History Main / AnnoyingBackgroundEvent

* ''Webcomic/LoreOlympus'': In Episode 168, while Ares and Hephaestus are discussing their mother, Hades and Persephone use their respective powers to mess with one of the potted plants in the room. It culminates with Hephaestus suddenly snapping, "Could you two go flirt somewhere else, for [[OhMyGodsGaia's]] sake!?"

* In one episode of Series/{{Psych}}, Detective Lassiter is giving an interview with a news crew. Gus and Shawn, naturally, have to mess with him by goofing off in the background of the shot--Gus stands up and flops like a fish on a hook, while Shawn does a Russian squat dance. Naturally Lassiter turns around and yells at them to knock it off.

* ''Webcomic/TheWinxClubPlayDungeonsAndDragons'': {{Zigzagged}}. On the cover's background, Roxy and Bloom are getting roughed up by the MonsterOfTheWeek while Tecna and Flora try to help them. This is annoying to Musa, Stella, and Aisha (who are in the foreground and are just taking a break from the fight) because they are fed up with having to beat random monsters all of the frigging time.

* ''Webcomic/TheWinxClubPlaysDungeonsAndDragons'': {{Zigzagged}}. On the cover's background, Roxy and Bloom are getting roughed up by the MonsterOfTheWeek while Tecna and Flora try to help them. This is annoying to Musa, Stella, and Aisha (who are in the foreground and are just taking a break from the fight) because they are fed up with having to beat random monsters all of the frigging time.

Compare FunnyBackgroundEvent, MeaningfulBackgroundEvent, and DrippingDisturbance.

* ''{{ComicBook/Titeuf}}'': One strip has the kids make weird faces for the whole strip, before the last panel reveals they're doing this in front of a window to distract one of their friends who's giving a violin recital.

* ''Film/IronMan2'' has an Annoying Foreground Event during the scene where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY2zcPDnbVY Tony is trying to apologize to Pepper]]. He's continuously distracted by the motions of a kinetic sculpture on the desk, eventually interrupting himself and moving so he can't see it. At the end of the scene, he tries to stop it from moving... and fails.
** Even better, [[ThrowItIn that wasn't in the script]]. Creator/RobertDowneyJr actually got distracted by the prop while shooting the scene.

* In ''Series/DeadLikeMe'', TeamDad Rube and Team {{Cloudcuckoolander}} Mason are stuck in an airport with a crying baby in the background. It's complicated by Mason smuggling a (leaky) package of cocaine [[TreasureChestCavity up his rear end]] and Rube attracting attention from security when he [[NotSoAboveItAll cracks a bit]] and mutters that he wants to "kill that fuckin' baby."
* In an episode of ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'', [[FunPersonified Adam]] and [[TheStoic Jamie]] are testing whether a person wearing a latex mask of another person would pass scrutiny. While Jamie is explaining their testing procedure to a camera, Adam (dressed as Jamie) is in the background doing a bizarre dance. Jamie glares at Adam when he finishes the piece to camera. Adam hastily stops dancing and innocently puts his hands in his pockets.

* ''Series/StillGame'' has a scene where [[TheScrooge Tam]]'s grandson, Ryan, says repeatedly to [[TheGamblingAddict Winston]] "You've got a fat belly", to which he screams "I've got an underactive thyroid, you prick!"

[[AC: Web Original]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrhXkwPyR10 This]] ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' fanvid has Patchouli's reading constantly interrupted by Koakuma dancing in the background.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Films -- Animation]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Films -- Live-Action]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Original]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

[[/folder]]

A repetitive event in the background that slowly drives characters up the wall.

!Examples

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* One ''{{ComicBook/Titeuf}}'' strip has the kids make weird faces for the whole strip, before the last panel reveals they're doing this in front of a window to distract one of their friends who's giving a violin recital.

[[folder: Film - Animated]]

[[folder: Film - Live-Action]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'': At the beginning of the cheeseshop sketch, we see two men dancing in the shop accompanied by a bouzouki, occasionally visible in different camera shots. As Cleese's patience slowly erodes due to the lack of cheese in the shop, he finally snaps at them to stop the music.

[[folder: Web Original ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' episode "Mac Daddy", Mac and Bloo discuss what to do about Cheese, while Cheese is playing with a toy horse just off frame. Eventually, Bloo gets sick of Cheese's horse and yells at him to cut it out.

* ''Series/{{The Office|US}}'': While Michael is giving a presentation, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOtuX0jL85Y everybody's attention is fixated on the screensaver behind him,]] all of them hoping this will finally be the day they see the logo bounce right into the corner instead of just missing it. Naturally, every near miss corresponds with Michael making a suggestion, so he mistakes their frustration for actual criticism. ''Finally'' it goes in the corner and the meeting breaks up, Michael rejoicing in his newfound teamleading skills.

* In ''Series/DeadLikeMe'', TeamDad Rube and Team {{Cloudcuckoolander}} Mason are stuck in an airport with a crying baby in the background. It's complicated by Mason smuggling a (leaky) package of cocaine [[TreasureChestCavity up his rear end]] and Rube attracting attention from security when he [[NotSoAboveItAll cracks a bit]] and mutters that he wants to "kill that [[PrecisionFStrike fuckin]]' baby."

* ''Film/IronMan2'' has an Annoying Foreground Event during the scene where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LPqokP-Kqg Tony is trying to apologize to Pepper]]. He's continuously distracted by the motions of a kinetic sculpture on the desk, eventually interrupting himself and moving so he can't see it. At the end of the scene, he tries to stop it from moving... and fails.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrhXkwPyR10 This]] ''{{VideoGame/Touhou}}'' fanvid has Patchouli's reading constantly interrupted by Koakuma dancing in the background.

** ''Discworld/ReaperMan'': While having tea with Mrs. Flitworth, her clock's ticking irritates Death to the point where he asks her to make it stop.

A repetitive event in the background that slowly drives characters up the wall. May involve a MostAnnoyingSound.

* ''Series/{{The Office|US}}'': While Michael is giving a presentation, everybody's attention is fixated on the screensaver behind him, all of them hoping this will finally be the day they see the logo bounce right into the corner instead of just missing it. Naturally, every near miss corresponds with Michael making a suggestion, so he mistakes their frustration for actual criticism. ''Finally'' it goes in the corner and the meeting breaks up, Michael rejoicing in his newfound teamleading skills.

* ''Film/IronMan2'' has an Annoying Foreground Event during the scene where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofX3M6sRssY Tony is trying to apologize to Pepper]]. He's continuously distracted by the motions of a kinetic sculpture on the desk, eventually interrupting himself and moving so he can't see it. At the end of the scene, he tries to stop it from moving... and fails.

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''Film/IronMan2'' has an Annoying Foreground Event during the scene where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofX3M6sRssY Tony is trying to apologize to Pepper]]. He's continuously distracted by the motions of a kinetic sculpture on the desk, eventually interrupting himself and moving so he can't see it. At the end of the scene, he tries to stop it from moving... and fails.

* ''WesternAnimation/Shrek2'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=basofea2UEs During the carriage ride to Far, Far Away]], Donkey makes himself useful by making popping noises with his lips once he gets bored of asking AreWeThereYet.

InUniverseExamplesOnly.

[[AC:Comic Books]]

[[AC:Film]]

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]

[[AC:Web Original]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]

* In the ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' episode "Mac Daddy", Mac and Bloo discuss what to do about Cheese, while Cheese is playing with a toy horse just off frame. Eventually, Bloo gets sick of Cheese's horse and yells at him to cut it out.

* ''Series/TheOffice'': While Michael is giving a presentation, everybody's attention is fixated on the screensaver behind him, all of them hoping this will finally be the day they see the logo bounce right into the corner instead of just missing it. Naturally, every near miss corresponds with Michael making a suggestion, so he mistakes their frustration for actual criticism. ''Finally'' it goes in the corner and the meeting breaks up, Michael rejoicing in his newfound teamleading skills.

Compare FunnyBackgroundEvent, MeaningfulBackgroundEvent.