Line #58 Main/CaptionHumor


1	The use of captions in visual media in order to invoke a humorous effect. Specifically, the caption uses the scene as a joke setup and delivers a punchline to it. This includes [[{{MST}} commenting the scene]], [[CaptainObvious pointing out the obvious]] or even absolute non sequiturs.
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3	Sister Trope to FunWithSubtitles.
4	----
5	!!Examples
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7	[[foldercontrol]]
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9	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
10	* Used often in ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' as a lot of its humor revolves around wordplay.
11	* And in ''Manga/{{Gals}}''.
12	* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': Used occasionally, as in the scene where Deku meets Ururaka.
13	-->'''Deku:''' I just talked to a girl!
14	-->'''Caption:''' [[CannotTalkToWomen Didn't actually talk.]]
15	* ''Manga/SPYxFamily'' often uses captions to remind the readers/viewers [[DoNotTryThisAtHome about never trying to do the crazy things the protagonists often get into]], like kicking people for therapy, or using blowfish venom for medicinal purposes.
16	[[/folder]]
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18	[[folder:Comic Books]]
19	* ''ComicBook/BlackPanther'': After an arc featuring ComicBook/{{Mephisto}} as an antagonist concluded, the following issue had multiple [[ClueFromEd Clues From Ed]] passive-aggressively explaining that Mephisto is, in fact, TheDevil, due apparently to several readers wanting clarification as to who Mephisto was (despite how Everett K. Ross's narration over the previous issues stated as much several times).
20	* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan: ComicBook/OneHundredAndOneWaysToEndTheCloneSaga'' had one instance where the inevitable ClueFromEd regarding the acronym for ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} failed to remember what it stood for, resulting in the explanation arriving much later in the story as a BrickJoke.
21	* Used in recent ''ComicBook/XMen'' comics, providing a brief, usually humorous bio of any character who shows up, including these two, which popped up during a FastballSpecial.
22	-->'''Colossus:''' Bio-organic steel. Fastball tops out at 220 miles per hour.\
23	'''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}:''' Claws and healing factor. Currently moving at 220 miles per hour.
24	* ''Comicbook/{{PS238}}'' does it [[http://ps238.nodwick.com/comic/05202011/ here]], as [[BigBadWannabe Zodon]] berates someone for trying to put a tracking device on his SuperWheelchair:
25	-->'''Zodon:''' ...and I'm sure my roommate found them delicious!
26	-->'''Caption:''' That would be [[Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk Bernard]], and he did.
27	[[/folder]]
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29	[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]
30	* The opening credits of ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'' has this, with inane comments about mooses and llamas.
31	* ''Film/{{Help}}'' uses them. The funniest moment is probably when a tiger enters the scene and [[CaptainObvious the caption "A Tiger" pops up on the screen]].
32	* A scene in ''Film/ThankYouForSmoking'' has a terribly funny derogatory caption when the boss says the word "environmentalist".
33	* When the Guardians of the Galaxy are introduced in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' the location box actually [[CaptainObvious tells us we are in space.]]
34	* In the DVDBonusContent for ''Film/{{Daybreakers}}'', there's a behind the scenes look at shooting a particular scene, with "Drunken Idiot Ruining Take" following, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a drunken idiot running in the background ruining the take]].
35	* ''Film/WaynesWorld'' has a scene where Wayne delivers a weepy monologue with the caption [[AwardBait "Oscar Clip"]].
36	[[/folder]]
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38	[[folder:Literature]]
39	* ''Literature/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'' is designed to look like a photocopied version of Franchise/HarryPotter's original. He, Ron, and Hermione have scrawled numerous notes in the margins, from commenting that Hagrid will be getting a certain dangerous creature any day now to the arachnophobic Ron increasing the danger level for [[GiantSpider acromantulas]] significantly to {{continuity nod}}s (for example, in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', Snape claims the kappa is found in Mongolia; one of Harry's notes has the sentence stating that the kappa is Japanese underlined and a scrawled "Snape hasn't read this").
40	[[/folder]]
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42	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
43	* The "Spanish Inqusition" sketch in ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' has the caption "DIABOLICAL LAUGHTER" followed with "DIABOLICAL ACTING".
44	** And the "Architects" sketch, in which the caption "SATIRE" starts flashing over a very obvious piece of satire.
45	** Professor Rosewall points out the penguins scored better on I.Q. tests than BBC programme planners and notes the planners' high total was within a margin of error, saying "One particularly dim programme planner can cock the whole thing up." Following is a caption that says "You can say that again!"
46	** Philip Jenkinson's (Eric Idle) constant sniffing while reviewing Sam Peckinpah's films irks the captioner ("Get on with it," "Will you stop sniffing") to the point where he guns Philip down on the set.
47	* There was a very similar thing in the opening of ''Series/TheDayToday'': Chris Morris would read out an ostensible headline and then a piece of genuine news footage would play to humorous effect.
48	* ''Series/HeyHeyItsSaturday'' would have amusing sarcastic captions show up every now and again. Caricatures of the guests would serve the same purpose. Note: these were all done live.
49	* ''Series/BurnNotice'' initially used captions to identify people that Michael was dealing with, but they have started to become more comical, such as repeating an earlier assessment of a character, identifying them as "Arrogant Jerk" or something similar.
50	* Much of the humor of "The Word" segments on ''Series/TheColbertReport'' arises from the captions at the side of the screen, clarifying or elaborating upon what Stephen says aloud. Sometimes the captions take a life of their own. When Colbert started bashing on Islam in one episode, the captions ''tried to leave'', but Colbert forced them to stay.
51	* ''Series/TheRevolutionWillBeTelevised'' has a recurring segment called "Honest Subtitles", in which various politicians have their speeches replayed, only stripped of their flowery speech to reflect their (possible) true meaning.
52	* ''Disasterpiece Theatre'' was a 1980 show on San Diego TV station XETV (then independent, now Spanish) that predated ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' in that it made fun of cheesy movies. In this case, snarky captions are superimposed on key scenes. There is at least one surviving episode on [=YouTube=].
53	[[/folder]]
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55	[[folder:Magazines]]
56	* Regular feature of any magazine aimed at young adults. Particularly the case in lad's mags like ''Magazine/{{FHM}}'' and ''Magazine/{{Loaded}}''.
57	* Magazine/PrivateEye has a regular feature where readers write in to point out that two famous people look vaguely alike. The relevance to this trope comes in because the editors invariably switch the names captioning the two photographs being compared, [[DontExplainTheJoke as though they were so alike that nobody could tell which was which.]]
58	[[/folder]]
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60	[[folder:Webcomics]]
61	* ''Webcomic/ChoppingBlock'' pages consist entirely of an usually silent picture and a caption.
62	* Whenever a new character is introduced in ''Webcomic/EveryButtonHurtsTheOtherGuy'', their name is given in a caption box, accompanied by a humorous title or description.
63	* ''Blog/RWBYRecaps'' uses captions as the crux of its humor. (Unlike most AbridgedSeries, it isn't animated.)
64	* In the online version of ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'', the AltText often provides a {{paratext}}ual caption for the current scene.
65	[[/folder]]
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67	[[folder:Web Original]]
68	* ''WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment'' uses these a lot.
69	* Sometimes used on this very Wiki.
70	* Often used on Flickr, especially with photos of museum displays where the real exhibit caption can't be seen. One example had a human standing next to a rocket for scale and the caption was: "You should never stand this close to a rocket. Unless you are demonstrating how cool it is."
71	* In ''Website/TheOnion'' AV Club, they used to do a humorous caption for a pic from one of the movies being reviewed that week, but they haven't done it in years.
72	* Running rampant on the Internet, particularly Website/FourChan and Website/DeviantArt, are [[MotivationalPoster De/Motivators]], which are designed in the vein of typical office motivational posters.
73	** The "Advice Animal" meme and later [[MemeticMutation offshoots]] like [[NiceGuy Good Guy Greg]], [[{{Jerkass}} Scumbag Steve]] and [[ClingyJealousGirl Overly Attac]][[{{Creator/Laina}} hed Girlfriend]].
74	* From ''{{Website/Cracked}}'', we got [[http://www.cracked.com/craptions/ Craptions!]]
75	* Many Website/YouTube gameplay videos utilize this technique to remain interesting.
76	* The Blurb versions of WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends episodes.
77	* WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows uses captions as a RunningGag. He often interacts with them too.
78	* WebVideo/JonTron, whose most distinct feature is his unique blend of captions and editing. In WebVideo/GameGrumps, the editor Barry adopts Jon's style of captions, sometimes to communicate with the audience.
79	* [[http://www.dvdizzy.com/index.html DVDizzy]] reviews make liberal use of this.
80	* In ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony'', the captions are basically another LemonyNarrator. Most of the time they [[SelfDeprecation mock the show and the characters]], and in one episode they get in an argument with [[TheUnintelligible an unintelligible]] character by covering up her translated subtitles.
81	* {{LetsPlay/KurtJMac}} would often use the affectionately-dubbed 'snarky yellow text' to make fun of himself in early Far Lands or Bust episodes. It would also supply additional information, such as when a word was on the tip of his tongue and he couldn't quite remember it.
82	* {{LetsPlay/Chuggaaconroy}} usually uses captions when he catches a contradiction to his commentary in post-processing (sometimes to humorous effect). This extends to videos on LetsPlay/TheRunawayGuys, since Chugga also edits those videos (which is PlayedForLaughs by LetsPlay/ProtonJon a couple of times).
83	* Website/TFWikiDotNet is welcome on these on images on their articles, as a way to avoid DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment. However, it does have a set of rules as to what is or isn't appropriate.
84	* {{WebVideo/Rocked}} indulges in this. Much of the comic relief of the show comes from speech bubbles that add jokes or witty insight into a band or event he's talking about, or just add humor to whatever picture's being shown.
85	* {{WebVideo/SomecallmeJohnny}} also utilizes it ''a lot'' in his reviews.
86	* ''WebVideo/ItsAliveWithBrad'' uses/abuses captions a lot. Sometimes it's to show recipes or warn about potentially hazardous processes. But most of the time, Hunzi emphasizes Brad's accent, transcribes his unintelligible but accidental gibberish (when Brad talks too fast), and snarks back when Brad descends into something [[NonSequitur rather off-topic]].
87	[[/folder]]
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89	[[folder:Western Animation]]
90	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' had funny [[CanisLatinicus scientific names]] for the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote.
91	** In "Wackiki Wabbit," WesternAnimation/BugsBunny poses as an island native for the benefit of two castaways. He utters a lengthy sentence in native gibberish and the caption [[TranslationYes simply reads]] "What's up, doc?". He utters four syllables in the same tongue and the caption reads "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party."
92	** At the start of "Drip-along Daffy," captions display with Daffy as "Typical Western-type hero" and Porky as "comedy relief."
93	* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' segment "Space Probed" has an alien abducting the Warners and telling his brethren, through captions, "There are typical Earth creatures." The Warners then rearrange the words to read "Are these typical Earth creatures?" before making funny faces.
94	[[/folder]]
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Context Main / CaptionHumor