Line #70 Main/FingerWag


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3	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them. "Character does this" is not context.
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6	[[quoteright:325:[[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/t1000_wag.png]]]]
7	[[caption-width-right:325:[[NoSell That]] was naughty, Sarah.]]
8
9	->'''Kimmi:''' Don't wave your finger in my face!\
10	'''Alicia:''' I will ''always'' wave my finger in your face!
11	-->-- ''Series/{{Survivor}}: [[Characters/SurvivorTheAustralianOutback The Australian Outback]]''
12
13	A common TakeThat gesture where someone lifts their hand, and wags their index finger, sometimes with a "tsk tsk tsk" clicking of the tongue or an "ah, ah, ah". The gesture is usually to say "No", "No you don't", or, when accompanied by a [[PsychoticSmirk Villainous Smirk]], "Nice try, sucker." The latter often occurs when a character thinks they have their adversary dead to rights, and they have an easy path to victory - unfortunately, it doesn't work, whether they run out of ammo, or the "victim" [[OutGambitted anticipated the attack.]]
14
15	The Finger Wag is sometimes followed by a comeuppance of the wagger, when [[OutGambitted they've actually been defeated and just don't know it yet.]] Alternatively, it's often followed by a BringIt.
16
17	[[AccidentalUnfortunateGesture Not to be confused with]] FlippingTheBird, or GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger. The DeclarativeFinger can also sometimes be used in these situations. Contrast BringIt.
18
19	----
20	!!Examples:
21
22	[[foldercontrol]]
23
24	[[folder:Advertising]]
25	* [[VideoGame/DikembeMutombosFourAndAHalfWeeksToSaveTheWorld Dikembe Mutombo]]'s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubaW874u_FY Geico commercial]] has him block thrown objects ''with tremendous glee'', followed by a finger wag.
26	* Happens in the 2014's Kia Forte's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhPBzlB6VJI Super Bowl XLVII Car Ad]]. When one unsuspecting auto enthusiast gets a little too touchy-feely with the all-new 2014 Kia Forte compact sedan exhibit, a futuristic [[HoodOrnamentHottie female]] robot punches him [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom across the room]] only to finger-wag him afterwards.
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
30	* In ''Literature/{{Baccano}}!'', Vino does this in episode 13.
31	* Kid Buu from ''Anime/DragonBallZ''.
32	* ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'': Izaya does this at Anri while taunting her.
33	* [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]:
34	** This gesture is a favorite of [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Muhammad Avdol]], especially when he's turning the tables on an enemy.
35	** Trish Una's [[FightingSpirit Stand]], Spice Girl, from ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Golden Wind]]'' does this at a panicking Abbacchio just before Trish defeats Notorious B.I.G.
36	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Kabuto does this to Sasuke after he dodges the latter's Susanoo arrow.
37	* [[OneSceneWonder Femio]] corrects Duck this way in ''Anime/PrincessTutu'', while saying "[[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench Non, non]]!"
38	* ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'': Xellos' catchphrase has him wag his finger while saying, "That...is a secret!"
39	* Dark Magician wags his finger at opposing duelists a few times in ''Anime/YuGiOh'' after pulling the "Mystic Box" trick.
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Comic Books]]
43	* To emphasize [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason's]] newly acquired intelligence in ''Comicbook/FreddyVsJasonVsAsh'', he only pretends to fall for a trap, and after spotting Ash's new spunky female sidekick nearby, does a finger wag towards her.
44	* When ComicStrip/{{Garfield}} is pretending to be a superhero, he announces that when he sees crime, he'll swoop in with a finger way and say "Naughty, naughty, naughty!"
45	* When ComicBook/CaptainAmerica faces Lady Deathstrike in a movie theater full of hostages, he tries to trick her into hitting the door with her claws to release the hostages. She notices at the last second and does the finger wag to Cap, followed by saying "Nice try". Made extra effective by Deathstrike's fingers being about two feet long.
46	[[/folder]]
47
48	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
49	* The November 20, 1987 strip of ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' has Garfield as the Caped Avenger wag his finger at the reader while saying "Naughty, naughty, naughty!"
50	[[/folder]]
51
52	[[folder:Fan Works]]
53	* ''Fanfic/TheBoltChronicles'':
54	** In "The Coffee Shop," Penny shakes her finger scoldingly at Bolt for his bad behavior, specifically because the dog has been begging for treats at the title venue and eating from the garbage at home, which has caused him to put on weight.
55	** In "The Clouds," Soapy indecently propositions a woman who has just exited the diner nearby, hoping he'll get arrested. She angrily shakes her finger at him in response, saying "Just who do you think you’re talking to, buster? If you don't apologize to me right this instant, I'll drag you to the police station around the corner myself!"
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
59	* ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay''--Sarah tries to stop the T-1000 by blasting it with a heavy gauge shotgun, but after she runs out of shells the T-1000 puts itself back together and wordlessly wags a finger at her. It's even more creepy in context because this is one of the few times the T-1000 ever shows explicit emotion.
60	* ''Film/JurassicPark'': When the main character tries to get Jurassic Park's (now hacked) systems, it displays an animation of [[FatBastard Dennis Nedry]] wagging his finger and saying "Ah-ah-aah... you didn't say the magic word."
61	-->'''[[Creator/SamuelLJackson Ray Arnold]]:''' PLEASE! Goddammit! I hate this hacker crap!
62	%%* ''Film/KungFuHustle''. Landlady's move.
63	* ''Film/TheMummyReturns''. Imhotep does this to Alex O'Connell when the latter makes a failed attempt to escape.
64	* ''Film/SupermanII''. Lex Luthor tries to double-cross Superman, but Superman knows better, and finger-wags Lex after outwitting him.
65	* In the final segment of ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'', when the [[GripingAboutGremlins gremlin]] realizes that Creator/JohnLithgow's character has thwarted its attempted destruction of the airliner, it [[GracefulLoser just grins]] and waves its finger at him before disappearing off into the sky.
66	* ''Film/WayOfTheDragon'':
67	** Bruce Lee's character wags his finger at some gangsters and then clenches his fist to [[KnuckleCracking crack his knuckles]].
68	%%** Creator/ChuckNorris' character wags his finger at the one played by Bruce Lee. Never touch his CarpetOfVirility!
69	%%* ''Film/FrightNight1985''. Jerry does this to both Peter Vincent and Charlie Brewster.
70	* The HeroicBloodshed gangster film, ''Film/GanglandOdyssey'' has a really creative one where Creator/AndyLau retorts against his mob boss stepfather, by wagging [[FlippingTheBird his middle finger]].
71	* Brutal gang leader Bill the Butcher does this randomly to Boss Tweed in ''Film/GangsOfNewYork'' after the two have an argument about Tweed helping Irish immigrants, for whom Bill has a violent hatred, to win their votes for Tammany Hall. An odd variation in that it's done quickly, with movement from the entire arm, making it seem more aggressive and declarative than mocking, and suiting Bill's eccentric yet domineering personality.
72	* In the 1963 film ''Film/CaptainSinbad'', Sinbad is trying to retrieve the heart, but it is protected by a giant hand. He tries to trick it, only for the hand to open its fingers, then close it one by one until only the index finger remained, and wag it slowly.
73	%%* Occurs in ''Film/{{Steel}}''.
74	%%* In ''Film/TheStreetfighter'', Bayan issues one to Sarai during his TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.
75	%%* ''Film/GhostRider2007'' has the titular character do this to a cop after resetting his jaw, which the cop had just dislocated by whacking him with his billyclub.
76	%%* ''Film/ThorRagnarok:'' Loki does this to Skurge when he arrives far too late to warn him about Thor's arrival but still tries to announce Thor anyway.
77	%%-->'''Loki:''' You had one job. Just the one!
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Literature]]
81	* ''Literature/{{Genrenauts}}'': ''The Failed Fellowship (Part One)'': ''The Shadow of the Night-Lord'': "Chapter Fourteen: The Council of Heroes":
82	--> She raised a finger and ''tsk-tsk''ed him. "You're in the presence of royalty. Be silent."
83	* The ''Literature/FrannyKStein'' book ''Frantastic Voyage'' has Igor wag a finger at the television set Franny made for him when she tells him that he can't let commercials trick him into wanting stuff.
84	[[/folder]]
85
86	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
87	* Jamie Hyneman has used a disapproving finger wag a few times on ''Series/MythBusters'', usually to reinforce a bonus Don't Try This At Home, but on one occasion it was aimed at a cameraman who was trying to film Jamie changing into his wet suit.
88	%%* ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles''. Enrique the ID forger was fond of this gesture.
89	%%* Babu from ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}.'' [[http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/07/seinfeld-thecafe.jpg "You bad man, Jerry! You very bad man!"]]
90	%%* Creator/StephenColbert's Tip of the Hat/Wag of the Finger
91	%%* ''Series/SiskelAndEbert'' would have a "Wagging Finger of Shame" for films that [[NotScreenedForCritics wouldn't make themselves available for review before their release.]]
92	* In one episode of ''Series/TheWire'', [[BigBad Avon Barksdale]] realizes he's being tailed by the police. He turns around, drives past, rolls the window down and wags his finger at them.
93	%%* ''Series/{{Survivor}}'' ''The Australian Outback'': Dear God, Alicia Calaway will ''never'' get to live that one down.
94	* ''Series/TheProfessionals''. In "Servant with Two Masters", Bodie knocks out a {{mook}} and throws him BoundAndGagged into the back of his van. Later Doyle comes along and sees the [[DontComeAKnockin van rocking in a suspicious manner]] as the mook struggles to free himself. Thinking his partner is getting some on-the-job nookie, he waggles his finger through the tinted window saying, "Naughty, naughty!" only to be attacked by two more mooks who've come to rescue their colleague.
95	* ''Series/FawltyTowers'': Basil goes to ''great'' pains to remind Manuel to deny knowing about his win on the races, only to need Manuel to vouch for his win later on. Manuel responds to Basil's desperation and [[DeathGlare death glares]] with a shake of the head and a wag of the finger, as if to say "You no catch me out, Mr. Fawlty".
96	* ''Series/Loki2021'': During the end credits, Miss Minutes is seen on a Tempad, waving her finger back and forth with a disapproving look on her face.
97	* ''Series/TheMandalorian'': When Mando and the Child find Frog Lady bathing in a hot spring, the hungry Child reaches towards some frog eggs floating in the water. Mando sternly shoos him away with a finger wag and two "No!"s.
98	* ''Series/FatherTed:'' When Ted and Dougal are unwillingly sent to "protest" a film at the local cinema, the manager gives one of these to Ted after Ted offers up a single joking "Boo!"
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
102	* Part of Wrestling/HulkHogan's FiveMovesOfDoom. The routine basically looked like this: Punch... Hogan's body starts shaking... Punch... Hogan looks straight at his opponent... Punch... Hogan starts wagging his finger as if to say, "No more." This is swiftly followed up by a series of punches from Hogan, a Big Boot and finally the Leg Drop of Doom.
103	%%* Wrestling/ClaudioCastagnoli gave one to Wrestling/MattSydal for trying and failing to hip toss him at ''Wrestling/{{R\|ingOfHonor}}OH Driven''.
104	%%* Given to Wrestling/RandyOrton by a smirking Wrestling/MarkHenry when the latter proves to be a bit too big for the former's RKO.
105	%%* During his first contracted Wrestling/RingOfHonor match, Wrestling/LioRush gave this gesture to world champion Wrestling/JayLethal after rolling past a cartwheel dropkick setup. Lethal, for his part, instead hit Rush with the move [[NowDoItAgainBackwards from the other direction]], only to himself [[AnythingYouCanDoICanDoBetter get the proper version]] from Rush.
106	* Towards the end of his WCW run in the late '90s, Chris Jericho employed a "bodyguard" named Ralphus. This fat, bald, near-toothless older man was as far from intimidating as you could hope for. A running gag employed by the two was allowing Jericho to be touched by an outreaching fan on his way to the ring, which would result in Jericho freaking out and siccing the portly Ralphus on the fan, with the entirety of his "fearsome" reprimand being a finger wag.
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	%%[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
110	%%* Perfect example in the art of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=270369 this]] ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' card.
111	%%[[/folder]]
112
113	%%[[folder:Theme Parks]]
114	%%* In ''Ride/BackToTheFutureTheRide'' at Ride/UniversalStudios, one of the dummies in the ride safety video does this to his friend for using flash photography.
115	%%[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Video Games]]
118	%%* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Demyx]] does this to [[TheHero Sora]] and company in the cutscene before the fight against him. [[BringIt They respond to this by drawing their weapons.]]
119	* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
120	** Sonic wags his finger on the title screens of most of the Mega Drive era games. It's his signature pose, and how he finishes his DynamicEntry late in the Subspace Emissary mode in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''.
121	** In ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogTripleTrouble'', Fang mockingly wags his finger at Sonic multiple times before facing him, and directly at the player in the "not all Emeralds collected" ending. This is usually followed by [[LaserGuidedKarma something funnily misfortunate happening to him]], like accidentally burning himself or running away in a panic when Eggman comes for Sonic.
122	** Metal Sonic does this before the race against Sonic in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD''. This goes with his tendency to imitate Sonic's mannerisms and stances, being his [[Main/EvilKnockoff evil]] [[RobotMe robotic]] doppelganger who is obsessed with surpassing the real deal in every aspect.
123	* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'': Phoenix Wright (the player character), being a defense attorney whose clients all tend to look incredibly guilty at first glance, is constantly at the receiving end of condescending finger wags from the Von Karma family (and Edgeworth, who was raised in it) as they counter his arguments, making it all that more satisfying to slowly turn the case around and watch their composure break. It's a condescending gesture Edgeworth picked up from his mentor, Von Karma, although after [[spoiler:learning that Von Karma was the one who actually murdered his father and tried to pin it on him]] he does this less, perhaps as a way of distancing himself from his former mentor and showing that he has grown as an individual.
124	* The finger wag is seen multiple times ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', though given sprite limitations it's hard to say whether they're wagging their index finger or FlippingTheBird. Specifically:
125	** Locke wags his finger to correct the old man who saves Terra at the beginning of the game when said old man addresses him as a "thief".
126	** Edgar introduces himself to Terra in this manner while saying: "How rude of me to turn my back on a lady!"
127	* ''VideoGame/PaperMario'': One of Mario's victory animations at the end of battle involves him tipping his hat and wagging his finger at the camera.
128	* If you get the bright idea to shoot Verdugo with a rocket in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' [[KillItWithIce without using a nitrogen tank to weaken it first]], it sends him reeling, but [[NoSell he gets right back up]] and wags his finger at you.
129	* In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'', Wesker manages to pull this off if you try to shoot him ineffectively, practically in the exact same way as the T-1000.
130	* ''VideoGame/DiabloII: Lord of Destruction'': The incredibly nervous elder representing Sescheron has just delivered a quavering You Shall Not Pass. Baal pauses for a moment as though he's genuinely thinking of turning his Army of Doom back down the mountain to find some other place to pillage... then promptly vaporises the elder's innards. He wags his finger with the words "It appears your terms are not acceptable", cackles and lays waste to the entire town.
131	%%* In ''VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition'', the Raincoat Killer taunts you all the time with this.
132	%%* ''VideoGame/TimeSplittersFuturePerfect'': an animation of Crow pops up and does this when you try to look at his files.
133	%%* Another shout-out example of this is Fei Long's taunt in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha 3'' and ''(Super) VideoGame/StreetFighterIV''. Being him a BruceLeeClone, it's only natural that the aforementioned ''Way of the Dragon'' example would be incorporated to him at some point.
134	%%* The Sector X boss in ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' does this when [[spoiler:it suddenly comes back to life after being defeated for the first time.]]
135	* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'', Metal Face wags his finger at the party after they make a fruitless attempt to damage him in their first encounter, serving as an early indicator that he's more intelligent than the other Mechon.
136	* The move Metronome in ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' involves the user summoning a gloved hand that wags its finger, mimicking the movement of a metronome.
137	* In ''VideoGame/{{Illbleed}}'', Zodick the Hellhog will wag his finger if the player character takes damage in the battle against him the next time Zodick stands still.
138	[[/folder]]
139
140	[[folder:Web Animation]]
141	%%* A winged Rinoa does this to her allied fighters in Monty Oum's ''WebAnimation/DeadFantasy II''.
142	* ''Platform/GoAnimate'' has this as a default animation, and videos normally have adult characters use it when in the process of scolding and punishing the troublemaker of the video.
143	[[/folder]]
144
145	%%[[folder:Webcomics]]
146	%%* In ''Webcomic/OffWhite'', Albert does this with both hands at some hunters that were threatening him and Seven. It works.
147	%%[[/folder]]
148
149	[[folder:Western Animation]]
150	%%* There's one with WesternAnimation/BugsBunny doing the FingerWag to a gangster pretending to be a baby.
151	%%-->'''Bugs:''' Ah, ah, ah, Finster. Mustn't play with the dirty money!
152	* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'': In the episode "Gorilla Warfare", a [[TranquilFury pissed-off]] Optimus Primal gives Tarantulas a menacing finger wag after catching one of his projectile weapons single-handedly.
153	** In the episode "Law of the Jungle", Tigatron takes a stand against Inferno and wags his finger in emphasis. [[FunnyBackgroundEvent So are Optimus and Dinobot, in a sassier manner]].
154	* In ''WesternAnimation/FeedTheKitty'', the first Marc Anthony and Pussyfoot cartoon, Marc Anthony wags his finger at Pussyfoot when she misbehaves. Pussyfoot just swats at the finger, causing Marc Anthony to [[CutenessProximity melt into a puddle of gush]].
155	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'' often has its protagonist wagging her finger while saying "no no no!"
156	* The ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' episode, Hanky Panky, "Peggy's Sugarfoots" barbecue restaurant after renovation has a choo choo train reading "no substitutions" with Peggy's cardboard face and a wagging finger.
157	* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'', after Him turns everyone in Townsville against the girls - forcing them to beat their loved ones up - they warn him not to do it again, or else. His response is to wag his claw and say he never does the same thing twice.
158	-->'''Him''': Tsk, tsk, tsk! You girls underestimate me! I never give repeat performances!
159	* {{Satan}} at the end of the ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy'' episode "Sven Hoek" cheerfully gives one to Ren as the latter arrives in Hell: "So, you whizzed on the electric fence, didn't ya?"
160	* ''WesternAnimation/ShaunTheSheep'': Bitzer the sheepdog will often wag his finger at naughty sheep as a warning to behave. They never listen.
161	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants:'' At the end of "Graveyard Shift", Spongebob admonishes Film/{{Nosferatu}} in this fashion when it's revealed the vampire is the one who's been prankishly flickering the lights in the Krusty Krab.
162	* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In "Jail Break", Garnet wags her finger at Jasper while singing "[[BadassBoast Stronger Than You]]", simultaneously delivering the biggest burn in the entire song.
163	--> '''Garnet:''' I can see you hate the way we intermingle ''(wags finger)'' but I think you're just mad 'cause you're single!
164	[[/folder]]
165
166	[[folder:Real Life]]
167	* UsefulNotes/NaziGermany's Propaganda Minister UsefulNotes/JosephGoebbels [[https://youtu.be/gSXbKgKXcj0 wagged his finger a lot]] in his rousing speeches.
168	* Dikembe Mutombo used to wag his finger towards opposing players at the end of his plays, which even led to an NBA rule change, making such taunts technical fouls (since it is blatantly unsportsmanlike conduct); Mutombo changed his finger wag from doing it in an opponent's face to gesturing towards the crowd (or at random people in one Advertising/{{GEICO}} commercial).
169	* The Delta Airlines inflight safety video includes a finger wag with the "no smoking" admonition.
170	%%* Infamously done in a speech by UsefulNotes/MuammarGaddafi's son Saif al-Islam in which, among other things, he declared that [[UsefulNotes/TheArabSpring the rebels]] were all either tribalists acting up or Islamist terrorists.
171	[[/folder]]

Context Main / FingerWag