History Main / FauxlosophicNarration

* During the ending credits of each episode of ''Series/{{Riget}}'', show creator Creator/LarsVonTrier gives a ScriptWank speech with bizarre rants about the evil and the good. He delivers it with a smirk grin, as if he's parodying this very trope.

* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' tends to do this during the PreviouslyOn segments that are part of several episodes. They feature narration from C.C., trying to sound deep, describing Lelouch's situation in abstract terms ("The actions one takes are answered by consequences...") and finishing with something like, "At least, that was the hope Lelouch carried in his heart back then," or "But their fate has already been determined, with inevitable outcome." That last one is particularly noteworthy, since it actually ''contradicts'' a theme of the series -- the constant ForWantOfANail moments, the way Lelouch's entire argument against his eventual enemies [[spoiler: his father and Schneizel]] is that humanity should have free will and shouldn't be controlled by either of their plans. So thanks for that, C.C.

When a movie, television show, or other such narrative wants to create the illusion of more depth than it actually possesses, it can use this trope to have some character, whether it be protagonist, villain (especially the StrawNihilist), or innocent bystander, (especially ThePhilosopher) talk about "Big Topics", like [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy Life, the Universe, and Everything]]. This overall doesn't add anything to the story; rather the intent is to put more FauxSymbolism and MindScrew (TrueArtIsIncomprehensible, after all), and make the story's characters and events seem grander and more fantastic, while also being increasingly vague. This usually backfires, as the faux intellectualism is both insulting and distracting to anyone who has the brains to figure out this narrator is speaking a lot of words and phrases and clauses that [[MeaninglessMeaningfulWords don't actually mean anything]], and in-universe, this just ends up as a RedHerring.

This trope often has an "Emperor's New Clothes" effect on the more pretentious members of the audience: wishing to appear wise, intelligent, and cultured, and fearful of being perceived otherwise, they convince themselves they are privy to some profound truth. In fact what they are indulging in is often merely [[MeaninglessMeaningfulWords pompous, self-important nonsense with no discernible virtue to it]]. But of course, if you tell them that, it's because you "[[TrueArtIsInComprehensible just don't get it]]"...

* Spoofed at the end of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Love And Rocket," with Zoidberg's meditation on Valentine's Day:

** The openings reek of fauxpaganda a la ''Film/StarshipTroopers'' -- probably intentional.

* ''Ape and Essence'' has a lot of narration droning on about subjects such as fear and ignorance, much of it in blank verse.

* Just about anything by Creator/AynRand.

* Just about anything by Ayn Rand.

* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' has some of this from Koizumi. Though knowing this series, the things he say might be laced with significance down the line.

* The sense of pretentiousness this trope has been known to induce in the audience was mocked in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''. When the boys are forced to read ''Literature/TheCatcherInTheRye''[[note]]For those of you who didn't grow up in America, every American child for the last few generations has been forced to read it for school at least once. And pretty much no one has ever found reading it enjoyable because it's the most boring thing since plain toast[[/note]] they decide that they can write a better book themselves. What they come up with is essentially a novel-length stream of toilet humor, and when their parents find it the boys attempt to blame Butters. However, the adults actually think their novel is a masterful work of art and it goes onto become a best-seller, much to the boys' increasing frustration throughout the episode. Ultimately culminates in Butters attempting to make a follow-up, with the novel-length collection of toilet humor that ''he'' wrote somehow resulting in people being brainwashed to assassinate ''Music/JohnLennon''.

->'''Max's voice''': The bartender is shiny stuff and dreams are made of stooped necromancers. He sings like a banana wrist, having strayed too close to the constellation on their shaved skulls. The rain of frogs ended and the rain of blood comes down. Doing the flips and then I'll be gone! The whole city was an image, riding the bar. He yearns to get a taste of those tentacles--\\
'''Max''': It was a bad line and a prank call, someone spouting insane babble. I couldn't make sense of it. ''(hangs up)''
-->-- ''VideoGame/MaxPayne''

* ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'''s PrivateEyeMonologue musings often stray into this when he takes time off from capping mafiosos in order to muse about the nature of choice, the true meaning of fairy tales, and the end of the world.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheStanleyParable'', a few of the more esoteric routes impel the narrator to longwindedly monologues about choice or narrative direction, particularly during the "Stanley Parable Adventure Line" sequence (which is described as "nonsense philosophy" in that route's ending).

* The final moments of the 1994 ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' cartoon feature one of these between the Silver Surfer and Reed Richards, throwing in something about understanding humanity's nobility that didn't have a great deal to do with the plot. The DVD release cuts Reed's response as the Surfer flies off, removing the ''final shot of the series'' in doing so. Fortunately, the Liberation Entertainment release is slated to fix this.

* Parodied in episode 6 of ''Machinima/TheStrangerhood'', where Nikki does the narration and goes on rambling, repetitive musings about the nature of things. All she does is make Wade even more confused than he usually is and even she admits at the end that she has no clue what she's talking about.

* ''Series/{{Touch}}'' (from the same producer as ''Heroes'') begins and ends each episode with a rambling philosophical monologue from Jacob, which tend to follow the same pattern as Mohinder's speeches. One episode begins with him talking about how army ants are amazing because they can cooperate, then ends with a discussion about how humans are amazing because they are the only species that knows how to cooperate.