History Main / MediumAwareness

* In one episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' (back when there were only 151 of the things), one of Team Rocket's elaborate plans to capture Pokémon is foiled early, so they instead [[InstantKnots wrap the target Pokémon with some whips]] and begin easily tugging them away from their owners. Cut to this brilliant piece of dialog:

* In the point and click adventure ''TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland'', Guybrush has to find a ship and crew, but as soon as they set sail the crew decides to mutiny and just laze about sun-bathing instead of doing their duties on ship. If you use the parser to perform the action "USE PIRATES" on the crew, Guybrush responds that "they're not the only ones being used around here."
** In [[MonkeyIsland2 the sequel]], [=LeChuck=] captures Guybrush and chains him up into an AcidPool DeathTrap. Guybrush can ask [=LeChuck=] [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim why he didn't just shoot him when he came in]]. His answer? [[SpoiledByTheFormat "Because we had an extra disk."]]

* AmbushBug can interact with his writers and editors, walk between pages and panels of his book, and comment on the lives of other characters from an "out of universe" perspective. One time {{Zatanna}} tries to cast a spell on him, and he asks why the words in her speech balloons are backwards. She bursts into tears.

** In college, something happens to Yui at some point, making her punctual, not snackish, focused, and uncomfortable with being clung to. Ritsu feels for lumps, thinking maybe she hit her head, since that's what would happen if it were a manga. Mio says is ''is'' a manga.

A subtrope of BreakingTheFourthWall (really, more like [[ScreenTap Tapping On The Fourth Wall]]). Compare with other {{metafictional device}}s, particularly PaintingTheMedium, which uses {{Paratext}} and artifacts to tell the story, and ReadingAheadInTheScript which is exactly what it sounds like.. LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn is a specific inversion. FourthWallObserver is what happens when a particular character has this on full-time and the rest do not. See also GenreSavvy (which doesn't involve the FourthWall) and NoFourthWall.

See also EndOfSeriesAwareness, another specific subtrope.

** [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/000414c The newly created Protoman can't recognize the frig, because it's just a gray rectangle.]]

* Also, on the first page of episode 3 of ''IchigoMashimaro'' before even the episode's title page:

* This happens constantly several of Ai Yazawa's works, such as ''Manga/GokinjoMonogatari'' and ''ParadiseKiss'' (manga-version only). Characters complain about lack of lines or comment on other characters' thought bubbles. She has also used it in ''Kagen no Tsuki'' and ''TenshiNankaJaNai'', albeit in a less over-the-top way.

** Furthermore, S Andrew Swann's Proposal for SCP-001 is that [[spoiler:higher level staff are becoming aware that their universe is a work of fiction, going by the messed up, often contradictory backstory of the foundation and the SCPs therein.]]

* In the ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' Carl, Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Major Monogram both seem to notice they're in a show.
* In ''VideoGame/TheSims'', sims seem to be aware of the green plumbob that marks the player-controlled sim. They will occasionally discuss it, and it appears on their national flag.
** They also show themselves to be aware of being controlled when any needs are low - turning to the 'camera' to wave and call out for attention.
* The fourth wall only appears when convenient in ''NoMoreHeroes''. Travis is willing to do some pretty stupid stuff [[CutscenePowerToTheMax only during cutscenes,]] and the characters actively work to stop the game from getting an AO rating and becoming [[VideoGame/DukeNukemForever No More Heroes Forever.]]
* ''{{Yo-Jin-Bo}}'' likes to go around BreakingTheFourthWall. The guys like to tease Mon-Mon about de "Voyage to the Bottom of Buford", [[NameAndName the eponymous characters]] have already got a submarine built and ready to use, prompting this conversation:

* {{Thank God You're Here}} does this sometimes, particularly when Shaun Micaleff is on. In one sketch he enters a scene looks at the fourth wall and audience and says to another character, "I love what you've done with the place, you've had this wall taken out and all these people put in."

* In one episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' (back when there were only 150 of the things), one of Team Rocket's elaborate plans to capture Pokémon is foiled early, so they instead [[InstantKnots wrap the target Pokémon with some whips]] and begin easily tugging them away from their owners. Cut to this brilliant piece of dialog:

** Team Rocket pretty much did this every episode early in the series. And there were one hundred fifty ONE Pokemon, derp.
*** One hundred fifty '''two''', since Ho-Oh appeared in the very first anime episode.

*** Similarly, "If you change over to ITV, there's a slight chance it could cause the world to explode"

* Nyarlathotep of ''LightNovel/HaiyoreNyarkoSan'' demonstrates a degree of awareness, addressing the audience at a few scattered points throughout the anime. Most prominent is the first episode of the second season, where she [[InfoDump introduces]] classmates [[ClassRepresentative Yoichi]] and [[HotScoop Tamao]] directly to the viewers...only for [[OnlySaneMan Mahiro]] to ask what the hell she's doing, as we see she's (apparently) talking to the blackboard.

* Every time a character in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf]'' is [[ImagineSpotting aware of someone else's]] [[ImagineSpot daydream]], they look ''up'' at the panel containing said daydream. And comment on it.

* Every time a character in ''[[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'' is [[ImagineSpotting aware of someone else's]] [[ImagineSpot daydream]], they look ''up'' at the panel containing said daydream. And comment on it.

** In one issue, the book's editor, Renee, kidnapped JohnByrne and locked him BoundAndGagged in a closet so she and She-Hulk could find a new writer for the book. The issue ended with She-Hulk [[SelfDeprecation accidentally killing Byrne]].

* Similar to the ''Thumb Wars'' example above, in ''ACloneApart'', the following exchange is the first dialogue we hear:

* In DCComics SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker from ''{{Batman}}'' can interact with speech and thought bubbles, grabbing hold of or leaning on them. This is most likely part of the idea - also used to partially explain Deadpool - that Joker is so insane that he has become aware of things other characters have not.

*** In [[Film/{{Batman}} the movie]], he talked to himself a few times, serving the same narrational purpose, but preserving the [[SeriousBusiness seriousness]].

--->'''Lisa:'''Don't worry Bart. It seems like every week something odd happens to the Simpson family. My advice is to ride it out, make an occasional smart-Aleck quip and by next week we'll be back to where we started from, ready for another wacky adventure.

* In ''[[ComicBook/LeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen League of Extraordinary Gentlemn: Century]]'', psychogeographer Andrew Norton seems to not only be aware he's in a comic (telling a baffled League that he enjoyed the second volume) but that he's in a comic that mashes up characters from literature, calling Orlando "the new Vita" (Vita Sackville-West was the inspiration for Creator/VirginiaWoolf's ''Orlando'') and referring sarcastically to HarryPotter fans.

!!Examples:

In the Naruto spin-off Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals the characters constantly interact with the narrator and he appears to be a non canon character made specifically for the show. In one episode the plot revolves around the narrator being ill and finding a suitable interim replacement (Rock Lee with poor results)

[[folder:Film]]

** In ''TheMuppetMovie'', Kermit would explain his situation to other characters he had just met by giving them a copy of the script.
** ''TheGreatMuppetCaper'' also has many Medium Awareness moments, beginning with the main characters watching and commenting on the opening credits, and continuing with numerous self-aware comments:

** ''MuppetTreasureIsland'' also uses this to amusing effect. At one point the rats--who have been treating the boat as a cruise ship--are touring the titular island. The tour guide comments that this is setting of the film "Muppet Treasure Island."

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'': WillSmith's character describes another character to Carlton as "The dude who be spinning me over his head in the opening credits"

* Disney's direct-to-DVD film ''MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers'' does this when Captain Pete finishes his VillainSong - as he sings the final triumphant note, the orchestral accompaniment disappears. He looks around bewildered and asks, "Why'd the music stop?"
** Also, whenever he mentions the Opera where he plans to [[spoiler: kidnap Princess Minnie and arrange for an impostor to abdicate the throne to him,]] an operatic fanfare is heard as the camera cuts to a poster of the opera. Pete seems to be aware of the fanfare, and says the third time, "That little ditty's starting to grow on me."

''(No, this isn't about when [[IThoughtItMeant a character realizes they've met an oracle]], or [[IncrediblyLamePun pays the usual amount of attention]].)''

* In the ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' episo[[/note]] that imply they know about the player's control over Gordon.

* The ''{{Franchise/Buildingverse}}'' in general. It's a 'verse of {{Meta Fic}}s with questionable fourth wall hardness. Main characters begin at the level of MetaGuy and {{Fourth Wall Observer}}s are not rare either (verse native charcters might go lower, but it's hard to keep insisting on being real after your [[WithFriendsLikeThese friends]] showed you your movie/book/etc.). For direct examples: James fixing his and Javet's speechbubble icons (''{{Webcomic/Roommates}}''), Sarah complainng about the [[WebcomicTime day going on for [P]ages]] (''Webcomic/GirlsNextDoor'') etc..