History Main / InventionPretension

* In an early episode of ''BoyMeetsWorld'', we meet, for the first time, Shawn's father Chet, who makes a pathetic attempt to hide what a bum he is by making a number of audacious claims, including claiming to have invented {{CNN}}.

* ''TheTwilightZone'' TOS episode "Hocus-Pocus And Frisby". Frisby claims (among other things) that he invented the rear-engine automobile for Henry Ford.

* In ''RomyAndMichelesHighSchoolReunion'', the eponymous characters try to compensate for their lack of achievement by claiming at the eponymous reunion that they invented Post-Its. HilarityEnsues.

* In ''TheWaterboy'', when Bobby asserts that Ben Franklin invented electricity, his mother retorts "''I'' invented electricity! Ben Franklin is the devil!"

* In ''ReignOfFire'', Quinn and a friend are reenacting the climax of Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack for the children (who were all born after the disaster and so never saw the actual film). After they finish, a starry eyed little boy asks Quinn if he wrote it. Quinn thinks for a moment, and then says "[[SureWhyNot of course I did.]]"
* A deleted scene from ''OutCold'' has [[TalkativeLoon Stumpy]] claiming he invented snowboarding.

* Variation: In ''Tell-All'' by ChuckPalahniuk, Lilly Hellman loves to take credit for lots of historical achievements like saving Apollo 13 (I think), especially once anyone who was actually there has died and cannot contradict her. Heck, she made a musical out of her false life story.

* In the {{Mockumentary}} about TheRutles, ''The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash'', a New Orleans bluesman by the name of Ruttling Orange Peel claims to have come up with all of The Rutles' music. Someone else who is close to him, however, calls him a liar and insists that just last week he also claims to have started The Everly Brothers, Frank Sinatra, and Lawrence Welk (all while Ruttling repeatedly insists "I did!")

* N. Brio in ''[[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot Crash: Mind Over Mutant]]'' continuously claims he's invented pretty much everything due to Cortex stealing credit for his Evolv-O-Ray several games ago.

* N. Brio in ''[[CrashBandicoot Crash: Mind Over Mutant]]'' continuously claims he's invented pretty much everything due to Cortex stealing credit for his Evolv-O-Ray several games ago.

* In ''TheFairlyOddParents'', Cosmo claims to have invented oxygen to fit in at a party. [[RefugeInAudacity He then tries to charge the guests for using it.]]

* In ''{{Archer}}'', the titular character, Sterling Archer, claims to have invented turtlenecks (or at least their use as ideal clothing for covert ops).

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* Can't remember the name, but I've seen a scene in a comic where two guys are trying to pick up girls, one of them claiming his buddy invented {{Facebook}} (or similar).

* In ''RomyAndMichelesHighSchoolReunion'', the eponymous characters try to compensate for their lack of achievement by claiming they invented Post-Its.

* In one episode of ''{{Seinfeld}}'', Jerry and George are trying to convince Elaine of the lengths men will go to to get a woman to date them.
->'''George Costanza:''' ''"Elaine, I once told a woman that I coined the phrase.... "Pardon my french"."''

* In ''[[NineteenEightyFour 1984]]'', The Party invented everything, even airplanes.

* In ''ReignOfFire'', Quinn and a friend are reenacting the climax of TheEmpireStrikesBack for the children (who were all born after the disaster and so never saw the actual film). After they finish, a starry eyed little boy asks Quinn if he wrote it. Quinn thinks for a moment, and then says "[[SureWhyNot of course I did.]]"

* Granddaughter Stinky from ''[[Game/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space]]'' makes absurd claims if you inquire about anything in her restaurant, which also has signed photos by no others than Jesus, Madre Teresa, Mahatma Ghandi and other equally-improbable clients.

* [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} King Steve]] from ''EightBitTheatre'' enjoys this. Right up to claiming he built his hundreds of years old castle and the concept of inventing itself

* ''TheSimpsons''

* I can't remember what it was from... but I think it was an old Nickelodeon sitcom. There was an Asian girl who mentioned that her ancestor invented chopsticks. When asked about it she said it wasn't the eating utensil, but the song.
** CaliforniaDreams

* In {{Archer}}, the titular character, Sterling Archer, claims to have invented turtlenecks (or at least their use as ideal clothing for covert ops).

* In {{Archer}}, the titular character, Sterling Archer, claims to have invented turtlenecks.

[[AC:{{Religion}}]]
* Christian Fundies like to claim that other religions are simply ripping off TheBible. {{FSTDT}} has one such example [[http://www.fstdt.com/QuoteComment.aspx?QID=14335&Page=1 here.]]

* Can't remember the name, but I've seen a scene in a comic where two guys are trying to pick up girls, one of them claiming his buddy invented {{Facebook}} (or similar).
* Christian Fundies like to claim that other religions are simply ripping off TheBible. {{FSTDT}} has one such example [[http://www.fstdt.com/QuoteComment.aspx?QID=14335&Page=1 here.]]
* In ''TheFairlyOddParents'', Cosmso claims to have invented oxygen to fit in at a party. [[RefugeInAudacity He then tries to charge the guests for using it.]]

* ''TheSimpsons'': when Homer made the family join [[ChurchOfHappyology the Movementarians]] all the answers in school were like this, which is how they were able to covert Lisa.
-->'''Mrs. Krabappel:''' And who can tell me where thunder and lightning come from? Yes, Bart?\\
'''Bart:''' The Leader, ma'am.\\
'''Mrs. Krabappel:''' Very good, Bart! And who invented Morse Code?\\
'''Bart:''' Oh, I should know this one... the.. the Leader?\\
'''Mrs. Krabappel:''' Ah, correct again!

* Granddaughter Stinky from ''[[Game/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space]]'' makes absurd claims if you inquire about anything in her restaurant, which also has signed photos by no others than Jesus, Madre Teresa, Mahatma Ghandi and other equally-improbable clients.
* N. Brio in ''[[CrashBandicoot Crash: Mind Over Mutant]]'' continuously claims he's invented pretty much everything due to Cortex stealing credit for his Evolv-O-Ray several games ago.
--> Greetings, little peons which I invented, you see before a glorious history of evil devices that ''I'', ME... Invented. Over time, the disgusting heroes of this world, which ''I'' invented! ME! Not Cortex! Read your bible, I wrote it!... Heroes like lazy bandicoots just leave these wonderful toys to rot where they fall... But Dr. Cortex, who said he invented many things, LIAR!... Says "Hurry! Build me a space head and many NV devices!" So, I have invented... Recycling!
* In ''TheSimpsons'', Grampa Simpson claims to have invented the toilet and kissing (as a new means of spreading germs).
* Variation: In ''Tell-All'' by ChuckPalahniuk, Lilly Hellman loves to take credit for lots of historical achievements like saving Apollo 13 (I think), especially once anyone who was actually there has died and cannot contradict her. Heck, she made a musical out of her false life story.
* [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} King Steve]] from ''EightBitTheatre'' enjoys this. Right up to claiming he built his hundreds of years old castle and the concept of inventing itself

* In ReignOfFire, Quinn and a friend are reenacting the climax of TheEmpireStrikesBack for the children (who were all born after the disaster and so never saw the actual film). After they finish, a starry eyed little boy asks Quinn if he wrote it. Quinn thinks for a moment, and then says "[[SureWhyNot of course I did.]]"

-->--''Dr. Evil, [[AustinPowers Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery]]''

----

!Examples:

* Can't remember the name, but I've seen a scene in a comic where two guys are trying to pick up girls, one of them claiming his buddy invented {{Facebook}} (or similar);

* In the FairlyOddParents, Cosmso claims to have invented oxygen to fit in at a party. [[RefugeInAudacity He then tries to charge the guests for using it.]]
* In ''[[NineteenEightyFour 1984]]'', The Party, invented everything, even airplanes.

-->Krabappel: And who can tell me where thunder and lightning come from? Yes, Bart?
-->Bart: The Leader, ma'am.
-->Mrs. Krabappel: Very good, Bart! And who invented Morse Code?
-->Bart: Oh, I should know this one... the.. the Leader?
-->Mrs. Krabappel: Ah, correct again!

* Granddaughter Stinky from Sam&Max: Beyond Time and Space makes absurd claims if you inquire about anything in her restaurant, which also has signed photos by no others than Jesus, Madre Teresa, Mahatma Ghandi and other equally-improbable clients.

* In addition to the page quote, Dr. Evil also claimed he wrote the song "What if God was One of Us" when in the 1960s, though in this case nobody was skeptical of the claim because, well, it was the 1960s.

* I can't remember what it was from... but I think it was an old Nickelodeon sitcom. There was an Asian girl who mentioned that her ancestor invented chopsticks. When asked about it she said it wasn't the eating utensil, but the song. Not quite sure if it qualifies.

* In {{Discworld}}, the author mentions in asides or footnotes that various things are invented in wacky ways. For example, he might mention that killing someone with a blunt instrument was invented by Harry Blunt-Instrument. Being that {{Discworld}} is run by the TheoryOfNarrativeCausality, he's probably right, at least in the {{Discworld}} universe.

->Krabappel: And who can tell me where thunder and lightning come from? Yes, Bart?
->Bart: The Leader, ma'am.
->Mrs. Krabappel: Very good, Bart! And who invented Morse Code?
->Bart: Oh, I should know this one... the.. the Leader?
->Mrs. Krabappel: Ah, correct again!
Y In an early episode of ''BoyMeetsWorld'', we meet, for the first time, Shawn's father Chet, who makes a pathetic attempt to hide what a bum he is by making a number of audacious claims, including claiming to have invented {{CNN}}.