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1[[quoteright:315:[[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beach_guy_speechless.jpg]]]]
2[[caption-width-right:315:[[DaddysLittleVillain Azula]] has that effect on people.]]
3
4->''"A full minute of stunned silence means 'My God what did you do?' not 'Please continue'."''
5-->-- ''#540 of the Blog/ThingsMrWelchIsNoLongerAllowedToDoInAnRPG'' on the difference between amazement and horror
6
7ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. Someone is shocked or stunned into silence.
8
9There are two major types: Stunned amazement or stunned horror.
10
11Often, stunned amazement causes the performer to think the audience's initial silence means they dislike the performance. The truth becomes apparent when they burst into applause. Often will lead to a SlowClap. If in comedic fiction, bonus points if the sound of ChirpingCrickets is the only audible thing.
12
13Stunned horror can be further divided into stunned by stupidity, stunned by surreality, or stunned by [[OhCrap realization of just how bad the situation is]]. The first two occur when a character says (or does) something so stupid or off the wall other characters are rendered unable to talk or limited to a single word, often a FlatWhat. See also ChirpingCrickets, LoudspeakerTruck (a passing vehicle makes a very loud noise to indicate awkwardness), FaceFault, and IdiotCrows. The third, obviously, is a manifestation of OhCrap, often a MassOhCrap.
14
15If the stunned character is known as a DeadpanSnarker, it becomes an example of SarcasmFailure.
16
17See also DeerInTheHeadlights when someone is stunned by immediate, personal danger, and ShuttingUpNow for a possible follow up. If this happens during a radio broadcast, it can lead to DeadAir. This usually accompanies the subject having StoppedDeadInTheirTracks.
18
19Compare ChangeTheUncomfortableSubject, ShellShockSilence and VisibleSilence.
20
21!Examples:
22[[foldercontrol]]
23
24!!Stunned Amazement
25
26[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
27* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': After Ichigo failed the asauchi battle test, he had to go in search of his roots. When he returned to the test, every single asauchi quietly knelt before him the moment they saw him. Nimaiya, the asauchi creator, is left speechless.
28* ''Anime/GundamBuildFightersTry'': The entire stadium is stunned silent by the TransformationSequence of Tryon 3. Even the bombastic Meijin Kawaguchi and Lady Kawaguchi are left speechless!
29* This is Tron's reaction to seeing Sora using the Keyblade to shut down the barrier trapping them both inside the Pit Cell in ''Manga/KingdomHeartsII''. Later on, Sora amazes the program again by [[spoiler: fixing a broken piece of data that was destroyed in an accidental hit-and-run by a Magnum Loader]].
30* This happens in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration: Divine Wars'' when Excellen Browning shows up at the post-war celebration in a PlayboyBunny outfit. Being something that she has often offered to do, that's not the shocking part. The fact that she somehow got the ''Hiryu Kai's'' rather shy captain, Lefina Enfield, to wear one ''too'', that's the stunner.
31* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': Ash has on rare ocassions been left speechless after some of his particularly monumental wins.
32** One of the earliest instances is after his Silver Conference match against his longtime [[TheRival rival]] Gary, where Ash has just finished making [[MiracleRally a 1v3 comeback to defeat him for the first time]].
33** Ash is left speechless again in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoon'', having to be reassured by his opponent that [[spoiler:he has in fact become Champion]].
34** It happens again in the 125th episode of ''[[Anime/PokemonJourneysTheSeries Journeys]]'' when Ash takes a moment to realize that [[spoiler:he just defeated ''[[TheAce Cynthia]]'']].
35[[/folder]]
36
37[[folder:Comic Books]]
38* ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'': After Lucifer's announcement that he's quit, the next three panels show a variety of expressions flit across Dream's face as he tries to process it. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he certainly didn't see that coming.
39* ''ComicBook/StarWarsDarthVader'': After the fall of Cylo's replacements, Palpatine tries to [[IMeantToDoThat explain it all away as part of his plan]]. Vader is having none of it, though he claims he doesn't care one way or the other.
40-->'''Palpatine:''' My true apprentice would frustrate the copies. Eventually, driven by pride and desperation, Cylo would go too far... and then, when he was simply a traitor, we could purge him. Do you understand, Vader?\
41'''Vader:''' I do. If any of Cylo's toys had succeeded, you would be making this speech to them.\
42'''Palpatine:''' "..."
43* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
44** In the epilogue of ''ComicBook/SupermanAndTheLegionOfSuperHeroes'', Characters/{{Batman|TheCharacter}} walks in on Superman and [[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes Lightning Lad]] reminiscing the good, old days when they played dumb pranks on their teammates. When Superman tells him Lightning Lad taught his teen self the importance of sometimes breaking rules, even if it was just for fun, Batman is left speechless.
45--->'''Batman:''' So you two got into... '''trouble'''? '''You'''? '''Trouble'''? \
46'''Superman:''' Garth taught me sometimes rules had to be broken. Sometimes just for fun.\
47'''Batman:''' ...
48** In ''ComicBook/WhoTookTheSuperOutOfSuperman'', Morgan Edge is left completely speechless when he tries to bully Clark Kent into accepting an assignment, and his mild-mannered pushover of an employee angrily tells him off.
49** In ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' storyline ''ComicBook/TheGreatDarknessSaga'', Brainiac 5 spends four whole panels gaping after Supergirl says he's cute.
50** In ''ComicBook/WayOfTheWorld'', Wonder Woman remains silent for several instants after Supergirl tells she promised a little boy she would cure his cancer.
51** In ''ComicBook/EscapeFromThePhantomZone'', Batgirl becomes speechless when she asks Supergirl if she wants to hang around, and Supergirl replies she would be grateful if Batgirl helped her break into a black ops government facility.
52* ''ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel'': In an issue, Lady Jaye and Zarana have a ''nasty'', knock down, drag out cat-fight...while all the male Joes and Cobras watch in silence.
53[[/folder]]
54
55[[folder:Fan Works]]
56%%Sorted by fic title alphabetically
57* ''WebVideo/{{Blixemi}}'': In Sandstorm's "Know Your Clanmate" episode, she's at first very snarky and unbothered by the claims the narrator makes. Then it's claimed that she drinks blood and performs evil moonlight rituals to take over the Clans, temporarily shocking her into an open-mouthed silence.
58
59* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''/''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' crossover fanfiction ''Fanfic/BoldoresandBoomsticks'': Absol takes a second to process the fact that Zwei, a corgi, has given her a daisy.
60* ''Franchise/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/FuturesFreakMeOut'': Shinji becomes completely speechless when Asuka -- who used to be adamant about remaining just friends -- blurts out they should date.
61-->"I think we should date."\
62No laughter now. Silence and the sound of a person thinking, if that's a sound at all. I can hear it over the running water, in my state.
63* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''/''Franchise/StarWars'' crossover fanfiction ''Fanfic/JauneArcLordOfHunger'': When Jaune Force-chokes Cardin during a spar and can't stop himself, the entire audience goes silent.
64* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''/''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' FusionFic ''Fanfic/MyHuntsmanAcademia'': Blake is stunned by how saccharine sweet and straightforward Izuku is when he introduces himself to her for the second time.
65-->'''Izuku:''' ''[giving a big, quivery smile and holding out a hand to shake]'' Hi, my name's Izuku Midoriya and I'm here to be the best Huntsman I can be. Nice to meet you!\
66'''Blake:''' ''[gaping for a moment before chuckling]'' I can't even ask if you're being real or not. Seeing is believing at this point with you.
67* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/{{Relic of the Future}}'': For all of Ozpin's millennia of life, he's still stunned when one of his wayward former-student Raven's portals opens up in his office and deposits a bloody, injured [[FutureBadass Jaune Ashari]] along with the others that were sent to Menagerie to negotiate with the White Fang.
68* ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/RiseOfTheMinisukas'': A shocked silence envelops Nerv's control bridge when a legion of Minisukas suddenly shows up to fight Samshel.
69-->A dozen camera feeds were brought up, showing a curious sight. A fleet of RC cars painted red and kitbashed to look like post-apocalyptic raider vehicles manned by Minisukas. This was accompanied by a large flock of mismatched birds of different breeds ridden by even more Minisukas. Apparently, the cavalry had arrived, and they couldn't decide between a post-apocalyptic or fantasy aesthetic. The command center was engulfed by a stunned silence, once again due to the arrival of the tiny reinforcements.
70* ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/RolePlayingEvangelion'': Neither Gendo nor Fuyutsuki are able to talk after watching Shinji reenacting the conversation where he told his father off.
71-->The commanders watched in complete silence.\
72Shock might have been an accurate description.\
73Just a total stunned pause in their daily routine.
74* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/TopOfTheLineEditorBug'': When Zim declares [[ObliviousToHatred his belief]] that Tak is in love with him in an attempt to publicly humiliate her, the whole tournament goes completely quiet and stares at him.
75* ''Franchise/HarryPotter''/''Series/StargateSG1'' crossover fanfiction ''Fanfic/TruthAndRevelations'': Hermione gets hit by two, first when she realises that Harry Potter has returned to the wizarding world after over two decades of absence (albeit now calling himself Daniel Jackson) and secondly when ‘Harry’ reveals that Lord Voldemort has returned.
76* ''Series/TwoBrokeGirls'' fanfiction ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10080793/1/Unexpected Unexpected]]'': When Max has spent the last few months living with Caroline as their bakery does well, she fully expects Caroline to move out and get her own place. However, when Caroline kisses Max and outright says "I think I'm in love with you", it leaves Max feeling as though her entire worldview has shattered and she's only able to mutter "I-I" before Caroline's further confession gives Max the focus to confirm that she loves Caroline too.
77* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/TheVow'': Shen is rendered silent when the swan Lianne asks him about his own species' ways of courtship.
78* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fanfiction ''[[Fanfic/WhiteSheepRWBY White Sheep]]'': The entire class goes from cheering to stunned silence when Jaune gets hit by Cardin's mace... and all it does is cause him a ''slight'' Aura reduction and a bruise, on account of him secretly being a HalfHumanHybrid with literally inhuman endurance.
79* In ''Fanfic/TheBoyWithTheMagicNotebook'', Maxwell needs to prove beyond any doubt to Battery and Assault that his notebook is as powerful as he claims. This is their reaction to when he decides to summon a ''Gigantic Flying Holy Chocolate Donut''.
80* In "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13414681/1/Maleficent-and-Descendants-A-mother-s-love Maleficent and Descendants: A mother's love]]", when Film/{{Maleficent}} explains her history to [[Film/{{Descendants}} the people of Auradon]], everyone in Auradon is stunned when they see the moment where Aurora called Maleficent her fairy godmother, with Mal in particular being even more surprised when Dude asks if Aurora and Maleficent's mother/daughter dynamic makes Aurora the equivalent of Mal's sister.
81* ''Fanfic/ItsNotTheRaptorDNA'':
82** In Chapter 24, Dr. Grant becomes pale and silent when Elise solves the intelligence puzzle that demonstrates her human-level intellect. He later quietly thanks her.
83** Blue, Delta, and Echo have this reaction in Chapter 25 after Owen attempts to use the ''Velociraptor'' resonating chamber to recreate their vocalizations.
84--> Owen pressed his lips when Blue turned back to him. She opened her mouth like she was going to reply, but closed her mouth as she seemed to think, then she opened it again. It was clear she was at a loss for words. Owen caught Echo and Delta sharing a brief glance before quietly staring at him. The silence was deafening to Owen. Dr. Grant finally let out a snorted laugh as he quietly said, "You have stunned your raptors into pure silence. I am truly amazed."
85* ''Fanfic/RainbowDoubleDashsLunaverse:'' A pony called Clover Charms just asks "Who?" when Twilight Sparkle mentions Star-Swirl the Bearded. For several seconds, she can only say "[[VisibleSilence ...]]" in response.
86* In the ''Fanfic/TwiceUponAnAge'' side volume ''Agents Acquired,'' this is [[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition Horsemaster Dennet]]'s reaction to the fact that the Inquisitors have acquired the mount known colloquially as the Deth Nug. When he finally manages to speak again, all he can say is, "...it has ''hands''."
87[[/folder]]
88
89[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
90* Happens at the final performance in ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance'', before [[spoiler:the audience bursts into applause]]. Somewhat justified, as the audience had taken considerable abuse during the show.
91* ''WesternAnimation/{{How to Train Your Dragon|2010}}''. Gobber and most of the kids in dragon training are rendered completely speechless when Hiccup is able to force a Hideous Zippleback to get back into its cage, seemingly by just [[RefugeInAudacity commanding it to do so]].
92[[/folder]]
93
94[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
95* The ending of ''Film/{{Babe}}'' has the entire crowd silent after [[spoiler: watching Babe herd the sheep perfectly]]. They then erupt into thunderous applause.
96* Franchise/{{Godzilla}}, of all creatures, gets one in the original ''Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzilla''. He attacks what appears to be his exact twin with his radioactive flame. Only for the thing to have metal under its skin. Godzilla actually tilts his entire upper body in shock to one side with a general sense of his body language and expression more or less screaming ''"What the Hell?!"'' Mechagodzilla gets one a few moments before when Godzilla shows up and gets a ''second'' one near the climax of the film when Godzilla emerges from the ocean for round two. Despite being a machine, Mechagodzilla's sudden reaction to the churning water shows that this Mechagodzilla had some level of AI as it was almost as if it was startled by the noise. When Godzilla himself emerges, Mechagodzilla just kinda ''stands there'' for a few moments. One has to wonder if it would have reacted at all if the aliens who built it hadn't then told the thing to "Beat Godzilla to Death."
97* At the climax of ''Film/JohnnyEnglish'', [[spoiler: Johnny ends up accidentally being crowned king]]. He, along with everyone else, spend a ''long'' time completely stupefied.
98* ''Film/KaamelottPremierVolet'': At the border between Hispania and Aquitania, we learn Myth/KingArthur hasn't spoken a word since he was caught by Alzagar the BountyHunter. He breaks his silence to yell at the border guard and demands he arrests him and the bounty hunter for bringing slaves into Logres. His and his companion Venec's yelling becomes an AnnoyingBackgroundEvent as the bounty hunter tries to negotiate... and then Venec yells "The Duchess of Aquitania is a whore!" Even Arthur stares at Venec in a stunned silence, but it works.
99* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing'', when Sauron falls the main characters who are fighting at the Black Gate are literally stunned into silence. It makes more sense in the extended editions because it is revealed that the Mouth of Sauron told everyone Frodo was dead (or in the books, captured and awaiting death); it's to be expected that his victory would bring on a "Holy freaking crap, Frodo's alive!" as well as a "Holy freaking crap, we actually won!"
100* Ting's first "[[CurbStompBattle fight]]" in the [[FightClubbing underground fight club]] in ''Film/OngBak'' results in this. Ting, who didn't even want to fight and stepped into the ring by accident, [[https://youtu.be/8wHCOXCkpxU?t=46 takes his opponent down with a single unbelievably fast knee to the chest]]. Everyone watching is shocked and speechless, aside from a crime boss who won a big bet on the fight with another kingpin.
101* Happens at the performance of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'' in ''Film/ShakespeareInLove'' before [[spoiler:the audience bursts into applause]].
102* In ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'', Holmes is seen participating in a bare-fisted boxing match watched by a crowd loudly and savagely baying for blood. However, after Holmes -- who has previously been holding back -- [[CurbStompBattle completely beats the crap out of his opponent in six seconds]] [[DisproportionateRetribution in response to his opponent's ill-advised decision to spit at the back of Holmes' head]], the crowd immediately goes silent with shock, except for one chap who indignantly mutters, "Where the hell did ''that'' come from?!"
103* In ''Film/{{Spotlight}}'', when a psychologist says that roughly 6 percent of priests are pedophiles, the Spotlight team does some quick math and comes up with a whopping ''ninety'' priests in Boston alone. The psychologist, still on the phone, asks if they're still there after a long silence, but the reporters can still barely speak.
104[[/folder]]
105
106[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
107* In ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'', Coulson has learned about Project T.A.H.I.T.I, [[spoiler: an incredibly risky procedure capable of bringing a person back from death involving aliens and surgery, and which was used on him]], and talks with Nick Fury about it.
108-->'''Fury:''' It was a "break glass in case of emergency" situation.\
109'''Coulson:''' Yes, but that emergency was supposed to be the fall of an Avenger!\
110'''Fury:''' Exactly.\
111'''Coulson:''' ...\
112'''Fury:''' And I'm damn glad I did it, too.
113* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': An effective use of both tension and comedy at the same time is found in the Series 4 finale. For several long moments at the start of the episode, absolutely no-one speaks. The camera pans around all six characters as each one shifts position or opens their mouth as though about to speak, but no-one does. It's clear the entire cast is absolutely stunned by whatever Lilah has just said. Lilah herself doesn't speak just waits, smug and amused, as Angel's team try and gather their wits and find their voices. WordOfGod reveals that it was deliberately timed to coincide with the length of time it takes for the credits to scroll across the screen as they'd once observed how long it takes and thought it would be funny to have absolutely no talking for that long if they could ever think of a plot. They thought of one.
114* ''Series/{{Cheers}}:'' The first sign that Dr. Lilith Sternin's Diane-assisted makeover has had the intended effect on poor Frasier and ''more'' is that, after she's entered their TV interview, we see Fras just sitting there, staring slack-jawed at her.
115* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': In the season 2 finale, when Matt meets with Karen in the shuttered Nelson & Murdock office.
116-->'''Matt Murdock:''' Thanks for seeing me.\
117'''Karen Page:''' What am I doing here, Matt?\
118'''Matt Murdock:''' I, uh, have something...\
119'''Karen Page:''' No. I don't want...\
120'''Matt Murdock:''' I have something that I ''need'' you to see.\
121''[Matt pulls his Daredevil helmet out of a paper bag. Karen looks at him, first in confusion and then in dawning realization and shock]''\
122'''Matt Murdock:''' ...I'm Daredevil.
123* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E13JourneysEnd "Journey's End"]], [[spoiler:[[TheNthDoctor the Tenth Doctor]] has been shot by a Dalek! You know what that means! He'll regenerate, and change into a completely different person! The Doctor's companions Rose, Donna and Jack back away as he begins to glow and change — only for him to redirect his energy into his old hand and just stand there, smiling, looking completely the same. They just stare in stunned amazement]].
124* ''Series/GameOfThrones''
125** Jorah is rendered utterly speechless when he sees Daario leaving Daenerys' quarters in the morning. By the time he gets his audience with Dany, he's recovered enough to deliver a snarky comment.
126** And there's the MassOhCrap moment when a drunken Tyrion Lannister, pushed to the limit by King Joffrey's petty cruelty, threatens to geld His Grace. The entire room falls silent and only [[DragonInChief Lord Tywin Lannister]] dares speak to defuse the situation.
127* ''Series/SesameStreet'': In the Season 17 premiere, the adults are reduced to about a half minute of amazed silence (complete with some [[JawDrop jaw drops]]) when they finally get a look at Mr. Snuffleupagus in the flesh (or fur) after almost 15 seasons of being oblivious and none the wiser to his existence.
128* ''Series/StarTrekPicard'':
129** In "[[Recap/StarTrekPicardS1E04AbsoluteCandor Absolute Candor]]", when Elnor sees Jean-Luc Picard again for the first time in fourteen years, he's so shocked that he freezes in his tracks and gapes, unable to speak.
130** In "Broken Pieces", Rios is so stunned when Soji beams aboard ''La Sirena'' that he doesn't even hear Picard's voice.
131[[/folder]]
132
133[[folder:Pinball]]
134* ''Pinball/PinballMagic'' incorporates this into a mode: "Silence the Critics".
135[[/folder]]
136
137[[folder:Poetry]]
138* In "The Mountain Whippoorwill," a poem by Stephen Vincent Benet, the skill of the fiddler is determined by how loud the crowd applauds. Hillbilly Jim gets complete silence. [[spoiler: When he goes to congratulate Old Man Dan, whom he thinks is the winner, Dan hands his own fiddle over, and ''then'' the crowd starts to applaud. They were stunned by how good he was.]]
139[[/folder]]
140
141[[folder:Video Games]]
142* This is extremely common in the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' games, usually when a witness says something that is either incredibly stupid or implausible or that casts supreme suspicion on them.
143* Apparently happens at the beginning of ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'' to Booker Dewitt when he first witnesses Columbia.
144* In ''VideoGame/EnslavedOdysseyToTheWest'' Trip reacts that way when she sees [[OneManArmy Monkey]] battling Mechs for the first time.
145* In ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade'', the titular character just looks on at the girl behind the curtain [[spoiler: (later revealed to be Keira)]] in a romantic trance, with his mouth wide open, while Daxter attempts to get him to snap out of it.
146* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'': After Mordin Solus shows he is the very model of a scientist salarian, regardless of the player's choice of response, there's a pause between it and Shepard actually saying something, suggesting s/he's having one of these.
147-->'''Mordin:''' ... still prefer patter songs.
148[[/folder]]
149
150[[folder:Webcomics]]
151* Occurs in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-11-29 when Grace decides to let Mr. Raven know she's in on the masquerade the fast way]].
152* Nobody in ''WebComic/SlightlyDamned'' thought that [[ThePollyanna Buwaro]] the Demon could sing, [[http://www.sdamned.com/comic/433 surprise]].
153[[/folder]]
154
155[[folder:Web Original]]
156* [[WebVideo/TheAngryJoeShow Angry Joe]]'s review of ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'' begins with a full fifteen seconds of him staring dazedly into the camera before fainting. (Yes, it's that good.)
157* ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'':
158** The Nerd's review of the Power Glove had a rather [[StealthPun stunning]] example of this: while testing out the game ''Top Gun'' and its notoriously finicky landing sequence, he managed to land using the glove. His response? There wasn't one.
159** He did the same thing when his review of ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' had him beat [[FinalBoss Shadow Link]] with the Power Glove[[labelnote:How it happened]]Link stood against the left edge of the screen and repeatedly crouched and stabbed, whittling down Shadow Link's health without taking damage[[/labelnote]]. Idly. While talking to the audience. He has to do a DoubleTake when he realizes what he had done.
160* [[WebVideo/BumReviews Chester A. Bum]]'s reaction to ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' is similar, beginning with several seconds of staring in slack-jawed amazement.
161* The members of ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'' went to Kickstarter to fund ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfVoxMachina'', an animated short, giving it a goal of $750,000 and a time limit of 45 days. The funding was met in less than 45 minutes, and the stretch goal of a million dollars was hit in under an hour. Within twelve hours of the Kickstarter opening, the critters had raised more than three million dollars, completing all of the stretch goals in less than half a day. This even got ''Critical Role'' the world record for the most-funded film project ever in the site's history at the time. The result? [[https://youtu.be/CHtkAfkOYgI A planned FAQ stream started with]] Creator/MatthewMercer, Creator/TravisWillingham, and Creator/MarishaRay sitting in silence, just staring at the camera. This lasts until Travis finally lets out some TensionCuttingLaughter, causing them all to break down laughing, [[YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe barely able to process what's just happened]].
162[[/folder]]
163
164[[folder:Western Animation]]
165* At the beginning of Season Two of ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'', Uncle chooses the [[HeelFaceTurn newly-reformed Tohru]] as his Chi magic apprentice. Throughout the episode "Jade Times Jade," Tohru keeps making mistakes, prompting the old man to regret his decision. However, at the episode's end (when the two have flown to Japan to help banish the MonsterOfTheWeek), Tohru manages to get this reaction from Uncle regarding [[MesACrowd Jade's attempt at magical cloning]]:
166-->'''Uncle:''' [[CharacterCatchphrase I must do research]]--\
167'''Tohru:''' Ah, no need, Sensei. [[SuddenlyAlwaysKnewThat I believe no Finishing Charm was added to the original duplication spell; that is why it continues to repeat]].\
168''[Uncle stares at Tohru as if he has three heads]''\
169'''Tohru:''' I, uh... [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome did some reading... during the long flight]].
170* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', everyone's jaw drops when they find out that Bumi's story about developing airbending [[CassandraTruth wasn't a story after all]].
171* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': At the end of "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS2E5ThroughTheLookingGlassRuins Through the Looking Glass Ruins]]", Amity gives Luz a quick kiss on the cheek spontaneously after Luz helped get her job at the library back, after an entire episode of incredibly smitten behavior. With Luz in Stunned Silence, Amity instantly gets embarrassed.
172* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
173** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E14SuitedForSuccess Suited for Success]]", when Fluttershy demonstrates her knowledge of sewing, after Rarity keeps asking for her honest opinion on Fluttershy's gala dress, Rarity's reaction is to stare, slack-jawed and speechless, at Fluttershy.
174** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E11FamilyAppreciationDay Family Appreciation Day]]", all of the fillies and colts of the Ponyville schoolhouse, including Apple Bloom, are reduced to several seconds of amazed jaw-dropping silence after Granny Smith finishes her story and reveals she was responsible for the founding of Ponyville.
175** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E15TwilightTime Twilight Time]]", when Twilight exits the café, she is greeted by a horde of fillies and colts who stare up at her in jaw-dropped silence for a few moments, prior to squealing excitedly and crowding around her.
176* In ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'', Sticks, Amy, and Tails are stunned silent when Knuckles calls out Amy's comment on being just as good as a soccer player as a boy, surprised at his [[DumbassHasAPoint uncharacteristically insightful]] comment.
177* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': In "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsSparkOfRebellion Spark of Rebellion]]", this is Ezra and the Wookiees' reaction to seeing Kanan break out his lightsaber during the Kessel rescue.
178* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'':
179** "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E12WeNeedToTalk We Need to Talk]]": Greg's reaction when Steven and Connie fuse in front of him.
180** "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E2KnowYourFusion Know Your Fusion]]": Garnet and Pearl do this when [[spoiler:Steven and Amethyst fuse]].
181* In ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'', the Gophers are struck speechless when the RCMP comes for Izzy.
182[[/folder]]
183
184[[folder:Real Life]]
185* Utter audience silence can be the sign of a deeply moving musical performance, and as such is an enormous compliment to the performers.
186* There are stories about filmmakers that went to Japan to show their movies and were shocked when no one cheered or clapped after they ended, only for them to be told that that's how Japanese people compliment it.
187[[/folder]]
188
189!!Stunned Horror
190
191[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
192* Done to hilarious effect in ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' episode 30. While the Chosen Children/Digidestined are on the subway, a baby begins yanking on Pyokomon's stem. Pyokomon, who is pretending to be a stuffed animal, does her best to keep silent and still until she can't take it anymore and screams at the baby to cut it out. Everyone in the entire train car goes absolutely silent, including the kids, who are simply staring in shocked horror at Pyokomon's outburst. Even the music abruptly stops, adding to the humor of the awkward situation. Thankfully, the dub retains the silence in the scene.
193* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
194** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'': Emporio's reaction as [[spoiler:Pucci kills everyone sans Jolyne]] in an instant is staring in horror before screaming.
195** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun Steel Ball Run]]'': After [[spoiler:Gyro dies]], Johnny becomes visibly disdained after what occurred. It happened so fast, he was so dumbfounded that he couldn't do anything but watch, teary-eyed desperate.
196* ''Manga/{{Jormungand}}''[='s=] main character Koko Hekmatyar revealing exactly what plan ''Jormungand'' involves in episode 10 of season 2 elicits unfavorable reactions from her subordinates.
197* ''Manga/JujutsuKaisen'': In the Shibuya Incident arc, Yuji stands shocked in silence after witnessing [[spoiler:Nobara]] die right in front of him.
198* This is [[KidHero Sora]]'s reaction to finding out that [[{{WesternAnimation/Mulan}} "Ping"]] [[SweetPollyOliver is female]] in ''Manga/KingdomHeartsII''. He soon covers his face and tries to excuse himself in a humiliating way.
199-->'''Sora:''' ...Oh. Err. 'Sup? Um? [[SuddenlyShouting I'm sorry!]] [[SamusIsAGirl I didn't know you were a girl!]]
200* A particularly notable example in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' is during the final battle, when [[spoiler:Midoriya]] witnesses [[spoiler:the carnage of the battlefield]] including [[spoiler:Bakugou's body]]. Several pages without text are devoted to his reaction.
201* In ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', after [[spoiler: Mami dies]], you see the faces of Sayaka and Madoka and the look of utter horror on their faces. Considering what they just [[EatenAlive witnessed]], anyone would react the same way.
202* ''VisualNovel/SteinsGate'': When Okabe loudly makes light of [[DudeLooksLikeALady Ruka's androgynous appearance]] in front of the whole lab in a mid-series episode, he gets this trope as a response because [[spoiler:in this World Line, Ruka was born a girl,]] [[DudeNotFunny making what is usually an in-joke between the two of them come off as incredibly mean spirited instead]].
203* ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'': A regular element of being around Mihoshi.
204* ''Anime/YuGiOh'': During Joey's duel with Marik, Joey plays a card that lets him summon the bottom-most monster in his graveyard (as in, the monster that was sent to the graveyard first) unless his opponent can guess the name of it. Since Marik had earlier played a card that sends cards from Joey's hand to his graveyard at random, he has no idea what the card might be and doesn't even make an attempt, leading Joey to mention this trope by name.
205---> "Oh, I'm sorry! 'Stunned silence' was not the answer we were looking for!"
206[[/folder]]
207
208[[folder:Comic Books]]
209* ''ComicBook/TheAvengers:'' Hawkeye's reaction to Scarlet Witch informing him, ''after'' he'd forcibly kissed her, that in the time he was off having his own adventures in space she and the Vision realized they loved one another. The narration dryly notes Clint's reaction is the smartest thing he can do; "he says nothing."
210* ''ComicBook/CaptainBritainAndMI13'': It happened when Dane Whitman, Black Knight, needed a sword. Faiza Hussain grabs one and everyone's stunned shocked at what she grabbed: ''Excalibur''.
211* Even Palpatine gets such a moment, in ''Franchise/StarWars: The Clone Wars: The Sith Hunters'', when Anakin tells him Darth Maul has returned.
212* ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'': A strange green creature that can cast fireballs attacks Peter's school, and is driven away by Spider-Man. When everything is said and done, everyone's talking about the creature when Harry drops the bomb: "He was my father". For some moments, everybody is speechless.
213* In ''ComicBook/BlakeAndMortimer'', Ashoka confronts Mortimer with the latter's dagger, intending to make him publicly admit that he killed his daughter, Gita. Though, Mortimer explains that the dagger is paired with another and the one Ashoka is holding belonged to Sushil. Mortimer further adds that his own dagger was lost when he killed the tiger that attacked Gita. Sensing that Mortimer is telling truth and realizing that Sushil has lied to him, Ashoka is silent for a moment.
214* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
215** In ''ComicBook/WhoIsSuperwoman'', [[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]] tells Characters/{{Supergirl|TheCharacter}} and [[Characters/SupermanSupportingCast Lana Lang]] to get out of her apartment when they reveal the villain Superwoman, who [[spoiler:apparently]] died fighting Supergirl, was her sister Lucy. Kara and Lana are leaving when Lois renders both women speechless by suddenly asking for a sample of Superwoman's costume to get it analyzed.
216** In ''ComicBook/{{Crucible}}'', Kara gapes in wordless horror when she gets brought to [[BigBad Korstus]]' lab chambers and discovers he is growing an army of ComicBook/{{Superboy}} clones.
217** In ''ComicBook/SupermanVsShazam'', both Black Adam and the Sandman Superman are rendered speechless when Karmang reveals he plans to destroy two parallel Earths simultaneously.
218--->'''Black Adam:''' What about those worlds, wizard?\
219'''Karmang:''' I want you to place a device on each Earth which will cause those worlds to become magnetically attracted to each other-- resulting in planetary collision-- and the utter destruction of both planets!\
220'''Narration:''' And in the castle of Karmang, on the red planet Mars, there is a total stunned silence!
221** ''ComicBook/ThePlagueOfTheAntibioticMan'': Amalak is struck dumb when he sees Supergirl, who he believed helpless, breaking the chains with which he had tied her to a chair.
222[[/folder]]
223
224[[folder:Fan Works]]
225* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'':
226** Several of Alan Jonah's subordinates go silent from shock for a moment when he shoots one of his own men, [[spoiler:as the latter was blabbing to San and Vivienne about what Jonah did to "the others"]].
227** [[TwoBeingsOneBody San and Vivienne Graham]] have a very brief one when Thor brings up his son's death.
228* ''Fanfic/AmbitionOfTheRedPrincess'': when Raphtalia [[DeclarationOfProtection declares Malty is like a mother to her and that she won't let the attacking Outer Goddess kill her]], said goddess, being [[spoiler:the Raphtalia from the web novel]], is left watching at her in horror.
229* In the ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' story, ''[[Fanfic/LegacyTotalDrama Legacy]]'', the contestants (but not Chris or Chef Hatchet) are dumbfounded when [[spoiler:the killer slashes his victim]].
230* ''Fanfic/MastermindStrategistForHire'': At a UA staff meeting on how to move on from [[spoiler: All Might's death at the USJ]], Nedzu states that [[spoiler:there may be nobody strong enough to defeat a potentially still-alive All For One, since All Might didn't pass on One For All before his death]]. The attendees are left speechless with horror.
231* In ''Fanfic/NeonGenesisEvangelionGenocide'', Keiko Nagare becomes too horrified to speak when Asuka reveals she thought about killing herself after beating Keiko up (which only happened because her mind was being tampered with, but Asuka does not know that).
232-->The words fell on Keiko's chest like an anvil. She gasped, her left hand clutching the front of her gown as if to brace herself. Her mouth hung open but she couldn't speak, leaving her to stare in terrified silence at the girl she admired—the girl whom she wanted to emulate, to grow up and be like. The haughty, beautiful, popular, courageous Asuka Langley Soryu… thought about killing herself?
233* This happens multiple times in ''Fanfic/OhGodNotAgain''. One of the more notable instances is when [[Franchise/HarryPotter Harry]] mouths off at Voldemort several times while he's at his mercy and surrounded by Death Eaters, who just can't believe what they're seeing.
234* In ''Fanfic/APrizeForThreeEmpires'', Kree gladiator Iva Kann is left speechless when [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Carol Danvers]] points out that she is nothing but cannon fodder for her superiors, no matter how good Iva believes she is.
235-->"Now they're matching you against me, just for the pleasure of the big boys," Carol continued. "Just for the pleasure of seeing me killed. Isn't that right?"\
236"The basic idea of it is correct," Iva agreed.\
237"This has all been done to make you into the perfect fighting machine. Would you agree with that?"\
238Iva looked as though she were being drawn into a trap, but couldn't bring herself to avoid it. "Not in those precise words, but the gist of it is valid."\
239"So what happens when they want an even more perfect fighting machine, and throw you to her as a sacrifice?"\
240Iva's jaw was open. No sound came out.
241* ''Fanfic/ReadTheFinePrintEvangelion'': Shinji and Asuka become unable to speak when Rei casually says she is completely expendable.
242-->''Rei solemnly shook her head. "That does not matter. The Angels must be defeated at any cost. If I die, I can be replaced."''\
243''The matter-of-fact way she said that caused both Asuka and Shinji's eyes widen in shock. None of them managed to speak again before the warning bell for the end of lunch rang.''
244* In the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{Retribution}}'', Kirk is "surprised temporarily beyond words" when Spock confesses that he still feels guilty about nearly killing Kirk during the ''kal-i-fee''. When he can speak again, he protests that Spock was NotHimself.
245* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/3102659/chapters/6899613#workskin Say Something]]'', [[WesternAnimation/BigHero6 Cass Hamada]] has been [[HintDropping dropping some not-so-subtle hints]] about her interest in [[{{Squick}} her nephew, Hiro]] (such as asking him about Sex-Ed, kissing him right on the mouth, and questioning him about a movie's sex scene). Once she has him on her bed and is about to cross that line with him, she asks him if he is ok with all this. Unfortunately, Hiro is unable to say no due to being too stunned to speak, prompting Cass to take his silence as consent.
246* The Website/SCPFoundation has a list of [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/the-things-dr-bright-is-not-allowed-to-do-at-the-foundation Things Dr. Bright Is Not Allowed To Do At The Foundation]]. Item 73 is quite fitting...
247--> '''A full minute of stunned silence means "My God what did you do?" not "Please continue."''' [[note]]This also happens to be rule #540 of the Blog/ThingsMrWelchIsNoLongerAllowedToDoInAnRPG, the inspiration for this list.
248* ''Fanfic/StarWarsvsWarhammer40K'': When Yoda shows Hondo's footage of an Imperial death camp on Axum to the Galactic Senate, the entire chamber becomes dead silent as every senator stares in horror at the inhumane tortures and mass killings being inflicted on Axum's non-human populace by the Imperium of Man.
249* ''Fanfic/WhiteSheepRWBY'':
250** Cinder is speechless when Salem admits in front of her and Jaune that she adopted Cinder in the hopes the two of them would give her grandchildren.
251** During Beacon's initiation, the recruits are rendered speechless when Jaune is plucked out of the air mid-launch by a giant Nevermore, and even Ozpin looks like he's fighting to maintain his stoic demeanor.
252[[/folder]]
253
254[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
255* ''WesternAnimation/BarbiePrincessCharmSchool'': The second Dame Devin gets a good look at Blair's face for the first time, she is stunned and stares at her for a while before Delancey cuts in. This is because Blair is the baby Sophia, the SoleSurvivor of the Royal Family of Gardania, and she is worried the true heir to the throne will take over the part she intended for Delancey.
256* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride'': Simba can only gape in as shock as his daughter Kiara tells him that [[CallingTheOldManOut he'll never be the king his father was]] because his judgement of Kovu had proven it.
257* ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'': When Roz asks if he remembered to file his paperwork for once, Mike answers with a frozen, forced grin.
258-->'''Roz:''' Your stunned silence is ''very'' reassuring.
259* ''WesternAnimation/Shrek2'': After Fiona and Shrek get out of the carriage, the whole kingdom is shocked by the appearance of their princess and who her husband is (including the king and queen). It becomes so quiet that the only sound is a lone baby crying.
260* In [[WhatCouldHaveBeen an earlier version]] of ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Mei was going to run for class president against Tyler and the debate would have ended with Mei turning into her giant red panda form in front of the entire assembly resulting in a moment of awkward silence which is interrupted only by someone coughing.
261[[/folder]]
262
263[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
264* Mission Control in ''Film/Apollo13'' after Lovell reports that "we are venting something into space" and everyone realizes just how bad the situation is.
265* ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'': Steve is fighting the eponymous villain in the streets. He's fast, strong, has a metal arm, and is as every bit as skilled in combat as Captain America is. [[DramaticUnmask Then, he manages to unmask the Winter Soldier]]. [[spoiler:When he sees that it's Bucky, he looks on in disbelief, and when he realizes that Bucky had no idea who he himself is, let alone who ''Steve'' is, that disbelief turns into horror and Steve quickly enters a HeroicBSOD.]]
266-->'''Steve:''' [[spoiler:...Bucky]]?\
267'''The Winter Soldier:''' [[spoiler:Who the hell is Bucky]]?
268* A LeaveTheCameraRunning example is featured in ''Film/FunnyGames'' after [[spoiler:the couple's child is killed and the killers depart. The parents sit motionlessly and in silence for over a minute]].
269* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing'': "The Ring must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm whence it came. [{{beat}}] One of you must do this." It's almost jarring ''not'' to hear crickets in the silence that follows, as the camera pans out to observe that no one in the council is moving a muscle. Boromir finally breaks the silence with the [[MemeticMutation now-meme-tastic]] line: "One does not simply WalkIntoMordor."
270* In ''Film/MacGruber'', OnlySaneMan Piper has this reaction when listening to [=MacGruber=]'s backstory of him and the villain, learning that the latter's grudge against the former is all too justified.
271* A "stupidity" example in ''Film/ThePrincessBride'' after Buttercup and Westley enter the Fire Swamp.
272-->'''Westley:''' It's not that bad.\
273'''Buttercup:''' ''[turns her head and stares disbelievingly at him]''\
274'''Westley:''' Well, I'm not saying I'd like to build a summer home here, but the trees are actually quite lovely.\
275'''Buttercup:''' ''[continues to stare at him]''
276* ''Film/TheProducers'': The audience upon seeing the opening musical number for the play ''Springtime For Hitler''.
277* In ''Film/RoboCop1987'', during the scene when Robocop attempts to stop Emil (one of the criminals who killed him) from robbing a gas station, and Emil realizes that [[BackFromTheDead Robocop is the police officer they thought they killed.]] Robocop, who has no memory of his death, is so shocked he doesn't even react to Emil firing at him.
278-->'''Robocop''': Drop it! Dead or alive, you're coming with me.\
279'''Emil''': ...I know you. You're dead. We killed you. (fires gun) We killed you!
280* ''Film/{{Spotlight}}'': During a phone call, an expert researcher shocks the Spotlight reporting team with the statistic that 6 percent of priests are child molesters. The reporters do some quick math and come up with a whopping ''ninety'' priests in Boston alone. The resulting silence is so long that the researcher has to ask if they're still there; they can only stutter out "Uh-" as a response.
281* ''Film/XMenApocalypse'': The survivors of the mansion's destruction are all shocked and speechless when they realize that their school has been reduced to a big pile of smoking debris.
282[[/folder]]
283
284[[folder:Literature]]
285* In ''Literature/{{Carrie}}'', after the protagonist is covered in pig's blood, the gathered students are all shocked into silence by it. Unfortunately for all of them, [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness Carrie thinks they're all laughing at her]]. This is enough to BreakTheCutie, and [[UnstoppableRage Carrie starts a massive killing spree]].
286%%* In ''Literature/Rage1977'', after Charlie [[spoiler:shoots his math teacher in the head]]. Context?
287* Happens in ''[[Literature/TheIcewindDaleTrilogy The Crystal Shard]]'' by R.A. Salvatore. Wulfgar wins a one-on-one fight by ''crushing the guy's skull with his bare hands.'' After the fight, a herald was supposed to step in and proclaim the winner. Instead, everyone just stands around staring at what he'd done.
288* ''Literature/FireAndBlood:''
289** When Aegon II is declared king after the death of his father, instead of Rheanyra, the one her father declared the heir, some of the people of King's Landing cheered. The rest were just very, ''very'' quiet, as they realised what was about to happen.
290** On the day Aegon III turns sixteen and his regency ends, the regents are very alarmed when he enters the throne room with four of his Kingsguard and the towering OneManArmy Sandoq the Shadow. It's Aegon who breaks the silence by asking, very calmly, just how old he is, and then telling the regents they're sitting in his chair.
291* In ''Literature/LessonsForAPerfectDetectiveStory'' this is Tenkaichi's reaction to having his summation and reveal of the murder's identity interrupted by [[spoiler:the murderer killing herself. After the full confession and death]] Tenkaichi walks slowly out of the room and asks the chief if he can go home as he can no longer have his dramatic moment.
292* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': this was also the general reaction when, during the Tourney at Harrenhal, Rhaegar Targaryen crowned Lyanna Stark (who was bethrothed to Robert Baratheon) Queen of Love and Beauty instead of his own wife Elia Martell. Several characters looked back at that moment and realize that Rhaegar had unwittingly planted the first seed of the coming war of rebellion.
293[[/folder]]
294
295[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
296* On ''Series/TheDailyShowWithTrevorNoah'', poor Trevor is left [[https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/717725935475122177 horrified]] and grossed out for several seconds after watching a clip of UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump making an objectifying remark about his ''then-infant daughter''.
297* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': In "Nelson v. Murdock", while Foggy is ripping into Matt over his double life as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, Matt reveals what caused him to take up vigilantism: he overheard a man molesting and/or raping his own daughter, and he never got arrested because his wife refused to believe it. Foggy, who's spent the episode up to this point angrily chewing Matt out, can only muster a single horrified curse and shudder.
298* In ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'' episode "Career Opportunities", Robbie gets a job at as a tree-pusher for [=WESAYSO=]. Inevitably, he becomes the target of MeanBoss Richfield's ire. Robbie's reaction to Richfield's tirade is to stand in shock, quivering. Richfield actually finds this disappointing, as he enjoys watching his his employees yelp in fear.
299* In ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'' [[spoiler: everyone present has this reaction after John Walker aka Captain America decapitates an unarmed flag smasher with Steve’s shield]].
300* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': "I’m pregnant. (Ross stops.) Ross? (Ross [[ThousandYardStare is staring off into space]].) Ross? (Ross is still frozen) Okay, whenever you’re ready. (Sits back and opens her magazine.) And you’re the father by the way — [[DeadpanSnarker but you got that…]]"
301* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': In the WhamEpisode "[[Recap/GameOfThronesS3E9TheRainsOfCastamere The Rains of Castamere]]", Catelyn Tully has this reaction when [[spoiler:her son Robb is killed. The silence is stretched through the entire credits sequence with a total lack of sound or music]].
302* ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'': When the [[LegacyTitle new]] [[DefectorFromDecadence Calibur]] gets knocked out of transformation, everyone present just stares at him until [[TheHero Touma]] gathers enough stregth to whispers his [[ThisCannotBe name]].
303* ''Series/OurMissBrooks'': This happens to Miss Brooks in the episode "Home Cooked Meal". Miss Brooks realizes that Mr. Conklin has gone into a dark kitchen that has filled with natural gas. When Mr. Conklin announces he's going to light a match, horror-stricken, she can only ''mouth'' a warning. Fortunately, Mr. Conklin's all right, although a little worse for wear.
304* ''Series/{{Punkd}}'': [[Series/That70sShow Wilmer Valderrama]] couldn't do anything but stare in shock as his expensive car was dented and had its windows smashed in.
305* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'': When Music/SineadOConnor appeared as a musical guest in 1992, she sang a cover of Music/BobMarley's "War", and at the end, she tore a photo of Pope John Paul II and shouted "Fight the real enemy!" as a way to protest child abuse in the Western world. Everybody in the studio was so shocked that Creator/LorneMichaels ordered that they go to commercial without switching on the "Applause" sign.
306* ''Series/StarTrekPicard'':
307** In "[[Recap/StarTrekPicardS1E04AbsoluteCandor Absolute Candor]]", Picard wordlessly gapes when Elnor lops off Tenqem's head with his sword.
308** In "[[Recap/StarTrekPicardS1E06TheImpossibleBox The Impossible Box]]", Picard, Soji and Hugh are dead quiet for a few moments after Elnor saves them from three Romulan soldiers, whom he butchers with his sword, which causes his victims to unleash a fair amount of arterial spray.
309** In "Nepenthe", as [[spoiler:Hugh]] is dying in his arms, Elnor is speechless.
310** In "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1", Picard is incapable of a response when an xB addresses him as "Locutus," a name that he sorely dreads.
311* In ''Series/TigerKing'' campaign manager Josh is sitting around the office one day working when [[spoiler:Joe's husband Travis]] starts [[RecklessGunUsage playing around with a loaded gun]], he puts it up to his head and promptly blows his own brains out. Poor Josh just sits there completely silent for a full forty seconds.
312%%* ''Series/TheWestWing'': "Josh, your father died."
313* ''Series/That70sShow'' has this instance from Season One when they guys talk about how Jackie "whips" Kelso.
314-->'''Hyde:''' ''[imitating Jackie]'' Michael, call me at 8:00!\
315'''Eric:''' ''[also imitating Jackie]'' Michael, do your Chico impression!\
316'''Fez:''' ''[also imitating Jackie]'' Michael, rub oil on my thighs while I spank you.\
317''[Kelso, Hyde, and Eric are visibly disturbed in silent stares by what Fez just said. Now, back to Fez.]''\
318'''Fez:''' ''[[[DidISayThatOutLoud uncomfortable]]]'' ...Please someone else talk now.
319[[/folder]]
320
321[[folder:Music]]
322* According to ''Magazine/RollingStone'', after Music/MichaelJackson played the entirety of the just-completed second disc of ''Music/HistoryPastPresentAndFutureBookI'' (1995) -- the DarkerAndEdgier product of a CreatorBreakdown, as opposed to a WinBackTheCrowd collection of catchy dance tunes they and he ''really'' could have used in the wake of his child molestation scandal -- to a boardroom full of Creator/SonyMusic executives, all they did was file out of the room in silence, driving him to tears.
323[[/folder]]
324
325[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
326* Wrestling/{{ECW}} once did a storyline involving Wrestling/{{Raven}} tying [[Wrestling/JimFullington The Sandman]] to a wooden cross, then placing a crown of barbed wire upon his head. This marks the only time the ECW mutants were ever not cheering, chanting, or screaming for blood. Definitely the "silent horror" variety. They had to send Raven (who was supposed to be [[{{Heel}} the bad guy]] in all this, keep in mind) out to apologize to the crowd afterwards. Raven, to this day, doesn't get why anyone saw a problem with it. By the way, Wrestling/KurtAngle, a few months after winning an Olympic Gold Medal [[MemeticMutation with a BROKEN FREAKING NECK]], was there that night as a guest of Wrestling/{{Taz|z}}. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen He turned around and walked out on seeing this.]]
327* At the 2016 ''[[Wrestling/RingOfHonor Death Before Dishonor]]'' match, maker Wrestling/NigelMcGuinness, who was on commentary for the night, was at a loss for words [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone at the sight of the bloody shards of broken table]] that resulted from Adam Page's "anything goes" match with Jay Briscoe.
328[[/folder]]
329
330[[folder:Radio]]
331* On ''Radio/HowGreenWasMyCactus'', Pauline Hatful's press conferences invariably end with her saying something of such breathtaking stupidity, that the entire the conference falls silent and the cameras stop clicking. Inevitably followed by Pauline's baffled catchphrase "Why is everybody looking at me?".
332[[/folder]]
333
334[[folder:Roleplay]]
335* ''Roleplay/DawnOfANewAgeOldportBlues'':
336** Ivan [[TheSpeechless doesn't really speak anyway]], but upon coming across Daigo's homemade lizard monster and watching it nearly eat multiple people, get hit by a car, get back to its feet and try to attack Ciro, only for Zia to use her telepathy to [[YourHeadAsplode explode its brain]], he notes that, even if he ''could'' speak, he wouldn't have been able to find anything to say.
337** Upon coming across the destroyed nurse's office, the severely burned and screaming school nurse, and then witnessing Jessica's blase reaction to it, Destiny is freaked out to the point that she can't put it into words.
338[[/folder]]
339
340[[folder:Stand-Up Comedy]]
341* Creator/RonWhite: "I got kicked off the high school debate team for saying 'Yeah?! Well, [[PrecisionFStrike fuck you]]!!' I thought I had won. The other kid was speechless."
342[[/folder]]
343
344[[folder:Video Games]]
345* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': In the bad ending, after [[spoiler:Ryan had SleptThroughTheApocalypse]], he awakens in a entirely vacant destroyed building. Upon moving through wreckage of the building's ruins, he stops with filled-horror at seeing [[spoiler:the world has become a barren wasteland of destruction]].
346* When [[spoiler:the Bkjhfjdgelkans nuke themselves]] in ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'', [[MassOhCrap all radio chatter stops]] for thirty seconds. Even the BGM stops and is replaced with quiet white noise for the rest of the mission. Coupled with the InterfaceScrew from [[spoiler:the nukes' EMP]], the end result is ''[[NightmareFuel scary]]''.
347* If you chose to save Doug in episode one of ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDeadSeasonOne,'' once episode three rolls around and [[spoiler: Lily is at the tipping point of violent suspicion as to who in the group was slipping supplies to the bandits, she quietly draws her gun and attempts to shoot Ben when no one is looking, but Doug sees it just in time to pull Ben out of the way and [[TakingTheBullet get shot instead.]] Lily goes completely still, with a look of complete shock on her face while staring at Doug's body, and [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone silently shakes her head]]]].
348* ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' has the ship's A.I. "EDI" get her own robotic body. One discussion leads to Shepard asking if Edi's processing power and attention might be drawn elsewhere by her new abilities to any troublesome level:
349-->'''EDI''': Do not worry, Shepard. I only forget to recycle the Normandy's oxygen when I find something ''truly'' interesting.\
350'''Shepard''': (silent facial expression of [[OhCrap utter horror]])\
351'''EDI''': [[JustJokingJustification That was a joke]].
352* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda:'' Should Ryder nominate Nakmor Morda, a krogan so bad-tempered other krogan call her a hardass, to be an ambassador, and then go to speak to Initiative Director Tann afterward, Tann is so horrified (in part because of his ''severe'' FantasticRacism toward krogan) he can't even speak, just sputtering at Ryder.
353* In ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'', a Pigmask does this when Lucas crashes and totals the Pork Bean he brought him mere seconds after he gets into it. He remains there utterly speechless for the rest of the game.
354* ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'': This happens [[spoiler:to N]] when [[spoiler:Ghetsis insults him and reveals Team Plasma's [[TakeOverTheCity real goals]]]].
355* ''VideoGame/PokerNightAtTheInventory'' has several examples, but none more visible than during the Tycho's giraffe story, and the Heavy's Engineer story.
356* In ''VideoGame/LastScenario'', [[spoiler:Ethan]] has this reaction when [[spoiler:Castor]], in a VillainousBreakdown, [[spoiler:causes him to remember that he's Castor's older brother, who saved his life many years ago]].
357* This is Varric's reaction in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', should [[spoiler:Hawke, his best friend, be the one to make the HeroicSacrifice in the Fade]].
358* Shuichi Saihara goes completely silent in ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' in Case 1 when he's accused of being the killer. [[spoiler:Ironically, the reason he's stunned into silence isn't because he's being accused, but because he's figured out that the killer was ([[FrameUp supposedly]]) [[PlayerCharacter Kaede Akamatsu]] and ''really'' doesn't want to reveal the truth of her crime since they've become good friends. Kaede herself eventually talks him out of it]].
359* ''VideoGame/YuGiOhDuelLinks'': PlayedForLaughs when Serena (Celina) tells Reiji (Declan) that since she is the partial reincarnation of his older half-sister Ray, that makes Reiji her younger brother. [[TangledFamilyTree Even though she is technically younger.]] Reiji stares at her with pure shock in his face for a ''long'' time before regaining his composure and denying it.
360[[/folder]]
361
362[[folder:Webcomics]]
363* Done in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' in [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090706 this page]]... although not for the same reason for everyone.
364* In the ''Webcomic/{{Erstwhile}}'' version of "Literature/MaidMaleen", the princess and her chambermaid are left speechless with horror when they break out of their prison and find out someone has destroyed the kingdom and killed everybody while they were locked away in the tower.
365* Subverted in ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt''. It looks like Antimony has gotten [[TricksterGod Coyote]] stunned silent with a revelation about Renard, but it turns out Coyote is faking, and he knew about the revelation all along.
366* In ''Webcomic/JupiterMen'', Quintin and Nathan give Jackie a wide-eyed stare of shock when Jackie says to "get RID" of Binny along with a throat slitting motion. Jackie then specifies that she means to bribe Binny, confusing Quintin who clearly thought she meant [[DeadlyEuphemism something else]].
367* ''WebComic/{{Spacetrawler}}'': Upon discovering [[spoiler:that all Eebs are lobotomized at birth]], Martina takes [[http://spacetrawler.com/2011/05/08/spacetrawler-138/ a full three panels]] to absorb the information.
368[[/folder]]
369
370[[folder:Web Original]]
371* ''WebAnimation/TheMostPopularGirlsInSchool'':
372** Brittnay has this in Episode 42 after Greg calls her out with a lengthy TheReasonYouSuckSpeech about her being whiny.
373** This happens to Brittnay after her mother chews her out at the end of Episode 52.
374* ''WebAnimation/DrHavocsDiary'':
375** Havoc does this in Episode 15 when Kim [[spoiler:notes that there's a chance that Brock is Ally's real father]].
376** Kim does this in Episode 24 when Ally [[spoiler:([[FreakyFridayFlip really]] Havoc)]] tells her that she (Ally) has always loved her father more than her.
377* ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'':
378** When Linkara reviewed ''ComicBook/{{Cable}} #1'', he mentioned a panel showing part of the World Trade Center blown up. His face showed that HarsherInHindsight didn't even begin to cover it.
379** TheStinger for ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWallTheMovie'' shows everybody sitting around Linkara's living room and staring in shocked silence after the Cinema Snob has finished showing them ''Film/SaloOrThe120DaysOfSodom''.
380* When WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows reviewed Music/ChrisBrown's "Deuces", Kevin [=McCall=]'s line "Like Tina did to Ike in the limo, it finally hit me" caused this. And follows by asking how it remained on the song (complete with a mock conversation where Brown asks to remove the lyric because [[DomesticAbuse they compare him enough already with Ike Turner]]). He has since had more instances of that, such as another Chris Brown-related song, Music/LilDicky's "Freaky Friday" ("ain't nobody judging 'cause I'm black, or my controversial past." Todd describes the subsequent silence as his brain crashing.) and Music/LizPhair singing "You're being a penis- colada, that is" (where his only response is a wrestling tap out).
381* In ''WebVideo/SuburbanKnights'', when the main villain, an EvilLuddite wizard who wants to destroy all technology [[spoiler:turns out to have a smartphone]], everyone just stays silent for a moment. Then WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic calls out on him... discovering the bad guy is even more of a hypocrite than he seems!
382* In a crossover review of ''Series/{{The Incredible Hulk|1977}} Returns'', when [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] says to Donald Blake (in case you don't know, in the comics both are the same person) "I like you, Blake, but [[ThatCameOutWrong only when you're asleep]]!" [[WebVideo/WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou Nash]] and [[WebVideo/BadMovieBeatdown Film Brain]] can only deliver horrified expressions.
383* Early on in ''WebVideo/MarbleHornets'', Alex gets stunned in the middle of a rehearsal for his student film upon seeing [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos Slender Man]] standing on a porch down the street. This leaves his two companions rather annoyed, as he never explains what has him so spooked.
384* In the 2nd installment of ''[[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment Spooning with Spoony]]'', the Nostalgia Critic, having woken up in a bed, with Spoony, spends the entirety of the segment with his mouth wide open in silent horror, never making a sound. Angry Joe, also waking up with them, is only silent for a moment before attempting to attack Spoony.
385* ''Website/SFDebris'': Kirk and Picard react this way to Archer's TalkativeLoon display in one meeting. Janeway, meanwhile, reacts with ''enthusiasm''...but then, of course, she does.
386* When reviewing the ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'' episode "The Tale of the Dark Music", WebVideo/JonTron is initially confused by the ending, where the hero locks the bully in the basement with a monster.
387-->'''Jon''': Wait, what's this? He's got a new bike now? Well, that doesn't make any sense. I mean, how did it- ''([[http://youtu.be/TVYSiQolKps?t=13m25s Watches the ending unfold]])'' ...They didn't blow it.
388* When doing a LetsPlay of ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys4'', WebVideo/{{Markiplier}} is left stunned speechless by [[spoiler:The Bite of '87]]. Mostly because [[spoiler:a combination of the brutality of it all, that a ''kid'' was the victim, and that it was his BigBrotherBully that caused it]].
389* In ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' adaptation of ''The World's Strongest'', Bulma is left in this state as Kochin reveals that Dr. Wheelo's creation, Blub-Blub/The Bouncing Butcher is actually sentient and is actually showing quite glee that the creature is ''dying and wants someone to hold him.''
390** ''Everyone'' in the vicinity, [[EvenEvilHasStandards including Android 17]], is flabbergasted when Vegeta [[spoiler: calls 18 [[CountryMatters a "smug cunt"]]]].
391* In their joint channel ''WebVideo/DanAndPhilGames'', while doing a playthrough of ''{{VideoGame/Undertale}}'', Dan and Phil are both surprised (and creeped out) enough by Flowey's EvilLaugh the first time they hear it that they just sit there in silence for a good few seconds.
392* In WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic's "Battle of the Commercials" special, the final commercial is the infamous, extremely disturbing "Little Baby's Ice Cream" commercial, which featured a [[UncannyValley horrifyingly human-like]] ice cream monster staring at the camera and [[AutoCannibalism eating its own head with a spoon]] while it describes the product. The commercial appears to leave Critic in horrified silence, mouth agape. Subverted, in that [[spoiler: it's actually just a cardboard cutout of Critic]].
393* In ''WebVideo/HellsingUltimateAbridged'', in Episode 8, while the Millennium and Crusader armies are fighting and Anderson is having a stand-off with Seras, everyone abruptly halts when they hear the opening to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdB6TGonTms "Ready To Die"]] suddenly start playing in the distance... [[LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn as that's being blasted at full volume from the speakers on an aircraft carrier being sailed up the Thames River]] [[TheDreaded by Alucard.]] Everyone [[MassOhCrap stops and stares in shock and fear]] (except Integra and Seras) because [[HesBack Alucard is back.]]
394* Happened thrice to the Producer in ''Webvideo/ScreenRantPitchMeetings'', upon hearing that the villains of ''Film/JohnWick'' kill the eponymous character's dog (followed by "...OK, some people better die for that."), that the climactic battle of ''Literature/{{Twilight}} Breaking Dawn'' was just a vision ("...what are we doing here, man?") and [[spoiler:James Bond dying]] in ''Film/NoTimeToDie'' ("[[FlatWhat ...what?!]]").
395[[/folder]]
396
397[[folder:Western Animation]]
398* In the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' episode "[[Recap/BatmanBeyondS3E4OutOfThePast Out of the Past]]", Terry calls Ra's al Ghul a psychopath, which results in a horrified stare by Talia [[spoiler:-- which is a hint that Ra's al Ghul had possessed Talia's body and would have ''every reason'' to be horrified at the notion that people see him as a psychopath. If Terry called Ra's al Ghul in front of the ''real'' Talia, she would have given him a DeathGlare and more due to Talia's loyalty to Ra's al Ghul]].
399* ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead'': For a couple of videos (Vanilla Ice and Milli Vanilli), all they could do is stare in horror for several seconds before wordlessly changing the channel.
400* ''WesternAnimation/HarleyQuinn2019'': Doctor Psycho calls Wonder Woman a [[CountryMatters c**t]]. The onlookers gasp, the BGM stops, [[AnimalReactionShot a dog stops peeing, two birds stop flying]], and ''the entire Earth stops spinning''. All of that happens again later on when he throws that same word at Giganta, his ex-wife, during a talk show.
401* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'':
402** In "Reaching Out", Amity has a look of horror on her face when [[spoiler:Luz reveals that it's the anniversery of her father's death and then proceeds to [[ObviouslyNotFine try and brush it off like it's no big deal]]]].
403** In "King's Tide", the entire Hexsquad is dumbfounded when [[spoiler:The Collector pulls a VillainousRescue to protect them from Belos]]. Their confusion quickly turns to horror when [[spoiler:the Collector follows this up by reducing Belos to a literal smear on the wall [[FingerPokeOfDoom with a single finger poke]]]].
404** PlayedForLaughs in "Ecohes of the Past" when Hooty reveals his travel-form. Luz, Lilith and King all watch Hooty's transformation silently, with their expressions gradually shifting from happy curiosity to outright horror. By the time he is done, Luz looks like she is about to throw up, Lilith looks utterly shocked, King has tears in his eyes, and none of them are able to utter a single word.
405* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'': In "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E17 Krabby Land]]", following Mr. Krabs' cheap presentation of Krabby the Clown (just dressing as a clown for no more than ten seconds and going into his office), we are treated to a shot of [=SpongeBob=] and all the children in silent [[JawDrop jaw-dropping shock]].
406* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': In "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS6E3Fugitive Fugitive]]", several Kaminoans and droids have silent OhCrap reactions when [[OneManArmy Fives]] beats up four other clones and a Kaminoan in the space of a minute after learning he's in danger of LaserGuidedAmnesia. They don't even try to stop him when he runs off.
407* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'':
408** "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsSparkOfRebellion Spark of Rebellion]]": Everyone whose reaction we see gets this trope when Kanan breaks out his lightsaber during the Kessel rescue, and Agent Kallus and the stormtroopers specifically get the "horror" variant.
409** "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS2E03AlwaysTwoThereAre Always Two There Are]]": Kanan's reaction at the end to learning of the existence of two more Inquisitors.
410** "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E19ZeroHour Zero]] [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E20ZeroHourPartII Hour]]": [[spoiler:Kallus']] reaction when [[MagnificentBastard Grand Admiral Thrawn]] reveals he knows he's TheMole. Ultimately, the only comeback [[spoiler:Kallus]] can come up with is "{{You talk too much}}!"
411* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E25TheAnswer The Answer]]", when Ruby and Sapphire accidentally fuse into Garnet for the first time, the Homeward Gems in their presence do this, as a fusion between two different types of Gems had never been done and is strictly taboo.
412[[/folder]]
413
414[[folder:Real Life]]
415* When UsefulNotes/{{N|ationalBasketballAssociation}}BA player Kermit Washington punched Rudy Tomjanovich in a game hard enough to leave him in a pool of his own blood, the entire arena descended into what one observer described as "the loudest silence you've ever heard."
416* When American gymnast Rebecca Bross dislocated her kneecap on vault at the 2011 National Championships, the arena went deathly silent; all anyone could hear were the agonized screams of an eighteen-year-old girl. Those who were there describe it as one of the most haunting scenes they'd ever witnessed.
417* According to first-hand accounts, this happened in Hiroshima after the Atom Bomb was dropped. Survivors mention how in the first few minutes there was no screaming or crying, the survivors who were able to escape from buildings that had been destroyed quietly clambered out of the wreckage and shuffled away. This includes many people who had been gravely wounded and were writhing in pain.
418[[/folder]]
419
420!!Other
421
422[[folder:Advertisements]]
423* In the "Paramount Mountain Expedition" short "Ice Bridge" from Creator/ParamountPlus, [[Series/StarTrekDiscovery Michael Burnham]] tells her little group they need to lose some weight. All goes fine until [[Series/TheGoodFight Diane Lockhart]] tells someone he might need to remove his shirt. [[Series/Reno911 Lt. Dangle]] jumps in and happily decides to do so, prompting Burnham to give a look that says "...uhhh..."
424[[/folder]]
425
426[[folder:Comic Books]]
427* ''ComicBook/{{Diabolik}}'': Once in a while the creators drop an episode to remind everyone that in this series everything can happen and AnyoneCanDie. When they do, reader and character are left too stunned to speak. Some examples:
428** In "Mocking Diabolik", this happens thrice: first when Diabolik and Eva learn that Ginko has [[spoiler:moved the gold statues to the museum without Diabolik even realizing]], then when they learns ''how'' he did (with Eva trying to not laugh at the sheer audacity), and then, as the final panel of the issue when Ginko learns of ''how'' Diabolik was listening on him (Ginko ''knew'' Diabolik was listening on him and used this knowledge in his plan, but he didn't expect that Diabolik would bug the last round of his gun).
429** In "A Killer for Ginko", we get [[spoiler: Altea and Ginko's break-up]]. Something considered impossible.
430** In "The Return of Gustavo Garian", this happens when Gustavo reveals who hired the hitmen who had (apparently) killed Diabolik: [[spoiler: himself]]. Diabolik (disguised as Ginko) and the readers were left speechless... ''Then'' Gustavo [[spoiler: revealed he was terminally ill and the killers were supposed to kill him too had they been still alive, asked who he believed Ginko for his gun, and then he killed himself]]. Mind you, Gustavo [[spoiler: was the oldest recurring character and the first named character to appear, even introducing Diabolik to the reader]], so him [[spoiler: being used to prove that in this series AnyoneCanDie]] surprised even the oldest and most jaded readers.
431* ''ComicBook/LupoAlberto'' usually has it happening in response to the weird antics of the farm animals, especially [[TheFool Glicerina the Duck]], but once it happened because Enrico made a joke comparing the rainy weather to the summer of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherrapunji Cherrapunji]] (the rainiest place on Earth when the joke was published]]) and everyone who heard it being left speechless wondering what Cherrapunji is, [[RunningGag resulting in everyone at the farm mentioning it to someone else and leaving them stunned wondering what Cherrapunji is]] until Alcide, [[BrainyPig a pig and usually the smartest and most cultured of the farm's inhabitants]], trying to get the reaction from Enrico himself. Another example is when the farm is bought by a Japanese corporation, whose envoy increases the production tenfold by working everyone to the bone... And then it turns out they had bought ''their neighbour farm'' and the envoy got the wrong address, leaving everyone speechless as they realize they nearly overworked themselves to death for no reason and the guy had no authority over them.
432[[/folder]]
433
434[[folder:Comic Strips]]
435* Calvin's father in ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', typically in response to one of Calvin's questions. The best one: "[[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1986/01/01 Why do you live here with Mom instead of in an apartment with a number of scantily clad female roommates?]]"
436[[/folder]]
437
438[[folder:Fan Works]]
439* Series/{{Arrowverse}} fanfiction ''Fanfic/ForgingABetterFuture'': [[spoiler:During the trial of the members of Tempest, their defense lawyer claims they are compassionate people who sought to only kill criminals and the corrupt]]. This is met with absolute silence, as everyone stares at him in stunned disbelief.
440* ''WesternAnimation/Home2015'' fanfiction ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/39011040/chapters/98022285#workskin From Here to Who Knows Where]]'': While being persuaded to go on a road trip, Echo brings up a deceased Boov named Mila, who was erased for making too many mistakes. Hearing her name instantly shuts Oh up for a moment, shocked that Echo would say that so bluntly.
441* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fanfiction ''[[Fanfic/WhiteSheepRWBY White Sheep]]'': Jaune announces on live television that [[spoiler:he is the Crown Prince of the Grimm, the nation of Atlas has kidnapped his fiance Yang Xiao-Long and she is carrying their child, and Jaune will destroy Atlas if she is not freed]]. Cut to the island of Patch, where an entire bar of people turn their heads, utterly silent the entire time, to stare at Taiyang Xiao-Long who is himself staring at the TV in slack-jawed silence.
442-->'''Bartender:''' So... a grandfather, huh? Congratulations.\
443'''Taiyang:''' ''[faints]''
444* ''Fanfic/NeitherABirdNorAPlaneItsDeku:''
445** After hearing All Might's blunt opinion of him, Izuku is virtually catatonic for several seconds before he breaks into inconsolable tears.
446--->Midoriya just stood there, looking at nothing. Listening to nothing. Thinking about nothing. Then he cried once more, and no one was able to stop his tears from flowing.
447** He has this reaction again after [[spoiler:meeting a Virtual Ghost of his biological father, learning that he's the last member of his species, and watching the destruction of Krypton]].
448* ''Fanfic/MareDoWell'': The group of mooks Rainbow was fighting went silent as soon as Tarnish showed up. It was so quiet that "[a] mouse fart would have been deafening."
449* ''Fanfic/KaraOfRokyn'': [[Characters/SupergirlTheCharacter Kara]] walks into a dressing room and bumps into her scantily-clad rival wrestler, fully intent on seducing her. Kara's jaw drops and she needs several seconds to find her voice.
450* ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'': Kara and her boyfriend Dev-Em are left speechless when Kara's father asks during one dinner when they are getting married (something they hadn't considered at all).
451* ''Fanfic/AmazingFantasy'': Bakugou gapes when he sees Izuku destroy a desk with his newly developed SuperStrength. That shock quickly turns into rage as he prepares to throttle Izuku for "hiding his Quirk".
452* ''Fanfic/DistortionsSymphogear'': During a live press conference, [[Anime/{{Symphogear}} Hibiki]] [[spoiler:is asked a question from an obvious tabloid writer about a possible relationship between [[HoYay her and her childhood friend Miku]]. She, without even giving the question a second thought, says that are in a relationship to the entire world. The silence is so resounding and long that [[IdiotHero Hibiki]] [[LampshadeHanging actually wonders if she said something wrong]]]].
453* ''Fanfic/NotTheIntendedUseZantetsukenReverse'': Chapter 25: When Arikado gets a surprising solution to a long-standing problem:
454--> Arikado stood stock still for several minutes, not speaking a word.
455
456[[/folder]]
457
458[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
459* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'': After Linguine reveals the truth about himself and Remy to the kitchen staff, their response is staring silently in disbelief before [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere walking out the back door]].
460[[/folder]]
461
462[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
463* ''Film/TheBuddyHollyStory'' contains a scene where Buddy and his band go onstage at the Apollo and are met with stunned disbelief at these four white hillbillies. The crowd is quickly won over when the music starts playing.
464* In ''Film/ClerksII'', this happens after God-fearing momma's boy Elias explains to Randall that the reason he's never had sex with his girlfriend is that all girls have a "pussy troll" that prevents them from having pre-marital sex by biting off the tip of any offending penis. Randall, a veteran snarker, is absolutely [[http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgbbmnVccy1qzm86to1_500.jpg speechless]].
465* In ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}'', the entirety of the population within the airport in Honolulu is screaming as one of the M.U.T.O.s is rampaging and destroying airliners. The second Godzilla's foot appears, they promptly shut the hell up, even the music.
466* ''Film/MeetTheFeebles'' has this happen as the audience reaction to The Sodomy Song, which is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin about what it sounds like]].
467* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', [[spoiler:Agent Sitwell]] is left momentarily speechless as he finishes watching Captain America beat up the entire [=STRIKE=] team that had him cornered in an elevator, escape the other team that was positioned just outside and then jump out the elevator. The first thing he says after he sees him get up from crashing to the ground, having fallen from the middle of a skyscraper, and start making a run for the garage is "[[YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe Are you kidding me?!]]"
468* ''Film/BlackSheep1996'': During MTV's "Rock The Vote" event for the Washington election, [[StonersAreFunny a stoned Mike Donnelly]] [[MistakenForSpecialGuest gets mistaken for his brother, gubernatorial candidate Al Donnelly]]. He soon wows the crowd with an energetic speech urging them to support Al. However, everything immediately goes wrong when, upon the reggae group he was smoking weed with, he screams "KILL WHITEY!", which ''immediately'' silences the audience.
469* ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'': At the Enchantment Under The Sea dance, Marty steps in as guitarist [[ALittleSomethingWeCallRockAndRoll and leads the band into a rendition of "Johnny B. Goode"]] (which hasn't been written at this point in history; fortunately, the group's frontman happens to be Music/ChuckBerry's cousin), and he initially wows the audience till he gets carried away with his guitar solo, emulating the likes of [[Music/TheWho Pete Townshend]] and [[Music/VanHalen Eddie Van Halen]], which leaves everybody in silence.
470-->'''Marty:''' I guess you guys aren't ready for that, yet. But your kids are gonna love it.
471[[/folder]]
472
473[[folder:Literature]]
474* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': The crowd's first response to Katniss volunteering to take her sister's place and become District 12's female tribute.
475* ''Literature/LivInTheFuture'': Alix is briefly unable to find the words to react to Liv’s over-the-top plan to infiltrate a morgue.
476[[/folder]]
477
478[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
479* Many a culprit in ''Series/{{Columbo}}'' is reduced to silence, when the eponymous lieutenant explains how thoroughly they have been bamboozled by his plan and/or the mistakes in their cover-up. While the more honorable and/or sympathetic culprits usually take their time to congratulate him afterwards, the unsavory ones are sometimes left unable to say ''anything'' during their arrest.
480* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E9ForestOfTheDead "Forest of the Dead"]], the Doctor is momentarily stunned when River whispers something into his ear. What did she say that struck him speechless? [[spoiler:[[IKnowYourTrueName His real name]], which he doesn't tell ''anyone''.]]
481* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': One of Miriel's {{Praetorian Guard}}s tries to stop Elendil from entering the throne room but is rendered utterly speechless once he sees Galadriel behind Elendil and just allows them to go.
482* On ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', the first time that Gul Dukat sees Kira Nerys pregnant, he snarks about what a lucky man her boyfriend Shakaar is. Kira then tells him that Shakaar's not the father - Chief O'Brien is. (She leaves out the part where she's acting as a surrogate for Keiko O'Brien, who was injured during the pregnancy and thus couldn't carry the baby to term.) Dukat is left utterly speechless.
483[[/folder]]
484
485[[folder:Music]]
486* Music/TheSexPistols' final concert in Winterland, USA. After their rendition of the horribly tasteless "Belsen was a Gas" the audience sat in stunned silence for a few seconds before applauding.
487* TruthInTelevision: A particularly moving piece of music gets silence from the house. Can be a powerful, powerful compliment. On one occasion a clap began, but most of the house didn't join in, and it subsided again (it was a tribute to a dead member of the orchestra, and applause just didn't seem appropriate).
488[[/folder]]
489
490[[folder:New Media]]
491* Long ago, there was a YKTTW entry with this name which described the way dramatic arguments in shows would end: one person would raise their voice and deliver a final cutting line, then simply walk out, leaving the other in stunned silence.
492* On the stupidity side, someone really doesn't understand how [[http://notalwaysright.com/ipod-meet-idiet/877 memory works]] (courtesy of Website/NotAlwaysRight).
493[[/folder]]
494
495[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
496* This occurred when Wrestling/BrunoSammartino dropped the title after a historic reign that lasted just shy of eight years, to Wrestling/IvanKoloff at Madison Square Garden. Witnesses say that one could hear a pin drop after the referee made the three count, and Sammartino himself claims that the room was so silent, he thought he had gone deaf.
497* [[Wrestling/{{FMW}} Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling]]'s English commentary team of suggested the crowds tended to be relatively silent during matches, particularly the {{garbage|wrestler}} matches, due to being stunned at what they were seeing.
498* Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin had this reaction when [[Wrestling/RonKillings R-Truth]] came out to the ring dressed as a Confederate soldier. Austin, a man who obviously never aspired to any political correctness, clearly recognized the perversity of a black man dressed up as a Confederate soldier. Considering everything that's happened in his career, that says a ''lot'' about the skit.
499* Wrestling/CheerleaderMelissa had been on every Wrestling/{{SHIMMER}} volume, [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut consistently coming ever so close to a title belt]], [[HeelFaceTurn gaining crowd sympathy in the process]]. After seven years she beat Madison Eagles, regarded by some to be the best wrestler in the world, for her first SHIMMER title, only to lose it two days later after Sweet Saraya ambushed her before their match. It was a bit of a buzz kill.
500* Wrestling/WrestleMania 30. [[spoiler:Just these five words: Wrestling/BrockLesnar Broke [[Wrestling/TheUndertaker The Streak]]. ''The entire arena'' was silent, and one fan's reaction even [[Memes/{{WWE}} went viral]]; the referee and Wrestling/PaulHeyman even played up being shocked (or, at least, that was what it was thought at the time; as it turns out, no one but Lesnar, 'Taker, Vince, Hunter, and Steph knew the ending of the match, so their reactions were legitimate), and there was a lengthy delay before Brock's theme music hit, just to let things sink in. The crowd was virtually dead for the rest of the night, only perking up once [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson Daniel Bryan]] won.]]\
501\
502Two years later at [=WrestleMania=] 32, both the crowd and even ''THE UNDERTAKER'' had a mixture of this reaction and the Stunned Horror variation after Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon actually '''willingly''' jumped off the 20ft Cell in their "Hell in A Cell" match, trying to elbow drop Taker, only for said wrestler to roll out of the way in time. While the crowd did jump at the jump itself, the silence came as medics came to Shane, wondering if he finally managed to kill himself, all while Taker watched, eyes wide at the sight. Keep in mind, Shane's wife and three sons (The latter three having come out with him during Shane's entrance) was in the crowd in the front row.
503* When Jay Briscoe beat Michael Elgin in his own hometown of Toronto for the Wrestling/RingOfHonor World Title at ROH ''All Star Extravaganza VI'', the viewers didn't know what to make of it. There was some halfhearted cheering and booing but most in attendance simply could not decide which emotion to express other than sheer disbelief, which translated to silence. Thankfully, the main event was next and the crowd was soon fired back up to see reDRagon vs Wrestling/TheYoungBucks.
504* On October 22, 2018 ''Wrestling/RomanReigns'' of all wrestlers, caught everyone off guard when he revealed that he had to relinquish his Universal Title because of leukemia and that he had been fighting it for ''eleven years''. By the time he revealed that the disease had returned, a person could have heard a pin drop in that arena. Doubles as a real-life example because he explicitly broke Kayfabe to make this announcement.
505* ''Hell in a Cell'' 2022 had ''Wrestling/CodyRhodes'' begin the match by removing his BadassLongcoat...to reveal his torn pec that was completely bruised and purple like a zombie bit him. The crowd was ''completely'' shocked at the severity of the injury.
506[[/folder]]
507
508[[folder:Theatre]]
509* ''Theatre/AvenueQ'': [[TransparentCloset Rod]] spends a whole song going on about how he is [[HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday totally straight]] and [[BlatantLies definitely]] has a GirlfriendInCanada. In the end, he lets out a near-hysterical "''[[CrossesTheLineTwice And I can't wait to eat her pussy again!]]''" For about [[OverlyLongGag 30 straight seconds]] all of the other characters, as well as the [[BreakingTheFourthWall orchestra and conductor]], stare at him in shock and awkwardness.
510[[/folder]]
511
512[[folder:Video Games]]
513* [[http://www.gamespot.com/big-rigs-over-the-road-racing/reviews/big-rigs-over-the-road-racing-review-6086528/ This]] classic review of ''VideoGame/BigRigsOverTheRoadRacing'' shows Alex Navarro (then working for Gamespot) losing his mind over the game's pre-pre-Alpha status. After sitting in front of his computer for two minutes unable to find anything to say about it, he eventually [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere walks out of the GS office]] and flops onto the street as if to say, [[SmiteMeOMightySmiter "Please kill me now."]]
514* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'': Nero is stunned into silence for a few seconds when Dante reveals that [[spoiler:Vergil (half of whom was also the BigBad of the game) is Nero's father]].
515* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'': At one point, fast-talking alien scientist Mordin performs a filk of the Major-General's Song from ''Theatre/ThePiratesOfPenzance''. Shepard stares at him in absolute stunned disbelief for quite some time. Doubly hilarious because the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series is notorious for its paused interruptions, and it looks like that's what's happening - until Mordin coughs at the end of the line.
516[[/folder]]
517
518[[folder:Web Animation]]
519* ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'': The Emperor has a moment of shocked silence after Kitten's LittleNo of defiance.
520* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': When [[BigGood Ozpin]] tries to explain that he has reasons for keeping secrets, Yang insists that they're in this together so he can share the truth with them because they'll never turn their backs on him. Ozpin demands to know if they really think that this was his first betrayal, and everything stops. The camera close-up jerks back to a long-shot of the entire group, the heroes stop arguing with him, they stop walking and even the music stops. Only the wind howls and the snow swirls in the silence that follows. Ozpin then turns to face them, revealing that another had once said the exact same words Yang had just stated; the heroes remain frozen and utterly silent.
521-->'''Yang:''' Look, we're supposed to be in this together! You can trust us! We're not going to turn our backs on you.\
522'''Ozpin:''' Do you really think [[spoiler:Leo]] was the first?! That he didn't say those exact same words to me?!
523* ''WebAnimation/RWBYChibi'': Both Team RWBY and Team JNPR suffer this when [[spoiler:Nora goes on a fourth-wall-breaking rant after Pyrrha, who died at the end of Volume 3 of the main series, returns alive and well]].
524[[/folder]]
525
526[[folder:Webcomics]]
527* After Tanna's rant at Rolan in ''Webcomic/EarsForElves'' [[ThatCameOutWrong came out wrong]], the various Elven ladies are [[[http://www.earsforelves.com/archives/370 shocked into silence]] at the idea of her being pushed to the ground by a high-born male elf. This is indicated in the comic by the artist not drawing their mouths in the BeatPanel.
528* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'':
529** In the gaming shop, when Grace admits that [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2012-08-30 she had never seen]] ''Franchise/StarWars'', every background conversation grinds to a halt as a room full of people wonder how someone could reach the age of 18 without ever seeing such a pop-culture icon.
530** The normally [[MrExposition very talkative]] Mr. Verres is reduced to VisibleSilence when [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=2248 Elliot completely overlooks]] the fact that an [[TheFairFolk Immortal]] tried to kill him because he was too worried about potential awkward social consequences of said Immortal calling him by name while Elliot was [[VoluntaryShapeshifting in the form of]] [[SuperGenderbender a female superhero.]]
531* Stunned silence variety appears in ''WebComic/SomethingPositive'' after a couple of musicals/plays the main characters put on. One of them ended with the audience pulling out their lighters and setting fire to the place.
532* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': When the Order attacks the High Priest of Hel, the Priest was well prepared for them. He was [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1116.html not]] prepared for an advance force of forest animals riding stampeding technicolor giraffes.
533[[/folder]]
534
535[[folder:Web Original]]
536* ''Literature/DreamHighSchool'' has a ton of these, mostly from Corliss.
537* In ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'', Shenron does this in ''Dead Zone Abridged'' when Garlic Jr. wishes for immortality, because he can't remember the last time someone "nutted up and asked for that."
538* What happens in ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' when Washington discovers that, unbelievably, [[spoiler: the Alpha AI was right alongside them the entire time, the revelation causes a '''huge''' minute of momentous silence between them both, the silence being nearly deafening during the scene after the realization that '''truly embodies''' this trope exquisitely..]].
539** Also happens to Felix when [[spoiler: he realizes the fight at the radio tower was a set-up for Tucker to pull an EngineeredPublicConfession on him]]. Tucker lampshades that it's the first time he's seen Felix in a state of SarcasmFailure.
540* ''WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment'': In his review of the cheesy 1980s movie ''Ragewar'', Dr. Insano gets a look that combines annoyance with weariness when he learns that this movie is the origin of the phrase "[[Series/MythBusters I reject your reality and substitute my own]]."
541* Webvideo/ToddInTheShadows has at least two big cases, in "Deuces" to the line "Like Tina did to Ike in the limo, it finally hit me" (along with missing the point, rapping this when [[Music/ChrisBrown the main artist]] was accused of domestic abuse is very inadequate), and ''Funstyle'' to the line "Uh oh, you're being a peñisColada, that is" (Todd proceeds to do a wrestling tapout in his piano).
542[[/folder]]
543
544[[folder:Western Animation]]
545* The page picture comes from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheBeach The Beach]]", as the response to Azula's idea of appropriate romantic dialogue with a guy she just met at a party.
546-->'''Azula:''' [[WeCanRuleTogether Together, you and I will be STRONGEST couple in the entire world!]] [[LargeHam WE WILL DOMINATE THE EARTH!]]
547* In ''WesternAnimation/FriskyDingo'', [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Wendell]]--who is objectively insane--stuns Killface into silence with his...''unorthodox'' way of accepting a compliment:
548-->'''Killface:''' Wendell, you've outdone yourself!\
549'''Wendell:''' Well, now I know how Diego Rivera must have felt when he was banging Frida Kahlo!\
550''[{{Beat}}]''\
551'''Wendell:''' Tea-baggin' the unibrow.\
552''[Extended {{beat}}]''
553* In the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', "[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E1TouristTrapped Tourist Trapped]]", this is Mabel's reaction to her first Guy of the Week Norman being [[spoiler:five gnomes stacked up on each other]]. Notably, this is the ''only'' time in the series we see Mabel at a complete loss for words.
554* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'': In "Arnold Betrays Iggy", Arnold has found out a secret about Iggy, and Sid and Stinky badger him to tell them what it was. Arnold refuses to break his promise not to tell, simply saying that it's something he wears, and Sid quips "It's wasn't like he was wearing bunny pajamas or something". This leaves Arnold struck silent, cluing them that they guessed correct.
555* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': This is the others' typical reaction to [[TheDitz Stumpy]]'s stupidity, usually accompanied by a SweatDrop. In Mr. Cat's case, this is also accompanied by a TwitchyEye.
556* ''WesternAnimation/LiteSprites'': Meadow suggesting they teach a slug to do The Worm gets this response. [[SelfServingMemory She remembers it differently]].
557* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' has two examples:
558** "[[Recap/MiraculousLadybugS01E18ThePuppeteer The Puppeteer]]": Hawk Moth remains paralyzed in shock for about a minute before shouting [[ThisCannotBe it's impossible]] when Ladybug defeats the titular villain against apparently impossible odds (the Puppeteer having [[BrainwashedAndCrazy taken control of three past villains and Cat Noir]], and already having the doll she needs to do the same to Ladybug).
559** "[[Recap/MiraculousLadybugC01SantaClaws Santa Claws]]": Ladybug has this reaction when she sees the Santa Claus who she had accidentally accused to be an Akumatized villain was turned into an Akumatized villain literally ''seconds after she looked the other way''. Could have been horror, as it was her fault, except she didn't get over the surprise in time before she was attacked.
560* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
561** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E7BartVsThanksgiving Bart vs. Thanksgiving]]", officers Eddie and Lou interview Homer and Marge when they learn that Bart ran away, and they are wide-eyed and speechless when [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone an embarrassed Marge confesses that]] [[MomentOfWeakness she told him he "ruined Thanksgiving"]].
562** When Krusty hosted the "[[FunWithAcronyms Krusty Komedy Klassic]]" at the Apollo Theater in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS8E13SimpsoncalifragilisticexpialaAnnoyedGruntcious Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious]]". Um, [[MistakenForRacist oops]]...
563** This is also Bart and Homer's reaction to seeing what ''Film/PaintYourWagon'' is really about.
564* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'': The audience, especially Jackie and Marco, when Star publicly confesses her feelings to [[spoiler:Marco]]... except for Pony Head, who brags that she "called it".
565* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': In "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS2E16ShroudOfDarkness Shroud of Darkness]]", Kanan is absolutely stunned to realize [[spoiler:he was just [[{{Knighting}} knighted]] by ''the Grand Inquisitor's ghost'']].
566* ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'': In "The Epic Quest of Unfathomable Difficulty!!!", it was revealed the lost sock belonged to Destructor, and upon returning such to him caused him to lose his evil ways and reunite with his father, spreading peace back to his kingdom. Wander and Sylvia are completely reduced to this reaction even as they leave the kingdom, completely shocked and confused at the sock's outcome.
567-->'''Wander:''' ...I just thought someone's foot might get cold.
568[[/folder]]
569
570[[folder:Real Life]]
571* Subverted with Music/LudwigVanBeethoven at the premiere of his Symphony No.9: He thought he was getting this from the crowd. Then one of the sopranos turned him around, and he saw he was getting a standing ovation, which he couldn't hear because he'd gone deaf by that point.
572* Used effectively by honor guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery. If someone/a group of people is disrespecting the tomb or area around it in any way, they will break from their walk and address them directly [[NoIndoorVoice in a loud shout,]] "It is requested that everyone maintains a level of silence and '''respect'''!"
573* Reportedly, this was the reaction of the crowd at the end of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruguay_v_Brazil_(1950_FIFA_World_Cup) final match of the 1950]] [[UsefulNotes/TheWorldCup World Cup]]. The Brazilian team had been heavily favoured to win, so when Uruguay came from behind to win 2-1, the spectators (practically all Brazilian, since Brazil was hosting and the match was in Rio) were so shocked they couldn’t say anything. FIFA president Jules Rimet said that as he left the luxury box to prepare for the awarding ceremony, everyone was screaming and jubilant, but by the time he hit the pitch, it was a gravely silence. To this day the match is often called the ''Maracanaço''—roughly "The Agony of Maracanã" (after the great stadium where the match was played).
574* ''Franchise/StarWars'': There is an anecdote about ''Film/ANewHope'' (then known simply as ''Star Wars'') in America. When people saw the first spaceship come into view, they cheered. When they saw the second one (the Imperial Star Destroyer, which never seemed to end in that shot), they all went silent.
575[[/folder]]

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