History Main / AssuranceBackfire

* In ''{{Catch-22}}'', Yossarian tries to get out of going on a bombing raid by claiming that all of the enemy fighters would be trying to kill him. His response to being told that he wasn't being singled out and that they were trying to kill everyone was, "Well, what difference does that make?!"

** Also Discworld, from ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}'':
--->'''Sidney:''' There's not going to be any more violent deaths, are there. I just can't stand the sight of violent deaths!\\
'''Teatime:''' Don't worry. I'm on your side. [[DoubleEntendre A violent death is the last thing that'll happen to you]].
** And [[FalseReassurance it is!]]

* Played for drama in ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt''. After Moses is finds a mural depicting Hebrew infants being fed to crocodiles--this just after learning he is Hebrew himself--his adopted father, Pharaoh Seti I gives him a hug and comfortingly says... ''they were only slaves.'' His mother's assurance is not quite so horrifying, but her view that "the gods sent you here, so just forget the truth" doesn't help much either.

--->'''Sidney:''' There's not going to be any more violent deaths, are there. I just can't stand the sight of violent deaths!
--->'''Teatime:''' Don't worry. I'm on your side. [[DoubleEntendre A violent death is the last thing that'll happen to you]].

* Played for drama in ''WesternAnimation/PrinceOfEgypt''. After Moses is finds a mural depicting Hebrew infants being fed to crocodiles--this just after learning he is Hebrew himself--his adopted father, Pharaoh Seti I gives him a hug and comfortingly says... ''they were only slaves.'' His mother's assurance is not quite so horrifying, but her view that "the gods sent you here, so just forget the truth" doesn't help much either.

* ''Disney/{{Bolt}}'' the dog expects Mittens the cat to be calmed down by being reminded she's with Bolt, but she evidently doesn't trust Bolt to know what he's doing.

** Also Discworld, from Hogfather:

--->'''Teatime:''' Don't worry. I'm on your side. A violent death is the last thing that'll happen to you.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'', Harry is worried for his sanity because he suddenly sees skeletal horses pulling the Hogwarts carriages, and nobody else can. When {{Cloudcuckoolander}} Luna Lovegood tells him that she can see them too and he's just an sane as she is, he is less than reassured.

* In ''Discworld/WitchesAbroad'', Magrat is feeling deeply embarassed and uncomfortable about having to pose as Emberella at the ball. The other witches try to help.

* In Literature/{{Worm}}, Weaver's attempt to reassure Cuff that wearing metal won't make her vulnerable to Behemoth's lightning attacks doesn't come out so well.

-->'''Weaver:''' I don't think you're any safer or worse off than anyone else. His lightning doesn't follow regular channels. We're all lightning rods to him.//
({{Beat}})//

-->'''Applejack:''' I'm sorry Apple Bloom, but don't you fret. Granny Smith's got no shortage of entertainin' stories to tell.

* In the Paramount Jeepers and Creepers "Busy Buddies," Creepers is trying to raise some money to pay his income tax, which he does by winning a boxing match. But now he has to cough up on the money he just won, so Jeepers enters him in a rodeo. Creepers is understandably panic stricken:

->'''[[HeroicDog Bolt]]:''' Calm down, cat. You're with ''me.''
->'''[[CatsAreSnarkers Mittens]]''': That's the ''problem!''
-->--''Disney/{{Bolt}}''

!! Examples:

[[folder:Film]]

-->"Don't worry," said Granny, "We'll be there too."
-->"And that's supposed to make me feel better, is it?"
* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'', Harry is worried for his sanity because he suddenly sees skeletal horses pulling the Hogwarts carriages, and nobody else can. When CloudCuckooLander Luna Lovegood tells him that she can see them too and he's just an sane as she is, he is less than reassured.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', after Haley's been left behind in (the now overrun by goblins) Azure City, Elan tries to jump out of the boat and swim to her until everyone reminds him that [[ActionGirl she]] has a much better chance of survival than [[SpoonyBard him]]. Then one of the minor characters points out that she has [[TokenEvilTeammate Belkar]] watching her back causing him to panic again.
* In ''[[Webcomic/MenageA3 Menage à 3]]'', this happens when [[HollywoodNerd Gary's]] attempt to console [[http://www.menagea3.net/strips-ma3/the_worst_therapist_in_the_world would-be therapist, Kiley]], who suffers from a comedic case of ACupAngst, backfires.
-->'''Kiley: (crying over phone)''' "My IQ's smaller than my breast size!"
-->'''Gary: (soothingly)''' "Oh, don't cry -- I'm sure your IQ's much bigger than your breasts!"

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Lisa is feeling depressed after seeing an unflattering caricature of her. Marge attempts to cheer her up by singing "There Once Was an Ugly Duckling," but then Lisa says, "So you think I'm ugly, then?" and Marge hastily says, "No, you're one of the good-looking ones...who makes fun of the ugly one."

-->'''Hadji:''' Don't worry, Bandit. Nothing will happen to you that won't happen to the rest of us.
-->'''Jonny:''' [[SarcasmMode Now there's a happy thought.]]

-->'''Dynomutt:''' Dog Wonder never makes the same mistake twice!
-->'''Blue Falcon:''' I know. You seem to come up with a new one every time!

-->--''{{Bolt}}''

* ''{{Bolt}}'' the dog expects Mittens the cat to be calmed down by being reminded she's with Bolt, but she evidently doesn't trust Bolt to know what he's doing.

* In ''HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'', Harry is worried for his sanity because he suddenly sees skeletal horses pulling the Hogwarts carriages, and nobody else can. When CloudCuckooLander Luna Lovegood tells him that she can see them too and he's just an sane as she is, he is less than reassured.

* In ''TheOrderOfTheStick'', after Haley's been left behind in (the now overrun by goblins) Azure City, Elan tries to jump out of the boat and swim to her until everyone reminds him that [[ActionGirl she]] has a much better chance of survival than [[SpoonyBard him]]. Then one of the minor characters points out that she has [[TokenEvilTeammate Belkar]] watching her back causing him to panic again.
* ''In [[MenageA3 Menage à 3]],'' this happens when [[HollywoodNerd Gary's]] attempt to console [[http://www.menagea3.net/strips-ma3/the_worst_therapist_in_the_world would-be therapist, Kiley]], who suffers from a comedic case of ACupAngst, backfires.

* In ''TheSimpsons'', Lisa is feeling depressed after seeing an unflattering caricature of her. Marge attempts to cheer her up by singing "There Once Was an Ugly Duckling," but then Lisa says, "So you think I'm ugly, then?" and Marge hastily says, "No, you're one of the good-looking ones...who makes fun of the ugly one."
* In the ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Cave of Two Lovers", a cave-in splits up the party in an underground tunnel, and Sokka ends up alone with a group of [[NewAgeRetroHippie singing nomads]]. As Sokka tries to dig his way through the debris, the nomad leader comments, "Yeah, it's no use. We're separated. But at least you have us!" Sokka's response is to scream in despair and start digging more frantically.
* ''JonnyQuest'' TOS episode "The Sea Haunt". The Quest team is trapped on a ship with a terrible monster, and TeamPet Bandit is frightened.

* From an episode of ''DynomuttDogWonder'':

In other words, AssuranceBackfire is to ThreatBackfire as ComplimentBackfire is to InsultBackfire.

* ''In [[MenageA3 Menage a 3]],'' this happens when [[HollywoodNerd Gary's]] attempt to console [[http://www.menagea3.net/strips-ma3/the_worst_therapist_in_the_world would-be therapist, Kiley]], who suffers from a comedic case of ACupAngst, backfires.

* In ''TheSimpsons'' Lisa is feeling depressed after seeing an unflattering caricature of her. Marge attempts to cheer her up by singing "there once was an ugly duckling" but then Lisa says "so you think I'm ugly then?" and Marge hastily says "no, you're one of the good looking ones...who makes fun of the ugly one".

* ''JonnyQuest'' TOS episode "The Sea Haunt". The Quest team is trapped on a ship with a terrible monster and TeamPet Bandit is frightened.

[[/folder]]