History Main / IDoNotSpeakNonverbal

Whether it is animation or live action, animators and actors go to great lengths to make their characters expressive and emotions believable; otherwise, they may end up making the character [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry verbalise its emotions]]. Sometimes, though, characters will be unable to perceive what the spectator can, even if it's rubbing their nose. Facial cues? Voice inflection? Grunts? Contortions? None of these will tell them anything if you can't speak.

* Played with in one episode of EdEddNEddy. Eddy is trying to use some sort of hand signals to communicate a plan to his buddies. [[CloudCuckooLander Ed]] gets all excited and responds with incredibly over-the-top pantomime. Eddy nods and claims "Let's go!" This seems to be one big aversion, until [[LampshadeHanging Double D says,]] "Oh like any of that really meant anything!"

-->'''Timmy's Dad''': (''to Timmy'') You are the '''WORST''' charades player ever! (''windmills his arms'') This is not a bunny rabbit. (''hops up and down'') This is not a fudgesicle. (''pretends to row a boat'') And how is ''this'' ''GhostbustersII''!?

* ''{{Enchanted}}'': The cute talking chipmunk finds his voice has gone upon arriving in the real world. He resorts to highly impressive and detailed mime; cue Prince Edward completely failing to grasp the point.

* Despite the extent to which CourageTheCowardlyDog will go to try and nonverbally warn of impending danger (even sometimess ''shapeshifting'' into ominous images), [[TooDumbToLive Muriel]] is never able to figure it out (and often [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter implicitly trusts obviously threatening people]]), while [[{{Jerkass}} Eustace]] just angrily dismisses and occasionally physically or mentally abuses him.

* In an episode of {{Charmed}}, Paige is voiceless and Phoebe can't hear. Phoebe is amazingly unable to understand anything Paige communicates to her.

* {{Stargate SG-1}}'s 300th episode, ''300'', has an invisible Jack O'Neill frustrated at his teammates "ignoring" his hand gestures.

* ''ChickenLittle'':

* In ''ThirtyRock'' Liz is trying to get Tracy to repeat the story she told his wife about his absence. Specifically, that his pet snake had got sick and he had to take it to the vet, which as one might imagine is difficult to convey in motions. However, he does it perfectly, so she nods her head and gives him a thumbs up.

* In ''[[Discworld/{{Sourcery}} Sourcery]]'', it is remarked that Rincewind is not very good at nonverbal communications.

* {{Stargate SG-1}}'s 300th episode, ''300'' has an invisible Jack O'Neill frustrated at his teammates "ignoring" his hand gestures.

* The scene from the ''Extras'' Christmas special where Andy has Maggie pretend to be his PA. The "OK" sign, for example, is interpreted as, "He's an asshole... er, he plays darts all the time?"

* Shizune Hakamichi from the VisualNovel ''KatawaShoujo'' is deaf and communicates primarily through Sign Language, presumably Japanese Sign Language. This leads to obvious communication problems that are a major frustration for her. Combine this with the fact that she is by her very nature, very ambitious and competitive and she comes across to many people (including a good portion of the player base) as pushy and abrasive. This tends to further aggravate the problem.

* Despite the extent to which CourageTheCowardlyDog will go to try an nonverbally warn of impending danger (even sometimess ''shapeshifting'' into ominous images), [[TooDumbToLive Muriel]] is never able to figure it out (and often [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter implicitly trusts obviously threatening people]]), while [[{{Jerkass}} Eustace]] just angrily dismisses and occasionally physically or mentally abuses him.

* Played with in one episode of EdEddNEddy, Eddy is trying to use some sort of hand signals to communicate a plan to his buddies. [[CloudCuckooLander Ed]] gets all excited and responds with incredibly over-the-top pantomime. Eddy nods and claims "Let's go!" This seems to be one big aversion, until [[LampshadeHanging Double D says,]] "Oh like any of that really meant anything!"

* Most forms of sign language used by Deaf people involve the use of facial expressions to convey subtlties of meaning. To the point where specific expressions have specific meanings. So much so that one of the biggest frustrations that many deaf people have when dealing with hearing people, is that they are not expressive enough to undersand them.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' uses a variant: There's an alien race whose facial cues are so subtle (and the body language involves scent) that other races are completely incapable of interpreting it. They've adapted, though, and often say how they're stating something when dealing with other races.
** To elaborate, they sound almost exactly like Eeyore and say what emotion they are expressing at the beginning of a sentence. For example, imagine Eeyore saying: "Fearful surprise. Why are all of you aiming your guns at me."
*** And then you hear [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCO_UsyhL9o a news story]] about how some rich eccentric is putting on a production of ''{{Hamlet}}'' with the cast consisting entirely of said species.
---->"[[SarcasticConfession Insincere endorsement]]: you have not experienced [[WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]] until you have heard him in the voice of elcor."
*** In some cases at least, the emotion statement seems to be added in by their translator software. Which has caused at least one elcor to get GenreSavvy about it:
---->'''Asari:''' Wait, did you hack your translator so you could control your kinetic language processing?
---->'''Elcor:''' With a sincerity such that skepticism would be insulting: No.
* Shizune Hakamichi from the VisualNovel ''KatawaShoujo'' is deaf and communicates primarily through Sign Language, presumably Japanese Sign Language. This leads to obvous communication problems that are a major frustration for her. Combine this with the fact that she is by her very nature, very ambtious and competitive and she comes across to many people (including a good portion of the player base) as pushy and abrasive. This tends to furthur agravate the problem.

* ''CountDuckula'' has Nanny, who takes everything literally.
* In ''TheSimpsons'', Homer Simpson does it on more than one occasion:

* ''MassEffect'' uses a variant: There's an alien race whose facial cues are so subtle (and the body language involves scent) that other races are completely incapable of interpreting it. They've adapted, though, and often say how they're stating something when dealing with other races.

* In ''GoodOmens'', a misunderstood wink leads to the newborn Antichrist being given to the wrong family, and HilarityEnsues. Though this might be more of a case of one character being TheDitz.

* ''{{Enchanted}}'': The cute talking chipmunk finds his voice has gone upon arriving in the real world, he resorts to highly impressive and detailed mime, cue Prince Charming completely failing to grasp the point.

*** And then you hear [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCO_UsyhL9o a news story]] about how some rich eccentric is putting on a production of ''Hamlet'' with the cast consisting entirely of said species.
---->[[SarcasticConfession Insincere endorsement]]: you have not experienced Shakespeare until you have heard him in the voice of elcor.

---->'''Asari''': "Wait, did you hack your translator so you could control your kinetic language processing?"
---->'''Elcor''': "With a sincerity such that skepticism would be insulting: No."

* In ''[[{{Ptitlehpgydodt1jb7}} The Adventures of Dr. McNinja]]'', Doc's secretary Judy is a gorilla who communicates in sign language. Since Doc doesn't understand sign language, he [[RunningGag invariably misunderstands her]].

-->'''Homer:''' ''([[{{Beat}} beat]])'' It's a ring toss game.

----

-->'''Marge:''' Well, DUH!

-->'''Homer:''' It's a ring toss game.
-->'''Chief Wiggum:''' All right, that's it, I'm shutting this game down.

-->'''Silent Bob:''' The sign! On the back of the van! Said "Critters Of ''Hollywood''!", '''YOU DUMB FUCK!'''

* In ''{{Eyeshield21}}'', Komusubi only speaks in "Powerful-ese", the language of powerful men. Which means the only members of the main cast who understand him are his [[SempaiKohai Sempai]] Kurita - and, presumably due to RuleOfFunny, [[TeamMom Mamori]].
** This is important at one point in the story, when Kurita doubts his strength so much that he can no longer understand Komusubi.

* In [[Discworld/Sourcery Sourcery]], it is remarked that Rincewind is not very good at nonverbal communications.

**** Which, y'know, an utterly alien body language barrier is an incredibly justified reasoning for this trope.

** Autism is a somewhat different beast, there is pure non-verbal learning disability stuff which tends to be more manageable. Though this troper, despite being a non-verbal, never had that much trouble with that. It was more subtle things like distance to stand from someone, understanding when to jump into a conversation and just forget being able to participate in the sex conversations or crack dirty jokes, just forget it. The few times non-verbal or autism has been invoked in this troper's experience, it's almost never been handled right. Law and Order: Trial by Jury did a reasonable job in its episode dealing with Aspergers syndrome in portraying what can happen if Aspergers isn't properly dealt with and managed but even then it was heavy handed. In general, it's a complicated issue that requires years of work to overcome and is still visible in many cases if you know what to look for.

** Tact?
** "It goes beyond tact, or simple manners. It's the ability to read your audience and instinctively know, as soon as you see them, 'Here are people who will not enjoy my dildo anecdote.'"
** It might help to know nunchi means something like "eye for situations".

<<|LanguageTropes|>>

* In ''GoodOmens'', a misunderstood wink leads to the newborn Antichrist being given to the wrong family. HilarityEnsues.

*** And then you hear a news story about how some rich eccentric is putting on a production of ''Hamlet'' with the cast consisting entirely of said species.