History Main / WhoWouldWantToWatchUs

* In the first season of ''Anime/{{Slayers}}'', Lina comes across a somewhat insane playwright who is producing a theatrical adaptation of her life. Given that Lina is also known as "The Dragon Spooker" and "The Natural Enemy of All That Live", she is portrayed as a terrifying monster in it.

* Mentioned in ''Machinima/RedVsBlue''.
-->'''Simmons:''' Hey, you know what I was thinking? What if we turned that camera around on us? [[Machinima/RedVsBlueTheBloodGulchChronicles Made a little documentary about Blood Gulch and all our hanging out?]] Y'know, slice of life kinda stuff.

** In ''ComicBook/JMSSpiderMan'', Aunt May jokes about someone making a movie about Spider-Man. Eventually they go to Los Angeles to visit Mary Jane, who is starring in a moving called "''The Amazing Lobster-Man''". Production is complicated by the filmmakers' debating whether the title character should be bitten by a radioactive lobster or something more important like a lobster god, and by Dr. Octopus.

** in the short stories published alongside the New Power saga, Will was roped into writing the script for a musical. It was blatantly based on the Twelve Portals arc, with the actresses for the five main roles being very similar in personality to the girls ([[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Will's actress was so like her that the girls were creeped out before asking her to do the part]]), and Hay Lin as the costume designer catching some flak by the rest of the staff because the outfits for the members of the Congregations were plain white tunics just as with their originals;
** in a later story the girls find themselves on a world where they have a massive franchise (including at least one movie) and equally large fandom. And, in one of the funniest examples of YourCostumeNeedsWork, an Irma cosplayer doubted their identities because ''Civilian!Irma didn't look like her'' (to be fair, the cosplayer ''really'' looked like Guardian!Irma).

* One chapter of Parsec's ''[[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls PowerPuff: Altered Destiny]]'': ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/269939/5/PowerPuff-Altered-Destiny Fame Over]]'' has the girls go into a dimension seemingly based on the real world where they of course find out about the TV shows based on their lives (as well as the fanfiction that usually comes with a famous property. Buttercup isn't amused). [[spoiler: The show's creator, Creator/CraigMcCracken, also turns out to be a evil mastermind bent on world domination. Yeah, wrap your head around that.]]

* The ''Videogame/FarmVille''-esque iOS game ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsTappedOut'' begins with Homer playing on his "[[BlandNameProduct myPad]]":

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'': An episode features a con-artist "director" allegedly making a movie about the girls. (The initial broadcast of this episode was suspiciously close to the release of the actual movie.)

** The whole thing was a propaganda play for the Fire Nation. Characters like Ozai and [[MagnificentBastard Azula]] are portrayed as heroes. (Though the play isn't done from their perspective. If anything, the Gaang is portrayed as comedic [[VillainProtagonist Villain Protagonists]].) The play itself ends with the Gaang being killed and the Fire Nation taking over the world, which is met with wild cheers from the audience. [[MoodWhiplash The real Gaang is quite disturbed once they realize this.]]
** [[{{HilariousInHindsight}} Funny enough,]] many of the complaints the characters make about this play (such as the BadBadActing, Zuko being a moody whiner, Katara being melodramatic and wimpy) were echoed by fans when they saw [[{{Film/TheLastAirbender}} the show's live-action movie adaptation.]] [[{{MemeticMutation}} But the effects were decent.]]

* One episode of the extremely creepy stop-motion comedy ''WhatItsLikeBeingAlone'' has the character Aldous having nightmares that she was a stop-motion animated doll. We also got a shot of who was "behind" the fourth wall: puppeteers in black top hats, with monocles and long cigarette-holders, cackling maniacally.

* ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'': NBC execs are skeptical about Jerry and George's "show about nothing" idea (as is Jerry himself when George first came up with it). Which resulted in a {{Defictionalization}} of something that already really existed. Jerry and George's concept represented ''Seinfeld'' itself, but later on it became ''Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm''.

* ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'': NBC execs are skeptical about Jerry and George's "show about nothing" idea. Which resulted in a {{Defictionalization}} of something that already really existed. Jerry and George's concept represented ''Seinfeld'' itself, but later on it became ''Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm''.

* When ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' came out, Disney did a [[https://damailbox.tumblr.com/post/184886666509/gargoyles-in-the-experts-august-1996 comic advertisement]] in ''Magazine/DisneyAdventures'' featuring the characters from ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}''. In it, Elisa Maza, Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway have just seen the film, and the Trio express displeasure with the way that gargoyles are portrayed therein, prompting them to muse that someone should make a movie or TV show that portrays their kind accurately. They laugh it off as a crazy idea, but Elisa remarks (while [[AsideGlance looking into camera]], no less), "I don't know. [[LampshadeHanging Stranger things have happened]]."

->''What a mess. [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Who'd want to read this page]]?''

* When ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' came out, Disney did a comic advertisement in ''Magazine/DisneyAdventures'' featuring the characters from ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}''. In it, Elisa Maza, Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway have just seen the film, and the Trio express displeasure with the way that gargoyles are portrayed therein, prompting them to muse that someone should make a movie or TV show that portrays their kind accurately. They laugh it off as a crazy idea, but Elisa remarks (while [[AsideGlance looking into camera]], no less), "I don't know. [[LampshadeHanging Stranger things have happened]]."
* In the third issue of ''ComicStrip/{{Nodwick}}'', Piffany asks Artax if he remembers the evil adventurers they defeated "about two months ago" (ie in #2):

'''Scrooge:''' Not a chance! Not only do I not have the money, ''no-one'' would be interested in reading the adventures of a rough and tumble prospector like me.

* When ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' came out, Disney did a comic advertisement in ''Magazine/DisneyAdventures'' featuring the ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' talking about how someone should make a movie or TV show about them. They laugh it off as a crazy idea.

* In an episode of the lampshade-riffic ''Series/{{Community}}'', Abed and Troy use this virtually word-for-word with reference to their fake morning show, "Troy and Abed in the Morning." It's made doubly ironic since there's a crowd of fans watching them in the background.

## However, Toph, being such a {{Tomboy}}, was completely fine with being portrayed as a huge hulking man. Which was also a minor MythologyGag, since "huge hulking man" was the original plan for Toph. (The character design was reused as The Boulder, a NoCelebritiesWereHarmed version of professional wrestler The Rock.)

** in ''Codename: Sailor V'' Minako is confronted with the Sailor V Game ''before becoming famous''. {{Justified}} as Artemis had it made as a simulator because he had realized [[TaughtByTelevision she learns a lot from video games]]. The Sailor V Game would return in the ''Sailor Moon'' manga and both anime;

* When [[SchoolNewspaperNewsHound Asakura]] of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' first confronts Negi about being a mage, she immediately proposes the scenario of Negi becoming popular enough to have his own TV series, novels, and movies. [[TheMasquerade Naturally]], Negi was absolutely horrified about the idea and its [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment repercussions]].

* In an early episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', Pikachu is cast to star in a movie by an Akira Kurosawa look-alike. Ash is enthused but Misty responds "Who'd want to watch a film about us?" And the kicker? The episode takes place at close to the same time as ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie''.

* The ComicBook/FantasticFour have also had this pulled on them; the villain behind it was the Comicbook/SubMariner.
* Comicbook/SheHulk also had this pulled on her; the villain behind it was Warlord Krang. Waitaminute...

* In the last issue of the 2004 miniseries ''Franchise/{{Batman}}: Harley and Ivy,'' Comicbook/HarleyQuinn and Poison Ivy go to Hollywood and take over a movie of the same title--at first to skim off the production budget and revenge themselves on the leading actresses (who call Harley a "dumb blonde" and endorse perfume made from endangered flowers, respectively), but then Harley takes the director's place and revamps the film to include things like a bling-covered costume for herself and a [[TheChewToy Chew Toy]] Batman who requires a procession of stunt doubles. At the end, she's been allowed out of Arkham for long enough to accept an Oscar.

** in an in-universe example of RippedFromTheHeadlines, one story of ''Paperinik New Adventures'' has the writer of a soap opera put the ''[[HordeOfAlienLocusts Evronians]]'' in the plot. It worked;
** the ''Papernovela'' (a parody of South-American soap operas written and drawn by [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs a woman who is either a genious or completely insane]]) had the in-universe cast blatantly based on Scrooge and family plus friends and some enemies, and played by them. One episode also had superheroes playing themselves, and another did the same with the ''Yeti''.

* The ''Fanfic/CatTales'' series by Chris Dee spends a great deal of time dismissing any Franchise/{{Batman}}/Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} continuity the author dislikes as fabrication by a scurrilous tabloid or an equally irresponsible "true" crime writer named Creator/FrankMiller. But most recently, one of its spin-off series has had Batman having to protect the makers of a close facsimile of the most recent Batman movie from the Joker, and as usual footage from the resulting fight ends up in the movie.

* Bang turns down the hermit's offer for an apprenticeship at the end of ''Videogame/ClashAtDemonhead'' so he can make a game based on his adventure.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Shortpacked}}''

* In ''WebComic/SabrinaOnline'', Sabrina is either oblivious to or in complete denial about the fact that her webcomic is a thinly-veiled retelling of her life.

* ''Theatre/TrailToOregon'' directly addresses the audience in the opening number when warning them that it's too late to [[HelloInsertNameHere change any of the characters' names]] and that they should probably go see a broadway musical instead.

-->'''Simmons:''' "Hey, you know what I was thinking? What if we turned that camera around on us? [[Machinima/RedVsBlueTheBloodGulchChronicles Made a little documentary about Blood Gulch and all our hanging out?]] Y'know, slice of life kinda stuff."

* In [[Franchise/{{TheMuppets}} Muppet Monster Adventure]], Robin's exploits in the game turn out to just be a dream ([[OrWasItADream or maybe not]]). As he describes it to his Uncle Kermit and the others, Pepe the King Prawn remarks that it could be a good video game plot. Everyone then takes to the camera.

* When the ''Manga/KimiToBoku'' characters try to make a manga, Chizuru changes the genre from action-fantasy to school drama. The others get confused to why anyone would want to read such a boring concept.

* ''Comicbook/{{Asterix}}'':
** In [[Recap/AsterixAndTheCauldron "Astérix and the Cauldron"]], Astérix and Obélix are in need of money and discuss what to do:

** In [[Recap/AsterixAndTheRomanAgent "Astérix and the Roman Agent"]], Impedimenta yells at Vitalstatitistix: "If anyone were fool enough to write the story of our village, you can bet they wouldn't call it ''The Adventures of Vitalstatistix the Gaul''!" This is possibly unique among examples on this page in that it is accurate. The previous pitch, where Astérix shoots down the idea for a story about Obélix, is just garden-variety DramaticIrony like almost everything here: the main characters of the series doubting that one of them is interesting enough to carry the series. Impedimenta and Vitalstatistix, though, really are secondary characters, and apparently they realize it!

* In [[FanFic/EquestriaAHistoryRevealed Equestria: A History Revealed]], the LemonyNarrator remarks on one of the theories brought up being like "the premise of a bad fanfiction", and later remarks on her [[HypocriticalHumor distate of fanfiction writers.]]
* One chapter of Parsec's ''[[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls PowerPuff: Altered Destiny]]'': ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/269939/5/PowerPuff-Altered-Destiny Fame Over]]'' had the girls go into a dimension seemingly based on the real world where they of course find out about the TV shows based on their lives (as well as the fanfiction that usually comes with a famous property. Buttercup isn't amused). [[spoiler: The show's creator, Creator/CraigMcCracken, also turns out to be a evil mastermind bent on world domination. Yeah, wrap your head around that.]]

-->(''discussing what film to see at the cinema'')\\

* ''Series/Sherlock'' does this. Watson proposes writing a blog, and Sherlock says "nobody wants to read this". Watson writes the blog and it goes viral. Then at various points in the series Watson "edits" the adventures so that they're better for the blog and Sherlock dislikes the edits. Also, Sherlock gets approached by fans a lot. All of this is an excessively elaborate setup for a moment when Sherlock puts on the famous hunting cap, thinking it will make him inconspicuous. Predictably enough, it becomes his new trademark and he has to start wearing it all the dang time. Sherlock is completely baffled by this whole thing, which is a really really obtuse way of showing why he's the hero despite being well, as he puts it "[[JerkassHero I'm not a psychopath, I'm a high-functioning sociopath]]".

* In an episode of ''Series/{{Columbo}}'', Lt. Columbo is investigating a Hollywood director for murder. The director tell Columbo he always wanted to make a detective film and suggest that Columbo's job would make an interesting film. Columbo responds that he doesn't think most people whould find what he does all that interesting.

[[folder:Theater]]

* Two [=NPCs=] in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' have [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGCC40Utnbc a conversation]] about 'sublime, enlightened beings' who have invented their entire world, [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall and they are just like 'players in a play']]. One of them is ... not impressed.
-->'''NPC''': I got a boil the size of your nose on my big toe, and some "beings" are enjoying this? [[TakeThat Disturbed, sick bastards]] if you ask me!

-->'''Bree''': Ana, I'm wanting to create a comic strip. It'll focus on your blind baby cousin, Kurami, and our [[IncrediblyLamePun big]] struggles as [[BigBeautifulWoman busty, plus-size women]].
-->'''Ana''': That's a silly concept, Bree. Who will read a comic about THAT?
-->'''[[DeadpanSnarker Zane]]''': Let's ask the readers.

[[folder:Web Original]]

* Mentioned in ''Machinima/RedVsBlue''.
-->'''Simmons:''' "Hey, you know what I was thinking? What if we turned that camera around on us? [[Machinima/RedVsBlueTheBloodGulchChronicles Made a little documentary about Blood Gulch and all our hanging out?]] Y'know, slice of life kinda stuff."
-->'''Church:''' "What kind of brain-dead lunatic would watch something like that?"
-->'''Simmons:''' "Yeah... You're probably right."
* {{Lampshaded}} by DaChief in ''WebVideo/DeathNoteTheAbridgedSeriesKpts4tv'' when he declares that watching his family on the surveillance cameras is "ridiculously boring."
* ''Podcast/RandomAssault'': Many times the cast asks why anyone is even listening to the show.

* At the end of the WesternAnimation/MrMagoo short "WesternAnimation/WhenMagooFlew", Magoo remarks that there was no cartoon with the movie he was watching (actually an airplane flight).
-->'''Magoo:''' Do you ever run those cartoons about that ridiculous, little, nearsighted old man? You know the one that goes... [performs his trademark grumble]

* The narrator on ''DangerMouse'' would often kvetch about why we would bother to watch the show.

''What a mess. [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Who'd want to read this page]]?''

-->'''Simmons:''' "Hey, you know what I was thinking? What if we turned that camera around on us? [[Machinima/RedVsBlueTheBloodGulchChronicles Made a little documentary about Blood Gulch and our hanging out?]] Ya'know, slice of life kinda stuff."

-->'''Simmons:''' "Hey, you know what I was thinking? What if we turned that camera around on us? [[Machinima/RedVsBlueTheBloodGulchChronicles Made a little documentary about Blood Gulch and our hanging out?]] Ya'know, slice of life kinda stuff." -->'''Church:''' "What kind of brain-dead lunatic would watch something like that?"

* Mentioned in ''Machinima/RedVsBlue''. As Tucker puts it, who'd want to watch them, as all they ever do is stand around and talk.

In an episode of ''Series/{{Columbo}}'', Lt. Columbo is investigating a Hollywood director for murder. The director tell Columbo he always wanted to make a detective film and suggest that Columbo's job would make an interesting film. Columbo responds that he doesn't think most people whould find what he does all that interesting.