History Main / AssuranceBackfire

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': In one episode, Kaeloo starts crying about how [[HulkingOut she always turns into a monster.]] Mr. Cat attempts to comfort her... by saying that the rest of them like her for her "brutal, primitive-minded" self. Cue more tears.

** ''Literature/InterestingTimes:'' Faced with the unstoppable rumour that the Silver Horde does ''not'' have 2,300,009 invisible vampire-ghosts backing them up, Lord Hong has the word sent out that the Agatean forces have their own invisible ghosts to bolster morale. It just makes the already terrified soldiers more nervous, because there are ghosts they'd rather not meet (specifically, their ancestors).

* In ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', although it's more a case of Donut being an idiot.

''(Piglet uncovers his eyes and grins)')\\

* In ''Webcomic/MenageA3'', this happens when [[{{Nerd}} Gary's]] attempt to console [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/the-worst-therapist-in-the-world would-be therapist, Kiley]], who suffers from a comedic case of ACupAngst, backfires.

!! Examples

-->'''Ryo''': I won't try anything, so please let me under the cover, please! I promise that nothing will happen.
-->*beat*
-->'''Kaori''': Do you promise that... you won't try anything?
-->'''Ryo''': Have I ever, ever try to pull something with you up till now?
-->*beat*
-->'''Kaori''': [[ArentYouGoingToRavishMe Am I that unattractive to you?]]
-->'''Ryo''': Do you want me to do something or not?
-->'''Kaori''': Of course not! Fine. If you want to get in, get in!
-->*Ryo gets under the cover[[note]] and the floor below the bed collapses[[/note]]*

* Late into ''Manga/IBelongToTheBaddestGirlAtSchool'', Yutaka notices that Matsuri [[DefrostingIceQueen has been acting a lot less hostile towards Unoki than she used to]], and asks her if she likes him now. Matsuri answers that she's started to consider him a friend as of late, but quickly clarifies that's all he is to her; their relationship is strictly platonic, just like her friendship with Yutaka. Since Matsuri is convinced that Yutaka has a crush on Unoki, it's clear she was trying to reassure her she wasn't going to get in their way, but to Yutaka, it just felt like proof that her feelings for Matsuri were completely one-sided.

* Twice in ''FanFic/SonOfTheDesert''
** Hohenheim tries to make Trisha feel better about almost killing a suitor but pointing out that it is traditional to kill the proposer. That if she does not love them, she must kill them, because life is not worth living without her. The already-distressed Trisha snaps and tries to make Hohenheim kill her if he refuses her marriage proposal.
** When Ed and Al out themselves as Ishvalans, Fuery tries to assure them that they were only ''half'' Ishvalan. Since Ed and Al are proud of their heritage, this just angers them further.

--> '''Olympia:''' Oh, wait! We need to meet that villain first!
--> '''Ohlm:''' It's okay, guys! I got this.
--> '''Olympia:''' ''[wincing]'' Why am I not reassured?

* Played for drama in ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt''. After Moses 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.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'': After King Neptune freezes Mr. Krabs, [=SpongeBob=] assures him that his life in the hands of himself and Patrick. Understandably, Mr. Krabs lets out a sound of fear.

(''Piglet uncovers his eyes and grins'')\\

'''Tigger''': Why, sure! (''chuckles, then pauses'') Um... Except for the splat at the end, they're practically similar.\\
(''[[OhCrap Piglet's smile droops; he covers his eyes again]]'')\\

* In ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'', 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?!"
* ''{{Literature/Animorphs}}'': When on a planet where cracks reach all the way down to the core, Ax reassures the others on the dangers of falling into the magma: they'll die from the heat long before they hit the core.
* At the beginning of the Dr. Seuss book ''Literature/BartholomewAndTheOobleck'', King Derwin of Didd is angry because nothing except rain or snow ever comes down from his sky, and demands something new to come down. When his page boy, Bartholomew, tries to calm him down by reminding him that no king before him has ever ruled the weather, the King takes this as a challenge.

* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' offers a particularly tragic example with Shiki and her best friend Eri. The two of them had formed a partnership making clothing together, with dreams of making it big in the fashion industry. Eventually, Shiki started to lose faith in her designs, to which Eri told her she didn't think she was cut out to be a designer. What she was trying to get across was that she thought Shiki's talents lay less in coming up with designs and more in bringing them to life as finished pieces of clothing, but the way she phrased it made it sound like she was telling her to give up on her dream, and it ended up driving a wedge between them. While Eri quickly realised her mistake and tried to apologise, [[spoiler: she never got the chance as Shiki would die in an accident shortly afterwards, leaving her wracked with guilt that her last words to her best friend ended up being so hurtful]].

* In ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', although it's more a case of Donut being an idiot.
-->'''Donut:''' He has amnesia! Tucker, don't worry. You are safe. We're the reds, we are your mortal enemies. Wait. ''That'' didn't sound right.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** In "Lisa The Beauty Queen", 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."
** Otto is prone to these. In "Bart Gets An F", when Bart is worried about repeating fourth grade, Otto tells him that after failing fourth grade twice, "Now I ''drive'' the school bus!" And in "The Otto Show", when being disciplined for crashing the bus, he boasts that he has a record of "Sixteen crashes and not a single fatality."

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

-->'''Jeepers:''' Don't worry, pal. I'll be right behind you!
-->'''Creepers:''' (''to us'') That's just what I'm worried about!

-->'''Shaggy:''' Don't worry...I'm right behind you.
-->'''Scooby:''' (''sarcastically'') Thanks a lot.
* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E11FamilyAppreciationDay "Family Appreciation Day"]] features this, when Apple Bloom is worried about feeling embarrassed when her grandmother shows up at school.
-->'''Applejack:''' I'm sorry Apple Bloom, but don't you fret. Granny Smith's got no shortage of entertaining stories to tell.
-->'''Apple Bloom:''' I know. That's what I'm worried about.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' [[MadeForTvMovie movie]] "Secrets of the Omnitrix", when Ben has to sit beneath a very large and ominous looking machine in order to scan the Omnitrix for a DNA signature, Tetrax's attempts to reassure Ben that the procedure would be harmless is less than comforting.
-->'''Tetrax:''' Ready?
-->'''Ben:''' Would no be an option?
-->'''Tetrax:''' Don't worry. I've had many of these tests done myself. Never felt a thing.
-->'''Ben:''' But don't you have like [[NighInvulnerable diamond-hard skin]]?
-->'''Tetrax:''' Uh... Good point. Lets get started.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': In one episode, Kaeloo starts crying about how [[HulkingOut she always turns into a monster.]] Mr. Cat attempts to comfort her... by saying that the rest of them like her for her "brutal, primitive-minded" self. Cue more tears.

* In ''Westernanimation/{{The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy}}'' episode "Keeper of the Reaper", Billy summons Irwin to testify in the trial. Since the trial is conducted in the netherword, Irwin is naturally afraid of the various monsters. Billy reassures him "Don't worry. They won't hurt you. Unless they decide to hurt you."

The opposite of ThreatBackfire, this is for characters saying things that are meant to sound assuring, but to those hearing it, it feels like [[MurphysLaw things could backfire and take a turn for the worse instead of getting better.]]

** 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."
** Otto is prone to these. When Bart is worried about repeating fourth grade, Otto tells him that after failing fourth grade twice, "Now I ''drive'' the school bus!" And when being disciplined for crashing the bus, he boasts that he has a record of "Sixteen crashes and not a single fatality."

The opposite of ThreatBackfire, this is for characters saying things that are meant to sound assuring, but to those hearing it, it feels like [[UsefulNotes/MurphysLaw things could backfire and take a turn for the worse instead of getting better.]]

The opposite of ThreatBackfire, this is for characters saying things that are meant to sound assuring, but to those hearing it, it feels like [[MurphysLaw things could backfire and take a turn for the worse instead of getting better.]]

* Late into ''Manga/IBelongToTheBaddestGirlAtSchool'', Yutaka notices that Matsuri [[DefrostingIceQueen has been acting a lot less hostile towards Unoki than she used to]], and asks her if she likes him now. Matsuri answers that she's started to consider him a friend as of late, but quickly clarifies that's all he is to her; their relationship is strictly platonic, just like her friendship with Yutaka. Since Matsuri is convinced Yutaka has a crush on Unoki, it's clear she was trying to reassure her she wasn't going to get in their way, but to Yutaka, it just felt like proof that [[SchoolgirlLesbians her feelings for Matsuri]] were completely one-sided.

* 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."

* In ''Webcomic/MenageA3'', this happens when [[HollywoodNerd Gary's]] attempt to console [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/the-worst-therapist-in-the-world would-be therapist, Kiley]], who suffers from a comedic case of ACupAngst, backfires.

* ''Fanfic/{{Boldores and Boomsticks}}: Whisper, noticing Lillie's fear of confronting Grimm for the first time, points out that that Ruby and Weiss will be able to protect her. This just makes her feel more inadequate for being afraid.

* Late into ''Manga/TheErrandBoyAndTheDelinquentLeaderInLove'', Yutaka notices that Matsuri [[DefrostingIceQueen has been acting a lot less hostile towards Unoki than she used to]], and asks her if she likes him now. Matsuri answers that she's started to consider him a friend as of late, but quickly clarifies that's all he is to her; their relationship is strictly platonic, just like her friendship with Yutaka. Since Matsuri is convinced Yutaka has a crush on Unoki, it's clear she was trying to reassure her she wasn't going to get in their way, but to Yutaka, it just felt like proof that [[SchoolgirlLesbians her feelings for Matsuri]] were completely one-sided.

* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'' has a case that ends up backfiring for both the receiver and the giver. Emil tries to cheer up Lalli's bad mood by giving him an "everything will be all right" speech. The reason Lalli is in a bad mood in the first place is that he's quite sure that [[spoiler:the death of his cousin from the long term effects of a troll bite]] will happen soon, which causes Emil's speech to have the exact opposite of its inteded effect and Lalli to no longer want to be friends with him. The event foreseen by Lalli happens just a few hours later, which very likely made Emil realize just how misplaced his optimism was.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{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 because he thinks he really does have superpowers and therefore can perform all sorts of death-defying stunts without realizing RealityEnsues.

Compare/Contrast with FalseReassurance, wherein the person doing the reassuring is deliberately misleading. See also OpenMouthInsertFoot. May result in DiggingYourselfDeeper if they try to make up for their original remark but end up saying something even worse.

[[folder: Fan Works]]

Compare/Contrast with FalseReassurance, wherein the person doing the reassuring is deliberately misleading. See also OpenMouthInsertFoot. May result in DiggingYouselfDeeper if they try to make up for their original remark but end up saying something even worse.

Compare/Contrast with FalseReassurance, wherein the person doing the reassuring is deliberately misleading.

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