History Main / BadNewsIrrelevantNews

* ''WesternAnimation/IceAgeTheMeltdown'': A vulture tells everyone that the flood is coming soon, and they need to move fast if they are to survive. But there is good news -- the more of them that die, the better he eats. Well, he never said it was good news for ''them''.

* Being something of a {{Jerkass}} with a grudge, FBI agent Victor decides to deliver news of Firo's sentence this way at the beginning of ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'''s "Alice in Jails" arc. The Bad News: Firo's going to Alcatraz. The Good News: with [[DudeLooksLikeALady his looks]], he's probably going to be [[PrisonRape very popular]] there.

* An Advertising/{{GEICO}}[[note]]The largest car insurance company in the US. For non-Americans, it's easier to note that it's the company that Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway got the money to do all the investments.[[/note]] campaign (the [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes former]] {{Trope Namer|s}}, twice, as it happens) used this trope. This type of spot goes like this: A guy talks to someone else, saying "I've got bad news. ''[insert story here]'' ...but I've got good news: I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to GEICO!", which of course is of no use whatsoever to the person hearing those words. Even Anime/{{Speed|Racer}}-about-to-fall-off-a-bridge on Trixie's insurance plan is of no immediate help to Speed Racer himself.

->'''Wanda:''' Uh Timmy, we've got good news and bad news.\\

[[folder: Anime And Manga ]]
* Being something of a {{Jerkass}} with a grudge, FBI agent Victor decides to deliver news of Firo's sentence this way at the beginning of ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'''s Alice In Jails arc. The Bad News: Firo's going to Alcatraz. The Good News: with [[{{Bishonen}} his]] [[DudeLooksLikeALady looks]], he's probably going to be [[PrisonRape very popular]] there.

[[folder: Commercials ]]
* A Advertising/{{GEICO}}[[note]]The largest car insurance company in the US. For non-Americans, it's easier to note that it's the company that Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway got the money to do all the investments.[[/note]] campaign (the [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes former]] TropeNamer, twice, as it happens) used this trope. This type of spot goes like this: A guy talks to someone else, saying "I've got bad news. ''[insert story here]''...but I've got good news: I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to GEICO!" which of course is of no use whatsoever to the person hearing those words. Even Anime/{{Speed|Racer}}-about-to-fall-off-a-bridge on Trixie's insurance plan is of no immediate help to Speed Racer himself.\\\
This was parodied in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIrM4eQH1Fg this advertisement]] for a law firm in Washington State specializing in child custody cases: The lawyer is seen talking on the phone while a couple waits anxiously at a table. The lawyer hangs up and tells the couple he has good news. The woman sarcastically asks if he saved a bunch of money on car insurance, to which the lawyer responds with the actual good news about getting visitation rights for them.
* In Brazil, Banco Real had ads that usually dealt with something that was irrelevant or went wrong. Then one character: "But that doesn't matter. What matters is that Banco Real gives you ten days of credit without interest".
* In Poland, there is a series of commercials [[Main/TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt with a big asteroid closing to Earth to wipe out all life]], and when the people ask the superhero for help, he answers "[[Main/OptOut There is nothing I can do]], but there is free SMS forever" making everyone cheer.
* A series of Sprint commercials has the setup of a pair of people, one of whom has just received bad news (A football player with a career-ending injury, a guy whose girlfriend that is sitting across from him is breaking up with him) and they repeatedly ask questions while the other people say irrelevant stuff about their phone [[JerkAss in the rudest way possible.]]
* A series of [=TurboTax=] ads mention how you might suffer some horrible fate, like [[ToServeMan being eaten by aliens]], but at least doing your taxes is free with [=TurboTax=].

[[folder: Films -- Animated ]]
* ''WesternAnimation/IceAgeTheMeltdown'', has the vulture that tells everyone that the flood is coming soon and they need to move fast if they are to survive. But there is good news, the more of them that die the better he eats. He never said it was good news for them.

[[folder: Films -- Live-Action ]]
* In the movie ''Film/TwentyOne'', a friend of the main character declares "[[ShoutOut I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance]]," but does not mention GEICO.
* Creator/{{Seltzer and Friedberg}}'s ''Epic Movie'' does this too, in a GagSub, but without the setup. [[FleetingDemographicRule Although given their modus operandi, we shouldn't be surprised.]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]
* The trope namer comes from the last episode of Season One of ''Series/TheOfficeUK'':
-->'''David Brent''': Um, well, there's good news and bad news. The bad news is: Neil will be taking over both branches and some of you will lose your jobs. Those of you who are kept on will have to relocate to Swindon. Yeah, I know, I know. On a more positive note, the good news is I've been promoted! So, every cloud... You're still thinking about the bad news, aren't you?
-->'''Malcolm''': There's no good news, David! There's only [[TropeNamers bad news and irrelevant news!]]
** Particularly noteworthy in that not only is he called out on his "good news", but he genuinely thinks it should be considered as such, and desperately tries to convince them as such.

--> '''John:''' Aw, this is not happening. Just feel free to wake me up any time, D'Argo.
--> '''D'Argo:''' Well, now, I can only speak truth. And that comes as good and bad news.
--> '''John:''' All right, give me the bad news first.
--> '''D'Argo:''' The bad news is that you're married and you must endure as a statue for 80 cycles on a strange world.
--> '''John:''' What's the good news?
--> '''D'Argo:''' [[spoiler:Chiana]] and I are having ''fantastic'' sex.

* [[Series/ChappellesShow Dave Chappelle]] does this in his spoof of P. Diddy's ''Making the Band.''
---> "The bad news is I'm closing down the studio. The good news... is I saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico." (He then raises his arms and his security guards bear him off like royalty.)
* A comedian from ''Series/TheTonightShow'' was talking to Manny Ramirez c. 2003. He mentioned that the Red Sox hadn't won a World Series in 85 years. "But you know what the good news is? I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance."
** HilariousInHindsight considering that they they won the World Series in... 2004.

-->'''Newscaster:''' But there is one bright note: Thank god it's them and not us.

-->The bad news is that they have you on a class three security breach. The good news... is that this mattress is ''surprisingly'' supportive.
* ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' double-subverts this, in one episode, in which Hitchcock comes back from checking out a perp's alibi, and announces that he has good news and bad news. The ''bad'' (irrelevant) news is that his favorite taffy place was closed. The ''good'' news is... the perp's alibi checked out. As Peralta points out, that was actually also bad news.
* In one episode of ''Series/CornerGas'', after the Roughriders lose and Brent is blamed because he wasn't wearing a Roughriders jersey, someone tells Brent he now has to tell his wife he lost the farm. When Brent asks if he bet the farm on a football game, he clarifies that no, he's just bad at business. But if the Riders had won he'd at least have some good news to cheer her up with afterwards!

[[folder: Video Games ]]
* Somewhat cruelly subverted in the first chapter of ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' by telling the good news first in a horribly misguided attempt to soften the blow. After a search to find a family lost in the woods after a storm, Bronson comes back from a search and declares something to the effect of "[[spoiler:The good news is I've just found a fang that would make a great weapon -- the bad news is that it was pierced through your wife's heart]]". He is quite rightly walloped for this. This is all PlayedForDrama.
* Inverted in the first ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'', where Gaz's "good news" is there's a civil war in Russia, with Ultranationalist rebels against government loyalists. The bad news is a new guy's joining them.

-->[=ASGORE=] left me five messages today. four about everyone being angry. one about this cute teacup he found that looks like me. [[SarcasmMode Thanks Asgore.]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]
* Subverted in [[http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/3p19/ this]] ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'' strip.

* ''Webcomic/{{Concession}}'' does it [[http://concessioncomic.com/index.php?pid=20061117 here]].

* In ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids'' [[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/1098.html Lando explains]] that Leia has been identified as one of the rebels, but the good news is that he can claim part of the bounty.
-->'''Leia''': That's the ''good'' news?\\
'''Lando''': Well, for me.

[[folder: Web Original ]]
* From ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'', the end of "Bardock: Father of Goku" has Nappa telling young Vegeta that their home planet has been destroyed. "But the good news is, we're going to DAIRY QUEEN!!"
* ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony''. From "Faith to Faith":

''(image of Randall sitting at his computer desk with questioneer Zoe Cutler behind him)''\\

'''Randall:''' I would have an excuse to quote Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger's [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Mr. Freeze]] from ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' constantly!\\

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'':

[[folder: Real Life ]]
* This announcement by a London Underground train driver (attributed to urban legend) serves as an inversion:
--> Ladies and Gentlemen do you want the good news first or the bad news? The good news is that last Friday was my birthday and I hit the town and had a great time. I felt sadly let down by the fact that none of you sent me a card! I drive you to work and home each day and not even a card.

--> The bad news is that there is a points failure somewhere between Stratford and East Ham, which means that we probably won't reach our destination for a good ninety minutes yet. We may have to stop and return. I won't reverse back up the line - simply get out, walk up the platform and go back to where we started.

* In one episode of ''Series/CornerGas'', after the Rough Riders lose and Brent is blamed because he wasn't wearing a Rough Riders jersey, someone tells Brent he now has to tell his wife he lost the farm. When Brent asks if he bet the farm on a football game, he clarifies he's just bad at business and was hoping to invoke this trope to lift his wife's spirits.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'': Dr. Rip Studwell, a charming but self-absorbed fairy doctor, would rather talk about the success of his golf swings rather than diagnosing his patients:
-->'''Dr. Rip:''' Cosmo, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is I'm doing a tee off at 2:30!\\

A trope most easily employed with two or more characters who are in a GoodNewsBadNews scenario. After breaking the overwhelmingly bad news to the other, the messenger helpfully relays the good news: a {{breathless non sequitur}} that has nothing to do with the dire situation. This usually results in effectively crushing the raised spirits of the receiver(s).

* ''WesternAnimation/IceAge2TheMeltdown'', has the vulture that tells everyone that the flood is coming soon and they need to move fast if they are to survive. But there is good news, the more of them that die the better he eats. He never said it was good news for them.

[[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife TV Tropes has ruined your life]]. Also, fifteen minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.

* A Advertising/{{GEICO}}[[note]]The largest car insurance company in the US. For non-Americans, it's easier to note that it's the company that Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway got the money to do all the investments.[[/note]] campaign (the [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes former]] TropeNamer, as it happens) used this trope. This type of spot goes like this: A guy talks to someone else, saying "I've got bad news. ''[insert story here]''...but I've got good news: I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to GEICO!" which of course is of no use whatsoever to the person hearing those words. Even Anime/{{Speed|Racer}}-about-to-fall-off-a-bridge on Trixie's insurance plan is of no immediate help to Speed Racer himself.\\\

* From an episode of ''Series/{{Hustle}}'': the bad news is, the castle the team is pretending to have for sale is open to the public until 7, and TheMark is coming at 6 to look at it. The good news: if they buy a 6 month pass to said castle, they get a free ice cream.

-->'''John:''' Aw, this is not happening. Just feel free to wake me up any time, D'Argo.
'''D'Argo:''' Well, now, I can only speak truth. And that comes as good and bad news.
'''John:''' All right, give me the bad news first.
'''D'Argo:''' The bad news is that you're married and you must endure as a statue for 80 cycles on a strange world.
'''John:''' What's the good news?
'''D'Argo:''' [[spoiler:Chiana]] and I are having ''fantastic'' sex.

-->'''John''': Aw, this is not happening. Just feel free to wake me up any time, D'Argo.
-->'''D'Argo''': Well, now, I can only speak truth. And that comes as good and bad news.
-->'''John''': All right, give me the bad news first.
-->'''D'Argo''': The bad news is that you're married and you must endure as a statue for 80 cycles on a strange world.
-->'''John''': What's the good news?
-->'''D'Argo''': [[spoiler:Chiana]] and I are having ''fantastic'' sex.
* A highly surreal edge-case from ''Series/TwinPeaks'': Agent Cooper is blessed in a [[PsychicDreamsForEveryone prescient dream]] with the good news that "that chewing gum you like is coming back in style".

-->This is another question that turns out even worse than I expected.
-->''Image of Randall sitting at his computer desk with questioneer Zoe Cutler behind him''
-->'''Zoe:''' Is there ''any'' upside?
-->'''Randall:''' I would have an excuse to quote Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger's [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Mr. Freeze]] from ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' constantly!
-->'''Zoe:''' Oh no.

-->'''Dr.:''' I'm really sorry, but it looks like the test confirmed it, your cancer is back. But, I do have some good news.
-->'''Patient:''' Didja save a bunch of money on your car insurance, doc?
-->'''Dr.:''' ... If any doctor were to ever say that they would lose their license immediately. Do you really think that's funny?

-->'''Leia''': That's the ''good'' news?
-->'''Lando''': Well, for me.

'''Cosmo:''' [[TheDitz I found a nickel]]!

-->'''D'Argo''': Chiana and I are having ''fantastic'' sex.

'''Cosmo:''' I found a nickel!

-->[=ASGORE=] left me five messages today. four about everyone being angry. one about this cute teacup he found that looks like me. [[SarcasmMode thanks asgore.]]

* In Poland, there is a series of commercials [[Main/TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt with a big asteroid closing to Earth to wipe out all life]], and when the people ask the superhero for help, he answers "[[Main/OptOut There is nothing I can do]], but there are free SMS in 36,6 forever" making everyone cheer.

-->'''Newscaster:''' ''(paraphrased)'' There's one good news though: It's happening to ''them'', not ''us''.

* In Poland, there is a series of commercials with a big asteroid closing to Earth to wipe out all life, and when the people ask the superhero for help, he answers "There is nothing I can do, but there are free SMS in 36,6 forever" making everyone cheer.