History Main / DontLookAtMe

ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, this is when someone doesn't like to be looked at, with the title being the StockPhrase you're most likely to hear them bellow to underline the point. Compared to HatesBeingTouched, this one tends to be a more temporary state of being, often triggered by a HeroicBSOD or a transformation into a BodyHorror. Also, a very likely post-trauma reaction if they've been DefiledForever. Such situations are often remedied with TheHero giving the afflicted LoveInterest a CooldownHug and telling her that [[UnderstandingBoyfriend he still loves her]], or that [[FreakinessShame her wings are beautiful]].

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[[caption-width-right:350:We've all had [[{{Pun}} bad hair days]] sometimes, so don't sweat it, Mei!]]

* ''Webcomic/DaughterOfTheLillies'': Thistle has some serious body image issues on account of being [[spoiler:a cave elf living in an area where cave elves aren't well regarded]]. Normally she's content to simply cover up all her visible skin, but when a vision leaves her perceiving herself to be wearing clothing that doesn't cover her face and hands, [[https://www.daughterofthelilies.com/dotl/928 she tells her companions to stop looking at her.]]

* ComicBook/DoctorDoom in regards to his unmasked, hideously scarred face.
* In ''ComicBook/XMen: ComicBook/Inferno1988'', Illyana said this line to her brother, Colossus, after being turned into a demon. Colossus looked anyway, opting instead to [[KnightTemplarBigBrother beat the demon responsible into a pulp]].
* X-Men villain Black Tom Cassidy once tried to give himself a power upgrade, grafting wood to his skin so he wouldn't need wooden objects to channel his power. Instead the wood reacted to his physiology and turned him into a hideous tree-creature. When the Juggernaut brought the X-Men to him he was completely out of his mind, screaming "NON'T NOOK AT NE!" over and over.

* ''ComicBook/SecretSix'': Horrifyingly done by Junior, [[spoiler:due to the heavily implied sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her father]] and a policy to kill anyone who does.
* ''ComicBook/Spider-Man'': Dr. Connors screamed this at his wife when he first transformed into the Lizard, and ran away into the swamp. By the next day he had gotten over it enough to return and try to create an antidote, but upon realizing that he couldn't he wrote a note telling his family to leave and never come back. This is all shown through flashbacks; by the time of the actual comic he doesn't even remember them and has no shame in his appearance.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Morbius}}'' #1 Michael says this while trying to hide his face when he is confronted by his ex-fiancée Martine.

* In the ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'' story "Empath's Honeymoon", when Smurfette falls into a pool of chocolate mud on Utopia Island, Smurfette first says to Empath, "Look at me, I'm all {{covered in mud}}," but when she notices that [[MaleGaze he's just staring at her with a wide smile on his face]], she then says, "Okay, Empath, stop looking at me."

* In ''Literature/TheElenium'' and ''Literature/TheTamuli'' series by Creator/DavidEddings, the goddess Aphrael is normally in the form of a six-year-old child. She has several different forms, including her "real" form as an adult woman, which she never uses except when changing forms. She doesn't like anyone to see her changing forms.

* In ''Literature/KingdomsAndConquerors'', T'zinkin refuses to look at Ryan, and begs him not to look at her, because she 'isn't worthy' when he explains for the thousandth time that he ''isn't'' a god, she replies that she isn't worthy- because she wasn't able to save the others.

* In ''[[Literature/TheIlluminaeFiles Iluminae]]'', the phrase "Stop looking at me" is the mark of being infected by the Phobos virus. [[spoiler:Kady learns that Byron Zhang is infected when he says that to her.]]

* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': Angel says this when he sees his true demon form in [[AnotherDimension Pylea]].
** It's implied that this is why vampires don't show in reflections, that the demon they truly are despises their own visage and avoids it when they can. Angel takes on that form in Pylea because its physics enhance his powers, making his GameFace a complete transformation but also apparently removing the ability to hide their reflection.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse''. Ambuscade's backstory mentions how he was an actor before an injury left him permanently scarred. The back of his team version card reveals him unmasked, desperately trying to hide his... tiny cheek scratch.

* [[spoiler: Sammy Lawrence]] has this reaction when [[PlayerCharacter Henry]] destroys his [[spoiler: [[MalevolentMaskedMen mask]]]], revealing his [[WasOnceAMan inky]] [[TheBlank facelessness]] in ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'' Chapter 5.

* The BigBad of ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'', [[SinisterMinister Lord Hyness]], has a complex about his face and is always seen with a [[InTheHood white hooded robe]] that gives him a ShadowedFaceGlowingEyes look. [[spoiler:After emptying his health bar, Kirby and friends knock the hood off, and Hyness promptly goes ''[[UnstoppableRage ballistic]]''. This starts the second phase of his boss fight, which is [[ThatOneBoss far harder than the first]].]]
** There's also [[BlackKnight Meta Knight]], whose main response to having his mask broken is to make his escape by curling up in his cape and disappearing upon defeat, most likely because he doesn't like people seeing his true, more cutesy-looking face.

* In ''VideoGame/Persona4'', this is what Chie says to Yu and Yosuke when they see her confronting her Shadow self.
** Ann has her turn in ''VideoGame/Persona5'' when she notices her outfit as a first-time Phantom Thief.
*** Also applies to Futaba when she and her friends are out on the beach. Embarrassed about how little she's wearing in front of everyone even though the other girls are barely more thoroughly dressed, she presents herself with some towels wrapped around her head to hide said embarrassment. She ''has'' had [[{{Hikikomori}} very little in the way of a social life from beforehand]], so the idea of wearing a lot less than is acceptable normally is only naturally alien to her.

* A hilariously bizarre example from the infamous prank war between ''Website/CollegeHumor'''s Streeter and Amir. In the prank that started it all, Streeter splices audio of himself having sex into a music track Amir is listening too. Audio that mostly consists of his girlfriend moaning while Streeter repeatedly demands that she not look at him, thoroughly weirding out Amir.
* ''Series/CharlesInCharge'': When the WebVideo/{{Wiiviewer}} is caught watching Charles.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.
** [[spoiler:Marge's father]] screamed this at Marge when she found out about his career as [[spoiler: a stewardess (sic)]], thus [[AllPsychologyIsFreudian causing her lifelong fear of planes]] (amongst other incidents).
** The Count Chocula {{expy}} begs Homer not to look at him when he betrays his principles and returns to promoting sugar loaded cereal.
** When Homer lands the role as the star of ''Everyman'', a superhero movie based on a character created by Comic Book Guy, he's given a fitness trainer who helps him get in shape for the role. However, when said trainer leaves once his job is done, Homer quickly degenerates back to his normal eating habits.
--->'''Homer:''' ''[Stuffing himself with cheese cubes from the buffet table]'' Don't look at me! ''DON'T LOOK AT ME!'' [[SubvertedTrope Except you, you watch!]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'': Grand Galactic Inquisitor doesn't want anyone to interact with him in any way. His catchphrase is "[[LargeHam Ignore me!]]" He continuously bellows out to "Continue your human occupations!" and "IGNORE ME!!!" with NoIndoorVoice and [[MilkingTheGiantCow grand dramatic gestures]] even if the cast is not paying attention at all.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'':
** In the episode "Jail Break", Steven finds Ruby locked up, but she initially tries to shoo him away [[spoiler:because Garnet (who is [[FusionDance a fusion of Ruby and another gem]]) wanted to save their meeting for Steven's next birthday]].
--->'''Steven:''' Uhh... Do you need any help?\\
'''Ruby:''' NO! I mean... [[NoIndoorVoice DON'T LOOK AT ME]]! Just! Go away...
** In the episode "Restaurant Wars", Mr. Fryman's french fry stand and Kofi's pizza restaurants start trying to outdo the other at their usual food. This leads to Peedee walking around in a pizza costume, running away while telling Steven not to look at him.

* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'' when a TV show convinces Knuckles that his past behavior may have severely harmed the life of someone he used to know.
-->'''Knuckles:''' Don't look at me! I'm a monster! A MONSTER! ''[Runs out of the room.]''\\
'''Sonic:''' Ugh, hope this turns out better than when he thought he was a ballerina.\\
''[Cue flashback.]''\\
'''Knuckles:''' Don't look at me! I'm a ballerina! A BALLERINA! ''[Gracefully dances out of the room.]''

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' "The Potato", Steve Small hosts a therapy session to help Darwin kick his potato cravings, citing his own success at converting to vegetarianism. It seems to work until Darwin notices a string of sausages and a pile of steaks that Small has hidden in his desk. Small confesses that he still craves meat. When Darwin runs back home to go cold-turkey on his own, Gumball tries to tell Small that Darwin is skipping out on school, only to catch Small tearing into a raw steak like an animal. Small screams "Don't look at me!" while he still has bits of meat on his face.

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* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': A [[TearJerker heartbreaking]] example occurs during the climax of the Eclipse. During her horrific [[spoiler: rape by the now demonic Griffith]], the last sane thing that Casca says to her lover Guts is ''"Don't watch..."'' This is despite the fact that he is being ForcedToWatch by the demonic Apostles who [[DogPileOfDoom dog-piled him]] after he [[spoiler:severed part of his own left arm and tried to stab Griffith's eye out]] in his last attempt to save her. After she passes out from her defeat, exhaustion, and humiliation, Casca awakens only to have become [[EmptyShell insane and mute]] and has not spoken coherently since the events of the Eclipse. [[spoiler:Thankfully, she regains her sanity later on.]]

* ''Manga/The100GirlfriendsWhoReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLove'': Meme Kakure is a really shy person who can't handle people looking at her face, especially her eyes, [[EyesOutOfSight which are usually covered by her bangs and are never revealed to the viewers]].

* In Megan Kearney's ''Beauty and the Beast'', the Beast cries out these words when Beauty catches him bloodily eating a deer carcass.