Why Are You Looking at Me Like That?

Mario: [looking at Toad] I'mma guess I'mma go fishing...
Toad: The fuck are you talking about?
[cut to Mario holding a screaming Toad under the water as fish bait]
Mario: Come here, fishy-fishy! Here, fishy-fishy!

— Supermarioglitchy4's Super Mario 64 Bloopers, Mario Goes to DIDNEY SEA

Alice and Bob are planning an Undercover Mission. They need someone who knows about fine art or looks good in a bikini. Or perhaps they need someone to be The Bait. They reach the conclusion, but don't say it out loud, that Cate is the person for this. The audience knows this.

At this point, Cate enters the room. Alice and Bob look at her.

The next phrase out of Cate's lips:

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Guess who's up for a Crowning Moment of Awesome?

Sister Trope to Got Volunteered. Often followed by a Gilligan Cut or an Oh, Crap!.

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Examples:

Anime & Manga

• In the first episode of the anime for Case Closed, Shinichi brags about all the fan mail he gets from girls and Ran tells him that while it might be fun getting so much attention, it's best to just pick one girl and stick with her. Shinichi promptly has an Imagine Spot in which he passionately declares his love to Ran. In reality, he's staring at Ran with a sort of dazed expression on his face, while she gives him a look and asks why he's staring her like that.
• In Death Note, while nothing was explicitly said, it was pretty obvious this is what Matsuda was thinking the moment he Got Volunteered to be the bait in the plan to catch Higuchi.
• In the Treasure Island arc of Dr. STONE when the Kingdom of Science need a female fighter to join Amaryllis's in infiltrating the harem and fight off Kirisame, and they all look at Kohaku. This gets Subverted as Kohaku is willing to do so along with Senku and Gen realizing her tomboy attitude would make her unappealing for the selection.

Comic Books

• In Public Enemies (2004), the heroes discuss how to approach the new Toyman who happens to be a teenage boy. They decide they need a distraction. Among the heroes is Power Girl, and the heroes all look at her pointedly before she realizes what they mean.
  Katana: But... the kid made it clear he wants to talk to Superman.
  Batman: He is also thirteen years old. Find a way to distract him.
  Power Girl: What's everyone looking at me for? How am I supposed to distract... Oh....◊
• In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, C-3PO enters a room just after a technician mentions that there's a bunch of combat shuttles down there, but they can't use them without a translation droid....

Fan Works

• In Distortions (Symphogear), the wielders are trying to figure out how to get Miku to activate her Amalgam when Maria says out loud that maybe her need to protect someone might get it to work. Tsubasa agrees but is wonders who would work, after a moment of thinking they turn to Hibiki.
  Hibiki: What? Is there something on my face?
• In the Persona 5 fanfic, The Evil Queen, the Phantom Heroes decide they need to create a compromising situation with Mishima in front of Makoto Niijima. The whole team look to Ann as the one to pull it off, leaving her to ask this question at the chapter's end.
• Infinity Train: Seeker of Crocus:
  • In the Ninjala Car, Augustine learns about how Chloe Cerise is a Cute Bruiser Blood Knight and he just signed up to fight her in a Ninjala match. He then notices everyone is staring at him weirdly because he's turned into a child (as he had chewed on some Ninja Gum before signing up for a Ninjala match).
  • After Easter accidentally consumes Specter in bright light, Specter wakes up to everyone looking at him strangely (Because they're reacting to him now as a fusion of both himself and Easter).
  Specter: ...Is their blue in my hair again?
• White Sheep (RWBY): When the combined teams decide to infiltrate the White Fang terrorist organization, they realize that most of them can make do with minor disguises. Most of them. Then everyone looks at Weiss, who 1: is part of a famous family that the White Fang has been trying to murder for years, and 2: has very distinctive white hair.
  Weiss: [grabbing her hair] Why are you all looking at me like that for!?

Film — Animation

• James and the Giant Peach, film version:
  James: And we'll need bait: bird bait.
  Mr. Earthworm: Bird bait?! Where d'you expect we'll find bird bait out here in the middle of the... of the... [the other bugs surround him; Ms. Ladybug pulls out a cowbell] Oh no...no, no...have you lost your minds?! [he screams as they all grab him, Gilligan Cut to him laying down on top of the peach] They've lost their minds!
• In the climax of The Land Before Time, when the young dinosaurs plan to get rid of Sharptooth once and for all, Littlefoot says they need some bait to lure him into their trap. With everyone else having a job, he stares up at Ducky.
  Ducky: Me?! Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no, no... [Cut to her walking into a cave to get Sharptooth's attention]
• The Lion King (2019): When discussing how to distract the hyena guards, Puumba enthusiastically agrees with Simba's idea of using live bait, only wondering why everyone's looking at him.
• Prince Naveen in The Princess and the Frog causes this to happen to a redneck that captures Tiana. He places himself on the guy's head, and lets the other two rednecks in the canoe see him. As the two raise their clubs...
  Pa: What choo two gawkin' at?
  [cue blunt force trauma]
• Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster: When Shannon talks about her family's "danger-prone" history, the rest of the gang glance at Shannon's constant Damsel in Distress cousin Daphne, causing her to angrily say "What?"

Film — Live-Action

• In Dog Soldiers, the main characters need a distraction to divert the werewolves.
  Cooper: We need a diversion. Something fast and loud.
  [everyone looks at Spoon, who wasn't listening]
  Spoon: What? You what?
• In Sneakers, the team want to set their victim up with a blind date to steal his identity, and they're trying to figure out which of the women they know would be appropriate. Liz says, based on his trash, that he's looking for someone "meticulous; refined; anal", and everyone looks at her.
  Liz: What?
• In the movie Tremors, the characters are trying to figure out a way to get out of town now that the only road is blocked. "Who's best on a horse?" Heroes Val and Earl glumly realize everyone's looking at them.

Literature

• John Putnam Thatcher: In By Hook or by Crook, Thatcher explains how the killer's motive involved being afraid that his family would turn on him if a certain Dark Secret got out, given how an obnoxious in-law had been opposing him in every way lately. Said in-law summarizes everyone's (otherwise un-described) reaction to Thatcher's statement by saying, "I don't see why you're all looking at me that way."
• Wax and Wayne: Wayne is a known kleptomaniac. When the crew goes in search of The Bands of Mourning and discovers that the treasure was stolen years ago, they all look at him suspiciously out of habit before apologizing. Even though the treasure room is in a Temple of Doom hidden in a part of the country he's never visited, guarded by a Death Course so lethal that the heroes only made it past by having their immortal kandra set off all the traps, and behind a combination lock that would take centuries to open by brute force. Turns out he did steal the treasure; he just didn't know what it was. The 'Bands' aren't bracers at all, but a chunk of solid metal. The creator hid it in plain sight next to the entrance, where Wayne picked it up, mistaking it for valuable aluminum.

Live-Action TV

• The Bill: When the cops required one of the detectives to go undercover as an antique dealer, everyone looked to DCI Jack Meadows.
• On an episode of Bones, a young woman who worked at a fan convention is murdered, and the team decides they need someone to go undercover at the convention. All of a sudden, Colin Fisher starts singing along to a Bright Eyes song that he's listening to, and the others look at him.
  Fisher: What's wrong now?
• Lampshaded in Community.
  Britta: There's only one solution. Someone has to go to Chang and talk to him.
  Annie: I vote we all look at Jeff at the same time. [they do]
  Jeff: [not paying attention] In a way, all of you are right... Okay, what was I tuning out?
• Occurs twice in an episode of Cory in the House. Cory gets the idea to use Sophie to get money from tourists to afford a ski trip, at which point he Newt and Meena all give her that look. Then when Sophie quits, Cory and Newt decide to use Meena as a replacement and give her the same look.
• Criminal Minds episode "52 Pickup": The BAU realize that the killer's MO has changed due to being influenced by a very cheesy pickup artist, and in order to fully understand what caused it they'll need to understand the artist better.
  Morgan: You need to bait him then with somebody he sees as a challenge.
  Reid: We need to study his style up close and personal, it's gonna take someone he's already attracted to.
  Prentiss: (realizes they're all looking at her) ...Aw, ugh this is really gonna suck.
• CSI: Subverted in the episode "Lab Rats". Two of the Rats (Wendy and Henry) are describing the serial killer they're trying to get clues toward catching. Henry describes the killer as "an obsessive, meticulous, dark-ass misanthrope who seeks recognition for his efforts". While this is happening, Hodges is carefully arranging his snacks in front of him, apparently not paying attention. Wendy and Henry then turn to look at Hodges. Instead of the expected reaction, Hodges doesn't even look up, retorting "When would I find the time (to kill those people)? I'm always here."
• In the Enemy at the Door episode "No Quarter Given", two inhabitants of German-occupied Guernsey (a businessman who has had his house and business confiscated by the Germans and a fisherman who's struggling to man his boat after his offsider was jailed for publicly questioning Hitler's sanity) are drowning their sorrows with a sympathetic German NCO (who is in the sights of the SS, who regard him as being too sympathetic to the locals). The businessman asks the fisherman if he's ever considered making a break for England, and the fisherman replies that he has done so, frequently, but he's not allowed to take the boat out without a German soldier on board. Their gazes turn to the German, who looks from one to the other, then remarks that he wouldn't say no to a day's fishing.
• Firefly: Subverted in "The Train Job". The crew mention they need to send someone respectable, and everyone looks at Simon, who seems nervous about it...cut to Inara, the ambassador of the ship, putting the plan into action.
• The Gilligan's Island episode where the women mysteriously disappear. The Professor thinks doing Gilligan up in drag to be bait for whoever is kidnapping the ladies is a good idea. Gilligan protests as the other men eye him:
  Gilligan: I'm not gonna dress up like a girl and you can't make me! [Gilligan Cut to him in drag] You can't make me, you can't make me!
• In an episode of Jonas, the gang tries to figure out how to get rid of Joe's Stalker with a Crush. When Macy suggests starting a new rumor about Joe having a new girlfriend, she and the brother all look at Stella (Joe's Love Interest). Stella protests
  Stella:Oh no! No! No! No!
• In the Legend of the Seeker episode "Princess", the gang needs to rescue Kahlan. Through a complicated series of events, they need to complete their disguise with a princess (or someone posing as one). Most of the main characters in the show think before talking on at least a semi-regular basis, so the "why are you looking at me" bit is implied.^note To fully understand this, remember Cara is a Mord-Sith. The Mord-Sith are the warrior-protector-women that serve the Lord Rahl. They're his (magically imbued) bodyguards, expert (and magical) torturers, consorts if the Lord Rahl asks of them, and feared throughout D'Hara and the Midlands. They wear blood-red, skintight leather so that the blood won't stain their similar brown or white leather outfits. They have been known to kill squads of enemies on their own, are fanatically loyal, and frighteningly resourceful. Richard and Zedd are asking her to put on a dress.
  Richard: All we need is a princess!
  Zedd: Mhm.
  Cara: [beat, then jaw drops] Oh, no.
• In the Leonardo episode "A Wing and a Prayer", Lorenzo is nattering on about the expensive falcon his dad just bought, and isn't really listening to Leo lamenting that he can't get his glider to work without a proper look at real wings. Then he realizes Leo is looking at him...
• In The Magnificent Seven episode "Working Girls", Vin decides they need a distraction. His eye lands on Ezra, who is for reasons of his own presently demonstrating how to walk like a lady. Ezra looks up to see an alarming smile on Vin's face, and we Gilligan Cut straight to Ezra Disguised in Drag.
• In the Married... with Children episode "Grime and Punishment". Al is forced to live in his basement as punishment for being a "slumlord". While trying to get him to make repairs, Bud encourages Marcy and Kelly to torture Al with feminist poetry and bad acting. When Al still refuses, Peg asks Bud and Kelly what they can still use against Al. They both turn and look at her, causing her to ask the question. Al is notorious for not wanting to have sex with Peg.
• Murdoch Mysteries:
  • In "Victor, Victorian", Brackenreid and Murdoch need someone to infiltrate a women's basketball team. They first glance at Crabtree, who promptly tells them he's not gonna wear a dress (again). Then Dr. Ogden comes in.
    Murdoch: Julia, have you ever played basketball?
    Dr. Ogden: Yes, as a matter of fact, I have. Why do you ask?
  • In "Murdoch Au Naturel", Brackenreid and Murdoch are discussing the difficulties they're having with getting information from a group of naturists (whose private nudist colony is where a corpse turned up). They have the bright idea to send someone undercover, and since the naturists have already met Murdoch, he and Brackenreid turn to Constable Crabtree, who objects. Cut to Crabtree entering the colony ''sans'' clothing.
• In the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode The Magic Voyage of Sinbad, Sinbad and his crew are being tossed in a storm and decide the only way they can appease Poseidon (whom Sinbad has angered) is with a sacrifice.
  Servo: [as Sinbad] Why's everyone looking at me?
• Our Miss Brooks: When Walter Denton walks into Mr. Conklin's office in the episode "Two Way Stretch", Miss Brooks and Mr. Conklin choose him to imitate student athlete Stretch Snodgrass (and foil a rival principal's plan to trick Stretch into transfering to another school).
• In the Red Dwarf episode "White Hole", the ship has shut down and the crew need to get through all the sealed doors:
  Lister: Look, they're only interior doors. They're only a light alloy. Maybe we could get through them if we use a battering ram. All we need is something, say, I dunno, six foot long, fairly sturdy, with a flat top.
  [everyone grins at Kryten the android]
  Kryten: 53 doors?! You can't be serious!
• Double example in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Bride of Chaotica!" Tom Paris explains that, due to the latest round of holodeck issues, somebody has to go into the Flash Gordon-esque Captain Proton holoprogram and take on the role of seductive villainess Queen Arachnia. Everyone in the room looks at a nonplussed Seven of Nine... except Paris, who's looking straight at Janeway. Janeway's amusement with this idea fades immediately.
• On an episode of Taxi, Alex and Louie have a bet going on who can make the most money in a night of cabbing. Louie brings in more money, but Alex makes enough in tips to make slightly more than Louie. The question of the winner comes down to whether the tips Alex has collected count towards the total. They decide to let a person who didn't bet make the decision, but only one person in the entire garage didn't do so. Cue everyone staring at Latka as he eats a bucket of chicken. Oblivious, he looks up and says, "Would anyone like a bite?"
• Inverted (or is it averted?) In That '70s Show. Hyde has left the group forever, and Eric yells that he has to do something stupid right now!
  Eric: Well, if you don't do something stupid... I'll have to do something stupid!
  [brief silence in which no-one looks at anyone else]
  Kelso: [waving his hand frantically] Hey, I know something stupid we can do!
• The Wire sees this happen when the police need a decoy to infiltrate a brothel. Herc isn't subtle enough, Carver is out because he's too handsome to look like someone who'd pay for sex, Kima and Bunk both have domestic issues. Then McNulty walks in.
  McNulty: [sees everyone staring at him] What?
  Kima: Takes a whore to catch a whore. [everyone starts chuckling]
  McNulty: What the fuck did I do?

Video Games

• After the 2nd boss fight against Tron Bonne in Mega Man Legends 2, the camera then focuses on Mega Man and her two Servbots as we hear Tron's body fall after being blown out of her mech. Mega Man's blushes, and he remains frozen in place as Tron gloats at how while they were fighting, her brother Bon stole the MacGuffin. Then...
  Tron: What? Why is your face red? Why is everyone looking at me that way?
  Servbot A: Um, Miss Tron, you clothes kinda got ripped off...
  Servbot: B: Actually, Miss Tron, you're clothes are, um, gone...
  Tron: Huh? (Shrieks in embarrassment) Y-you dummies! Why didn't you tell me before!?
• In order to successfully change a corrupt artist's heart in Persona 5, the Phantom Thieves need to get into Madarame's shack. Unfortunately, Madarame's abused but loyal apprentice Yusuke holds a grudge against the boys and has threatened to have them arrested for trespassing. However, Yusuke also desires to use Ann as a nude model for his next painting. The Phantom Thieves get the idea to use her to get inside the shack by agreeing to model for Yusuke. Before filling her in on this, they initially lay on some heavy suggestion. Ann's reaction to this is a Flat "What" until they spell it out for her.
• In Super Mario Sunshine, at one point in Hotel Delfino you can talk to a Pianta who's complaining about all the ghosts in the hotel and hopes that someone could come and suck them up with a vacuum or something. He then asks Mario why the plumber is looking at him like that.
• In Tales of Phantasia, when the Player Party discusses how to infiltrate the Alvanista castle, everyone but Arche suddenly turns to her, leaving her thinking they want her to flirt with the guards just like she tried to flirt with the captain of an Alvanista-bound ship to secure the passage. They actually thought about using her Flying Broomstick.

Web Animation

• Red vs. Blue:
  • When the Blues need one of them to distract Sheila the Tank.
    Church: If only we knew someone who Sheila trusted... and it would have to someone kind of dumb.. so that we could fool them into betraying that trust for our purposes...
    Caboose: Hey, everyone is looking at me. I love when they do that. Hi everybody!
  • Also, in Season 8, when Sarge convinces Grif, Simmons, Tucker, and Caboose to go with him to help Tex and Church, they find a Pelican that they can use to get to their destination.
    Grif: Who the hell's gonna drive that? Why is everyone looking at me?
  • The best part about the above? Grif didn't even see anyone looking at him, he just knew everyone pointed their eyes at him.

Webcomics

• In Dominic Deegan, Spark gets one of these moments when the orcs around him realize he might be useful as a magical link to Dominic.
• In Kevin & Kell, Ralph finds out that being late for meetings is unwise, because this got him picked to play Santa.
• The Order of the Stick:
  • O-Chul and Vaarsuvius vanish from Xykon's grip just as the Monster in the Darkness says, "You need to — ESCAPE." As Xykon screams about his stolen kills, the Demon-Roaches look expectantly at the Monster.
    MitD: ...What? Why are you all looking at me like that?
  • When the Linear Guild is being reconstituted in the Empire of Blood, they only have five members. It feels like something is missing, then Kilkil shows up.
    Kilkil: Why are you all looking at me like that?
• In Questionable Content, Marten realises that for his band's drummer he needs someone he already knows, with enough money to buy their own kit, and obsessive enough to learn quickly.
  Marten: Hanners! What's up?
  Hannelore: Hi Marten. What's that look on your face mean?

Web Original

• Inverted in Things Mr. Welch Is No Longer Allowed to Do in an RPG.
  401. When a virgin sacrifice is demanded I will not look knowingly at the paladin, netrunner or Hermetic.

Western Animation

• Avatar: The Last Airbender
  • In "The Drill", aimed at Sokka when they need to figure out how to stop the titular drill, because he's the "idea guy."
  • In the series finale, aimed at Zuko when Aang suddenly goes missing, because he's the expert for tracking Aang.
• In the Clue Club episode "The Real Gone Gondola" Dotty (who is not allowed on the group's missions since she's only 13) gives Woofer and Wimper this look when she comes up with idea to join the group using the two dogs.
  Woofer: Uh oh. The kid's got that look in her eye.
  Wimper: Uh-huh. The last time that happened, we got the blame.
• In Dragons: Riders of Berk, when Fishlegs suggests using dragon-root to lure a Whispering Death away from Berk, Snotlout reminds him that dragon-root acts as catnip to dragons. Fishlegs then comments that Boulder-class dragons like his Gronkle Meatlug are immune to dragon-root, and the other riders start staring at him intently.
  Fishlegs: And I've said too much...
• Futurama:
  • In the movie The Beast with a Billion Backs, Bender suggests that an unmanned probe be sent to the transdimensional rupture. All eyes then turn to Bender, who goes, "What?"
  • Also the episode "A Tale of Two Santas":
    Bender: Santa's right. We need some sort of robot! ...Oh, crap! I'm some sort of robot!
• The Heckle and Jeckle cartoon Blind Date has the news of a millionaire offering a reward for the return of his long lost girlfriend. Heckle envisions Jeckle dressed up as said girlfriend, and then Jeckle gets worried when he sees Heckle looking at him and eyes spinning like a slot machine, each stopping on a "$" sign.
  Jeckle: Oh, no you don't, old feather head! No you don't!
• In the House of Mouse episode "House of Crime", Professor von Drake says that the suspect holds a grudge. Donald, still angry from a previous scene and arguing about how he absolutely doesn't get mad easily, hears this and throws in that he doesn't have a grudge. Everyone gives him a dirty look, making him ask "What?". Gilligan Cut to him locked in the elevator. Turns out he's innocent.
• The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius episode "Jimmy For President" has a Double Subversion. When Ms. Fowl announces that one kid hasn't voted yet (who turns out to be Carl), nobody looks at anybody. However, when Carl says "Why is everybody looking at me?", the students immediately turn their heads at Carl.
• In an episode of Lilo & Stitch: The Series, the Monster of the Week produces incredibly loud noises, and nobody can get close enough to subdue it. Lilo and company brainstorm outside-the-box solutions:
  Lilo: Well, do we know anyone who has no ears at all?
  Pleakley: [popping in] Excuse me. I can't get these earrings to stay on. Anyone have any duct tape?
  [beat]
  Pleakley: What?
• In the Monster Buster Club episode where the Living Statue of Addison Single leaves its pedestal, Sam states that they need a stand-in for the statue before the Apathetic Citizens notice. Cue Cathy wondering, "Why are you looking at me?" One Gilligan Cut latter, she's (reluctantly) replacing the statue (covered by a drape) while stretching her legs to appear taller.
• In the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episode "Three's a Crowd", Discord shows up claiming to be sick and asks if anyone could give him a fainting couch. Cue everyone looking at Rarity:
  Rarity: ...What?
• Done in the Pound Puppies (2010) episode "Kennel Kittens Return": After it is suggested one of the team disguises themselves as a cat, the chihuahua Squirt asks who among them could make a believable cat. Cue the line...
• The Real Ghostbusters: In "The Boogieman Cometh", Egon says they need "someone whose thoughts, actions, and general state of mind are identical to a six-year-old" to serve as bait for an ambush they've laid for the Boogieman. He, Peter, and Winston all glance at Ray.
  Ray: Uh... is there something I can do for you guys?
• The Simpsons: Having secretly released Mr Burns's canary scapegoat (yes, really), Homer tells him the plant is undergoing a surprise inspection. Burns starts wracking his brains for a suitable patsy, with Homer repeatedly popping up in front of him and going "Hello!"
  Burns: This moon-faced simpleton is continually interrupting my search for a patsy, why do.... Hello!
  Homer: Why are you looking at me like that?
• Total Drama: The contestants have ten minutes to plug a hole in their space shuttle in "2008: A Space Owen". Harold calls out for them to find something "big and form-fitting, hefty yet pliable", prompting all eyes to take aim at Owen. Owen wants to know why they're looking at him like that. He gets no choice in being used as a plug, but doesn't mind it.
• Transformers: Animated: Bumblebee tends to play the bait a lot, and eventually comes out with this:
  Bumblebee: Why's everyone looking at me?... Why's everyone always looking at me?
• Averted on Young Justice. The team concludes that Batman would have tried every logical means to find T.O. Morrow, so they need to think outside the box with an idea stupid enough to give them a lead. Everyone turns to Wally. He doesn't seem surprised.
  Wally: Well, as a matter of fact...

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