saccharine sweet vocals of Music/ArianaGrande. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF2m7ihYIKo They should have thought harder.]]

* Apparently the jester of the French King Philip IV had to something similar, after the advisers were too scared to tell the King that his entire Navy had been destroyed at the Battle of Sluys in 1340.

* The jester of the French King Philip IV had to something similar, after the advisers were too scared to tell the King that his entire Navy had been destroyed at the Battle of Sluys in 1340.

* The jester of the French King Philip IV had to something similar, after the advisers were too scared to tell the King that his troops had been trounced at the Battle of Sluys in 1340.

Compare BearerOfBadNews, BadNewsIrrelevantNews, ComicallyMissingThePoint, DistinctionWithoutADifference, FalseReassurance, and GoodNewsBadNews.

* ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'': 'We'd like to invite you to no longer live with us any more.'