History Main / GoodbyeCruelWorld

* The WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes short "Cheese Chasers" from 1951 features Hubie and Bertie unable to think of anything else to do in life after downing a mother-load of cheese, so they decide to let themselves be eaten by a cat, leaving the trope before doing so (with a double-meaning PS attached: "We've lived a full life"). But the eagerness to get eaten scares Claude the Cat to the point that he can't eat mice anymore, and unable to perform his main reason for existing as a cat, ''he'' leaves the trope (with a PS that went, literally, "No PS") and proceeds to go [[BullyingADragon draw a bulldog's wrath]].

The suicide note. The final explanation for why one is [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} shuffling off this mortal coil]], quitting the earthly sphere, leaping off to join the choir invisible. The composition of such a note - rife with anguish, despair, and turmoil - can take a while; this may, happily, lead to an InterruptedSuicide JustInTime. Maybe, instead of writing things down, the victim could leave behind a VideoWill. It could even be part of the elaborate facade involved in FakingTheDead or covering up [[TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch a murder]]. In a murder mystery, it's often found to be forged in some way by our local AmateurSleuth. The lack of a suicide note will immediately and in all cases prompt law enforcement to suspect that the death is not a suicide even if suicide appears obvious; in this case, the real cause of death will usually be homicide, accident, or natural causes.

* From ''Anime/WelcomeToTheNHK'': [[spoiler:Misaki spends most of the next-to-last episode talking to Satou about suicide notes, and particularly about one famous suicide note where the writer complimented his parents' cooking. She leaves a suicide note of that form on her bed ("The New Year's grated yams were delicious. So to everybody, goodbye."), which is Satou's cue to start looking for her.]]

* Played with in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. Uchiha Shisui "left a note behind" after his death but the rest of the Uchiha didn't believe that such a symbol of its strength would actually kill himself. The others suspected [[ChildhoodFriends Itachi]] of [[NeverSuicide foul play]] since anyone with [[MagicalEyes the Sharingan]] would be able to copy handwriting. Itachi later revealed to Sasuke that he actually did kill his best friend to get the Mangekyou. [[spoiler:It turns out that Shisui actually did write the note. He had been on Itachi's side in the whole stopping-the-Uchiha-coup ordeal.]]

** In "Fortunes", Batman and a private detective investigate a death scene in which a murder has been made to look like a suicide, complete with a video-taped suicide note in which the victim (a professional fortune teller) claims she has foreseen that she will be murdered "at the hands of a non-believer" and has chosen to kill herself first. The detective, who has already noted that the death wound can't have been self-inflicted, points out the oddity that the video apparently shows the victim shooting herself and yet somebody has taken the video out of the video camera, put it in the victim's VCR, and helpfully rewound it to the beginning of the message.

* ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/176551/words-from-our-hearts Words From Our Heart]]'' is a oneshot where Twilight Sparkle reads Trixie's suicide note at her funeral.
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11131459/1/Invisible-From-the-Desk-of-Princess-Daisy Invisible: From the Desk of Princess Daisy]]'' is a ''Super Mario Bros'' fic where Daisy feels lonely and attempts suicide. She leaves behind a note, but [[spoiler:she survives the attempt and ends up with a HappilyFailedSuicide]].

* In ''Film/KindHeartsAndCoronets'', one of these is essential for clearing the protagonist of a murder (ironically, practically the only death in the movie that's not his fault). [[spoiler:Of course, it's only after he's been cleared of the murder he ''didn't'' commit that he realises he's left behind a confession -- intended to be published posthumously -- of those he ''did''.]]

* ''Film/TrailOfThePinkPanther''. Young Clouseau has turned on the gas, and is writing out his suicide note when there's a power blackout. So he lights a candle to see what he's writing. Cue big kaboom.

'''Vitti:''' I think he left a note. Jelly, did they found that note?\\

* ''Film/TheWagesOfFear'': Touchingly, [[spoiler:Bernando]]'s suicide note is to his mother, telling her [[BlatantLies he found a job]] and not to worry if he doesn't write for a while.

* ''Film/{{Cyberbully|2011}}'': Protagonist Taylor Hillridge posts a video uttering this threat after being [[{{Cyberbullying}} bullied]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin online]] and having her heart broken. [[spoiler:After her best friend Samantha sees the video, she notifies Taylor's mother, Kris, about this, and she, in turn, notifies paramedics, and all of whom hurry to the Hillridge residence to stop her before she kills herself. Just as Taylor is about to do so [[SuicideByPills by downing a large amount of Tylenol]], she is unable to get the cap off, allowing Samantha, Kris, [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling her younger brother]], [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther Eric]], and paramedics [[InterruptedSuicide to stop her before she makes good on this threat]].]]
-->'''Taylor:''' [[spoiler:I'm the real Taylor Hillridge. And I don't know why everyone hates me so much! But maybe I do, because now I hate me, too. I really don't see the reason of trying... or for talking... or for breathing. ''(sniffles)'' I'm just done. So that's it, I guess. Bye.]]
* ''Film/TheGoonies'' opens with a prison guard finding out that Jake Fratelli has hanged himself in his cell, complete with suicide note. Subverted when the guard reads the note and discovers that Jake faked his death.

* ''Film/HeavenKnowsWhat'': In the beginning of the film, Harley asks if killing herself would make her cruel boyfriend forgive her for some unstated offense. He gives her a BluntYes. She writes a suicide note explaining her feelings to him, but he tears it up when she gives it to him. She promptly sits down and starts writing another note, but he tears that up as well, goading her to actually follow through with her suicide this time.
* ''Film/MackintoshAndTJ'': [[spoiler:After killing Luke, Coley hangs himself from a windmill. He leaves a suicide note in his pocket that explains everything. Webster reads the note, which proves Mackintosh innocent of Luke's murder, and he and T.J. rush after the four men sent to find Mackintosh. They arrive just as the men are trying to drown him.]]

* ''Film/WrongIsRight''. The king of Middle Eastern country [[NeverSuicide conveniently commits suicide]] just before he's about to give WeaponsOfMassDestruction to a terrorist leader. He leaves a taped suicide note which is authenticated by experts as having been said by him, but it's later shown that the CIA assembled the tape from recordings of his radio speeches.

* At the end of ''Berlin Memorandum'', Literature/{{Quiller}} has tracked down the Nazi he wanted revenge on since seeing him execute concentration camp inmates during World War II. We don't see what happens, but afterwards, he reports to MissionControl, who asks if he wants smoke out (SpySpeak for a cover up). Quiller replies that it isn't necessary, as "he left a suicide note."

* ''Literature/IveGotYouUnderMySkin'': Regina found her father's suicide note on his body and kept it hidden from the police and her mother, both because she didn't want to break her mother's heart more and later because the contents of the note gave Regina a strong motive for killing Betsy: [[spoiler:Regina's father explained in the note he had had an affair with Betsy and she was the one persuaded him to invest everything he had in her husband's hedge fund, which he now deeply regrets after losing it all and realizing Betsy was always using him]].

* In ''Polar Star'', Literature/ArkadyRenko is investigating the suspicious death of a female sailor on a Soviet factory ship, to the increasing hostility of the crew who would rather he bury the matter as their shore leave has been cancelled. Eventually someone produces a suicide note by the deceased. The note it turns out is genuine--one of several the victim wrote while depressed--but it was 'found' in a place that Renko had already searched. Renko goes along with it though, so the crew can get their shore leave and the killer will let his guard down.

* At the end of Season One of ''Series/{{Soap}}'' Chester tries to write a suicide note when he decides to commit suicide (PlayedForLaughs mind) because [[spoiler:Jessica is about to be arrested for Peter's murder and he's about to lose pretty much everything (money and home, etc.)]] but he couldn't figure out the correct spelling of "suicide" and guessed that everybody would get the picture when they found him dead over a piece of kitchen roll with writing on it (because he couldn't find any paper).

* In ''Literature/{{Rubbernecker}}'', Patrick comes home to find a letter from his mother Sarah in which she says that things have been 'very difficult' for her, tells him where to find her will, asks for his forgiveness, and tells him to take care of her cat Ollie. Confused, Patrick shows the letter to Weird Nick, who tells him it's a suicide note. Sarah has told Patrick that she once considered jumping off Penyfan, so Patrick and Nick rush there to [[InterruptedSuicide stop her]].

->''"Goodbye, cruel world,''\\
''I'm leaving you today.''\\
''Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.''
-->-- '''Music/PinkFloyd''', [[Music/TheWall "Goodbye Cruel World"]] [[note]]A song that, funnily enough, has nothing to do with suicide[[/note]]

* The WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes short "Cheese Chasers" from 1951 features Hubie and Bertie unable to think of anything else to do in life after downing a mother-load of cheese, so they decide to let themselves be eaten by a cat, leaving the trope before doing so (with a double-meaning PS attached: "We've lived a full life"). But the eagerness to get eaten scares Clause the Cat to the point that he can't eat mice anymore, and unable to perform his main reason for existing as a cat, ''he'' leaves the trope (with a PS that went, literally, "No PS") and proceeds to go [[BullyingADragon draw a bulldog's wrath]].

'''Vitti:''' I think he left a note. Jelly, did they found that note ?\\

--> '''Vitti:''' [[TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch Hey, people get depressed. They jump, you know. It's a human tragedy. That ain't my fault]].
'''Sobel:''' Oh, now you're gonna tell me it was a suicide?

-->'''Vitti:''' [[TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch It was probably suicide]]. Jelly, have they found a suicide note yet?\\
'''Jelly:''' No, but they will. ''(starts to write)'' \\
'''Sobel:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Oh, let me guess! "LIFE IS BULLSHIT! I CAN'T FUCKING TAKE IT ANYMORE! SIGNED, THE DEAD GUY!"]]\\
'''Jelly:''' [[FatIdiot That's a]] [[ComicallyMissingThePoint good idea.]]

* ''All My Sons'' ends with Chris reading to his father a letter written by his MIA brother Larry, which confirms that he was, in fact, DrivenToSuicide by his father's denial of guilt.

* ''Film/{{Cyberbully|2011}}'': Protagonist Taylor Hillridge posts a video uttering this threat after being [[{{Cyberbullying}} bullied]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin online]] and having her heart broken. After her best friend Samantha sees the video, she notifies Taylor's mother, Kris, about this, and she, in turn, notifies paramedics, and all of whom hurry to the Hillridge residence to stop her before she kills herself. Just as Taylor is about to do so [[SuicideByPills by downing a large amount of Tylenol]], she is unable to get the cap off, allowing Samantha, Kris, [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling her younger brother]], [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther Eric]], and paramedics [[InterruptedSuicide to stop her before she makes good on this threat]].
-->'''Taylor:''' I'm the real Taylor Hillridge. And I don't know why everyone hates me so much! But maybe I do, because now I hate me, too. I really don't see the reason of trying... or for talking... or for breathing. ''(sniffles)'' I'm just done. So that's it, I guess. Bye.

* In ''Polar Star'', Literature/ArkadyRenko is investigating the suspicious death of a female crewmember, to the increasing fury of the crew who would rather he bury the matter as their shore leave has been cancelled. Eventually someone produces a suicide note by the deceased. The note it turns out is genuine--one of several she wrote while depressed--but it was 'found' in a place that Renko had already searched. Renko goes along with it though, so the crew can get their shore leave and the killer will let his guard down.

* ''Film/TrailOfThePinkPanther''. Young Clouseau is writing out his suicide note after having turned on the gas when there's a power blackout. So he lights a candle to see what he's writing. Cue big kaboom.

* An Creator/AndrewVachss short story had a psychiatrist advise a child molester to write a letter to his victim saying that he regretted his actions and will never see him again, as it would look good in court. After the letter is written, the psychiatrist pushes him off a balcony.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' - Farnsworth while recording his sort-of suicide note video (as he's about to be taken away by the "Sunset Squad" to a place where the elderly go to die):
-->'''Farnsworth''': I'm sure that Bender has just made some cutting remark at my expense, but he doesn't know I taped over his soap operas to record this message.
** Before being taken away he also finds time to play with the phrase itself:
-->'''Farnsworth''': Goodbye cruel world! Goodbye cruel lamp! Goodbye cruel velvet drapes with the cute little curtain-pull cords, cruel though they may be I... *Sunset Squad robot gives up waiting and knocks him out*

-->'''Taylor:''' I'm the real Taylor Hillridge. And I don't know why everyone hates me so much! Or maybe I do, because now I hate me, too. I really don't see the reason of trying, or for talking, or for breathing. I'm just done. So that's it, I guess. Bye.

-->'''Taylor:''' I'm the real Taylor Hillridge, and I don't know why everyone hates me so much! Or maybe I do, because now I hate me too. I really don't see the reason of trying, or for talking, or for breathing. I'm just done. So that's it I guess. Bye.

* ''Film/{{Cyberbully|2011}}'': In this case, it's a suicide ''video'', which protagonist Taylor Hillridge posts after being [[{{Cyberbullying}} bullied]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin online]] and having her heart broken. After her best friend Samantha sees the video, she notifies Taylor's mother, Kris, about this, and she, in turn, notifies paramedics, and all of whom hurry to the Hillridge residence to stop her before she kills herself. Just as Taylor is about to do so [[SuicideByPills by downing a large amount of Tylenol]], she is unable to get the cap off, allowing Samantha, Kris, [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling her younger brother]], [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther Eric]], and paramedics [[InterruptedSuicide to stop her before she makes good on this threat]].