History Main / NotInTheFace

* ''TheSimpsons'' - Moe yells this at an ''eagle'' while it's attacking him. It apparently understands, as it starts [[GroinAttack pecking his crotch instead]], prompting him to yell "Back to the face! Back to the face! Oh, that actually feels good after the crotch."

* At one point in ''AmericanPsycho'' Patrick Bateman chases a hooker though the apartment and tries to eat her leg. She kicks him in the face and being a self absorbed yuppie he screams at her "Not the Face!"

* [[{{Spaceballs}} My hair! You shot my hair!]] [[DramaticGunCock chk-chk]] [[BerserkButton Son of a bitch!]]

* [[{{Spaceballs}} My hair! You shot my hair!]] [[DramaticGunCock]] [[BerserkButton Son of a bitch!]]

* [[{{Spaceballs My hair! You shot my hair!]] [[DramaticGunCock]] [[BerserkButton Son of a bitch!]]

-->'''Tulio:''' ''(whispers frantically)'' Not the face, not the face...
-->''(TheRoadToElDorado, during the deliberate {{Flynning}} scene with Miguel, both using rapiers)''

A character does not want to be struck or injured in a certain manner. They could have a low pain tolerance in general, or they may be able to take punishment, but not ''that'' specific punishment.

Most of the time, the character gets hit in the face anyway.

Often subverted when it turns out that the character's pleas were just BriarPatching all along.

Can involve, but doesn't demand, AHandfulForAnEye.

Compare OwMyBodyPart, OhGodWithTheVerbing.

Not to be confused with [[OrificeInvasion actually going inside the face]].

-->'''Punisher''': Face it is, then.
-->'''''BANG'''''

-->'''Buddy:''' Not in the face!
-->'''Taggart:''' (punches him in the stomach)
-->'''Buddy:''' Thank you. (collapses)

-->Hallenbeck: (to the friend his wife is having an affair with) Head or gut?
-->Matthews: Gut. (Cue the punching)
[[indent:50:And at the end of the movie...]]
-->Hallenbeck: (to the ingrate Senator whose life he helped save) Head or gut?
-->Sen. Baynard: Huh? (Gets punched in the face ''and'' the gut)

* ''[[TenThingsIHateAboutYou 10 Things I Hate About You]]'': When Bianca punches a [[JerkAss very deserving]] [[BrainlessBeauty Joey]] in the face, he howls "Shit, Bianca, I'm shooting a nose-spray ad tomorrow!"

-> ''"Now before we do this, let's go over the ground rules. Rule number 1: "No touching of the hair or face." And that's it! Now let's do this!''

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

-->'''Alex:''' Punch with your left, protect your face with your right.
-->'''Cristina:''' No, protect your hands. Your surgeon hands. Your face can heal.

[[AC:ProfessionalWrestling]]

[[AC:RealLife]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

-->Not the face!
* ''Super PunchOut'': Narcis Prince is, as his name suggests, overly protective of his beautiful face. Punching him there pushes his BerserkButton - while also making him easier to knock out.

* Variant: In the ending cinematic of FinalFantasyVI, Mog is literally hanging by a hair after being saved from a BottomlessPit, but he still cries: "Not the hair!"

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* Arthur's [[strike:{{catchphrase}}]] battlecry on ''TheTick''.

* In the BillyAndMandy Christmas special, Grim requests the vampire elf bats attacking him (long story) to not target his face.
* MegasXLR, it tends to come from Gorrath's [[NumberTwo second in]] command near immediately after he [[COmmanderContrarian calls out his superior's commands.]]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* ''RedVsBlue''. The reds have Tex captured, and they unload her ammo (the game engine didn't allow people to be unarmed). Grif taunts Tex finding out that she's a girl.
--> '''Tex:''' Hey, punk. I don't need a weapon to kill you.
--> '''Grif:''' Yeah, right. What're you gonna do, punch me?
--> ''Tex silently motions towards Grif''
--> '''Grif (hastily stepping back):''' AAAARGH! Not the face!
* Before this occurs, Simmons gets hit in the back of his head, stating 'Oh geez, the back of my head!'. When Church goes back in time, Simmons wakes up only to get hit in the face, this time saying 'Oh geez, the front of my face!'.

[[AC:Webcomics]]

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[[{{Collar 6}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Not_in_the_face_2_6919.jpg]]
[[caption-width:305:Even in a world of bondage, no one likes being hit in the face.]]

Not to be confused with [[OrificeInvasion going inside the face]]. Can involve, but doesn't demand, AHandfulForAnEye. See also OwMyBodyPart.

* ''[[TenThingsIHateAboutYou 10 Things I Hate About You]]'': When Bianca punches a [[JerkAss very deserving]] [[BrainlessBeauty Joey]] in the face, he howls "Shit, Bianca, I'm shooting a nose-spray ad tomorrow!"

Not to be confused with [[OrificeInvasion going inside the face]]. Can involve, but doesn't demand, AHandfulForAnEye.

* Although he never openly ''said'' anything of this nature, [[Batman Tim Drake]] occasionally worried about this when out superheroing - mainly because having visible bruises invited questions.

* This is one of [[TalesOfSymphonia Zelos]]'s 'ouch' phrases.

* ''Super PunchOut'': Narcis Prince is, as his name suggests, overly protective of his beautiful face. Punching him there pushes his BerserkButton.

{{AC:Webcomics]]

[[{{Collar 6}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/not_in_the_face_8343.jpg]]
[[caption-width:300:Even in a world of bondage, no one likes being hit in the face.]]

[[caption-width:345:Even in a world of bondage, no one likes being hit in the face.]]

'''Tulio:''' ''(whispers frantically)'' Not the face, not the face...
''(TheRoadToElDorado, during the deliberate {{Flynning}} scene with Miguel, both using rapiers)''

Invariably, the character gets hit in the face anyway.

* On ''{{Friends}}'' when Ross and Chandler are going to fight the couch bullies, they agree to no face attacks, 'cause they all have work on Monday.