History Main / ThisIsAWorkOfFiction

* Parodied to an extent. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul0Mh-8kmXQ A video]] made by [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqhnHz3PDXPT6vAHVuAY7dg "The Mechanic Shark Channel"]] features a disclaimer, which features a long string of Chinese and English texts of [[BannedInChina China's forbidden topic,]] including [[Franchise/WinnieThePooh Winnie the Pooh's name]] on it.

* Used at the beginning of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' (and that game alone), because it was written in 1999, depicted terrorist attacks in New York and [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents was completed in September 2001]].

* Inverted in the 1969 film ''Film/{{Z}}'', which satirizes the military dictatorship ruling Greece at that time. It has this notice: "Any resemblance to actual events, to persons living or dead, is not the result of chance. It is DELIBERATE."

* ''Film/FiveHundredDaysOfSummer'' begins with the standard disclaimer, and then appends, "[[EspeciallyZoidberg Especially]] [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial you, Jenny Beckman.]] [[ThisisforemphasisBITCH Bitch]]."
* ''Film/TheGreatDictator'' begins with the notice: "Any resemblance between Hynkel the dictator and the Jewish barber is purely co-incidental". (They are played by the same actor.) The movie is very clearly and emphatically a parody and satire of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany, and the {{subverted}} disclaimer only underlines how it's completely unapologetic and unsubtle about it.

* Used at the beginning of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' (and that game alone), because it was written in 1999, depicted terrorist attacks in New York and [[TooSoon was completed in September 2001]].

* Subverted in an epilogue to the 1931 ''Film/{{Dracula|1931}}''. Edward Van Sloan (Van Helsing in the film) speaks directly to the audience, giving them what ''sounds'' like a reassuring message about the fictitious nature of the preceding film... until he gets to the kicker: "There ''are'' such things as vampires!" Sadly, this epilogue was cut from the film's 1936 re-release (for fear of offending religious groups), and [[MissingEpisode is now lost]].

''This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.''

* Inverted with the "[[ShowWithinAShow Twilight Syndrome Murder Mystery]]" in ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganRonpa2'', as Monokuma points out that it is entirely non-fictional, [[spoiler:and, in fact, it apparently involves some of the actual characters, indicating that Koizumi destroyed evidence that would have incriminated her friend as the murderer of Kuzuryuu's sister]].
** Played straight in ''VisualNovel/NewDanganRonpaV3'', which uses a normal example when you boot up the game, albeit an unusual one since no previous game or anime entry in the franchise used it straight before (the ''Twilight Syndrome Murder Mystery'' scenario above not-withstanding). [[spoiler: Becomes a rather [[FridgeHorror dark]] piece of {{foreshadowing}} for the final trial, where [[TrumanShowPlot the message is made quite literal]].]]

!!Interesting uses:

[[folder:Anime]]

[[folder:Film — Animated]]

--> ''"What? These are kittens! [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Any relation to persons living or dead is completely coincidental.]]"''

[[folder:Film – Live-Action]]

[[folder:Image Boards]]
* The infamous /b/ board on 4chan has one of these:
-->The stories and information posted here are artistic works of fiction and falsehood.
-->Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact.
* The German Krautchan includes a bilingual disclaimer after the site was [[NewMediaAreEvil featured in the news]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

[[folder:Recorded Comedy]]
* Stan Freberg's "St. George And The Dragonet" starts with "the story you are about to hear is true. Only the needle should be changed to protect the record."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:TabletopGames]]

* In ''WebVideo/CartoonDriveThru'''s ''Deadly Space Action'' season two, at the end of each episode:
-->''Any similarity to future historical events is entirely intentional, because we totally called it.''

''[[VideoGame/{{Persona5}} ...I see.]] [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Everything that happens from here on in is real... Is that your cognition of this?]] [[ButThouMust ...Then unfortunately, I cannot allow you to partake of this website.]] [[http://www.mentalhealth.gov I must ask that you leave...]]''

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' has gone out of its way to ensure everyone that it's simply a work of fiction, especially in the wake of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender_Man_stabbing Slender Man stabbing]].

* In the low-budget LDS film ''Sons of Provo'' (a ripoff of ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap''), the film ends with the disclaimer "Everyone in this film is based on someone the creators know, so if you know the filmmakers at all, you're probably in this film. So sue us." It's probably the only genuinely funny moment in the film.

* ''VideoGame/MutantYearZeroRoadToEden:'' This game is set AfterTheEnd and features characters who are PettingZooPeople, including a PigMan. The following appears at the end of the credits: "All events and characters appearing in this work are unlikely to be based on anything or anybody who really exists (we'd love to meet a pig-faced person!)."

* In the low-budged LDS film ''Sons of Provo'' (a ripoff of ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap''), the film ends with the disclaimer "Everyone in this film is based on someone the creators know, so if you know the filmmakers at all, you're probably in this film. So sue us." It's probably the only genuinely funny moment in the film.

* ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'' had two notable disclaimers at different periods of its series run, the latter essentially a slightly slimmed down version of the former, accompanied by jaunty banjo music:

* In ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'', Gru is reading a storybook he wrote to the three girls. When Agnes points out that the kittens in the story look like the three of them, he denies the correlation.

* ''FreeBirds'' starts with a disclaimer that goes: "The following film is a work of fiction. It is loosely based on historical events and is in no way meant to be historically accurate. Except for the talking turkeys. That part is totally real."

-->''"Ang mga Bagani ay totoong mandirigma na mula sa kultura ng Indigenous Peoples."'' ("The Bagani are real warriors from the culture of Indigenous Peoples.")

* ''Website/SCPFoundation'' has gone out of its way to ensure everyone that it's simply a work of fiction, especially in the wake of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender_Man_stabbing Slender man Stabbing]].

* ''[[WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead Beavis and Butt-Head]]'' had two notable disclaimers at different periods of its series run, the latter essentially a slightly slimmed down version of the former, accompanied by jaunty banjo music:

:: This is pretty gutsy from a series that in fact goes against the popular (in Japan) interpretation by not ignoring Japan's role in what happened and presenting it as a bad thing.

** Played straight in ''VisualNovel/NewDanganRonpaV3'', which uses a normal example when you boot up the game, albeit an unusual one since no previous game or anime entry in the franchise used it straight before (the Twilight Syndrome Murder Mystery scenario above not-withstanding). [[spoiler: Becomes a rather [[FridgeHorror dark]] peice of Foreshadowing for the final trial, where the message is made quite literal.]]