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[[quoteright:349:[[ComicStrip/NonSequitur https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cant_handle.jpg]]]]

->'''Jessup:''' You want answers?!\\
'''Kaffee:''' I want the ''truth!''\\
'''Jessup:''' You can't ''handle'' the truth!
-->-- The source material for this trope, from ''Film/AFewGoodMen''

You want this trope's definition? You can't ''handle'' this trope's definition!

We've all heard this phrase used a million times in a million different ways. Sometimes it's the exact phrase, but more often than not the writer will twist it in some way, just a bit, to impart a little comedy while not compromising the actual quote--like replacing [[{{Pun}} "truth" with "tooth"]]. [[SelfDeprecation Or maybe "parody"]].

The phrase itself comes from the famous [[MotiveRant rant]] by Creator/JackNicholson's character at the end of ''Film/AFewGoodMen''. Thanks to PopCulturalOsmosis, and particularly this trope, this phrase has become more well known than the actual movie (which is by no means an "unknown" film, nor an unmemorable one).

The original line, as demonstrated in the page quote, was said by two characters. However, many of the parodies will instead be said by one person. This may be because the one-person variation of the quote ("You want the truth? You can't ''handle'' the truth!") is [[BeamMeUpScotty often incorrectly believed to be the real line]].

A {{Stock Parod|ies}}y. Compare HeresJohnnyHomage for another stock parody of one of Jack Nicholson's roles.

Here is a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqd3yTow7dg compilation]] with a lot of examples.

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!!You can't '''handle''' the trope list!

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Advertising]]
* Burger King's Rodeo Burger (a cheeseburger with BBQ sauce and 2-3 fried onion rings on it) was introduced in a full-on ''Film/AFewGoodMen'' parody, with a lawyer questioning Chip from ''Film/SmallSoldiers'', who eventually shouts, "You can't handle the Rodeo Burger!"
* There's a brand of hot sauce called [[http://www.hotsauceworld.com/youcanhanthi.html "You Can't Handle This Hot Sauce"]] that features a Devil making this challenge on the label.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* In the dub of ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'', [=BlackWarGreymon=] gets this thrown at him when he asks Azulongmon what his purpose is.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In the GagDub ''WebVideo/EvangelionReDeath'', Gendo says so to Shinji after he asks him what the "nookie" is.
* ''WebVideo/ImAMarvelAndImADC'': During the climax of Zero Hour #7
-->'''Deadpool:''' ...you can't handle the truth!\\
'''Green Goblin:''' Really? That's the line you use?\\
'''Deadpool:''' What? It's a classic!\\
'''Green Goblin:''' It's a cliché at best, bad Nicholson impression at worst.
* ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony:'' In the episode "How to Control Freaks", the other ponies lambast Fluttershy for "hogging all the {{catchphrase}}s." Her reply is "You can't handle the catchphrases!"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/KronksNewGroove'':
-->'''Waitress:''' You just gotta tell him the truth.\\
'''Kronk:''' I can't ''handle'' the truth!
* ''[[WesternAnimation/RugratsInParis Rugrats in Paris: The Movie]]'':
-->'''Lil De Ville:''' You want the button, Phillip? You can't handle the button!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/SeventeenAgain2009'', Mike's friend Ned marches into Mike's divorce hearing (which Mike can't show up for because he's been turned into a teenager) shouting "You can't handle the truth!" because it's a courtroom and that's the lawyer phrase he knows.
* ''Film/TheBigHit'':
-->'''Melvin:''' The truth?\\
'''Cisco:''' Yeah, I want the truth.\\
'''Crunch:''' You can't handle the truth!\\
''*both look back at him as if to say "Dude, shut up."*''
* In ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction'', Daffy Duck tries to persuade Kate Houghton not to fire him by saying "I can do voices, listen!" and rattling off a rapid-fire string of impressions, the last of which is a gruff, "You can't handle the truth!"
* In ''Film/TheToothFairy'', Dwayne Johnson plays a bruiser of a pro hockey player whose nickname is the Tooth Fairy. He has a line in tooth-related punny catch-phrases, including "You can't handle The Tooth!" It turns up as a tag-line on the posters for the movie as well.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'':
-->'''Dick Solomon:''' You want the truth? You want the truth!? Well, I can't handle the truth!
* ''Series/ThirtyRock'':
-->'''Liz Lemon:''' You want the truth?\\
'''Kenneth:''' I can't handle the truth.
* ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' the season 1 finale has this:
-->'''[[Creator/AndySamberg Jake Peralta]]:''' YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE ME!
** In [[Recap/BrooklynNineNineS5E14TheBox The Box]], Jake is about to interrogate a dentist and he tells Holt how he plans to use "You can't handle the tooth!" somehow during the interrogation.
* ''Series/TheColbertReport'':
-->'''Creator/StephenColbert:''' You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! But I've got oven mitts.
* ''Series/{{Community}}'': One of Pierce's suggestions for ending verbal marketing presentations is by quoting Nicholson films. His is "You can't handle a moist towelette!".
* ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Smith and Jones":
-->'''Francine Jones:''' ''(yelling at Annalise as she storms out of the pub)'' You can't handle Quizmania!
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}''. In "Thanks for Sharing", John Crichton is being interrogated by an alien who needless to say has never heard of Creator/JackNicholson.
-->'''Tolven:''' I want the truth.\\
'''Crichton:''' You can't handle the... [[PopculturalOsmosisFailure never mind]].
* Imitated in ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' when Ted found out that Lily had sabotaged six of his relationships. Interestingly, the scene uses several other lines from Jessup's MotiveRant but not "You can't handle the truth!"
-->'''Ted:''' Did you break up me and Robin?\\
'''Lily:''' ''You're damn right I did!''
* The Creator/{{MTV}} Movie Awards one year had a sketch with the cast of ''Series/TheBradyBunch'' in a Brady-themed version of the scene (with Florence Henderson-as-Creator/JackNicholson-as-Carol Brady on the stand).
* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''. In the ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S06E19RedZoneCuba Red Zone Cuba]]'' episode, at one point a general is shown perusing a paper and then setting it down. This prompted Mike to chime in: "''I'' can't handle the truth!"
* ''Series/{{Psych}}'':
** Episode "Dis-Lodged":
--->'''Shawn Spencer:''' I want the truth. What really happened to my cat Chairman Meow?\\
'''Henry Spencer:''' You want answers?\\
'''Shawn Spencer:''' I want the truth!\\
'''Henry Spencer:''' You can't handle the truth!
** The episode "You Can't Handle This Episode" may qualify.
* ''Series/TheRedGreenShow'' has this exchange after Harold threatens to leave the show:
-->'''Red Green:''' Harold, you want the truth?\\
'''Harold Green:''' Yes!\\
'''Red:''' You want the truth?\\
'''Harold:''' I want the truth!\\
'''Red:''' I can't handle the truth!
* ''Radio/RoyalCanadianAirFarce'':
-->'''Martha Stewart:''' You want answers?\\
'''Judge:''' I think I'm entitled to them.\\
'''Martha Stewart:''' You want answers?!\\
'''Judge:''' I want the truth!\\
'''Martha Stewart:''' You can't ''handle'' the truth! Because deep down in places you don't talk about, before the dinner party begins, you use words like centerpiece, garnish, decanting. I use these words as the backbone of a life spent turning me into a billionaire!
* In December of 1997, Creator/HelenHunt hosted ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and in her opening monologue discussed co-starring with Jack Nicholson in ''Film/AsGoodAsItGets''. The cast of the show abruptly interrupted her monologue with their increasingly bad impressions of Jack, until the ''real'' Jack Nicholson strolled on stage and told the others to let Helen finish her monologue. When Jim Brueur asked Jack what he thought of his impression, Jack answered (in a casual tone of voice), "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth."
* In one episode of ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' George walks into Jerry's apartment and just says the line with no provocation or set up, apparently finding the line to be so cool that he couldn't wait for an appropriate moment to use it.
* In an episode of ''Series/SpinCity'' mayor's staff must write a speech (about a gay pride parade) but waste their time watching ''A Few Good Men'' and fall asleep. They end up using lines from the movie in the speech, with the mayor and a reporter reenacting the "you can't handle the truth" dialogue.
* In the ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' follow-up series, ''Drew Carey's Green Screen Show'', Colin says the above Tooth Fairy line while talking about some toothless lions. [[MakesSenseInContext Long story]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* One of Tooth & Nail Records' compilation albums was titled ''You Can't Handle the Tooth''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
* During Wrestling/{{WWE}}'s "[=WrestleMania=] Goes Hollywood" campaign for ''Wrestling/WrestleMania 21'', John Cena and JBL did a commercial themed on ''Film/AFewGoodMen'' based on this scene, with Jonathan Coachman playing the judge.
* In Wrestling/RingOfHonor, Wrestling/TruthMartini's PowerStable The House of Truth's entrance theme started by quoting the Trope Namer.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/GuildWars'':
-->'''Zinn:''' You imbeciles are [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness deficient in the cognitive faculties requisite to fully comprehend the truth]]!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Ethan from ''Webcomic/CtrlAltDel'' tells Zeke "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!". Zeke immediately replies "This conversation is over until you decide to stop imitating Jack Nicholson on me."
* ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids'':
-->'''Poggle the Lesser:''' Does that conclude your statement?\\
'''Padmé:''' You want my statement? ''You can't handle my statement!''
* Parodied in ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'':
-->'''Florence:''' Do you want the truth? ''(about a hurricane about to destroy the building she's in)''\\
'''[[KickedUpstairs Mr. Kornada]]:''' I CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!
* ''Webcomic/SandraandWoo'':
Quoted almost word for word when Richard asks what costume Sandra ordered. Turns out he really can't handle the truth and has Marisa removed the memory of him learning it
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* On film review site Website/{{Letterboxd}}, reviews which contain spoilers are often marked with a message that says "This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Videos]]
* At the end of Website/CollegeHumor's ''WebVideo/HardlyWorking'' sketch "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kB7Byoe_Uo You'll Never Guess]]" some of the staff are re-enacting the iconic scene from ''Film/AFewGoodMen'', so the line of course gets said. They're also not wearing shirts while doing it.
* ''WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment'': The Spoony One dropped one of these parodies at the end of a vlog post reviewing Wrestling/SurvivorSeries 2014. He specifically was angry over the debut of Wrestling/{{Sting}}, saying that it was lackluster and boring.
-->'''Spoony:''' We use words like "Kayfabe", "Mark", "Workrate". We use these words as the backbone of a childhood spent loving wrestling. You use them as a punchline! I have neither the time or the inclination to explain myself to a mob who rises and sleeps demanding to know my every opinion on every goddamn thing in the world, and then questions the manner in which I provide it!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''[[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar]] Deleted Scenes 3'' (Website/YouTube video):
-->'''Katara:''' Tell me the truth, how's my hair?\\
'''Aang:''' You can't handle the truth!
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'' concerned a remake of ''A Few Good Men'', starring Jack Nicholson, Christian Slater, and William Devane. One shared voice, naturally. [[DontExplainTheJoke That's the joke]].
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' episode "Return to Wannaweep":
-->'''Ron Stoppable:''' You want proof? ''You can't handle the proof!''
* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'' has an episode where the main characters are in a game that require beating the user to a tooth (the goal of the game). The user breaks in at the 11th hour to announce that he he wants the tooth. One of the temporary characters responds with "You can't handle the tooth!"
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' episode "[[CourtroomEpisode The Trial]]", during which Randall accuses Spinelli of throwing a rock at him during a dirt-clod war, Spinelli reveals that she was helping Miss Finster's cat out of a tree during this time. Everyone glares at Randall for his perjury.
-->'''Randall:''' [[DefensiveWhat What?]] Why is everyone looking at me? I'm not the one on trial, right, Gretchen?\\
'''Gretchen:''' Actually, Randall, I too would like to hear the truth for a change!\\
'''Randall:''' The truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** The episode "Secrets of a Successful Marriage" combines this with three other film parodies for extra comedy:
--->'''Homer:''' Look, Marge, you don't know what it's like -- I'm the one out there every day putting his ass on the line. [[Film/AndJusticeForAll And I'm not out of order! You're out of order! The whole freaking system is out of order!]] You want the truth? You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! [[Film/{{Patton}} 'Cause when you reach over and put your hand into a pile of goo that was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do]]! Forget it Marge, it's Film/{{Chinatown}}!!!
** From the episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts":
--->'''Sideshow Bob:''' You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! No-truth-handler, you! Bah, I deride your truth-handling abilities!
** In the episode "Mommie Beerest," a trailer for the CGI-animated movie ''Cards'' (starring talking playing cards) parodied Creator/DreamWorksAnimation's movies, known for being full of parodies.
--->'''Eight of Clubs:''' Hey Jack, you got any twos?\\
'''Jack of Diamonds:''' You can't handle the twos!
* In ''[[WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012 Ultimate Spider-Man]]'', the joke is made by ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} after Spidey is fed up with his many silly "origin stories".
-->'''Spider-Man:''' Why aren't you telling me the truth?\\
'''Deadpool:''' ''You can't handle the truth!''\\
'''Spider-Man:''' Really?
[[/folder]]

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