History Main / TelegraphGagSTOP

This is a [[TropeBreaker Broken Trope]] these days, since International Morse Code uses .-.-.- for periods. Or you could just [[TechMarchesOn send a text message]].

* Olde Wrestling in Ohio has a 1920s theme. In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr7RK56ZwQ4 this promo]], [[WorkingClassHero Working Class Heel]] Heidi the Riveter[[note]]Heidi Lovelace aka [[Wrestling/TheRiottSquad WWE's Ruby Riott]][[/note]] receives a telegram (complete with this trope) telling her that she will be facing "Kickin'" Kimber Lee and expresses her disgust for Kimber Lee's [[TheFlapper Flapper]] lifestyle.

* ''Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space'', in which Captain Proton (of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' fame) struggles to save the world from an army of busty bionic blondes.

* ''Series/{{Blackadder}} Goes Forth'', episode "Major Star": Used as a joke by Blackadder to insult Creator/CharlieChaplin, and in the same episode Chaplin took revenge in the same format STOP

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. Tuvok and Paris are on the holodeck playing "The Adventures of Captain Proton" (a {{Film/Flash Gordon|Serial}}-{{expy}} character).

-->'''Susan Applegate''': That will certainly fix mother!

-->'''Paris:''' It's a message to Captain Proton from the President of Earth. ''Intercepted communications between Doctor Chaotica and Arachnia STOP. Chaotica at war with aliens from Fifth Dimension STOP. Must strike now to disable Death Ray__''\\

* Used very straight in the pilot for the long-forgotten UPN Creator/RichardDeanAnderson western dramedy ''Legend''. Alcoholic dime novel hack Ernest Pratt is accosted by his agent about the publisher's demand he pretend to be the hero of his novels, Nicodemus Legend, to promote his flagging book series. At least the story takes place in the right period for telegrams (1876).

** In this musical , Bobby receives a telegram from his mother and reads it out loud.

* The French dub of ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' has him always reading Chief Quimby's [[ThisPageWillSelfDestruct exploding messages]] this way.

** In the DVD version of "little animal", an Easter egg features added dialogue for Old-Timey Strong Bad.

* From ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'':
--> "Sir Strong Bad STOP How do you operate the 'telegramophone' [[AntiquatedLinguistics whilst]] wearing gentlemans' sporting gloves STOP Signed, Sir Elsington Halstindingdingworth STOP"

@@TELEGRAM MESSAGES [[NoPunctuationPeriod NEVER CONTAIN PERIODS]] [[SelfDemonstratingArticle STOP]]@@
@@ANY PERIOD IS REPLACED BY A STOP STOP@@
@@WHEN READ ALOUD THE STOP IS ALSO READ ALOUD STOP@@
@@[[TheCoconutEffect IT WAS ORIGINALLY A JOKE]] STOP@@
@@BUT IT IS NOT KNOWN AS ONE BY MODERN AUDIENCES STOP@@
@@WHERE IT IS EXPECTED FOR READING A TELEGRAM STOP@@
@@SO EVEN WHERE IT CAUSED CONFUSION IT DIDN'T [[AccidentalPun STOP]] STOP@@

@@COMPARE [[ReadingTheStageDirectionsOutLoud READING THE STAGE DIRECTIONS OUT LOUD]] STOP@@

-->@@STOP CHILDREN STOP DAD RECEIVED MESSAGE STOP LET DAD WORK STOP@@\\

@@LUCKY LUKE! JUST GOT A MESSAGE FOR YOU STOP!@@

--->@@WILSON BOYS DEAD OX GULCH STOP STOP RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION STOP AND I MEAN STOP STOP SIGNED BLACK WILSON@@

-->@@BROTHER [[YourSoulIsMine DEAD]]. RETURN HOME.@@\\

* ''ThePhantomTollbooth''. There's no sound in the Valley of Sound, so you get this:

** "The Hardship of Miles Standish" has a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsFMKMUvFxo#t=3m40s singing telegram]].

** Used in the short "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akAEIW3rmvQ&t=6m00s I Wanna Singa]]".

From the 1928 booklet, "[[http://www.telegraph-office.com/pages/telegram.html HOW TO WRITE TELEGRAMS PROPERLY]]":

* Happens at the beginning of the [[ClassicDisneyShort classic Disney short]], "The Country Cousin", an adaptation of the Aesop's Fable, ''The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse''.

@@[[TheCoconutEffect IT WAS ORIGINALLY A JOKE]]@@
@@BUT IT IS NOT KNOWN AS ONE BY MODERN AUDIENCES@@

[[AC:ComicBooks Stop]]

[[AC:{{Film}} Stop]]

[[AC:Jokes Stop]]

[[AC:{{Literature}} Stop]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV Stop]]

[[AC:{{Fanfiction}} Stop]]
* ''Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space'', in which Captain Proton (of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' fame) struggles to save the world from an army of busty bionic blondes.
-->TO CAPTAIN PROTON FROM THE PRESIDENT OF EARTH STOP OVAL OFFICE UNDER ATTACK BY LARGE-BREASTED CYBORG WOMEN STOP REQUEST URGENT ASSISTANCE STOP OH NO THEY'RE HERE STOP OH YES YES BABY THAT'S WONDERFUL PLEASE DON'T STOP

[[AC:{{Machinima}} Stop]]
* This is a RunningGag on ''Machinima/RedVsBlue''.
-->'''Simmons''': Did they send the message via telegram?

[[AC:{{Theatre}} Stop]]
* In the musical ''Theatre/CrazyForYou'', Bobby receives a telegram from his mother and reads it out loud.
-->'''Bobby''': "Dear Fat-head. Stop." Yep. It’s Mom. "Stop this nonsense. Stop. This is your final notice. Stop." Sounds like an electric bill. "Get back here on next train. Stop. Don’t stop. Stop. Will stop allowance if you stop. Stop. Your loving mother. Stop. P.S. Your uncle stopped by." I wish she’d write letters.

-->'''Polly''': Would ya stop this?
-->'''Zangler''': Stop?
-->'''Polly''': Stop.
-->'''Bobby''': You sound like my mother.

[[AC:WesternAnimation Stop]]
* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' examples:
** Used in the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akAEIW3rmvQ&t=6m00s I Wanna Singa]]''.
-->We just received another telegram, Station GOMG. Stop. Your program coming in great. Stop. Think it's fine. Stop. Glad to hear your amateurs. Stop. They're all very funny. ''[camera pans back to show her continually pushing away the deliveryman as he keeps trying to hold her]'' Stop! Keep up the good work. Stop! Good luck. STOP! The gang. ''STOP!'' ''[she pushes him offscreen and he crashes]''
** WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes ''The Hardship of Miles Standish'' had a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsFMKMUvFxo#t=3m40s singing telegram]].
* ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'' had one in their parody of ''Film/TheThirdMan'':

** Pinky, as narrator, comments that it took him a long time due to all the stopping.
* Lots of it in ''WesternAnimation/{{Balto}}'' during the Nome-Juneau transmission scenes.

* Happens at the beginning of the [[ClassicDisneyShort classic Disney short]], ''The Country Cousin'', an adaptation of the Aesop's Fable, ''The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse''.

* Used on the modern WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw short "Cit-E-Scape", when Quick Draw and Baba Looey are walking while reading a telegram, stopping every time they hit the "stop" part of the message.
-->'''Quick Draw:''' You are the best lawman in the west. Stop. Crime is out of control in the east. Stop. Please help us. Stop. We're scared.
-->'''Baba Looey:''' Stop!
-->'''Quick Draw:''' How'd you know that's what it said?
-->'''Baba Looey:''' No, Quick Draw. We're here!

[[AC:WebAnimation Stop]]
* From ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'':
--> "Sir Strong Bad STOP How do you operate the 'telegramophone' [[AntiquatedLinguistics whilst]] wearing gentlemans' sporting gloves STOP Signed, Sir Elsington Halstindingdingworth STOP"

[[AC:WebComics Stop]]
* ''WebComic/TheTrenches'': Isaac invites Cora to a meeting at Red Robin via telegram, [[RuleOfFunny for some reason]]:
--> [Red Robin] has bottomless fries STOP
--> [[MetaPhorgotten But when I say "stop" I mean that's the end of the line not that the fries stop]] [[DontExplainTheJoke because the fries don't stop]] STOP

* ''Series/BlackadderGoesForth'', episode "Major Star": Used as a joke by Blackadder to insult Creator/CharlieChaplin, and in the same episode Chaplin took revenge in the same format STOP

->STINGER HERE STOP

-->'''Captain Darling:''' We received a telegram from Mr Chaplin himself at Sennett Studios: Twice nightly filming of my films in trenches: excellent idea STOP But must insist that E. Blackadder be projectionist STOP P.S. Don't let him ever... STOP.

* ''TheMarvelousMisadventuresOfFlapjack'': Done by Lolly Poopdeck when he delivers a 'comedy telegram' in "Who's Moochin' Who?":

* The French dub of ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' has him always reading Chief Quimby's [[ThisPageWillSelfDestruct exploding]] messages this way.

'''Tuvok:''' Stop. Please summarise the message.

-->@@BROTHER [[YourSoulIsMine DEAD]] RETURN HOME.@@\\

-->@@Brother dead. Return home.@@\\