History Main / JokeTitleRealRole

** PlayedWith in [[https://stancarey.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/cyanide-and-happiness-explosm-grammar-nazi-comic-strip.png one strip]]. A literal GrammarNazi appears in front of two men, who start begging for their lives. The Grammar Nazi starts dragging one away, and he says "Our grammar was correct! Why me?!" to which the Grammar Nazi replies "[[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Because you're a Jew]]."

* In [[Recap/TheOwlHouseS1E14ReallySmallProblems Episode 14, Season 1 of]] ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', Eda is arrested by the actual, official Fun Police of a carnival fair where she was running a con. They dress in clown costumes complete with makeup and gag accessories, [[TheComicallySerious but take their job ''very seriously'']].

*
''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': In the neutral ending where Undyne becomes the ruler of the Underground, if Papyrus is alive, he is appointed "The Most Important Royal Position", which he clarifies is his actual title. His job is to stand around and look cute.

* ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'' features the Vegan Police, who patrol other vegans to make sure that anyone who cheats on their diet has their vegan superpowers revoked. In real life, "vegan police" is used to describe hardline vegans who impose their standards on others and berate them for not matching up.

There are plenty of nicknames and epithets we use, insulting or endearing, to describe people in our day-to-day lives. Some of these can even be rather grandiose: calling someone the "King of [X]," or the "[X] police," or so on and so forth. Everyone collectively understands that this is just hyperbole, and that it's not a real position.

This is most often PlayedForLaughs as a JokeAndReceive, where someone sarcastically mentions the joke title, and the real role is revealed to exist shortly after. For example, Alice says that Bob should change his outfit because his jacket clashes with his shoes. He [[TemptingFate tempts fate]] by asking "What are you gonna do, call the fashion police on me?" before stepping outside, where he is immediately ticketed by the Fashion Police for crimes against style.

A subtrope of LiteralMetaphor. Compare NotHyperbole, SeriousBusiness, MundaneMadeAwesome, CueTheFlyingPigs, AndImTheQueenOfSheba.

* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'': One famous sketch opens with Creator/GrahamChapman's character being pestered by Creator/CarolCleveland. He gets fed up at her constant questions and says, "I didn't expect some kind of Spanish Inquisition!" Suddenly, a bunch of Spanish cardinals burst in the room while a dramatic orchestral {{sting}} plays, with their leader exclaiming "''NOBODY'' expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

There are plenty of nicknames and epithets we use, insulting or endearing, to describe people in our day-to-day lives. Some of these can even rather grandiose: calling someone the "King of [X]," or the "[X] police," or so on and so forth. Everyone collectively understands that this is just hyperbole, and that it's not a real position.

This is when such a nickname is NotHyperbole in the slightest. It's depicted as an actual title or profession with real authority and responsibilities. The TeamMom isn't just the informal leader of the team, they're the legal guardian of everyone on it. The "fun police" aren't just people who act as buzzkills, they're a real law enforcement agency who have the authority to arrest people who have too much enjoyment in their presence. The KingOfTheHomeless has full legal power over every hobo in his domain. And God help you if you make a typo while you're under the jurisdiction of the {{Grammar Nazi}}s.

This is most often PlayedForLaughs as a JokeAndReceive, where someone sarcastically mentions the joke title, and the real role is revealed to exist shortly after. For example, Alice says that Bob should change his outfit because his jacket clashes with his shoes. He [[TemptingFate tempts fate]] asks "What are you gonna do, call the fashion police on me?" He steps outside and is immediately ticketed by the Fashion Police for crimes against style.