History Main / ReadingTheStageDirectionsOutLoud

* A RunningGag on Website/{{Twitter}} is to end a tweet (generally one containing a {{Pun}} or similar content that the tweeter might be mildly embarrassed about) with the words "send tweet", implying that it was sent immediately on composition, and with futher thought might not have been.

* WebVideo/{{Kitboga}} is a scambaiter popular on Website/{{Twitch}} and Website/YouTube. He is known be able to bait scammers for hours at a time and one of his [[RunningGag gags]] is to declare "Happy anniversary" and ask the scammers to clap for him upon an hitting an hour mark. His most epic bait to date involves two scammers from the same call center named Adam and Alex, whom he managed to string along for around 37 hours. At the 26 hour mark, he does the usual routine and Adam responds with "Clap for you. Clap clap clap clap."
* In his Internet responses on Website/YouTube, Advertising/TheManYourManCouldSmellLike reads the punctuation.

* ''WesternAnimstion/LooneyTunes'':

* VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas has the rootin' tootin' casino guide robot Primm Slim, who appears to be programmed this way.

* In ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', toward the end of "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E09TheIndestructibleMan The Indestructible Man]]", when Joel, Servo and Crow agreed to sign an affidavit stating they would no longer make any [[DonutMessWithACop jokes about cops eating donuts]], Crow and Servo do the "I, state your name" joke, much to Joel's chagrin.

* As seen in the above page quote, Joey Tribbiani of ''Series/{{Friends}}'' has done this on some of the (very few) occasions that we actually get to see him do some [[JustForPun act]]ing. Another example was the time he got to read a news report: "Good evening, I'm Name!"

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Under the Lake", the Doctor reads a CueCard that had been prepared for when says something insensitive word for word.

* On ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', toward the end of ''Film/TheIndestructibleMan'', when Joel, Servo and Crow agreed to sign an affidavit stating they would no longer make any [[DonutMessWithACop jokes about cops eating donuts]], Crow and Servo do the "I, state your name" joke, much to Joel's chagrin.

-->'''Raonar''': I now know that, regardless of how many times I tell this hot-blooded idiot (he points at Trian) that I don't want the throne, he'll still believe every possible rumor that says I am out to get him.

[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
* Done unintentionally in ''Aladin'' by Creator/DingoPictures where the voice actor for [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Aladin]] reads out loud the script direction "Exit Scene."

-->'''Rick''': ''[flatly]'' "Honey, I respect your ideas and value your opinions, and...''now you talk''." Uh, I think that's a great idea, sweetheart.

** At one point in ''Literature/MovingPictures'', Gaspode the Wonder Dog -- who gets a lot of milage out of the fact people don't believe he can talk, and their brains short circuit when they hear him ''say'' "Woof" instead of barking -- says "Woof. In tones of low menace."

-->'I've got used to this planet,' said Besma. 'It's - thinks - my ''[[BoldInflation fifteenth]]'' world.'

-->'''Larry''': Wink. Did you say wink? Or did you wink?\\
'''Michael''': He said that too, Dad.

* ''Series/TheColbertReport''

-->'''Alex''': Um, let's reflect for a moment on all the positive aspects in one's life. We can do that, can't we, Insert Name?\\
'''Caller''': You ARE reading this out of a book!

-->'''Leader:''' "I, [state your name].."\\
'''Response:''' "I, state your name.."

* In the Music/{{Wire}} song "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W", singer Colin Newman says "chorus:" in a conversational tone just before launching into the first chorus.
** Same thing with Athlete's "Westside", probably as a ShoutOut.

-->'''Lamb''': ''(In character)'' All this work and worry, and what do I get? Runs offstage!

[[folder:Web Original]]
* When WebVideo/AlonzoLerone reads social media messages, he reads them exactly how they're written, emphasising all of the spelling and grammar errors.
-->''"But I '''wanst''' to stay with you."''
* A common example of the shoddy writing encountered on the stories riffed in ''WebVideo/BadCreepypasta'' are the writers neglecting to place a second set of speech marks to mark where a character stops speaking and the narration resumes; naturally, this just means the hosts continue to read as if the character were saying the narration out loud.
* ''[=BriTANicK=]'' has a sketch where Brian is trying to remember the next line in his favorite Shakespearean monologue. Being the good friend he is, Nick starts throwing out random lines, including, "Exeunt, Malvolio."

* In the ''Podcast/HowDidThisGetMade'' episode on ''Film/LakePlacid'', this is the only logical explanation the hosts can agree on for the otherwise nonsensical Brendan Gleeson line, "Everyone's a comedian, sarcastic."
* ''Podcast/TheJohnDredgeNothingToDoWithAnythingShow'':
--> '''Policeman''': Right, I'll get down to the nick and we'll be in touch as soon as there are any developments. (''sound of car door'') Exits in police car.

-->'''Critic:''' (narrating as Willis) North was in a jam. He really didn't relate to his parents. Next page.

* One of the HilariousOuttakes for ''AudioPlay/SonicAndTailsR'' has Creator/RyanDrummond, in-character as Sonic, doing this.
-->'''Sonic:''' A massive police helicopter blocks the path!
* ''Blog/TextsFromSuperheroes'': A text-message variation when [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/cd/da/68/cdda689058bc6698cdd80f1d2ed61878.jpg Jarvis mistakes Tony's instructions for dictation]].
* A RunningGag on Website/{{Twitter}} is to end a tweet (generally one containing a {{Pun}} or similar content that the tweeter might be mildly embarrassed about) with the words "send tweet", implying that it was sent immediately on composition, and with futher thought might not have been.

* Slappy Squirrel does it in an episode (the one all the characters were stuck in the wrong show) of ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}''.

-->You're working for--dramatic pause--''the Joker!''

-->'''Von Steamer''': Meet me in Night Market Square at noon tomorrow for an epic showdown. Otherwise I'll dramatic pause destroy the city! Wha? Uh, I didn't mean to read "dramatic pause" but, in fact, to pause dramatically. Well, you get the gist.

'''Edd:''' ''(whispering)'' "How are you?", "How are you?"!\\

** Professor Farnsworth in does this in an episode where they're forced to remake the climax of [[Series/AllyMcBeal a TV show from the year 1999]].
--->'''Professor Farnsworth:''' I'm afraid I must reject your proposal of marriage, for you see, I'm dying. Cough, then fall over dead. ''(Remains standing and smiles at the camera)''\\

'''Professor Farnsworth:''' ''(Checks own pulse concernedly)''

-->'''Obama:''' I had an entire speech prepared for this wonderful occasion, but now that I'm here, I'd like to speak from the heart. Speak off the cuff. ''(two teleprompters rise noisily in front of him)'' Good evening! Pause for laughter.
** Became HarsherInHindsight when his former VP, now President UsefulNotes/JoeBiden did it for real on 8 July 2022.
--->'''Biden:''' End of quote. Repeat the line. [[https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1545444306995011585]]

* An audience member Jimmy Carr had brought up on stage to ask a few scripted questions for him to react to and deliver a set of punchlines to did this when the last bullet-point on her list said 'Any other questions', which she simply read out bemusedly, instead of asking a question of her own as it was intended. Jimmy just ran with it.
* [=CNN=] news anchor Rich Sanchez: [[https://www.cc.com/video/fq2and/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-moment-of-zen-rick-sanchez-ad-libs-a-tease Up next: Ad lib! A tease!]] [[http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnns-rick-sanchez-up-next-ad-lib-a-tease-seriously/ For people not located in the U.S.]].

-->''On the Visa Haltime Report, Curt, Terry, Howie, Michael, and Tony… look on graphic for the final two bullet points.''
* On April 25, 2022, the Russian intelligence organization FSB released a video purporting to show a police raid of a terrorist cell. One piece of "evidence" recovered at the scene was a book with an inscription signed by "Signature Unclear." Western journalists were quick to speculate that the book was manufactured by the FSB themselves and supposed to bear an illegible signature, but the instructions got misunderstood somewhere along the chain of command. Footage of the book was later edited out of the version uploaded to the FSB Youtube channel.

* A RunningGag on Website/{{Twitter}} is to end a tweet (generally one containing an IncrediblyLamePun or similar content that the tweeter might be mildly embarrassed about) with the words "send tweet", implying that it was sent immediately on composition, and with futher thought might not have been.

--->'''Hamilton:''' Enter me!

* ''Theatre/HamiltonAnAmericanMusical:'' Near the beginning of [[IWantSong "My Shot":]]

* ''Theatre/Hamilton:'' Near the beginning of [[IWantSong "My Shot":]]

* ''The Bobby Bones Show'': In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzR_id1cWK0 this interview]] with Music/TaylorSwift, they do readings of scenes from ''Film/Titanic1997'' and ''Film/TheSixthSense''. Swift insists on reading out all the stage directions for the benefit of the listeners.

* Happens in the episode "Getting it Taped" of 60s/70-s BBC SitCom ''Radio/{{The Men from the Ministry}}'' when Mr. Lamb appears in an amateur play:

** Bluebottle does this. One of them became his CatchPhrase: "Enter Bluebottle stage left. Pause for audience applause... not a sausage."

* Website/TVTropes: JustForFun/DescribeTopicHere. As a result of that being the default placeholder message for a new page in the old wiki software, many, many pages were created leaving those three words at the top of the article. [[TheArtifact While the new wiki software no longer has a placeholder message]], what was merely a common mistake in our early years became immortalized as one of the wiki's most prevalent {{Running Gag}}s.

[/folder]]

* Done in ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' during a celebrity endorsement for a jackhammer outlet. ("Smile, point to name.")

* The Creator/HannaBarbera cartoon character WesternAnimation/{{Snagglepuss}} always announces, "exit, stage right!" (or left) whenever he runs off somewhere.
* Slappy Squirrel does it in an episode (the one all the characters were stuck in the wrong show) of ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}''.
* One element of Team Chris Is Really Really Really Really Hot's SoBadItsGood commercial in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama World Tour'' was Owen dressed as a monster shouting (the phrase) "Monster noises!"
* On ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'', when Beezy is reading a [[BlatantLies blatant lie]] off a cue card, he finishes by reading "The End".
* From ''WesternAnimation/AllGrownUp'', Angelica has Harold publicly beg her to go to the dance with him [[OperationJealousy so she can make another boy jealous]], complete with cue cards. The cherry is Harold dramatically saying "get down on bended knee!".
* The Creeper in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' speaks like this even though he ''has'' no script.
-->You're working for--dramatic pause--''the Joker!''
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
-->'''Rainbow Dash:''' So the final, tie-breaking contest is going to be... [[DramaticPause pause for dramatic effect]]... a race against me! Through Ghastly Gorge! [[{{Sting}} Dun dun dun]]!
* The first episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' has [[Comicbook/BlueBeetle Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes)]] do a scriptless version during a RousingSpeech; Batman tells him "Now, wrap it up", and Jaime unwittingly uses that as the closing line of his speech. Amusingly, this leads to the little amoeba-like aliens to whom he's speaking cheering "NOW WRAP IT UP!"
* This is a RunningGag on ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'', as Diane or Mr. Peanutbutter hire someone for lettering that doesn't quite grasp the concept of instructions [[AcquiredErrorAtThePrinter vs. what they want written down]].
** Bojack himself does this on occasion.
--->'''Bojack:''' ''(reading from cue cards)'' Princess Carolyn. Clear throat. ''clears throat''
* In the ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6TheSeries'' episode "The Revenge of Von Steamer", Baron von Steamer does this in his ultimatum to Boss Awesome:
-->'''Von Steamer''': Meet me in Night Market Square at noon tomorrow for an epic showdown. Otherwise I'll dramatic pause destroy the city! Wha? Uh, I didn't mean to read "dramatic pause" but, in fact, to pause dramatically. Well, you get the gist.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheDayMyButtWentPsycho'': In "Bring Me the Butt of Silas", the mayor is making a speech:
-->"And now it is time to thank our protector. Points to Silas."
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' episode "Tough Guise", Rusty teaches Zach how to be a tough guy. Part of this involves a mock scenario where Rusty "threatens" Lincoln, who is pretending to be a bully. In response, Lincoln reads, "I, Meathead Larry, am never messing with you again, Rusty Bones, parenthesis, dramatically bursts into tears."
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/BigMouth'' has Connie Monstress appearing in a science fiction-ish skit where she reads her "lines" as "Chewbacca sound" (including one case where she actually makes the requested noise, but still also says "Chewbacca sound").
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E6Gemcation Gemcation]]", Garnet demonstrates that the proposal for the trip was rehearsed as she speaks the physical directions out loud when helping Greg convince Steven to go on vacation. And that Greg told her to say it with more enthusiasm.
-->'''Amethyst:''' Yeah. And you'll be with your favorite Gems, and your favorite dad.\\
'''Garnet:''' Agree with Amethyst. Turn to Steven. Steven, you should go. No, with more enthusiasm. Steven, it's a vacation! ''[thumbs-up]''
* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'':
** Done in "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS2E9LookWhosPurging Look Who's Purging Now]]" with the lighthouse owner telling Morty to give him opinions about his stage play. The problem is the owner is reading a script, forcing him to constantly read stage directions and names, boring Morty.
** Done once more in "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS3E2RickmancingTheStone Rickmancing the Stone]]" with Rick replacing Morty and Summer with robots trying to behave like them. Robot Morty has to say the [[quotemode]] tag to hold a normal conversation.
* The ''WesternAnimation/BunsenIsABeast'' episode "Astro-Nots" has Commander Cone flub his script for Bunsen and Mikey's staged battle against an alien creature in this way.
-->'''Commander Cone:''' Don't worry, young man. I will vanquish this enemy of all that is good and nice, and force him to spit out your friend Bunsen. Commander Cone moves off-camera!\\
'''Mikey:''' That's a stage direction! (''shoves Commander Cone'')

* In Act IV, Scene 2 of ''Theatre/AsYouLikeIt'', there is a song that includes "The rest shall bear this burden." It's unclear whether this is part of the lyrics or a stage direction on the singing (i.e., "The rest of the cast on stage will sing the chorus") and professional troupes have performed it both ways.
* ''Dog-ear'' by Sam Nolting, has Scriptreader (a narrator) who reads some of the stage directions. At the end of the play, the protagonists discover her, and promptly steal her script.
* In ''Theatre/{{Pippin}}'', Charlemagne's first line, "This part is to be portrayed by an actor of enormous power," sounds more like a casting note than dialogue. Then again, the show has NoFourthWall.
* ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls'': Not a stage direction but Adelaide manages something similar when singing from a medical journal in "Adelaide's Lament" (in some productions; the spoken part is ad-libbed):
-->(spoken) It says here:\\
The female remaining single,\\
Just in the legal sense,\\
Shows a neurotic tendency. See Note. \\
(spoken) Tendency see note? \\
Oh, "see note!"
* Partially justified in ''Moby Dick - Rehearsed'', as the play is meant to be, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a rehearsal of a stage production of]] ''Literature/MobyDick''. As a result, the Stage Manager reads some of the stage directions out loud to illustrate the setting to the "cast" (and audience). It doesn't stop there, though... the pompous Actor-Manager who quotes ''Theatre/KingLear'' as he arrives can't help but speak the stage directions as well.

* In ''The Theatre/FarndaleAvenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Operatic Society's Production of The Mikado'', this is one of the types of BadBadActing exhibited by the actress playing Ko-Ko.
-->'''Ko-Ko:''' I can't kill you. I can't kill anybody. Weeps.
* ''Creator/MischiefTheatre'' loves this one, especially when an understudy suddenly has to step up.
** It's one of the many things that goes wrong in ''Theatre/ThePlayThatGoesWrong''. When the female lead Sandra is knocked out, the stage manager Annie is shoved on to the stage with a copy of the script to take her place. Needless to say, she starts reading the stage directions out loud, and ends Act 1 by shouting "Blackout! Intermission!"
** Similarly, in ''Theatre/PeterPanGoesWrong'', Trevor does this when he steps in for Jonathan. Meanwhile, Dennis is reciting his lines from a headset, including stage instructions and the director berating him for doing this.
--->'''Dennis:''' Will you sing us a lullaby, Mother? ''*radio feedback*'' No, Dennis, with feeling for God's sake! No! No! No! Don't repeat that, you idiot!
* Creator/AgathaChristie's play ''Theatre/SpidersWeb'' ends with Clarissa saying [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall to herself... or perhaps to the audience]] "Exit Clarissa ... mysteriously", before disappearing into the SecretPassage.

* The elcor, an alien race from ''Franchise/MassEffect'', actually do this normally. Their native language depends on pheromones and other things [[StarfishLanguage utterly unlike human speech]], but lacks tone and inflection, so they speak in a dull monotone prefaced by the tone of whatever they're going to say: "With barely concealed terror" or "Insincere endorsement: You have not experienced Shakespeare until you have heard him in the voice of elcor."
** If you pay attention to those Shakespeare advertisements, notice that the elcor reading the play ''don't'' use their usual prefixes, a CallBack to the first game where a random elevator announcement details the director's goals of not only bringing Shakespeare to an elcor audience, but also producing a production seemingly devoid of emotion to humans in order to "give audiences a chance to judge Hamlet by his actions, not his emotions".
** Ditto for HK-47 and its HK-50 "clones" in the ''Franchise/StarWars: VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' games. The only difference is the fact that the droids would be understood perfectly fine without it but, for some reason, are programmed to do this.
** Ditto for the Glitch (an entire race of sapient robots) in ''VideoGame/{{Starbound}}''. Some of the lore implies that they aren't even aware of doing this.
* In ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'', [[spoiler:Doctor Shake]] returns and combines this trope with RoboSpeak. "Wouldn't you agree, question mark." "Behold! Said dramatically." and "BATTLE CRY.", among other lines.

* Done for laughs in the fan VGA remake of ''VideoGame/SpaceQuest 2''. The same line was used in the original, but voice acting was absent.
-->'''Roger Wilco:''' "Hey! What the- (your favorite expletive here)"
* The English dub of ''[[VideoGame/CastleOfShikigami Castle Shikigami 2]]'' made this kind of mistake for real, in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Rys3TgOlmQ a cutscene]] from two-player mode with Roger and Kim. Yes, he actually says "changed voice" out loud.
-->'''Roger:''' First time to meet. Or long time. (changed voice) It's me, Yama.

* ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' references the ''Hitman: Blood Money'' example when Gaige suffers increasing SanitySlippage the more stacks of Anarchy she gains, to the point of becoming a FourthWallObserver. At one point she's lost it so much that her voice actress is seemingly reading notes scrawled on her script.
-->'''Gaige:''' Allan, write some dialog here!!!
* The subtitles in Ray's level in ''VideoGame/MightyNo9'' left in the script direction [AD LIB MOANING IN PAIN] in both the [[https://twitter.com/protodude/status/736244957388759042 demo build]] and [[http://techraptor.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mighty-No-9-Moaning.jpg final build]] of the game. The computer versions [[http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=805571317 corrected this]].

* In the spirit, but not quite the letter, of this trope, Comrade Vasquez of ''VideoGame/{{Tropico}} 4'' will, when asking you to arrest the Capitalist faction's leader, read the entire text box, including the in-game effect, instead of just the first paragraph.

* Many examples of this in ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner''. The [[http://hrwiki.org/wiki/Self-Narrated_Actions wiki]] has the complete list.

* Everybody does this in ''WebAnimation/EpithetErased''. Due to the LimitedAnimation the characters will often loudly announce what they are doing, referring to themselves in the third person. One of the more notable ones is Giovanni's repeated "Teleports behind you..."

* Penny does this in ''Webcomic/PennyAndAggie'' when rehearsing ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'': "Exzoont [''sic''] fighting." (The word she was aiming for was ''exeunt'', the plural of ''exit'' as a verb.)
* In ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'', Tagon is forced to represent the Toughs in a trial, and has been given a script by the company lawyer to read. Because it's The Future, it's written on a PDA, which leads to this:
-->'''Tagon:''' Our actions, which we will describe in detail, will be shown to be both immaterial and blameless. Tagon, don't read this part, Ennesby and I will be adjusting your script on the fly.\\
'''Petey:''' Sorry. Do I need to let you check your notes?\\
'''Tagon:''' Will you let me body-check them?

* ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'': [[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=1134 "He says his name is -delay- Shadow."]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Educomix}}'' did it in [[http://educomix.thecomicseries.com/comics/305 this strip]].
-->'''Dave:''' I'm not crap at it, explained Dave, I'm just not as good as Spikeclops is at it...

* When WebVideo/AlonzoLerone reads social media messages, he reads them exactly how they're written, emphasising all of the spelling and grammar errors.
-->''"But I '''wanst''' to stay with you."''
* ''Music/SongsToWearPantsTo'':
** In requests where the submitter includes lyrics, Andrew will occasionally sing parts of the message that were clearly just further instructions about the song. Some examples would be "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c86wI9A-cM4 Girl Behind the Window]]", where he sings "Refrain!" before every chorus, and the ending of "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JLXtIT01cc Head of a Radio]]": "Look at Ed's trousers/ The Ed line must be shouted, not sung/ Because he has horrid trousers".
** One song even consisted of the words of the e-mail, which Andrew simply sings back to the listener. Hey, since they only gave him a suggestion, why not?

* ''[=BriTANicK=]'' has a sketch where Brian is trying to remember the next line in his favorite Shakespearean monologue. Being the good friend he is, Nick starts throwing out random lines, including, "Exeunt, Malvolio."

* ''Podcast/TheJohnDredgeNothingToDoWithAnythingShow'':
--> '''Policeman''': Right, I'll get down to the nick and we'll be in touch as soon as there are any developments. (''sound of car door'') Exits in police car.
* In the ''Podcast/HowDidThisGetMade'' episode on ''Film/LakePlacid'', this is the only logical explanation the hosts can agree on for the otherwise nonsensical Brendan Gleeson line, "Everyone's a comedian, sarcastic."
* One of the HilariousOuttakes for ''AudioPlay/SonicAndTailsR'' has Creator/RyanDrummond, in-character as Sonic, doing this.
-->'''Sonic:''' A massive police helicopter blocks the path!
* ''Blog/TextsFromSuperheroes'': A text-message variation when [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/cd/da/68/cdda689058bc6698cdd80f1d2ed61878.jpg Jarvis mistakes Tony's instructions for dictation]].

* A RunningGag on Website/{{Twitter}} is to end a tweet (generally one containing an IncrediblyLamePun or similar content that the tweeter might be mildly embarrassed about) with the words "send tweet", implying that it was sent immediately on composition, and with futher thought might not have been.
* WebVideo/{{Kitboga}} is a scambaiter popular on Website/{{Twitch}} and Website/YouTube. He is known be able to bait scammers for hours at a time and one of his [[RunningGag gags]] is to declare "Happy anniversary" and ask the scammers to clap for him upon an hitting an hour mark. His most epic bait to date involves two scammers from the same call center named Adam and Alex, whom he managed to string along for around 37 hours. At the 26 hour mark, he does the usual routine and Adam responds with "Clap for you. Clap clap clap clap."

* During an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheWeekenders'', Tish signs the group up to do a radio play. They're being forced to read the script when this trope occurs:
-->'''Lor:''' Don't fight, please, she screams.

* Happens in ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' when Taranee's Astral Drop (a form of magical clone) takes her place as narrator in a SchoolPlay, and begins, "Taranee reads dramatically."

* In the ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether'' episode "Little Orphan Hero", Foxxy Love runs a suicide hotline and greets a caller by reading directly from a script. "Suicide hotline. My name is 'line'. How can I help you? Remember to sound like you care."
* Gazpacho does this at the beginning of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Chowder}}'' [[strike:Christmas]] [[YouMeanXmas Knishmas]] special.
* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'':
** When Ed is reading from cue cards in the episode "Dear Ed". "Sit down and say 'hello, Johnny'". Also inverted, when he interprets actual lines as questions.
--->'''Ed:''' Ask him how... he is!\\
'''Edd:''' ''(whispering)'' "How are you?", "How are you?"!\\
'''Ed:''' I'm fine thanks! Okay, a little hungry...
** In "Ed In the Bush", Ed says at the end of the first act "End of first sequence, and fade to black."
** Ed does it again in "Out with the Old, In with the Ed".
--->'''Ed:''' I am exhi-bating my love for, point at May...
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'', Grandpa Lou does this to his own family while selling candy bars door to door:
-->'''Lou:''' Hello, sir or madam. I am visiting your house, apartment, or hotel to ask you to help support my club, group, or organization...
* Inverted in one of ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'''s many Christmas storylines, Sally is playing the part of an angel in a Nativity play. She follows her line ("Hark!") by explaining to her brother, "Then Harold Angel sings." The viewer is made to think that her line is actually "Hark! The herald angel sings!" (as in the carol) and she's misreading this as stage direction, until the end where Harold Angel introduces himself to Chuck.
* ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead'', working at a telemarketing office, read their script sheets verbatim: "Hello. My name is 'Your Name'."

* The eponymous heroine of ''Series/HannahMontana'' does this twice while reading off a teleprompter during an awards show.
* Too many "Funniest Home Videos"-type shows to name get a cheap laugh out of bungled oath ceremonies caught on camera
-->'''Leader:''' "I, [state your name].."\\
'''Response:''' "I, state your name.."
:: A variation of this occurs where the original person says their actual name, and the response includes this name instead of the person or people's actual names.
* On ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', toward the end of "The Indestructible Man", when Joel, Servo and Crow agreed to sign an affidavit stating they would no longer make any [[DonutMessWithACop jokes about cops eating donuts]], Crow and Servo do the "I, state your name" joke, much to Joel's chagrin.
* ''Series/CarolineInTheCity'': When Caroline was reading Richard's memorial speech (which he had written himself) at his [[DeadArtistsAreBetter fake funeral]]
-->'''Caroline:''' As the curtain descends far too early on this brilliant career, we remember the artist, Richard Karinsky. Indicate my body. ''[she realizes her mistake]'' [[LastSecondWordSwap ...of work.]] ''[she indicates his paintings]''
* ''Series/ICarly'': In "iBloop" (a combination of AdamWesting and blooper reel ClipShow), Reed Alexander (Nevel's actor) messes up his line by doing this.
-->'''Nevel:''' THIS IS A MOCKERY! EAT POPCORN!
* In one {{Meta}} episode of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', [[MindScrew the actors play their characters playing the actors playing the characters]], and [[BadBadActing as neither Sam nor Dean actually know how to act]], [[Funny/{{Supernatural}} it doesn't turn out well.]]
-->'''Dean-as-Jensen-as-Dean:''' Dean, grimly... "And yet somehow you got no problem with it!"
* ''Series/SlingsAndArrows'' has a variant: the actors are reading through the script for the first time, and the clueless intern is given the job of reading the stage directions. She ends up tripping up the actors by trying to read ''all'' the stage directions, including little one-word tags like "angrily".
* ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'' has an example where Creator/KevinSorbo accidentally does [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O1hM-k3aUY exactly this]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p53iqTPLt_E Sorbo himself]] claims this was NOT the case but rather was an ad-lib referencing ''Film/AFishCalledWanda''.
* Claireparker does this when she is rehearsing for her cut scene in ''Series/{{Pixelface}}''. At the end of the episode, she still does it when recording the actual scene.
* ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' has Wayne and Brad do it during a skit.
-->'''Wayne:''' Wayne. That's right, Brad! Dot dot dot...
* ''Series/MockTheWeek'', "Things you wouldn't hear at a party conference"
-->'''Hugh Dennis:''' Unlike other party leaders I could mention, I am not a slave to the autocue. Smile, pause, applause.
* ''Series/GeorgeAndMildred'': While helping Mildred learn her lines for the ''Cinderella'' pantomime, George reads the following out loud (in a bored monotone):
-->'''George:''' I shall marry the handsome over. ''[looks confused then turns the page]'' Prince.
* On ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Willow frequently did this along with SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud.
-->'''Willow:''' Ah... um... various sounds of hesitation...
* ''Series/{{Victorious}}'':
** In the episode "April Fool's Blank", both Music/ArianaGrande and Creator/ElizabethGillies did it during a parody of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''.
--->'''Cat (as Dorothy):''' ''[after hitting her head against a bathroom stall]'' Concussion.
** Later...
--->'''Jade (as the Wicked Witch):''' The witch sneers at Dorothy,... then exits.\\
'''Cat (as Dorothy):''' Oh my goodness. She spoke her stage directions.
* According to Creator/SalmaHayek during an appearance on ''Series/TheLateShowWithDavidLetterman'' this is often a cause of bloopers in Spanish-language {{Telenovela}}s (soap operas). Rather than learning the lines, the actors are given earbuds where their dialogue is read to them, which they then speak. But their stage directions are also read to them, leading to lines like, "I never never want to see you again! ''Exit! Slam the door!''" or "Please, you have to believe me! You're the love of my life! ''Move to the left, you're blocking the light''"
* In an episode of ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'', [[AsianAirhead London]] gets a job at a fast food place and tries to work the drive-thru. HilarityEnsues
-->'''London:''' Welcome to Cluck Bucket, may I take your order? Take finger off talk button... oh.\\
...Will there be anything else? Suggest whatever's getting cold! *Car drives away*
* Happens often in the [[NoFourthWall fourth wall-lacking]] "Dirk Niblick" segments on ''Series/SquareOneTV''. For example, in an episode about rounding, the Noodleman siblings, Fluff and Fold, are shocked to discover that their haphazard use of rounding has led them to underestimate the price of their purchases:
-->'''Fluff, Fold:''' ''Three dollars and four cents, [[WantonCrueltyToTheCommonComma question mark, exclamation point, question mark, exclamation point?!?!]]''\\
'''Cashier:''' That's right, three dollars and four cents, period.
* An episode of ''Series/{{The Office|US}}'' had [[TheBlindLeadingTheBlind Michael trying to train]] Deangelo Vickers to be better at WittyBanter by having him read off idiot boards. "Now, I hear he's going to be my right-hand man, ad-lib masturbation joke... Mr. Dwight Shrute!".
* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'':
** Happens to Creator/DanAykroyd in a season 3 episode during a "Weekend Update" sketch. And unlike some examples on here, this was unintentional.
** The opening to a 2005 episode with Creator/CatherineZetaJones featured this. President Bush tries to put a positive spin on the situation in Iraq, but the soldiers are reading the directions on their cue cards. One of the soldiers is forcibly removed when he refuses to play along.
--->'''Captain:''' Hello. Wow! I'm thrilled to speak to you. ''Smile At Camera.'' It's moments like these, that I just have to speak from the heart. ''Point To Chest.'' Everything in Iraq is going as expected. Well, that's great to hear, Captain.\\
'''President Bush:''' ''[chuckles nervously]'' Well, that's great to hear, Captain.
* In ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'', Jake does this while he was reading cue cards [[spoiler:written by the guy who's holding him hostage. In this case, however, the guy is strung out on a cocktail of meth, cocaine and various other drugs, so in Jake's defence the line between 'script' and 'stage directions' is probably not 100% clear]].
* ''Series/HorribleScience'': In "Gruesome Guts", Mark gets food poisoning and leaves Lucy to close the show while he dashes off to the toilet. She reads his closing speech from the autocue, ending by reading "Smile. Wave to camera".
* ''Series/ShaunMicallefsMadAsHell'': After reading a story about robots taking over any job involving repetition, Shaun repeats the phrase "Any job involving repetition" multiple times, then looks and the auto-cue and reads "Turns to follow camera".
* Creator/BillyCrystal hosted the 2012 UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s. That year Kodak was filing for bankruptcy and the theater had not yet been renamed the Hollywood and Highland Center.
-->'''Creator/BillyCrystal:''' Welcome back to the Your Name Here Theater!
* ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'': In the episode "What Sexual Harris Meant", Earl reads a prepared statement on the witness stand. "And let me conclude by saying Foreman Harris is a great guy. Monica's been a troublemaker as long as I've known her and I'm pretty sure she cheats on her taxes. Stop here, look up, smile."
* ''Series/Utopia2014'': In "The Ghost of Christmas Future", the Minister is rehearsing a speech and talks about the new plan for busting traffic congestion and what it will mean for "insert city name here".
-->'''Stage manager:''' Brisbane, minister.
* In ''Series/FamilyTies'' Alex is roped into working a volunteer shift for a call-in crisis line. When he ends up taking an actual call from a teen who is suicidal, he goes into a panic and has no idea how to help. Frantically he searches through his written guides for something to say. When the caller demands to know if he's reading out of a book, he denies it... but then he gives himself away irretrievably.
-->'''Alex''': Um, let's reflect for a moment on all the positive aspects in one's life. We can do that, can't we, Insert Name?\\
'''Caller''': You ARE reading this out of a book!
* This tends to be Dennis's schtick in ''Series/TheGoesWrongShow'', especially in "A Trial To Watch".
-->'''Dennis:''' They kiss. Roll credits.

* Same thing with Athlete's "Westside", probably as a ShoutOut.
* The ''Music/TheyMightBeGiants'' song "Protagonist" is sung from the perspective of a screenwriter whose girlfriend left him for another man. During the first two verses, appropriate scene descriptions are recited between lines.
* Invoked in Music/TheLonelyIsland's "Japan", in which the band frequently describe what they'd be doing in the proposed music video for the song as part of a blatant attempt to fund a really expensive holiday to Japan and get their label to pay for it.
* John Culshaw's WeDidntStartTheBillyJoelParodies video "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iqXbAApIVQ I DID Start the Fire]]" ends with him as Creator/SimonCowell saying "Repeat to fade".

* New person enters; ''Creator/TheFiresignTheatre'' sometimes does this, too.

* Tony Blair in ''[[Series.DeadRingers Dead Ringers]]'', as a satire of how media-savvy and "produced" he was seen to be. "[[Creator/WilliamShatner PEOPLE... of Britain]] -- ''insincere smile, sweaty forehead'' -- I speak to you today on the matter of an abject cabinet betrayal -- ''angry eyebrows, pointy finger!'' -- ..."

* A few radio {{Blooper}} compilations feature examples of novice radio commercial announcers doing this:
-->"Collins Bread is slow-baked. Punch this, that means that--make this sincere--every inch of every loaf is evenly browned, making for delicious, wholesome, super-digestible bread. When your grocer asks you, emphasize this: Be sure you say Collins Bread!"\\
"It's 8 P.M., B-U-L-O-V-A, Bulova Watch Time. On Christmas, say 'Merry Christmas.' On New Year's, say 'Happy New Year.'"
* Because of supposed budget cuts, one episode of ''Radio/TheBurkissWay'' starts in "a tea lady reading out the script, only", complete with stage directions and page numbering being read out.
* ''Radio/ImSorryIHaventAClue'': The host Humphrey Lyttleton, playing into the gag that he hates his own show, occasionally leans on this in continuity bits.
-->''Teams, I'll be giving you two songs and you'll have to sing the first one to the tune of the latter. Not to mention the piano accompaniment of Colin Sell. ...Oh wait, [[DreadfulMusician I wasn't supposed to read that last sentence.]]''

* Ellen Terry does this in the play ''The Actor's Nightmare''.
* ''Enter Laughing'' is named after an occurrence of this trope where the protagonist, a novice actor, reads the stage direction "Enter Laughing" in his first rehearsal.
* ''Theatre/{{Annie}}'' does this in the radio station scene, where Warbucks accidentally reads "drop page" when going to the next page.

* In ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream'' while rehearsing the ShowWithinAShow Francis Flute does this, leading to an angry outburst from the director, Peter Quince.