| 1 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1386191252063404600 |
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| 4 | [[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/AsurasWrath https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/asuras_wrath_-_gongen_wyzen_poke_4897.jpg]]]] |
| 5 | [[caption-width-right:350:'''[[BringIt COME ON!]]''']] |
| 6 | |
| 7 | ->''"Fine! The gloves are off, pal! C'mon, lemme see a little wrath! Smite me, O mighty smiter! You're the one who should be fired! The only one around here not doing his job is '''you'''! '''ANSWER ME!'''"'' |
| 8 | -->-- '''[[Creator/JimCarrey Bruce Nolan]]''', ''Film/BruceAlmighty'' |
| 9 | |
| 10 | Our character has had a bad -- ''really bad'' -- day/episode/life. Things keep going wrong, ranging from a bad day of training to failing to stop TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. It seems like nothing can help them short of a great DeusExMachina, but it's failed to come. They've already kicked in a few doors, punched a few walls, had their fit of UnstoppableRage, and told everyone to LeaveMeAlone |
| 11 | |
| 12 | They've been patient and persevering long enough. Now they break down, turn their face to the sky, and unleash all their frustration and anguish at the highest up of the PowersThatBe, most easily interpreted as {{God}}, demanding an answer. "Is that all you've got? Come on, I can take more! ''Smite Me, O Mighty Smiter!''" Twice as likely to occur along with pouring [[RedemptionInTheRain rain]], [[DramaticThunder thunder]], and [[LightningReveal lightning]]. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | Sometimes, they get an answer. Sometimes, they'll [[BoltOfDivineRetribution wish they hadn't]]. Sometimes, no answer makes for more drama than any answer could. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | A notable subtrope is when the character involved is implied or explicitly an [[HollywoodAtheist atheist]] and they [[IWouldSayIfICouldSay refer to this fact pretty much in the same sentence.]] A SisterTrope is ReligiousRussianRoulette, where the character instead threatens to become an atheist unless God/whoever gives them an answer. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Indiscriminate by time, culture, religion, and even age demographic. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | [[TruthInTelevision We've all had]] [[http://www.livescience.com/10391-god-rage-anger-almighty-common.html one of those days.]] See also ClifftopCaterwauling, CrisisOfFaith, RageAgainstTheHeavens. Compare DivinePunishment, when the Almighty really does lay down some judgment. Compare and contrast PrayerOfMalice, when the character asks God to smite someone else. |
| 21 | ---- |
| 22 | !!Examples |
| 23 | |
| 24 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 25 | |
| 26 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 27 | * In ''Anime/TheGirlWhoLeaptThroughSpace'', Tsutsuji Baba challenges God (or "fate") to smite her soon after landing on Earth. [[spoiler:Nothing happens... and it fills her with overwhelming self-confidence.]] The whole scene may be a ShoutOut to ''Higurashi''. |
| 28 | * In ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'', the young [[spoiler:Miyo Takano]], running away from her orphanage, starts yelling at God to either strike her dead or give her a better life. God responds by hitting the tree she's standing under with lightning. [[spoiler: She gets to return the favour at the end of the series.]] |
| 29 | ** Takano once met the spirit of Hinamizawa's shrine, who spoke with great vengefulness against Takano's merciless, ill-guided will. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhpn5NA3iyA And what was Takano's response to the god's impertinence?]] |
| 30 | --->[[spoiler:"I'll drag your ass off your 'divine pedestal'!"]] |
| 31 | [[/folder]] |
| 32 | |
| 33 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 34 | * In Eisner's classic graphic novel ''ComicBook/AContractWithGod'', lifelong good Jewish boy Frimme Hirsch feels God has violated their agreement by allowing his adopted child to die. He rages at God while a storm batters his home. The lightning and noise seem to be God's angry responses to Frimme's accusations. |
| 35 | * Comicbook/TheMightyThor resorts to daring Zeus to do so, after losing in a duel where Zeus intended to humble Thor by showing him the difference between a "mere" god and a sky father.[[spoiler:Zeus had no intention of killing Thor, as Thor's father Odin is a political ally of his]]. |
| 36 | * Part of the origin of the [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Blue Lantern]] Saint Walker. After reaching the end of a spiritual journey that cost the lives of his entire family, he demanded that God show him the Messiah. A lightning bolt illuminated his own reflection on a slab of stone. |
| 37 | * Minor example in an issue of JLA. ComicBook/PlasticMan has just been called out by Franchise/{{Batman}} for being a coward because he won't face his illegitimate son. After Batman leaves, the dejected Plas looks up and realizes he's standing near a billboard advertising Rubber Chickens. His reaction: "Rubber chicken. I get it. Good one, God." |
| 38 | * ''ComicBook/WonderWoman2011'' sees Wonder Woman imprison [[AdaptationalVillainy Donna Troy]] to stop Donna from [[DeathSeeker committing suicide]] after she learns [[LaserGuidedTykeBomb her entire purpose for being]] is [[IrrationalHatred wrong]]. An Olympian goddess annoyed with Wonder Woman decides to spite her by letting Donna Troy out, at which point Donna immediately seeks out The Fates and demands they cut her thread. Turns out Donna's creators didn't actually invoke anything related to the Grecoroman divinities as previously believed and she has no thread to cut. |
| 39 | [[/folder]] |
| 40 | |
| 41 | [[folder:Comic Strips]] |
| 42 | * ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' had an excellent example of this trope. [[http://manishchawley.com/calvin-hobbes/ch910317.gif The universe has an attitude, Mom!]] |
| 43 | * It's not quite the same thing, but a ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' strip had Linus doing one of his annual Halloween vigils in the pumpkin patch, beseeching the Great Pumpkin to show himself, vindicate his faith, etc. In his frustration, he finally blurts out, ''"Show up, stupid!"''...then clamps his hands over his mouth in horror. |
| 44 | * In ''ComicStrip/PricklyCity'', Winston demands "Why?" on a cliff. (Answer: "Why not?") |
| 45 | * ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' had a strip where he proclaimed "And if I'm lying may lightning... (pause to consider what he says) ...strike the dog next door!" |
| 46 | --> '''KRA-KOOM!'''\ |
| 47 | '''Dog:''' YIPE! |
| 48 | ** In [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1983/10/16 another strip,]] Garfield gets progressively angrier at Odie's blithe happiness, insulting him more and more. When he finally reaches the end of his patience, he looks upward and shouts "Who could possibly love a grinning idiot like you?" It promptly begins to rain...on everything ''except'' Odie. Garfield's not amused: "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" |
| 49 | [[/folder]] |
| 50 | |
| 51 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 52 | * In ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'', Olga falls ill during the journey back to Ken, and Chloe gives a DeathGlare to Kyril as though it is his fault that her liege lady is sick. Kyril proceeds to [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] this trope. |
| 53 | -->''"What else was he supposed to do? Yell at the gods to make them feel better? Like that ever worked."'' |
| 54 | [[/folder]] |
| 55 | |
| 56 | [[folder:Films -- Animated]] |
| 57 | * In ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lorax|2012}}'' film, when the Lorax confronts the Once-Ler about the latter's big business at the expense of nature, the Once-Ler sarcastically asks why the Lorax simply didn't stop him with the 'nature's curse' the Lorax mentioned when they first met. The Lorax morosely responds "It doesn't work that way." Minutes later, the last truffula tree is chopped down, marking an end to thneed production. The Once-Ler's business goes down the pits, his employees abandon him, the Lorax just lifts himself away, and all the Once-Ler has to show for his efforts is a dilapidated house where he seals himself up for several decades until a random kid wanders by asking about trees. |
| 58 | [[/folder]] |
| 59 | |
| 60 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 61 | * The TropeNamer is a line from the movie ''Film/BruceAlmighty'', where {{God}}'s answer boils down to [[LetsSeeYouDoBetter "Let's See YOU Do Better"]] when he temporarily gives Bruce his powers. Incidentally when God recounts his "Smite Me, O Mighty Smiter" statement he admits that, while he's not one for blasphemy, it did [[ActuallyPrettyFunny make him laugh]]. |
| 62 | * Also appears in a dramatic context in ''Film/TheTrumanShow'', where Truman, realizing some personal force controls the world and has sent a storm to destroy him personally, shakes his fist in angry defiance. Notably, like in ''Film/BruceAlmighty'' (but predating it), Creator/JimCarrey, playing the protagonist, delivered the lines. |
| 63 | -->'''Truman:''' Is that the best you can do? You're gonna have to KILL ME! |
| 64 | * In the film, ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'' gets an answer when his love, Liz Sherman, has her soul taken by... [[CosmicHorror something]]. He whispers that if she dies, he will cross over to their dimension and get her back. And ''then'' they'll "be sorry". [[spoiler:She's promptly resurrected.]] |
| 65 | * In ''The Odyssey'', based on the epic by Creator/{{Homer}}, Odysseus yells a challenge to Poseidon when, after 10 years of facing all sorts of obstacles at sea trying to get home, the sea god sends a storm that sinks his raft and leaves him floating on a log in the ocean. Since Poseidon really has been out to get him for 10 years, ItsPersonal. |
| 66 | * Bethany has one of these scenes at a lake during ''Film/{{Dogma}}'' when she discovers the truth about her mission. An angel promptly tells her that God (due to extenuating circumstances) can't hear her, but ''he'' sympathizes with her ordeal. |
| 67 | * In ''Film/{{Caddyshack}}'', a golfer (and priest) is provoked by a ruined game to yell "[[UnusualEuphemism Ratfarts]]!" at the heavens. He's promptly [[BoltOfDivineRetribution struck by lightning]], and his caddy, Carl, slinks away. The music that plays in this scene is God's theme from ''Film/TheTenCommandments1956'', which featured the same actor (Henry Wilcoxon) and composer (Elmer Bernstein). |
| 68 | * Subverted in ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'' when Conan actually prays to Crom for the first time--rather than curse him out, he just asks for his desire, or for Crom to go to Hell. Whatever. |
| 69 | * In ''Film/AtMidnightIllTakeYourSoul'', main character Coffin Joe has a raving episode during a thunderstorm, daring God to strike him. |
| 70 | * In ''Film/ForrestGump'', the embittered, crippled lieutenant Dan rides out Hurricane Carmen clinging to the mast of a small boat, challenging the lightning and waves to kill him. The twist is that after the storm, Dan thanks Gump for saving his life and promptly jumps over the side. Gump rushes to the side, convinced that his friend had committed suicide, but it turns out that he was merely swimming. Gump notes in retrospect that it showed Dan made his peace with God. |
| 71 | * Occurs in ''Film/MontyPythonsTheMeaningOfLife'': a military recruiter says, after showing a documentary film, "That is why we will always need an army, and may God strike me down were it to be otherwise." [[TemptingFate And, lo and behold...]] |
| 72 | -->'''[[DrillSergeantNasty Sergeant Major:]]''' ''Don't stand there GAW-KIN', like you've nevuh seen the 'and of God before! |
| 73 | * Shown with an aftermath in ''Film/{{Nightbreed}}'', the film of Clive Barker's CABAL--A badly fallen priest is dragged along for the ride when the rednecks go after the Nightbreed, and when he manages to splash the Shattered God's transformative baptism over himself, he winds up in the ruins of the Breed's old home, reviving Cabal's nemesis and vowing revenge: "Their God burned me. I want to burn him back!" |
| 74 | * ''Film/TheEndOfTheAffair'' is framed around a "diary of hate" that the main character directs at God, who he sees as the main force coming between him and his lover Sarah. At the end of the movie, after seeing Sarah die shortly after resuming an affair that she promised God she would end forever, he curses God "as though (he) existed". |
| 75 | * In ''Film/CoolHandLuke'', the atheist subtrope is used, in the rain, during a thunderstorm. |
| 76 | * In ''Joan of Arc'' (the one with Creator/LeeleeSobieski and Creator/NeilPatrickHarris) Joan kneels at an altar after losing a major battle, begging God to tell her what she did wrong, and when she gets no reply, she snaps and screams, ''"[[TearJerker Why won't you answer me?!]]"'' |
| 77 | * ''Film/ThePoseidonAdventure'': Here you have Rev. Scott (Gene Hackman) who has never lost his faith in God, who believes that the Lord loves people who can work it out themselves. He tries everything to help save his friends from the capsizing ship - resulting in the death of three, but he never turns a blind eye. However, when a steam valve is blocking the only way out, he finally snaps and tells God off while trying to shut the valve off. [[spoiler: He dies right after but his effort saved the remaining members of the group.]] |
| 78 | * Invoked in the 1983 remake of ''Film/{{Scarface|1983}}'', where a restriction of jobs to kitchen duty turns a Cuban American into a drug kingpin. And again in a [[ClusterFbomb profanity-laced]] version when [[spoiler: he yells at his attackers in the finale during the mansion siege, just before he himself gets killed by an assassin behind him.]] |
| 79 | * This trope is one of Martin Riggs standard operating procedures in ''Film/LethalWeapon.'' |
| 80 | -->'''Roger Murtaugh:''' "God hates me." |
| 81 | -->'''Martin Riggs:''' (seriously) "Hate him back. It works for me." |
| 82 | * ''Film/TheHungerGamesCatchingFire'' has Johanna doing this not to God, but the organizers of the DeadlyGame. |
| 83 | -->Hey, how does that sound Snow? What if we, what if we set your backyard on fire? ''You know you can't put everybody in here!'' |
| 84 | * ''Film/XMenApocalypse''. Erik Lehnsherr has put aside his Magneto persona and tried to live a normal life among humans, but his wife and daughter are accidentally killed by the police after his true identity is revealed. Erik slaughters the policemen in a rage, then clutches the bodies of his family and shouts skywards, "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME!? Is this what I am!?" Getting no answer, he decides ThenLetMeBeEvil should apply. |
| 85 | [[/folder]] |
| 86 | |
| 87 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 88 | * The early SF novel ''Literature/{{Gladiator}}'' (best known today for being one of the inspirations for ''Superman'') ends with a note that Hugo Danner, frustrated with his the uselessness of his superhuman powers to improve the world, climbed to the top of a Mayan pyramid and began cursing at God; he was immediately struck dead by lightning, possibly the only thing that could have killed him. |
| 89 | * In ''Literature/TheMasterAndMargarita'', or, more specifically, in the Master's novel about Pontius Pilate, Matthew Levi, angry at God for denying Yeshua a quick and painless death, screams: "I curse you, God!" He then expects God to smite him on the spot, but nothing happens. A storm does come, which causes the guards to leave and kill the crucified before they leave, providing, indirectly, a somewhat quick death. |
| 90 | * On the Literature/{{Discworld}}, this kind of thing will get a quick response, because the gods are real, impatient, and trigger happy. As a Discworld bartender who services philosophers explains, "We get that in here some nights, when someone's had a few. Cosmic speculation about whether gods really exist. Next thing, there's a bolt of lightning through the roof with a note wrapped around it saying 'Yes, we do' and a pair of sandals with smoke coming out." |
| 91 | ** This works significantly less well on the atheist golem Dorfl, who, being ceramic, is not particularly vulnerable to bolts of lightning and regards them as a rather poor substitute for rational argument. |
| 92 | *** And then there's "Charcoal Abraxas": |
| 93 | ----> "Gods like an atheist once in a while; it gives them something to aim at" |
| 94 | ** They actually appreciate the really angry type of atheist (as opposed to the philosophical ones mentioned earlier), since all that rage against them for not existing is almost better than belief and worship. Om, at the end of ''Literature/SmallGods'', was favorably impressed when a character declared his atheism before the obvious incarnation of his god. |
| 95 | --->'''Simony:''' Don't think you can get round me by existing! |
| 96 | *** A priest who'd lost his faith in the ''VideoGame/DiscworldNoir'' video game actually went one better than Simony, [[spoiler:proclaiming that no god was deserving of mortals' worship or trust ''from the top of the dome of the Temple of Small Gods''. Even Death said he was impressed by this performance, when he came to collect the guy after the inevitable Cluster Lightning Strike.]] |
| 97 | ** Rincewind once compared Twoflower's ability to attract mayhem to the lightning-attracting ability of someone standing on a hilltop in a thunderstorm wearing wet copper armor and shouting "All gods are bastards!" |
| 98 | * Happens to Lister in the Series/RedDwarf novel ''Better Than Life''. First he is marooned on a strange planet covered with garbage, by himself and with no food. Then he is almost killed (and has his earlobe burnt off) by concentrated acid rain. Then it starts raining oil. And then he discovers that [[spoiler:the planet is actually Earth, turned into a planetwide garbage dump]]. Then an earthquake cracks open the ground directly under him. This leads him to the conclusion that the planet itself is trying to kill him [[spoiler:for being one of the species that trashed it]], and he shouts to the sky "Do it, then! Come on - kill me!" [[spoiler:A bit different to normal in that he doesn't get an answer until he desperately offers to rebuild the planet, at which point the earthquake stops and it begins raining proper water.]] |
| 99 | * The ending of ''Literature/CatsCradle'', by Creator/KurtVonnegut. [[spoiler:After the entire planet is turned to Ice-9 and humanity is dying, the protagonist runs into the philosopher Bokonon. He asks him what he is doing, and Bokonon replies he is writing the end of the Books of Bokonon. The final sentence goes as follows: "If I were a younger man, I would write a history of human stupidity; and I would climb to the top of Mount [=McCabe=] and lie down on my back with my history for a pillow; and I would take from the ground some of the blue-white poison that makes statues of men; and I would make a statue of myself, lying on my back, grinning horribly, and thumbing my nose at You Know Who."]] |
| 100 | * ''Literature/{{Frankenstein}}'': Homeward bound from Ingolstadt, depressed Victor walks outside into a thunderstorm one night, and screams at the sky. |
| 101 | * In ''Literature/TheLongDarkTeaTimeOfTheSoul'', after a series of successively more bizarre and unpleasant coincidences, Dirk Gently spends a night on the roof of his house, shaking his fist at the sky and yelling "Stop it!" The neighbors complain. |
| 102 | * This sums up Mau's feelings in Terry Pratchett's ''Literature/{{Nation}}'' when his island is destroyed by a tidal wave and leaves him sole survivor of his people. The fact that the spirits of the Grandfathers constantly shout in Mau's head telling him to perform ceremonies for the gods he's come to despise doesn't help. Daphne's father, as well, was angry enough at one point that he felt it necessary to grant ''God'' absolution. |
| 103 | * In the catalyzing event of the Creator/SpiderRobinson novel ''Literature/VeryBadDeaths,'' a serial killer thinks he's about to die and engages in a defiant harangue of God...and a telepath overhears. |
| 104 | * In ''The Crow Road'' by Creator/IainBanks, one particularly ''devout'' atheist demands that if god exists, he should strike him down, complete with much swearing and finally an attempt to climb a church. By the lightning conductor. In a storm. The result horrifies a religious witness, leading him to believe that the god he believed in was far more cruel and vengeful than he'd imagined. |
| 105 | * Happens in the beginning of ''Literature/TheEmigrants'' by Vilhelm Moberg. It's a bad year for the crops. Karl-Oskar and his wife have been working hard for six weeks to harvest the hay, but they still haven't been able to scrape together enough to get their cow to survive winter. Karl-Oskar throws a wisp of hay towards heaven: "If You've taken almost all our hay, why don't You take the rest as well!". Later, [[BoltOfDivineRetribution when a thunderstorm alights in their hayshed]], the wife sternly reminds Karl-Oskar of his blasphemy. |
| 106 | * Inverted in the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series. In the {{backstory}} to the ''Mage Storms'' trilogy, the violently theocratic Karsites abruptly [[HeelFaceTurn clean up their act]] and sue for alliance with Valdemar after their deity, Sunlord Vkandis, takes it upon himself to actually answer an invocation during the country's annual high holy ceremonies... with a BoltOfDivineRetribution which incinerated the thoroughly corrupt high priest of their religion (and that was just for starters). |
| 107 | * In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' novel ''Literature/{{IQ}}'', Q has one of these: |
| 108 | -->"'''I, Q, defy you to the last, and if you think you can stop me just by destroying the universe, I'm here to tell you you'll have to do better than that!'''" |
| 109 | * The protagonist of ''Literature/ColasBreugnon'', while normally on good terms with God, gets very angry when his grand-daughter is slowly dying from ThePlague despite his desperate prayers, and tells God that in that case he'll ask "different masters" for help - he means a pagan ritual. |
| 110 | * ''Literature/TillWeHaveFaces'' is written as Orual's accusation and defiance of the gods. |
| 111 | * In the Literature/BookOfJob {{Satan}} accuses God of unfairly favoring Job, and insists that if should Job lose his possessions, the human would turn instantly away. God grants Satan permission to divorce Job and his possessions (here including his family), and Job is eventually left wallowing in ruin in the streets. The book is spent at first by Job insisting that he is guiltless of any personal sin on his own part, contrary to the suggestions of his [[WithFriendsLikeThese friends]], though is later rebuked by Eliu (who also rebukes the friends for being [[JerkAss assholes]]). At the end of the book, {{God}} Himself steps down and, while He ultimately restores Job to double his wealth, takes a fair bit of time [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech chewing him out]], which provides us with the interesting situation of [[RageAgainstTheHeavens The Heavens Raging Back]]. Oh, and did you know this is considered the oldest book of the Bible? |
| 112 | ** As for his three friends, God also rebukes ''them'', telling them that He'll listen to ''Job's'' prayers on their behalf. |
| 113 | * Richard Wright's autobiography ''Literature/BlackBoy'' reports a communist ordering the Lord to strike him dead. He uses his continued life as evidence against God. |
| 114 | * In the Literature/LeftBehind book series, both Nicolae Carpathia and Leon Fortunato have separately challenged God to strike them dead to prove that He is truly God. God doesn't respond to either of their challenges, since [[PropheciesAreAlwaysRight they are permitted to live only to face judgment]] at the end of the Battle of Armageddon by Jesus Christ before they are sent to the Lake Of Fire. |
| 115 | * ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': When Euron Greyjoy [[EnfantTerrible was a child]], after murdering his half-brother, he pissed into the ocean and dared the Drowned God to strike him down for kinslaying, [[KinslayingIsASpecialKindOfEvil the worst sin a person can commit in virtually every faith]]. When neither the Drowned God nor any other god did, Euron took it as proof that the gods and their morality systems were lies, only being limitations by men. Rather than despair, his reaction was ecstatic as it gave him free reign to indulge in all of his depravities ([[TheSociopath which are limitless]]). It's implied Euron's desire to become a god himself would be the final, ultimate insult towards the world's various beliefs. |
| 116 | * In ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', Szeth-Son-Son-Vallano spends half a page screaming at the sun, which his people worship as the supreme deity. |
| 117 | * Literature/JohnRain does a low-key version a couple of times when he's carried out a [[HitmanWithAHeart particularly morally dubious hit]]. |
| 118 | [[/folder]] |
| 119 | |
| 120 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 121 | * ''Series/GameOfThrones'': In the Stormlands, the Storm Kings of old had this sort of relationship with their Storm God, and it was this attitude the fueled the creation of Storm's End, it being a castle that was repeatedly destroyed by the weather but continued to be rebuilt out of sheer mule-headed stubbornness until they built one that finally could withstand the beating. |
| 122 | * In the episode "A Single Drop of Rain" of ''Series/QuantumLeap'', Sam (who has leaped into the life of a con man who claims to be a [[SnakeOilSalesman rainmaker]]), does everything he can to help a drought-stricken community, to no avail. He spends time haranguing God before it finally rains: |
| 123 | -->'''Sam:''' I don't know who's runnin' this show. I don't know why I was chosen. I bounce around from place to place. I do everything I'm supposed to do, at least the best way I can, but I don't know how to do this one. I mean, you gotta help me. I figure you owe me, for a couple of times, anyway. You make it rain. You hear me? You make it rain! |
| 124 | * One episode of the surrealist comedy show ''Series/UprightCitizensBrigade'' features Captain Lunatic, a police detective who ''constantly'' does this. At the end of the episode, he gazes into the Bucket of Truth, which has sent everybody else who's looked in it running away screaming, then looks up at the heavens and shouts, "Don't you think I know that?!" |
| 125 | * In the second-season finale of ''Series/TheWestWing'', President Bartlet has already had more than enough, and then his personal secretary dies in a random traffic accident. After buying her first ever brand-new car. After her funeral in the National Cathedral, he has the Secret Service seal the room and turns to the dais. He opens with "You're a son of a bitch, you know that?" and continues in both English ("You feckless thug") and untranslated (and unsubtitled) Latin. |
| 126 | -->''"Haec credam a deo pio? A deo iusto? A deo scito? Cruciatus in crucem! Tuus in terra servus, nuntius fui; officium perfeci. Cruciatus in crucem! Eas in crucem!" ''[[labelnote:Eng.]]Am I to believe that these are the acts of a loving God? A just God? A wise God? To hell with your punishments. I was your servant, your messenger on Earth; I have done my duty. To hell with your punishments! To hell with you![[/labelnote]] |
| 127 | * Occurs in the ''Series/RedDwarf'' episode 'Waiting for God', in which an embittered and dying Cat priest does just this. The twist is, his 'God' actually ''is'' listening -- Dave Lister, who has inadvertently been considered to be a deity by the Cat people over their three-million year history. He takes pity on the (blind) Cat priest and stages a 'glorious return' to persuade the priest that his years of suffering weren't in vain. |
| 128 | * In the ''Series/{{Highlander}}'' episode "The Modern Prometheus", Creator/LordByron climbs to the roof of a building, in the rain, ''grabs a lightning rod'', and proceeds to harangue the Heavens. |
| 129 | ** The twist is that Byron is actually immortal, and that even if he did get smote, he would be fine a few minutes later. |
| 130 | * ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'''s Dean Winchester has taken to yelling at God after a bad day during Seasons 4 and 5. The only answer he ever gets is Castiel showing up. |
| 131 | ** Castiel had his moment in Season 5, calling God a "son of a bitch". |
| 132 | ** In Season 4, Jimmy Novak [[spoiler: Castiel's vessel]] calls him out on supposedly abandoning him and his family when he gave him ''everything.'' |
| 133 | * In ''Series/DoctorWho'' minisode "Rain Gods", the Doctor does this by daring the titular gods to strike him down while he and River are about to be sacrificed to them. Slight inversion as it is part of his plan to distract their captors in order to escape. |
| 134 | * An episode of ''Series/PennAndTellerBullshit'' has Penn and Teller running around with lightning rods on their heads, challenging God to strike them for all the things they've said about him. Well, not [[TheSilentBob Teller]]. |
| 135 | * Happens in episode 2.12 of ''Series/WaterlooRoad'' when Andrew the deputy head confronts TheFundamentalist who's trying to take over the school, finally spurred to action when the latter starts preaching to the students about [[JerkAss the teacher who committed suicide earlier in the series did so because she was too weak.]] "You are interrupting a dialogue with the Lord!" "Then let him strike me down! (long pause) [[DeadpanSnarker Didn't think so.]]" |
| 136 | * In ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', Marshall has one of these at [[spoiler:his father's funeral]], where he [[SarcasmMode thanks]] God for the [[SarcasmMode comforting words]] of his [[spoiler:father's message from beyond the grave. (It was a phone message found after his death that turned out to be a pocket dial (several minutes of dead air). But then it didn't.]] |
| 137 | * Piper gets on of these in ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}''. She's dealing with small, invisible creatures who have tripped her walking to her car while Leo has been barred from seeing her, and she does this to the Elders, yelling at the sky that she's a good witch and to give Leo back. [[spoiler:It works, eventually.]] |
| 138 | * In one episode of ''Series/TheRedGreenShow'', Mike makes a bet that he can bring an angel to the lodge. When Mike arrives alone, Red mockingly dares the angel to smite him. Unfortunately, at that moment the “angel”, in actuality an enormous man, walks in. It turns out he is a member of the “Guardian Angels Society.” |
| 139 | * In ''Series/GoodTimes'', James jokingly gives God sixty seconds to smite him. While Florida begs him to stop, James counts down the seconds on his watch. Which stops with a few seconds left. |
| 140 | * At points of great despair both ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' and Niles have resorted to cursing the heavens. |
| 141 | -->''(a cricket keeps chirping in Frasier's apartment)''\ |
| 142 | '''Frasier:''' Dear God, can't you make him shut up?!\ |
| 143 | '''Martin:''' ''(muttering)'' That prayer doesn't get answered around here. |
| 144 | * The ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' episode "How Mac Got Fat" plays with this trope. It's a HowWeGotHere story in which Mac "confesses" to a priest that he's [[FormerlyFit gained sixty pounds]] in the last few months. He claims that it's really his friends' fault, and specifically requests that the priest have God smite them for him. The priest is tired of listening to Mac whine, and promises to make it happen if he'll just leave him alone. |
| 145 | * Downplayed for both laughs and pathos in ''Series/TheOfficeUS''; in one episode, after being invited to a christening, TheChewToy Toby (who was a former seminary student who left to get married, beginning a long line of misfortune in his life) struggles with entering the church, admitting that it's been a while ("The Big Guy and I, we got some catching up to do.") Eventually, he manages to enter the church after everyone has gone, walks to the altar, looks up at the stained glass window -- but instead of an impassionated monologue, all he comes out with is a rather plaintive/pathetic whine of "Why you always gotta be so ''mean'' to me?" |
| 146 | * ''Series/RadioEnfer'': When Giroux tells Carole Péloquin that Laplante is nothing more than a little liar, the latter denies that, asking for a lightning to strike him if that's the case. All three of them look up and, naturally, nothing happens given that they're inside the school. |
| 147 | * ''Series/MidsomerMurders'': The Reverend Giles Shawcross, the gloomy vicar in "[[Recap/MidsomerMurdersS13E2 The Sword of Guillaume]]". Naturally (for this programme), he's given a sign just at that moment. |
| 148 | [[/folder]] |
| 149 | |
| 150 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 151 | * This was the meaning behind the song "Prayer" by Music/{{Disturbed}}. |
| 152 | -->"''A conversation with the idea of the God that common Judeo-Christian theology would have you believe in. If God truly inflicts vengeful acts of pain and suffering upon its creations as a sort of temper tantrum in order to elicit a response, then [[TemptingFate bring it on]].''" |
| 153 | * ''Dear God'' by Music/{{XTC}} is a mix of this trope and ScrewDestiny. |
| 154 | * Live performances of the VNV Nation song ''Solitary'' get you a lot of shouting for God to set the singer on fire. No, really. Counting how many times he says it could be interesting. |
| 155 | -->Set me aflame! You up there! Set me aflame! |
| 156 | * "O Fortuna" |
| 157 | --> Nunc per ludum,[[labelnote:Eng.]]Now through the game,[[/labelnote]]\ |
| 158 | Dorsum nudum,[[labelnote:Eng.]]A bare back[[/labelnote]]\ |
| 159 | Fero tui sceleris.[[labelnote:Eng.]]I present to your [the goddess Fortune's] enormity.[[/labelnote]]\ |
| 160 | (...)\ |
| 161 | Hac in hora,[[labelnote:Eng.]]This hour,[[/labelnote]]\ |
| 162 | Sine mora,[[labelnote:Eng.]]Without delay,[[/labelnote]]\ |
| 163 | Corde pulsum tangite![[labelnote:Eng.]]Touch the tone in the string![[/labelnote]]\ |
| 164 | Quod per sortem,[[labelnote:Eng.]]Because through fate,[[/labelnote]]\ |
| 165 | Sternit fortem,[[labelnote:Eng.]]She routs the strong man,[[/labelnote]]\ |
| 166 | Mecum omnes plangite![[labelnote:Eng.]]All, cry out with me![[/labelnote]] |
| 167 | * Music/BoBurnham's song ''My Whole Family...'' |
| 168 | --> If I'm gay hey, God, strike me dead! (proceeds to have [[IncurableCoughOfDeath a coughing fit]]) That was weird. |
| 169 | * TruthInTelevision: In one of many TearJerker moments from the [[Music/IcedEarth Gettysburg Trilogy]], Armistead asks this should he ever raise arms against his old friend General Hancock: |
| 170 | -->Just a mile or so away,\ |
| 171 | Is my dearest friend in the world.\ |
| 172 | He wears the blue and I the grey,\ |
| 173 | And God, it hurts me so.\ |
| 174 | The last time we were together,\ |
| 175 | I grabbed his hand and I pledged:\ |
| 176 | "If I ever draw my sword on you,\ |
| 177 | May the good Lord strike me dead!" |
| 178 | * Music/{{Beck|Musician}} does this at the start of "Missing" from ''Music/{{Guero}}'', seemingly as a way to deal with romantic angst. |
| 179 | -->''I prayed heaven today''\ |
| 180 | ''Would bring its hammer down on me''\ |
| 181 | ''And pound you out of my head''\ |
| 182 | ''I can't think with you in it.'' |
| 183 | * The trope name appears to be a deliberate play on the hymn ''Bread of Heaven'', which opens with the line ''Guide me, O thou great Jehovah'' and invokes, among other things, God to manifest as '' the fiery, cloudy pillar'' to ''Lead me all my journey through'': God is invoked as lightning not for destruction but for light, guidance and protection. The original Welsh lyric is even more explicit in invoking lighning: ''Colofn dân rho’r nos i’m harwain'' - "Give a column of fire to lead me at night". |
| 184 | * The conclusion of Music/BruceSpringsteen's song [[DyingTown Youngstown]] is a less shouty -- but no less bitter -- version of this trope: |
| 185 | -->''When I die, I don't want no part of Heaven.''\ |
| 186 | ''[[SteelMill I would not do Heaven's work well.]]''\ |
| 187 | ''I pray the devil comes and takes me to stand,''\ |
| 188 | ''In the fiery furnaces of Hell.'' |
| 189 | [[/folder]] |
| 190 | |
| 191 | [[folder:Radio]] |
| 192 | * In ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1978'' The Hexagonal Phase, a previously untold event during Ford and Arthur's time on prehistoric Earth (i.e. a DeletedScene from ''Literature/LifeTheUniverseAndEverything'') introduces the Consultant, a mysterious figure from a nearby universe who gets very worked up when Arthur says "in God's name", insisting there isn't a God and getting increasingly vehement on the subject, despite Arthur and Ford trying to calm him down. Eventually he snarls "If there is such a thing as God, may He strike me down where I stand" and is immediately hit by a BoltOfDivineRetribution. Just before he dies, he manages to say "Now, I don't want you jumping to any conclusions..." |
| 193 | [[/folder]] |
| 194 | |
| 195 | [[folder:Religion and Myths]] |
| 196 | * In Deuteronomy it is stated "Do not try the LORD your God", a line repeated by Jesus in the Gospels when being tempted in the desert by {{Satan}}. In context an inversion as its actually warning against [[HoldingOutForAHero being too dependent on God to solve your problems]] or, worse, putting yourself in danger and expecting God to save you; however, it still applies as a more general rule. |
| 197 | * Some of the [[Literature/BookOfPsalms psalms]], those written to express feelings of anger, fall into this category (although often with a desire to repent expressed shortly thereafter). Psalm 42, verse 3: "My tears have been my food day and night; I am ever taunted with, “Where is your God?”" |
| 198 | * The Literature/BookOfJob references it, too -- Job's friends, and eventually his wife, repeatedly suggest that he 'blaspheme God and die' to end his suffering. He simply replies that as Creator of everything, God can do whatever He wants. He never does curse God... who comes down and tells him that mere humans have no right to complain, especially against the Creator of absolutely everything, whose ways he knows not. Job is humbled and repents, and in return, he and his wife get a new brood of children, gets even richer than before, and lives another 140 years before dying peacefully. The part here that everyone misses is that Job was still ''right'' and his friends, who told him he must be suffering for his sins, weren't; he was really innocent and Satan was just testing him to try and break his faith, as shown both by the backstory and God's response to his friends. |
| 199 | * This is why The Flying Dutchman is cursed. Captain Van whatever should never have started cursing and swearing at God. |
| 200 | * The trope occurs in almost every other Myth/{{Greek|Mythology}} tale, with the petty Greek gods more than willing to comply. |
| 201 | ** Heracles, not one for big speeches, simply aims a weapon at the sky threateningly. |
| 202 | ** Ajax from ''Literature/TheIliad'' (the other, cowardly one) does this: His boat sinks during a storm ([[TooDumbToLive Poseidon is pissed at him cursing the gods]]), but he manages to swim to a rock that just sticks out of the water. What does he do then? Why, Ajax keeps cursing and blaspheming away until [[BoltOfDivineRetribution Zeus lets him have it]]. |
| 203 | [[/folder]] |
| 204 | |
| 205 | [[folder:Professional Wrestling]] |
| 206 | * The Wrestling/{{WWE}} once [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGIXGpxT2Wc had an angle]] with Wrestling/VinceMcMahon ultimately founding "[=McMahonism=]". On his way there, he (at the behest of [[OnlySaneMan his son, Shane]]) stops at a Catholic church. After [[DudeNotFunny using holy water to mimic Triple H's "water spitting" entrance]] and claiming he has a better work ethic than God because he doesn't take Sundays off, he dares God to strike him down. Shane [[Funny/ProfessionalWrestling promptly puts some distance in between him and Vince]]. |
| 207 | [[/folder]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 210 | * The title character of ''Theatre/{{Tosca}}'' suffers a BreakTheCutie ordeal at the hands of Scarpia, the corrupt police boss and villain of the opera, that involves her lover Mario Cavaradossi. In the final stage of this ordeal, which has Scarpia forcing her to accept his [[ScarpiaUltimatum namesake ultimatum]] to keep Cavaradossi from being executed, Tosca breaks down and tearfully asks God why he would do this to her, who lived only for art and love, and tried only to serve Him. |
| 211 | * Tevye in ''Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof'' does this often. |
| 212 | -->Would it spoil some vast eternal plan\ |
| 213 | If I were a wealthy man?\ |
| 214 | \ |
| 215 | '''Perchick:''' Money is the world's curse.\ |
| 216 | '''Tevye (his face to the sky):''' May the Lord smite me with it! And may I never recover! |
| 217 | * The storm scene in ''Theatre/KingLear'' is the archetypal example — thunder, lightning and all. Because of Lear's rather unwound state, however, he alternates between cursing nature, asking nature to smite Goneril and Regan, and thanking nature for not being as inhumanely cruel as Goneril and Regan. |
| 218 | * ''Theatre/JesusChristSuperstar'' actually has Jesus doing this before the betrayal, trying to figure out why God's plan involves his death. Whether or not God answers or Jesus just gives up isn't entirely clear. |
| 219 | * ''Theatre/{{Medea}}'' begins with Medea's servants and the townspeople discussing how pissed off she is, interspersed with the sounds of her screaming at various gods from inside her house. |
| 220 | -->Come, flame of the sky,\ |
| 221 | Pierce through my head! |
| 222 | * A lighthearted version is done in ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'' when John Adams addresses the Almighty in "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve," blaming Him for inflicting the curse of Congress on Philadelphia and saying that He'd better interfere if He wants a good ending to this. |
| 223 | -->A second flood, a simple famine, plagues of locusts everywhere\ |
| 224 | Or a cataclysmic earthquake, I'd accept with some despair\ |
| 225 | But no, you sent us Congress! Good God sir, was that fair?!\ |
| 226 | |
| 227 | [[/folder]] |
| 228 | |
| 229 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 230 | * ''VideoGame/GodOfWarII'': Right after the last Spartan dies in Kratos' arms, the broken warrior stands up and challenges Zeus, screaming to the heavens to come down and face him directly if he's so strong. Zeus' answer? The Kraken emerges out the water and attacks Kratos. Kratos is actually so angry he ignores the Kraken entirely at first, still ranting and raving at Zeus, until it grabs him. |
| 231 | ** And at the end, facing straight up. This time, the odds are tipped even more in his favour. |
| 232 | * Ingway in ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'' ends up begging the heavens to kill him if [[spoiler:the player uses Mercedes to fight the beast of Darkvoa, resulting in her death in Ingway's arms.]] |
| 233 | * In ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'', an NPC in Kolima claims that they've had some hard times, but they're still around despite the multiple catastrophes befalling the village (including a giant lizard attacking the roots of their village, causing their main source of income to wither away (a leaf giving pleasant dreams that now gives nightmares), and being all turned into trees). Despite this, he still yells "Hear that, curse? WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU GOT?!" |
| 234 | * In ''VideoGame/DiscworldNoir'', [[spoiler: Mooncalf]] goes mad with guilt and renounces all gods while standing on the roof of the Temple of Small Gods during a thunderstorm. Even Death himself admits that [[spoiler: he]] went in style. |
| 235 | * ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' has Asura, already angry at his former colleagues for killing his family, go into full RoaringRampageOfRevenge when he discovers that they've become near-''[[PhysicalGod gods]]'' after he spent centuries crawling up from Naraka. When [[AGodAmI Wyzen]] gives TheReasonYouSuckSpeech followed by a [[OneWingedAngel massive increase in size]], almost dwarfing the planet, Asura goes for this trope (see picture). [[spoiler:And manages to win.]] |
| 236 | * In ''VideoGame/SecretOfEvermore'', there's a preacher in the Nobilia marketplace who's going on about [[FourthWallObserver everyone actually being characters in a video game]]. He ends his speech with the line "If I'm lying, let me be transformed into a...", at which point, you're given the choice between a basket, chicken, or goat, which will be exactly what he gets turned into (As the player is the god he's referring to in his speech). [[TakeAThirdOption Alternatively]], if you scroll down past those three options, you're able to simply choose to do nothing, at which point he'll give you a reward for being merciful. |
| 237 | * In ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'', one of the taunts that the player can use is "Yeah smite me...". |
| 238 | [[/folder]] |
| 239 | |
| 240 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 241 | * In ''WebVideo/AvatarTheAbridgedSeries'' episode 7, Sokka, after the others decide to piss away the money he had nearly gotten killed earning, yells "if there is anyone up there, strike me down right now!" and gets promptly attacked by a [[MixAndMatchCritters turducken.]] |
| 242 | * ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' has Freeza mocking Goku's declaration that he's evil, saying that if he's really ''that'' evil, God should strike him down. Before he's even finished speaking [[BoltOfDivineRetribution a lightning bolt]] strikes Freeza... [[NoSell who promptly laughs]] and tells God to try harder next time. |
| 243 | [[/folder]] |
| 244 | |
| 245 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 246 | %%* [[http://www.zebragirl.net/?date=2003-12-19 This strip]], from ''Webcomic/ZebraGirl''. |
| 247 | * Played for laughs in [[http://sluggy.com./daily.php?date=050719 this]] ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' strip, where eating a mutant fly gives a frog human level intelligence. |
| 248 | -->'''Frog:''' "Good job, God! Granting self-awareness to something that ''lives in the plumbing!'' That's disturbed, man!" |
| 249 | * This sparks the plot of ''Webcomic/FurWillFly''--the protagonist dares God to make his day even worse, and is immediately teleported to a MirrorUniverse. Subverted in the end, however, as his life actually ends up getting ''better'' as a direct consequence... [[EarnYourHappyEnding eventually.]] |
| 250 | * The titular character of ''Webcomic/{{Vexxarr}}'' considers the creation of a robotic version of [[TheHeart Spoorflix]] this. |
| 251 | -->'''Vexxarr:''' Well, that settles one theological question. If there were a god, we'd all be smoldering piles of ash right now. |
| 252 | [[/folder]] |
| 253 | |
| 254 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 255 | * [[WebVideo/TheMusicVideoShow The Music Video Show]] suggests doing this to Scott Stapp of Music/{{Creed|band}} in [[https://youtu.be/SbIdmXe6q9o Episode 7]] since God is trying to kill him but "has very lousy aim." |
| 256 | * Sean O'Cann of ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'' has a 'word' with God. Over the course of V3 up to that point, his best friend, cousin, and boyfriend had all been killed, as well as it being very likely he would go the same way. Even God would probably have to recoil at the sheer ferocity of the verbal attack. |
| 257 | * ''Literature/TheSalvationWar: Pantheocide'' has an interesting case of it being played straight. Humanity challenges Yahweh to smite them, and end up smiting Him instead. |
| 258 | ** Humanity gets smitten a bit first, though. For example: [[spoiler: a bunch of extreme tornadoes and hurricanes, a 200-foot-tall monster cat, two cities nuked. Afterwards, when they find a way into heaven, they drop a nuke themselves, on the "Incomparable Legion of Light". Yaweh himself is killed by angelic rebels.]] |
| 259 | * There is a chain email in which an atheist college professor stands on his desk and challenges God to knock him off. Finally, a student stands and punches him off, saying that God was too busy protecting soldiers in Iraq and sent him to do it. These event are generally acknowledged to be fictional. |
| 260 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VD3TwFgPgZE This infamous little clip]]. |
| 261 | [[/folder]] |
| 262 | |
| 263 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 264 | * ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Despite the Eastern mythology-based "spirits" introduced on the show, Prince Zuko has such a scene in the episode "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderBitterWork Bitter Work]]". After a day of failing to learn to bend lightning, on top of everything else that's happened in his life, he stands on top of a mountain during a raging thunderstorm and screams at the heavens. Unusually for this trope, he actually ''wants'' the lightning to hit him so he can practice redirecting it. This being [[CosmicPlaything Zuko]], it [[SpringtimeForHitler doesn't go anywhere near him]]. |
| 265 | -->'''Zuko:''' You've always thrown everything you could at me! Well I can take it! And now I can give it back! Come on! ''Strike me!'' [[CosmicPlaything You've never held back before!]] Aaaaaargh! |
| 266 | * An unintentional example in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'', in which Uncle Ruckus begins a religion based on racism toward African-Americans, and telling the African-Americans themselves that they need to apologize for being what they are. At the climax of the episode, he shouts for God to strike him down if anything he's saying is untrue, though he fully believed in what he was teaching and undoubtedly thought he had nothing to fear. [[BoltOfDivineRetribution God, however, was more than happy to take him up on it.]] |
| 267 | * ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS2E12FifteenMinutesOfShame Fifteen Minutes of Shame]]", Meg asks God to "kill me now." We then see God on a cloud with a sniper rifle... (He gets interrupted by a phone call.) |
| 268 | * An episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Histeria}}'' had a character say, "And if I'm wrong, may lightning strike me dead!" Cue a lightning bolt hitting the spot directly next to him. "See? It didn't even wind me!" |
| 269 | * Played with in ''WesternAnimation/KevinSpencer''. In one episode a preacher is telling his congregation "God wants you to give me all your money. If I'm lying may He strike me down right now!" Then a stray bullet Kevin fired nearby hits the cross behind the preacher and it falls, crushing him. |
| 270 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Inverted in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS4E3HomerTheHeretic Homer the Heretic]]" when Homer interprets the lesson of the episode as "The Lord is Vengeful!" and wants God to turn him into the instrument of His divine retribution. "Oh Spiteful One, show me who to smite, and he shall be smoten!" |
| 271 | * ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': |
| 272 | ** In "[[Recap/SouthParkS7E9ChristianRockHard Christian Rock Hard]]", Cartman and his band are being signed onto a Christian record label, and the heads tell him they want to make sure that his band isn't just in it for the money. Cartman replies, "I have [[BlatantLies never in my life]] done anything just for the money. If I'm lying, may the Lord strike me down right now." Nothing happens, but Butters scootches away, just in case. This could well be a case of FridgeBrilliance in that Cartman is, in fact, telling the truth: he really doesn't do anything [[ExactWords just for the money]]... every motivation also involves spite. |
| 273 | ** At the end of "[[Recap/SouthParkS15E1HumancentiPad HUMANCENTiPAD]]", Cartman gets angry after having his new present, the Apple [=HUMANCENTiPAD=], taken away from him. He shouts at God to stop "fucking" him -- and this time, Cartman ''does'' get smited, [[BoltOfDivineRetribution getting nailed with a bolt of lightning out of the blue]] and winding up in the hospital. WordOfGod *[[{{Pun}} cough]]* says they were going to have him moon God and get struck in the ass, but the censors nixed that one. |
| 274 | * ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': In "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E1TheAlgaesAlwaysGreenerSpongeguardOnDuty SpongeGuard on duty]]", [=SpongeBob=] claims to be as cool as [[LovableJock Lifeguard]] [[ChickMagnet Larry]]. "And if I'm not, may I be struck by--" ''[[[TemptingFate thunder booms]]]'' "...a flying ice-cream truck." Cue ShadowOfImpendingDoom accompanied by chiming. Right before the truck is about to hit him, [=SpongeBob=] plays it safe and shouts "AND LIVE!" The truck conveniently stops in mid-air right above him as he says this, then falls on him. [[{{Slapstick}} He lives.]] |
| 275 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'' episode "[[Recap/ReadyJetGoS1E37CastawayCarrotJetCantSleep Jet Can't Sleep]]", the Propulsion family is playing charades. In one round, Celery pretends to be sleeping. Carrot guesses a coffee table, but then Sunspot correctly guesses that Celery is sleeping. Carrot then remarks that he was gonna say that. Carrot says: "If I wasn't, may lightning strike me!" Then lightning flashes in the sky, and Carrot jumps into Jet's arm. Carrot then remarks that tonight isn't a good night to say that. |
| 276 | [[/folder]] |
| 277 | |
| 278 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 279 | * Several years ago there was a guy who did something like this in stormy weather. Standing on a boat in the middle of a lake. He got a Website/{{Darwin Award|s}}. |
| 280 | * As part of his routine, Creator/GeorgeCarlin challenged God to strike ''the audience'' -- and ''then'' himself -- dead to prove that an Almighty exists. It never happened, although he did report a small twinge in his leg. |
| 281 | %%* UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini did this frequently. (When?) |
| 282 | * Radio host Alex Jones once admitted on air to praying for the destruction of the ''entire Earth'' [[TakingYouWithMe if it meant the death of his enemies in the process.]] |
| 283 | * A popular Brazilian expression concerns people feeling like God is smiting them: "I must have thrown stones at the cross". (there are comedic variants using other Catholic objects, like "I blew my nose in the Holy Shroud", "I made drinks in the Holy Grail" and "I ironed clothes in the Ten Commandments") |
| 284 | [[/folder]] |
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