History Main / DeceptivelySillyTitle

** With its {{Portmantitle}}, ''Vampiolence'' sounds like a balls-off-the-walls action story. While there are action-packed moments, it's actually more of a romantic tragedy.

* ''VideoGame/ChickenPolice'' sounds comedic [[InherentlyFunnyWords due to the "chicken" in the title]], and does have its fair share of jokes and absurdist humor, but it is also a gritty FilmNoir tribute.

* * The infamous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvQrt71gnws Team Happy Rainbow Panda Bears]] logo from ''VideoGame/ReworkTheDeadEvil'' sounds like it could be sickly sweet from the title, but in reality, it depicts a panda that seems to have died a CruelAndUnusualDeath. '''(Warning: NSFL)'''

* * The infamous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvQrt71gnws Team Happy Rainbow Panda Bears]] logo from VideoGame/ReworkTheDead/Evil sounds like it could be sickly sweet from the title, but in reality, it depicts a panda that seems to have died a CruelAndUnusualDeath. '''(Warning: NSFL)'''

* ''ComicBook/FunHome'' by Alison Bechdel. Fun is short for "Funeral", and the subtitle, "A Family Tragicomic", is in small print. It's actually an autobiographical comic about the troubled relationship between Alison and her father Bruce, a high school teacher and funeral home director, and the events leading up to Bruce's death.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* The title of the ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' episode "Bon Bon the Birthday Clown" refers to a clown whose spirit Star and Janna try to contact with a seance a century after he died in a tragic accident. This isn't even the real focus of the plot, which is Star's growing feelings of jealously about her best friend dating another girl. [[spoiler:[[DownerEnding It ends with Star breaking down in tears]] after losing a vital heirloom and an important ally to her enemy.]]

* The title of the ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' episode "Bon Bon the Birthday Clown" refers to a clown whose spirit Star and Janna try to contact with a seance a century after he died in a tragic accident. This isn't even the real focus of the plot, which is Star's growing feelings of jealously about her best friend dating another girl [[spoiler:[[DownerEnding which ends with Star breaking down in tears after losing a vital heirloom and an important ally to her enemy.]]]]

* You would expect a Website/ChannelAwesome-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.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** ''Fanfic/CupcakesSergeantSprinkles'' 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]].
** Likewise, ''Fanfic/RainbowFactory'' is about an [[AlternateUniversefic alternate universe]] where Cloudsdale's rainbows are made from [[spoiler:[[PoweredByAForsakenChild young Pegasus fillies and colts who fail their final flight test.]]]]
* ''Fanfic/LittleMissHeropants'': The title of the fic is based off a line from the first ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet'' game where Carol says to Lilac "Can't you be 'Little Miss Heropants' some other time?" The premise of this fic is that Lilac has [=PTSD=] due to [[spoiler:Lord Brevon torturing her]].
* 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, etc.

* 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 and AlternateIdentityAmnesia, and changes the direction of the story.
* ''Fanfic/HowToSexVol4To58'' 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:
-->'''totallynotbaku:''' [[LampshadeHanging HOW THE FUCK DID YOU MANAGE TO MAKE "HOW TO SEX" ANGSTY]]
* ''Fanfic/FloweyIsNotAGoodLifeCoach'' doesn't just have [[{{Understatement}} the title itself]], but the chapters are named in incredibly silly ways, such as ''it looks more like a garamond to me but no one asked me'', ''apology spaghetti to express the regretti'', and ''you will be [[spoiler:KILLED BY DEMON]]''.

* As above, woe betide you if you mistake ''Film/HardCandy'' for a film about confectionery. It's about [[EvilVersusEvil a sociopathic teenage girl torturing a pedophile]].
* A more adult example with ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064704/ Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny, and Girly]]''. The title is ironic and reflects the whimsical and childlike state of the characters, but does nothing to convey that they are actually sadistic, AxCrazy kidnappers.

* ''Film/DonnieDarko'', sounds silly at worst, ambiguous at best. Lampshaded by Gretchen, who says it sounds like a superhero name.
* The TorturePorn film ''The Bunny Game''.
* Another TorturePorn film series is called ''Guinea Pig'', although its subtitles are usually full of GoryDeadlyOverkillTitleOfFatalDeath.
* ''Film/ChildsPlay'' is about a murderous toy. However, this isn't likely to fool anyone who isn't looking at a list of only names, though, since the posters, trailers, DVD covers, etc., make it quite clear what genre the movie is in. It's definitely ''not'' a case of CoversAlwaysLie.
* ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'' sounds like it could be a Creator/JudyBlume novel, and it ''is'' a comedy -- but [[BlackComedy much of the humor is mined from very grim subjects]]: death, Purgatory, exorcism, spiritualism, suicide, and all-around angst.
* ''Film/TheGame1997'' is about a ''mind''-game -- and not a fun one, either.

* ''Film/DrGiggles'', a horror movie.
* ''Film/TheBrownBunny'' is a long and rambling road movie, infamous for an unsimulated blowjob scene.
* The "Mr. Babadook" book from ''Film/TheBabadook'' (a NightmareFuelColouringBook about [[spoiler: [[OffingTheOffspring infanticide]]]]). And arguably the film itself, a ''very'' effective horror movie with a rather goofy name.
* ''Film/TheCandyTangerineMan'' sounds like a children's story about a magical being. It's actually a crime thriller about a pimp.

* ''Literature/TheresABoyInTheGirlsBathroom'' by Louis Sachar -- This book is sad! The title comes from one scene in which a boy actually does go into the girls' bathroom and ends up discovered when he tries to sneak back out. The story itself is about a friendless kid with learning disabilities who is also a bit of a bully, and the help he receives from a counselor who turns his life around. It doesn't help that the book cover frequently shows a comical image of the titular boy being [[ChasedByAngryNatives chased by some furious females]].

* 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. The title is a reference to the nursery song "The Farmer in the Dell", and the ending reveals he is "the cheese" which "stands alone" at the end of the song because [[spoiler: his parents were killed and he's been spending the last few years in a mental hospital while agents of some kind of GovernmentConspiracy tries to unearth his memories.]]
* ''Literature/AlCaponeDoesMyShirts'' is a deceptively childish title for a book which explores issues such as family and living with an autistic sibling.
* ''Literature/ABoyAndHisDog'' by Harlan Ellison. While it is a story about a Boy and his Dog, it takes place AfterTheEnd and is NOT for children.
* ''Literature/DaddysLittleGirl'' sounds like it could be a fairly innocent story about a girl who has a close relationship with her father. It's actually a serious crime thriller in which a DaddysGirl is brutally murdered, with her surviving sister having a strained relationship with their father rooted in the tragedy (including feeling like TheUnfavourite).
* ''Literature/TheEarthMyButtAndOtherBigRoundThings'' by Carolyn Mackler. Despite the silly title, it's about an overweight girl who feels like she doesn't belong in her own family, and whose brother later gets suspended from his college for date rape.

* The ''Rabbit'' novels by Creator/JohnUpdike fall into this, since their titles - like ''Literature/RabbitRun'' - make them sound like they're for kids. They're actually about a man whose nickname is Rabbit, and he has some very child-unfriendly experiences.

* There is a Brazilian play named ''Chocolate Factory'' (which actors made sure to note was not ''Theatre/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory''), deriving its name from a confectionery worker who killed himself after being released from months enduring ColdBloodedTorture by the military dictatorship.

* ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'', which, despite its name, isn't very happy.
* ''[[Literature/TheFamilyOfFangAndClaw The Pancake Family]]'' tells the story, from the point of view of a retired and traumatized detective, of the finding the remains of a family that was kidnapped and tortured for 20 years by crushing parts of their bodies to the point of being turned into pieces of flesh similar to pancakes while being kept alive via IV drips and breathing machines.

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Any Given Sundance", where Marge goes to see the independent films ''Regularsville'' and ''Candyland'', which are about poor people and druggies respectively. She eventually gets the gimmick that the title means the opposite of what it is, which makes her think she'll like ''Chernobyl Graveyard'' (she doesn't).
* The title of the ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' episode "Bon Bon the Birthday Clown" refers to a clown whose spirit Star and Janna try to contact with a seance a century after he died in a tragic accident. This isn't even the real focus of the plot, which is Star's growing feelings of jealously about her best friend dating another girl [[spoiler:[[DownerEnding which ends with Star breaking down in tears after losing a vital heirloom and an important ally to her enemy.]]]]

* ''Literature/TheFamilyOfFangAndClaw The Pancake Family'' tells the story, from the point of view of a retired and traumatized detective, of the finding the remains of a family that was kidnapped and tortured for 20 years by crushing parts of their bodies to the point of being turned into pieces of flesh similar to pancakes while being kept alive via IV drips and breathing machines.

* ''[[Literature/TheFamilyOfFangAndClaw The Pancake Family]] tells the story, from the point of view of a retired and traumatized detective, of the finding the remains of a family that was kidnapped and tortured for 20 years by crushing parts of their bodies to the point of being turned into pieces of flesh similar to pancakes while being kept alive via IV drips and breathing machines.

* ''[[VideoGame/DreadXCollection Squirrel Stapler]]'' sounds like a quirky game with a WordSaladTitle. It's actually about killing squirrels and stapling them to a corpse. ...[[FromBadToWorse and that's just the start]].

[[caption-width-right:262: [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory The Candyman can]]... [[Film/{{Candyman}} KILL YOU.]]]]

* ''Series/PeakyBlinders'' sounds like the name of the tomboyish girl next door in a Nickelodeon cartoon, but it's actually a pretty intense crime drama. The name comes from the way the central gang use their signature weapon, a peaky cap with razorblades sewn into the brim, to blind people who stand in their way by cutting out their eyes.

* The ''Rabbit'' novels by Creator/JohnUpdike fall into this, since their titles - like ''Rabbit, Run'' - make them sound like they're for kids. They're actually about a man whose nickname is Rabbit, and he has some very child-unfriendly experiences.

* ''Fanfic/FloweyIsNotAGoodLifeCoach'' doesn't just have [[Main/Understatement the title itself]], but the chapters are named in incredibly silly ways, such as ''it looks more like a garamond to me but no one asked me'', ''apology spaghetti to express the regretti'', and ''you will be [[spoiler:KILLED BY DEMON]]''.

* ''Al Capone Does My Shirts'' is a deceptively childish title for a book which explores issues such as family and living with an autistic sibling.

In the examples, please list what the book is actually about in addition to the title and what it might refer to. Books that actually are silly obviously do not fit this trope. For this reason, it tends to be used in works running on SurpriseCreepy.

* ''Fanfic/HowToSexVolFourToFiftyEight'' 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:

* ''Manga/BananaFish'' sounds like pure WordSaladHumor, but it's actually a ConspiracyThriller infamous for its dark subject matter and its numerous TearJerker moments. "Banana Fish" is the name of a FantasticDrug within the story, and a reference to "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" by Creator/JDSalinger.