Line #49 Main/IDoNotSpeakNonverbal


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3	%% The examples have been alphabetized. Please put any new example in its proper place in the folder rather than at the end.
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6	->''"I'm terribly sorry, Finland, but I don't understand random-flailing-with-knife language. I tried to interpret it, but I gave up when you used the same sign for 'Vodka!' and 'There's a cat under the house!'"''
7	-->-- '''Åland''', ''Webcomic/ScandinaviaAndTheWorld'', [[http://satwcomic.com/dysfunctional-family "Dysfunctional Family"]]
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9	Whether it is animation or live-action, animators and actors go to great lengths to make their characters expressive and emotionally believable; otherwise, the character will have to [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry verbalize emotion]]. Sometimes, characters are unable to perceive what the spectator can. Facial cues? Voice inflection? Grunts? Contortions? None of these communicate anything if you can't speak.
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11	It can be played for comedy or drama. It'll usually involve a CuteMute trying to convey a message. The message will invariably go ''whoosh!'' over the head of the receiver.
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13	Related to NonverbalMiscommunication. Compare TalkingThroughTechnique.
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15	----
16	!!Examples:
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18	[[foldercontrol]]
19
20	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
21	* ''Manga/ElfenLied'': Kouta and Yuka can't figure out what's wrong with Lucy/Nyuu clutching her crotch, running around and only able to say ''Nyuu!'' with different inflections; they just stare at her blankly, wonder what her name is and she ends up peeing on the floor.
22	* In ''Manga/Eyeshield21'', Komusubi only speaks in "Powerful-ese", the language of powerful men. Which means the only members of the main cast who understand him are his Sempai Kurita -- and, presumably due to RuleOfFunny, [[TeamMom Mamori]]. This is important at one point in the story, when Kurita doubts his strength so much that he can no longer understand Komusubi.
23	* ''Anime/{{Potemayo}}'': Poor Mikan can't perceive hostility from Potemayo, no matter how often she gestures, growls or shouts ''shaaaaa!''. Jumping onto Mikan's head in a [[Franchise/{{Alien}} facehugger]] fashion seems to work.
24	[[/folder]]
25
26	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
27	* ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle'':
28	-->'''Abby Mallard:''' ''[smiles broadly]'' Runt, should Chicken Little have a good talk with his father and clear the air ''[wink... frowns]'' or keep searching for Band-Aid solutions and never deal with the problem?\
29	'''Runt:''' Pfft! Band-Aid solutions.\
30	'''Abby Mallard:''' Runt!\
31	'''Runt:''' I'm sorry! I'm very bad at reading facial cues!
32	* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'': Lilo does a good job following Nani's mimed instructions on what to say to the social worker... for a little while.
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
36	* ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'': Pip, normally a cute talking chipmunk in Andalasia, finds his voice has gone upon arriving in the real world. He resorts to highly impressive and detailed charades to try to get his messages across; cue Prince Edward completely failing to grasp the point.
37	* ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'' has a scene in which the trickster slave Pseudolus is trying to pass himself off as a soothsayer. A knowledgeable friend stands behind the man Pseudolus is trying to gull, desperately miming information to him. "You are looking for ..." (Baby-rocking motions.) "A child." (Two fingers.) "Two childs. Children!" (Friend mimes muscles.) "A big strong boy, and..." (Friend mimes floaty skipping.) "...a strange little boy. Girl! A little girl!"
38	* In ''Film/JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack'', Jay and Silent Bob's pet monkey is stolen en route to Hollywood. Jay bemoans the fact that they have no idea where the van is going. Silent Bob tries to indicate to him using hand gestures, but Jay -- seemingly for the first time -- doesn't seem to get it, causing both guys endless frustration. Silent Bob eventually breaks down and screams at Jay.
39	-->'''Silent Bob:''' THE ''SIGN''! ON THE BACK OF THE ''CAR''! SAID ''CRITTERS''! ''OF HOLLYWOOD''! '''YOU DUMB ''FUCK!!'''''
40	* In ''Film/PokemonDetectivePikachu'', Mr. Mime speaks entirely through, well, mime. This frustrates Detective Pikachu, who struggles to interpret Mr. Mime's charades.
41	-->'''Detective Pikachu:''' Say it! Just say it! JUST TALK, YOU STUPID MIME!
42	* ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' has the hilarious scene where the monster gets spooked and throttles Frederick, and unable to tell his dimwitted assistants to give him the sedative, he has to charade it while being strangled. This is after he explicitly checked with them that the sedative was prepared before waking the monster. The strangling starts at about 2:58 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pGk0AGsIag&feature=relmfu here]].
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Literature]]
46	* The main character of ''Literature/TheCuriousIncidentOfTheDogInTheNightTime'', due to being autistic.
47	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': In ''Literature/{{Sourcery}}'', it is remarked that Rincewind is not very good at nonverbal communications.
48	* In ''Literature/GoodOmens'', a misunderstood wink to TheDitz leads to the newborn Antichrist being given to the wrong family, and HilarityEnsues.
49	* In ''Literature/{{Persuasion}}'', Anne tries to ask Admiral Croft if Wentworth seemed upset in his letter about Louisa and Benwick's sudden marriage, since they'd had every appearance of being ready to marry themselves. Croft replies that Wentworth didn't mention being upset, and even after Anne tries to clarify that she means the ''tone'' of the letter doesn't really understand what she's getting at. (It doesn't help that he knows Wentworth as his straightforward brother-in-law, whereas Anne has been repeatedly subjected to his innocuous, DoubleMeaning remarks about how upset he was over their broken engagement.)
50	* Towards the end of ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'', Mrs. Bennet is trying to get Jane and Mr. Bingley alone and keeps winking at her other daughters to get them to leave. Elizabeth just ignores this, but finally Kitty asks explicitly why her mother keeps winking at her. Mrs. Bennet denies everything.
51	* Near the beginning of ''Literature/WolfHall'', Thomas Cromwell laments that he has no way to signal to Wolsey that he shouldn't be ripping Thomas Boleyn a new one; somehow there's no discreet Italian hand signal for "Back off, the king is fucking this man's daughter."
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
55	* In ''Series/ThirtyRock'' Liz is trying to get Tracy to repeat the story she told his wife about his absence. Specifically, that his pet snake had got sick and he had to take it to the vet, which as one might imagine is difficult to convey in motions. However, he does it perfectly, so she nods her head and gives him a thumbs up.
56	-->'''Tracy:''' [[FacePalm Then my thumb got caught in my butt so I nodded my head til it came out.]]
57	* In an episode of ''Series/{{Charmed\|1998}}'', Paige is voiceless and Phoebe can't hear. Phoebe is amazingly unable to understand anything Paige communicates to her.
58	* The scene from the ''Series/{{Extras}}'' Christmas special where Andy has Maggie pretend to be his PA. The "OK" sign, for example, is interpreted as, "He's an asshole... er, he plays darts all the time?"
59	* An episode of ''Series/TheGeorgeLopezShow'' had George standing behind his mother, trying to signal to Angie why she should not let her borrow the car.
60	-->'''Angie:''' Because... you will suck your thumb and milk a cow.
61	* Whenever characters in ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' attempt to psychically communicate with one another, there's a 50/50 chance this will either be played straight or subverted (i.e., they'll actually understand subtle eye squinting). When Robin tries to warn Lily not to open her bridal shower present (a move that involves motioning explicitly to the present) Lily merely thinks it's that time of the month.
62	* ''Series/StargateSG1'''s 200th episode, "200", has an invisible Jack O'Neill frustrated at his teammates "ignoring" his hand gestures, though this is really just a case of Jack being difficult, as usual.
63	* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'':
64	** In an early episode, Data's long-lost brother Lore is found and assembled. It quickly becomes evident that every time he lies, he has a facial tic so horrid that you fear he's having a seizure. Yet no member of the crew ever notices or comments on this. In the end, he actually has to point this out, just in case the audience didn't figure it out.
65	** In another episode, a deaf and mute mediator's translators are killed, and the crew has a difficult time understanding him, except Troi (who's telepathic) and Data (who knows sign language).
66	[[/folder]]
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68	[[folder:Video Games]]
69	* Early on in ''Videogame/FinalFantasyX'', Tidus fall in with a group of Al Bhed salvegers, none of whom seem to speak Tidus' language. One attempts to convey something to Tidus through a series of grunts and gestures which are entirely lost on Tidus.
70	* ''Franchise/MassEffect'' uses a variant: There's an alien race, the elcor, who all speak in a slow, monotone voice that sounds like [[Franchise/WinnieThePooh Eeyore]] and convey emotion through pheromones and extremely subtle body language, neither of which are perceptible to any other species, so for the sake of convenience, whenever they are speaking to other species, they [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry state the intended tone of their next sentence before saying it]]. For example, imagine Eeyore saying: "Fearful surprise: Why are all of you aiming your guns at me?"
71	** And then you hear [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCO_UsyhL9o a news story]] about how an eccentric human director is putting on a production of ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' with an all-elcor cast. It's 14 hours long and becomes hugely successful.
72	--->'''Radio Ad:''' Insincere endorsement: You have not experienced [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]] until you have heard him in the voice of elcor.
73	** In some cases at least, the emotion statement seems to be added in by whatever TranslatorMicrobes everyone in the series uses. Which has caused at least one elcor to get smart about it:
74	--->'''Asari:''' Wait, did you hack your translator so you could control your kinetic language processing?\
75	'''Elcor:''' With a sincerity such that skepticism would be insulting: No.
76	** The one occasion when an elcor speaks to you ''without'' an emotion statement, it's because the circumstances are such a major TearJerker that ''he doesn't need one'', you can actually hear the sadness in his voice.
77	** An email you can get through the Armax Arsenal Arena in the "Citadel" DLC for ''3'' is from an elcor, but that's not obvious until the PS mentions that the writer loves the way they don't need to preface their speech in text.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Web Animation]]
81	* WebAnimation/HomestarRunner will take nearly everything you say as literal, even if it isn't. He's just that dim, and that trusting.
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Webcomics]]
85	* In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'', Doc's secretary Judy is a gorilla who communicates in sign language. Since Doc doesn't understand sign language, he [[RunningGag invariably misunderstands her]].
86	* In ''Webcomic/ScandinaviaAndTheWorld'', Brother Finland refuses to speak to anyone except his lover. Usually he just waves his knife around, or occasionally holds up signs. Åland, who is forced to live in Finland's house, [[http://satwcomic.com/dysfunctional-family dares to lampshade this here]] only because he [[BewareTheNiceOnes can beat the crap out of Finland]].
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Western Animation]]
90	* ''WesternAnimation/CountDuckula'' has Nanny, who takes everything literally.
91	* Despite the extent to which ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' will go to try and nonverbally warn of impending danger (even sometimes ''shapeshifting'' into ominous images), [[TooDumbToLive Muriel]] is never able to figure it out (and often [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter implicitly trusts obviously threatening people]]), while [[{{Jerkass}} Eustace]] just angrily dismisses and occasionally physically or mentally abuses him.
92	* Played with in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy''. Eddy is trying to use some sort of hand signals to communicate a plan to his buddies. [[CloudCuckooLander Ed]] gets all excited and responds with incredibly over-the-top pantomime. Eddy nods and claims "Let's go!" This seems to be one big aversion, until Double D [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this saying "Oh like any of that really meant anything!"
93	* From ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' episode "Pipe Down":
94	-->'''Timmy's Dad:''' ''[to Timmy]'' You are the '''WORST''' charades player ever! ''[windmills his arms]'' This is not a bulldozer. ''[hops up and down]'' This is not a fudgesicle. ''[pretends to row a boat]'' And how is ''this'' ''Film/GhostbustersII''!?
95	* On one ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short, Elmer Fudd's wife wonders what to make for dinner, and their dog uses pantomime to suggest roast duck (WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck to be exact, whom the dog can't stand). After she misreads every clue, the dog loses his patience and outright ''tells her'' "NO! Roast D-U-C-K duck! Sheesh!"
96	* From ''WesternAnimation/{{The New Adventures of Zorro\|1981}}'' (1981): At one point Zorro dresses up as a Spanish soldier and takes the Captain hostage. The Captain tries to alert his Lieutenant via winking. Quoth the Lieutenant: "Captain, you are winking! Do you have something in your eye?" Captain: (FacePalm).
97	* In one ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' episode, [[TheUnintelligible Perry the Platypus]] is acting as Dr. Doofenshmirtz's wingman. When Doofenshmirtz's date asks what they should do next after dancing, he looks to Perry for advice:
98	-->'''Doofenshmirtz:''' Oh, well let's see. ''[Perry rubs his stomach]'' We can rub our stomachs and, ''[Perry points to his mouth]'' point to our mouths, and later we can roll our eyes, and put our heads in our hand...
99	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Homer Simpson does it on more than one occasion:
100	-->'''Chief Wiggum:''' Gee, I'd hate to close you down. Maybe we can reach a little, uh, understanding here. ''[holds out the palm of his hand and motions his fingers so as to suggest that this is a bribe]''\
101	'''Homer:''' I understand.\
102	'''Bart:''' Um, hey, Dad, I... I think he wants...\
103	'''Homer:''' [[NotNowKiddo Not right now, son. Daddy's talking to a policeman]].\
104	'''Chief Wiggum:''' Uh, let me put it this way. I'm looking for my friend Bill. ''[gestures at the stand's cash box]'' Have you seen any Bills around here? ''[gestures again]''\
105	'''Homer:''' No. ''[points at Bart]'' He's Bart.\
106	'''Chief Wiggum:''' ''[groans]'' I... Listen carefully, and watch me wink as I speak, okay?\
107	'''Homer:''' Okay.\
108	'''Chief Wiggum:''' The guy I'm really looking for, wink ''[winks]'', is Mr. Bribe, wink, wink ''[winks twice, holds out hand again]''\
109	'''Homer:''' ''[beat]'' It's a ring toss game.\
110	'''Chief Wiggum:''' ''[annoyed]'' All right, that's it, I'm shutting this game down!
111	[[/folder]]

Context Main / IDoNotSpeakNonverbal