History Main / TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat

(Next slide: ''DOESN'T CONCERN YOU.''\\

* The ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' episode "Sherlock Goof" has written instructions for a clumsy burglar which includes "cross the room quietly" after burglar's loud entrence through the window, "put the valuables back" when he fills his pockets with trinkets and "don't 'aww, Professor' me!" when he pouts.

-->'''Dr. Lanning:''' I'm sorry, my responses are limited. You must ask the right questions.

** Downplayed in season 1 Stage 15, where he fakes a video conference with Mao, to get Mao to think he was far away so he wouldn't hear Lelouch's thoughts as he approached. Lelouch interrupted Mao a lot and generally ignored his answers, simply pushing his line. He also remained silent for too long, causing Mao to ask, "Cat got your tongue?" before he resumed the pre-recorded message. This worked in large part because Mao was too out-of-his-mind to notice anything off.

* In a ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' strip, Susie asks Calvin to pass a note to a classmate, telling him not to read it because it's a secret note. He reads it anyway; the note says, "Calvin you stinkhead: I told you not to read this." Of course, this makes it look like Susie did this ForTheLulz. It certainly wouldn't make much sense if Calvin just passed the note. But even this is addressed in the next strip, where Calvin immediately tells the teacher about the ''next'' note Susie passes him. What does the note say? ''"You know what I hate about Calvin? He's a tattler!"''

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E10Blink Blink]]", and the short story it was based on, Sally Sparrow sees a video of the Doctor that initially seems to be talking to her. It isn't, but it matches up later [[spoiler:because he has a transcript of the whole conversation through a StableTimeLoop.]] Time is like a [[TimeyWimeyBall wibbly-wobbly ball]], apparently. Of timey-wimey stuff. Played with in that lots of other people have found the message, and without her side of the conversation have all sorts of speculation as to what he's talking about.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In "Inheritance", Data meets his "mother", Julianna, who had assisted in his construction. In a tunnel cave-in, it's discovered Julianna is really an android herself (the real Julianna died years ago and her husband uploaded her memories into an android body without her knowing it.) Data discovers a chip inside Julianna that has a holographic recording of Noonien Soong, left behind to explain this. When Data identifies himself, Soong reveals he'd also secretly hoped it would be Data finding this as "created a special response program" just for him.

[[folder:Advertising]]
* There's a commercial for Bounty paper towels where a couple watch a TV announcer say that they have the winning lottery ticket; then they spill a drink and the liquid starts running towards the ticket. Another one has a woman looking at potential dating partners on her tablet computer, and a spilled drink starts drifing towards the tablet. In both cases, the man on the screen reacts in horror to the potential damage -- averted, of course, by quick use of a paper towel.
[[/folder]]

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-315 SCP-315]] is a set of 95 of such videos, though each of them is one-use only. It is left unclear whether it is a genuine example, or if the videos are sentient.

* In ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue: Reconstruction'', Delta creates a message like this for Church. Notably, the usage of the trope here averts the nearly omniscient overtones that are usually present. When Church tries to mess with the recording by saying outrageous things, Delta simply responds by saying "stop testing me". This, of course, is {{handwave}}d by the fact that Delta is the Alpha AI's logic unit, and so explained that he used logic to predict what Church would ask his recording. He just happened to be remarkably accurate. [[spoiler:Later reveals indicate this was helped by the fact that Church is the Alpha AI that Delta was originally split from]].

* ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}'' has a version where a future version of Dave makes a recording for his own past self, who has [[MentalTimeTravel temporarily taken over his body]]. Dave has perfect memory, so he's able to hold an entire conversation with himself by remembering what his responses were the first time.
-->'''past!Dave:''' [Running] would be *huff* a lot easier if you'd quit smoking at some point!\\
'''recording!Dave:''' Don't sass me, boy.
** There was also an arc where Artie would extrapolate what Dave or Helen were about to say and respond pre-emptively.
* In ''Webcomic/SkinHorse'' Artie (the same as in ''Narbonic'') has [[http://skin-horse.com/comic/todays-comic-620/ a card]] explaining his origin for large events.
-->'''Tip:''' Okay, you did '''not''' know what I was going to ask-\\
'''Artie:''' Other side.\\
'''Tip (reading):''' "I also have a biochemically-enhanced posthuman intellect. Of course I did."
* Happens in ''[[Webcomic/TsunamiChannel Experimental Webcomic Kotone]]'' between the main character and Professor Akira, and it's funny as hell.

* Done in ''Webcomic/{{Spiderwebs}}''. Selena, [[MagnificentBastard bored moon goddess]], recently accepted a new [[GodInHumanForm avatar]], only leaving him with a [[GenderBender little problem]] and a magical book. After the new avatar realizes she can't sleep at night, [[http://www.tfsnewworld.com/comics/20100205-page-59.png she decides to read the book.]]
-->'''Luna:''' There's no way. A book can not read minds, or answer questions.\\
'''Selena:''' No. No they can't. I'm just really good at guessing what you are going to do.
* ''Webcomic/{{Mindmistress}}'' has the eponymous superhero use her immense intellect to play out this trope with [[http://mindmistress.comicgenesis.com/gift62.htm a series of flash cards]] against a super-fast opponent, showing that she predicted all of his actions in advance.
* Used in ''Webcomic/Persona4TW'' almost word-for-word in the quote. Interestingly enough, this was unintentional.
* Doc from ''Webcomic/TheWhiteboard'' builds "Backup Airsmith Hologram" to stay in the shop while he goes to the paintball field. He and Roger [[http://the-whiteboard.com/autowb353.html agree]] that a set of recorded messages is enough for the kind of clients they normally get. [[http://the-whiteboard.com/autowb355.html A subversion]] follows immediately.

* ''Webcomic/MenageA3'' - Gary makes an unexpected trip to Paris and leaves only a small note explaining where he's gone. Zii complains that he'd have had more space in an e-mail.
-->'''Didi:''' (''reading'') "I did not email, as you girls never check your emails--"\\
'''Zii:''' Twitter, then!\\
'''Didi:''' "Or your Twitters..."\\
'''Zii:''' Face--\\
'''Didi:''' "[[RuleOfThree Or Facebook.]]"
* ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'':
** "Kesandru's Well" has a low-level version (ie. it involves no great ingenuity, but it still kind of works) when Torg skips a house meeting by putting [[MobileSuitHuman a realistic facsimile of himself with Kiki the ferret inside]] in his place. He's given Kiki a recording of his voice repeating alternatively "I don't see what ''that'' has to do with anything!" and "A likely story." Gwynn manages to have a few rounds of conversation with it before she starts to feel like Torg's not even listening. When Kiki pops out and says that Torg's taking a nap, the voice recorder that she's holding goes "A likely story" again, and Kiki feels compelled to try to convince it: "No, really, Mr. Voice Recorder! He's taking a nap!"
** Another simple version in "Oceans Unmoving": When Kada finds and plays a recorded message left behind for her by Makz, who betrayed her earlier, the recording anticipates her first reaction to seeing him being to swear and call him names: "Now-now, Kada, your "fregs" bounce off me for this is commonly referred to as a "recording"."
* A character in ''Webcomic/WapsiSquare'' is reading a book of instructions written by herself from a previous time loop. Pretty much every time some instruction seems absurd to her or she yells at the book, the immediate next line is something in reaction.

* In [[http://arthurkingoftimeandspace.com/3faces/abnd.htm this]] ''Webcomic/TheHeroOfThreeFaces'' strip, the [[Series/DoctorWho Third Doctor]] explains to the agency on the other end of a one-way communication device how to turn it into a two-way device, apparently responding to their confusion even though his point is he can't currently hear them.

* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'': [[https://killsixbilliondemons.com/comic/breaker-of-infinities-4-133/ Jadis demonstrates]] she's TheOmniscient by rattling off the exact responses of her conversation partner, including involuntary muscle movements and the other person's thoughts, as they happen with her back turned. Rather than being smug about it, it demonstrates Jadis' particular brand of BlessedWithSuck: She knows everything, and can't ''not'' know everything, [[YouCantFightFate including how everything happens and always will happen]]. The AltText of the last few pages up to that one even contains all of Allison's actions in that order, adding a layer of meta to her predictive ability.
* ''Webcomic/TheGreatestEstateDeveloper'': A variation that involves live (albeit one-way) communication instead of a recording. The protagonist Lloyd is giving orders via signal flags that his knight Bayern is interpreting for the benefit of Cavalry Commander Blanc. Lloyd is so far away that he cannot possibly see or hear the recipients of his messages respond, so when Blanc starts objecting to the orders...
-->'''Blanc:''' He seems to want us to attack them from the side, but we cannot possibly stop this charge with a side attack!\\
''(Lloyd continues signaling.)''\\
'''Bayern:''' ''(Still reading the signals.)'' "If you keep... arguing... I will tattle on you... to her majesty." \\
'''Blanc:''' Seriously!? That is what he said? Is he not just flailing about!? \\
'''Bayern:''' "No. All of this. Was. Predetermined."

* In an episode of ''Otaku Generation Podcast'' that was uploaded in November of '06, A regular contributor by the name of Koko Moran left a voice-mail message on Skype for the crew since he was unavailable at the planned recording time. At one point he sort of goes off on a tangent and says, "Anyway, as I point out, nothing for nothing." at which point the hosts start to make a comment before the end of the voicemail, only to be interrupted by Koko saying, "Stop talking over me." Cue the laughter/surprise at how good the timing was.
* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-315 SCP-315]] is a set of 95 of such videos, though each of them is one-use only. It is left unclear whether it is a genuine example, or if the videos are sentient.

* A particularly meta example [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSd-9ZVbZA4 during a]] WebVideo/{{Retsupurae}}.[[note]]The "reveal", as it were, is 8 and a half minutes in, if you don't want to have to deal with the crappy video.[[/note]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_yT645S9eQ X and Doctor Light have a very special prerecorded conversation.]] The entire conversation is full of correct reactions and such.
* ''WebVideo/AfterHours'' - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKWN-JeRxwM&t=05m49s DOB's cards.]]
--->'''Swaim''': Hey, Daniel, what's your card say about [[UnsportsmanlikeGloating you guys cracking up under pressure]] like a [[BigStupidDoodooHead couple of B-HOLES!?]]\\
'''Dan''' ''slowly turns over card, which reads:''\\
'''Card''': Soren and Michael WIN ([[LudicrousPrecision Michael says "B-Hole"]])\\
'''Swaim''' ''begins a SlowClap''
* The Website/JollyRogerTelephoneCompany is a company which provides bots which are designed to waste the time of telemarketers and other unwanted callers. Some of the callers mistake the bots for this, kind of figuring out what's going on but thinking that they're just listening to a recording, rather than talking with a bot. As company founder Roger Anderson points out on one of his podcasts, the bots are designed to respond with stuff like "yes, yes" and "sure" when not in the middle of one of their routines, something that isn't possible with a garden-variety recording, no matter what television might try to tell us.

* Cousin Henry's VideoWill in the 1970 movie ''Some Will, Some Won't'' does this, allowing a pause for the beneficiaries to object before telling them to shut up.
* Subverted in ''Film/LastActionHero''. When Slater's ex-wife calls him at work, he gives a few verbal nods before placing the phone's headset over a taped recording of his responses to her. He later reveals to Danny that it's just an act:
-->'''Slater:''' You think I'd marry someone so stupid she can't tell the real voice from a taped one? I pay a cashier to call me at work, so the guys think I have a private life. My ex-wife is happily remarried; she never calls.
* ''Film/ImGonnaGitYouSucka'': When Kung Fu Joe calls Slade, Slade leaves a blank stretch of tape on his answering machine just long enough for Kung Fu Joe to leave his message before revealing that it was the answering machine talking and not him.
* ''Film/JohnnyDangerously'' featured such a radio announcer:
-->'''Radio Announcer:''' Should be clear skies tomorrow night as the governor and DA Tommy Kelly attend the new James Cagney move.\\
(''the radio is turned off'')\\
'''Gangster:''' Which theater?\\
(''the radio is turned on'')\\
'''Radio Announcer:''' The Savoy, on 37th.
* ''Theatre/{{Harvey}}'': The movie shows an example ''with a book''. Justified if you want to believe Harvey is real:
-->'''Wilson:''' (''reading from an encyclopedia'') "''P O O K A -- Pooka -- from old Celtic mythology -- a fairy spirit in animal form -- always very large. The pooka appears here and there -- now and then -- to this one and that one -- a benign but mischievous creature -- very fond of rumpots, crackpots, and how are you, Mr. Wilson?''" (''{{beat}}'') "How are you, Mr. Wilson?" Who in the encyclopedia wants to know?
* ''Film/TellMeHowIDie'': The psychic killer addresses the main characters through a video recording that was shot several months before, since he already knew that they would be watching the tape at some point.
* ''Film/TheOstermanWeekend'' (1983): TV journalist John Tanner is remotely interviewing the man who's holding his family hostage. It turns out all his questions are prerecorded, so he can track the video feed to the kidnapper's location.

* ''Film/ScaryStoriesToTellInTheDark2019'' has an example where the tape knows who will be listening to it. Stella and Ramon find a wax cylinder containing a conversation between Sarah Bellows and her doctor, where she pleads with him to listen to her, but he will have none of it and just shocks her. Finally beaten into submission, she says that she will "tell you what you want to hear". [[spoiler:She's actually speaking to Stella and Ramon at this point, and she begins telling the story "The Dream", which is about Chuck.]]
* Parodied in ''[[Film/ScaryMovie Scary Movie 2]]'': in one scene, [[FailureHero Cindy]] sings along to (that is, [[HollywoodToneDeaf butchers]]) Vitamin C's "Graduation" in the car. The singer somehow interrupts her own song just to tell Cindy to "shut the fuck up"!

* Done in an ontologically eerie way in Creator/PhilipKDick's ''Literature/{{Ubik}}''. Protagonist Joe Chip's TV suddenly switches on to show his boss, Glen Runciter, who [[spoiler:has apparently died in an explosion a few weeks before]]. At first, the two engage in a perfectly coherent, real-time conversation ("''You know I'm here. Does that mean you can hear and see me?''" "''Of course, I can't hear you and see you. This commercial message is on videotape''"). However, towards the end of the conversation, Runciter's answers lose meaning and become detached and inappropriate until the TV switches itself off, leaving Joe to ponder:
-->''Had Runciter been able to hear him? Had Runciter only pretended to be on videotape? For a time, during the commercial, Runciter had seemed to respond to his questions; only at the end had Runciter's words become malappropriate.''
** Dick does a similar thing in ''The Galactic Pot-healer'', where Glimmung displays a general tendency towards sending messages in the weirdest possible ways. Using a Victrola for his conversation with Joe Fernwright also allows him to skip questions he doesn't want to answer (by having the thing run out of power when convenient).
* ''Literature/JohnDiesAtTheEnd'' has a video recording of a precognitive man holding what looks like a one-sided conversation. The heroes can't make sense of it the first time they watch it, but when they replay it later on, the man's girlfriend is present, and she ends up (reluctantly at first) holding a full conversation with the recording. And then the recording asks the heroes to leave the room so that he can have a private conversation with his girlfriend.
* Came in the form of a written will in ''Literature/TheWestingGame'', which incorporates into its text the interjections that the deceased has predicted his audience will make during its reading. The trope is played straight when one character stands up in sudden anger ("Sit down, Grace Windsor Wexler!") Later, however, the trope is subverted as the deceased millionaire has a message that informs the characters that they're all wrong in their deductions. The reason is that [[spoiler:Mr. Westing actually isn't dead and is disguised as one of the main characters, which enables him to keep track of other characters' progress in his "game."]]
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/FoundationSeries'': (ZigZaggedTrope) The Time Vault contains [[DeadManWriting sealed messages]] from Hari Seldon, [[PosthumousCharacter who died decades to centuries ago]]. At a conversational level, he points out his inability to predict their reactions, but he's left these messages [[AllAccordingToPlan to brag about predicting events centuries after his death]]. [[spoiler: Until the Mule comes along. The fact that another century or so down the road the messages are correct again is a plot point because a secret group of people have been making sure the recordings came true, and not the ones you think.]]

* ''Literature/TheStainlessSteelRat'':
** Not from the dead, but in ''The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World'' by Harry Harrison, a recorded message from Professor Coypu is sent back in time. At one point, Coypu's voice says he believes there are supply ships on the way which can rescue the listeners (except for Jim and Angelina, who have another way out). He pauses, and one of them acknowledges that the ships are expected in fifteen days. The recording of Coypu picks up again with the words, "Fifteen days, more than enough time." [[spoiler:That's because Jim and Angelina have returned to ''before'' the recording was sent, and are telling Coypu what to say.]]
** In ''The Stainless Steel Rat for President'', [[DaChief Inskipp]] sends a recording to Jim that does this. It annoys Jim to no end; he hates it when his boss is one step ahead of him.

* In ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'' book about the Solar System, when they lose Ms. Frizzle and have to rely on her notes to learn about the Solar System and find her, she has written down the statement "Arnold, are you still listening?"
* Not a recording, but a more medieval fantasy example occurs in the ''[[Literature/SymphonyOfAges Rhapsody]]'' series by Elizabeth Haydon. When one character's estranged brother sends a diplomatic envoy to speak to him, the diplomat has a series of papers, with the brother's anticipated responses to everything the character says. The diplomat is finally caught off guard when there was no pre-planned response to the man actually saying "Thank You."
* A more overtly magical version in Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/NeedfulThings''. Leland Gaunt leaves a tape for his [[TheDragon Dragon]], Ace Merrill, giving instructions for what he should do. When Ace considers ignoring the instructions and just stealing Gaunt's stuff, the tape starts up again on its own and threatens him. It's at this point that Ace realizes that the tape player isn't even plugged in.

* In ''Literature/TheJenniferMorgue'', the taped briefing Angleton leaves for Bob does this--to a certain extent. Angleton, while very good, ends up underestimating the time it will take for Bob to complete it, and [[ThisPageWillSelfDestruct the tape self-destructs]] before Bob is fully briefed.
* One of the ''Journeys to Fayrah'' books makes use of this trope. The main characters go digging in a forgotten trunk in the attic and discover an audio tape recorded by one of their friends from Biq, the land of computers. The awesome supercomputing power available in Biq allows simulations so extensive that they can predict the future to an arbitrary level of detail; thus, the tape is perfectly tailored so that the main characters can have a natural conversation with it.

* In ''Be A Perfect Person in Just Three Days!'' by Stephen Manes, the main character takes a peek at the last page of the eponymous self-help book he finds in the school library... and finds only a paragraph scolding him for trying to peek at the end.
* In ''[[Literature/HilaryTamar Thus Was Adonis Murdered]]'' by Sarah Caudwell, Selena is reading aloud a letter Julia wrote her about Julia's vacation in Venice. Julia writes that "they have taken my passport," and Selena comments, "They can't do that to Julia. She is a British subject." The letter continues:
-->And it's no use your saying, Selena, that I am a British subject and they can't do that to me. They have done.

* In ''The Devils Of D-Day'' by Creator/GrahamMasterton, a researcher for a book on D-Day hears of a derelict tank haunted by its dead crew, and decides to try tape-recording their voices. Instead something ''[[SealedEvilInACan else]]'' inside the tank speaks to him. When he plays the tape for the local priest, the voice on the recording starts addressing the priest instead, who smashes the recorder when he realises [[SpeakOfTheDevil it's trying to conjure up its brethren]].

[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* A regular RunningGag on ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'' is that a character, usually Bear, will comment on something heard on the radio and the announcer will say something as they had anticipated that response. However, this is taken a bit further in "This Is Your Life, Bear," when the announcer says that they're going to play a cha-cha song and whoever calls in with the title and artist will win. "Win what?" wonders Bear.
-->'''Announcer''': Good question. I mean... uh... I bet you're wonderin' what you win.
[[/folder]]

* A board game called ''TabletopGame/{{Atmosfear}}: Harbingers'' uses [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHbhIdZ1fAE#t=8m28s pre-recorded video for random events]] and a [[ExactTimeToFailure countdown timer]] for the game. On the video, a character and main antagonist called The Gatekeeper interrupts the game and announces the effect. About halfway through the game, The Gatekeeper asks for the player who, before starting the game, was selected to be the 'Chosen One.' He asks, "did you miss me?" to which the Chosen One will almost always say, "no." The Gatekeeper will respond with a snide and dismissive, "shut up."

* In ''Theatre/ThePajamaPartyMurders'', Pettibone is listening to the first tape of Bartholomew Cosmo's instructions:
--> '''Cosmo''': Well, Pettibone, we can take care of them, can't we?
--> '''Pettibone''': We can?
--> '''Cosmo''': Of course we can!
* In the ''Music/LesLuthiers'' play ''Lutherapia'', there's a moment in which Murena is reading a letter from Ramírez [[VoiceoverLetter with the latter's voice in the background]]. In one moment, Murena coughs and Ramírez says "keep smoking", and in another, Ramírez gets stuck mispronouncing a phrase, until Murena shakes the letter and Ramírez can go on.

* In ''VideoGame/LiveALive'', Cube's chapter, you get repetitious video dialogues with the captain. Did you think the programmers were lazy? Well, maybe, but those later turn out to be a recording. [[spoiler:The captain is long dead and the ship computer is keeping the ruse to kill the rest of the crew.]]
* In the second ''VideoGame/DarkFall'' game, Parker reads the deranged lighthouse-keeper's journal, which taunts Parker - whose arrival the man had no plausible means of anticipating - by name.
* In ''VideoGame/TheFeebleFiles'', Feeble ends up talking to his long-dead grandfather in his tomb through a hologram that is inexplicably capable of correctly responding to what he says. Though the game never really makes it clear whether it's this trope or it literally being a holographic ghost of the grandfather.
* Played straight and parodied a little in the ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' DLC "Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary", with the audio recording last will and testament of [[spoiler: Scooter]]. The recording gives the mission of carrying out [[spoiler: Scooter's]] last requests, with the tape running while you do the mission as [[spoiler: Scooter]] is somehow able to predict when you complete an objective and need to go to the next one. But at one point [[spoiler: Scooter]] incorrectly predicts that at the moment your character is taking a dump (they're most likely fighting through a wave of bandits) and tells them to enjoy that dump.
** Another example happens in the main game in Will, a random bandit patrolling the Tundra Express area. The ECHO he drops turns out to be a VideoWill bequeathing a nearby stash of weapons to whomever killed him, and assuring you that [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial he is totally not luring you into a trap out of revenge for you killing him.]] When you reach the stash and spring the trap, Will berates you through the ECHO, and then grumbles "you suck" afterward when you survive the ambush.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'', the villainous puzzlemaster Rouxls Kaard pulls this off after scribbling out the instructions for a puzzle and leaving a written message for the heroes.
-->'''Ralsei:''' H... Huh!? The instructions are vandalized...! It says... "Thoust fools, thou will NEVER figure it out now!" Ruining instructions... That's definitely against the rules! Then it, um, says, "PS - I make my own Rules. - RK"

* ''Manga/MythicalDetectiveLokiRagnarok'': After Loki is kidnapped, he sends a message to Yamino and Mayura via recorded message in a doll. After his greeting, Mayura shouts about the mystery, to which said doll responds "Let me start off by saying that this is a recording and NOT a mystery for Mayura to get worked up over." She's not that hard to figure out...

* Parodied in ''Manga/DoctorSlump'', where the playing of a recording by Senbei's father to his son turns into a full-blown conversation between them. Senbei's father [[ExaggeratedTrope even reacts live to his son hugging the TV on which the message was being played!]]
* ''Manga/CaseClosed'': Kogoro has made tapes of himself being "busy" someplace while he was really someplace else. Eri's seen through it, so he decides to attempt mixing a new one... while she's calling him on advice for a case. HilarityEnsues.
** Conan also does this briefly, one of the times Ran suspects that he's actually Shinichi - he's on the phone with Ran as Shinichi, records himself saying something, then runs to where she is as Conan and asks for something, before running to finish the conversation as Shinichi.
* In ''Manga/MedakaBox'', Najimi leaves behind a pre-recorded hologram for Kumagawa; when he tries to peep up its skirt he gets kicked in the face. It helps that Najimi is nigh-omniscient and knows Kumagawa fairly well.
-->''"I can't see you but I can more or less predict your actions, so I'll just throw a kick here for good measure. If it connects, hooray for me."''
* In ''Anime/WorldConquestZvezdaPlot'', the film reel of "Madame M" projected by the Treasure Club seems to respond to the students in the room, including singling out Asuta when he acts less than enthusiastic.
* Seemingly played straight in the first episode of ''Anime/SerialExperimentsLain'' when Lain interrogates an e-mail from a dead classmate who claims to have [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence left the physical world]] for an existence [[BrainUploading entirely within the wired.]] Gradually becomes less straight over the course of the series as we learn that there is a possibility that Chisa really did emigrate to the wired and Lain is far more than the awkward middle school girl she appears to be.
* In one episode of the manga of ''Anime/CrayonShinChan'', Shin woke up from a nap and found a note from his mother ("I'm out shopping, please clean up and look after the house"). He ignored it and decided to go out to play, and found a note taped on the door ("You know what will happen if you go out and play instead?", complete with an image of his mom wielding a hammer). Incensed, Shin ripped off the note and found ''another'' note taped right behind the note he just ripped ("Don't rip this off! You know what will happen if you disobey me?!").
* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' has a downplayed example when Midoriya gets his U.A. entrance test results, in the form of a recorded projection from All Might. All Might never directly responds to Midoriya, but he does pause at exactly the right times for Midoriya to respond before beginning to talk again.
* Downplayed in ''Manga/HeavensDesignTeam'' when God sends his mount to check up on the eponymous team, who are having a party in Hell, where there is no reception to Heaven. Even though it is said that he can't see or hear what's going on, he could somehow know that Neptune is there, and is able to approve the animal the latter had just created.

* In a ''[[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]]'' story arc, the Justice League went back in time and got killed. Nightwing assembles a back-up League as per Batman's instructions. When the new team is brought together, they watch a video Batman made for them. Green Arrow starts ranting at some point, to which video Batman yells, "QUEEN, ZIP IT!" Because he's BATMAN.
* Not a tape, but in ''ComicBook/XFactor'' v.3 #200-201 Longshot gets a {{psychomet|ry}}ric reading off a bobby pin to find out where Sue Reed has disappeared to. [[spoiler:He ends up in a vision of Latveria, having a conversation with Layla Miller. Layla is not actually there, but is replying to Longshot because she knows what he will say.]]

* Played with in ''ComicBook/SteamWars'', where Bo, as a Quantum Dragoon, uses his powers to actually hold the conversation with General Teft and another Rebel leader. Teft comments that the second half of the recording, which he had viewed earlier, confused him, that is, until the incredulous other captain helpfully supplies the other side of the conversation, that is.

* ''ComicBook/{{Nemesis}}'' takes this to absolutely ludicrous degrees at the end of the comic, albeit in letter format instead of recorded videos, where [[spoiler: the main protagonist receives a letter from a mysterious individual congratulating him for defeating the titular supervillain, revealing that he is from a group of rich and bored indiviuals who get their kicks off by becoming murderous psychopaths.]] The kicker? The message was written 10 years ago and somehow managed to predict several other events that took place in the comic.

* In a ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' strip, Susie asks Calvin to pass a note to a classmate, telling him not to read it because it's a secret note. He reads it anyway; the note says, "Calvin you stinkhead: I told you not to read this." Of course, this makes it look like Susie did this ForTheLulz. It certainly wouldn't make much sense if Calvin just passed the note. But even this is addressed in the next strip, where Calvin immediately tells the teacher about the ''next'' note Susie passes him. What does the note say? ''"You know what I hate about Calvin? He's a tattler!"''
* In one ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'' strip, Jeremy comes down to breakfast with a series of cards, each answering questions his mother asks (like, "How do you want your eggs?") in order. Jeremy's mother eventually grows tired of this, saying, "I'm not as predictable as you think." Jeremy's next card: "Wanna bet?"
* A RunningGag in ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' strips is for Schroeder to carry around signs counting down the days until Beethoven's birthday. In one strip, Lucy sees this and turns around as Schroeder walks past to yell after him. Snoopy approaches her from behind with another sign as she yells "WHO CARES?" In the last panel, Snoopy's sign is turned towards the viewer, revealing the message "WE DO!"

* ''ComicStrip/PhoebeAndHerUnicorn'': Phoebe tries to look through her dad's browsing history, and finds that his last search was for "Hello Phoebe, I know you're reading this."

* In ''Fanfic/TheChaoticThree'', Darth Janus (the true Sith identity of [[spoiler:Jar Jar Binks]]) communicates with Sidious via a pre-recorded holographic recording, making a couple of comments anticipating Sidious’s reaction to some of his own revelations.

* A variation of this occurs in the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''/''Series/StargateAtlantis'' fic "[[https://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-33937/BlueZeroZeroOne+The+Long+Haul.htm The Long Haul]]", when Buffy, Willow, Weir, Sheppard, [=McKay=] and Beckett discover a hologram of Willow Rosenberg in the city's database; the hologram isn't truly interactive, but it's programmed with a few responses for certain situations, such as calling out [=McKay=] if he interrupts.

* ''Fanfic/TheRonlessFactor'' features a written example of this after Ron becomes a ghost, in which state he is able to interact with physical objects but cannot talk to Kim directly. After Kim is persuaded that he's real, Ron spends all night writing a few key documents with messages for Kim on her laptop, and is able to bring up a couple with immediate responses to her own comments because he knows her so well he can predict how she’ll respond to his longer statements.

* Beast Boy's resignation letter to the Titans in ''Fanfic/TheEndOfEnds''.
-->'''Starfire''': ''(reading Beast Boy's letter aloud)'' You do not even reflect on all the good deeds and nicer things I have done for you in the past.\\
'''[[DeadpanSnarker Raven]]''': What nice things?\\
'''Starfire''': ''(continues reading)'' Tell Raven to ''take that back.''

* WebAnimation/SquimpusMcGrimpus' ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' Tapes: In [[https://youtu.be/nz2LtWfTdPU Memories]], William Afton greets the viewer of the tape by simply addressing them as "whoever you are" and spends the following few minutes hypocritically blaming his son Michael as the one who drove him to kill ''five'' children. And, after calmly stating why and how he has carried out the murders, this is when things get even creepier:
-->'''William Afton:''' And, now that you've heard this, you should know that I check this spot every day to see if this tape has moved. I've seen it so many times, I'll be able to notice even the slightest difference. I will know. So you better put it back, '''Michael'''. As neatly as you can. And start ''running''.

* In ''Film/TheBookOfHenry'', Henry leaves tapes for his mother to guide her through his plan. It even goes so far as to correct her when she makes a wrong turn out of the bank. Subverted in a later scene, when during target practice she stops to ponder what she's even doing and puts her gun down; Henry on the tape congratulates her, "Nice shot! Look at that grouping!"

* ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff''
** Ferris prepares one to answer the intercom if anyone rings the doorbell at his house. The responses are keyed to the intercom, so he gets around the awkward pauses, and his responses are vague enough to work for nearly any prompt. The plan falls through when the principal keeps ringing the doorbell, cycling back to the first message and betraying the ruse.
** Earlier in the movie after a bedridden Cameron gets off the phone with Ferris:
--->'''Cameron:''' I'm dying.\\
(''phone rings'')\\
'''Ferris:''' You're not dying, you just can't think of anything good to do.
* The movie ''Film/IRobot'' inverts this. Dr. Lanning leaves an interactive [[VideoWills hologram]] at the scene of his death, which is only programmed to respond to a few specific questions, and so Spooner has to figure out just ''what'' exactly the tape "knew" he would ask. We later find out that this is because he was being watched by [[spoiler:VIKI]] while he was making the hologram, so he had to be very careful about what he said.
-->'''Dr. Lanning:''' I'm sorry, my responses are limited. You must ask the right questions.
* A very early example (possibly ''the'' [[UrExample earliest example]]) is in the 1932 movie ''Film/TheGreeksHadAWordForThem'' in which a deceased character leaves a will recorded on a [[VideoWill phonograph record]]. When one of the listeners complains about being explicitly left nothing in the will the recording blandly states "I knew you'd say that."
* This happens in ''Film/IronEagle''. Chappy Sinclair is the wingman for Doug Masters in a plan to use two Air Force jets to rescue Doug's father. Just in case something happens, Chappy makes a tape recording of advice the night before so his voice can continue to guide Doug. Somehow, Chappy manages to predict exactly when he was shot down and doesn't bother to give advice about anything up to that point. The strangest part is when the tape says something like, "You did a good job shooting at the refinery. Now that that's out of the way..."
** Doug is shown to be starting and stopping the tape, so it's likely that if he hadn't taken out the refinery, he wouldn't have been in a position to start the tape again from Chappy's perspective.
* In ''Film/BrewstersMillions1985'', Monty Brewster's great-uncle Rupert uses this trope with his VideoWill.
-->'''Rupert:''' One more thing. You can't tell anybody why you have to spend the money.\\
'''Monty:''' Why not?\\
'''Rupert:''' Because I don't want anybody helping you!
* In ''Film/TheBachelor'', when the late grandfather reveals via video will that the protagonist is the inheritor of 100 million dollars, he reminds the room of stunned viewers to breathe.
* ''Film/TrueLies'': Harry uses this on his wife (who is in the room with him) to disguise his voice. "Now dance for me." When she starts hand-jiving, "No, dance sexy." A moment later, the tape clearly ''doesn't'' know what she's going to say. Harry has to fast-forward past a bit of the tape where the speaker thought she'd be wearing nylons, and then he has to rewind it to repeat a request when she protests.
* A variation features in ''Film/{{Reminiscence}}'', where characters use machines to record and relive a subject's memory. When Nick is [[spoiler:interrogating the man who killed Mae, the woman he loved, he is able to witness Mae saying goodbye to him as she addresses her would-be killer as though he is Nick, knowing that Nick will follow the clues to capture this man and access the man's memory to learn what happened to her]].

* Spoofed (of course) in the movie ''Film/SpyHard'' staring Leslie Nielsen. The BigBad of the movie, who was thought to be dead, sends a tape to the government agency with the typical threat of blowing something up with a stolen warhead. When we first see the scene you aren't really sure it's just a recording, as it seems to be responding perfectly to the men watching. But used later as a BrickJoke when Nielsen's character is watching the tape in his house and it runs in the background including all the pauses.
-->'''General Rancor:''' (''on tape'') Yes, it is I, General Rancor. Big as life, and twice as ugly!\\
(''long pause'')\\
'''General Rancor:''' (''on tape'') All Steele did is blow off a couple arms! I got plenty of arms!

* Done with a business card in ''[[Film/OhGod Oh God! You Devil]]'', just after talent scout [[LouisCypher Harry O. Tophet]] pulls a StealthHiBye on the main character, but uses his disembodied voice to deliver a few parting words about keeping in touch.
-->'''Bobby Shelton:''' I'm flipping out!\\
(''looks at the reverse side of Tophet's business card, which was previously blank'')\\
'''Tophet's card:''' [[AC: You're not flipping out.]]
* ''Film/TheBigRedOne''. TheSquad are listening to a German propaganda truck broadcasting a recording of a woman's voice telling the GI's that their wives back home are shagging other men, etc.
-->'''Sarge:''' Knock off the bratwurst, Brunhilde, and sing us a lullaby.\\
'''Recording:''' I'll get to the song in a minute, honey. (''soldiers all burst out laughing'')

** Used by Pegasus, although [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by the tape [[AWizardDidIt being cursed]] and actually allowing two-way communication, though the initial idea of why Pegasus can figure out Yugi's moves so easily has to do with Pegasus having added subliminal images for split-seconds in the recording, forcing Yugi to subconsciously play the card wanted. Both theories seem to be taken for granted, as Pegasus is surprised when Yugi plays the Black Magician instead of the skeleton card he had in his hand.

* In ''Machinima/RedVsBlue: Reconstruction'', Delta creates a message like this for Church. Notably, the usage of the trope here averts the nearly omniscient overtones that are usually present. When Church tries to mess with the recording by saying outrageous things, Delta simply responds by saying "stop testing me". This, of course, is {{handwave}}d by the fact that Delta is the Alpha AI's logic unit, and so explained that he used logic to predict what Church would ask his recording. He just happened to be remarkably accurate. [[spoiler:Later reveals indicate this was helped by the fact that Church is the Alpha AI that Delta was originally split from]].

* ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'':
** The episode "A Night of Fright Is No Delight" featured an audio will in the form of a phonograph record:
--->'''Colonel on record:''' The house is haunted.\\
'''Scooby:''' [[ParrotExposition Rhaunted?]]\\
'''Colonel on record:''' Yes, haunted.
** Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'', when the gang get stuck in DeathTrap-filled mansion while being taunted over a radio by the man that set them, thinking they're the original Mystery Incorporated:
--->'''Man on the radio:''' You're wasting your time trying to confuse me, ''Brad and Judy'', for this is just a recording of my voice that can't answer you!\\
'''Daphne:''' Uh, but you ''did'' just answer me.\\
'''Man over the radio:''' ... OK, fine, fine. I'm here!
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'':
** Peter's boss Mr. Weed leaves a VideoWill that alerts his employees that the factory is to be destroyed "right now," a second before a wrecking ball crashes through the building.
** In the episode where Peter attends Meg's high school while pretending to be a student, he leaves a taped message to fool his wife, and though it works with the first two recorded lines, the third one is inappropriate and tips Lois off that it is a recording. The recording eventually straight up asks her, "If you haven't figured out this is a recording yet, [[ImplausibleDeniability please flip the tape over to side 2]]".
** A Mexican guy knows only two very specific phrases in English (with a perfect American accent) which lets him hold a small conversation with Brian.
--->'''Brian:''' Hola. Uh, m-me llamo es Brian. Uh, uh, let's see... Uh, nosotros... queremos... ir con ustedes.\\
'''Mexican Guy:''' Hey, that was pretty good. But actually, when you said "me llamo es Brian", you don't need the "es", just "me llamo Brian".\\
'''Brian:''' Oh, you speak English.\\
'''Mexican Guy:''' No, just that first speech and this one explaining it.\\
'''Brian:''' You... You're kidding, right?\\
'''Mexican Guy:''' ¿Qué?
** "Coming up, an expose on [[CoincidentalBroadcast conveniently placed news reports in television shows]]. But first, Peter, look out for that skateboard." (Peter then slips on a skateboard.)
** In one episode, Peter, has a protracted conversation with an actress on his TV, with her giving appropriate responses to everything he says. Cut to Bruce watching the same show at his home, "This is a weird episode".
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'':
** The episode "A Clone of My Own" has Prof. Farnsworth leave a recording for after he is taken to the Near Death Star. He correctly anticipates Bender making a joke at his expense and reveals that he has taken preemptive revenge by taping over Bender's soaps to make the recording.
** In "Obsoletely Fabulous", Bender meets an outdated cartridge robot that carries a bag filled with individual cartridges for responses and conversations.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'':
** The episode "Wingmen" has 'Mo''s video will which asks Robert Freeman to read a eulogy, even though their friendship had ended on bad terms decades ago due to one-upmanship. The request is followed by about a minute of sucking up and pleading in order to get Robert to actually do it. It also tells him to sit back down after he jumps out of his seat in anger.
*** A second tape was prepared for when Robert finally did do the eulogy. Mo also stares at him in a slightly pleading manner, waiting and timed right until he opens a case revealing his inheritance. [[spoiler: Mo then mocks Robert after he finds his inheritance is nothing but a jar full of peanuts, or "DEEZ/MY NUTS", and brags that now that he's pranked Robert from beyond the grave, Robert can never get him back]]. [[spoiler:Robert, who has learned from the episode, keeps the jar of nuts in his trophy room]].
** Also in "Stinkmeaner" where Ruckus calls Robert, and Robert lets the answering machine pick it up. "Don't you walk away from this answering machine!"
* Played with a bit in ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'', where Experiment 625 makes a recording of Gantu's instructions early on in the episode. When he [[IronicEcho plays them back for Gantu later in the episode]], Gantu starts to argue with ''his own recording'', and (other than the fact that it's the same character on both sides) it sounds exactly like a real argument.

* A frequent ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' gag. Typically the character would respond to a radio news announcement, and the radio would answer back, somewhat sarcastically.
** In "WesternAnimation/TheImpatientPatient," Daffy -- delivering a telegram to somebody named Chloe -- has the hiccups and discovers a doctor's building with the sign in flashing neon. When Daffy says "I'll bet he can't cure the hiccups," the sign changes to "Oh, yes I can!".
** ''WesternAnimation/ILoveToSinga'' and ''WesternAnimation/CinderellaMeetsFella'', both of which are directed by Creator/TexAvery, have a gag where a character is listening to the police over their radio. When a character wonders if they found who they are looking for, the radio replies they have not.
** The Egghead cartoon "WesternAnimation/CountMeOut" has Egghead learning boxing from a record which some how knows every time he messes up.
** The 1966 short ''WesternAnimation/GoGoAmigo'' has Daffy trying to stop Speedy and his friends from listening to the radio in his electronics store for free, and soon resorts to hijacking the radio station to play his own recording.
-->'''Speedy:''' It's that loco duck!
-->'''Daffy:''' ''(over the radio)'' You're right, rodent!
** In the cartoon, "Johnny Smith and Poker-Huntas", Johnny Smith (Egghead) is about to executed. Meanwhile, Poker-Huntas is listening to the radio when a news bulletin about the execution is announced. Poker-Huntas exclaims, "Ooh! I'd better get going!" To which the announcer replies, "Yes, you'd better, sister, if you want this picture to have a happy ending!"
** "Prehysterical Hare" has Bugs watching a film purportedly made in prehistoric days which presents a rabbit that looks like Bugs only with longer buck teeth. Bugs wonders if he could be an ancestor, to which the rabbit in the film turns to the camera and answers "Eh...could be!"
* As the page's quote says, the ''WesternAnimation/{{Dilbert}}'' television series had an episode in which Dilbert talks to a tape recording of his mother, during which he angrily asks if he's so predictable that she can tape her half of the conversation ahead of time. He is. To the point where it tells him to put back the soda bottle he tries to steal.
* On the Playhouse Disney series ''WesternAnimation/{{Stanley}}'', the goldfish Dennis always lamented Harry and Elsies' singing their song about ''The Great Big Book of Everything''. At one point in the film ''Stanley's Dinosaur Round-Up'', Harry was otherwise occupied, but he and Elsie left behind a tape on which they performed the song. After the initial portion of the song, Dennis commented that they couldn't finish the song because they didn't know what animal Stanley was looking for. Cue the remainder of the tape-- "We don't know what you're looking for / But the book will help complete your chorrrre!"
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheZetaProject'' has Bucky trigger a dormant message for help left in Zeta's holographic projector. Twice in the recording Bucky knows that Ro just insulted him, but he was only able to get the ''exact insult'' right the first time.

* Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/SpaceGhostCoastToCoast''. Interviews were recorded ahead of time, but the questions Space Ghost asks are different than the ones the guest is answering, giving the impression that someone intended this trope, but Space Ghost got the tape instead of the intended recipient.
* After finding out certain revelations during an investigation, which he wished he did ''not'' find out in ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers''. Hank decides to get his memory wiped, although is saddened that the best part about those events would be wiped along with it. Thinking in advance, Hank records a message for his post-mind-wiped self. And because it's well... [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Hank]], he accurately predicts whatever his future self will say in reaction.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'' episode "The Androids", Dr. Rebos shows that he knows what the Superfriends will say (with no explanation given) while they're listening to a tape recording he sent them.
-->'''Dr. Rebos:''' You have disregarded my warning and so I had to sabotage your Venus probe.\\
'''Batman:''' Do you suppose he knows about the upcoming manned launch to Mars?\\
'''Dr. Rebos:''' Your upcoming manned launch to Mars is next [snip] unless you call a complete halt to your space program forever.\\
'''Superman:''' Of all the dirty, lowdown...\\
'''Dr. Rebos:''' This is '''not''' dirty and lowdown!
* In the "Prank Callers" episode of ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'', Mordecai and Rigby pull this on the Master Prank Caller by way of an answering machine recording. He doesn't take it well.
* ''WesternAnimation/MightyMax'': One of [[RunningGag Virgil's summons to Max]] involves a video tape delivered to Max's home in "Werewolves of Dunneglen". [[TheSmartGuy Virgil]] correctly responds to Max's queries and reminds Max that this is a recording when Max wonders if it's a live broadcast. Almost all of Virgil's messages have traces of this. This gets justification in the last episode where Virgil reveals that he has an improbably detailed prophecy that he's been reading from the whole time.
* In ''WesternAnimation/DanVs'' "The Fancy Restaurant", Dan writes a message on the cheesecake Chris and Elise ordered for dessert, telling Chris to meet him in the men's room. Elise comments, "This is weird," and the waiter immediately appears with another cheesecake reading, "It's not weird. Don't listen to Elise."
* In the ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh'' episode "Groundpiglet Day", after Rabbit accuses Piglet of lying about Groundhog Day when there's snow in the Hundred Acre Wood (long story), the distraught little animal leaves him a note saying he's off in search of a groundhog. A very surprised Rabbit replies, "He must be kidding", and then reads further to find Piglet also wrote, "P.S. I'm not kidding".

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'':
** The beginning of "Bubble Buddy" features [=SpongeBob=] going to Squidward's to ask if he wanted to do something together and finding at his door a piece of paper with "NO" written on it. As [=SpongeBob=] asked if Squidward was sure, he removed the paper, only to find one with "YES" written on it.
** "Tunnel of Glove" had Patrick watching the news announcing that a ride which [=SpongeBob=] is on has broken down:
--->'''Perch Perkins:''' At this time, survival looks bleak for the little yellow sponge.\\
'''Patrick:''' [[BigNo NOOOO!]] This is my worst nightmare! I don't have a drink!\\
'''Perch Perkins:''' Hey, doofus!\\
'''Patrick:''' Huh?\\
'''Perch Perkins:''' Your best buddy is trapped in the Tunnel of Glove and he may never escape!
** From "Squidville"
--->'''Squid in Commercial:''' Would you rather tear out your brain stem, walk out into the middle of the nearest three-way-\\
'''Squidward:''' Four Way!\\
'''Squid in Commercial:''' Four-way intersection, and skip rope with it, than continue living where you do now?
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'':
** Played with in "Dad's Dungeon"
--->'''Jake:''' But Dad, Finn's already figured that out. He's a good kid with a kind heart.\\
'''Joshua:''' Remember, Jake, this is a pre-recorded holo-message. I can't hear you if you're talking to me right now.\\
(''and then moments later...'')\\
'''Joshua:''' Ya gotta call Finn a whiny baby.\\
'''Jake:''' But--\\
'''Joshua:''' Butts are for pooping!
** Subverted in "Shh!", where Finn and Jake decide to spend a day not talking, just answering in pre-written dialogue cards. Jake's cards are well-thought-out and could pass for this. Finn's... aren't.
* The title character of ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' uses this gag relentlessly on his voicemail message, usually causing his mother to hold lengthy conversations with it. Inverted on the rare occasion when Archer actually answers his phone but his mother thinks it's another elaborate recording.
** Archer himself becomes the victim of this once in a Season 6 episode, when his mother pulls a voicemail hoax on him.
*** An episode in season 7 has the drones and Malory hear Archer calling them for help, but Malory refuses to send anyone out as she anticipates another voicemail hoax, despite the gunfire heard. They are all shocked when they finally discover that the call was real and was still going on.
* When ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''[='=]s mother decides to take a ([[GratuitousFrench bad]]) French audio course:
-->''(A spaceship has just landed behind her.)'' The spaceship is right behind you. [[AC:Le vaisseau spatial est juste derrière vous.]]\\
''(The title characters start boarding)'' Your children are climbing in the spaceship now. [[AC:Vos enfants sont à la hausse dans le vaisseau spatial aujourd'hui.]]\\
''(It takes off)'' Oh, for the love of- would you turn around? [[AC:Oh, pour l'amour de- serait que vous tournez autour?]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}}'' cartoon "Seein' Red, White And Blue", Bluto received a {{Conscription}} letter and protested they couldn't do that to him. He then turned the letter over and saw written on the back "Oh yes, we can!".
** In another cartoon, Poopdeck Pappy steals a plane to prove he can fly -- and he can't. Popeye is in a hangar and hears an announcement on the PA system:
-->'''PA:''' Attention. Attention. Whiskery old man in runaway plane is about to crash. [Sounds of crash] That is all.
-->'''Popeye:''' Aw, that can't be my pappy.
-->'''PA:''' Oh yes it can!

* Gazpacho's recording in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Chowder}}'' episode "Chowder Grows Up". It even says "Wait! I'm still talking!" when Mung closes the shutter while it is still playing.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** Inverted on the episode "Marge Be Not Proud" with the Try-N-Save security chief Don Brodka (Lawrence Tierney) holding a conversation with what he -- but not the audience -- knew all along was a recording. Tierney didn't get it at all.
** In one episode Principal Skinner makes a PA announcement requesting a student volunteer, Lisa raises her hand. Skinner pauses and says, "Can I assume the only hand raised is Lisa Simpson's?" then pauses again, then says, "Thank you Lisa".
** In the episode "Gone Maggie Gone," Lisa has to [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext decipher an ancient Catholic prophecy about a jewel that will bring world peace]]. She eventually realizes the final clue is an anagram that can be rearranged to say "Regally, the [[TheMessiah rock gem]] is Lisa," which obviously excites her. When the nuns show up, however, they act exasperated and rearrange the letters to spell out "It's really [[spoiler:Maggie]], Sherlock." Lisa {{Lampshades}} the fact that that message only works because she got it wrong the first time, but sure enough it's right.
** Subverted in "[[GratuitousSpanish El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer]]:" Homer meets his spirit guide, and later remembers his words.
-->'''Spirit Guide in Homer's head:''' Find your soulmate, Homer.
-->'''Homer:''' But where? Where?
-->'''Spirit Guide in Homer's head:''' I'm just your memory. I can't give you any new information.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Detentionaire}}'': Radcircles tries this to fake a message to Lee, to hide that he is actually with him at the time. Unusually, Lee actually participates in the knock-knock joke for once, so it fails when the recording assumes he didn't.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Birdz}}'', Eddie tries to pull it on his away-from-home mom by recording an answering machine prompt structured like this, in an attempt to fool his calling parents into thinking that he's still home, babysitting his sister, rather than at a club. It doesn't works.
* The GreatBigBookOfEverything in ''WesternAnimation/YoohooAndFriends'' does this sometimes, containing sarcastic replies to questions the animals look up.
-->How would I know? I'm just a book, not the cloud master or something!
* In "An Apple for Starlight" from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTales'', Ms. Hackney has to leave class because she isn't feeling well, but puts Starlight in charge and leaves behind a tape player and a tape with everyone's lessons on it. It's soon proved that she's somewhat skilled in this, though it's still not enough to keep the kids from acting up because she's gone.
* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'', Babs' mother is out for the evening, but leaves her a note with a list of chores she wants her to do before she gets back. As Babs makes a face in disgust over the list, the note then reads, "Don't turn your nose up, young lady!"
* In ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', while the group try to escape The MonsterOfTheWeek in a very slow sky tram.
-->'''Recording:''' Welcome to Trambience, the world's slowest treetop tram ride. Enjoy the sights at 0.1 miles per hour.
-->'''Dipper:''' Ugh, can't this thing go any faster?
-->'''Recording:''' No it can't. This is Trambience.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': When Steven finds Peridot's tape-recorded diary, he can't resist listening to it. But when he gets to the end, he hears a message from [[{{Seers}} Garnet]] telling him he's heard enough and to give the tape recorder back to Peridot now (recorded ''while Peridot was present'', so the last thing we hear before Steven stops the tape is a confused Peridot.)
* Inversion: In ''WesternAnimation/TheBeatles'' cartoon "Don't Bother Me", two spies are tailing the band to steal their book of new songs (probably Decca executives). The boys are waiting on a train to take them from Rome to Barcelona, so the two spies stage an emergency hiding behind a structure beam:
-->'''Spy:''' (''over megaphone'') There will be a slight delay in departure and arrival of all-a de trains. Somebody-a steal de tracks.\\
'''Paul:''' Isn't that awful?\\
'''Spy:''' (''over megaphone'') It's-a not-a too good!

* From the ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'' episode "The Lost Spy", as Gary receives a transmission from Little Cato:
-->'''Little Cato:''' I'm going as far away as I can, and please...don't come after me.
-->'''Gary:''' We're going after him.
-->''(Second transmission pops up.)''
-->'''Little Cato:''' I knew you'd say that, so I recorded a ''second'' message to say: ''for REAL, do not come after me!''
-->'''Gary:''' ...We're going after him.
* On ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', Timmy spends an episode playing with a Crimson Chin doll with prerecorded action phrases. Near the end, when Timmy is comforting Tootie, the doll has a oddly specific action phrase.
-->"I’m totally into the idea of you giving me to Tootie. This way, she’ll always have a little piece of you she can smother and choke with love."
* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': In "The Beagle Birthday Massacre" Lena does this with [[MessageInABottle messages in bottles]]:
-->'''Webby:''' ''[reading]'' "Webby. I've been kidnapped by the Beagle Boys." Wait, is this another prank? ''[she sees another message in a bottle and pulls it out to read]'' "This is not a prank. Lena."
** Another episode has a recording of Ludwig von Drake as an instructional interface to a booby trapped archive of seeds from across the world. At one point, the recording starts counting down, slowing down and even counting by halves so as to not activate a trap before the protagonists manage to escape. At another point, the recording flinches at Della angrily slamming her fist next to the monitor.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/DogCity'', Ace finds Dog City suffering a massive crime wave. He finds a newspaper with the headlines "DOG CITY GOES COPLESS. ENTIRE POLICE DEPT. DOGNAPPED"
-->'''Ace:''' Don't tell me they got Rosie, too. ''(Opens paper)'' "Yes, they got Rosie too." Eh, I had to ask.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'': In "Deep in the Heart of Texarock", when Fred is taking his sweet time at the airport while waiting for his flight to board.
-->'''Wilma:''' Fred, shouldn't we be checking in? We'll miss the plane.
-->'''Fred:''' Oh, don't worry, Wilma. I know this airline. They ''never'' leave on time.
-->'''PA:''' Last call for Texarock, Flight #7, leaving on time... ''smart-aleck!''
* In ''Westernanimation/TheMask'' episode "Fantashtick Voyage", Stanley leaves a recorded message for the Mask. It has a few statements showing that he knew his alter-ego would try to dismiss it, including a "don't press that dial!" when he is diving to change the channel.

* Tara's final words to MK in ''WesternAnimation/Epic2013'', which she couldn't hear at the time, are seen later in a mystical "flashback" created by one of Nim Galuu's barkscrolls. Tara starts off by saying (paraphrased) "If you're hearing this, it means you made it to Nim's," and anticipates what MK's reaction will be.

* ''Fanfic/ThisBites'': Early in the Omatsuri Island special, Cross apparently pulls this and then subverts it with Doflamingo and his three executives on the receiving end.

** Played straight with the letter Luffy gives to Buggy on Cross' behalf, where Cross reveals that Ace is Luffy's brother and Roger's son and tha he knows Buggy was once a member of Roger's crew. Then he tells Buggy to pick up his jaw off the floor, which the clown promptly does, cursing.

* Parodied in ''[[Film/ScaryMovie Scary Movie 2]]'': in one scene, [[ Cindy]] sings along to (that is, [[HollywoodToneDeaf butchers]]) {{Music/Vitamin C}}'s "Graduation" in the car. The singer somehow interrupts her own song just to tell Cindy to "shut the fuck up"!

* ''Series/MyHero'': Cassie, the Sundays' precognitive baby daughter invokes this trope after becoming fed up with her parents' arguing over which school she should be sent to and running away from home, leaving behind a note which George involuntarily recites in her voice.

* The ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' episode ''Sherlock Goof'' has written instructions for a clumsy burglar which includes "cross the room quietly" after burglar's loud entrence through the window, "put the valuables back" when he fills his pockets with trinkets and "don't 'aww, Professor' me!" when he pouts.

* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'': [[https://killsixbilliondemons.com/comic/breaker-of-infinities-4-133/ Jadis demonstrates]] she's TheOmniscient by rattling off the exact responses of her conversation partner, including involuntary muscle movements and the other person's thoughts, as they happen with her back turned. Rather than being smug about it, it demonstrates Jadis' particular brand of BlessedWithSuck: She knows everything, and can't ''not'' know everything, [[YouCantFightFate including how everything happens and always will happen]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh'' episode "Groundpiglet Day", after Rabbit accuses Piglet of lying about Groundhog Day when there's snow in the Hundred Acre Wood (long story), the distraught little animal leaves him a note saying he's off in search of a groundhog. A very surprised Rabbit replies, "He must be kidding", and then reads further to find Piglet also wrote, "P.S. I'm not kidding."

* Parodied in ''Manga/DoctorSlump'', where the playing of a recording by Senbei's father to his son turns into a full-blown conversation between them. Senbei's father [[UpToEleven even reacts live to his son hugging the TV on which the message was being played!]]

* ''Series/MagnumPI'': In "Luther Gillis #001", Thomas talks back to answering machine messages from Rick and Robin. Both anticipate what Thomas will say, for an overall effect like an actual conversation.