Line #17 Main/Jaccuse


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5	[[caption-width-right:350:"Or, as they would say it in Spain, ''yo acuso''!"]]
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11	Simply, when one is outraged beyond all other words, when there is nothing left to do but put on your Frenchiest of accents, [[GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger point your pointiest finger]], and cry, ''J'accuse!''.
12
13	It means "I accuse [you]" [[GratuitousFrench in the French]].
14
15	This is half a storied work of public journalism, half MemeticMutation. It goes like this:
16
17	Once upon a time in France, a renowned writer named Creator/EmileZola penned a [[StronglyWordedLetter scathing open letter to the President]] (published in liberal publisher Georges Clemenceau's newspaper ''L'Aurore'' on January 13, 1898) that accused the government of France's Third Republic of anti-Semitism and corruption in its handling of the Dreyfus Affair of 1894 -- in which an innocent French Army officer, Alfred Dreyfus, who just happened to be Jewish, was used as a [[TheScapegoat scapegoat]] in a German espionage case (France had [[UsefulNotes/FrancoPrussianWar recently lost a war to Germany]] and despised them), when it was quite clear to everyone that the only thing that Dreyfus was guilty of was being Jewish and from the region of Alsace (which the Germans had taken from France as part of the peace settlement). The letter pointed out the weakness of the evidence and several clear occurrences of judicial error and prejudice during Dreyfus's trial, and formally named and accused scores of people of everything from incompetence to crimes against justice and humanity; for someone so prominent and respected as Zola to write something so harsh was a big deal, and for that Clemenceau (who loved picking political fights) set the sensationalist headline, in giant, bold letters: "'''''J'Accuse...!'''''".
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19	Naturally, the conservative French establishment was scandalized, and in retaliation Zola was rapidly charged with and convicted for libel (which he had predicted he would be in the article, even citing the specific laws he would be charged with breaking) and had to flee to England for a year, until the bureaucrats then in power were removed. Dreyfus had been sentenced to life in prison on [[PenalColony Devil's Island]]; he appealed his case multiple times, but it was not until 1906, twelve years after his trial, that his conviction was actually annulled.
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21	Even though Zola's letter itself is famous, the StockPhrase it has inspired is even more popular as a way to spice up an accusation [[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench with a little French]].
22
23	----
24	!!Examples:
25	%%
26	%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct alphabetical order.
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28
29	[[foldercontrol]]
30
31	[[folder:Comic Books]]
32	* ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'': "[[CaptainObvious It's French]]. [[NoteFromEd - ed.]]"
33	* The phrase was homaged, albeit in English, as the title of a Pre-Crisis ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica [[https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Justice_League_of_America_Vol_1_172?file=Justice_League_of_America_Vol_1_172.jpg story]] about the investigation of the original ComicBook/MisterTerrific's murder.
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
37	* ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'' once had a drug-sniffing dog named [[StockForeignName Claude]] point at Zonker and say "J'accuse!".
38	* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' had a panel where a live lobster bursts into a kitchen, points his claw at a chef cooking lobster, and shouts, "J'accuse!"
39	* And ''ComicStrip/{{Pogo}}'' got in on it.
40	-->'''Churchy [=LaFemme=]:''' J'accuse!\
41	'''Howland:''' [[CallingMeALogarithm Don't you call me no j'accuse!]]
42	* PlayedForLaughs in the Belgian comic ''ComicBook/LeChat'', with a letter from Zola starting with '''J'accuse''' in giant font and the rest of the letter reading "réception de votre lettre" (meaning "I acknowledge the letter you sent me"). [[http://www.archives-zoliennes.fr/icono/emile-zola-dans-son-jacuzzi/ Another showed Zola taking a bath]] in his [[{{Pun}} J'accuzzi.]]
43	* One ''ComicStrip/{{FoxTrot}}'' story had Jason lose his recorder after spending the previous week annoying everyone in his family with it. When he tells Andy that it's missing, Andy suggests that a "certain reptile" (referring to Jason's iguana, Quincy) might have taken it. Instead, Jason, being the {{Annoying Younger Sibling}} that he is, goes to Paige and tells her "J'accuse," which confuses her since she's never heard the term before. [[note]] For the record, Paige didn't take the recorder; Andy found it under a pile of Jason's clothes.[[/note]]
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Fan Works]]
47	* In Creator/AAPessimal's Hogswatchtime story ''Il se Passait au Nuit de Pere Porcher'', DEATH is detained by the Klatchian Foreign Legion, who, whatever ''else'' they may forget, always remember a deserter. [[note]] See ''Literature/SoulMusic'' by Creator/TerryPratchett[[/note]]. DEATH is arrested with the formula of ''"J'accuse!"'' and is court-martialled. But Discworld literal-mindedness takes over and the court goes off at a tangent concerning a soldier called Corporal Jack Hughes, Hughes the Booze from Third Batallion...
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
51
52	!!Films about the TropeNamer:
53
54	* ''Film/TheLifeOfEmileZola'': Award-winning 1937 film about the TropeNamer and Zola's crusade on behalf of Alfred Dreyfus (the TranslationConvention is in full effect here, so Zola's letter is printed as "I Accuse!").
55	* There's also a 1958 film about Dreyfus, fittingly entitled ''I Accuse!'', directed by and starring Creator/JoseFerrer, along with Anton Walbrook and Creator/VivecaLindfors.
56	* ''J'accuse'' is also the French title of the [[Film/AnOfficerAndASpy movie adaptation]] of ''Literature/AnOfficerAndASpy'', which is also about the Dreyfus affair. It's from the point of view of the officer who defended Dreyfus this time around, [[DemotedToExtra Zola merely has one or two scenes]].
57
58	!!Others:
59
60	* ''Film/JAccuse'': A French movie released in the 1920s filled with as much political weight as can be. The film is famous for its sudden uprising of the French dead of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, [[TropesOfTheLivingDead coming back]] to condemn the guilty living who sent them to die. The whole film is an anti-war pamphlet, which the director convinced the [[UsefulNotes/GaulsWithGrenades French army]] was going to be a propaganda flick, so [[BackedByThePentagon they gave him real soldiers for actors]] -- 80% of whom died once they went back to the front since it was filmed during the war.
61	* Joseph Goebbels himself commissioned a film by this title in 1941 as UsefulNotes/{{Nazi\|Germany}} propaganda for euthanasia programs, about a doctor arrested for [[TilMurderDoUsPart killing his wife]] to [[MercyKill end her suffering from MS]].
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:Literature]]
65	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': In ''Literature/GoingPostal'' the hero Moist von Lipwig uses a technically complicated plot to replace a message used in a bet with his enemy Reacher Gilt to do a wonderful reveal of Reacher's entire plot and bring him and his minions down using this trope.
66	* The first ''Literature/OddThomas'' book contains a gag about how, while Odd is towing a dead body out of an apartment, he's trying to be quiet, except that he has to dump it over the railing. As he comes down the stairs, he guesses that no one heard him because no one runs at him yelling ''J'accuse!''
67	* The historical novel ''Literature/AnOfficerAndASpy'', about the Dreyfus Affair, includes a scene where the protagonist ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Picquart Marie-Georges Picquart]]) learns about the publishing of Zola's famous letter. The text includes long extracts of the letter.
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
71	%%* Dick once said it on ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun''.
72	* On ''Series/ThirtyRock'', Liz Lemon utters this phrase when some of Frank's cigarettes go missing, implying that he hasn't quit smoking. Turns out she ate them in her sleep.
73	* ''Series/AlloAllo'': In an unusual subversion of the show's trope of using JustAStupidAccent as a TranslationConvention for whatever language is actually being spoken. Lt. Gruber relates a dream he had of Rene saying "J'accuse! J'accuse!" and responds "Who is this "Jack Hughes"?" (Gruber believes he killed Rene with a firing squad and the Rene currently in the show is Rene posing as his own twin brother also called Rene). At the end of the episode Rene gets stuck on a [[RubeGoldbergDevice giant aerial]] rising out of a grave (they'd hidden a transmitter in Rene's crypt since it was empty) and Gruber sees this figure of Rene rising out of the grave (looking sheepish) and faints. Helga then says "Well at least he didn't mention this "Jack Hughes". Roll credits.
74	* Lester lets one fly in ''Series/{{Chuck}}'''s final season after discovering he and Jeff have been LockedOutOfTheLoop regarding Chuck's double life.
75	* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E2TheEndOfTheWorld The End of the World]]", Lady Cassandra does this when the Ninth Doctor seemingly discovers the culprit that was attempting to kill them all — because she's hoping he won't realize that she's the real culprit. He does.
76	* Robert says this to Raymond in an episode of ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond''. Marie, who's taking French classes, says "[[CaptainObvious Ooh! Ray! He's accusing you!]]"
77	* In ''Series/Lupin2021'': former IntrepidReporter Fabienne Beriot owns a dog named J'accuse, [[InvokedTrope which she's trained]] to start barking at the mentioning of [[BigBad the name Pellegrini]].
78	* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': Stoner Brett yells this during a Music/BritneySpears performance by the New Directions.
79	* One of the lesser (but still recurring) running gags on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', usually invoked by Ted.
80	* ''Series/ModernFamily'': Cam says this after he discovers his husband was keeping his larger clothes in case his diet fails, specifically because it was more dramatic than other ways.
81	%%* The cat in ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch''.
82	* ''Series/TheWestWing'': In "The Indians in the Lobby", [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent President Bartlet]] attempted to use this on his wife Abbey when he finds out it's her fault they were going to celebrate Thanksgiving in Camp David rather than their family farm in New Hampshire. It didn't work out so well, though:
83	-->'''Jed Bartlet:''' J'accuse!\
84	'''Abbey Bartlet:''' Oh, brother!\
85	'''Jed Bartlet:''' J'accuse, [[GratuitousFrench mon petit fromage!]]\
86	'''Abbey Bartlet:''' You speak four languages. How come none of them is French?\
87	'''Jed:''' Nothing's wrong with my French.\
88	'''Abbey:''' You just called me "your little cheese"!\
89	'''Jed:''' ''[beat]'' [[IMeantToDoThat That's right!]]
90	* Creator/Channel4 had a semi-regular show in which notable people would make a not-at-all-balanced documentary about something they disliked, which was actually called ''J'Accuse!''
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Music]]
94	* Music/SonicYouth released "J'accuse, Creator/TedHughes". It's named after a controversial English poet who developed a {{Hatedom}} after Creator/SylviaPlath (whom Hughes had just recently divorced) [[DrivenToSuicide killed herself]].
95	* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' music album ''Arthur's Really Rockin' Music Mix'' has the song "Fern's Detective Tango", which is based on the events of the episode "Binky Rules". In the song, Fern sings about the various reasons why certain characters couldn't have been responsible for the graffiti reading "BINKY RULES," before finally declaring, "Binky, j'accuse!"
96	* Jack Hues, the singer of Music/WangChung, took his stage name from this phrase (his real name is Jeremy Ryder).
97	[[/folder]]
98
99	[[folder:Video Games]]
100	* In ''VideoGame/EternalSonata'', this is the name of one of the attacks of Fugue, one of the BigBad Count Waltz's minions. Since CallingYourAttacks is fully in effect, you get to hear it its full glory.
101	-->'''Fugue:''' You peasants can never appreciate beauty of this kind. '''J'accuse'''!
102	* ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsHitAndRun''
103	-->'''Homer Simpson:''' C. Montgomery Burns! I know you're guilty! J'accuse! ''[{{beat}}]'' Sir.\
104	'''Mr. Burns:''' Fine, I'll admit it. I had UsefulNotes/AmeliaEarhart's plane shot down. That hussy was getting too big for her jodhpurs.
105	* Guybrush lets out the line at one point in the fourth chapter of ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland''.
106	* The player can do this five times to oust a gang of bandits during a side quest in ''VideoGame/WestOfLoathing''.
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Webcomics]]
110	* ''Webcomic/BadMachinery'': A pointing-fingered "J'Accuse!" is something of a signature move for Charlotte "Lottie" Grote, sometimes accompanied by an UnsoundEffect. Lottie even uses it as an [[CallingYourAttacks called-out attack]], like in a manga.
111	* ''Webcomic/PlanetOfHats'':
112	** Said by Spock in [[http://www.mezzacotta.net/planetofhats/episodes/0022.html Space Seed.]]
113	** Used as an UnsoundEffect when Kirk accuses Lazarus in [[http://www.mezzacotta.net/planetofhats/episodes/0027.html "The Alternative Factor"]].
114	[[/folder]]
115
116	[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
117	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Zoidberg says this once, the joke being that he's not French but AmbiguouslyJewish.
118	* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': Gilbert, Bill's [[RaginCajun over-the-top, dandy Cajun]] cousin, screams at the top of his lungs when accusing Bill of selling out their family name to market a line of homemade barbeque sauces.
119	--> '''Gilbert:''' ''And what would you do with your streetwalker's gold, eh? Buy more of these... [reading a box from Bill's table] "Double-stuffed chocolate sandwich cookies?"'' '''J'accuse!'''
120	* ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicSchoolBus'': When the class takes a trip to the rainforest after the cocoa tree they gifted to Ms. Frizzle had its first crop of beans generously sum to a total of ''one'', they meet Inspector 47, a rather haughty man with a French accent and nicely-tailored suit who is in charge of overseeing the section of rainforest Ms. Frizzle's tree is in. When they ask him what happened to the missing cocoa beans, Inspector 47 accuses Inspector 46 of being jealous of how neat and tidy his section of the forest and placing a curse on the trees, driving off in a jeep shouting, "J'accuse, Inspector 46! J'accuse!"
121	* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': Spoken by Jerbo when he and the other Detention Kids find out Luz had told her friends she thought she was “better than” detention.
122	* ''WesternAnimation/ShadowRaiders'': An episode title. The episode deals with the trial of a military officer that threatens society itself, no less.
123	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS15E3ThePresidentWorePearls The President Wore Pearls]]", Lisa complains about her French teacher not actually speaking French. "J'accuse!" "...What the hell is this broad talkin' about?"
124	* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': The AprilFoolsDay episode "[[Recap/SouthParkS2E1TerranceAndPhillipInNotWithoutMyAnus Terrance and Phillip in 'Not Without My Anus']]", only to be sent up with a ChewbaccaDefense.
125	* ''WesternAnimation/SkylandersAcademy'': In "Elementary, My Dear Eruptor", Hugo screams this and [[GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger points at Jet-Vac]] when Eruptor deduces that Jet-Vac was the one eating Hugo's cookies.
126	[[/folder]]
127
128	[[folder:RealLife]]
129	* Prosecutor Gideon Hausner quoted "J'accuse!" (albeit translated) in his opening statement in the trial of Adolf Eichmann, "the architect of UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust". Doubly appropriate since Eichmann was being tried in UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} for his crimes against humanity in general and the Jewish people in particular, especially innocent Jews who died and suffered for the "crime" of their ethnicity/religion like Dreyfus.
130	--> When I stand before you here, Judges of Israel, to lead the Prosecution of Adolf Eichmann, I am not standing alone. With me are six million accusers. But they cannot rise to their feet and point an accusing finger towards him who sits in the dock and cry: "I accuse." For their ashes are piled up on the hills of Auschwitz and the fields of Treblinka, and are strewn in the forests of Poland. Their graves are scattered throughout the length and breadth of Europe. Their blood cries out, but their voice is not heard. Therefore I will be their spokesman and in their name I will unfold the terrible indictment.
131	[[/folder]]

Context Main / Jaccuse