History Main / SpinningPaper

* Used in ''[[Pinball/WHODunnit WHO dunnit]]'' to announce the start of each new murder case. If you capture the killer, it's also used to announce your victory and herald the start of multiball.

The Spinning Paper usually takes place against a black background but often fades in footage of people in animated conversation, using telephones or reading newspapers. It is also common to show the Spinning Paper as an overlay on footage of printing presses. It is usually prefaced with either [[ExtraExtraReadAllAboutIt a newspaper boy yelling "Extra! Extra!"]] or a shot of a stack of newspapers being delivered.

Back in the days before this device had been done to death, some {{B Movie}}s would--as an alternative to printing up a custom faux-newspaper--apparently use certain stock layouts, with everything below the massive main headline cut-and-pasted from previous fake front pages. This is why certain news articles, like [[http://mst3k.wikia.com/wiki/New_Petitions_Against_Tax "New Petitions Against Tax,"]] appear on completely unrelated front pages with such frequency. Which [[FridgeLogic does lead one to wonder]] why, with the main headline proclaiming [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Armageddon]], [[WorstNewsJudgmentEver some papers consider "Building Code Under Fire" to be newsworthy]].

* ''Film/{{Airplane}}'' uses spinning newspaper headlines as a stock gag. The first two are about the plane that is doomed to crash, and [[TheTriple a third]] is about a child who [[{{Autocannibalism}} ate his own foot]]. In the next shot, there's a spinning TV which cuts to a news broadcast. The sequel recycles the joke, with the third one being about a man who undergoes sex change surgery and marries him-(her?)-self.

** Scenes from the first two films are re-enacted by children in a play for the music video to Snow Patrol's song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11KD3gN6Bus 'Signal Fire']] (which is part of the soundtrack to the third film), and features a live action spinning paper detailing Spidey's heroics.

* In November of 1988, when ''Series/WheelOfFortune'' did its first ever road show in New York City, a paper from the "Anytown Times" spins in and says, "[[CaptainObvious Wheel of Fortune in New York!]]"

* The ''Series/{{JAG}}'' episode "Contemptuous Words" opens with a printing press spinning, however, the relevant content is read in the following scence.

* ''Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee'' does this trope with it's newspaper, The Daily Deception. The name in itself makes fun of lies printed in the media, and the paper itself is used to show story progression. Most notably in the Best and Worst endings of the game.

** In "The Masked Magician", they did a spinning paper, and then pulled out to show it in the middle of Timmy's room with Cosmo spinning it in midair. Wanda complains that she can't read it, so Cosmo proceeds to spin her along with the paper.

* Done several times in the ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' episode "Three's A Crowd". when Dirt Boss and the Constructicons start taking over gas stations and oil refineries. It's rather obviously metaphorical, since this all seems to take place in a single day (unless the Autobots were spending all week trying to get Lugnut out of that hole). Also it's TheFuture, they may not even have newspapers.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Also spoofed on ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'', with a headline reading "Spinning Newspapers voted 'Lamest Cliche' by TV viewers."

** Parodied; after being played straight with two newspapers announcing plot points, a third one bears the headline "Spinning Newspaper Injures Printer" (pictured above).

* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/TheOblongs'' with the first two having headlines about a "local hero woman" and the third one with a headline about the "unexplained newspaper spinning continuing."
** With a sub-header reading "Unconfirmed rumors of [[ExplodingCalendar pages falling off calendars]]".

* The animated series ''[[SuperDaveDaredevilForHire Super Dave: Daredevil For Hire]]'' featured two spinning newspapers in succession, the second one with the headline "Newspaper Spins!" and a photograph of the first paper.

* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''; after being played straight with two newspapers announcing plot points, a third one bears the headline "Spinning Newspaper Injures Printer".

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''VideoGame/Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee'' does this trope with it's newspaper, The Daily Deception. The name in itself makes fun of lies printed in the media, and the paper itself is used to show story progression. Most notably in the Best and Worst endings of the game.

* Played straight in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. Additionally, Fox Kids used to preview the day's episode with ads using a Spinning Paper opener describing a key plot point of the episode.

* ''WesternAnimation/UrbanVermin'': The trope is [arodied in "The Rat Pack", where spinning newspapers are used to announce a coup against Ken. It turns out the papers are spinning because Madman is holding them up and spinning around in a swivel chair to announce the news to the rest of the GLF.

-->-- '''Jon Stewart''', ''Series/TheDailyShow''

* Spoofed in ''Film/{{Mafia}}''. One of the headlines is "A spinning paper appears over a cathedral"

* A similar trope was used by Creator/CharlieChaplin in ''Film/TheGreatDictator'' (1940), where papers coming off the press are used in the same way. This later became a popular FilmNoir trope.
* The definitive parody of the Spinning Paper trope is in ''Film/TheLastRemakeOfBeauGeste'' when a spinning newspaper is delivered to the Geste family's doorstep, and the paper continues spinning even as butler Creator/SpikeMilligan attempts to pick it up. He has to keep circling around the spinning newspaper so that he can read the headline.
** There's a running gag involving the butler and several similar tropes, including a scene with the ExplodingCalendar, where the butler is desperately trying to stop the pages from flying off the calendar.
* The film ''Film/BillAndTedsBogusJourney'' ends with a minutes-long comic headline sequence where various real-world publications detail the band's rise to fame and the resulting steps towards world peace.
** Also, [[DontFearTheReaper Death]] [[ThrowTheDogABone manages to win the]] [[UsefulNotes/IndyCar Indy 500]] on foot. His response? "[[AchievementsInIgnorance I didn't know I could run that fast.]]"

* In the film ''Film/StrangeBrew'', there is a spinning newspaper, but when it stops, it is revealed to have the wrong side up and a hand quickly reaches out to flip the paper over to show the intended side.

* In ''Film/StarWreckInThePirkinning'', a very popular Finnish hobbyist-produced sci-fi parody film, newspapers headlines following P-Fleet's conquest of the world are shown in this manner within an old-style propaganda film within the show.
* Played straight in ''Film/TalkOfTheTown'', when it's used repeatedly for transitions, exposition, and montage. Spinning papers appear when Leopold Dilg (wrongfully accused of arson and murder) escapes, after he's caught, and when he's freed.
* Played straight in ''Film/{{Hoodlum}}''.
* Played straight, but without spinning, in the first ''Film/SpiderMan1'' movie.
** And shows up in the second, as J. Jonah Jameson yells "[[SkywardScream I WAAANT SPIIIDEERMAAAAAAANNNN!!!]]", a spinning newspaper announces: "[[HesBack He's Back!]]"
** Scenes from the first two films are re-enacted by children in a play for the music video to Snow Patrol's song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11KD3gN6Bus 'Signal Fire']] (which is part of the soundtrack to the third film), and features a live action spinning paper detailing Spidey's heroics.
%%* Played straight in ''Film/TheGodfatherPartIII''.
* And as a result spoofed in ''Film/{{Mafia}}''. One of the headlines is "A spinning paper appears over a cathedral"
* Used in the GenreThrowback movie ''Film/SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow'' (2004), along with a PracticalVoiceover, to show that the robot attack on New York is part of a worldwide phenomenon. The short film version had the paper spin, the 2004 movie just had a pan across newspaper headlines from across the world.
* Used and played straight in Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/Batman1989''

* In ''Film/{{Chicago}}'', just as Roxie's verdict is about to be announced, a paper with the headline "Roxie Hart Innocent" is shown. It's also revealed that the newspapers printed up some "Roxie Hart Guilty" issues, just in case.
* Done humorously in the Creator/ShirleyMacLaine film ''Film/WhatAWayToGo'', when successive spinning ''Variety'' headlines become more and more tongue-twisting and ridiculous, some having every word [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal start with the same letter]].
* ''Film/FatalInstinct'': The headline for Lana Ravine's trial is introduced this way until Lola Cain yanks it out of the air.
* The film ''Film/RevengeOfTheCreature'' features this trope after the creature's escape.
* ''Film/TheIncredibleMrLimpet''. After Henry Limpet destroys the attacking U-boat wolf pack, a series of spinning newspaper headlines list the final events of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII until victory.
* The prologue to ''Film/MurderOnTheOrientExpress1974'' features a montage of Spinning Papers chronicling the kidnapping, and eventual murder, of Baby Daisy Armstrong.

* Appears twice in ''Film/BugsyMalone'', once with a shot of a paper press.
* Happens towards the end of ''Film/{{Chaplin}} (1992)''.
* Played straight in ''Film/TheToxicAvenger'' when the title hero starts making name for himself by helping the populace of Tromaville.
* In ''Film/{{Muppets Most Wanted}}'', there are sequences that start with the spinning, blurred newspaper, but instead of ending with a shot of the front page, they end by cutting to a shot of a 1970s-style console TV, with the Muppet Newsman giving a report.
* A montage of glossy covers of popular real-life magazines when Michael Dorsey starts becoming famous as Dorothy Michaels, in ''Film/{{Tootsie}}''.

* In ''Film/WhoAmI2014'', the hacker group's actions are compressed in a montage of newspaper headlines and reactions in society.

* Played straight in ''Film/AccidentalHero'', when newspapers and magazines reacting to the story of the mystery hero are shown spinning.

* Used to fill in the details of what happens between the capture of the gang and Robert's trial in ''Film/CrimeDoctor''.
* Used to show the passage of time and the progress of the manhunt for the bank robbers in ''Film/TheHoodlum''.
* ''Film/DickTracyDetective'' uses this trope to show the hysteria generated by Splitface's murder spree.
* In ''Film/{{Knockout}}'', the montage of Belle's boxing success begins with one of these, showing the article about her first win.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Bonkers}}'' video game for the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] does this in the opening cutscene, as well every time Bonkers beats a level, except for the fifth level. At the bottom of the newspaper, the Chief gives his opinion on Bonkers, which varies depending on how long it took him to beat the level.

* The ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' episode, "[[Recap/RockosModernLifeS3E10WackyDelly Wacky Delly]]" does this [[RuleOfThree three times]]; first, when the titular ShowWithinAShow becomes the newest hit animated series, then when it becomes even more popular with the "10 Minutes of Mayo" episode, and then finally, when Ralph's episode leads to its downfall and cancellation.

** Also, [[DontFearTheReaper Death]] [[ThrowTheDogABone manages to win the]] [[UsefulNotes/Indianapolis500 Indy 500]] on foot. His response? "[[AchievementsInIgnorance I didn't know I could run that fast.]]"

* Done in ''Film/UnderworldUSA'' with newspapers covering Gunther's arrest. Here the camera zooms in not on the headlines, but on the mastheads of the papers: showing that story is getting national coverage.

* Used on "The Whale Who Wanted To Sing At The Met" segment of ''WesternAnimation/MakeMineMusic'' during Willie's fantasy of becoming an opera singer.

* The ''Literature/WindInTheWillows'' segment of ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfIchabodAndMrToad'' uses it twice, once when Toad is arrested for stealing a motorcar, and then to show the attempts to appeal his conviction, the story going from the front page to a small article on the back to show the public's waning interest on it.