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[Trope Name]

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One-liner about said picture that's even less relevant to trope

"Quote from a particularly noteworthy example of the trope."
— attribution

Describe Trope Here.

Definition of the trope, explaining that the trope occurs when specific lines of dialogue are replaced by general and generic descriptions, giving the appearance of a template.

Explanation that the trope is often used in parody and Deconstruction to highlight patterns and clichés.

Origin of Trope Name. References to other, relevant tropes. Justification of reason trope was split from older, less well-written trope.

See also related tropes. Compare some similar tropes. Contrast conflicting tropes.

Mild warning that this trope is not to be confused with similarly-named non-trope page or similarly-titled and easily confused page.

A list of things that demonstrate the use of this trope:

    open/close all folders 

    Advertising 
  • There's a new brand of tampons that uses this trope to show how different they are from the competition...
  • Carlton Draught's Big Ad. It's a big ad. Very big ad. This ad better sell some bloody beer.
  • There's a new Anti-Drug ad by the Partnership for Drug Free America that depicts an argument between a mother and daughter that is entirely made of this trope.
  • During the Dr Pepper 10 commercial: "CATCH PHRASE!"

    Comic Books 
  • About three pages of Paul Cornell/D'Israeli's XTNCT.
  • Title of Comic from Milk! Issue 16.

    Comic Strips 

    Films — Animation 

    Films — Live-Action 
  • Steven Soderbergh's Schizopolis contains a scene with a conversation between husband and wife that consists solely of this. "Generic greeting!" The movie plays with language a lot, including a character that speaks entirely in seemingly random phrases (like "nose army"). The conversation in genericspeak is repeated later from the woman's point of view, where the man's dialogue is dubbed in Japanese, which contrasts with her lover's dialogue, which is in Italian.
  • Movie Title
  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie had a trailer like this beginning with the iconical "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say about...".

    Literature 

    Live-Action TV 
  • The theme to It's Garry Shandling's Show:
    This is the theme to Garry's Show
    The theme to Garry's show
    Garry called me up and asked if I would write his theme song
    I'm almost halfway finished
    How do you like it so far?
    How do you like the theme to Garry's Show?

    This is the theme to Garry's Show
    The opening theme to Garry's show
    This is the music that you hear as you watch the credits
    We're almost to the part
    Of where I start to whistle
    Then we'll watch "It's Garry Shandling's Show"
    (whistles)
    This was the theme to Garry Shandling's show!
  • How to Report the News
  • The Power Rangers S.P.D. once shouted "Battle Cry!"
  • In How I Met Your Mother, Robin has to report a Super Bowl news story without knowing which team won.
    The mayor of the losing team's city had to pay up, sending the mayor of the winning team's city fifteen pounds of a delicacy his or her city is famous for. Better fire up whatever type of grill, steamer, or fryer one might use to cook that delicacy, winning team's mayor!
  • On 30 Rock when Jack tells Liz that she's getting a talk show based around a book she wrote, she says "Spit Take! Are you serious?"
  • Person of Interest, If-Then-Else: as the Machine simulates one possible plan of action for Team Machine, it replaces the team's dialogue with generic descriptions of what they are saying to save resources.
    Reese: Coolly delivered sadistic warning.
    Fusco: Self-deprecating inquiry into the time necessary to infiltrate system.
    Root: Funny yet insightful retort.
    Finch: Mildly agitated declaration of mission completion.
  • Jeff and Abed on Community once stayed up all night drinking. The following morning, Abed is too hungover to think clearly and is unable to make the movie references he's known for. At one point, he responds to a comment from Jeff with simply "Movie reference."

    Music 
  • "Title of the Song", by Da Vinci's Notebook.
    Title of the song
    Naive expression of love
    Reluctance to accept that you are gone
    Request to turn back time
    And rectify my wrongs
    Repetition of... the title of the song.
  • "Songwriting Workshop" by Tom Smith is a self-referential song about writing a song.
    This is the verse that sets up the premise
    Of why you have written a song.
    Say what you want, it's your song after all,
    But do try not to make each individual lyric line too long.
    Because it might not scan.
    Properly.
  • "This Is The Chorus" by Morris Minor and the Majors.
    And this is the chorus,
    This is the chorus.
    It goes around and around and gets into your brain.
    This is the chorus,
    Our fabulous chorus,
    And thirty seconds from now you're going to hear it again.
  • From an unidentified folk singer overheard on the radio:
    This is the chorus.
    It's the title of this song.
    This is the chorus.
    And it won't go on too long.
    It's sometimes called the refrain
    And it will come back again.
    This is the chorus.
    It's the title of this song.
  • "Hook" by Blues Traveler is a song about generic songs. Read just the first verse:
    It doesn't matter what I say
    So long as I sing with inflection
    That makes you feel that I'll convey
    Some inner truth of vast reflection
    But I've said nothing so far
    And I can keep it up for as long as it takes
    And it don't matter who you are
    If I'm doing my job then its your resolve that breaks
  • The Heeby Jeebies, parodying The Beatles:
    ''And now we come to the second verse.
    Which I'm singing right now.
    I dont know what I'll say in it.
    Ah well it's over anyhow.
  • The cover◊ art of Flipper's Album - Generic Flipper.
  • "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long" by "Weird Al" Yankovic.
    Couldn't think of any lyrics
    No, I never wrote the lyrics
    So I'll just sing any old lyrics
    That come to mind, child
  • And similarly, King Crimson's "Happy with What You Have to Be Happy With."
    Then I'm gonna have to write a chorus
    We're gonna need to have a chorus
    And this seems to be just as good as any other place to sing it 'til I'm blue in the face
  • "Coin Operated Boy" by The Dresden Dolls
    "This bridge was written
    To make you feel smitten-er
    With my sad picture
    Of girl getting bitterer"
  • "The Grunge Song" by Radio Free Vestibule (NOT Weezer)
    "This is the part of the song that's really quiet
    we play very soft, it sounds like a ballad
    AND THIS IS PART WHERE WE PLAY REAL HARD
    IT'S MUCH LOUDER THAN AT THE BEGINNING
    and we go back to the quiet part. Again."
  • "Punk Rock 101" by Bowling for Soup
    "Don't forget the delay...lay...lay
    On the very last word...word...word..."
  • From "Arica" by Tv's Kyle:
    Arica, this is totally the bridge
    To this musical pep-talk
    It really sounds romantic and self-important....
  • Brandon Muller's Linkin Park Parody is a mix of this and very pointed satire.
  • Psychostick's #1 Radio $ingle.
    "Well this is the part of the song where I talk about emotions
    And this is the part of the song where I sing about how I feel so cold inside.
    And this is where my producer told me to say "yeah.""
  • Jon Lajoie's parody of typical pop songs, called "Pop Song":
    "And now the token rap verse
    That doesn't make any sense
    But helps to get a small percentage of the urban music market"
    • Many of his works include elements of this.
  • Orange Goblin's Tosh Lines:
    This is the first line of my song
    Second line didn't take me all that long
    Third line and I'm about to lose control
    Fourth line is a lesson in rock and roll
    Fifth line is very much like the third
    Line six is the best you've ever heard
    Seventh line and we're getting near the end
    Eight line and that's your lot, my friend
  • This is an album by The Black Keys. The name of this album is Brothers.
  • The Swirling Eddies: "This is the Title"
  • An awful lot of Mitch Benn songs use this as a form of satire, mixed with Hypocritical Humour.
  • deadmau5' albums Random Album Title, and possibly invoked with For Lack of a Better Name (the first album released after Random Album Title) and its title track, "Lack of a Better Name". From "This is the Hook":
    This is the hook. It's catchy. You like it.
  • MC Lars' "Generic Crunk Rap":
    Phrase about my car, rhyme about my crew (Volvo!)
    Rap about how much more crunk I am than you
    Rhyme about my rims, rhyme about my bling
    Chorus where I scream cause I don't know how to sing!
  • Von Dooley's "Shitty Pop Song":
    And now the next verse, you might think it's shit
    so I'll throw in a harmony to change it up a bit.
    This took me an hour and a half to make
    and honestly that's even pushing it a bit     (pointless whisper)
  • Filter's Title of Record.
  • "Song" by Smog.
  • How to Write a Love Song by Axis of Awesome.
  • Your State's Name Here by Lou and Peter Berryman
  • Meghan Trainor's breakthrough album was titled Title.
  • Joan Jett had an album of mostly cover songs titled Album.
  • Blonde Redhead's official music video for "Silently" is just a series of text cards describing the events of a music video. (For extra weirdness, it's describing the plot of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" music video, rather than anything to do with the song itself.)

    Theater 
  • "The Song That Goes Like This", from Spamalot.
    Once in every show
    There comes a song like this
    It starts off soft and low
    And ends up with a kiss
    Oh where is the song that goes like this?
  • [title of show] follows the spirit, if not the letter, of the trope. It's a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical.
  • In musicals, an eleven o'clock song is a show-stopping number which comes late in the second act, shortly before the show's finale. Ankles Aweigh has one titled "An Eleven O'Clock Song."
  • The Ig Nobel Prize ceremonies have the traditional "Welcome, Welcome" and "Goodbye, Goodbye" speeches. Each is two words long.

    Video Games 
  • Duty Calls, a parody FPS game, also an elaborate advertisement for Bulletstorm, uses these for pretty much every line of dialogue.
  • Sentinel in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 does this.
    "UNDERMINE TARGET CONFIDENCE."
    • In the updated Ultimate Marvel Versus Capcom, taunting as Deadpool results in him saying "TAUNT BUTTON!" In the original, he says "This is my taunt!"
  • The Rubikon from Planescape: Torment uses this trope to deconstruct the concept of a dungeon.
  • Sam & Max Save The World: Episode Six: Bright Side Of The Moon:
    Sam: Random, but innocuous, comment.
    Max: Irreverent reply hinting at mental instability!
    Sam: You crack me up, little buddy.
  • The Facebook version of You Don't Know Jack has a Parody Commercial for "Glug Light Beer", which features Trivially Obvious statements like "Glug Light is a beer that you can buy and that you can also drink" mixed with a list of generic "things that guys do".
  • One of Salvador's catchphrases when Gunzerkering in Borderlands 2 is just "ONE-LINER!"
  • One of the guards that you kill in Asha's rescue mission in Saints Row IV shouts "Famous movie quote!" as he's dying.
  • In City of Heroes you wind up fighting a robot clone of local wise cracking Trick Arrow expert Manticore. The robot's text files are incomplete, so he winds up throwing error messages during his taunts.
    Oh yeah? Aren't you the MISSING FILE BELITTING_INSULT.TXT
    (after defeating someone) That sure was MISSING FILE ONE_LINER.TXT
  • On the third installment of Wipeout, The Designers Republic decided to go all out with their brand minimalistic approach (think of their cover art for Tri Repetae but with text), which is why a lot of menu screens contain tons of "explanatory info" despite being fairly simplistic in their design. It has gotten so out of hand that the title screen literally says "WIPEOUT THREE TITLE SCREEN".
    • And if you wait a bit on it, you will see the obligatory DR credits, preceeded by "WIPEOUT THREE LOGO" and "TEXT READS LEFT TO RIGHT".
  • SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium has "Victory pose!" as a subtitle to Yuri Sakazaki's... duh.
  • In Overwatch, one of Reinhardt's taunts is "Catch Phrase!"

    Web Animation 
  • Homestar Runner:
    • The Show's ending chant from this short.
    • To a lesser extent, this email toon.
    • Homestar's "TV joke" in this Answering Machine.
    • The "prank call" Strong Bad leaves in this email.
    • Homestar's grocery list in this email.
      "Amazing thing, amazing thing, amazing thing, amazing thing!"
    • This list.
  • Arfenhouse 2 starts off with a parody of badly-made Flash-animated versions of 8-Bit Theater that flooded Newgrounds at the time of its release:
    Fighter: Blatant ripoffs!
    Black Mage: Terrible echo effect!
    Thief: (garbled) Really bad voice-acting!
  • Metal Gear Awesome has this.
    "Cryptic metaphor!"
  • In Dragon Ball Z Abridged, the Kai Abridged episode has Nappa giving a line like this:
    Nappa: Hilariously derailing one-liner!
  • Several examples from Ultra Fast Pony.
    • In "Copywrong", several characters describe what Aesops they learned from the episode. Photo Finish just says "And I learned... lesson."
    • In "Pinkie's Day In":
      Applejack: Yeah, but that's just a front. I mean, that's just a... Go away! Something about apples!
    • In "Faith to Faith", Applejack gives a succinct but scathing "The Reason You Suck" Speech to an annoying side character. Which is then followed by:
      Pinkie Pie: Yeah, you sound just like—
      INSERT OWN JOKE HERE
      Caption: I should do that more often. Saves me a lot of time.

    Web Comics 

    Web Original 

    Western Animation 
  • On one Space Ghost Coast to Coast DVD commentary, the writers mention once trying to get this joke into an episode, but the network didn't get it. It would have gone something like this:
    Space Ghost: Grandiose statement!
    Zorak: Pithy comment.
    Moltar: Exasperated sigh.
  • Gravity Falls
    • The only way Grunkle Stan can think of to get out of a bad date in the episode "Dreamscaperers" is to yell "Nonspecific excuse!" and run away.
    • In the same episode, the incantation Gideon uses to summon Bill Cipher is "backwards message" backwards.
    • One of the adjectives in Rumble McSkirmish's ultimate combo with a very long name is the word "prefix".
    • When Soos is trapped inside a pinball machine, he follows up Mabel and Dipper's signs of amazement with "Hushed exclamation of wonder."

    Real Life 
Joke that didn't fit anywhere else, usually about the page itself, referencing the topic at hand.

Alternative Title(s): Overly Long Joke Title Redirect, Article Title, Opaque Redirect Based On Memetic Injoke, Template Gag, Trope Name Injokes

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