Master Blaster: Who... run... Barter Town?
Aunty: You know who.
Master Blaster: Say.
Aunty: Master Blaster.
Master Blaster: Say loud.
Aunty: You know who.
Master Blaster: Say.
Aunty: Master Blaster.
Master Blaster: Say loud.
If a former friend, former ally, enemy, political rival, or just someone you hate or like to make fun of wants your help, or a favor, or just to get in the clubhouse, why not make them grovel a bit before helping them?
Yah, so, make them admit that you rule, or make them do a silly dance. A form of Word Power.
Sometimes used by villains as part of trying to make a hero Kneel Before Zod.
Examples
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Anime & Manga
- Bleach: Inverted example. Yumichika's zanpakutou refuses to give Yumichika access to its power if Yumichika messes up the name. Since its power betrays Yumichika's divisional code of battle, Yumichika deliberately calls the zanpakutou by a name it loaths to take advantage of his sword's attitude.
- Cyberpunk: Edgerunners: In Episode 6, Lucy refuses to assist Maine and Dorio with diving for the data until she begs David to say that he believes in her to pull it off.
- In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, when under attack from Sandman's Stand, Gyro decides to teach Johnny a new technique of the rotation, but refuses to give him the proper method until he has said "There's no way I can do this" at least four times.
Films — Live-Action
- In The Goonies, Chunk is forced to do "The Truffle Shuffle" for the others to gain admittance.
- In Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, Sassy requires Chance to say "Cats rule and dogs drool" before helping him catch fish.
- In Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, Master Blaster shuts off the (methane) power whenever his power feels threatened by Aunty, and forces Aunty to recite the phrase "Master Blaster runs Barter Town."
- Tank Girl. "Just say it, 'I won', and the little girl lives."
- Pulp Fiction:
Marsellus Wallace: In the fifth, your ass goes down. Say it!
Butch Coolidge: In the fifth, my ass goes down. - Escape from New York:
The Duke: What did I teach you?
President: Y-You are the... Duke of New... New York. You're A-Number One.
The Duke: I can't hear you!
President: Y-You... You are the Duke of New York! You're A-Number One! - Professor Terguson (Sam Kinison) gives two classic examples in the Rodney Dangerfield comedy Back to School, once during Thornton's first history class (see it here, about 2:18 in
), and again during his grueling oral finals.
- Peter Pan: After Pan has defeated Hook and has him tied up and at the point of his own sword.
Captain Hook: You wouldn't do old Hook in, would you, lad? I'll go away forever. I'll do anything you say!
Peter Pan: All right, I'll let you live. If you... say you're a cod fish.
Captain Hook: *Loud Gulp* I'm a cod fish.
Peter Pan: [moving the sword closer] Louder!
Captain Hook! I'M A COD FISH!! - Undercover Brother. A Running Gag involves Mr Feather struggling to resist the subversive influence of African-American culture. When he kidnaps James Brown, the inevitable happens.
Mr Feather: (Playing with Syringes) So, Mr Godfather of Soul, life as you know it will soon cease to exist. Any... final requests?
James Brown: Say it loud.
(Oh, Crap! look from Mr Feather. Brown gets to his feet)
James Brown: Say it, loud!
(Feather starts twitching, throwing away his syringe)
Doctor: What are you doing?
James Brown: (dancing) SAY IT LOUD! (everyone stares at Feather as he convulses madly)
James Brown: (pointing at Feather) SAY IT LOUD! SAY IT—
Mr Feather: ARRRHM BLACK AND ARRRHM PROUD! (slaps hand over his mouth)
Live-Action TV
- The X-Files "The Unusual Suspects" (origin story for The Lone Gunmen), Langly refuses to hear Frohike's request until he says "Your Kung Fu is best," (a reference to one of Kevin Mitnik's cryptic taunting phone messages).
- Turk makes JD say "I'm your biatch" every time he beats him at something in Scrubs.
- One episode of Married... with Children focused on Peggy trying to get Al to say "I love you".
- In Justified, Donovan points a gun at Quarles and demands that Quarles admit to killing his friend Brady.
- Jubal Early uses this on Kaylee in the last episode of Firefly. She's terrified he's going to harm her, and says the captain was right down the hallway. "The captain is locked in his quarters. There's no one can help you. Say it." She does, with a whimper.
- Parodied in Horrible Histories' "Twit Light" sketch:
Girl: Bite me and make me like you!
Lord Byron: Say it.
Girl: I can't!
Byron: Say it.
Girl: A vampire!
Byron: A what? No, no, a poet.
Girl: But I thought, you know, you're pale, aristocratic, you drink from skulls, you're a vampire.
Byron: No, I'm just a really pretentious poet. - Farscape. When Critchton gives Scorpius the wormhole technology he's always craved for a Weapon of Mass Destruction, Crichton makes him say "please", then "pretty please with sugar on top". In a subversion, Scorpius does all this without the slightest hesitation.
Newspaper Comics
- On one early Calvin and Hobbes strip, Calvin has to sing the following before Hobbes lets him in their treehouse:
Tigers are mean! Tigers are fierce!
Tigers have teeth and claws that pierce!
Tigers are great! They can't be beat!
If I was a tiger, that would be neat!
He can climb the tree without the ladder, so he got to make the password.
Hobbes: Go on, what's the third verse?- This also comes up occasionally when they play Calvinball.
Video Games
- ANNO: Mutationem: One conversation by a couple of citizens has them arguing with the other to demand their outfitted weaponry is the best.
- The short film "Expiration Date" for Team Fortress 2 saw this happen to Scout by Spy. The RED team are supposedly dying from tumors gotten from teleporting too much, and after Scout ruins Spy's plan to help everyone achieve a dying wish, he still approaches Spy to ask for his help in getting a date with Ms. Pauling. Scout is able to convince Spy to help him by admitting Spy is better than him (after making Spy promise that his admission never leaves the room), but Spy makes him fulfill one more condition. He then activates a mic connected to the hideout intercom.
Spy: *gesturing to the mic* Say that again.
Web Videos
- Dragon Ball Z Abridged: Dende forces Vegeta say his real name instead of "Little Green" and "Please heal me Dende" in order to get healed. Even after doing so, Dende still has to be convinced by Vegeta's friends to do so.
Western Animation
- Kim Possible: Throughout the series, Dr. Drakken can never remember Ron Stoppable's name. In So the Drama, Ron has had enough of it.
- Looney Tunes: In "This Is a Life?" Elmer Fudd hosts a spoof of the testimonial show This Is Your Life, and Daffy (in the audience with Bugs) thinks he's the night's subject. He holds the testimonial book in Elmer's face and tells him to read the name inscribed on it loud and clear.
Elmer: BUGS BUNNY!
- OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes: When Rad schedules a discussion of the Plaza Prom with K.O. and Enid, Enid won't answer Rad until he addresses with her DJ handle, DJ Fireball.
- In the South Park episode "Scott Tenorman must die", Scott forces Cartman to sing a self deprecating song and dance "I'm a little piggy" in order to get his money back (and he still doesn't).
- In What If…? (2021), things have gone to shit thanks to Infinity Ultron seeking to destroy the multiverse and Uatu is forced to ask Strange Supreme for help, thus breaking his oath. Strange Supreme wants to actually hear him break said oath before helping.
Strange Supreme: Are you ready to break your oath?
Uatu: You want me to say it?
Strange Supreme: Oh yeah. Oh yeah, I want to hear you say it.
Uatu: [Sighs] Okay, I can't believe I'm about to say this, I see now. I need your help.
