Line #55 Main/LongSpeechTeaTime


1	->'''Old Bailey Judge:''' The Defence's argument is entirely reasonable. How do you respond, Lord van Zieks?
2	->'''Barok van Zieks:''' ... Pray forgive the discourtesy if my mind has wandered. I was considering what cuisine would compliment the contents of my hallowed chalice this luncheon.
3	-->-- ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney''
4
5	A character giving a long and involved explanation or speech glances over and notices his audience is distracted and busy doing something else, sleeping, or just deliberately waiting until the speaker shuts up. This mostly tends to happen when the BigBad is [[JustBetweenYouAndMe all excited about telling the heroes]] [[ForTheEvulz his "evil" plan]], only to find out that nobody cares or being interrupted and attacked.
6
7	Named for the typical gag shot of this trope, where the ignoring characters sit down and have some tea.
8
9	In America, you're likely to hear ChirpingCrickets instead. In comic format, likely to involve the WallOfBlather. Related "eating while something is happening" tropes are PassThePopcorn (where the audience finds someone else's trouble entertaining) and TheSnackIsMoreInteresting (where someone is directly involved, but acts strangely unconcerned).
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11	For speakers who are so boring they put their audience to sleep, see NapInducingSpeak.
12
13	----
14	!!Examples:
15
16	[[foldercontrol]]
17
18	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
19	%%* Happened on a semi-regular basis in ''{{Literature/Slayers}}''.
20	* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''
21	** Occasionally, the heroes are shown not paying attention to the [[TerribleTrio Team Rocket trio]] reciting their motto. In one case, they even realize that they can take advantage of the trio being preoccupied with the motto to rescue their stolen {{Mon}}s.
22	** ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'':
23	*** In "Island of the Giant Pokémon", Meowth orders Ekans and Koffing to attack Ash's Pikachu after delivering a threatening monologue towards the mouse, only to find that his fellow Team Rocket Pokémon are ignoring him and having a tea break.
24	*** In "Challenge of the Samurai", a battle comes down to Ash and his opponent both fielding Metapod ([[MagikarpPower a cocoon capable only of hardening itself to defend from attacks]]) against each other. The ensuing stalemate drags on long enough that the scene cuts to Misty and Pikachu sunbathing in the middle of the fight and the battle ''still'' isn't over by the time they're done.
25	** In ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesDiamondAndPearl'' episode ''Enter Galactic!'', Saturn completely ignores Team Rocket delivering their motto and uses the downtime to get his Toxicroak ready to blast them away.
26	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Kakashi's typical response to Gai's impassioned declarations of rivalry is to glance up from his copy of Icha Icha Paradise and ask "Hmm? Were you saying something?"
27	* In an episode of ''Manga/PsychicSquad'', Mio called a Long TransformationSequence Tea Time.
28	* An episode of ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' had the St. Lobelia girls making an impassioned speech... pan to the Host Club sitting on the couch, utterly bored. One of the twins is playing on a Nintendo DS.
29	* In ''Anime/SonicTheHedgehogTheMovie'', Dr. Robotnik/Eggman gives a speech about how his robot generator is going to blow up if the heroes don't do something about it, then notices that everyone in the room, including Sonic, Tails, and even his own robots have fallen asleep.
30	* In the last season of ''Anime/SailorMoon'' a villain once escapes during the titular character's InTheNameOfTheMoon speech, after getting frustrated from its length.
31	** In a previous season, a tea-ceremony-themed monster decided to totally ignore [[BrattyHalfPint Sailor Chibi Moon's]] InTheNameOfTheMoon speech in favor of enjoying a nice, hot cup of her HollywoodAcid flavored tea.
32	* In ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' when Gotenks is fighting Super Buu inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he spends a great deal of time giving a speech to his kamikaze ghosts. Piccolo then informs Gotenks of Buu, who is very nonchalantly sipping on an impressive looking drink while reading a magazine.
33	* Used to mock a villainous InTheNameOfTheMoon speech in the third episode of ''Manga/BlackLagoon'', where Revy casually reloads her guns and lights a cigarette while on of the Neo-Nazis brags about how awesome his gun is.
34	* Happens repeatedly in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''. Particularly effective in the first NonSerialMovie, where it's basically a character trait (and BerserkButton) of the Chinese girl Lychee to deliver a heartfelt, sobbing tale of woe only to be summarily ignored.
35	-->'''Lychee''': Hey! [[YouNoTakeCandle I talking here]]!
36	* In ''Manga/OnePiece'''s Fishman Island arc, Jimbei spouts out about ''7-chapters long'' {{Exposition}} about the Fishmen in the past and, namely, Queen Otohime and Fisher Tiger (2 fish people notable on their crusade against racial oppression) to the Straw Hats. While the others listen carefully, Luffy just fell asleep. Cue Jimbei's WildTake.
37	** Later on, Jimbei gives a much shorter speech on the changes that went on following the Paramount War... only to learn that Luffy is more interested in eating his meat than listening to exposition.
38	** Luffy seems to just have an aversion to listening to exposition in general. Way back in the Arlong Arc, when Nojiko is about to reveal Nami's backstory, Luffy falls asleep ''before she even starts talking''.
39	** In the Enies Lobby arc, Spandam is busy gloating about the power of the World Government, while Luffy starts picking his nose.
40	* Exaggerated in ''Anime/OhSuddenlyEgyptianGod''. The gods were having a banquet party and the god Ra is set to open the party with a speech. However, his speech ends up being so long that the gods decided to move on with the rest of the events anyway, while he's still talking. He only finishes his speech just as the party's about to wrap up and end.
41	[[/folder]]
42
43	[[folder:AudioPlay]]
44	''AudioPlay/AnotherMontyPythonRecord'': When the Spanish Inquisition crashes the architect interviews, Cardinal Ximinez gives a typical DisorganizedOutlineSpeech, during which his junior cardinals and the architects go off together for some tea. And this lovely chocolate cake with little silver balls...
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
48	* In a ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' comic, Charlie Brown has the baseball team at his house for a meeting because it's raining out. He begins by running through their signals, but ends up launching into an inspiring speech about team spirit and the interest the players show in the game, only to turn around and find that everyone is watching his TV. The dialogue from the strip, slightly altered, was used for a better-known gag in ''WesternAnimation/ACharlieBrownChristmas''.
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
52	* From ''Film/TheLifeAndDeathOfColonelBlimp'':
53	-->'''Clive Candy:''' The Kaiser spoke, and the Prince of Wales spoke --\
54	'''Barbara Wynne:''' Spoke about what?\
55	'''Clive Candy:''' Nobody could remember.
56	* In the sequel to ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap'', the rest of the band is shown leaving the stage when Nigel starts one of his guitar solos. The rest of the scene intersperses shots of Nigel playing the solo with the other band members wandering around town, having dinner, getting a shave, etc.
57	* The after credits sequence of ''Film/IronMan3'' reveals that [[spoiler:Banner was listening to Tony tell him the story of the movie and fell asleep ten minutes in]].
58	[[/folder]]
59
60
61	[[folder:Literature]]
62	* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' ''Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures'' novel ''Sometime Never'', Sabbath talks for a whole four-page chapter. While he's talking, the Doctor and his daughter (adopted... [[KidFromTheFuture or is she]]?) have started trying to reassemble a device the Doctor dropped in surprise when said daughter showed up, while the Doctor's granddaughter watches, and only one other person understood what the heck Sabbath was even talking about anyway. Since he apparently needs a page or so to recharge his vocal chords, Sabbath lets them puzzle it out on their own.
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64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
67	* ''Series/{{Angel}}'':
68	** In "[[Recap/AngelS05E16Shells Shells]]", Angel's speech about the virtues of humanity and how he'll fight to defend each and every one is interrupted by [[spoiler: Wesley shooting Knox, the human who brought back Illyria.]] Angel turns and asks him "Were you even listening?"
69	** When Lindsey tries to justify being evil in "[[Recap/AngelS01E21BlindDate Blind Date]]", Angel thinks he's so long-winded that he dozes off. Lindsey gets his own back in "[[Recap/AngelS05E22NotFadeAway Not Fade Away]]", where he's the one not paying attention to Angel's speech.
70	* A version on ''Series/BoardwalkEmpire''. Nucky is reflecting on his life in a speakeasy in Florida, while the speak's owner Sally looks incredibly bored and pours herself a drink. Finally she gets so frustrated she straight up punches Nucky.
71	* In Season 7 of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Buffy's tendency to give a RousingSpeech is a RunningGag. In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E16Storyteller Storyteller]]", Andrew ducks out of the room when Buffy starts going into another soliloquy, noting that they can go on for some time. A few minutes later he looks to see if Buffy has finished -- she's still going on and even Willow is trying to hide a yawn. When Andrew himself tries to give a speech in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E22Chosen Chosen]]", Anya curtly tells him to shut up: "Nobody cares."
72	* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E3PlanetofTheOod "Planet of the Ood"]], when Donna steps out of the TARDIS and sees the awesome snowy vistas of the Oodsphere, her first impression is that it's bloody freezing. The Doctor encourages her to see the wider picture, appreciate the incredible views, consider how amazing it is that an average woman from Chiswick who was getting up, working, coming home, watching telly and going to bed is now travelling across space and time to land on alien worlds... and finds she's gone back into the TARDIS to get a coat.
73	** According to the Doctor he often [[ItsAllAboutMe skips out mentally during other people's conversations]]. He might have been trolling at the time, but episodes like "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E2TheWitchsFamiliar The Witch's Familiar]]" and "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E11HeavenSent Heaven Sent]]" show this is NotHyperbole--he really can think that fast.
74	* In the ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' episode "Ask Me No Questions", Frasier is speaking to Martin, who gets up, leaves the apartment to fetch the paper, and returns just in time to absent-mindedly agree with whatever Frasier had been talking about, all without Frasier realizing. Later, the same thing happens when he's speaking with Daphne (she goes to catch up with friends and buy some coffee). Frasier is completely oblivious.
75	* In season 4 of ''Series/HellsKitchen'', when Jen is first nominated for elimination she launches into a very long speech of why she should stay. Ramsay [[FacePalm face palms]] and [[LampshadeHanging hangs one]] at the end.
76	-->'''Jen:''' May I say one more quick thing chef?\
77	'''Ramsay:''' Oh fuck me.
78	* In ''Series/TopGearUK'', the characters had bought tractors and were having The Stig race them around the track to see which was slowest. They try to [[CombatCommentator commentate]] on it for a minute or two, realize the futility of it all, and then give up to go have a tea break and discuss the weather.
79	* This happens all the time to ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley's'' Frank Pickle, who is quite possibly the most boring man on earth. People tend to fall asleep when he starts talking about something, and it is implied that he bored his parents to death (though Frank will remind you that it was never proven).
80	* ''Series/YesPrimeMinister''. The funeral of a former British prime minister leads to various heads of government flying in to pay their respects and at the same time engage in politicking because unlike a formal political conference they're not under pressure to get politically-acceptable results. Prime Minister Hacker is shown arranging to discuss NATO bases with the US Vice-President in Westminster Abbey while the funeral service is on.
81	* ''Series/TheProfessionals''. In "The Female Factor", Bodie and Doyle are making out with their girlfriends and smirking over how they snuck out on one of Cowley's speeches.
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Theatre]]
85	* From ''Theatre/TitleOfShow'':
86	-->'''Hunter:''' I mean I don't want this to be just sketches and novelty songs linked together. I want there to be substance, not just fluff. Not that there's anything wrong with fluff, but I wanna strive for something that makes people really pay attention. You know what I mean?
87	-->'''Susan:''' Uh... I totally stopped listening.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Video Games]]
91	* Kael'thas Sunstrider in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''. Players ''died'' because they didn't realize he'd finally finished his speech and had started attacking them again.
92	** This happens often enough that one of the more common mods has a timer to show how long until they shut up and fight. One of the bosses gained a common nickname; Lady Deathwhisper became Lady Talkstoomuch, for her two minute speech, which she gives while the party is pulling trash.
93	* In ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsCovenant'', one of the villains is giving a monologue about how the party is doomed, etc. However, he's doing this while sitting on a floating pillow, leading to the party discussing how the pillow floats. When he finishes, Yuri has only one question: "Where can I get one of those pillows?"
94	** Yuri has a habit of interrupting people's monologue, usually to insult them.
95	* In ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'', Luigi not paying attention during some of the longer speeches was a RunningGag. He even drinks tea on several occasions.
96	* Mario falling asleep in the ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' series during long speeches is a RunningGag as well. Even his partners get in on the act in the [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor sequel]].
97	* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearAcid2'', before the boss battle with Metal Gear, Dr. Kopplethorn starts on a long, technical speech about how its nuclear missile works. Meanwhile, Snake tells Venus (and the player) what he's noticed about Metal Gear's weapons and how he thinks they should fight it, in speech bubbles rather than the standard text boxes. Once they've finished, Venus interrupts Kopplethorn with a lampshadey joke about the long speeches in the series, enraging him.
98	* Amaterasu, the easily-bored wolf heroine of ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', will lie down and take a nap at any idle moment, even if there's important Exposition going on. It really annoys Waka.
99	* In ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden II}}'', a rare variant of Riou and Nanami's Unite attack has Nanami sit down for a cup of tea and so on whilst Riou does all the fighting, becoming more and more exhausted-looking as the attack sequence plays out. This can be a preferred outcome: the damage is similar, and instead of losing her next turn, Nanami gets a regen buff.
100	* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' there's a scene where the party is discussing matters after a plot twist reveals some shocking information. After a few moments Presea sits down on the ground and Sheena starts fidgeting. Weirdly, this is the only time something like this happens (and the conversation is relatively short). Justified in that the plot twist in question is at the top of a very tall climb (hence Presea resting her legs) and the conversation involves planning a [[AttackAttackAttack frontal assault]] [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu on a city of angels]] (hence Sheena's nervousness).
101	* In the ''Videogame/PajamaSam'' games, the titular character frequently dozes off during the often lengthy--but optional--{{Edutainment}} segments.
102	[[/folder]]
103
104	[[folder:Webcomics]]
105	* At the end of [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0277.html a long exposition flashback]] in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', it's revealed that the AnimatedActors took a little break while the "camera" was off of them.
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Web Original]]
109	* A ways into the ''S'' season in Script/ShadowjackWatchesSailorMoon, Kaolinite ''distracts'' The Professor by mentioning the Grail, sending him into his OnceAnEpisode speech about his evil plan and heading him off from noticing her mounting failures.
110	[[/folder]]
111
112	[[folder:Western Animation]]
113	* Charlie Brown attempting to direct his actors in ''WesternAnimation/ACharlieBrownChristmas'', only to find out that they've headed off to dance on the stage.
114	* Dr. Drakken gloats over his plan to lure out ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' and blast her with his latest device, but then notices Shego leafing through the cable TV guide. "Trap for Miss Perfect, got it."
115	** Shego does this all the time. It's not so much "getting distracted" as "not listening in the first place".
116	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
117	** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS9E22TrashOfTheTitans Trash of the Titans]]", Homer interrupts a Music/{{U2}} show to promote his campaign for Springfield's sanitation commissioner, which makes Bono go into his own speech about sanitation, prompting The Edge and Larry Mullen, Jr. ([[ButtMonkey but not Adam Clayton]]) to slip out to Moe's during the speech, making it back by the time Bono's done with his speech.
118	** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS13E22PoppasGotABrandNewBadge Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge]]", [[LongList Homer lists]] [[ContinuityCavalcade all the jobs he's had up to that point in the series]], all while Marge gets all her curlers into her hair.
119	* In the first episode of ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'', Leela lists that Fry's distant relative in 2999 is his "great-great-great...". While that happens, Fry starts getting dressed and then crossfades to him finishing up before Leela finishes her sentence.
120	* In the ''WesternAnimation/CountDuckula'' episode "Igor's Busy Day", engaged American couple Scott and Laura have taken refuge from a storm in Castle Duckula, and have joined the Count for dinner. While Scott spends the entire meal [[MouthfulOfPi reciting the digits of Pi]], Laura talks at length about how she and Scott met and about her very large family. The thoroughly bored Duckula tries to keep himself occupied by balancing the contents of the fruit bowl on top of each other, firing a pea from his knife at the oblivious Scott, and sculpting a castle out of mashed potato before dozing off and falling face first into it. Meanwhile, Igor and Nanny have long since fallen asleep at the far end of the table.
121	[[/folder]]
122
123	[[folder:Real Life]]
124	* In the early days of TV in the 50s-70s, a common trope in Third World [[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny "republics" with leaders of questionable democratic legitimacy]] was that the leader was usually a bit of a [[WindbagPolitician windbag]] and could--and did!--interrupt prime-time programming for hours on end with a long speech about nothing in particular, during which the preferred activity of the people (those who had [=TVs=], anyway) was to eat dinner or have some kind of snack. Kenneth Kaunda, President of UsefulNotes/{{Zambia}} 1964-1991 and one of the more benign examples of this kind of leader, was still famous for being so long-winded he could speak for ''five hours'' without stopping, during which the people would typically have him on as background noise while they ate dinner, read the paper, and put the children to bed.
125	[[/folder]]

Context Main / LongSpeechTeaTime