History Main / JumpOffABridgeRebuttal

* From a classic GeorgeCarlin routine:

* ''Film/{{Heathers}}'' asks the question, "If the coolest kids in school committed suicide, would others follow?" Despite everyone's assumption that the answer was 'yes', the total of others shown to actually follow rather than being pushed was one. Because there was nothing popular or attractive about that one example, it was almost completely overlooked by media and education establishments.

* ''Film/{{Heathers}}'' asks the question, "If the coolest kids in school committed suicide, would others follow?" with a resounding, "Yes!" A dark way to address TruthInTelevision, but SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped.

-->'''Buford/Bufavulous:''' Mother always told me if all the other kids were jumping off a cliff, I should to.

--> '''Homestar:''' Yes!

* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' [[http://xkcd.com/1170/ #1170]]: Countered by assessing the hypothetical situation more realistically than intended and saying that the most likely explanation would be that the bridge was on fire, or otherwise unsafe to stay on.

If this is used on a sufficiently smart-assed character, they are likely to [[InvokedTrope invoke]] AnalogyBackfire and find a reason why they ''would'' jump. For a brief period in the 90s, the most common response was to say something along the lines of "No, bridge-jumping is tomorrow," and explain that the kid character was also participating in bungee jumping.

For a brief period in the 90s, the most common response was to say something along the lines of "No, bridge-jumping is tomorrow," and explain that the kid character was also participating in bungee jumping.

* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' [[http://xkcd.com/1170/ #1170]]: Countered by assessing the hypothetical situation more realistically than intended and saying that the most likely explanation would be that the bridge was on fire.

-->'''Adiane''': Hate you? I really couldn't care less about you! Your father ordered me to kill you, so that's what I'm doing. Whether or not I "hate you" has nothing to do with it!

* Unfortunately, TruthInTelevision: {{Suicide Pact}}s.

#"Duh! Of course!"

* ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'': Will tells his uncle's jerk of a rival to "Drop dead!" and he does right then and there.

'''[[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Hugh]]:''' I know, son, [[{{Malaproper}} but if all your friends were named Cliff, would you jump off them]]? I don't think you would.

* An episode of ''TheBill'' featured Diane Noble trying to talk down a daredevil kid from jumping off a bridge. At one point she says "If everyone else jumped off... never mind."

* ElChavoDelOcho from all, have the most intelligent response.

-->'''Don Ramón''': You're so obedient.(El Chavo shows pride over this). And if I tell to jump off a bridge, you would do it?

** LifeImitatesArt: In 2006-2008, a lot of teenagers in Bridgend, Wales decided to commit suicide on Bebo for no reason other than the fact that [[WhatAnIdiot everyone else was doing it]].

e* There's a joke which responds to the question with "I'm a lifeguard."

* Literary Example: Jessi Ramsey says in one of the ''BabySittersClub'' books that this is one of her mother's favorite arguments.

--> '''Marge:''' What on earth possessed you to get an earring?
--> '''Bart:''' Milhouse has one.
--> '''Marge:''' If Milhouse jumped off a cliff...
--> '''Bart:''' Milhouse jumped off a cliff?! I'm there!
** and again, but reversed to Bart's confusion:

* An episode of ''BobbysWorld'' had a RunningGag of his parents constantly saying this to him, with Bobby responding with things like "Well, if I was hot, I might..." At the end of the episode, he wants them to go by the bridge so he can "see all the action".

* Unfortunately, TruthInTelevision: [[SuicidePact suicide pacts]].
* TruthInTelevision: [[http://www.livescience.com/animals/ap_050708_sheep_deaths.html Sheep do it too.]]
** [[http://www.problempets.co.uk/media/overtounbridge.asp And dogs.]]

* As of this writing, this troper never got a chance to use this for real, but here goes:
-->'''Parent/Authority Figure:''' If your friends told you to jump off a bridge, would you?\\
'''Kid:''' If your -boss- told you to jump off a bridge, would you?\\
'''Parent/Authority Figure:''' Him first.
* An alternative is to just ask, "Why would anyone jump off a fridge?" as if you didn't hear the question properly.

'''Chris:''' *thinks about it*\\
'''Elise:''' Chris!\\
'''Chris:''' *stammers* I mean, it depends.\\

'''Chris:''' *thinks about it*\\
'''Elise:''' CHRIS!

* There's a joke which responds to the question with "I'm a lifeguard."

--> [[spoiler: '''Gardevoir's split personality''']]: 'Has that cliff jumping question ever worked?''

* In ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'', Asuka angrily berates Rei, deriding her loyalty to Gendo and asking if she would kill herself if he ordered her to. Rei bluntly answers that [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder yes, she would.]]