History Main / OffingTheAnnoyance

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': The Joker does this ''constantly''. It's probably his second most common reason for murder when it isn't just ForTheEvulz. If he doesn't kill you for a laugh, he kills you for asking a stupid question, saying Batman's name, existing in the same room when he's in a bad mood, calling him "Puddin'", giving him bad drive-through service or whatever else sets him off that day.

* Almost invoked in Mel Brooks' ''Film/RobinHoodMenInTights'', when a mime annoys the Sheriff to the point that he just shouts 'Kill him!', before he's stopped by Prince John, who says 'You know, a mime is a terrible thing to waste.'

** In the season eight episode "The Great Escapist," Naomi has an entire restaurant of innocent people brutally murdered in an attempt to capture Castiel. She leaves one poor woman alive with [[EyeScream her eyes burnt out]] and a message for Castiel, but even after [[spoiler:they succeed in capturing him]], the traumatized woman [[MadnessMantra keeps repeating the message]] until Naomi gets frustrated and [[NeckSnap breaks her neck]] [[BadassFingersnap with a fingersnap]]. It's a harsh indicator of just how little Naomi cares for human lives, even though as an angel she's ''supposed'' to care about them.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePinkPanther'': In the cartoon "Pink, Plunk, Plink" the Little Man is conducting an orchestra but before he can start he is constantly interrupted by a coughing audience member, so he pulls out a gun and shoots him, making it a real Symphony of Fate for him.
* In the Count Screwloose cartoon "Jitterbug Follies" two penguins are reciting a poem but a hippo opera singer whom they had earlier thrown off the stage keeps interrupting them with her awful singing, so they shoot her with a cannon.

** Inverted in the Visitors sketch where John Cleese responds to Graham Chapman's demand that he leave his house (Cleese's character is one of a bunch of random drop-ins invited by Eric Idle's character on the flimsiest of excuses) by saying [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_iWOpcPaVc "I don't much like the tone of your voice."]] and then shooting him dead.

** In the Visitors sketch, John Cleese responds to Graham Chapman's demand that he leave the house by saying [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_iWOpcPaVc "I don't much like the tone of your voice."]] and then shooting him dead.

* In ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'', Ultron finds himself on the receiving end of this trope when he keeps pestering Galactus for an alliance to kill all the organic beings. Galactus tells him to scram, but Ultron won't leave him alone until [[EyeBeams Galactus finally tires of his presence]].

* In ''Film/TimeBandits'' the character Evil does this twice.

It also says a lot about the perpetrator. It's usually used to show that a character's JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope, or is suffering a VillainousBreakdown. If a ruler does it, he just might be TheCaligula. In [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism more cynical works]], it's often viewed as a MoralEventHorizon because of how [[EvilIsPetty petty]] it is and because the perpetrator feels a sense of self-righteousness in their actions.

* ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'': Narrowly avoided in the Nixon Island arc, when Frank is on a long flight with a pilot who won't shut up is seen about to strangle the pilot and only relents on hearing him say they've arrived.