Broken Record / Western Animation

Acting like a Broken Record in Western Animation Western Animation Western Animation

• Adventure Time:
  • "Power of FROST! Power of FROST! Power of FROST!"
  • Bears bears bears bears bears bears bears...
• The Amazing World of Gumball: Hey there Sussie! The world is waiting! The world is waiting! The world is waiting! The world is waiting! The world is waiting! The world is waiting! The world is waiting…
• Animaniacs:
  • From the Wally Llama episode:
    Wakko: Well we have a very very very very very very * Dope Slap* important question to ask you.
  • The dragon! The dragon! The dragon! The *klang*
• Big City Greens:
  • Tilly saying "Oh, my, my, my, my, my!" nonstop in "Okay Karaoke" as she reads the programmer.
    Nancy: Uh-oh! I'm hearing some my-mying!
  • There is a song whose lyrics are as follows: “Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!…”
• The Critic: BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK!
• The refrain from the theme to Dastardly & Muttley in Their Flying Machines.
  Stop that pigeon, stop that pigeon, stop that pigeon, stop that pigeon, stop that pigeon, stop that pigeon, stop that pigeon! How?
• In one memorable episode of Dexter's Laboratory, Dexter crams for a French lesson by listening to a how-to-speak-French album the entire night before. Unfortunately, it starts skipping at "omelette du fromage." Sure enough, it's all he can say. Dee Dee's taunting of his problem definitely counts as well.
• Dora the Explorer is guilty of this trope, ad nauseam. And the worst is The Map. Sweet Jesus, The Map.
  Map: I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map! I'm the map!
• Dudley Do-Right was replaced with a mechanical double once - all it said, over and over, was "Hello, Nell! Hello, Inspector! For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' ``Chuck him out, the brute!'' But it's ``Saviour of 'is country,'' when the guns begin to shoot!" The Inspector prefers this version.
• Family Guy, full stop. Just about every example listed at Overly Long Gag: Family Guy doubles as an example of this trope.
• From Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: "GOTTA GO GOTTA GO GOTTA GO GOTTA GO GOTTA GO GOTTA GO GOTTA GO GOTTA GO GOTTA GO..."
• Galaxy High: GALAXY HIGH! GALAXY HIGH! GALAXY HIGH! GALAXY HIGH! GALAXY HIGH!
• The Great Grape Ape:
  • "Grape ape, Grape Ape, Grape Ape! Grape Ape, Grape Ape!, Grape Ape, Grape Ape!"
  • "YOW! A GORIL-IL-IL-IL-IL-IL-IL-ILLA!"
• The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy:
  • Billy thinks clowns are pure evil, and that someday, they're going to "DESTROY US ALL! DESTROY US ALL! DESTROY US ALL! DESTROY US ALL!"
  • Fred Fredburger, Fred Fredburger, Fred Fredburger, Fred Fredburger, Fred Fredburger, yes!
• Invader Zim:
  • "I'm Dib! I'm Dib! I'm Dib! I am Dib! I'm Dib! I'm Dib! I am Dib! I'm Dib!"
  • "I'm gonna sing the Doom Song now!"
• Looney Tunes:
  • In "Claws for Alarm," Porky and Sylvester stay for a night in a haunted hotel. Sylvester tries time and again to warn Porky that they were in danger, but is rebuffed every time by the stubborn pig. Eventually, as Porky sings "Home on the Range," Sylvester cracks him over the head with a shotgun, loads him into their car, and drives off, with Porky dazedly repeating the line he was singing before he was struck. The other two outcomes Porky suffers after being bonked by the shotgun is having star-shaped pupils in his eyes and the traditional Cranial Eruption.
    Porky: [semi-comatose] And the deer and the antelope p-p-p-pl- And the deer and the antelope p-p-p-pl- And the deer and the antelope p-p-p-pl-...
  • Also in "Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers" the clones made by the aliens constantly repeat the character's catchphrases over and over, they also get stuck when talking in normal sentences, "I spwed sunshine and happiness whenever I can, I can, I can" and "Take some some o' these strange-looking wild cactus carrots! They're good for ya, for ya, for ya."
    • "I'm hunting wabbits. I'm hunting wabbits."
    • "Rackin-frackin' varmint. Rackin-frackin' varmint."
    • "You're despicable (BZZT) You're despicable (BZZT)".
  • The short "Thugs With Dirty Mugs" features this:
    Bank Clerk: You're a very bad boy shame on you, I'm going to tell! [thug hits him with a club] I'm going to tell!, I'm going to tell!, I'm going to tell!.
• The Loud House: In "Room and Hoard", Lana and Lola listen to a song that seems to be just "The little froggy goes ribbit, ribbit" on loop.
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
  • The Pinkie Pie clones from the episode "Too Many Pinkie Pies" degenerate into this at several points. "Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!"
  • The Croatian HRT dub of the show has a frequent issue involving various character lines being played more than one time, usually by being partially or fully looped. For instance, in the episode "Friendship Is Magic Part 1", when Rarity notices she'd rather put rubies instead of emeralds on Twilight's clothing, she says "Emeralds?" two times before mentioning the rubies.
• It's. The. Nutshack! It's. The. Nutshack! It's. The. Nutshack! It's. The. Nutshack!
• OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes: Jethro has this both as a Verbal Tic and an instance of Pokémon Speak.
  Jethro: I am Jethro!
• The Owl House: In the episode, “Once Upon a Swap,” when Hooty is one the phone, he says, “We could talk for hours, and hours, and hours, and hours, and hours, and hours, and hours, and hours…” A nearby resident is heard screaming in pain.
• The Patrick Star Show: In "Stuntin'", when Patrick is showing the audience how to make a cheese sandwich, he says "you got your cheese..." six times in a row, all while piling more cheese on.
• Phineas and Ferb:
  • In "Mom's Birthday", Candace goes to buy her mom a cute little sun dress that they saw in the window of a store. So, she keeps repeating, "Cute little sun dress, cute little sun dress, cute little sun dress..."
  • During The Stinger for the episode "It's About Time!", Lawrence (the dad) keeps rewinding the end of the audio tour tape he got from the museum so he can hear the part that goes "Fossils! Dun, dun, dun!"
  • Candace's stuttering at the end of "Picture This": "Bu-bu-bu-bu-but...bu-bu-bu-bu-but...bu-bu-bu-bu-but..."
  • At the beginning of "Phineas and Ferb-Busters!", Candace stutters "But, but, but" so much it lasts all night until the next morning.
  • In "Last Train to Bustville" after Candace overhears Glenda saying "give up" multiple times, she hears Glenda's voice in her mind shouting "Give up!" and "Blah, Blah, Blah" over and over, inspiring her to give up busting Phineas and Ferb.
  • In "Cheers For Fears", Candace says she loves the giant scrapbook for Jeremy, leading her to say, "I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it..."
• An Al Brodax Popeye cartoon had Brutus hypnotizing Olive into saying nothing but "I love Brutus" over and over. He then hypnotizes Alice the Goon into saying "I love Popeye" over and over. Popeye eventually turns the tide, hypnotizing Olive into saying "I love Popeye," Brutus into saying "I love Alice the Goon," and Alice into saying "I love Brutus."
• Ready Jet Go!: When Sean, out of nowhere, says "Help, help, help, help, help!" in "Sean's Robotic Arm".
• In the Rugrats episode "Toy Palace", the animatronic Reptar toy endlessly repeats "Halt! I am Reptar!" when activated.
• In the Tex Avery MGM Cartoons short "Screwball Squirrel (1944)", at one point when Screwy is being chased by Meathead the dog, the animation frames and music repeat over and over until Screwy moves the needle on the record.
• The Simpsons:
  • Marge once said:
    Marge: Bart, you have roots in this town and you ought to show respect for it. This town is a part of us all. A part of us all. A part of us all! Sorry to repeat myself, but it'll help you remember.
    [later, Bart skateboards]
    Marge: [in Bart's head] This town is a part of us all. A part of us all. A part of us all!
    Bart: Wow, that does work.
  • Bart's Madness Mantra when his bed gets a new headboard in the shape of a clown: "Can't sleep, clown will eat me. Can't sleep, clown will eat me. Can't sleep..."
  • "Dental Plan!" "Lisa needs braces!"
  • "Will you take us to Mount Splashmore?" "No" "Will you take us to Mount Splashmore?" "No!" "Will you take us to Mount Splashmore?" "No!" Will you take us to Mount Splashmore?" "No!"
    • In another episode Bart and Lisa merely threaten do to this (saying "Can we have a pool, Dad?"); all it takes is the demonstration for Homer to agree to building a pool.
  • Lisa's Imagine Spot where she's denied entry to Harvard and has to go to Brown: "No not Brown, Brown, Brown, Brown..." until Miss Hoover jerks her out of it asking "Lisa, you're saying 'brown' an awful lot. Are you okay?".
  • You don't win friends with salad! You don't win friends with salad! You don't win friends with salad!
  • "I like to play with you!"
  • "ARE WE THERE YET?" "No!" "ARE WE THERE YET?" "No!" "ARE WE THERE YET?" "No!" "ARE WE THERE YET?" "No!" "ARE WE THERE YET?" "No!" "ARE WE THERE YET?" "No!"
• Sonic Prime: In the episode "Avoid the Void", it's revealed there is a Shatterspace of a ghostly Green Hill with projections of Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Rouge and Big. However, they're only able to say the same phrases repeatedly.

Tails: As long as I'm around, you'll always have a wingman!

Amy: The forest is the most beautiful place on earth!

Knuckles: I don't need the details, just tell me who to smash.

Rouge: You may not like the way I do things, but I get things done!

Big: No problem, Sonic!

• In the South Park episode "It Hits The Fan", the head of the HBC says "shit" 36 times in a row at the end.
• SpongeBob SquarePants: Usually with SpongeBob being the one to repeat phrases ad nauseum.
  • SpongeBob himself:
    • "I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!..."
    • "*big gasp* Part two?! Parttwoparttwoparttwoparttwopartt- *prodded down*
      "Uh, please, don't do that."
    • "I've soiled the good name of the Krusty Krab!! Soiled it! Soiled it! Soiled it! Soiled it! Soiled it!..."
    • In a literal example...
      I say "I'm already halfway there!" *cut to a record player with a broken needle, repeating the "halfway there" portion*
    • From "Graveyard Shift":
      Squidward: He... GETS YOU!
      Spongebob: AAAH! AAAH AAAH! AAAH! AAAH AAAH! AAAH! AAAH AAAH! AAAH! AAAH! AAAH! AAAH! AAAH AAAH! AAAH! AAAH AAAH!
      Squidward: Spongebob, I-!
      Spongebob: AAAH! AAAH!
      Squidward: I was just-!
      Spongebob: AAAH!
      Squidward: I was-!
      Spongebob: AAAH! AAAH! AAAH! AAAH!
      Squidward: SPONGEBOB, I WAS JOKING!
      Later the same episode...
      Spongebob: Night, night, night, night, night, night, night, night, night, night, night, night, na-na-na-NI-NI-NIIIIGHT! NIIIIIIGHT!
    • "Can I come, can I come, can I come, can I come, can I come, can I come, can I come, can I come, can I come..."
    • "Nyeh, Squidward? Nyeh, Squidward? Nyeh, Squidward? Nyeh, Squidward? Nyeh, Squidward? Nyeh, Squidward?"
    • "No, Patrick, the lid. The lid. The lid. The lid. The lid. The lid."
    • "Oh, try again. Oh, try again. Oh, try again. Oh, try again. Oh, try again."
    • "BACKING UP! BACKING UP! BACKING UP! BACKING UP! BACKING UP!"
    • "Patrick's right, Squidward. Sea bears are no laughing matter. Why, once I met this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy's cousin..."^note Squidward interrupts this with "You're right!", and Spongebob says "who knew this guy" 15 times before saying "who knew this guy's cousin"
  • Examples from other characters:
    • Zeke the Sheik: "The power within, the power within, the power within, the power within..."
    • In one episode, Mr. Krabs and Plankton switch places. Krabs attempts to steal a Krabby Patty and is foiled, but as he leaves, he says, "Oh, but I will! Even if I have to come back tomorrow! And the next day! And the next day! And the next day..." Once he's too far away to be heard, the phone rings.
      Krabs: [on the phone] ...And the next day! And the next day! And the next day...
• Squidbillies: When God takes a dump on your head, you just got to craft it into a hat that says "when God takes a dump on your head, you just got to craft it into a hat that says 'when God takes a dump on your head, you just got to craft it into a hat that says "when..."
• Star vs. the Forces of Evil:
  • At the end of "Rest in Pudding", Glossaryck is brought Back from the Dead. However, he is in a state of trauma, saying nothing but "Globgor" non-stop. He spends the rest of the season like this until the end of the season finale, "Conquer", at which point he finally stops and explains that Globgor is the name of Eclipsa's monster lover.
  • When Star and Marco infiltrate St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses, they come across a room full of brainwashed students repeating, "Keep your pinkies at 90 degrees. More tea, please. Keep your pinkies at 90 degrees. More tea, please. Keep your pinkies at 90 degrees. More tea, please. Keep your pinkies at 90 degrees. More tea, please. Keep your pinkies at 90 degrees. More tea, please. Keep your pinkies at 90 degrees. More tea, please. Keep your pinkies at 90 degrees. More tea, please. Keep your pinkies at 90 degrees. More tea, please."
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars: In "The Unknown", after Tup abruptly kills a Jedi Master in the middle of a battle, all he can say in the presence of a Jedi is:
  "Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders ..."
• Star Wars Rebels: "Twin Suns" has a literal example — the broken Jedi holocron starts playing a corrupted version of Obi-Wan's message, which wakes Ezra up.
  "This is a warning. This is a w-warning ..."
• Steven Universe:
  • This tends to happen to the constructs of Rose's Room. In one instance, it was because the room was overloading due to having created too much. In another example, it happens due to Steven giving the construct a logical paradox.
    Steven: I don't want you to just do what I want.
    Cloud Connie: Uh, you want me to not d-do what you want?
    Steven: Are you all right?
    Cloud Connie: I want what you want, what you want-want-want-want-want-want-
  • "Log Date 7 15 2": Peridot does this with her tape recorder following her Heel–Face Turn.
  • In a Meta example, the 30-second promo for the "In Too Deep" event has this, with Pearl's "What we really are" line from the extended opening.
  • "Legs From Here to Homeworld": Centipeetle, AKA Nephrite, while partially healed by Yellow and Blue Diamond, becomes mentally trapped in the moment right before she was corrupted.
    Nephrite: No, please no! No, no, we're all gonna be... No, please no! No, no, we're all gonna be... No, please no! No, no, we're all gonna be...
• The Tick had Arthur's Evil Twin: "I, Arthur! I, Arthur! I, Arthur! I, Arthur! I, Arthur! I, Arthur! I, Arthur!"