History Main / ICantHearYou

* Invoked (again) by ComicBook/{{Ares|Marvel}} when he tried to PoliceBrutality his half-brother, ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules. He claimed he could not hear ComicBook/WonderMan and Herc telling him not to shoot over his returning fire... [[FridgeLogic which he only started shooting]] [[ImplausibleDeniability AFTER Wondy said his piece]].
* At the end of ''ComicBook/{{BPRD}}: 1946'', Sgt. Maes and Trevor Bruttenholm try to shout over the din of a launching rocket. Neither can hear the other.

* Invoked in ''ComicBook/WolverineAndTheXMenMarvelComics'':

* The film ''Creator/AbbottAndCostello in Hollywood'' contains [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feykwAH_iI4 a classic sequence]] (mislabeled on the site) in which Lou offers Bud earplugs so that he won't hear a sleep-inducing record Lou's using. Unfortunately, whoever's wearing them can't hear a thing.

* WesternAnimation/DangerMouse, while investigating a disturbance at Stonehenge, tries to rouse a suddenly inanimate Penfold. DM's evil alter ego appears and says "He can't hear you...time...is standing still."

'''Shazam:''' Are you making some, like, [[BuffySpeak big, evil-guy speech]] right now or somethin'? You're like a mile away from me right now, there's cars and trucks…

* ''Film/Shazam2019'': Just before the final confrontation, Sivana delivers a [[EvilGloating supervillain rant]] to the hero... who is hovering some distance away above a busy city street:
-->'''Sivana:''' Enough games, boy! You think a pack of children can...\\

'''Sivana:''' ...you will beg for mercy as I feast on your heart. Slowly...\\
'''Shazam:''' Are you making some, like, [[BuffySpeak big, evil-guy speech]] right now or somethin'? You're like a mile away from me right now, there's cars and trucks....

* This is a regular RunningGag on ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'' with Lois, a blue-footed booby bird seen on the series who is chronically hard of hearing. (For added hilarity, Lois was Woodland Valley's ''telephone operator''.) For example, from the "Good As New" song:
-->'''Doc Hogg:''' Now, Lois, ''take a warm birdbath in the sink.''\\
'''Lois:''' I stink?

* On an episode of ''Series/FraggleRock,'' Red tries to put up a barrier to keep Mokey from getting too close to the Singing Cactus and causing them to sing their [[MindControlMusic mind-control music.]] While trying to decide how far away to put the barrier, she gets too close herself, and they begin singing, hypnotizing her into joining in. Mokey finds her and, wearing radishes as earplugs, drags Red away.
-->'''Red:''' Mokey, you can take your hands off my ears now!\\
'''Mokey:''' '''WHAT?''' I can't hear you! I've got radishes in my ears!\\
'''Red:''' [[AsideComment So THAT'S why she wasn't enchanted by the Singing Cactus!]]

* Statler and Waldorf have a few moments like this on ''Series/TheMuppetShow''.
-->'''Statler:''' Did you get your hearing aid fixed?\\
'''Waldorf:''' No.\\
'''Statler:''' Then how do you know what I'm saying?\\
'''Waldorf:''' [[MindScrew I don't]].
* An episode of ''Series/MuppetsTonight'' had Randy and Andy Pig try to end noise pollution by sticking their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lMrtHv4rfc fingers in their ears.]] The sketch ended with an inversion. Sam tells them "A tingulous trout for your spears" to get them to take their fingers out of their ears.

** Shay Van Buren is prone to of this due to the fact that she's deaf in her right ear after being hit there by a hacky sack in the Third Grade. To the point where it almost seems like "What?" is her {{Catchphrase}}.

* In "First Fish" from ''WesternAnimation/MollyOfDenali'', the message that "salmon are running down by the bridge" gets misheard as "ham and onions down by the ridge" due to being shouted at a distance from a canoe and then misheard again "Yams are drowning the fridge."
* In "The Inside Job" from ''WesternAnimation/EsmeAndRoy'', Snugs is getting cold but really wants to keep playing outside. Esme and Roy bundle him up in a bunch of winter gear, so much that it completely covers his mouth. Esme asks what he thinks and he replies that "It's kind of hard to talk with all this stuff on." It comes out completely muffled, so Esme asks "What?" and he says again. She asks Roy if he caught any of that and Roy replies "He said..." and then imitates the muffled speech. Snugs then takes off the clothing and repeats it. "Hard to move too."
* This happens in "Ice Cream Team" from ''WesternAnimation/HandyManny''. Manny's tools are trying to pitch ice cream to people in a local park, to try to get it all sold before it melts do a malfunctioning freezer. Squeeze hits up a skateboarder resting on a bench who can't her because he's listening to music on headphones.
-->'''Squeeze''': You know, the yummy stuff you get in a cone!
-->'''Skateboarder''': No, I don't have a phone! But I think there might be a pay phone over there. (''points and skates away'')
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'': In "Devil Dog", Bugs mistakes Taz the Tasmanian Devil for a dog and wonders if he belongs to Granny. This exchange then occurs between the three:
-->'''Bugs:''' We're sorry to bother you, but did you lose a pet?\\
'''Granny:''' Lose a bet? Oh, I don't gamble. I mean, I'll buy a lottery ticket now and then.\\
'''Bugs:''' No, no, not a bet, a pet. We found this dog.\\
'''Granny:''' Oh, you found my clog! Oh, thank goodness! I've been looking everywhere for it!\\
(''Granny pulls up her skirt, revealing her to be wearing only one clog'')\\
'''Bugs:''' Oh, brother. Forget the clog. What she really needs is a hearing aid.\\
'''Granny:''' Cheering maid? What's a cheering maid?\\
'''Daffy:''' (''as Sylvester and Tweety try to evade Taz'') You know, a cheering maid. It's basically a cheerleader who cleans your house. Sometimes they'll get in pyramid formations. They wear cute little pleated skirts that can double as mops. Come on, lady! Cheering maids! They wax the floors with their ponytails, they chant the names of various cleaning products, they vacuum your floors while dating the captain of the football team! They do W-I-N-D-O-W-S! Windows! Wi-i-i-in-dows! They dry your laundry by waving it like a flag! You know, cute little girls with names like Cindy, Margie, Britney! There's always a Britney, with her toothy little smile and feather duster. What don't you understand? They're real energetic! They use pom-poms instead of sponges! Wait! Why are we still talking about cheering maids? Is this your dog or not?\\
'''Granny:''' Do I know the fox trot? Oh, why yes, of course!

* The Cone of Silence on ''Series/GetSmart'' is a classic example. It's hard to predict exactly ''how'' the Cone of Silence will fail at any given moment, but you can practically guarantee it will involve this trope.
** Max is meeting his contact in a record store, so he plays a record up high in case they're being bugged. They end up shouting so loudly everyone in the store can hear what they're saying.
** In the TV movie ''Get Smart, Again!'' the Cone of Silence has finally been ditched and replaced with Hover Cover, which involves standing on a rooftop between three hovering helicopters (causing the participants to get blown off their feet) and the Hall of Hush which only leads to a WallOfBlather. In the end the Chief tosses the CONTROL regulations in his waste bin and insists Max just talk to him normally.

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother''
** A conversation in a loud dance club:
--->'''Ted:''' So how do you know Robin?\\
'''Kelly:''' Sagittarius!\\
'''Ted:''' Is that near Westchester?\\
'''Kelly:''' I would love one!
** Later, another common variant: "You have no idea what I'm saying, do you? I'm from outer space! I got thrown out of Sea World for humping a dolphin!" ''(Loud music cuts out)'' "I'm wetting my pants!"
* ''{{Series/Kaamelott}}'': One episode sees IneptMage Merlin managing to blow up his workbench in the process of boiling water.
-->'''Arthur:''' You'd better watch yourself, because if you keep sytematically screwing up every single thing you do, you're going to become a legend!\\
'''Merlin:''' WHAT!?!\\
-Arthur looks away in disgust-\\
'''Merlin:''' YEAH, YEAH, MY EARS ARE STILL OUT OF COMMISSSION!\\
'''Arthur:''' I SAID YOU'RE GOING TO BECOME A LEGEND!\\
'''Merlin:''' (flattered): Ah...
* From ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'' episode "Autumn", the parish council sits down for its meeting.
--> '''David:''' We may experience some interruptions because-- ''(jackhammer goes off outside and drowns him out)''\\
'''Frank:''' I'm sorry, what was that last part? I couldn't hear you over the jackhammer.\\
'''David:''' That's what I said: we may be interrupted because-- ''(jackhammer)''
* In [[Recap/TheOrvilleS2E13TomorrowAndTomorrowAndTomorrow "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow"]] from ''Series/TheOrville'', the music is very loud during the party that Past Kelly holds. Ed and John shout about how they can't hear each other, and everyone they talk to thinks they're asking where the bathroom is.
* In "Pink Tops" from ''Series/TheMentalist'' Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon are working the case of an undercover female detective who was killed just outside of a popular local dance club known for its continuous loud music. Lisbon tries to call Jane while he is inside the club, only for him to ask what she's saying a couple of times and then hang up. She finally arrives and meets him at the club, where he is talking with the proprietor, Vince Candide, whom he says is "a womanizing buffoon, but I think you'll be amused by his presumption."
-->'''Lisbon''': What?
-->'''Candide''': Huh?
-->'''Jane''': He... this is, he...
-->'''Lisbon''': (''holding up a picture on her phone'') Have you seen this woman? (''he looks and shakes his head'') What about Omar Vega?
-->'''Candide''': Who?
-->'''Lisbon''' and '''Jane''': Omar Vega!
-->'''Candide''': Sorry. I gotta go run the place.
-->'''Jane''': He can't hear! Thanks, Vince!
* In [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E24AllGoodThings "All Good Things"]], the finale of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', after Beverly Crusher/Picard tells the elderly Picard that she'll give him six more hours and tells him that if it were anyone else, they wouldn't even be there, an elderly Q appears and pulls this on Picard.
-->'''Q''': (''holding ear trumpet'') Eh? What was that she said, sonny? I couldn't quite hear her.
-->'''Picard''': Q? What is going on here? Where is the anomaly?
-->'''Q''': Where's your mommy? Well, I don't know.
* In the ''Series/StargateSG1'' episode [[Recap/StargateSG1S4E7Watergate "Watergate"]], Daniel and Carter accompany Markoff in the submarine through the submerged stargate, resulting in this:
-->Markoff: It is quite beautiful.
-->Daniel: What?
-->Markoff: The rapid pressurization might cause your ears to block. [to Carter] As you might notice, there is no plant or animal life.
-->Daniel: There doesn't appear to be any plant or animal life.
* The ''Series/HenryDanger'' crossover with ''Series/TheThundermans'' "Danger and Thunder" had Kid Danger [[BlatantLies blatantly lie]] when he claimed he couldn't hear Phoebe deduce Captain Man was on a train in order not to look stupid about not figuring it out. They were on a helicopter, but no one believed Henry couldn't hear her.
* ''Series/OddSquad'':
** In "The Trouble With Centigurps", Oscar attempts to tell Otto about the boxes he's gathered, which will be used to count the Centigurps. However, Otto is trapped in the lab's quarantine room with a hundred loud chirping Centigurps, meaning that he can't hear his co-worker.
--> '''Otto:''' ''[muffled]'' I can't hear what you're saying! ''But okay!!''
** In "Extreme Cakeover", when Oprah is turned into a cake, Olympia begins shouting into what she believes is her boss's ear. Otis responds by saying that Oprah can't hear her, as she's a cake. Olympia retorts:
--> '''Olympia:''' How do ''you'' know? ''[points to the top layer of the cake]'' Maybe those little circle parts are her ears. ''[to Oprah]'' Sorry I just called your ears "little circle parts"!
** At the beginning of "The O Team", Olympia and Otis are called by Oprah into her office. Oprah begins to shout at them that they solved their 49th case, then she takes out earplugs that she had in her ears and asks them to repeat what she told them.
** In "Xs and Os", Oprah comes up to Oona and tells her that she canceled her juice box order due to CuttingCorners, wanting to see if she has a gadget that makes juice. Oona, however, is unable to hear her due to wearing headphones with blaring rock music and being too focused on the light that her station bike is powering. Even when Oprah shouts her name at full volume, Oona doesn't so much as look up.
** In "Into the Odd Woods", Orla calls Opal to tell her that Omar is about to run away to the circus. During the conversation, Orla's voice becomes muffled and Opal is unable to understand her (although to the audience, it can be heard as "Opal, you better get over here ''right now!''"). It's then shown that Orla got another [[PieInTheFace pie to the face]] courtesy of Omar, and explains that she got whipped cream in her mouth.
** In "Mission O Possible", the Mobile Unit and the Little O go to Jimmy Jam's apartment to steal his signal jammer, only to find that he can't hear them due to the jammer emitting a loud whirring noise and him having headphones on. This proves to be to their benefit, and they simply drag the jammer out of the apartment without him being the wiser.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyLoQoocIUI&ab_channel=SaturdayNightLive This]] ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' sketch plays with the 'mob boss is offended by what he hears and sarcastically pretends he didn't hear' variant. A punk demands a promotion, to which the boss responds with several variants of "What did you just say to me?" until the punk gets the idea and leaves. Then the boss meets with a second underling who wants to thank him, and the boss responds the same way, indicating that he wasn't being sarcastic, he genuinely couldn't hear.

[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* This is a regular RunningGag on ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'' with Lois, a blue-footed booby bird seen on the series who is chronically hard of hearing. (For added hilarity, Lois was Woodland Valley's ''telephone operator''.) For example, from the "Good As New" song:
-->'''Doc Hogg:''' Now, Lois, ''take a warm birdbath in the sink.''\\
'''Lois:''' I stink?
* On an episode of ''Series/FraggleRock,'' Red tries to put up a barrier to keep Mokey from getting too close to the Singing Cactus and causing them to sing their [[MindControlMusic mind-control music.]] While trying to decide how far away to put the barrier, she gets too close herself, and they begin singing, hypnotizing her into joining in. Mokey finds her and, wearing radishes as earplugs, drags Red away.
-->'''Red:''' Mokey, you can take your hands off my ears now!\\
'''Mokey:''' '''WHAT?''' I can't hear you! I've got radishes in my ears!\\
'''Red:''' [[AsideComment So THAT'S why she wasn't enchanted by the Singing Cactus!]]
* An episode of ''Series/MuppetsTonight'' had Randy and Andy Pig try to end noise pollution by sticking their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lMrtHv4rfc fingers in their ears.]] The sketch ended with an inversion. Sam tells them "A tingulous trout for your spears" to get them to take their fingers out of their ears.
* Statler and Waldorf have a few moments like this on ''Series/TheMuppetShow''.
-->'''Statler:''' Did you get your hearing aid fixed?\\
'''Waldorf:''' No.\\
'''Statler:''' Then how do you know what I'm saying?\\
'''Waldorf:''' [[MindScrew I don't]].
[[/folder]]

* ''Theatre/StarlightExpress'' has a double musical version in "One Rock & Roll Too Many."

* Whenever you visit Venus at her night club in ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'', she'll say it's too loud and ask you to her office.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldInConflict: Soviet Assault'', [[spoiler:Major Lebedjev]] secretly switches radio channels, when he orders general retreat, so that the KnightTemplar Malashenko, who has moved too far ahead, doesn't come after the "traitors".
* [[GoodIsNotNice The Paragon choice]] in the final dialogue with [[MagnificentBastard the Illusive Man]] in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' has Shepard quipping "Sorry, I can't hear you. I'm getting a lot of bullshit on this line" [[ShutUpHannibal in his face]].
* One of Mad King Thorn's jokes from ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' Halloween events follows the Vaudeville "BananaInMyEar" joke, only with a pumpkin on his head.
* Mad Marty, the old laundryman from ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland2LeChucksRevenge''. Eventually, when the exasperated protagonist yells at him, he says: "You don't have to shout. I'm not deaf."

* ''WebAnimation/TheMostPopularGirlsInSchool'':
** Shay Van Buren is prone to of this due to the fact that she's deaf in her right ear after being hit there by a hacky sack in the Third Grade. To the point where it almost seems like "What?" is her {{Catchphrase}}.
** Poor Trisha can't even bend her arms (90s doll joke, don't ask.), so when her mom calls her, Trisha can barely hear her because the phone [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome is so high above]] her head.

%%* [[http://nonadventures.com/2010/08/14/mind-your-nanners/ This]] ''Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella'' strip plays with the "banana in your ear" version.

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' has this example, thanks to Dave's "ironic" love of terrible gear, in this case a two-way radio shaped like a puppet's rear end:
-->'''TEREZI:''' [=D4V3=]\\
'''TEREZI:''' 4R3 YOU [=T4LK1NG=] THROUGH [=TH3=] [=L1TTL3=] [=FO4M=] 4SS [=4G41N=]\\
'''DAVE:''' what was that\\
'''DAVE:''' im having trouble hearing you through the little foam ass\\
'''DAVE:''' hold on lemme smoosh my ear up against it

* In ''WebVideo/LilyFever'', Serang has an ImagineSpot where she's a senior. She talks to a young woman at the park, but gets offended by a misunderstanding and beats the girl up. It turns out [[ObfuscatingDisability she was faking]] [[ScrewPolitenessImASenior being hard of hearing]].

* There's a scene in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' where Dib and Zim are yelling at each other across a street, but the animators didn't put in any traffic, so it really comes off more as Zim being hard of hearing. So...um...PlayedWith, I guess. Yeah.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** Comes up twice in the episode "Applebuck Season". Due to overworking, Applejack bonks her head on a tree branch, leaving her ears ringing, so when Twilight Sparkle comes over talk to her, it takes a few tries before she actually hears what the other pony says:
--->'''Twilight Sparkle:''' Applejack, can we talk?\\
'''Applejack:''' Can bees squawk? I don't think so.\\
'''Twilight Sparkle:''' No, "can we talk."\\
'''Applejack:''' Twenty stalks? Bean or celery?\\
'''Twilight Sparkle:''' NO! I need to talk to you!\\
'''Applejack:''' You need to walk to the zoo? Well, who's stopping you?\\
'''Twilight Sparkle:''' ''[louder]'' I need to talk to you!\\
'''Applejack:''' Oh. Well, why didn't you say so? Whatchoo wanna talk about?
** A few scenes later, she and Pinkie Pie attempt to bake some muffins, but Applejack's sleep-deprivation muddles what Pinkie says in a similar fashion, and what they end up with [[LethalChef gives half the town food poisoning]].
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AngelinaBallerina: The Next Steps'', Angelina's neighbor comes over to complain to her father that she can't sleep because the music that's being played for a party is too loud. Her father replies that he can't hear her - the music is too loud.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'' ("Speak No Evil"), Jenny loses her English language software disc and defaults to Japanese. She tries talking/playing charades with Dr. Wakeman to explain the problem.
-->'''Dr. Wakeman:''' How am I supposed to understand you if you won't speak a word of English?
* From the ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' episode "The Cool Jerk", Arnold can't hear local greaser Frankie G. over the sound of Frankie's motorcycle.
-->'''Frankie:''' I said I like you, kid! You got potential!\\
'''Arnold:''' You want my pencil?!
* This is done in "Today's the Day!" on ''Literature/HarryAndHisBucketFullOfDinosaurs'' when a jackhammer disturbs Harry's violin practice and Taury asks him how he's going to practice with all the noise.
* This is used in "The Slumber Party" in the PBS series of ''Literature/TheBerenstainBears'' when Too Tall plays a loud boombox at Lizzie's slumber party. The babysitter tells him to turn it down, but he tells her that he can't hear her because the music's too loud.
* On ''WesternAnimation/WallyKazam'', Wally and Gina do this in "The Switching Stone" when Bobgoblin is transformed into Biggoblin by the power of the switching stone and stomps around making a lot of noise.
* This is done on ''WesternAnimation/BluesClues'' on the episode "Nature!" between Steve and the voice of the kid used to represent the viewer when the viewer discovers a waterfall and tries to point it out to Steve, but he says that he can't hear because there's a loud waterfall. Also, it's a fairly common RunningGag on the series for either Steve or Joe to mishear when the voice says "A clue!" The gag continues in the spinoff/sequel ''WesternAnimation/BluesCluesAndYou''.

* "I Want My Voice Back" from the animated series of ''Literature/LittlePrincess'' has the unusual obstruction variant with the royal chef, who had put stalks of broccoli in his ears so that he wouldn't have to listen to Little Princess's constant shouting.
* In ''WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry'' episode "Cranky's Tickle Tonic", Funky is flying Cranky to the White Mountains. However, the plane engine is so loud that Cranky's instructions can't be heard. Funky's solution is to turn the engine off, and the plane plummets.
* In the ''U.S. Acres'' portion of one episode of ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'', Roy puts on a CD of rooster crows so he doesn't have to do the crowing himself, and puts earmuffs on so he can sleep. The continued crowing prompts Orson to go check it out. After a bit of watching Wade go through a MattressTagGag, this trope plays out for Orson and Roy over both the earmuffs and the stereo.
* In "Clifford's Field Trip" from ''WesternAnimation/CliffordsPuppyDays'', the group encounters a group of noisy birds during a trip to a rainforest exhibit.
-->'''Emily Elizabeth:''' These birds sure are loud.\\
'''Shun:''' ''[holding his hand to his ear]'' Sorry. Can't hear ya'. These birds are too loud. ''[Clifford barks from inside Emily Elizabeth's backpack]''\\
'''Emily Elizabeth:''' Did you hear that? It sounded like a dog!\\
'''Shun:''' A frog?!
* On ''WesternAnimation/HenryHugglemonster'', this is a regular RunningGag with Captain Hollander, who operates the airship.
-->'''Henry:''' ''[[[FourthWallObserver addressing the viewer]]]'' This really is the most roarsome day ever.\\
'''Hollander:''' What's that? Pull the lever? Okay! ''[drops pizzas from his airship]''
* In "It's OK To Talk With Your Hands" on ''WesternAnimation/ToddWorld'', Todd and Pickle are in the lost sock room of the town sock wash looking for octopus socks for a scavenger hunt. It's very noisy and Pickle can't understand Todd, so Todd eventually gives up and says that he's just going to look for the octopus socks.
-->'''Pickle:''' I can't hear you! I'm just going to look for the octopus socks!
* ''WesternAnimation/SpecialAgentOso'' has a RunningGag of Whirlybird the helicopter comically mishearing Oso, causing him to drop him.
-->'''Oso:''' Now we're really flying!\\
'''Whirlybird:''' What's that?! You say you want to be really flying?! Okay! ''[drops Oso]''
* In "Badou's Best Adventure" from ''WesternAnimation/BabarAndTheAdventuresOfBadou'', Badou ventures into the lair of the Spider Queen to return her precious horn to her pile of treasure. He places it on top and she comes running up shouting about thieves. He explains that he's just returning her horn. She holds said horn up to her ear and he explains it again.
* In "Parade Day" from ''Literature/IfYouGiveAMouseACookie'', Mouse tells Oliver that their new float is really noisy.
-->'''Oliver''': What?!\\
'''Mouse''': I said "Our new float is really noisy!"\\
'''Oliver''': Oh. Yeah.
* In "Home Safe Home" from ''WesternAnimation/LouAndLouSafetyPatrol'', Lou and Louise inspect the safety of their home's living room and tell their mother, who is vacuuming, that "Everything checks out in here." She can't hear them because of the vacuuming, so they shout it. She still can't hear them, so she turns off the vacuum. Lou shouts that everything checks out, and Louise asks him why he's shouting.
* In "Rabbit's Sounds of Silence" from ''WesternAnimation/MyFriendsTiggerAndPooh'', Rabbit needs total quiet while his cake his cooking or else it will collapse. Unfortunately, Beaver is hard at work nearby, resulting in it collapsing. He comes outside to tell him that he has to stop making all the noise.
-->'''Beaver''': Sorry, can't hear you, Rabbit. I'm making too much noise!

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1622170822079189600
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.

[[quoteright:266:[[ComicStrip/DogsOfCKennel https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cant_hear_you.png]]]]

* A commercial for Creator/{{Amazon}} has a bunch of people saying "That's a low price." One of these is a woman and a male friend, [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic wearing masks]] and walking a dog. She makes the comment regarding a product displayed on her smartphone and he asks "Dog lice?," then points to the phone and says "That's a low price."

* At the end of ''ComicBook/{{BPRD}}: 1946'', Sgt. Maes and Trevor Bruttenholm try to shout over the din of a launching rocket. Neither can hear the other.
* Invoked in ''Wolverine and the X-Men'':

* Invoked (again) by ComicBook/{{Ares|Marvel}} when he tried to PoliceBrutality his half-brother, ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules. He claimed he could not hear ComicBook/WonderMan and Herc telling him not to shoot over his returning fire... [[FridgeLogic which he only started shooting]] [[ImplausibleDeniability AFTER Wondy said his piece]].
* The elderly Miss Molly keeps mishearing things comically in the [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Donald Duck comic]] ''[[http://coa.inducks.org/story.php?c=I+PK+++42-3 Paperinik e l'indimenticabile Aida]]''. [[spoiler:She's actually a young burglar in disguise, and the hard-of-hearing schtick is part of her façade.]]

* Calvin and Hobbes do this in ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'' when the former character is outside, trying to fix the satellite dish.
** Subverted - in part 2, when confessing things, Calvin admits he was just playing with Hobbes.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' fanfic ''Under the Bridge'', Widget and Jürgen are temporarily deafened by the report of a Darned Nearly Recoilless Rifle in an enclosed space, and spend a couple of lines explaining this to each other.
* In one story of the ''Fanfic/FacingTheFutureSeries'', two of Walker's guards have to put up with the racket of a captured Paulina. When the first mentions putting in a request to put her in suspended animation, the second guard, with his hands over his ears, yells "What?"

[[folder:Films — Animation]]

* Funshine Bear sings about the unusual obstruction variant in the "Make 'Em Laugh" song in ''Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-Lot''.
-->'''Funshine:''' ''A PieInTheFace / A banana in your ear...''
* In the first ''[[Franchise/DisneyFairies Tinker Bell]]'' movie, Bobble tries to ask Clank if he's seen Tink, unaware that Clank has put in earplugs. After a few tries with Clank mishearing a word that rhymes with 'tink,' he takes out his earplugs and asks "Hey, have you seen Tink?"

* In the Australian ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' parody ''Sev Trek: Pus in Boots'', this happens when the crew turn on the RedAlert.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGONinjagoMovie'': When Lloyd and Lord Garmadon are captured by [[spoiler:Lord Garmadon's former generals]], Lord Garmadon demands that they release them, to which one named Bob says "I can't hear you!". When Garmadon repeats what he said, another one says that Bob lost his hearing after [[spoiler:Garmadon shot him out of his volcano]].

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
* ''Film/{{DEBS}}''. Amy and Janet are driving in an open-top car, so there's a lot of noise making it difficult to talk.
-->'''Amy:''' I'm just not in love.\\
'''Janet:''' What?\\
''[The car stops, as does the noise]''\\
'''Amy:''' I said, I want to be in love!\\
'''Janet:''' Why are you yelling?

* Too-loud disco music in ''Film/BoogieNights'':
-->"Doesn't it make you nervous when you're dealing with all those evil forces?"\\
"Horses?"\\
"No, the evil forces."\\
"Evil?! Nah, man. It's not evil. It's an illusion!"\\
"Yeah! It's confusin'!"
* The film ''Creator/AbbottAndCostello in Hollywood'' contains [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feykwAH_iI4 a classic sequence]] (mislabeled on the site) in which Lou offers Bud earplugs so that he won't hear a sleep-inducing record Lou's using. Unfortunately, whoever's wearing them can't hear a thing.
* ''Film/AntMan1'' has Luis and his buddies running from the cops after the heist. As they hop into their van with Paxton yelling at them to stop, Luis shouts back "It's too loud! There's a [[spoiler:tank]]! Can't hear you!"

* ''Film/{{Alien}}''. Parker feigns a [[ExcessiveSteamSyndrome defective steam pipe]] so he can pretend not to hear Ripley's orders. After she leaves in exasperation he realises the pipe really is defective.
* ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'': Indy is fighting one of the Borthers of the Cruciform Sword on a motorboat in Venice. He sees Dr. Schneider heading towards two large ships and tries to tell her to go around, but the engine is too loud.
-->'''Indy:''' Are you crazy? Don't go between them!
-->'''Dr. Schneider:''' Go between them?! Are you crazy?! ''(she does so anyway)''

* ''Film/{{Boytown}}'': When the band members all lose their voices to an infection, their manager tells them their final concert will go ahead with them lip-syncing, unless he [[ExactWords hears any objections]]. The boys protest vehemently but hoarsely, and their manager says he can't hear a thing.

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Harry's elderly landlady is hard of hearing so they have a conversation of the second type in ''Changes''.

* ''Literature/TheSilverChair'' has this done by the old, hard-of-hearing dwarf Trumpkin, who, among other things, mishears the protagonists' names ("Eustace" as "useless"), and eventually complaints that people these days don't talk clearly.
* ''Literature/TheLegendOfRahAndTheMuggles'' has this done by the old Yur the Muggle, for sake of comedy in chapter six.
* This is used to great comic effect by Bartimaeus towards the end of ''The Ring of Solomon'', a prequel book in the ''[[Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy Bartimaeus]]'' series. After [[spoiler:winning against Ammet, he brings the ring back to Jerusalem and to Khaba the Cruel, at first faithfully imitating Ammet, who always took the form of a dark shadow imitation of Khaba's form. However, as time passes, he slowly allows the imitation to grow a long nose, warts and two jug-ears. Then, when's supposedly giving Khaba the ring, he instead makes it so that Khaba just misses, telling him "That was a big jump. If only you were a little taller." When the magician insists "Give it to me!" he claps his hand against one of the jug-ears, telling him that he's a bit deaf. When Khaba repeats "Give it to me!" he replies that "Nothing would give me greater pleasure," then punches him square on the chin, knocking him out and sending him sprawling.]]
* In ''Literature/FantasticMrFox'', Bean hadn't washed in such a long time that his ears start getting clogged with disgusting items like [[{{Squick}} old chewing gum and dead flies]]. So when Bunce sarcastically asks if Bean has another idea to catch the titular fox, Bean says he can't hear him. Thus, Bunce has to shout into his ear.
* In one ''Literature/WinnieThePooh'' story, Rabbit calls a meeting about making Tigger stop bouncing. Pooh, half-asleep and uninterested in proceedings, tells Rabbit that he couldn't hear him through the fluff in his ear. When Rabbit asks when the fluff started interfering, Pooh claims he doesn't know because he couldn't hear.
* In the picture book ''Listen, Buddy'', the whole life of the title character, Buddy the rabbit, is essentially this. His parents send him to get a basket of squash, he comes back with a basket of wash (laundry). They tell him to buy fifteen tomatoes, he comes back with 50 potatoes. His father tells him to bring him a pen, he comes back with a hen. Then, one day, his not listening properly leads him to the home of the ill-tempered Scruffy Varmint. Said varmint tries to enlist his help in making soup, but he annoys the varmint so much with his shenanigans until he declares that he's having bunnyrabbit soup. Buddy listens to this and hops away faster than he's ever hopped in his life and when his parents ask him for something, he finally listens.
* In ''Literature/TheBagthorpeSaga'', Grandpa Alfred Bagthorpe is 85 years old and has lost some of his hearing, but not as much as everyone else thinks; he mostly uses his hearing loss as a convenient excuse to tune out the boasting and arguments that dominate family conversations. His son-in-law, Russell, describes him as "S.D." - not, as his nephew Jack guesses, "Stone Deaf", but "Selectively Deaf".
* In the story "April Showers" from the picture book ''Max and Maggie in Spring'', Maggie pays a visit to Max's house and knocks on the door. She gets no answer but hears singing and water running. She figures to herself that her friend is in the shower and she'll let herself in. She does so and calls to him, asking if he's in the shower. "What?" he asks and she shouts "Are you in the shower?" in a louder voice. He replies that he can't hear her, that he's in the shower.
* When Rinnosuke attempts to talk to [[Franchise/TouhouProject Marisa]] about her estranged father in a chapter of ''Literature/TouhouKourindouCuriositiesOfLotusAsia'', she invokes the trope. It's unclear whether she's merely ignoring his request to talk about Mr. Kirisame or using the multitude of very loud cicadas outside to dodge the subject.

* The Cone of Silence on ''Series/GetSmart'' is a classic example. It's hard to predict exactly ''how'' the Cone of Silence will fail at any given moment, but you can practically guarantee it will involve this trope.
** Max is meeting his contact in a record store, so he plays a record up high in case they're being bugged. They end up shouting so loudly everyone in the store can hear what they're saying.
** In the tv movie ''Get Smart, Again!'' the Cone of Silence has finally been ditched and replaced with Hover Cover, which involves standing on a rooftop between three hovering helicopters (causing the participants to get blown off their feet) and the Hall of Hush which only leads to a WallOfBlather. In the end the Chief tosses the CONTROL regulations in his waste bin and insists Max just talk to him normally.
* ''Series/CrankYankers'' does this one. Elmer (old man character) tries to make an appointment to get hearing aids. Over the phone. You can see how this could go wrong, can't you?
* ''[[Series/TheMunsters Munster, Go Home!]]'' has this exchange between Herman and Lily at the race:
-->'''Lily:''' They're trying to get rid of you!\\
'''Herman:''' What?\\
'''Lily:''' I said, they're trying to get rid of you!\\
'''Herman:''' I love you, too!

* Parodied in one episode of ''Series/RadioActive'': [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} George]] is trying to tell Kevin something, but Kevin is listening to loud music on his headphones. George waves his hands wildly and mouths something; Kevin takes off his headphones and says, "Sorry, music, I couldn't hear you?", and George replies, "Oh, I know, that's why I didn't say anything.", before commencing with what he ''actually'' wanted to tell Kevin.

* ''Series/DadsArmy''. Captain Mainwaring and his men are on parade wearing gas masks. After muttering incoherently for some time, Mainwaring eventually removes his mask.
-->'''Mainwaring:''' And that concludes my lecture on gas warfare. Are there any questions?\\
''[Jones says something incomprehensible from under his gasmask]''\\
'''Mainwaring:''' What was that? I can't hear a word you're saying.\\
''[Sgt Wilson leans close to Jones; Jones mutters again]''\\
'''Wilson:''' He said he couldn't hear a word you were saying, sir.

* A loud conversation at the start of an episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'':
-->'''Sheldon:''' Leonard, are you in the shower?\\
'''Leonard:''' I can't hear you! I'm in the shower!\\
'''Sheldon:''' I asked if you were in the shower, but that's moot now.\\
'''Leonard:''' What?\\
'''Sheldon:''' ''(exasperated)'' Moot! Rendered unimportant by recent events! \\
'''Leonard:''' I can't hear you, ''I'm in the shower!''\\
'''Sheldon:''' Never mind, let's skip the chit-chat.
* In an episode of ''Series/TheITCrowd'', Roy is stealing from the vending machine via hacking when his boss jumps in, yells his name, then explains that he's yelling because he's wearing earplugs. Roy gets smart enough to realize that anything he says will be misheard, and says "I'm stealing food from this machine!" His boss smiles and walks away.

* In one story of the ''FanFic/FacingTheFutureSeries'', two of Walker's guards have to put up with the racket of a captured Paulina. When the first mentions putting in a request to put her in suspended animation, the second guard, with his hands over his ears, yells "What?"
* In the [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/394020/1/The-Zor-s-Pizza-Chronicles Zor's Pizza Chronicles]], a comedy fanfic based on ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', the whole thing with Sephiroth summoning Meteor was down to a bad phone connection and an employee who doesn't speak English well. He was actually trying to call Zor's Pizza to order a "Meaty-Zor," but they misheard him and summoned Meteor instead.

* When Rinnosuke attempts to talk to [[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Marisa]] about her estranged father in a chapter of ''Curiosities and Lotus Asia'', she invokes the trope. It's unclear whether she's merely ignoring his request to talk about Mr. Kirisame or using the multitude of very loud cicadas outside to dodge the subject.

* From ''[[Webcomic/{{Hiimdaisy}} Peachi]]'''s VideoGame/MetalGearSolid comic, this happens when Liquid is in a helicopter:

* The Saucepan Man, a character from early Creator/EnidBlyton books - debuting in ''Literature/BookOfBrownies'' before becoming a recurring character in ''Literature/TheFarawayTree'' is known for his terrible hearing, owing to the amount of pots and pans he frequently hangs all over himself. His inability to interpret what other characters are saying to him is a recurring RunningGag.

'''Jump''': [SuddenlyShouting] CAN WE GO HOME WITH YOU?\\

-->'''Moldie''': Eh? What's that? You say you want to go up to my flat later and sing the blues??"

'''Red:''' ''[aside]'' So ''that's'' why she wasn't enchanted by the Singing Cactus!

* IrritationIsTheSincerestFormOfFlattery: In the book ''The O

* In "Toot & Puddle's Camp Out" from ''WesternAnimation/TootAndPuddle'', as the two title characters are searching for their perfect campout spot, a strong wind kicks up. Puddle tells Toot that "It's too windy here," but Toot replies that he can't hear him because it's too windy. The wind then catches his backpack and blows into a bush.

* Invoked (again) by ComicBook/{{Ares|Marvel}} when he tried to PoliceBrutality his half-brother, the ComicBook/IncredibleHercules. He claimed he could not hear ComicBook/WonderMan and Herc telling him not to shoot over his returning fire... [[FridgeLogic which he only started shooting]] [[ImplausibleDeniability AFTER Wondy said his piece]].