History Main / Jaccuse

Simply, when one is outraged beyond all other words, when there is nothing left to do but put on your Frenchest of accents, point your pointiest finger and cry, ''J'accuse!''.

-->'''Jed Bartlet:''' ''"J'accuse! J'accuse, mon petit fromage!"''
-->'''Abbey Bartlet:''' "Jed, you speak four languages. How come none of them is French?"
-->'''Jed:''' "There is nothing wrong with my French."

-->'''Jed:''' (beat) "Ah..." (beat) "Yes, yes I did!"

This is a half storied work of public journalism, half MemeticMutation. It goes like this: Once upon a time in France, a renowned writer named Emile Zola penned a scandalous open letter (published in the newspaper ''L'Aurore'' on January 13, 1898 -- that's it to the right) that accused the French government of anti-Semitism and corruption in its handling of the Dreyfus Affair of 1894 -- in which an innocent French Army officer, Alfred Dreyfus, who just happened to be Jewish, was used as a scapegoat in an espionage case, when it was quite clear to everyone that he was guilty of nothing more than being Jewish. The letter pointed out the weakness of the evidence and several clear occurrences of judicial error and prejudice during Dreyfus's trial; Zola was rapidly charged with and convicted for libel and had to flee to England for a year, until the bureaucrats then in power were removed. Dreyfus had been sentenced to life in prison on Devil's Island; he appealed his case multiple times, but it was not until 1906, twelve years after his trial, that his conviction was actually annulled. And all this to cover the French government's collective ass because of the existence of a spy that the government couldn't afford to catch, out of embarrassment.

* ''Film/TheLifeOfEmileZola'': Award-winning 1937 film about the TropeNamer and Zola's crusade on behalf of Alfred Dreyfus.

* ''TheLifeOfEmileZola'': This film has an English reenactment of Zola dictating his famous editorial protesting Dreyfus' false conviction.

* ''TheWestWing'': President Bartlet attempted to use this on his wife Abbey once. It didn't work out so well, though:
--> '''Jed:''' ''J'accuse! J'accuse, mon petit fromage!''
--> '''Abbey:''' You speak four languages, how come none of them is French?
--> '''Jed:''' There is nothing wrong with my French.
--> '''Abbey:''' You just called me "your little cheese."

This is a half storied work of public journalism, half MemeticMutation. It goes like this: Once upon a time in France, a renowned writer named Emile Zola penned a scandalous open letter (published in the newspaper ''L'Aurore'' on January 13, 1898 -- that's it to the right) that accused the French government of anti-Semitism and corruption in its handling of the Dreyfus Affair of 1894 -- in which an innocent French Army officer, Alfred Dreyfus, who just happened to be Jewish, was used as a scapegoat in an espionage case, when it was quite clear to everyone that he was guilty of nothing more than being Jewish. The letter pointed out the weakness of the evidence and several clear occurrences of judicial error and prejudice during Dreyfus's trial; Zola was rapidly charged with and convicted for libel and had to flee to England for a year, until the bureaucrats then in power were removed. Dreyfus had been sentenced to life in prison on Devil's Island; he appealed his case multiple times, but it was not until 1906 that his conviction was actually annulled. And all this to cover the French government's collective ass because of the existence of a spy that the government couldn't afford to catch, out of embarassment.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''J'Accuse'': A French zombie movie released in the 1920s filled with as much political weight as can be. The ZombieApocalypse is the sudden uprising of the French dead of WWI, coming back to condemn the guilty living who sent them to die. The whole film is an anti-war polemic, which the director convinced the army was going to be a propaganda flick, so they gave him real soldiers for actors - 80% of which died once they went back to the front.

* ''TheSimpsonsHitAndRun''

It means "I accuse" in French.

* ''ScottPilgrim'': "[[http://smartovercoat.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/blog_1008_scottpilgrim_jaccuse.png?w=246&h=332 It's french]]. [[NoteFromEd - ed.]]"

* In Discworld/GoingPostal the hero Moist von Lipwig uses a technically complicated plot to replace a message used in a bet with his enemy Reacher Gilt to do a wonderful reveal of Reacher's entire plot and bring him and his minions down using this trope.

* SonicYouth released "J'accuse, Ted Hughes". It's not just for pun, that's a controversial English poet who developed a {{Hatedom}} after SylviaPlath (whom Hughes had just recently divorced) [[DrivenToSuicide killed herself]].

* ''{{Futurama}}:'' Zoidberg says this once, the joke being that he's not French but AmbiguouslyJewish.
* On one episode of ''TheSimpsons'', Lisa complained about her French teacher not actually speaking French. "J'accuse!" "...What the hell is this broad talkin' about?"

* ''J'Accuse'':A French zombie movie released in the 1920s filled with as much political weight as can be. The ZombieApocalypse is the sudden uprising of the French dead of WWI, coming back to condemn the guilty living who sent them to die. The whole film is an anti-war polemic, which the director convinced the army was going to be a propaganda flick, so they gave him real soldiers for actors - 80% of which died once they went back to the front.

* ''[[Series/AlloAllo 'Allo 'Allo]]'': -- In an unusual subversion of the show's trope of using JustAStupidAccent as a TranslationConvention for whatever language is actually being spoken, Rene at one point cries out his first real French: "''J'accuse!''" "''J'accuse!''". DoubleSubversion: "Who's this 'Jack Hughes'?"
** Rene doesn't actually say this, Lt. Gruber is relating a dream he had of Rene saying it [[labelnote:^]]Okay, it is like this. Gruber thinks he has killed Rene with a firing squad and the Rene currently in the show is Rene posing as his own twin brother also called Rene[[/labelnote]]. At the end of the episode Rene gets stuck on a [[RubeGoldbergDevice giant aerial]] rising out of a grave (they'd hidden a transmitter Rene's crypt since it was empty) and Gruber sees this figure of Rene rising out of the grave (looking sheepish) and faints. Helga then says "Well at least he didn't mention this "Jack Hughes". Roll credits. ''Series/AlloAllo'' doesn't do simple and straightforward.

* ''ShadowRaiders'': An episode title. The episode deals with the trial of a military officer that threatens society itself no less.

* ''{{Futurama}}:'' Zoidberg says this once, the joke being not that he's French but that he's AmbiguouslyJewish.

* ''[[Series/AlloAllo 'Allo 'Allo]]'': -- In an unusual subversion of the shows trope of using JustAStupidAccent as a TranslationConvention for whatever language is actually being spoken, Rene at one point cries out his first real French: "''J'accuse!''" "''J'accuse!''". DoubleSubversion: "Who's this 'Jack Hughes'?"

** Rene doesn't actually say this, Lt. Gruber is relating a dream he had of Rene saying it [[hottip:^:Okay, it is like this. Gruber thinks he has killed Rene with a firing squad and the Rene currently in the show is Rene posing as his own twin brother also called Rene]]. At the end of the episode Rene gets stuck on a [[RubeGoldbergDevice giant aerial]] rising out of a grave (they'd hidden a transmitter Rene's crypt since it was empty) and Gruber sees this figure of Rene rising out of the grave (looking sheepish) and faints. Helga then says "Well at least he didn't mention this "Jack Hughes". Roll credits. ''Series/AlloAllo'' doesn't do simple and straightforward.

* On one episode of ''TheSimpsons'', Lisa complained about her French teacher not actually speaking French. "J'accuse!" "...What the hell is this broad talkin about?"

-->'''Homer Simpson:''' "C. Montgomery Burns! I know you're guilty! J'accused! Sir."

* In {{Discworld/GoingPostal}} the hero Moist von Lipwig uses a technically complicated plot to replace a message used in a bet with his enemy Reacher Gilt to do a wonderful reveal of Reacher's entire plot and bring him and his minions down using this trope.

* On ''[[ThirtyRock 30 Rock]]'', Liz Lemon utters this phrase when some of Frank's cigarettes go missing, implying that he hasn't quit smoking. Turns out she ate them in her sleep.

* [[TheWestWing President Bartlet]] attempted to use this on his wife Abbey once. It didn't work out so well, though:

* ''[[http://www.scarygoround.com/index.php?date=20100915 BadMachinery]]'' -- An UnsoundEffect. Don't you wish your arm could do that?

This is a half storied work of public journalism, half MemeticMutation. It goes like this: Once upon a time in France, a renowned writer named Emile Zola penned a scandalous open letter (published in the newspaper ''L'Aurore'' on January 13, 1898 -- that's it to the right) that accused the French government of anti-Semitism and corruption in its handling of the Dreyfus Affair of 1894 -- in which an innocent French Army officer, Alfred Dreyfus, who just happened to be Jewish, was used as a scapegoat in an espionage case, when it was quite clear to everyone that he was guilty of nothing more than being Jewish. The letter pointed out the weakness of the evidence and several clear occurrences of judicial error and prejudice during Dreyfus's trial; Zola was rapidly charged with and convicted for libel and had to flee to England for a year, until the bureaucrats then in power were removed. Dreyfus had been sentenced to life in prison on Devil's Island; he appealed his case multiple times, but it was not until 1906 that his conviction was actually annulled. And all this to cover the French government's collective arse because of the existence of a spy that the government couldn't afford to catch, out of embarassment.

This is a half storied work of public journalism, half MemeticMutation. It goes like this: Once upon a time in France, a writer named Emile Zola penned a scandalous open letter (published in the newspaper ''L'Aurore'' on January 13, 1898... that's it to the right) that accused the French government of anti-Semitism and corruption in its handling of the Dreyfuss Affair (in which an innocent French Army officer, Alfred Dreyfuss, who just happened to be Jewish, was used as a scapegoat in an espionage case, when it was quite clear to everyone that he was guilty of nothing more than being Jewish). The letter pointed out the weakness of the evidence and several clear occurrences of judicial error and prejudice during Dreyfuss's trial. Zola was rapidly convicted for libel and had to flee to England. Dreyfuss was sentenced to life in prison on Devil's Island. All to cover the French government's ass because of the existence of a spy that the government couldn't afford to catch, out of embarassment.

* ''[[Series/AlloAllo 'Allo 'Allo]]'': -- In an unusual subversion of the shows trope of using JustAStupidAccent as a TranslationConvention for whatever language is actually being spoken, Lt. Gruber relates to Helga a dream he had of [[RunningGag Rene's dead twin brother (the one that he "shot")]] crying out in real French: "''J'accuse!''" "''J'accuse!''". Helga then asks: "Who's this 'Jack Hughes'?" At the end of the episode Rene gets stuck on a [[RubeGoldbergDevice giant aerial]] rising out of a grave (they'd hidden a transmitter Rene's crypt since it was empty) and Gruber sees this figure of Rene rising out of the grave (looking sheepish) and faints. Helga then says "Well at least he didn't mention this "Jack Hughes". Roll credits. ''Series/AlloAllo'' doesn't do simple and straightforward.
* ''SouthPark'' episode "Terrance & Phillip in Not Without My Anus"
-->'''Scott:''' "All of these things link Terrance to the murder: hair fibers, blood samples, nail clippings, a piece of his shirt, a watch with his initials on it, a day planner with the murder scheduled, a haiku called "Time to Kill Dr. Jeffrey O'Dwyer": "Dr. O'Dwyer, time to have your head smashed in with my new hammer." Terrance, you may be a famous surgeon, but you're not God. J'accuse Terrance."
* Cindy says this to JimmyNeutron to initiate a trial about kicking [[ChildProdigy Jimmy]] out of the science [[IncrediblyLamePun unfair]].

* ''[[Series/AlloAllo 'Allo 'Allo]]'': -- In an unusual subversion of the shows trope of using JustAStupidAccent as a TranslationConvention for whatever language is actually being spoken, Rene at one point cries out his first real French: "''J'accuse!''" "''J'accuse!''". DoubleSubversion: "Who's this 'Jack Hughes'?"
** Rene doesn't actually say this, Lt. Gruber is relating a dream he had of Rene saying it [[hottip:^:Okay, it is like this. Gruber thinks he has killed Rene with a firing squad and the Rene currently in the show is Rene posing as his own twin brother also called Rene]]. At the end of the episode Rene gets stuck on a [[RubeGoldbergDevice giant aerial]] rising out of a grave (they'd hidden a transmitter Rene's crypt since it was empty) and Gruber sees this figure of Rene rising out of the grave (looking sheepish) and faints. Helga then says "Well at least he didn't mention this "Jack Hughes". Roll credits. ''Series/AlloAllo'' doesn't do simple and straightforward.
* On ''[[ThirtyRock 30 Rock]]'', Liz Lemon utters this phrase when some of Frank's cigarettes go missing, implying that he hasn't quit smoking. Turns out she ate them in her sleep.
* Dick once said it on ''ThirdRockFromTheSun''.
* The cat in ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch''
* On ''Series/DoctorWho'', Lady Cassandra does this when the Ninth Doctor seemingly discovers the culprit that was attempting to kill them all - because she's hoping he won't realize that she's the real culprit. He does.
* [[TheWestWing President Bartlet]] attempted to use this on his wife Abbey once. It didn't work out so well, though:
--> '''Jed:''' ''J'accuse! J'accuse, mon petit fromage!''
--> '''Abbey:''' You speak four languages, how come none of them is French?
--> '''Jed:''' There is nothing wrong with my French.
--> '''Abbey:''' You just called me "your little cheese."
* Robert says this to Raymond in an episode of ''EverybodyLovesRaymond''. Marie, who's taking French classes, says "[[CaptainObvious Ooh! Ray! He's accusing you!]]"

[[AC:{{Music}}]]
* SonicYouth released "J'accuse, Ted Hughes". It's not just for pun, that's a controversial English poet who developed a {{Hatedom}} after SylviaPlath (whom Hughes had just recently divorced) [[DrivenToSuicide killed herself]].

[[AC:NewspaperComics]]
* ''{{Doonesbury}}'' once had a drug sniffing dog point at Zonker and say "J'accuse!".

[[AC:Video Games]]
* Guybrush lets out the line at one point in the fourth chapter of ''TalesOfMonkeyIsland''.
* ''TheSimpsonsHitAndRun''
-->'''Homer Simpson:''' "C. Montgomery Burns! I know you're guilty! J'accused! Sir."
-->'''Mr. Burns:''' "Fine, I'll admit it. I had AmeliaEarhart's plane shot down. That hussy was getting too big for her jodhpurs.

[[AC:WebComics]]
* ''[[http://www.scarygoround.com/index.php?date=20100915 BadMachinery]]'' -- An UnsoundEffect. Don't you wish your arm could do that?

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* ''ShadowRaiders'': An episode title. The episode deals with the trial of a military officer that threatens society itself no less.
* ''{{Futurama}}:'' Zoidberg says this once, the joke being not that he's French but that he's AmbiguouslyJewish.
* On one episode of ''TheSimpsons'', Lisa complained about her French teacher not actually speaking French. "J'accuse!" "...What the hell is this broad talkin about?"

** Rene doesn't actually say this, Lt. Gruber is relating a dream he had of Rene saying it [[hottip:^:Okay, it is like this. Gruber thinks he has killed Rene with a firing squad and the Rene currently in the show is Rene posing as his own twin brother also called Rene]]. At the end of the episode Rene gets stuck on a [[RubeGoldbergDevice giant aerial]] rising out of a grave (they'd hidden a transmitter Rene's crypt since it was empty) and Gruber sees this figure of Rene rising out of the grave (looking sheepish) and faints. Helga then says "Well at least he didn't mention this "Jack Hughes". Roll credits. ''AlloAllo'' doesn't do simple and straightforward.

* ''[[AlloAllo 'Allo 'Allo]]'': -- In an unusual subversion of the shows trope of using JustAStupidAccent as a TranslationConvention for whatever language is actually being spoken, Rene at one point cries out his first real French: "''J'accuse!''" "''J'accuse!''". DoubleSubversion: "Who's this 'Jack Hughes'?"