History Main / DeceptivelySillyTitle

[[folder:Animated Film]]
* One would normally expect an animated film named ''Film/{{Princess}}'' to be something cute and whimsical, probably akin to the Franchise/DisneyPrincess films, instead of the bleak revenge tale it actually is. "Princess" is in fact, the "artistic name" of a porn actress whose brother goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge after her death, assisted by her five-year old daughter.

* ''Literature/{{Blubber}}'' by Creator/JudyBlume -- The title sounds silly, but it's actually the mean-spirited nickname given to an overweight girl by her bullying peers. The book is a harshly realistic look at bullying.

** ''Fanfic/{{Cupcakes}}'' is about an insane Pinkie Pie slowly and violently torturing Rainbow Dash to death in her basement, then [[ImAHumanitarian using Dash's remains as an ingredient in the titular cupcakes]].

* ''Music/{{Vocaloid}}'': Hatsune Miku's "This is the Happiness and Peace of Mind Committee" by [=UtataP=] makes people think this song is about a committee that makes everyone happy. Wrong, this song is actually about a MercyKill service for suicidal people, as the lyrics describe, like "how do you want to die? [[DeathTropes Hanged alive? Cooked alive? Decapitation?, etc.]]"

* ''Film/TheGame'' is about a ''mind''-game -- and not a fun one, either.

* ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'''s title is deliberately meant to invoke feelings of a shovelware {{Anime}} DatingSim, until you read the warnings and "PsychologicalHorror" tag on the Steam page.

* ''ComicBook/FunHome'' by Alison Bechdel. Fun is short for "Funeral", and the subtitle, "A Family Tragicomic", is in small print.

* ''Literature/ABoyAndHisDog'' by Harlan Ellison. While it is a story about a Boy and his Dog, it takes place after TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt and is NOT for children.

* ''Series/SquidGame'' is a ''very'' intense semi-dystopian suspense thriller.

* One would normally expect an animated film named ''Film/{{Princess}}'' to be something cute and whimsical, probably akin to the Franchise/DisneyPrincess films, instead of the gritty revenge tale it actually is. "Princess" is in fact, the "artistic name" of a porn actress whose brothe goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge after her death, assisted by her five-year old daughter.

* Robert Cormier's ''Literature/TheChocolateWar'' -- Yes, there is a war about selling chocolates, in a sense. But it's actually about a high-school student's attempt to assert his individuality and the harassement he receives from a clique of students that practically runs the school.

* Invoked by the author of the fic ''Fanfic/OfSheepAndBattleChicken'', who wanted the title to be memorable. Keep in mind that this is a DarkFic that verges on CosmicHorror and examines stuff like politics, war crimes, rape and more.

* The prequel to ''Blossoming Trail'', ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainKnightOfTheOrangeLily'' has the 400 Rabbits Car (the fourth car in the story) in which the first ''part'' ends with a child in a rabbit mask arriving on a chair with spider legs and delves into mind control, AlternateIdentityAmnesia and changes the direction of the story.

Sister trope of TrivialTitle and SarcasticTitle. See also CoversAlwaysLie, NeverTrustATitle and FluffyTheTerrible. In gaming, this can lead to SurpriseDifficulty.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* You would expect a [[Website/ThatGuyWithTheGlasses Channel Awesome]]-related fic called ''Fanfic/ThatGuyWithTheGlassesInSpace'' would show a very silly story to go along with the title, right? [[DarkerAndEdgier Well...]] You'd be sorely mistaken.

* ''[[Fanfic/HowToSexVolFourToFiftyEight How To Sex Vol. 4-58]]'' is a ''Dream SMP'' fanfiction, written from the perspective of Tommy, taking place in an AlternateUniverse where [[BigDamnHeroes Punz and about half the server]] never came to save him and Tubbo from Dream. Tommy is writing them while locked up in [[HellholePrison Pandora's Vault]] after watching Tubbo die, and [[{{Bathos}} the comedy is interspersed with heartrending indications of Tommy's trauma and suffering]]. As seen most prominently in the comments section:

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''Music/{{Vocaloid}}'': Hatsune Miku's ''This is the Happiness and Peace of Mind Committee'' by [=UtataP=] makes people think this song is about a committee that makes everyone happy. Wrong, this song is actually about a MercyKill service for suicidal people, as the lyrics describe, like "how do you want to die? [[DeathTropes Hanged alive? Cooked alive? Decapitation?, etc.]]"

* ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'''s title is deliberately meant to invoke feelings of a shovelware {{Anime}} DatingSim, until you read the warnings and "PsychologicalHorror" tag on the Steam page.

* The first half of the ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain'' episode "The Ball Pit Car" lives up to the silly name. The second half? It involves [[spoiler: [[GreaterScopeVillain The Conductor]] showing up, appearing to kill Atticus, Kate Mulgrowl the Cat, and One-One, turning Atticus (who's a talking corgi) into an EldritchAbomination after appearing to kill him, and giving Tulip a BreakingSpeech saying it's her fault her friends were put in danger]].

* General Butt Naked, the nickname for Joshua Milton Blahyi, who would lead his Butt Naked Brigade clad exactly as the name suggests, for the benefit of Liberian Warlord Roosevelt Johnson. Said actions including the willful sacrifice and cannibalism of child soldiers, genocides of entire tribes, and at least two confirmed cases of forced female circumcision (and probably many more).\\\

* ''[[Fanfic/HowToSexVolFourToFiftyEight How To Sex Vol. 4-58]]'' is a ''Dream SMP'' fanfiction, written from the perspective of Tommy, taking place in an AlternateUniverse where [[BigDamnHeroes Punz and about half the server]] never came to save him and Tubbo from Dream. Tommy is writing them while locked up in [[HellholePrison Pandora's Vault]] after watching Tubbo die, and [[{{Bathos}} the comedy is interspersed with heartrending indications of Tommy's trauma and suffering.]]

* ''[[Fanfic/HowToSexVolFourToFiftyEight How To Sex Vol. 4-58]]'' is a ''Dream SMP'' fanfiction, written from the perspective of Tommy, taking place in an AlternateUniverse where [[BigDamnHeroes Punz]] never came to save him and Tubbo from Dream. Tommy is writing them while locked up in [[HellholePrison Pandora's Vault]] after watching Tubbo die, and [[{{Bathos}} the comedy is interspersed with heartrending indications of Tommy's trauma and suffering.]]

* The prequel to ''Blossoming Trail'', ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainKnightOfTheOrangeLily'' has the 400 Rabbits Car (the fourth car in the story) in which the first ''part'' ends with a child in a rabbit mask arriving on a chair with spider legs and delves into mind control, AlternateIdentityAmensia and changes the direction of the story.

* ''[[Fanfic/HowToSexVolFourToFiftyEight How To Sex Vol. 4-58]]'' is a ''LetsPlay/DreamSMP'' fanfiction, written from the perspective of Tommy, taking place in an AlternateUniverse where [[BigDamnHeroes Punz]] never came to save him and Tubbo from Dream. Tommy is writing them while locked up in [[HellholePrison Pandora's Vault]] after watching Tubbo die, and [[{{Bathos}} the comedy is interspersed with heartrending indications of Tommy's trauma and suffering.]]

* Another Cormier book, ''Literature/IAmTheCheese'', could fit here too; one might conclude from the title that the story inside is rather lighthearted, except when one finds out that the story is about how the protagonist's family has to go into the Witness Protection Program to avoid being murdered by the mob.

* ''Film/ABoyAndHisDog'' by Harlan Ellison. While it is a story about a Boy and his Dog, it is NOT for children.

Sister trope of TrivialTitle and SarcasticTitle. See also CoversAlwaysLie, FluffyTheTerrible. In gaming, this can lead to SurpriseDifficulty.