History Main / ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch

'''Mom:''' [[SarcasmMode Oh, thank you for those insightful reviews of books...]] you haven't read.

* ''Fanfic/LightAndDarkTheAdventuresofDarkYagami'': One directed at ''Anime/CodeGeass''.

* ''Film/{{Matinee}}'': Citizens For Decent Entertainment protesting against ''Mant'' without having seen it. [[spoiler: It is, of course, a stunt to drum up publicity.]]

--> ''... though Don Juan wished Don Quixote to read more of the book to see what it was all about, he was not to be prevailed upon, saying that he treated it as read and pronounced it utterly silly; and, if by any chance it should come to its author's ears that he had it in his hand, he did not want him to flatter himself with the idea that he had read it; for our thoughts, and still more our eyes, should keep themselves aloof from what is obscene and filthy.''

-->'''Goodies:''' You mean you're going to condemn our film without having seen it?
-->'''Carthorse:''' Why break the habit of a lifetime?!

-->'''Jeff''': ''(providing "[[{{Demonization}} examples]]" of [[EveryoneIsSatanInHell Satanic songs]])'' "Evil Ways" and "Soul Sacrifice" by Music/{{Santana}}.
-->'''Brad''': Yes, [[SarcasmMode I can see how you would have misinterpreted the line]], '''"You've got to change your evil ways."'''

** [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] with her ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}'' review, which she has admitted was done only because she felt pressured by its 'girly nostalgia', despite the fact she was not a fan nor ever watched the show as a kid.

-->'''Weasel''': [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech Don't you see what this means, you brainless louth? You wrote a book so bad that it makes people stupid instead of smart!]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Why did I trust you?! What was I thinking!?]] [[WhatTheHellHero Your book has ruined the world!]]
-->'''Baboon''': [[DumbassHasAPoint You say book is bad? But you never even read it yet!]]
** [[spoiler: Later averted when Weasel actually reads the book and admits that not only does it do a decent job of describing what being a baboon is like, and that even though he disliked the writing, he realizes that the book has no effect on the people who read it because everyone was ''already'' stupid.]]

* [[https://medium.com/think-tube/my-little-pony-friendship-is-marxism-d8dcaac974eb#.bs7mcvjvf This satirical article]] is largely based around this trope. It is about an in-story author named Cliven Irving who claims that the TV show ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' is a tool by the "Six Pointer Commission", [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial which is not at all an antisemitic slur]], to promote "Cultural Marxism" and LGBT activism. He makes [[CriticalResearchFailure several blatant errors]], such as claiming there aren't any male characters in the show (and then claiming this [[InsaneTrollLogic as proof that the show promotes lesbianism]]) and also that one of the characters is named "Molestia" (which he fails to realize is a fan nickname). It also gets lampshaded when he proclaims that "And I know them to be named that based on contacts who see people who watch this filth, for [[KnightTemplar I]] [[PureIsNotGood will not let my purity be polluted]]".

Compare CriticalResearchFailure, Administrivia/ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontLike, IDoNotLikeGreenEggsAndHam.

Contrast DontLikeDontRead, PraisingShowsYouDontWatch.

* In ''Film/{{Birdman}}'', Riggan runs into Tabitha Dickinson, a highly influential ''New York Times'' theater critic shortly before the premiere of Riggan's play. Tabitha tells Riggan point blank that she will write the worst review she has ever written despite not having seen the play simply because she despises Hollywood and the idea of Hollywood actors beliving they can achieve "high art" like the theater. [[spoiler:She ends up writing a positive review after all, after witnessing Riggan shooting himself on stage, calling it just what American theater needed.]]

* ''Literature/LordPeterWimsey'': Harriet attends a literary party, where a gang of authors take turns theorizing why some thoroughly arty and undeserving novel has been awarded a reviewer's prize - because of advertising deals, or political loyalties, or familial connections, or other underhand reasons. Naturally, none of them have actually read the book, or have the faintest idea what it's even about.

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'': One comic titled "Hell's Video Store" featured a store run by devils with nothing but the movie ''{{Film/Ishtar}}''. Larson later apologized for drawing that strip after actually watching the movie ''Ishtar'', which he had not seen at the time he did the comic and had only used it because of its reputation. After seeing Larson admitted he found it funny.
[[/folder]]

* In TvTropes headscratchers/wmg/fridge logic for users to be asking questions and making theories that can be answered/debunked just by reading/watching/playing the work in question.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** Creator/LaurenFaust expected this to happen, as evidenced by this quote:
--->'''Lauren Faust:''' When I took the job, I braced myself for criticism, expecting many people -- without even watching the show -- to instantly label it girly, stupid, cheap, for babies or an evil corporate commercial. I encourage skeptics like this to watch ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' with an open mind. If I'm doing my job right, I think you'll be surprised.
** Funny enough, there was a blog post on [[http://msmagazine.com/blog/2010/12/09/my-little-homophobic-racist-smarts-shaming-pony/ Ms. Magazine]] website that did just this. Anyone who has even watched just a few episodes could easily spot that the reporter based their report on a casual glance of photos and bias. Lauren Faust, the creator, hit back with a rather [[http://msmagazine.com/blog/2010/12/24/my-little-non-homophobic-non-racist-non-smart-shaming-pony-a-rebuttal/ awesome blog herself.]]
** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E16ReadItAndWeep Read It and Weep]]" is all about this trope, beginning with Rainbow Dash dismissing the entire idea of reading books as "undeniably, unquestionably uncool", to the confusion of her friends. [[SubvertedTrope However]], with nothing else to do while stuck in the hospital for several days, she eventually picks up the book that Twilight Sparkle left behind. [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything To her horror]], Rainbow [[FandomNod admits to herself that she actually likes it]], and becomes a ''huge'' fan of the series from that point onwards, spending much of the episode trying to get a chance to finish that first book.

** He received criticism for reviewing ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad'' and stating that he has never seen [[WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine the show the movie was based on.]] This is featured in his third "Top 11 Fuck Ups" video and he states that he has done this before (like his Pokemon review mentioned above) and he received a lot of requests by fans to review the movie so he did.

* ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' features a StrawFan as an ArcVillain, and at one point you have to get past the door via a true/false quiz. One "question" in that quiz (as seen in the page image) fits is "I love going on message boards and complaining about games I've never played!"

* ''WebVideo/{{BeatriceTheGoldenWitch}}'' mentions this trope in her [[https://youtu.be/z1EW2o5mnZE?t=595 Let's Argue series]] regarding ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline''. Beatrice says that the hatred of Sword Art Online is largely bandwagoning and most people have not actually watched it, but have seen people discuss how terrible it is enough to know it's bad through word of mouth.

* ''WebVideo/{{Diginee}}'' mentions this trope in her [[https://youtu.be/z1EW2o5mnZE?t=595 Let's Argue series]] regarding ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline''. Digi says that the hatred of Sword Art Online is largely bandwagoning and most people have not actually watched it, but have seen people discuss how terrible it is enough to know it's bad through word of mouth.

'''Scott:''' [[LogicalFallacy But how would I know I don't like it if I don't play it?]]\\

* ''WebVideo/{{Hadriex}}'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxLgFbNPB9s "You never really played this game did you?" "Of course not, if would have melted my cerebellum."]]

* ''WebVideo/{{Diginee}}'': Mentioned in his [[https://youtu.be/z1EW2o5mnZE?t=595 Let's Argue series]] regarding ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline''. Digibro says that the hatred of Sword Art Online is largely bandwagoning and most people have not actually watched it, but have seen people discuss how terrible it is enough to know it's bad through word of mouth.

'''Therapist:''' [[DontLikeDontPlay Well, if you don't like it, don't play it!]]\\

'''Therapist:''' Well, if you don't like it, don't play it!\\

* ''WebVideo/{{Digibro}}'': Mentioned in his [[https://youtu.be/z1EW2o5mnZE?t=595 Let's Argue series]] regarding ''Manga/SwordArtOnline''. Digibro says that the hatred of Sword Art Online is largely bandwagoning and most people have not actually watched it, but have seen people discuss how terrible it is enough to know it's bad through word of mouth.

* ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' features a StrawFan as an ArcVillain, and at one point you have to get past the door via a true/false quiz. One "question" in that quiz fits is "I love going on message boards and complaining about games I've never played!"

* ''WesternAnimation/ThundercatsRoar'': Monkian has some choice words on Cheetara's livestream.
-->'''Monkian:''' Oh, Cheetara thinks she's so great, but she's totally not.
'''Vultureman:''' [[DontLikeDontRead Ah, you know, you don't have to watch her videos.]]
'''Monkian:''' But then what will I complain about?!

* ''WesternAnimation/IAmWeasel'': Baboon in a "A Troo Storee":
-->'''Weasel''': [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech Don't you see what this means you brainless louth? You wrote a book so bad, that it makes people stupid instead of smart!]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Why did i trust you?! What was I thinking!?]] [[WhatTheHellHero Your book has ruined the world!]]

** [[spoiler: Later averted when Weasel actually reads the book and admit that not only does it do a decent job of describing what being a baboon is like, even if the quality of the writing is pretty bad, he realizes that the book has no effect on the people who read it, everyone were ''already'' stupid, he just hadn't noticed it before]]