History Main / ItsNotYouItsMe

* On ''BoyMeetsWorld'' Shawn says this to Cory when they "[[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything break up]]" their friendship in the episode appropriately titled "It's Not You, It's Me".

* In the third season finale of ''TheMentalist'', "Strawberries and Cream," FBI agent Craig O'Laughlin uses this line on his fiancee, CBI agent Grace Van Pelt, [[spoiler:''just before trying to kill her''. She and Teresa Lisbon get the drop on him and kill him instead.]]

* Subverted and inverted in ''EuroTrip.''

* Jacob does this in the film version of ''NewMoon'', when he tries to distance from Bella after discovering he's a werewolf.

'''Shinji'''That has to be the stupidest thing I ever heard"''

[[AC:Fan Fiction]]

->''Why do I blame you, when it's me I can't forgive?''
-->--'''Music/{{Metallica}}''', "The Unforgiven III"

%% One quote is sufficient. Any additional quotes go to its own subpage.

* Played straight in ''Film/HotTubTimeMachine'', when Adam dumped his girlfriend. [[spoiler: And also in the AlternateTimeline, when ''she'' dumped ''him'' (which she was gonna do in the original timeline anyway).]]

* In the Swedish comic ''ComicBook/{{Rocky}}'', the titular character's girlfriend tells him that there are a couple thing she needs to talk with him about. Rocky, being GenreSavvy, predicts that the breakup clichés are going to pile up, and correctly enough, his girlfriend proceeds to tell him that "I don't know what I feel anymore" and "I need to be alone for a while", after this she, with tears in her eyes, asks him to say something, and he simply answers "You forgot 'It's not you. It's me'!"

* ''TheITCrowd'' plays with this when Douglas discovers that his TemporaryLoveInterest is a {{Transsexual}}:

->'''Gwen:''' I'm sorry, George.\\
'''George:''' I don't understand, things were going so great. What happened? Something must have happened.\\
'''Gwen:''' It's not you, it's me.\\
'''George:''' You're giving me the "it's not you, it's me" routine? I ''invented'' "it's not you, it's me"! Nobody tells me it's them not me; if it's anybody, it's me!\\
'''Gwen:''' All right, George, it's you.\\
'''George:''' You're ''damn'' right it's me!
-->--''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''

* ''TheGodsOfArrKelaan'' played this with a God dismissing his High Priest
* The [[http://www.leasticoulddo.com/comic/20030211 second strip]] of ''LeastICouldDo'' combines this with BrutalHonesty and JerkAss.
* Spoofed in ''SomethingPositive''. "It's not you, it's me. I don't want to be involved with a pussy."

* This is [[InvertedTrope inverted]] in ''WapsiSquare'' where this phrase is used to [[http://wapsisquare.com/comic/10212004/ start a relationship.]] The inversion is then promptly [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded.]]

->''"Why do I blame you, when it's me I can't forgive?"''
-->--Music/{{Metallica}}, "The Unforgiven III"

Usually, when true, it's because the breaker-upper has a BigSecret. For example, in season one of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Buffy breaks up with a guy because his craving for excitement/death wish would probably get him killed if he kept hanging around Buffy. Sometimes, "[[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies It's my enemies]]." Other times it's the LastHetRomance for a newly out of the closet character.

However in other cases (especially in a SitCom), it becomes "Oh, who I'm kidding? It's you!" But the reasoning may be shallow and superficial - see MinorFlawMajorBreakup.

-->'''[[{{Gonk}} Lola:]]''' Thanks. In the end, you've done everything for us!! We could never hope to repay you, even with a lifetime of thanks!! I'll offer to marry you.\\
'''[[{{Cyborg}} Franky:]]''' You're one hell of a catch, but I'm so friggin' super, I'm out of your league, babe.

* Mixed with [[spoiler: SinsofOurFathers]] in Anime/MawaruPenguindrum, when [[spoiler: Shouma cuts off contact with his friend/love interest Ringo, as his family has connections with the incident in which her older sister Momoka died.]] [[spoiler: Subverted later: after a certain incident in an ''onsen'' with Ringo and Yuri, the contact is re-taken.]]

* ''[[Anime/YoureUnderArrest You're Under Arrest!]]'' plays this straight in episode 33, when [[DaChief Kachou]] reveals why he doesn't reciprocate Natsumi's feelings for him:

* {{Oblomov}} to Olga.

* Used repeatedly on ''SexAndTheCity'', in both of the ways described above. One scene showed the same bland guy being dumped by a series of women using the exact same lines.

* Played straight in ''Film/HotTubTimeMachine'', when Adam dumped his girlfriend. [[spoiler: And also in the AlternateTimeline, when ''she'' dumped ''him'']].
* Jacob does this in the film version of NewMoon, when he tries to distance from Bella after discovering he's a werewolf.

* Mixed with [[spoiler: SinsofOurFathers]] in Anime/MawaruPenguindrum, when [[spoiler: Shouma cuts off contact with his friend/potential love interest Ringo.]]

* While the line isn't actually said, the sentiment is the same in Tomoyo's route in ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'', where Tomoya (temporarily) breaks up with her after being convinced that she's too good for her and he's only holding her back (her being TheAce and StudentCouncilPresident and him being a delinquent.)

However in other cases (especially in a SitCom), "It's you." But the reasoning may be shallow and superficial - see MinorFlawMajorBreakup.