History Main / CrocodileTears

* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': The girl who manipulates the people around in an intrigue that results in murder in "[[Recap/CSINYS03E19 A Daze of Wine and Roaches]]" conjures up some tears and holds out her hand for Stella to give her a tissue, which she dabs her eyes with and hands back. And our heroes find out by running a chemical analysis of the tears...

* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': Used by the girl who manipulates the people around in an intrigue that results in murder in "A Daze of Wine and Roaches." And our heroes find out by running a chemical analysis of the tears...

* In ''Fanfic/{{Atonement|Worm}}'', Madison is so familiar with how Emma's fake "Please pity me!" tears look that when she sees Emma sobbing post-HeelRealization, she realizes that she ''isn't'' faking her remorse.
* ''Fanfic/{{BURN THE WITCH|MiraculousLadybug}}'': Lila is fond of shedding these while PlayingTheVictimCard. She's also so used to having things go her way that she arrogantly assumes that she'll be able to ''easily'' manipulate the soft-hearted Rose into forgiving her with a fake apology and some equally fake tears... and is honestly ''shocked'' when it doesn't work. Despite how Rose was the one who [[LiarRevealed exposed her]] as a ConArtist in the first place.

* ''Fanfic/{{the high road|MiraculousLadybug}}'': Lila frequently employs these as part and parcel of manipulating others. Marinette [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame turns her own tactics against her]] by pretending to fall for her tricks, forcing the rest of the class to investigate her claims and realize the truth. When they band together with Adrien to try convincing Marinette of the truth, Marinette then tearfully asks Lila if it's all true, PlayingTheVictimCard to the hilt and driving the final nails into Lila's coffin.

* ''Fanfic/OurNewSister'' Chuck pretends to cry to expose Chickpea for her supposed lies by groveling to her. But she turns out to be genuine when she comforts him.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7274734/2/Saying-No Saying No]]'', Hermione does this to convince Order members she's seriously upset about an alleged argument with Harry and Ron. She's committed enough to the act that she resorts to poking herself in the eyes with her fingers to produce tears.

* ''Fanfic/ASecondChance'': In ''No Good Deed Goes Unpunished'', [[BitchInSheepsClothing Kathleen]] manipulates the Loud siblings into crashing their parents' anniversary party. When Lynn and Lincoln try to convince their mother that it was Kathleen's idea, she "tearfully" asserts that they must have dramatically misinterpreted her advice to show their parents how much they care about them.

** "Expenses": Jimmy visits his insurance provider to get a refund for his malpractice insurance. His representative, Ms. Valco, tells him that malpractice insurance is for his clients and therefore can't be refunded. His premiums will also be hiked as a result of his suspension when he regains his law license. Shaken, Jimmy breaks down into half-real/half-fake crying. The real parts are that Kim is being cold towards him, his community service exhausts him, and his business isn't working out, and Chuck broke down in court and revealed his mental illness. What's fictional is when he claims that Chuck mixed up the numbers in the Rosella Drive fiasco, to manipulate her and the insurance company into raising the malpractice premiums on Chuck and on HHM as a whole.
** "Winner": Jimmy gives this big emotional speech to the review board about what Chuck meant to him and what he tried to do for Chuck by being a lawyer. He even admits that he can't bring himself to "tug on [their] heartstrings" by trying to use Chuck's letter for his cause, as it would be too personal. And then, right after it turns out this speech worked, it turns out that ''Jimmy did not mean a single word of what he said''.
** "Nippy": When he needs to distract a security guard during a key moment, Jimmy (now "Gene") pretends to have an emotional breakdown over his lonely life… only to end up having a ''real'' breakdown as his theatrics dredge up feelings he had been suppressing for years now and he sobs over how his life has been completely ruined, how it's all his own fault, and how he's driven away or lost everybody he ever cared about to the point that he doesn't think anybody would even care if he just up and died.

* ''Series/TheCrown2016''. When Queen Elizabeth II visits Aberfan after the landslide disaster in 1966, she's advised that the Welsh have no liking for the StiffUpperLip and it would be advisable to show some emotion. She's duly photographed wiping her eyes after speaking to some of the survivors but admits afterwards that her eye was dry and wonders if there's something wrong with her, because she's never wept even when it would be viewed appropriate. She finally sheds a SingleTear while listening to a recording of the hymn sung at the mass funeral for the children of Aberfan.

** In [[Recap/DoctorWho2006CSTheRunawayBride "The Runaway Bride"]], after the Doctor gets Donna to her wedding reception (which her family and friends have decided to hold without her, to her annoyance), everyone begins demanding to know how she pulled her disappearing act at the wedding. Donna bursts into fake tears to get them to shut up, and casts a knowing wink toward the Doctor while she "cries" into Lance's shoulder.

* ''Series/TheSopranos'': After [[spoiler:Christopher dies following a car accident]], Tony has to pretend to be depressed and saddened by the death of [[spoiler:his nephew, to whom he was very close]]. This is because their relationship gradually deteriorated over the course of the show, despite [[spoiler:Tony's nepotistic treatment of Chris, Chris hated Tony to the core of his soul, and Tony was the one who finished off the injured Chris after finally deciding [[TheLoad Chris was too much of a burden on him and others]] (Chris crashed because he was high on heroin while driving, not wearing a seatbelt, and the crash would've killed his daughter instantly had she been in her car seat).]] He makes it clear to his therapist he doesn't feel the least bit upset about [[spoiler:Chris']] death, and is actually angered by other people getting upset about it.

This trope is not limited to ''just'' the ManipulativeBastard, however. [[DeliberatelyCuteChild Children "crying" to get what they want]] is TruthInTelevision. (See [=#6=] on the {{Website/Cracked}} list [[http://www.cracked.com/article_18404_6-shockingly-evil-things-babies-are-capable-of.html Six Shockingly Evil Things Babies Are Capable Of.]])

** Duncan and Alejandro cooperate to break down Courtney's defenses in "[[Recap/TotalDramaPicnicAtHangingDork Picnic at Hanging Dork]]". While Alejandro flirts with her, Duncan opens the floodgates to make Courtney believe that he still has feelings for her and thus that flirting back with Alejandro doubles as payback for Duncan's cheating. In a confessional, Duncan explains that fake crying is a trick he learned young and has a lot of experience with to make things go his way.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': Poison Ivy is very convincing at this in her debut episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE5PrettyPoison "Pretty Poison."]] Acting like Harvey Dent's grief stricken girlfriend after he ends up mysteriously poisoned and comatose following their dinner date. We later learn she did it via [[DruggedLipstick a goodnight kiss.]]

* Discussed in ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower''. At one point, [[ManipulativeBastard Double Trouble]] admits that they can't do this very well; in order to tear up when a role requires it, they need to imagine children falling...

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'': Heather is the one who employs crocodile tears the most, but certainly not the only one.
** In "[[Recap/TotalDramaSearchAndDoNotDestroy Search and Do Not Destroy]]", Heather commences her scheme to break up Trent and Gwen by fake crying on the Dock of Shame. Trent reaches out to console her over whatever has her wailing, at which point she maneuvers her way to tearfully relaying how cruel Gwen's been to her and that she's been saying awful things about Trent too. Trent doesn't know what to think but doesn't dismiss Heather's claims.

** Heather cannot beat Alejandro per the rules of the finale in "[[Recap/TotalDramaHawaiianPunch Hawaiian Punch]]", so she exploits his weakness for her and gets the waterworks going. With a few well-played (and not entirely insincere) lines, Heather gets him to believe she's crying over the fact he'll leave her when he has the prize money, which makes Alejandro falter long enough for her to get him out of her way.

** In "[[Recap/TotalDramaUpUpAndAwayInMyPitifulBalloon Up, Up, and Away in My Pitiful Balloon]]", Heather tearfully pretends to be sorry for stealing that season's prize money to catch Lightning off-guard. He believes her and gets beaten up for it.

** In "[[Recap/TotalDramaTortoiseRigamortis Tortoise Rigamortis]]", Julia weeps while guilt tripping Emma for killing a turtle to get her eliminated. However, the others instead vote for Emma because she proved to be a challenge threat.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': Dark-types have a reputation for using dirty tricks, with moves like Sucker Punch. True to form, there is a dark-type move called Fake Tears that lowers the enemy's Special Defense stat when used.

** [[TheChessmaster Kokichi Oma]] from ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' uses this a lot due to being a ConsummateLiar. The sprite he uses while doing this [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/b/b4/Danganronpa_V3_Kokichi_Oma_Halfbody_Sprite_(13).png makes it pretty hard to actually believe him]]. [[spoiler:However, Chapter 4 has him actually utilise those to his advantage to make Gonta (who was about to get executed ''because of Kokichi manipulating him into murdering a person in the first place'') take pity on him and not attempt to get back at him. Notably, after Gonta's execution Kokichi quickly drops the facade and admits that it all was a lie.]]

** [[TheChessmaster Kokichi Oma]] from ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' uses this a lot due to being a ConsummateLiar. The sprite he uses while doing this [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/b/b4/Danganronpa_V3_Kokichi_Oma_Halfbody_Sprite_(13).png makes it pretty hard to actually believe him]]. [[spoiler:However, Chapter 4 has him actually utilise those to his advantage to make Gonta (who was about to get executed ''because of Kokichi '' manipulating him into murdering a person by him) take pity on him and not attempt to get back at him. Notably, after Gonta's execution Kokichi quickly drops the facade and admits that it all was a lie.]]

** [[TheChessmaster Kokichi Oma]] from ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' uses this a lot due to being a ConsummateLiar. The sprite he uses while doing this [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/b/b4/Danganronpa_V3_Kokichi_Oma_Halfbody_Sprite_(13).png makes it pretty hard to actually believe him]].

!!By Author:
* One of Creator/TomHolt's near-interchangeable protagonists at one point remembers how, when left to play with a young cousin, the little rodent would at the first hint of boredom burst into tears and run out crying "Mummy, he hit me!" Since most of Tom Holt's protagonists are {{Butt Monkey}}s and/or [[TheChewToy Chew Toys]], this is pretty much standard.

!!By Title:

* ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland'': In ''Through the Looking-Glass'', the Walrus weeps over the oysters he's eating after (along with the Carpenter) luring them away from the oyster bed (according to Tweedledee, the Walrus was also hiding behind the handkerchief so that the Carpenter didn't see that he was taking more than his share.
):

* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'': After returning from the [[HauntedHotel Ocean House Hotel]] with the pendant needed to exorcise the ghosts within, the player meets Jeanette instead of Therese, who asks to hold on to the pendant. Refusing causes Jeanette to start crying, saying how Therese doesn't trust her with important things and treats her like an idiot. Continue to refuse, and Jeanette reasserts herself suspiciously quickly. If you give in, [[spoiler:she throws the pendant into the ocean as soon as you leave, rendering the exorcism impossible, just to spite Therese.]]

* In ''ComicBook/LexLuthorManOfSteel'', when Lex [[spoiler:sets off Hope's self-destruct system]], he narrates "If only my tears didn't brand me as your Judas", but there are clearly no tears in his eyes. Notably, the only time we see any tears is when Superman is there to see them.

* In ''Fanfic/AtonementWorm'', Madison is so familiar with how Emma's fake "Please pity me!" tears look that when she sees Emma sobbing post-HeelRealization, she realizes that she ''isn't'' faking her remorse.

* A downplayed and somewhat parodied instance occurs in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanAndHarleyQuinn''. When Poison Ivy has almost won and is about to use her potion which will turn everyone into plants or kill them, Harley, as a "nuclear option", wipes off her makeup and starts crying profusely. Leading up to this, Ivy realizes what she's gonna do and is freaking out about it as if Harley was about to vaporize her with a DeathRay or something. While Harley undoubtedly really ''was'' sad and upset, considering the circumstances, she does still say "works every time", when Ivy starts crying herself and gives Harley a huge hug, implying she's used this tactic to get her way a lot in the past.

* Roland from ''WesternAnimation/StrangeMagic'' pretends to cry in order to get [[NiceGuy Sunny]] to pity him enough to trick him into getting a love potion for the two of them two to use. The tears mostly work, except Sunny is more annoyed by the tears than sympathetic.

* In ''Film/Catwoman2004'', our heroine confronts the villainess in her home, who reveals her husband's dead body which just so happens to be covered in deep scratches, right before she triggers an alarm and cues crocodile tears, screaming [-"IT WAS CATWOMAN!"-]

* Referenced in ''Film/TheManWhoKnewTooLittle''. Wallace says something that offends Lori, and she cries briefly. Wallace, who thinks everything is a play and Lori is an actress, marvels at what he thinks is the ability to cry on demand.

* In the film of ''Film/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'', Count Olaf pretends to be weeping when he's told he can't raise the Baudelaire children anymore... by pouring water in his eyes.

* Mentioned several times in ''Literature/TheAccusation''. Yeong-pyo cries these when discussing his son's latest mishap with his superior. Later Kyeong-hun claims the national mourning for Kim Il-Sung's passing is nothing but these.
* The eighth ''Literature/AlexRider'' book is called ''Crocodile Tears'' and features a metaphorical example -- the book's villain is a former Conservative MP who went to prison after committing insurance fraud, and the title refers to his faked remorse and conversion to Christianity.
* ''Literature/TheAliceNetwork'': When Eve goes to [[spoiler: kill René]] and Charlie tries to stop her, Eve, a ConsummateLiar and former [[FemmeFataleSpy spy]], pretends to cry TearsOfRemorse so that Charlie will let her guard down and leave her.

* In ''[[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland Through the Looking-Glass]]'', the Walrus weeps over the oysters he's eating after (along with the Carpenter) luring them away from the oyster bed:
-->"I weep for you," the Walrus said,\\
"I deeply sympathize."\\
With sobs and tears he sorted out\\
Those of the largest size,\\
Holding his pocket-handkerchief\\
Before his streaming eyes.
** According to Tweedledee, the Walrus' cynicism went beyond just a false show of grief -- he was hiding behind the handkerchief so that the Carpenter didn't see that he was taking more than his share.
* Bella from ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'' pulls these on Jacob after Leah stands up to her on his behalf. [[UngratefulBastard Jacob immediately sides with Bella and vilifies Leah for upsetting her]].