History Main / TheatricsOfPain

->"Pro wrestlers are good actors!"

* In the Theatre/TakarazukaRevue production of ''Theatre/SeventeenEightyNine'', Ronan gets ATasteOfTheLash courtesy of the Comte de Peyrol in the Bastille, followed by a good ol' fashioned NoHoldsBarredBeatdown from Peyrol's soldiers while being chained to a wall. Akatsuki Chisei's cries of pain in the ''shinjin kouen''[[note]]junior performance, for younger/lower-ranked actresses to take the lead roles and gain experience[[/note]] are quite convincing. Ryuu Masaki as principal Ronan? Given the UnresolvedSexualTension between Ronan and Peyrol, it sounds like TooKinkyToTorture.

A common place to find ''unscripted'' Theatrics of Pain is in UsefulNotes/Association Football. As the game allows tackling for the ball but penalises [[UnnecessaryRoughness reckless or deliberately injurious tackles]], it's in an unscrupulous player's interest to sell any physical contact whatsoever as theatrically as the referee can be expected to believe, often including crashing to the ground and rolling around wearing a grimace of agony. Such "diving" is stereotypically associated with [[DashingHispanic Latin American/European styles of play]], but can in truth be found all over the world. Some fans are of the opinion that the game should adopt a rule of "If you're not bleeding profusely, or can still play, you don't deserve the foul", but the sporting gods hold that it's important to deter unsportsmanlike behaviour like intimidation, reckless tackles and shirt-grabbing (plus, multimillion-dollar-losing broken ankles are as terrifying to owners of football clubs as those of racehorses.) For the polar opposite of the stereotypical FragileSpeedster footballer, see RugbyIsSlaughter.

* As mentioned, often very blatant in soccer/football, often with the commentators snarkily pointing out the attempt. One of the worst on recent memory was a quarterfinal game in the 2011 Women's World Cup. With Brazil up 2-1 and extra time almost expired, Brazilian player Ericka suddenly crumbled to the ground in apparent agony, and after a four minute performance (and remember, the clock doesn't stop in soccer), jumped up off the stretcher taking her off the field and sprinted back into position. (Ian Darke, the British commentator for the game, drily noted her "miraculous recovery".) However, she was [[HoistByHisOwnPetard hoist by her own petard]] because the referee, annoyed, gave her a yellow card and added three more minutes of extra time. The US scored in this extra time and eventually won the game in the shoot-out.
** Pictured above is the Brazilian player Neymar, whose theatrics at the 2018 World Cup became something of [[MemeticMutation a meme]], with even the press criticizing how much he was diving. This perhaps [[HoistByHisOwnPetard worked against him]] though, as the times he was actually fouled [[CryingWolf the referees did not call it because of his reputation]] for this trope.

A common place to find ''unscripted'' Theatrics of Pain is in UsefulNotes/Association Football. As the game allows tackling for the ball but penalises [[UnnecessaryRoughness reckless or deliberately injurious tackles]], it's in an unscrupulous player's interest to sell any physical contact whatsoever as theatrically as the referee can be expected to believe, often including crashing to the ground and rolling around wearing a grimace of agony. Such "diving" is stereotypically associated with [[DashingHispanic Latin American/European styles of play]], but can in truth be found all over the world. Some fans are of the opinion that the game should adopt a rule of "If you're not bleeding profusely, or can still play, you don't deserve the foul", but the sporting gods hold that it's important to deter unsportsmanlike behaviour like intimidation, reckless tackles and shirt-grabbing (plus, multimillion-dollar-losing broken ankles are as terrifying to owners of football clubs as those of racehorses.) For the polar opposite of the stereotypical FragileSpeedster footballer, see RugbyIsMurder.

A common place to find ''unscripted'' Theatrics of Pain is in UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball. The injury is usually vaguely real, but typically so minor that even a five-year-old would laugh it off in normal circumstances. However, since injuries get penalties for the other team, and potentially get your team the advantage, many players sell even the most minor injuries with shrieks of pain, theatrical rocking, and, if possible, rivers of tears, in order to convince the referees that they're serious. Why referees haven't adopted a rule of "If you're not bleeding profusely/can't walk/can still play, you don't deserve the foul" is beyond many fans of the sport (particularly English-speaking ones; the tactic is perceived as a hallmark of non-Anglo, and specifically Latin American/European play). [[note]]That's because fouls are there to prevent not only injury, but unsportsmanlike behavior and cheating: e.g. a player lifting his legs above his waist will get a whistle, even if he didn't actually hit anyone, because such a move is dangerous; so will grabbing an opponent's shirt, which isn't dangerous but dirty.[[/note]]

A common place to find ''unscripted'' Theatrics of Pain is in UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball (which goes by its surname "football" in most places and its nickname "soccer" in several countries). The injury is usually vaguely real, but typically so minor that even a five-year-old would laugh it off in normal circumstances. However, since injuries get penalties for the other team, and potentially get your team the advantage, many players sell even the most minor injuries with shrieks of pain, theatrical rocking, and, if possible, rivers of tears, in order to convince the referees that they're serious. Why referees haven't adopted a rule of "If you're not bleeding profusely/can't walk/can still play, you don't deserve the foul" is beyond many fans of the sport (particularly English-speaking ones; the tactic is perceived as a hallmark of non-Anglo, and specifically Latin American/European play). [[note]]That's because fouls are there to prevent not only injury, but unsportsmanlike behavior and cheating: e.g. a player lifting his legs above his waist will get a whistle, even if he didn't actually hit anyone, because such a move is dangerous; so will grabbing an opponent's shirt, which isn't dangerous but dirty.[[/note]]

* In ''Film/TheReturnOfTheKing,'' Saruman gets stabbed in the back. Creator/PeterJackson attempted to direct Creator/ChristopherLee on how someone reacts when stabbed like that. Lee replied that he knew perfectly well how people ''really'' reacted, from his time in the Special Forces during WWII. Make of that what you will.

** He's able to do this in a non-physical way, too. In the build-up to a feud between him and Wrestling/MickFoley, Mick (as Mankind) claimed to be too beaten up to face Triple-H, so he found a replacement... Cactus Jack. Despite being the same wrestler with a different gimmick, the news (and Foley's changing into the appropriate outfit while approaching the ring) was sold like Hunter had just seen the devil himself emerge from the ramp, which Foley credits as giving the storyline as much credibility as it had.

* Rugby fans like to tell a joke [[PretenderDiss when in hearing of soccer fans]]: "Football is 90 minutes of pretending to be hurt, [[RugbyIsSlaughter Rugby is]] 80 minutes of [[MajorInjuryUnderreaction pretending to be fine]]".

** He's able to do this in a non-physical way, too. In the build-up to a feud between him and Wrestling/MickFoley, Mick (as Mankind) claimed to be too beaten up to face Triple-H, so he found a replacement... [[AlterEgo Cactus Jack]]. Despite being the same wrestler with a different gimmick, the news (and Foley's changing into the appropriate outfit while approaching the ring) was sold like Hunter had just seen the devil himself emerge from the ramp, which Foley credits as giving the storyline as much credibility as it had.

** He's able to do this in a non-physical way, too. In the build-up to a feud between him and Wrestling/MickFoley, Mick (as Mankind) claimed to be too beaten up to face Triple-H, so he found a replacement... Cactus Jack. Despite being the same wrestler with a different gimmick, the news (and Foley's changing into the appropriate outfit while approaching the ring) was sold like Hunter had just seen the devil himself emerge from the ramp, which Foley credits as giving the storyline as much credibility as it had.

** Pictured above is the Brazilian player Neymar, whose theatrics at the 2018 World Cup became something of [[MemeticMutation a meme]], with even the press criticizing how much he was diving. This perhaps [[HoistByHisOwnPetard worked against him]] though, as the times he was actually fouled the referees did not call it because of his reputation for this trope.

Sometimes, wrestlers will hit too hard. This is called "stiffness." Usually, it's harder to show any level of pain other than the true level, making them difficult to work with. That can happen in film and TV, too; we are less likely to ''[[RuleOfPerception see]]'' it there, however, because of the magic of editing.

[[folder:Comics]]

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' in any given media is reduced to a pain riddled heap around kryptonite. Often his anguished reaction is over-the-top in order to emphasis how painful the experience is to him as he rarely feels discomfort, never mind unspeakable agony. Interestingly one of the great criticisms of Superman is that he is either being beaten near to death or feels [[NoSell no pain at all]]. What exactly does "invulnerable" mean?
** On the other hand, Clark Kent ''often'' has to sell attacks. First, as in [[https://i0.wp.com/scifimafia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/SMBM-87_ksadjhfuso.jpg this example]] to protect his SecretIdentity, of course. But also on occasion to protect ''the attacker'' -- [[NoSell no-selling]] a full-force punch from a normal human is going to break the puncher's hand, and even someone as tough as [[ComicBook/SupermanVsTheAmazingSpiderMan your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man]] will be in a world of hurt.

[[folder:Film]]

[[folder: Professional Wrestling]]

[[folder:Theatre]]
* Demonstrated in ''Theatre/RosencrantzAndGuildensternAreDead'' when Guildenstern seizes the Player's dagger and tries to stab him to death. Guildenstern thinks the Player has been KilledOffForReal, when the Tragedians start applauding and congratulating the Player on a death scene well played. (He considers his own performance "merely competent.")

[[folder:Videogames]]

[[folder: Sports]]
* As mentioned, often very blatant in soccer/football, often with the commentators snarkily pointing out the attempt. One of the worst on recent memory was a quarterfinal game in the 2011 Women's World Cup. With Brazil up 2-1 and extra time almost expired, Brazilian player Ericka suddenly crumbled to the ground in apparent agony, and after a four minute performance (and remember, the clock doesn't stop in soccer), jumped up off the stretcher taking her off the field and sprinted back into position. (Ian Darke, the British commentator for the game, drily noted her "miraculous recovery".) However, she was [[HoistByHisOwnPetard hoist by her own petard]] because the referee, annoyed, gave her a yellow card and added three more minutes of extra time. The US scored in this extra time and eventually won the game in the shoot-out.
** Pictured above is the Brazilian player Neymar, whose theatrics at the 2018 World Cup became something of [[MemeticMutation a meme]], with even the press criticizing how much he was diving. This perhaps [[HoistByHisOwnPetard worked against him]] though, as the times he was actually fouled the referees did not call it because of his reputation for this trope.
* It is creeping into UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball as well. Briefly, each team gets three time-outs per half. However, if a player is injured, the officials call a time out that is not charged to either team. Thus the well-timed "cramp," often induced by a look to the coaches on the sideline. This is somewhat balanced by the rule that a player who is "injured" has to sit out at least one play, and (in some circumstances) can also cause a 10 second run-off of the game clock.

[[folder: WesternAnimation]]
* Exaggerated in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarePants'', when Patrick fakes a fight with Spongebob for the sake of making him look tough enough to be admitted into a bar. He somehow manages to get a black eye, loses some teeth, gets hit with some MetronomicManMashing, and finally, gets a wedgie before being punted into the distance; all without Spongebob so much as laying a finger on him (Which gets lampshaded by an impressed onlooker).
[[/folder]]

** If Wrestling/RicFlair wants to blade[[note]]Wrestling lingo for self-induced bleeding, typically done by slicing open your own forehead after a spot with a concealed razor blade or the like[[/note]], ''Ric Flair will fucking '''blade'''''. His bleached blond hair will quickly turn orange-red, and his entire face will be caked in blood in moments. Even a simple knockdown punch will have him banging his own fist against his forehead until he's more bloody face than man.

* Wrestling/DolphZiggler is probably one of the best sellers in WWE history, to the point where there are montages on YouTube on him doing nothing but selling. Although sometimes he gets criticized for taking crazy bumps such that they look cartoony, still others like him for emulating the likes of [[Wrestling/CurtHennig Mr. Perfect]] and Wrestling/RicFlair who revolutionized how entertaining selling could be and for making his opponents look strong. Speaking of which...

* Ric Flair sold like he'd been ''shot.'' One of his trademark bits is getting the crap beat out of him, then getting up, taking a few dizzy, awkward steps [[FacePlant and falling on his face]]. Longtime fans call it the [[https://youtu.be/XNfDSnX2mDw?t=6s Flair Flop.]]

* ''{{Superman}}'' in any given media is reduced to a pain riddled heap around kryptonite. Often his anguished reaction is over-the-top in order to emphasis how painful the experience is to him as he rarely feels discomfort, never mind unspeakable agony. Interestingly one of the great criticisms of Superman is that he is either being beaten near to death or feels [[NoSell no pain at all]]. What exactly does "invulnerable" mean?