History Main / IWasJustJoking

* TruthInTelevision: When Naoko Takeuchi came to her boss one day in the 1990's and said that she would like to draw a manga about a female superhero, the editor remarked: "Right. A female superhero. Maybe a schoolgirl at that, who is a crybaby, and yet saves the day?" And thus, ''Manga/SailorMoon'' was born.

* Played [[BlackComedy kind of horribly]] on ''TheBigC'' when Cathy finally tells Sean about her cancer and Sean breaks down entirely. In a panic, Cathy blurts out that she was kidding, getting revenge on him for an early scene where he'd made her believe their father had molested him.

* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'': In Case 4 at one point it seems that Phoenix is completely out of leads, so the prosecutor tauntingly suggests that they [[spoiler:[[MakeTheDogTestify cross-examine the killer's parrot]]]] just for the sake of comic relief. Phoenix decides to take him up on his offer. While it turns out that [[spoiler:[[CrazyPrepared von Karma had retrained the parrot]]]], Phoenix is able to get enough out of it to continue with the case anyway.

** Londo gets his back at the end of the Shadow War:

* ''RaceForTheYankeeZephyr'' (1981). Theo Brown (George Peppard) has just threatened that something nasty will happen to Gilbert Carson (Donald Pleasence) if he doesn't lead him directly to the Yankee Zephyr, a crashed WW2 airplane holding a fortune in gold.

-->'''Bill Bailey''': (heavily sarcastic) They were all men.

-->'''Bill''': Oh god!

* [[spoiler:[[ADarkerMe Dark]] Skye]] in ''Webcomic/MagickChicks'' said "I was only ''playing''"... after sending a pack of wolves to attack her schoolmate with the words "''dinner time!''". She was so erratic at this point that whether she meant it the first, second or both times is about equally likely.

* The 1940 LooneyTunes cartoon "You Ought To Be In Pictures" has Daffy cajoling Porky into quitting the cartoon business to be a legitimate actor in live films. When that proves disastrous, Porky returns, fishes his torn-up contract out of the trash and tells producer Leon Schlesinger he was only kidding. "April fool!"
* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', after Superboy and Arrowette have unloaded the secrets they've been keeping from the team, Kid Flash says "Okay, who's next?"
-->'''Miss Martian''': I am.
-->'''Kid Flash''': I swear I was kidding!

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/SilentHill3'' has the immortal gem from Vincent:
--> '''Vincent''': ''Monsters''? They look like ''monsters'' to you?\\
''[[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Heather gasps.]]''\\
'''Vincent''': Don't ''worry''! [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial It's just]] a ''joke''.
* From ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'':
-->'''Joker''': Argh! You want me to go crawling through the ducts again?\\
'''EDI''': I enjoy the sight of humans on their knees.\\
'''Joker''': (EyeTake)\\
'''EDI''': That is a joke.
* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'':
-->'''EDI''': Don't worry, Shepard. I only forget to recycle the Normandy's oxygen when I discover something truly interesting.\\
'''Shepard''': (EyeTake)\\
'''EDI''': That is a joke.
* Done in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' during the second case. The day before his trial, Maya asks Phoenix is there's anything that she can do to help. The player is then given three options to say: "Defend me", "Be my cheerleader" and "Break me out of here". Whatever one you pick, Maya takes it seriously and starts to go to prepare for it, forcing Phoenix to state that "he's kidding".
-->'''Maya''': Is there anything I can do to help?\\
'''Phoenix''': [Upon choosing "Defend me"] Alright, you can be my lawyer in court tomorrow.\\
'''Maya''': OK!\\
'''Phoenix''': Uh...?\\
'''Maya''': I'll rush to the library and pick up a copy of 'Law for Rookies'!\\
'''Phoenix''': W-Wait Wait Wait! I was kidding! It was a joke!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/SequentialArt'':
** [[http://www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.php?s=172 in this strip]].
** Also shows up in [[http://www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.php?s=804 this strip]], when Pip makes the mistake of sarcastically telling [[MadScientist Scarlet]] to make a time machine so he can go back and [[spoiler: prevent himself from being used by Kat's AlphaBitch rival Hilary.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]

* ''TheFaculty'':

* ''HudsonHawk'': Darwin Mayflower gives a pair of mooks a YouHaveFailedMe speech that ends with "We'll just have to kill you." His wife Minerva promptly shoots both of them, causing Darwin to protest, "God, Minerva, I was only joking!" Since they're the villains, though, he's not particularly upset about it.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'', Skipper does this almost deliberately with Gloria.
--> '''Gloria:''' Where are the people?
--> '''Skipper:''' We killed 'em and ate their livers.
--> ''(Gloria stares at him in horror)''
--> '''Skipper:''' ''(grinning hugely)'' Gotcha, didn't I?
* The beginning of the romance between {{Selena}} and Chris occurs when she asks him if he can dance and he says "Yeah, I put on my white shoes and black jacket and dance like John Travolta." She takes it seriously, prompting him to say he was just kidding.
* ''Disney/WreckItRalph'': Sugar Rush is reset after Vanellope crosses the finish line, returning her to her proper place--princess of the game. Her first command is to have all the other racers who were mean to her executed. She did this merely to make them soil themselves in horror.
-->'''Vanellope''': Stop cryin', Taffyta! I was just kidding!

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* ''CodeGeass'':
--> '''Rivalz''': He's even got a housekeeping book.
--> '''Lelouch''': How do you know!?
--> '''Rivalz''': Crap, you really do?
* Koizumi from ''SuzumiyaHaruhi'' uttered this at least on one occasion. The thing is, he did it just after one of his countless [[ThePhilosopher philosophical monologues]]. Just as he actually made Kyon feel ''uneasy'' about it, he responds "Just kidding, that's not what I think at all."

* ''AxisPowersHetalia''

* This is November 11's CatchPhrase in ''DarkerThanBlack''. His sense of humor is rather... Dark, shall we say, to which the deadpan addition of this sentence usually doesn't help much.

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* In one ''Comicbook/AstroCity'' storyline, Jack-in-the-Box is visited by two insane alternate-timeline versions of [[KidFromTheFuture his future son]]. One of them declares that he took his father's line "Of course you realize ThisMeansWar!" as a mantra for his [[KnightTemplar ruthless war on criminals]]. He does not react well when Jack-in-the-Box tries to explain that he was jokingly quoting Characters/BugsBunny.

[[folder: Fanfic ]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* In Madagascar Skipper does this almost deliberately with Gloria.

* ''HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'': Appears in the flashback when [[spoiler:Snape]] begs Dumbledore to protect Lily Potter from Voldemort now that he knows her son is TheChosenOne.

* In the third book of the ASongOfIceAndFire, Roose Bolton finally decides to free Jaime Lannister after showing him a thoroughly unpleasant time at Harrenhall. On his way out the door, he tells Jaime to give Tywin Lannister his regards, and Jaime snaps back that Roose should be sure to give his own regards to Robb Stark. He's clearly just being sarcastic, but Roose actually does it. [[spoiler: Although saying "Jaime Lannister sends his regards" while putting a sword through Robb probably wasn't what Jaime had in mind...]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

-->'''Elliot''': No, I mean it. Like you did last night. (Takes off shirt) Come and bite me.
* ''PushingDaisies'', after Chuck and Ned almost walk into each other, which could kill Chuck if they touch:

-->'''Alex''': (jokingly) Who died?
-->'''Elliot Stabler''': (seriously) Dorothy Rudd. (the perp they're prosecuting)
-->''pause''

* TruthInTelevision: On ''Series/TheDailyShow'', Jon Stewert called his 2000 presidential election coverage ''Indecision 2000'' as a reference to MSNBC's label of ''Decision''. When the entire mess in Florida started, [[http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-november-8-2000/indecision-2000---choose-and-loose he admitted it was a joke and wasn't meant to be taken seriously]].

* There's an episode of ''{{Friends}}'' in which Rachel starts smoking in order to get in the important conversations her boss and coworker have in the smokers' room. The first time she lights a cigarette the following transpires:

-->'''MacGyver:''' Why, you got some?

[[folder: Music ]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics ]]

* ''CalvinAndHobbes'':
--> '''Calvin:''' It's too darn hot out here.
--> '''Hobbes:'''You could go wading in the creek.
--> '''Calvin:''' (at the creek) This water is too darn cold.
--> '''Hobbes:'''You could go sit in the shade then.
--> '''Calvin:''' (sitting in the shade) This shade is too darn dark.
--> '''Hobbes:''' (exasperated) You could go sit in your room with the windows shut and the fan and lights on.
--> '''Calvin:''' That's what I was doing when Mom threw me out here.
--> '''Hobbes:''' I was kidding.

[[folder: Theatre ]]

* [[{{Rent}} "Just saw Alec Baldwin! Told him you said hi! (beat) JUST KIDDING!"]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* In ''TheFairlyOddParents'', when Chip Skylark's being held captive by Vicky:

* Too many times to count on ''{{Daria}}'', when someone (usually the TooDumbToLive characters Kevin and Brittany) takes one of Daria's snide remarks as a suggestion.

* In the {{Futurama}} episode ''Love's Labours Lost in Space'', when Leela seems strangely unwilling to ask Zapp Brannigan for help:
-->'''Bender''': So what's the problem? It's not like you slept with the guy. ({{Beat}}) Oh...my...''god''.

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* ''SilentHill3'' has the immortal gem from Vincent:

* Done in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' during the second case. The day before his trial, Maya asks Phoenix is there's anything that she can do to help. The player is then given three opinion to say: "Defend Me", "Be my cheerleader" and "Break me out of here". Whatever one you pick, Maya takes it seriously and starts to go to prepere for it, to which Phoenix states that "He's Kidding".

'''Phoenix''': [Upon choicing "Defend me"] Alright, you can be my lawyer in court tommorow.\\

'''Maya''': I'll rush to the liberay and pick up a copy of 'Law for Rookies'!\\

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

* Occurs in ''QuestionableContent'' [[http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1483 in this strip]].

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* Combined with a GilliganCut in the ''KateModern'' episode "Spiders":

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* ''TheGreatMouseDetective'': "We may as well set it off now!"

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* Behind the scenes of the ''{{Superman}}'' comics, Clark's wedding to Lois had to be held back in order to coincide with event's occurrence in ''LoisAndClark.'' When the writers were talking about what to do in the meantime, one said "Why don't we just kill him?" He was kidding, but [[TheDeathOfSuperman they did it. And it was awesome.]]

* Done in ''PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' during the second case. The day before his trial, Maya asks Phoenix is there's anything that she can do to help. The player is then given three opinion to say: "Defend Me", "Be my cheerleader" and "Break me out of here". Whatever one you pick, Maya takes it seriously and starts to go to prepere for it, to which Phoenix states that "He's Kidding".

'''Phoenix''':Uh...?\\

* ''PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'': In Case 4 at one point it seems that Phoenix is completely out of leads, so the prosecutor tauntingly suggests that they [[spoiler:[[MakeTheDogTestify cross-examine the killer's parrot]]]] just for the sake of comic relief. Phoenix decides to take him up on his offer.
** Subverted in that [[spoiler:[[CrazyPrepared von Karma had RETRAINED the parrot]].]]
*** And then double subverted when [[spoiler: Phoenix is able to get enough out of the parrot to continue with the case anyway]].

* ''LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'': Alex Cabot comes into the squad room, seeing everyone standing together, quiet, like they're mourning.

-->'''Stephen''': Johnny Vegas... take some points.[[hottip:note:As it turns out, he was only half-right: they weren't put in mattresses, but they ''were'' intended to discourage masturbation.]]

Not to be confused with the JustJokingJustification, which is an attempt to sanitize an offensive comment after the fact by pretending it was just a joke (the Music/WeirdAlYankovic song, ''I Was Only Kidding'' fits that trope, not this one).

If Alice's suggestion had reminded Bob of a different idea instead, that's a EurekaMoment.

A particularly cruel variation: IWishedYouWereDead. Not to be confused with the JustJokingJustification. For the inversion, where a character mistakes a serious statement for a joke, see MyGodYouAreSerious.

Not to be confused with the Music/WeirdAlYankovic song, ''I Was Only Kidding''.

* ''WreckItRalph'': Sugar Rush is reset after Vanellope crosses the finish line, returning her to her proper place--princess of the game. Her first command is to have all the other racers who were mean to her executed. She did this merely to make them soil themselves in horror.
-->'''Vanellope''': Stop cryin', Taffyta! I was just kidding!

* In ''YoungJustice'', after Superboy and Arrowette have unloaded the secrets they've been keeping from the team, Kid Flash says "Okay, who's next?"

-> '''Kim''': [[SarcasmMode Gee]]...[[TemptingFate where are the snakes]]?\\

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[[AC:{{Fanfic}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:{{Live-Action TV}}]]

[[AC:{{Music}}]]

[[AC:NewspaperComics]]

[[AC:{{Theatre}}]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WebComics]]

[[AC:RealLife]]

[[AC:{{Live-Action TV}}]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* ''PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'': In Case 4 at one point it seems that Phoenix is completely out of leads, so the prosecutor tauntingly suggests that they [[spoiler:[[MakeTheDogTestify cross-examine the killer's parrot]]]] just for the sake of comic relief. Phoenix decides to take him up on his offer.

[[AC:WebComics]]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:RealLife]]

----

* From ''MassEffect2'':

* In ''MassEffect3'':

A moment later Luke looks and claims that he can see the dent.

* One episode of ''Leverage'' has Sophie interrogating an agricultural conglomerate's janitor under the false pretense that he's a corporate spy to help justify a continued security lockdown (also to swipe his security badge and make sure he's not in a position to need it). Out of nowhere, she randomly accuses him of having an account in the Cayman Islands. Much to everyone's surprise, he does -- he's been infiltrating the company for years.

* In one ''AstroCity'' storyline, Jack-in-the-Box is visited by two insane alternate-timeline versions of [[KidFromTheFuture his future son]]. One of them declares that he took his father's line "Of course you realize ThisMeansWar!" as a mantra for his [[KnightTemplar ruthless war on criminals]]. He does not react well when Jack-in-the-Box tries to explain that he was jokingly quoting Characters/BugsBunny.

-->[[GilliganCut Cut]] to Ryan knocking on a door in the outer wall of Escobedo's compound and handing the guards a business card.