History Main / AudienceMurmurs

* From StanFreberg's ''StanFreberg Presents the United States of America:''
-->[[AC:King:]]But you better sight land soon. There?s rumblings of mutiny!
-->[[AC:Columbus:]] Really?
-->[[AC:King:]] Come over here and listen.
-->[[AC:Columbus:]] Alright.
-->[[AC:Crew:]] Rumble, rumble, rumble. Mutiny, mutiny, mutiny.
-->[[AC:Columbus:]] I see what you mean.

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In the business, this is sometimes called "rhubarb," "walla," "watermelon," and "peas and carrots," after the common misconception that the murmuring is one word simply repeated over and over. In reality, most recordings are of little snippets of pocket dialogue-- unfinished phrases related to whatever is going on in the scene. This adds realism to the story, while saving the writers the effort of coming up with complete sentences for bit characters to say.

* Done really badly in ''OnDeadlyGround'', where amidst the standard "rhubarb"ing, utter non sequitor comments come from nowhere supporting Forrest.

* On quite a few episodes of ''30 Rock''. In "Future Husband," Liz makes it seem as if Jack is in a meeting while on the phone by saying "Rhubarb rhubarb, golf prostate." In another episode, Rob Reiner said "Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb, peas-and-carrots rhubarb."
** Worth pointing out that these cases are deliberate parodies of the trope. The Rob Reiner example has him on a congressional committee board and he's pretending to be conversing with the people around him about the meeting after it had been pointed out during that he really had no business being there.

* In the ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' mocking of ''PrinceOfSpace'' (a Japanese film), Mike and the Bots riff on the AudienceMurmurs by muttering random Japanese phrases ("Wasabi." "Samurai saga.")
** MST3K actually used "rhubarb" as a riff for crowd scenes a couple of times.
*** And "Peas and carrots".
** In their version of ''Escape2000'', a group of reporters clamoring for the president guy's attention is mocked with phrases like "reporter peas and carrots" and "investigative sassafras."

* Beautifully parodied in a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se6lzRKXLRU ''French & Saunders'' homage to James Cameron's ''Titanic'']], whereby the GhostExtras embrace their background-filling role by loudly saying "Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb" to one another, and [[ClassicallyTrainedExtra Gary Waldhorn]] clearly annunciates "Fah fah fah fah fah..." in [[BritishAccents Received]] [[BritishAccents Pronunciation]] during the dining scene.

* In a bit discussing PM's Question Time, EddieIzzard renders the background murmurs in Parliamant as "Toilet paper! Toilet paper! Toilet paper in our time!"

* In an episode of ''{{Becker}}'', Becker is facing a malpractice suit. When one of the witnesses is up on the stand, he identifies himself for the record. Cue the audience gasping and murmuring. Cue Becker telling them to shut up, because it's not like that's a big surprise or anything.

* On quite a few episodes of ''30 Rock''. In "Future Husband," Liz makes it seem as if Jack is in a meeting while on the phone by saying "Rhubarb rhubarb, golf prostate." In another episode, a one-off character named Rob Reiner said "Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb, peas-and-carrots rhubarb."

* Parodied in the ''{{Blackadder}} II'' episode "Potato": when Blackadder and his crew are shouting at each other after getting lost at sea, Captain Rum is just saying "Rhubarb" over and over.

* Also parodied on ''TheGoonShow'', which once had Neddie Seagoon clearly yelling "Rhubarb! Rhubarb! Custard!"

* On quite a few episodes of [[30Rock 30 Rock]]. In "Future Husband," Liz makes it seem as if Jack is in a meeting while on the phone by saying "Rhubarb rhubarb, golf prostate." In another episode, a one-off character named Rob Reiner said "Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb, peas-and-carrots rhubarb."

* On quite a few episodes of {{30Rock}}. In "Future Husband," Liz makes it seem as if Jack is in a meeting while on the phone by saying "Rhubarb rhubarb, golf prostate." In another episode, a one-off character named Rob Reiner said "Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb, peas-and-carrots rhubarb."

* On quite a few episodes of ''30Rock''. In "Future Husband," Liz makes it seem as if Jack is in a meeting while on the phone by saying "Rhubarb rhubarb, golf prostate." In another episode, a one-off character named Rob Reiner said "Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb, peas-and-carrots rhubarb."

* On quite a few episodes of ''{{30 Rock}}''. In "Future Husband," Liz makes it seem as if Jack is in a meeting while on the phone by saying "Rhubarb rhubarb, golf prostate." In another episode, a one-off character named Rob Reiner said "Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb, peas-and-carrots rhubarb."

'''Hedley Lamarr: Give the governer a "harrumph!"\\

'''Hedley Lamarr: Give the governer a "harrumph!"

* Also parodied in ''The Man With Two Heads''; when Michael makes his announcement about "being able to put the brains of brilliant people in the bodies of dumb people", the German audience engages in murmuring of this nature. When he asks his host what they're saying, he's informed that it's just "a general murmur," and they're just repeating 'murmur' over and over. When he challenges them to "murmur all you like!", the response is the audience loudly yelling "Murmur Murmur!" at him.

'''Governor:''' I didn't get a "hurrumph" outta that guy!\\

* Parodied in the ''{{Blackadder}} the Third'' episode "Potato": when Blackadder and his crew are shouting at each other after getting lost at sea, Captain Rum is just saying "Rhubarb" over and over.

* Neatly and hilariously parodied to the point of subversion on ''FatherTed'' -- as Ted's making a lot of surprising revelations at a "Sheep of the Year" contest, the audience in general engages in a bit of shocked murmuring amongst themselves... except for one chap (actually played by series co-creator Grahame Linehan) who can very audibly be heard exclaiming "Fuckin' hell!"

* Averted for laughs in ''SouthPark'': crowds often say (quite clearly) "Rabble Rabble Rabble Rabble Rabble."
** Less for shock, though, and more for scenes involving outrage of a large body of people.
* Crowds in ''{{Asterix}}'' generally mutter "rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb".

* HOLD IT! (Desk Slam!) Happens at every twist in ''PhoenixWright AceAttorney''.

* Happens in FinalFantasyVI during the Opera Scene when your party (and Ultros) crash into the scene from the ceiling. Locke {{Large Ham}}s an improvisation once he realizes the lead actor has been knocked unconscious, and the guy who owns the opera house decides to ThrowItIn, and the orchestra starts up some nice thematic battle music for you.
* In ChronoTrigger, the crowd at [[SilentProtagonist Crono's]] trial murmur cheers and boos as each juror's verdict is announced.

* Parodied in the ''{{Blackadder}} the Third'' episode "Potato": when Blackadder and his crew are shouting at each other after getting lost at sea, Captain Rum is just saying "Rhubarb" over and over.

* In an episode of ''{{Becker}}'', Becker is facing a malpractice suit. When one of the witnesses is up on the stand, he identifies himself for the record. Cue the audience gasping and murmuring. Cue Becker telling them to shut up, because it's not like that's a big surprise or anything.
* On ''{{Community}}'' Shirley can be heard murmuring "pepperjack cheese" when the whole group starts talking at once.
* From StanFreberg's ''StanFreberg Presents the United States of America:''
-->[[AC:King:]]But you better sight land soon. There?s rumblings of mutiny!
-->[[AC:Columbus:]] Really?
-->[[AC:King:]] Come over here and listen.
-->[[AC:Columbus:]] Alright.
-->[[AC:Crew:]] Rumble, rumble, rumble. Mutiny, mutiny, mutiny.
-->[[AC:Columbus:]] I see what you mean.