A character, usually a School Teacher, makes a comment or asks a question, prompting others to raise their hands. Someone (usually the original speaker) changes the question ("... but without using your computer?") or adds a comment ("No, the answer isn't "cheese"), which causes the hands to go down, implying that the hand-raisers' next statements were very predictable. Usually Played for Laughs.
Examples:
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Anime and Manga
- Towards the end of Assassination Classroom, when Class 3-E has shifted their focus to find a cure for Koro-sensei, they plan on hijacking an experimental JAXA - err, NAXA - spacecraft. When Isogai asks who wants to go, almost everyone raises their hands despite being told that only two people could board the craft. Koro-sensei then reminds everyone that the technology is still experimental. Instantly everyone's hands go down.
Comic Books
- This bit from an early Amelia Rules! story:
Reggie: Any questions?
[Rhonda and Amelia raise their hands]
Reggie: ...That AREN'T sarcastic?
[Rhonda and Amelia sheepishly lower hands] - Batman: During the time that Commissioner Gordon left the force to become a teacher, he frequently had to tell his students that he would not answer questions about Batman.
- In Hex Wives #6, Nadiya is in the middle of an angry rant at the Architects, when her "husband" Eric unwisely decides to interpret her sarcastic question literally:
Nadiya: Oh well, please forgive me! I'd hate for you men to feel diminished. Does anyone else feel betrayed in any way? Eric, put your hand down.
- Wonder Woman (1987): When Wonder Woman holds a conference to promote her book Reflections, one guy in the audience asks if she has a boyfriend at the moment. She said that she doesn't, and a bunch of hands go up. She adds that she doesn't have a girlfriend either, and isn't looking for one, so all the hands go down.
Comic Strips
- Garfield: Jon and Garfield discussing vacation plans.
Jon: Where can we go on vacation this year, Garfield? [Garfield's paw goes up] Aside from a lasagna factory.
Garfield: That's a stumper.
Fan Works
- Applied Cultural Anthropology: Lockhart to some students after his hair fell victim to the Weasley Twins' pranks. "Let me rephrase: Do you have any questions that aren't about the hair?" Hermione put down her hand, as did everybody else.
- From Calvin & Hobbes: The Series:
"And here is our most popular attraction at Yellowstone, Old Faithful," he said, pointing at the geyser. "Now, who here has ever seen Old Faithful go off?"
Several kids raised their hands.
"Who here has actually been here when Old Faithful went off?"
All hands went down.
Uh huh. - In the Dresden Files: Skin Game/Fate/Grand Order crossover Kansas City Shuffle
, Nicodemus opens his briefing on the heist plan by asking who knows about the Greek underworld. Almost all hands go up. He then says that knowledge from movies doesn't count. Most of the hands go down.
- In Neither a Bird nor a Plane, it's Deku!, Tokoyami raises his hand during class elections. He puts it back down when Aizawa tells him that his genie will count as a part of him and will not get a vote.
- Used twice in Ponies One Half.
- In chapter 14:
Ryōga: Now before I get started does anyone have questions?
[everyone raised hands]
Ryōga: Besides asking how I know so much about Rhythmic Gymnastics.
[all hands go down] - And chapter 27:
Emi: This is a test to test your knowledge about anime! You need a 50 or higher to pass. Now, any questions?
[several hands go up]
Emi: Oh and before you ask, no this is not based on the first part of the Chunin exam from Naruto.
[all hands go down]
- In chapter 14:
- In Rise of Team Zodiac after Ford explains the situation with Bill
Ford: Now I know this is a lot of take in… but are there anymore questions.
[Asui, Kaminari and Jiro all put their hands up]
Stan: [In English]: Wait Ford. You're dealing with a bunch of teenagers.
Ford: [In English]: Oh you're quite right… [Switches to Japanese] And before any of you ask, no I won't show you how I flip people off nor will I explain it.
[Kaminari and Jiro put their hands down] - In Son of the Sannin, the first stage of the Chunin Exams has the participants having to chase and capture some ninjas who carry a scroll hidden somewhere in their person. When the proctor allows questions and hands go up, he clarifies that the scroll bearers won't hide the scroll in their rectums. Most hands go down immediately.
- Three-Point Shot: The morning after the first Class Trial, Kokichi Ouma calls into question Kaede Akamatsu acting like the group's leader reminding everyone that she did try to kill someone and lied to everyone, at least at first. Kaito responds by polling everyone, saying "Anyone opposed to Akamatsu as Leader raise your hand!" Only Kokichi and Miu do, and when Kaito amends the question to, "Anyone who thinks Ouma would be a better choice, raise their hand", even Miu won't support him.
Films — Animation
- An inverted example in How to Train Your Dragon: Stoick asks for volunteers for a mission to search for the dragon nest, and nobody answers him. Then he adds that anyone staying on Berk will "look after Hiccup", and every Viking's hand flies up.
Films — Live-Action
- From Jurassic Park III, when Dr. Grant is giving a lecture. For further irony, the one hand that does remain up is about one of the topics he said he didn't want to discuss; the questioner was just ballsier than the other people in the room.
Presenter: Does anyone have a question?
[all hands in the room go up]
Grant: [sighs] Fine. Does anyone have a question that does not relate to Jurassic Park?
[most of the hands go down]
Grant: Or the incident in San Diego, which I did not witness?
[only one hand remains up] - In Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Kah Mun Rah after being asked about his tunic (thinking it's a dress) by Al Capone and Ivan the Terrible.
Kah Mun Rah: Are there any other questions?
[Napoleon's hand goes up]
Kah Mun Rah: Any questions not about the dress... tunic.
[Napoleon's hand goes down]
Literature
- In the Novelization of Kingdom Come, when Wonder Woman is questioned by the Amazons about her actions during the crisis, she states that Paradise Island had become too insular.
Diana: For example, who among you has actually met a living soul who does not live on this Island?
[a few hands went up among the four- or fivescore assembled sisters; even they went down when everyone realized what their former princess meant by "living"]
Live-Action TV
- The Big Bang Theory:
- In "The Plimpton Stimulation", Dr. Plimpton wants to have a foursome with Raj, Leonard, and Howard.
Leonard: Show of hands, who actually wants to do this?
[Howard raises his hand]
Leonard: We'd all be naked. In front of each other.
[Howard lowers his hand] - In "The Decision Reverberation", the question and answer session at the planetarium goes awry when Raj mentions the possibility of aliens.
Raj: Are there any more questions? [hands go up] Not about aliens. [all hands go down]
- In "The Plimpton Stimulation", Dr. Plimpton wants to have a foursome with Raj, Leonard, and Howard.
- From Friends, when Ross has begun teaching his class in an English accent, then admitted he's not English:
Ross: Are there any questions?
[hands go up]
Ross: About paleontology?
[hands go down] - Full House:
- In "To Joey, With Love", when Rebecca is about to give Nicky and Alex ice cream while the house is filled with guitarists auditioning for Jesse's new band:
Rebecca: Who wants ice cream?
[hands go up]
Rebecca: Let me rephrase that. Who wants ice cream but can't read yet?
[some hands go down]
Rebecca: How about this — who wants ice cream, can't read yet, and has no tattoos?
[only Nicky and Alex's hands stay up] - Early in "Michelle Rides Again, Part 1", Kimmy finds nerds as potential prom dates for D.J., who, already unimpressed, starts her vetting process with the three who remain:
D.J.: Have any of you guys been to a dance? [two out of three have hands up] With a woman? [one puts his hand down] Who wasn't in your family? [all hands are down] O.K. Thank you. We'll, uh, get back to you.
- In "To Joey, With Love", when Rebecca is about to give Nicky and Alex ice cream while the house is filled with guitarists auditioning for Jesse's new band:
- Occurs on The George Lopez Show when George and Ernie crash an unsupervised high school party, and George leaves Ernie to keep an eye on the teenagers while he looks for Carmen.
Ernie: Who here has a hot single mom?
[hands go up]
Ernie: I said hot.
[hands go down—except one] - Hank Zipzer: In "My Girlfriend has Flippers", Mr. Rock asks his class "Who knows anything about barnacles?" and everyone's hands go up. He then modifies the question to "Who knows anything interesting about barnacles?" and all the hands go down, except one.
- On Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, the teacher asks "Any questions?" He sees that Skull is the one who raised his hand, and clarifies "Intelligent questions only." Skull puts his hand down, and never gives voice this question in his mind that even he knew was a stupid question.
- Miles tries to invoke this trope on Murphy Brown when taking about civility:
Miles: Who in here has been part of an actual fistfight?
[Murphy raises hand]
Miles: I meant as grown adults.
[Murphy keeps her hand up]
Miles: This week.
[Murphy sighs and keeps it up] - In the American version of The Office, the other students in Michael's improv class are happy to take part in a scene ... until Michael is chosen to be in it.
- Pixelface: In "Saving Private Romford", Claireparker has just finished using a blackboard to explain her plan to fix Romford and asks if there are any questions:
Rex: Why is Romford so small?
[Claireparker looks at the blackboard and then back at Rex]
Claireparker: It's a drawing, Rex. Any other questions?
[Rex's hand goes up]
Claireparker: They're all drawings, Rex.
[Rex's hand goes down] - Saturday Night Live:
- From an early 1990s sketch, host Jerry Seinfeld plays a teacher dealing with a classroom full of not-so-bright students:
Teacher: How many people here have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark?
[virtually all students raise their hands]
Teacher: Now in the movie, whom was Indiana Jones fighting-
[one hand (Chris Farley) goes up]
Teacher: -Besides the snakes?
[hand goes back down] - When Jason Priestley hosted, he opened his monologue up to questions from the audience. All anyone wanted to ask him about was costar Luke Perry. Priestley ended the session by asking for one more question. Hands go up. "... that's not about Luke Perry." Hands go down.
- From an early 1990s sketch, host Jerry Seinfeld plays a teacher dealing with a classroom full of not-so-bright students:
- The kids in the Step by Step episode where Frank and Carol remarried after finding out they're not legally married.
Preacher: If anyone rejects to this union, speak now or forever hold their peace.
[the kids raise their hands up]
Frank: [not even looking behind him] Put them down. - In an episode of Wizards of Waverly Place the Russo kids meet a part-gargoyle teacher with a permanent smile. After questions about his face, he asked for more questions which prompted the Russo kids' hands to go up. When he specified "That are not about my face," their hands went down. Max's hand stayed up but Justin looked at him and his hand went down.
Theatre
- Part of the intro for the stage show The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)
Daniel: How many of you have seen or read a Shakespeare play?
[whole audience raises their hands]
Daniel: Oh, all right. How many of you have seen King John?
[everyone lowers their hands except for Adam, who is planted in the audience]
Daniel: Oh, yeah right.
Web Animation
- Red vs. Blue Reconstruction has this:
Washington: Any ideas on how to break into the base?
Grif: I know—
Washington: "Let's not do it," is not an appropriate answer.
Grif: Probably should've mentioned that before you started asking. - From Yahtzee's review of Cuphead:
Viewers, do you think there's something wrong with me?
[foreground fills with hand silhouettes]
Rhetorical question. Hands down please.
Web Comics
- GG-Guys! does this featuring some stretchy guys and the obvious question about their genitals.
- Nerf NOW!!: Concerning uses of the new Kinect system.
- In Something*Positive, when Jihm gets word that his new date is notoriously unfaithful, he asks who in the gay bar didn't have sex with his date in the last few months (hands go up), and asks them to be as honest as they would want him to be (only Peejee's hand stays up).
Web Original
- Not Always Learning:
- In this anecdote, a teacher declares a new rule that foods and drinks cannot be mixed. Her class of first-graders raise their hand, and the teacher confirms that they can still dunk cookies in milk.
- This new student, after a brief self-introduction in front of the class claiming to have come from Nigeria, is greeted with fellow students raising their hands when the teacher asks if there are questions for the new student, but all hands drop when the new student makes a statement before anyone actually asks.
[About ten hands go up]
New student: No, I have never seen a lion outside of a zoo.
[About ten hands go down]
- In this
Western Animation
- Archer: In "Liquid Lunch", Slater hires The Figgis Agency for a mission and asks them if they have ever heard of The Manchurian Candidate. Archer gets The Manchurian Candidate mixed up with On the Town and goes off on a long tangent about actress Bea Benaderet. When Slater finally manages to finish his briefing, he asks "Any questions?'. Archer raises his hand, prompting Slater to add "That aren't about Bea Benaderet?". Archer puts his hand down.
- DuckTales (2017), both executed by Louie:
- When Launchpad catches Louie using Gyro's Time Tub (a Time Machine made out of a bathtub), Launchpad is just incredulous that Louie has his own bathtub. When Louie explains his latest Get-Rich-Quick Scheme (stealing "lost treasures" before they're lost), he asks for any questions. He then clarifies that, again, it is not a real tub and cannot be used for bubble baths. Launchpad puts his hand down and puts a rubber duck back into his pocket.
- When they're stranded on a desert island and trying to figure out how to get back to Duckburg, Dewey enthusiastically raises his hand.
Louie: "Keeping in mind that Dewey cannot surf us back because he doesn't know how to surf."Dewey: "We don't know that until I try!" - The Fairly OddParents!:
- When Crocker is going especially crazy with pop quizzes, he asks the class how many seconds are in a year. Having expected to know this kind of random fact, everyone in class insistently raises their hands. Then Crocker cheerfully appends "on Mars!", causing everyone to lower their hand but A.J., and even he couldn't actually answer.
- Timmy asks what he needs to do to make Trixie notice him. When Chester and A.J. raise their hands, he adds that he means a way to do that without humiliating himself and their hands go down.
- Class of 3000:
Sunny: Who knows what we need to beat Easley in the band competition?
[hands go up]
Sunny: And do not say "musical ability."
[all hands go down except Tamika and Madison's]
Sunny: Or wedgies.
[Tamika's hand goes down]
Sunny: Or dolphins.
[Madison's hand goes down] - Family Guy:
- In "Road to Germany", when Brian and Stewie are searching for Mort at a Jewish wedding:
Stewie: Uh, excuse me. We're looking for a Mr. Goldman.
[every man raises his hand]
Brian: Mr. Mort Goldman.
[Half the men lower their hands]
Stewie: He's a small business owner. Tends to whine a lot. Kind of a hypochondriac.
[the half that lowered their hands raise them again]
Stewie: No, no! You can't put your hand back up after you've put it down... You know what, never mind. - In "Switch the Flip", Stewie, in Brian's body, goes to get a job at the community college, a professor is fired for having sex with one of his students even seven minutes.
Dean: Are there any unemployed professors here?
[a group of professors raise their hands]
Dean: ...who haven't had sex with a student or tweeted about assassinating the President?
[all except Stewie-in-Brian's-Body lower their hands]
Dean: Alright, it's you.
- In "Road to Germany", when Brian and Stewie are searching for Mort at a Jewish wedding:
- In an old Cartoon Network short featuring The Hillbilly Bears, when they're on The Harry Stinger Show:
Stinger: Anyone here with some words of wisdom for Mrs. Rugg? [entire audience raises their hands] Anyone with a successful marriage? [hands go down]
- My Gym Partner's a Monkey:
Mr. Hornbill: [explaining an assignment involving eggs] Any questions?
[a girl Badger happily raises her hand]
Mr. Hornbill: No, Lacey, you may not eat the eggs.
[her hand goes down after turning her smile into a frown] - The Penguins of Madagascar:
- "Launchtime": Skipper wants to go on vacation and Private suggests going to a zoo (which is shot down because they already live in one). Later...
Skipper: Gentlemen, we are going to the moon!
[Private raises his hand]
Skipper: And no, there's no zoo on the moon.
[Private's hand goes down] - And in "Snakehead!" when the penguins are trying to get rid of a particularly nasty fish:
Skipper: I need options, let's hear 'em!
[Private raises his hand]
Skipper: No, we're not running away.
[Private's hand goes down] - And a longer one in "The Falcon and the Snow Job":
Skipper: Come on, who hasn't gone nuts for a girl?
[Kowalski and Rico raises their hands]
Skipper: Doris the Dolphin.
[Kowalski's hand goes down]
Skipper: Guatemala.
[Rico keeps his hand up]
Skipper: Don't make me show them the photos.
[Rico finally brings his hand down]
- "Launchtime": Skipper wants to go on vacation and Private suggests going to a zoo (which is shot down because they already live in one). Later...
- Not the standard, but there's still an amusing one from Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension:
Phineas: Has anyone else here been leading a bizarre double-life? [Beat, without looking] Put your hand down, Ferb.
- In Recess before a vocabulary test.
Ms. Grotke: Does anyone have any questions?
[almost all students raise their hands]
Student: Does spelling count?
Ms. Grotke: Yes.
[all other hands go down] - This Robot Chicken sketch involving Saved by the Bell and Saw: the cast can escape if they press a button that will torture Screech. They refuse to do so, until they are told they will receive free Corvettes. When Belding explains that it was just a trust exercise, the cast beats up Screech and end up in detention.
Slater: So we really don't get Corvettes?
Belding: No. Are there any other questions?
[hands go up]
Kelly: Me! Me! Me!
Belding: Are there any other questions not pertaining to Corvettes?
[hands go down]
Everyone: Aww, man! - Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated:
Can anybody tell me what photosynthesis is? ... And PLEASE don't say plant farts.
- The Simpsons:
- In "Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily" From a parenting seminar Homer and Marge are forced to attend:
Instructor: Now, who here can think of a way to resolve the Skinners' problem?
[everyone raises their hands]
Instructor: Without resorting to violence?
[all hands go down except Kearney's]
Instructor: Or childish name-calling?
[Kearney lowers his hand] - In "Two Bad Neighbors", after Bart and Homer glue a rainbow wig onto George H. W. Bush's head before his speech to the Elk's club.
Bush: Any questions?
[all reporters put their hands up]
Bush: Keeping in mind that I already explained about my hair.
[reporters put their hands down] - In "The Mansion Family", a host for an award ceremony tries to find Springfield's new oldest citizen at (the original candidate having died on stage upon receiving the award):
Presenter: Anyone over sixty, please stand up.
[several people, including Ned, Abe and Jasper, stand up]
Presenter: Anyone over seventy.
[many sit down, including Abe Simpson]
Presenter: Eighty.
[some sit down, Abe stands back up again]
Presenter: Ninety?
[Abe sits down again, followed by Homer (who was just that desperate to take home an award), and the award goes to Mr. Burns] - "Deep Space Homer":
Scientist: Ladies and gentlemen and members of the press. I'd like to present the new generation of NASA astronauts: the average American.
[Homer and Barney appear]
Reporter: Jim Wallace, Associated Press. Is this a joke?
Scientist: Far from it, Jim. One of these men will prove space travel is within the reach of the common man.
Reporter #2: Toby Hunter, Minneapolis Star. No really, is this a joke?
Scientist: No, Toby, and no more questions about whether this is a joke.
[everyone disappointedly lowers theirs hands] - In "I Am Furious (Yellow)", during a presentation about Danger Dog:
Geoff Jenkins: Any questions?
Student: What state is Danger Dog set in?
Geoff: Michigan.
[all but Bart lower their hands]
- In "Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily" From a parenting seminar Homer and Marge are forced to attend:
- From the "Band Geeks" episode of SpongeBob SquarePants:
Patrick: Is mayonnaise an instrument?
Squidward: No, Patrick. Mayonnaise is not an instrument.
[Patrick raises his hand]
Squidward: Horseradish is not an instrument either.
[Patrick puts his hand down] - In the Tangled: The Series episode "One Angry Princess", when Rapunzel is trying to prove Atilla innocent of wrecking the Sweet Shoppe, she asks the regulars at the Snuggly Duckling if they can provide an alibi. Everyone's hand goes up. Eugene then specifies "Can anyone give Atilla an alibi without lying?" and everyone's hand goes down.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012): In "The Weird World of Wyrm", after Wyrm explains that he must grant three wishes and that there are rules about what they can be used for, Mikey raises his hand. Wyrm says that Wishing for More Wishes is against the rules and Mikey lowers his hand.
- Teen Titans had a bit of a subversion when the team was captured by Mumbo and stripped of their powers and weapons and tried to brainstorm an escape plan.
Beast Boy: I got it!
Cyborg: It can't involve driving a tank, or releasing magician-eating sharks.
Beast Boy: I don't got it. - Total Drama: In "Ice to Beat You", Chris explains the challenge while wearing a large hat (because MK had stolen his hairdryer). When he has finished, he asks:
Chris: Any questions?
(everyone's hands go up)
Chris: ...that aren't about my hat?
(hands go down) - Turtles Forever has this exchange:
2003 Leonardo: Any idea what we should do next?
1987 Turtles: Ooh! Ooh! I know! I know!
2003 Leonardo: ... other than going out for a slice? - Happens to Bruce Banner at the beginning of Ultimate Avengers: "Any questions not about the Hulk?"
