Line #46 Main/MistakenForProfound


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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	[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wonderella_sort_of_saves_the_world_3.png]]]]
7	[[caption-width-right:350:Such bitchy selfishness is wisdom for the ages.]]
8
9	->''"Beyond its entertainment values, ''{{Series/Baywatch}}'' has enriched, and in many cases, helped save lives."''
10	-->-- '''Creator/DavidHasselhoff''', world hero
11
12	Any time something is mistaken for deep, intelligent, or artistic, but it's clearly not. This could be for many reasons. Sometimes it's about differing perspectives on the meaning of what is said/done. Sometimes people lack the full context of what they are mistaking. Sometimes there is no reason other than RuleOfFunny.
13
14	What happens next can also vary. The mistaken person may never be found out ([[SureLetsGoWithThat and he/she may just go with this]]). Sometimes it causes problems for the mistaken person. Sometimes the mistaken thing is revealed to be what it is almost immediately after being praised (often by a character who is TheDitz, so it's pretending to be DumbassHasAPoint and then subverting it).
15
16	A SuperTrope to SeeminglyProfoundFool (when TheFool or TheDitz is constantly mistaken for being profound).
17
18	Compare IceCreamKoan, ComicallyMissingThePoint, MistakenForExhibit, NotActuallyTheUltimateQuestion, and ProfoundByPopSong. When the entire work gets this treatment from the audience, it's EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory.
19
20	[[noreallife]]
21	----
22	!!Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly
23	[[foldercontrol]]
24
25	[[folder:Advertising]]
26	* [[https://vimeo.com/132728629 An Israeli]] UsefulNotes/McDonalds ad where a girl tells her friend she and her boyfriend broke up with a DefenestrateAndBerate moment... then she looks at his face and decides that she overdid it, that she should reconsider it, and calls the boyfriend right away... In reality, the guy's expression is from [[BlazingInfernoHellfireSauce the advertised product]].
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
30	* In ''VideoGame/{{Medabots}}'', a man sitting on the street selling chicks (baby chickens) keeps trying to peddle his birds to protagonist Ikki. Ikki always interprets the man's sales pitches as words of wisdom pertaining to whatever problem he currently has. Occasionally, other characters pass him by when they have trouble and treat him and his speeches the same way Ikki does.
31	* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' makes this a minor RunningGag with [[TheComicallySerious Tenya Iida]], due to his extremely straightforward and honest personality. When he's first introduced he doesn't like [[TheHero Izuku Midoriya]], thinking that the latter isn't taking [[SuperheroSchool U.A.]]'s entrance exam seriously enough. However, Izuku manages to pass the field test by scoring "rescue points" for saving another student in danger, something the students weren't even told about. Iida jumps to the conclusion that Izuku caught onto the SecretTestOfCharacter and is far cleverer than he realized, apologizing for his earlier rudeness and eventually becoming one of Izuku's best friends. Later on, during the Summer Camp arc, when the teachers tell the students that they'll have to make their own meals, Iida assumes it's another form of training[[note]]since heroes have to be ready to comfort the victims of crimes and disasters, and having delicious food is one way of doing so[[/note]] and gets the other students fired up despite being exhausted from the day's physical exercise. The latter case is lampshaded by Aizawa-sensei thinking to himself "Sometimes Iida's pretty useful to have around."
32	* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' in the third season Usagi is at a waltz where some of Mamoru's college buddies are also, they are native English speakers and studying science so Usagi is panicking about her poor language skills and lack of scientific know how being embarrassing. Whilst practising basic English phrases off in the corner to herself she [[UnsuspectinglySoused accidentally picks up a cocktail]] and downs it thinking it's juice trying to calm her nerves... and ends up [[CantHoldHisLiquor utterly plastered from this one drink]]. She then starts wittering on about "The Pudding of Relativity" during a conversation about the theory or relativity and Mamoru's friends think she's coming at the concept from a fresh and novel angle.
33	* In ''Anime/TigerAndBunny,'' [[BlowYouAway Keith]] is going through an emotional slump when he happens to meet a pretty girl (actually a [[spoiler:malfunctioning RobotGirl]]) in the park. As he explains his problem she continually responds "Why?," which he takes to mean that he needs to look deeper inside himself for answers. He gets over his slump and returns to his [[TheAce usual bombastic self]], ironically by [[spoiler:destroying the robot when she goes berserk]].
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder:Comic Books]]
37	* There was an issue of ''Comicbook/GreenLantern'' in which Hal Jordan, while living as a drifter, was working temporarily as a seasonal farmhand. One of the other farmhands was a hippie who told Hal that he mostly "follow[ed] the Dead," which Hal thought was poetic until the man explained that he followed Music/TheGratefulDead on tour.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
41	* In ''Fanfic/MarriageOfHeavenAndHell,'' after winning the first round in the Rating Game with Sairaorg Bael [[spoiler: by breaking the seal on Arondight by punching Sabnock,]] Rahab says "What is steel compared to the hand that wields it?” Hagane considers this statement "surprisingly profound" but Koneko comments that she's [[Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982 "pretty sure that's just a movie quote."]]
42	* ''Fanfic/MassEffectClashOfCivilizations'': As part of a team exploring a space station built by a never before encountered species ([[Franchise/{{Halo}} the UNSC]]).
43	-->(...)Liara (...) was utterly intrigued with the architecture. (...)Every now and then she would see words written on hanging signs, above doorways, and on walls in some strange alien language. Perhaps they were words of great wisdom or knowledge.\
44	''''Restroom Ahead''''\
45	''''Dining to the Left (Kids eat free!)''''\
46	''''Do not spit over docking ledge. Thank you''''
47	* ''Fanfic/QueensOfMewni'': "The crown weighs" is the most well known quote from Helia the Light of Power, said on her coronation day, and is believed to be about TheChainsOfCommanding. Helia was just trying to tell someone her literal coronation crown was heavy.
48	* ''Fanfic/WhiteSheepRWBY'': Happens with Jaune a lot, between him having NoSocialSkills and trying to hide the fact that his mother is an EvilOverlord.
49	** Jaune mentions that his mother says "Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet." Ruby finds this cute. Jaune doesn't mention that the full quote is "Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet or people you need to quickly capture and put in the torture chambers until you know them better," and that his mom generally threw them to the Beowolves once she was done with them.
50	** When Jaune bumps into Weiss, she admonishes him for bothering his "betters." Jaune says his mom said no one is his better. When Weiss is offended, Pyrrha defends him, saying that his mom obviously meant everyone is equal. Jaune mutters that he's ''pretty'' sure that's not what his mom meant.
51	** When the girls ask Jaune [[IControlMyMinionsThrough how his mom rules her "company,"]] Jaune says "fear." When he realizes they're horrified, he backtracks and says she uses love instead. They think he only said fear to shock them and make them more likely to listen to the second part.
52	** Jaune says that his mom always told him he could rule the world if he tried--after he conquered the world, of course. Pyrrha thinks this is a cute joke about how you can do anything if you put in the work. The truth is that his mom just wants him to conquer the world.
53	[[/folder]]
54
55	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
56	* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet'', Ralph joins a book club with his fellow game characters. On ''Literature/NotesFromUnderground'', he says that he does and does not think the author intentionally used UnreliableNarrator as a plot device; Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog takes this to mean Ralph found "duality" in the story, which he finds really deep.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
60	* In ''Film/{{Bean}}'', the foolish {{Manchild}} is mistaken for an art professor and forced to make an improvised speech about Whistler's Mother (he's just a security guard and not a particularly competent one at that - the museum board [[ReassignedToAntarctica were trying to get rid of him]]). The speech is [[BeigeProse very short and lacks any meaningful content]] but it goes down well with the assembled American guests anyway - presumably they assume the speech to be a stuffy British academic [[TakeThat making a dryly comical ribbing]] at their earlier request to avoid a boring lecture on art history.
61	-->'''Mr. Bean''': Hello. I'm Dr. Bean... [[PhonyDegree apparently]], and my job is to sit... and look at paintings. ''[applause]'' So, um, what have I learned that I can say about this painting? Well firstly, [[CaptainObvious it's quite big]]. Which is ''excellent''. Because it was very small, you know, ''microscopic'', then hardly anyone would be able to see it. Which would be a tremendous shame. ''[audience nods in approval]'' And secondly - and I'm getting quite near the end now of this analysis of this painting... w-why was it worth this man here ''[points to General Newton]'' spending fifty million of your American dollars on this portrait? And the answer is... erm, well, this picture is worth such a lot of money because... [[ShapedLikeItself it's a picture of Whistler's mother]]. And as I've learned by [[ThePowerOfFriendship staying with my best friend David Langley and his family]], [[ThePowerOfFamily families are very important]]. ''[David cracks a smile]'' And even though Mr. Whistler was perfectly aware that his mother was a [[ApronMatron hideous old bat who looked like she had a cactus lodged up her backside]] ''[the audience laughs]'' he stuck with her. And even took the time to paint this amazing picture of her. It's not just a painting; it's a picture of a mad old cow who he thought the world of. And that's ''marvellous''... ''[the audience nod together in agreement and approval]'' Well, that's what I think anyway! ''[the audience stand and applaud]''
62	* ''Franchise/BillAndTed'':
63	** Spoofed in ''Film/BillAndTedsBogusJourney'', the boys are able to pass off the lyrics from "[[{{Music/Poison}} Every Rose Has its Thorn]]" as the meaning of life, which earns them access to Heaven.
64	** In ''Film/BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure'', Bill and Ted decide to "recruit" Socrates by "philosophiz[ing] with him", quoting the lyrics to "[[{{Music/Kansas}} Dust in the Wind]]" in pantomime. Socrates is stunned, thinking that the boys agree with what he was saying before they showed up, and says "Of course! Like sands in the hourglass, so are the Series/DaysOfOurLives!" He ends up being so amused that B&T are free to gently lead him back to the time machine while he's laughing his head off.
65	* ''Film/BeingThere'' revolves around the trope. The main character, a middle-aged gardener named "Chance", who has lived the majority of his life at his employer's estate, has no experience with the outside world aside from what he has seen on television, and who may or may not have some sort of mental deficiency, is ''always'' thought of as a genius. Hell, the ending insinuates that some people want him to become the ''president''. For example, when asked about the economy, he simply talks about the seasons in relation to his gardening experience. This is immediately inferred as some sort of profound understanding of the global economy. The best part is that he has ''no idea'' why any of this is happening. He's just a polite man making small talk.
66	* In ''Film/FearOfABlackHat'', Tone Def states, "Because when you take the bus, you get there." His fellow musicians think it's gibberish, but the producer is deeply impressed with this sage wisdom.
67	* ''Film/ForrestGump'': The title character runs for years because he felt like running, not for a particular cause. As part of the same sequence he accidentally coins the phrase "shit happens", but he was literally just referring to some dog shit he didn't see and stepped in.
68	* Brian from ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'', who gained devoted followers that saw anything he said or did as profound, even if they didn't agree on what he meant by them.
69	* ''Film/TalladegaNightsTheBalladOfRickyBobby'': Ricky's aggressive NASCAR racing is heavily influenced by the time his DisappearedDad told him "If you ain't first, [[SecondPlaceIsForLosers you're last]]". When they meet again, the father admits that he was high on drugs at the time, doesn't remember saying it, and thinks it's a stupid idea.
70	* ''Film/ThingsChange'': Gino is just a humble shoeshiner, but when he gets mixed-up in TheMafia, his quiet dignity gets his simple observations about his business and family mistaken for profound statements on how to run a mob empire.
71	* ''Film/AnAmericanPickle'': When Herschel is brought onto a political debate TV show, he makes complaints that he doesn't understand "what's going on," which get interpreted as profound statements about the country's political situation. In reality, he literally has no idea what television is or what is happening around him.
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Jokes]]
75	* A long time ago, the Pope decreed that all Jews must leave Italy unless their best rabbi could beat him in a theological debate. Since the best rabbi at the time couldn't speak Italian, the Pope agreed to hold the whole thing using sign language. During the debate, the Pope held out three fingers to signify the Trinity, which the Rabbi countered by holding one finger, seemingly signifying one God. Then, the Pope pointed around him to signify how God was all around them, which the Rabbi countered by pointing to the ground, seemingly signifying that God was also with them. Then, the Pope brought out his communion wine and wafer to signify God's forgiveness, which the Rabbi answered by bringing out an apple, seemingly signifying the original sin. Impressed, the Pope declared the Jews victorious and allowed them to stay. Later, the Jewish community gathered around the very confused Rabbi to ask him how he won. As it turns out, he had interpreted all of the Pope's signs as insults and responded in kind, only for the Pope to mistake all of them for profound retorts. When he held out one finger in response to the Pope's three, he was actually interpreting the three fingers as three days to leave Italy and [[FlippingTheBird flipped the bird]] in retaliation. When he pointed to the ground in response to the Pope pointing around him, he was interpreting the gesture as "Jews everywhere will be expelled" and pointed to the ground to reply "we are staying right here". Finally, when he brought out the apple, he was actually bringing out his lunch because he thought the Pope was entering a lunch break with his wine and wafer.
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Literature]]
79	* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', ''Literature/WitchesAbroad'' mentions that wisdom from far off appears more profound, which explains why saffron-clad young men tend to pay visits to Ms. Marietta Cosmopolite, an Ankh-Morpork dressmaker. They take the phrases she spouts like "I wasn't born yesterday" and "When it rains, it pours" as koans, and end up inventing a martial art inspired by her that involves shouting at people and hitting them with brooms. ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'' reveals that Lu-Tze of the Time Monks is a follower of "The Way of Ms. Cosmopolite", but it's unclear whether Lu-Tze actually believes it to be profound or not. He seems to find a certain profundity to them, but unlike the other monks, he also knows what they actually mean (he implies at one point that the sheer practicality is ''why'' he thinks they're profound); the other monks try to parse them as koans, which makes them look silly (not that they really need Lu-Tze's help at that).
80	** He ''is'' doing the latter on purpose though; he wrote it all down in a book he carries with him so he can introduce the quotes with "Is it not written..."
81	** Many of her sayings are also coincidentally very similar to things the History Monks' founder said, although the degree varies from "more practical version of the same idea" to "malapropism". For example, she says "no time ''like'' the present" while he says "no time ''but'' the present." As Lu-Tze's importance comes from his knowing all of their tricks and wisdom while not actually being a monk (strictly speaking he's the janitor) the "old woman's common sense" version serves him better.
82	* A large part of ''Literature/TheCityAndTheCity'' revolves around the mystery of 'Orciny', the rumored third city that is manipulating everything from behind the scenes. When Borlú finds Mahalia's copy of ''[[FictionalDocument Between the City and the City]]'', he tries hard to decipher what all the notes she has scribbled in the margins mean. Particularly as they become more frantic and the handwriting is almost visibly angry/frightened. [[spoiler:It is only at the end that he realizes that Mahalia has not been discovering the hidden history of Orciny or the way it controls the cities, but instead that she has discovered that there ''isn't'' an AncientConspiracy. Her notes are just academic references to the other scholars that have already researched and published refutations of the book.]]
83	* ''El Diente Roto'' ("The Broken Tooth"), by Pedro Emilio Coll. After a particularly brutish and dull-witted boy gets one of his teeth [[TheToothHurts shattered]] by a stone thrown at him by some thug, he quickly becomes fixated on palping what's left of it with his tongue. [[OralFixation Constantly]]. The people around him, astonished by his sudden silent and calm behavior, are quick to assume that he's deep in thought, and from there [[SerialEscalation it just keeps on escalating]] from them thinking he's some kind of illuminated philosopher to eventually ''[[EasilyElected getting him voted into office]]''.
84	* The Creator/IsaacAsimov short story "The Immortal Bard" is about a physics professor who invented a time machine that can bring historical figures into the present. Creator/WilliamShakespeare is greatly amused at how much meaning people have managed to extrapolate from his plays where there was none, likening it to wringing a flood out of a damp washcloth. He's decidedly less amused after [[spoiler:he takes a college class all about analyzing his own plays [[DeathOfTheAuthor and fails it]]]].
85	* ''Limbo'', by Bernard Wolfe. The protagonist deserts his post as a surgeon during World War III. He hides out on an island for years and on returning to the AfterTheEnd civilisation is shocked to find that some bitter rantings he left in his diary--that people should volunteer to mutilate themselves instead of fighting wars--have become the basis of a worldwide ideology where people practise self-amputation as a pacifist act, and his impulsive act of desertion is assumed to be a HeroicSacrifice to stop the war that's turned him into a martyr.
86	* ''Literature/TheSecretOfSantaVittoria'': Following the death of UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini the city officials, desperate to avoid the wrath of the oppressed townspeople, proclaim town drunk Bombolini the new mayor after mistaking him for the leaders of the mob. As they start second guessing themselves, they relax when Bombolini walks up to the mob and says something that gets them cheering again. It turns out, all he said was that it was time to drink wine.
87	* Creator/UrsulaKLeGuin's short story "The Silence of the Asonu", part of the ''Literature/ChangingPlanes'' sequence, describes the titular people who, though they have a language, hardly ever speak aloud as adults (and then only to small children). As a result, some people from other cultures have built up a cult around their rare utterances, and read a great deal of mystic significance into them, even though they're as banal as saying "Very good" to a child who has made something.
88	* In ''The Soddit'', a parody of ''Literature/TheHobbit'', Sollum's "riddles" are complicated philosophical conundrums. His attempts at interpreting Bingo's answers (one of which was simply "Yes") as even being ''relevant'' lead him to conclude that Bingo is winning the riddle contest.
89	* In ''Literature/TheWasteLands'', Jake Chambers writes his final essay while losing his mind due to a time paradox. The result is an incoherent mess combining bits of memories from a timeline that never happened with bits of prophecy. Fortunately, his teacher is of the, "[[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible If I don't understand it, it must be brilliant]]" mindset, gives Jake an "A", and says she wants to talk to him about publishing it.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
93	* In an episode of ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'', Harry accidentally chains himself to a tree in a park which is about to be destroyed. This coincidence causes him to get mistaken for a protester:
94	-->'''Protester:''' Hey, man, you want to sign this petition? The town's going to destroy Bates Park.\
95	'''Harry:''' ''[trying to hide his plight]'' Uh, maybe in a little while.\
96	'''Protester:''' There's no time. The dozers are on their way.\
97	'''Harry:''' Okay, I've chained myself to the tree.\
98	''[protesters instantly gather around Harry]''\
99	'''Reporter:''' Sir, sir, excuse me. Is it true you've chained yourself to that tree?\
100	'''Harry:''' Yes, that's exactly what I've done.\
101	'''Reporter:''' So you won't free yourself even though the city bulldozers are on their way?\
102	'''Harry:''' ''[looks down]'' No, I cannot do that.\
103	''[protesters cheer and poor Harry still doesn't understand what's happening]''\
104	'''Reporter:''' He may be an organized protester, he may be a rogue mountain man, but one thing's for sure--he may be a hero.
105	* In an episode of ''Series/BlackBooks'', Fran finds herself in an office job she has no idea how to do (or even what the company does). When she is asked to give a presentation, she bluffs her way through it by spouting faux-profound business-speak cliches. She manages to impress her boss so much she gets promoted.
106	* In ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'', Shawn ends up sitting in on a college philosophy class. When in response to the question, "Why are you here?" he responds "just visiting," everyone takes it as an expression of his belief on the transience of life. This leads Shawn to start thinking that he doesn't need to apply himself in his high school classes anymore, since he's apparently having such an easy time in a college environment. Subverted later on when Cory, who shows up to try and bring Shawn back, tells the professor that he's "just passing through" and gets mocked for seemingly thinking he can pass himself off as profound by spouting {{Ice Cream Koan}}s in class. Shawn is crushed at the end of the episode when his term paper is flunked by the professor, [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome who points out that his lack of knowledge of the basics (from high school) means that his grammatically twisted, illogical and contradictory paper cannot properly express his thoughts]].
107	* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Dawn brings a robot replica of Buffy to a parent-teacher conference rather than reveal that Buffy (her sole legal provider) is dead. The Buffybot naturally makes boneheaded remarks but they are taken at face value.
108	-->'''Buffybot:''' School is where you learn!\
109	'''Teacher:''' Exactly!
110	* ''Series/{{Cheers}}'': when Woody is running for City Council his simple statements are taken as down home country expressions and powerful political messages by reporters.
111	* ''Series/DropTheDeadDonkey''. Some violent doodlings by Joy Merryweather are put on display as artwork, and even she's dubious about why until she discovers the man running the exhibit is bribing an art critic to pass off her "infantile scrawl" as art in a scheme to get into Joy's pants. She gets her revenge by displaying him bound, gagged and naked in his own gallery as an exhibit.
112	* ''Series/ForAllMankind''. When [=NASAs=]' ''Sojourner-1'' manages to safely land on Mars after having rescued the crew of the Soviet Unions' ''Mars-94'', the cameras on the ship are broadcast across the world show both an Astronaut and a Cosmonaut walking off the ship side-by-side before they embrace one-another and collapse onto the Martian surface, serving as a sign of new positive relations between the United States and the Soviet Union ever since Danielle Pooles' famous handshake that had saved the world from armageddon: whom as it turned out was the commander of the ''Sojourner-1'' Mars Mission. In-reality, Danielle Poole and the Russian Commander were actually bickering with one-another over who should be the one to step onto Mars first, and the camera cut out before the two of them began to tussle.
113	* In ''Series/TheGoodPlace'' this is revealed in the fourth episode to be what [[spoiler: Jianyu - real name Jason Mendoza-]] has been doing the whole time. Accidentally put in the [[{{Heaven}} Good Place]], he was offered the perfect cover by being [[spoiler: mistaken for a Buddhist monk who took a vow of silence]], so he just lets everyone else project wisdom on him. If he does say anything the illusion is immediately shattered.
114	* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', "Definitions": Ted shows up to the wrong classroom on his first day as an architecture professor, and misinterprets some of his students' attempts to inform him of this as profound reflections on architecture.
115	-->'''Ted:''' Can anyone here tell me what this class is really all about?\
116	'''Student:''' Uh, Economics?\
117	''(Class roars with laughter)''\
118	'''Ted:''' Don't laugh. He's not - he's not entirely wrong. An architect must be economical in his use of space...
119	* In a ''Series/TheKidsInTheHall'' skit, Mark, Bruce, and Dave are SittingOnTheRoof sharing a bottle of wine and looking at the moon. Mark tells a story about the moon watching him during a teenage romance, and Bruce spontaneously responds with an angry beat poem about the moon laughing down at violence in the Middle East. Dave gradually goes from appreciative to panicked as he realizes he'll be expected to come up with something too. When his turn comes, he just blurts out, "Gee, I wonder who owns that moon," then cringes as he waits for judgement. Bruce and Mark act as though it's deep and congratulate him. Dave just shrugs and the skit ends.
120	* ''Series/LittleLunch'': In "The Band", everyone else in class thinks Rory is meditating and starts emulating him. He is actually suffering a PottyEmergency and his muttering "Mustn't pee my pants" to himself over and over under his breath.
121	* In the ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' sketch about the "poet" Ewan [=MacTeagle=], everybody praises his poetry, even though it's nothing more than some letters asking for money.
122	* An episode of ''Series/MurphyBrown'' has Murphy passing off a painting her infant Avery had created, with the fake name of "A. Very". One critic thought it was brilliant. The other thought it was child scribblings. An art buyer bought it for an obscene amount because the two critics were arguing over it.
123	* In the "Gettysburg" episode of ''[[Series/TheOfficeUS The Office]]'', Kevin complains about the placement of the cookies in the vending machine during a company brainstorming session. Robert California thinks it's a metaphor for a business plan, and winds up congratulating Kevin on his great idea. Everyone else is dumbfounded.
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
127	* The Trash Heap, from ''Series/FraggleRock,'' who gave out random bits of advice that usually worked out this way.
128	[[/folder]]
129
130	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
131	* ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'': {{Invoked\|Trope}} with the Mind spell "The Inescapable Question", which forces the target to stop and ponder a question the caster asks, even if it's an IceCreamKoan or something totally inane.
132	[[/folder]]
133
134	[[folder:Theater]]
135	* In ''The Theatre/FarndaleAvenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society Production of Macbeth'', the show within the show is being adjudicated for a drama festival, which adds to the tension when anything that can possibly go wrong does. However, when the adjudicator gets up to speak at the end, he's very pleased with what he's seen, having interpreted every catastrophe as a deliberate artistic decision that deepens the play.
136	* In ''Theatre/TheSpongebobMusical'', a flock of sardines becomes obsessed with Patrick, hanging on to his every word and eventually declaring him ([[GospelRevivalNumber in song]], no less) their "Super Sea Star Savior".
137	[[/folder]]
138
139	[[folder:Video Games]]
140	* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', Riften's court wizard Wylandriah is preoccupied with a magical conundrum. If you ask her about it, she'll ask for your opinion. As you go through the dialogue tree, you can either tell you her you don't know what she's talking about or offer nonsense. She interprets the nonsense as a fresh perspective on her problem, even if you told her to use "the blue thing."
141	** Similarly, when impersonating the [[spoiler:Gourmet]], you can instruct the chef Gianna to add ingredients such as vampire dust, a giant's toe and a gold coin to the stew, to which she interprets as creating a distinct flavor.
142	* In ''VideoGame/Fallout3'', you can encounter Harold, an FEV mutant who's effectively become a [[WiseTree living tree]] and is [[CargoCult worshiped as a god]] by a group of environmentalists. When the [[PlayerCharacter Lone Wanderer]] shows up, Harold is just happy to meet someone who actually listens to what he says instead of interpreting all his words as some kind of existential riddle. Especially since what he's been saying for ages is "[[ICannotSelfTerminate Please kill me]]."
143	* In ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', defeating Sir Roderick Ponce Von Fontlebottom the Magnificent Bastard in debate and combat will net you a pick of several rewards, one being a "Manual of Trepanation". Since the idea of drilling holes in your own head is patently absurd, you assume it's intended to be metaphorical and use it as basis for a meditative technique, boosting your spirit stat.
144	* ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry6ShapeUpOrSlipOut'': Shamara takes basically everything Larry says or does as if it were infinitely deeper and more thoughtful than it actually is.
145	%%* In ''Videogame/Portal2'' when [=GLaDOS=] finds inspiration in the insane ramblings of Cave Johnson, especially when he makes a rant about how when life gives you lemons, you should burn life's house down. [Is this really an example? Doesn't [=GLaDOS=] know perfectly well what Cave means, and happen to take inspiration from that because she's sort-of insane too?]
146	* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'': The Queen of Agnus is a legendary feature in both nations, essentially the Agnian GodEmperor. Therefore, everyone assumes that everything out of her mouth is layered with meaning. In fairness, most of what she says ''is'' rather profound and meaningful, but underneath it all she's still the foul-mouthed street girl she was long ago. At one point, she flat-out tells the party she has no idea what they should do next; they figure it out on their own, and assume that was all part of her plan.
147	-->'''Sena:''' You knew we'd be coming back though, right? It's all part of your grand design, yeah? "The future must be sculpted with one's own hands." Something like that?\
148	''[Sena stares at the Queen wide-eyed with excitement; the Queen stares back uncomfortably]''\
149	'''Queen of Agnus:''' R-right, certainly. The future isn't something you can just be given. You do have to reach for it with your own hands. Yes.
150	[[/folder]]
151
152	[[folder:Web Comics]]
153	%%* The audience at Pat's performance in [[http://achewood.com/index.php?date=10062003 this]] strip of ''Webcomic/{{Achewood}}''.
154	* In ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' a robot [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff3100/fc03080.htm misinterprets]] Sam's attempt to steal from him as commentary on humans and the nature of greed. Possibly subverted in that the next comic implies that that may well have [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff3100/fc03081.htm actually been Sam's intention]], and his denial was part of the lesson he was trying to teach.
155	%%* In ''Webcomic/KoanOfTheDay'', this [[http://www.koanoftheday.com/17/ has happened]] in [[http://www.koanoftheday.com/2/ several koans]].
156	%%* [[http://nonadventures.com/2006/09/23/lucy-in-the-sky-with-genocide/ This strip]] of ''Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella''.
157	* ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'': In his attempts to be a "teacher", Saitama will often say things that will be taken for this from [[TheComicallySerious Genos]].
158	* In ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'', [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/07/12 Gabe's password recovery question]] "What is delicious?" seemingly causes Tycho to go through an existential crisis. Then Gabe remembers: "It's candy. Candy is delicious."
159	[[/folder]]
160
161	[[folder:WebOriginal]]
162	* ''WebVideo/GodsOfFood'' shows Pak Jang-Mi, a Buddhist monk who is repeatedly subject to this and wishes people would understand when she says "This is not a restaurant," "I am not a chef," and "Pick up your trash," she's being entirely literal because the temple is overrun by obnoxious tourists who litter everywhere, steal the flowers and treat it like a trendy restaurant.
163	* ''WebVideo/LasagnaCat'' episode [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAh9oLs67Cw 07/27/1978]] revolves around a man who thinks a(n incredibly banal) [[https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61vKWKZe+1L._AC_SY355_.jpg three-panel Garfield strip]] is the most profound artistic statement in human history, and he spends an hour detailing his lifelong journey to uncover whatever spiritual and philosophical meaning Jim Davis poured into it. The lecture spans from the beginning of the universe to the final state of entropy, and he firmly believes that ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' holds the secrets to understanding God and man.
164	* In [[https://lparchive.org/Phantasy-Star-2/Update%2032/ part 32]] of Thuryl's narrative-style LetsPlay of ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarII'', Rolf meets Lutz (aka Noah), a main character in the original ''Phantasy Star''. Rolf repeatedly asks for ancient wisdom from Lutz, who Thuryl characterized in the previous game as naive and awkward due to lack of social interaction. When Lutz tries to think of advice, all he can come up with is retelling events that happened during his own adventure. Rolf interprets each statement as a metaphor with deeper meaning.
165	[[/folder]]
166
167	[[folder:Western Animation]]
168	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'':
169	** This happens relatively often, usually only between the least intelligent members of the cast. For example, [[DumbJock Kevin]] and [[DumbBlonde Brittany]] telling each other how smart they are, [[AlphaBitch Sandi]] telling [[LovableAlphaBitch Quinn]] that she's deep, and [[FakeBand Mystic Spiral]] [[IceCreamKoan lyrics]].
170	** One episode, "Quinn the Brain," centered around most of the school deciding that Quinn was smart and deep, and her trying to act that way as a result (and thus annoying Daria to no end). There was a ResetButton at the end, though ironically Quinn would legitimately go on to [[CharacterDevelopment gain a boost of intelligence]] in later seasons.
171	** [[TheSnarkKnight Daria]] herself can get this, oddly enough, when she makes a sarcastic comment that people take literally (or as a suggestion for some school activity):
172	--->'''[[HippieTeacher Mr. O'Neill]]:''' Now, why do you think it is that Tolstoy felt he had to make ''Literature/WarAndPeace'' so darned...unpleasant? Daria?\
173	'''Daria:''' [[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun So no one would pester him to do a sequel]]?\
174	'''Mr. O'Neill:''' ''(thoughtful)'' Hmm...
175	* ''WesternAnimation/DcSuperheroGirls'': Karen (Bumblebee) is trying to tell Jessica (Green Lantern) that the Super Villain Girls are planting a bomb on the bridge into town so Harley Quinn won't have to take a math test tomorrow. [[GranolaGirl Jess]] believes "There's a bomb on the bridge" is a perfect metaphor in favor of vegetarianism, and incorporates it into her protest of the Burrito Bucket restaurant.
176	* On ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy,'' [[CloudCuckoolander Fred Fredburger]] has to cast the deciding vote about whether [[TheDitz Billy]] or [[EnfantTerrible Mandy]] is [[TheGrimReaper Grim's]] true master. [[MathematiciansAnswer He replies yes]], which the judge takes as profound wisdom about how the two friends shouldn't be forced to split up in the first place.
177	* In ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'':
178	** In "Brain Drain", a bunch of goth kids mistake Doofenshmirtz's line "there's a platypus controlling me" as a metaphor for whatever is keeping you down, when he really means [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin there's a platypus controlling him.]]
179	** In "She's the Mayor", Candace wins the Mayor for a Day contest because the judges assumed "Why My Little Brothers Should Be Busted" was a political metaphor.
180	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'': In "Impeach Fuzz", Mayor is running for reelection, spouting his usual, tired lines even though he always runs unopposed. Fuzzy Lumpkins gets tired of Mayor's shouting to the crowd interrupting his sleep, so he yells "SHUT UP!", and people act like it's the best campaign slogan ever. Cue Fuzzy getting elected mayor and making a mess of Townsville.
181	* On ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'', Peggy's father is a senile Montana cowboy whose meaningless ramblings Hank takes as "cowboy wisdom."
182	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
183	** In the episode "Bart's Inner Child", self-help guru Brad Goodman convinces the entire town of Springfield to copy Bart's mantra of "I do what I feel like".
184	** Also in "Simpson Tide", where Homer enrolls in the Naval Reserve and his captain takes an immediate shine to him, inviting him to eat at the captain's table.
185	--->'''Capt. Tenille:''' Tell me, young man, what do you want out of life?\
186	'''Homer:''' ''(reaching for a bowl of peas)'' I want peas!\
187	'''Capt. Tenille:''' We all want [[FunWithHomophones peace]]! But it's always just out of reach.\
188	'''Homer:''' ''(sadly)'' Uh huh...\
189	'''Capt. Tenille:''' So, what's the best way to get peace?\
190	'''Homer:''' ''(uses his knife to retrieve some peas)'' With a knife!\
191	'''Capt. Tenille:''' Exactly! Not with the olive branch, but the bayonet! Ha, ha, Simpson, you're like the son I never had.\
192	'''Homer:''' And you're like the father I never visit.
193	* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "The Tale of Scrotie [=McBoogerballs=]", the boys are excited to read ''Literature/TheCatcherInTheRye'' after hearing [[StreisandEffect it used to be banned]], but are left disappointed when they don't find the book very controversial or offensive at all. So they decide to write their ''own'' book, one that ''deserves'' to be banned, intentionally crafted to be the most disgusting and most offensive piece of literature ever written. It's so disgusting that when the adults read it, none of them can make it through a single sentence without [[VomitIndiscretionShot violently puking their guts out]]. However, the adults all have the mindset that EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory, and misinterpret all of the disgusting imagery as extremely profound symbolism (that just so happens to align with their own political views), and the book is regarded as the most ''brilliant'' piece of literature ever written.
194	* The entire premise of the ''WesternAnimation/TazMania'' episode "Ask Taz". Bushwhacker Bob has Taz scrubbing the floor at the hotel. A senator on vacation asks Bob for cruise advice and hears Taz grumbling "Taz hate water." Just then, the television reports that the cruise ship has sunk. Feeling lucky, the senator then asks Taz's advice on a flood bill. The senator takes "Taz hate water" to mean Taz approves of the bill and compliments him on his genius. Bob stirkes at this business opportunity and quickly sets up an "Ask Taz" booth. The phones ring off the hook and Taz diligently answers them "Taz hate water" while still trying to perform his regular job as bellhop. When Taz is offered a television show, Bob craves the proceeds. Taz uses this as leverage to make Bob do some work. The show is a hit, with Taz answering "Taz hate water" to every question.
195	[[/folder]]

Context Main / MistakenForProfound