History Main / MultipleChoiceFormLetter

* ''The Big Book of TopGear'' includes a parody form letter for Daily Mail readers to use every time they want to complain about the show, with checkboxes for things like "I was [disgusted/enraged/sickened/aroused] to see [Jeremy/James/That girl]..." and so on.

* Just to show how the commanding officers didn't care about their men at all, Colonel Cathcart and Lieutenant Colonel Korn in ''[[CatchTwentyTwo Catch-22]]'' use a form letter to tell the relatives of soldiers that their [Husband / Father / Brother / Son] has been [Wounded / Killed / Captured].

* In ''HowIMetYourMother'', Barney has a form letter he leaves to girls who he sleeps with and then walks out on. At one point, he cannot remember the girls name at one point and simply fills in "Resident".

* Saxton Hale from ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' responds to events in the real world with letters of this form, with
[[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91844-Valve-Replies-To-Fake-Order-Form-For-TF2-Items one for fans writing in to order items]] and one for [[http://www.tf2.com/post.php?id=2851&p=4 inventors and invention thieves]].
--> I look forward to [X] WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE / [ ] PUMMELING YOU TO DEATH WITH MY DAMN BARE HANDS.
* Back in TheSeventies when the Generic "brand" first became popular, there was a parody "Generic Greeting Card". It looked like the standard generic style on the outside, reading GREETING CARD, and on the inside there was a list of checkoffs with boxes: Happy Birthday / Happy Anniversary / Congratulations / Hello / etc.
* There are lots of these in ''PrivateEye'', in the form of apologies from papers. For example, in a year when news about youth anorexia and obesity had been circulating, the apology would end with the note, "For God's sake, stop/keep eating."

* Saxton Hale from ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' responds to events in the real world with letters of this form, with [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91844-Valve-Replies-To-Fake-Order-Form-For-TF2-Items one for fans writing in to order items]] and one for [[http://www.tf2.com/post.php?id=2851&p=4 inventors and invention thieves]].

* In DiaryOfAWimpyKid Greg uses a form with blanks to write his thank you notes. It's not very personal.

* In HowIMetYourMother Barney has a form letter he leaves to girls who he sleeps with and then walks out on. At one point, he cannot remember the girls name at one point and simply fills in "Resident".

* In PennyArcade, Tycho writes a comic using blanks so that he has a comic ready about a convention he has yet to attend. It's [[http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2011/03/16 played for laughs]] because it results in MadLibsDialogue.

A form of letter or other writing where the least amount of personalization has been made, via circling multiple choices or fill-in-the-blank. The blanks may are often names or dates as these are elements that are impossible to make uniform. For example a letter might start "Dear [], we were happy to receive your opinions on []" so that the blanks can be filled in with the correct name and information later.

A form of letter or other writing where the least amount of personalization has been made, via circling multiple choices or fill-in-the-blank. The blanks may are often names or dates as these are elements that are impossible to make uniform.

This trope is often played for laughs as the letter contains faux-sincere language or is hilariously inapplicable to the given situation. This is actually the concept behind the children's game, ''Mad Libs'' where a short story is told with blanks left so that a group can yell out random words fill it in.

** "I comma square bracket recruit's name square bracket comma do solemnly swear by square bracket recruit's deity of choice square bracket to uphold the Laws and Ordinances of the city of Ankh-Morpork, serve the public trust comma and defend the subjects of His stroke Her bracket delete whichever is inappropriate bracket Majesty bracket name of reigning monarch bracket..." and so on.

** I look forward to [X] WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE / [ ] PUMMELING YOU TO DEATH WITH MY DAMN BARE HANDS.

-->"Dear [''Aunt Loretta''], Thank you so much for the awesome [''Pants'']! How did you now I wanted that for Christmas? I love the way the [''Pants] looks on my [''Legs'']! All my friends will be so jealous that I have my very own [''Pants'']."

[[AC:{{Other}}]]
* There are lots of these in ''PrivateEye'', in the form of apologies from papers. For example, in a year when news about youth anorexia and obesity had been circulating, the apology would end with the note, "For God's sake, stop/keep eating."

* Back in TheSeventies when the Generic "brand" first became popular, there was a parody "Generic Greeting Card". It looked like the standard generic style on the outside, reading GREETING CARD, and on the inside there was a list of checkoffs with boxes: Happy Birthday / Happy Anniversary / Congratulations / Hello / etc.

* There are lots of these in ''PrivateEye'', in the form of apologies from papers. For example, in a year when news about youth anorexia and obesity had been circulating, the apology would end with the note, "For God's sake, stop/keep eating."

-->'''Letter:'''Dear [Resident], The time we spent together, however long it was, meant the world to me. I would love to see you again but unfortunately I cannot. You see, I am a ghost. I can only materialize once every decade, on the anniversary of my death. I chose to spend my one day among the living with you, sweet [resident]. Perhaps we will meet again, in another decade--provided you keep your figure. Until then, all my love from the beyond, Barney.

->''@@Watch your [X] MAILBOX / [ ] BACK because [X] WE WILL EVALUATE YOUR INVENTION AND GET
->BACK TO YOU / [ ] YOU PICKED A FIGHT WITH THE WRONG MAN.@@''
--> Saxton Hale, ''SupplementalMaterial/TeamFortress2''

* In HowIMetYourMother Barney has a form letter he leaves to girls who he sleeps with and then walks out on. It states that he is a ghost who only walks the earth every seven years. He cannot remember the girls name at one point and simply fills in "Resident".

* In HowIMetYourMother Barney has a form letter he leaves to girls who he sleeps with and then walks out on. It states that he is a ghost who only walks the earth every seven years. He cannot remember the girls name at one point and simply fills in "Current Occupent".

-->'''Letter:'''Dear [Resident], The time we spent together, however long it was, meant the world to me. I would love to see you again but unfortunately I cannot. You see, I am a ghost. I can only materialize once every decade, on the anniversary of my death. I chose to spend my one day among the living with you, sweet [resident]. Perhaps we will meet again, in another decade--provided you keep your figure. Until then, all my love from the beyond, Barney.\\'''Resident''': Barney... Who the hell is Barney?

-->'''Letter:'''Dear [Resident], The time we spent together, however long it was, meant the world to me. I would love to see you again but unfortunately I cannot. You see, I am a ghost. I can only materialize once every decade, on the anniversary of my death. I chose to spend my one day among the living with you, sweet [resident]. Perhaps we will meet again, in another decade--provided you keep your figure. Until then, all my love from the beyond, Barney.
'''Resident''': Barney... Who the hell is Barney?\\

Read more: http://www.tvfanatic.com/quotes/shows/how-i-met-your-mother/episodes/ted-mosby-architect/#ixzz1lOHDIDM2

A form of letter or other form of writing where the least amount of personalization has been made, via circling multiple choices or fill-in-the-blank.

A particularly lazy form letter where the least amount of personalization has been made, via circling multiple choices or fill-in-the-blank. Can be played for laughs if the form letter contains faux-sincere language.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* SteveMartin's [[http://laughingsquid.com/steve-martin-personalized-form-letter-for-fans/ stock fan letter reply]].
* Saxton Hale from ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' responds to events in the real world with letters of this form, with [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91844-Valve-Replies-To-Fake-Order-Form-For-TF2-Items one for fans writing in to order items]] and one for [[http://www.tf2.com/post.php?id=2851&p=4 inventors and invention thieves]].
** I look forward to [X] WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE / [ ] PUMMELING YOU TO DEATH WITH MY DAMN BARE HANDS.
* Back in TheSeventies when the Generic "brand" first became popular, there was a parody "Generic Greeting Card". It looked like the standard generic style on the outside, reading GREETING CARD, and on the inside there was a list of checkoffs with boxes: Happy Birthday / Happy Anniversary / Congratulations / Hello / etc.

* There are lots of these in ''PrivateEye'', in the form of apologies from papers. For example, in a year when news about youth anorexia and obesity had been circulating, the apology would end with the note, "For God's sake, stop/keep eating."

* Saxton Hale from ''TeamFortress2'' responds to events in the real world with letters of this form, with [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91844-Valve-Replies-To-Fake-Order-Form-For-TF2-Items one for fans writing in to order items]] and one for [[http://www.tf2.com/post.php?id=2851&p=4 inventors and invention thieves]].

->''@@Watch your [X] MAILBOX / [ ] BACK because [X] WE WILL EVALUATE YOUR INVENTION AND GET BACK TO YOU / [ ] YOU PICKED A FIGHT WITH THE WRONG MAN.@@''

--> Saxton Hale, SupplementalMaterial/TeamFortress2

Examples:

* Saxton Hale from TeamFortress2 responds to events in the real world with letters of this form, with [[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91844-Valve-Replies-To-Fake-Order-Form-For-TF2-Items one for fans writing in to order items]] and one for [[http://www.tf2.com/post.php?id=2851&p=4 inventors and invention thieves]].
* Back in TheSeventies when the Generic "brand" first became popular there was a parody "Generic Greeting Card". It looked like the standard generic style on the outside, saying GREETING CARD and on the inside there was a list of checkoffs with boxes: Happy Birthday / Happy Anniversary / Congratulations / Hello / etc.
* ''The Big Book of TopGear'' includes a parody form letter for Daily Mail readers to use every time they want to complain about the show, with checkboxes for things like "I was [disgusted/enraged/sickened/aroused] to see [Jeremy/James/That girl]..." and so on
* There are lots of these in PrivateEye, in the form of apologies from papers: for example, in a year when news about youth anorexia and obesity had been circulating, the apology would end with the note "for God's sake, stop/keep eating."
* In {{Discworld}}, Corporal Carrot doesn't seem to grasp the concept of form letters as he leads the new Night Watch recruits in taking the oath:

* In DiscWorld, Corporal Carrot doesn't seem to grasp the concept of form letters as he leads the new Night Watch recruits in taking the oath: