History Main / ContagiousCassandraTruth

* In ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'', at the end of the first season (after spending the entire series thus far reprimanding Jackie whenever he brings up magic) [[TheMenInBlack Captain Black]] finally witnesses magic first hand. In the next season he tries to report this to his superiors and they decide that he's gone crazy.

* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', CowboyCop Garrus Vakarian details to Commander Shepard how he successfully convinced his usually skeptical ByTheBookCop father (that he was a bit estranged with) that the Reapers are real. Since his father has connections in the top echelons of the Turian Hierarchy, he tries to convince the Primarch. The Primarch is... less convinced. Averted once the Reapers finally arrive; Garrus's dire portents are vindicated and he gets catapulted to the top echelons himself and has generals saluting him.

* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', CowboyCop Garrus Vakarian details to Commander Shepard how he successfully convinced his usually skeptical ByTheBookCop father (that he was a bit estranged with) that the Reapers are real. Since his father has connections in the top echelons of the Turian Hierarchy, he tries to convince the Primarch. The Primarch is... less convinced.

* In ''Disney/ChickenLittle'', when the title character finally succeeded in convincing his friends that "the sky is falling" [[spoiler:(in other words, an alien ship was visiting]], when they tried to back him up the rest of the town didn't believe them either.

* ''Film/TwelveMonkeys'' has an interesting variation of this trope. Dr Railly doesn't believe James Cole's claims that he's from the future, but when he dissappears she investigates his claims and finds corroborating evidence. When Cole returns Dr Railly has difficulty convincing Cole of the truth, as he has accepted her explanation that he is delusional.
* In the ''Film/ChildsPlay'' series Mrs. Barclay ends up being committed because the cops who witnessed Chucky refused to back up her story.

* In ''Disney/ChickenLittle'', when the title character finally succeeded in convincing his friend that "the sky is falling" [[spoiler:(in other words, an alien ship was visiting]], when they tried to back him up the rest of the town didn't believe them either.

* ''Anime/{{Monster}}'': Over the course of the series, various people grow convineed that Dr. Tenma is telling the truth about Johan committing the murders that he is accused of and/or are persuaded to work toward exonerating him upon realizing that he is a good person and does not deserve to be a fugitive, up to and including [[spoiler: ''Inspector Lunge'']]. However, they still remain largely powerless to prevent the authorities from attempting to apprehend Tenma, save for trying to take matters into their own hands.

* In the ''Film/ChildsPlay'' series Mrs. Barkley ends up being committed because the cops who witnessed Chucky refused to back up her story.

* In the middle of the first ''Film/{{Terminator}}'' film, Sarah Connor seems happy to accept the psychologist's explanation that Kyle Reese is a paranoid schizophrenic, and the KillerRobot is just on PCP. By the beginning of the second film, she's locked up in a mental asylum for insisting that Reese's story about the impending apocalypse is true.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Lisa discovers that town founder Jebediah Springfield was secretly a villainous pirate. No one believes her story except Homer, who is GenreSavvy enough to know Lisa tends to make the right assumptions on these things. They fail to convince anyone else and Homer is stripped of his role in the town parade as punishment. [[spoiler:Subverted when Lisa realises that the museum curator covered it up (he relents, but Lisa decides that the lie inspires the town and leaves things be).]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' episode "It Came from Beneath the Sea Duck", Kit is chewed out by Rebecca for taking Molly outside the apartment while babysitting (in reality this was for a load of convoluted reasons). Baloo is GenreSavvy enough to suggest letting Kit explain what happened, however Rebecca just assumes that Kit learned his irresponsible behaviour from him and shushes him too.

Compare and contrast the SecretKeeper, who learns the truth but agrees to keep it to themselves and BrokenMasquerade.

Maybe the PoliceAreUseless for everyone, perhaps the person you've convince can't convince their bosses or it might just be that your new confidant already has a reputation for believing crazy things. Par for the course if an ExtraStrengthMasquerade is involved. Bonus points if a scene where they try to convince someone to believe them parallels one they had with the heroes. Either way, they've put their name on the line but ended up [[JustForPun cosigning your discredit card]].

* In another episode, Stacy and Jenny join Candace in busting Phineas and Ferb, but when they try to tell their mom she merely thinks that Candace is rubbing off on them.

* For the first half of ''Film/{{Jaws}}''. only Chief Brody and Matt Hooper are convinced that a great white shark is still alive and well, waiting to eat any unsuspecting swimmers. It isn't until the shark kills for the ''third'' recorded time that the town and specifically Mayor Vaughn finally agree to take any measures to kill the shark.
** Though, in the town's defense, several fishermen had happened to catch a tiger shark just two days prior, which many believed to be the original shark.

** Though, in the town's defense, several fishermen had happened to catch a tiger shark just a two days prior, which many believed to be the original shark.

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''{{WesternAnimation/Doug}}'s First Movie'': Doug and Skeeter tell the Mayor about the swamp creature they found, but she can't publicly declare its existence without backlash. They try, but an attempt to capture the beast by a CorruptCorporateExecutive impedes this.

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Lisa discovers that town founder Jebediah Springfield was secretly a villainous pirate. No one believes her story except Homer, who is GenreSavvy enough to know Lisa tends to make the right assumptions on these things. They fail to convince anyone else and Homer is stripped of his role in the town parade as punishment. [[spoiler: Subverted when Lisa realises that the museum curator covered it up (he relents, but Lisa decides that the lie inspires the town and leaves things be).]]

* Mulder usually had this problem after convincing Scully on ''Series/{{The X-Files}}''. Other characters they convinced also tended to suffer this trope (if they weren't blackmailed or bribed by the AncientConspiracy).

[[AC: Film]]
* In ''Film/{{Breakin}}'', the main character manages to get her extremely sceptical agent to come down and watch a street dancing contest. This convinces him that they have potential and he agrees to take on her friends as clients too. Unfortunately he has even more trouble convincing his contacts to take them seriously.
* ''{{WesternAnimation/Doug}}'s First Movie'': Doug and Skeeter tell the Mayor about the swamp creature they found, but she can't publicly declare its existence without backlash. They try, but an attempt to capture the beast by a CorruptCorporateExecutive impedes this.
* In ''Disney/ChickenLittle'', when the title character finally succeeded in convincing his friend that "the sky is falling" [[spoiler:(in other words, an alien ship was visiting]], when they tried to back him up the rest of the town didn't believe them either.
* In the middle of the first ''Film/{{Terminator}}'' film, Sarah Connor seems happy to accept the psychologist's explanation that Kyle Reese is a paranoid schizophrenic, and the KillerRobot is just on PCP. By the beginning of the second film, she's locked up in a mental asylum for insisting that Reese's story about the impending apocalypse is true.
* ''Film/TwelveMonkeys'' has an interesting variation of this trope. Dr Railly doesn't believe James Cole's claims that he's from the future, but when he dissappears she investigates his claims and finds corroborating evidence. When Cole returns Dr Railly has difficulty convincing Cole of the truth, as he has accepted her explanation that he is delusional.

[[AC: LiveActionTelevision]]
* Mulder usually had this problem after convincing Scully on ''Series/{{The X-Files}}''. Other characters they convinced also tended to suffer this trope (if they weren't blackmailed or bribed by the AncientConspiracy).
* In ''Series/{{Angel}}'''s "Shiny Happy People" Fred catches CassandraTruth literally from Jasmine's blood, and then figuratively when she talks to the only other person so far to see the truth (who had been converted earlier), who explains to her "she [Jasmine] must die" and "you've been called".

[[AC: WesternAnimation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'', at the end of the first season (after spending the entire series thus far reprimanding Jackie whenever he brings up magic) [[TheMenInBlack Captain Black]] finally witnesses magic first hand. In the next season he tries to report this to his superiors and they decide that he's gone crazy.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Lisa discovers that town founder Jebediah Springfield was secretly a villainous pirate. No one believes her story except Homer, who is GenreSavvy enough to know Lisa tends to make the right assumptions on these things. They fail to convince anyone else and Homer is stripped of his role in the town parade as punishment. [[spoiler: Subverted when Lisa realises that the museum curator covered it up (he relents, but Lisa decides that the lie inspires the town and leaves things be).]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' episode "It Came from Beneath the Sea Duck", Kit is chewed out by Rebecca for taking Molly outside the apartment while babysitting (in reality this was for a load of convoluted reasons). Baloo is GenreSavvy enough to suggest letting Kit explain what happened, however Rebecca just assumes that Kit learned his irresponsible behaviour from him and shushes him too.

* In the ''ChildsPlay'' series Mrs. Barkley ends up being committed because the cops who witnessed Chucky refused to back up her story.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' Kit is chewed out by Rebecca for taking Molly outside the apartment while babysitting (in reality this was for a load of convoluted reasons). Baloo is GenreSavvy enough to suggest letting Kit explain what happened, however Rebecca just assumes that Kit learned his irresponsible behaviour from him and shushes him too.

* In ''ChickenLittle'', when the title character finally succeeded in convincing his friend that "the sky is falling" [[spoiler:(in other words, an alien ship was visiting]], when they tried to back him up the rest of the town didn't believe them either.
* In the middle of the first ''{{Terminator}}'' film, Sarah Connor seems happy to accept the psychologist's explanation that Kyle Reese is a paranoid schizophrenic, and the KillerRobot is just on PCP. By the beginning of the second film, she's locked up in a mental asylum for insisting that Reese's story about the impending apocalypse is true.
* ''TwelveMonkeys'' has an interesting variation of this trope. Dr Railly doesn't believe James Cole's claims that he's from the future, but when he dissappears she investigates his claims and finds corroborating evidence. When Cole returns Dr Railly has difficulty convincing Cole of the truth, as he has accepted her explanation that he is delusional.

* Mulder usually had this problem after convincing Scully on ''TheXFiles''. Other characters they convinced also tended to suffer this trope (if they weren't blackmailed or bribed by the AncientConspiracy).
* In ''{{Angel}}'''s "Shiny Happy People" Fred catches CassandraTruth literally from Jasmine's blood, and then figuratively when she talks to the only other person so far to see the truth (who had been converted earlier), who explains to her "she [Jasmine] must die" and "you've been called".

* In ''TheSimpsons'', Lisa discovers that town founder Jebediah Springfield was secretly a villainous pirate. No one believes her story except Homer, who is GenreSavvy enough to know Lisa tends to make the right assumptions on these things. They fail to convince anyone else and Homer is stripped of his role in the town parade as punishment. [[spoiler: Subverted when Lisa realises that the museum curator covered it up (he relents, but Lisa decides that the lie inspires the town and leaves things be).]]
* In an episode of ''TaleSpin'' Kit is chewed out by Rebecca for taking Molly outside the apartment while babysitting (in reality this was for a load of convoluted reasons). Baloo is GenreSavvy enough to suggest letting Kit explain what happened, however Rebecca just assumes that Kit learned his irresponsible behaviour from him and shushes him too.
* ''PhineasAndFerb'' has an episode where Candace finally convinces her mom that her brothers have done something bad, then she has trouble convincing Laurence.