History Main / PreemptiveShutUp

Similar stock responses include "Don't say it," "Don't say a word," and "Not one word." For extra humor, the person being told to shut up is occasionally HeWhoMustNotBeHeard. Compare InnerMonologueConversation.

* ''Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': Pacha tries out various potions to find the one that will turn Kuzco back to a human. After several failed attempts, Kuzco decides to choose which potion to use next. When it turns him into a whale, Kuzco says "Don't you say a word."

* Series/{{Bewitched}} offers:

Alice tells Bob to shut up and he hasn't even said anything. However, she just knows that Bob's about to offer an opinion--or at least that he would be justified in doing so. This is often used to {{lampshade Hanging}} HypocriticalHumor or BlatantLies, or to forestall the obvious answer when Alice has walked into a DoubleEntendre or RhetoricalQuestionBlunder.

* ''Film/BigFatLiar'': Frank to Jason before giving him and girl friend a ride.

Alice tells Bob to shut up and he hasn't even said anything. However, she just knows that Bob's about to offer an opinion--or at least that he would be justified in doing so. This is often used to {{lampshadeHanging}} HypocriticalHumor or BlatantLies, or to forestall the obvious answer when Alice has walked into a DoubleEntendre or RhetoricalQuestionBlunder.

-->-- '''Dr. Evil''', ''Film/AustinPowersInternationalManOfMystery''

Alice tells Bob to shut up and he hasn't even said anything. However, she just knows that Bob's about to offer an opinion--or at least that he would be justified in doing so. This is often used to {{lampshade}} HypocriticalHumor or BlatantLies, or to forestall the obvious answer when Alice has walked into a DoubleEntendre or RhetoricalQuestionBlunder.

* ''Film/AustinPowersInternationalManOfMystery'' has the bit between Dr. Evil and his son, Scott Evil, where Dr. Evil says "Shh" to anything Scott says, including almost trope-naming with "That was a preemptive Shh." Redone in ''The Spy Who Shagged Me'' with "Zip it!".

* Seen in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. Rarity and Fluttershy are both unhappy, but pretending to be excited so as not to hurt the others' feelings, and confide in Twilight. Twilight realizes that just talking would solve everything, but whenever she tries, Pinkie appears out of nowhere and looks threateningly at her.
** In another episode, we see a flashback where a younger, more talkative [[TheQuietOne Big Mac]] repeatedly tries to talk Applejack out of adding to her [[SnowballLie ever growing pile of lies]]. At one point, when he's about to start lecturing her yet again, she unceremoniously stuffs an apple in his mouth.

* '''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': In "Hollywood Daffy," Daffy Duck disguises himself as a movie director to fool the studio gate cop chasing him. Saying he can make the cop a star, Daffy says "What's Errol Flynn got that you haven't got?" Then he turns to us and says "Don't answer that!"

* ''WesternAnmiation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' had Bloo say several preemptive "Shut up"'s to Duchess as he and Mac steal her mattress and bedsheets.

Alice tells Bob to shut up, and he hasn't even said anything. However, she just knows that Bob's about to offer an opinion--or at least that he would be justified in doing so. This is often used to {{lampshade}} HypocriticalHumor or BlatantLies, or to forestall the obvious answer when Alice has walked into a DoubleEntendre or RhetoricalQuestionBlunder.

** In another episode, we see a flashback where a younger, more talkative [[TheQuietOne Big Mac]] repeatedly tries to talk Applejack out of adding to her [[SnowballLie ever growing pile of lies]]. At one point, when he's about to start remonstrating her yet again, she unceremoniously stuffs an apple in his mouth.

* ''Literature/WatershipDown''. When Captain Holly turns up unexpectedly from their old warren, raving mad and on the point of death, Bigwig abruptly shuts off any attempt by the other rabbits to question him, because he needs rest.

* ''Literature/WatershipDown''. ''"Shut up," said Bigwig, before anyone had asked a question.''

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Fan Fics ]]

* [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans Raven]] does this to Beast Boy in [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3990726/17/Adaptation this]] chapter of Adaptation by Cyberwraith9.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

-->'''George''': [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Don't! Say! A word!]]

* ''Film/AustinPowersInternationalManOfMystery'' has the bit between Dr. Evil and his son, Scott Evil, where Dr. Evil says 'Shh' to anything Scott says, including almost trope-naming with 'That was a preemptive Shh'. Redone in ''The Spy Who Shagged Me'' with "Zip it!".
* At one point, Jennifer Jason Leigh's character in ''Film/TheHudsuckerProxy'' gives Tim Robbins an ass-chewing liberally sprinkled with very well-timed {{Preemptive Shut Up}}s every time he starts to open his mouth in his defense.

--> '''Errol:''' Oi, fuckface, was he speaking to you?
--> '''Turkish:''' "Fuckface." I like that. I'll have to remember that, next time I'm climbing off [[YourMom your mum]].
--> '''Brick Top:''' ''(to Errol)'' Not now.

--->'''Agent Carter''': ''[[WhatTheHellHero *breathes in*]]''
--->'''Colonel Phillips''': If you have something to say, right now's a perfect time to keep it to yourself.
** In ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', ComicBook/CaptainAmerica needs to get somewhere with his team. When he runs into slight resistance, his [[LivingLegend presence]] is enough.
--->'''Steve''': Son, just don't.

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Interactive Fiction ]]

* In Graeme Cree and Stuart Moore's [[{{MST}} MiSTing]] of Stan Heller's ''A Fable'', moving east from the first location produces the following response:
-->Max is in bed with his grandfather Willie.\\
'''[=TOM=]:''' Shut up, Crow.\\
'''[=CROW=]:''' Whaaat? I didn't say anything!\\
'''[=JOEL=]:''' Well, just don't.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* Series/{{Angel}} gives one of these to Spike in the episode "Smile Time" when Spike discovers that Angel has become a puppet.

-->'''Sherlock''' ''(examining a crime scene)'': Shut up.
-->'''Lestrade:''' [[LampshadeHanging I didn't say anything!]]
-->'''Sherlock:''' You were thinking. It's annoying.

-->'''Gibbs''': Don't say it, [=DiNozzo=].
-->'''Tony''': I wasn't gonna say anything.
-->'''Gibbs''': Don't think it.
-->'''Tony''': Too late.
* Dorothy gets in a few of these on ''Series/TheGoldenGirls''-usually phrased something like "Not a word, Ma!" or "Shut up, Ma!"

* Quote Beckett, in an episode of ''Series/{{Castle}}'', as they break into a guy's van, in which he's busy using a large saw to break into a safe: "Take your hand ''off'' [[AccidentalInnuendo your tool]], Marco!" (beat) (To Ryan and Eposito, who are trying not to crack up:) "Shut up."

-->'''Dean:''' Umm--
-->'''Death:''' Shut up, Dean. I'm not here to tie your shoelaces every time you trip.

-->'''Potter''': "Hawkeye, before Major Houlihan tells me to tell ''you'' to shut up, ''shut up''."
* ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'': Dan is blasting the girls for hurting Roseanne's feelings (took her to a beauty salon under the guise of being nice for Mother's Day when in fact they just wanted permission to go to an out of town concert). Becky sasses him, Dan snaps at her to "shut up", then turns to Darlene and declares, "and just to get it out of the way, you shut up too!"

[[folder: Stand-Up Comedy ]]

* Earlier in a show, Creator/EddieIzzard talks briefly about Prince Philip and his tendency to say un-PC things (specifically, to a group of British students in China, "Don't stay here too long or you'll end up all slitty-eyed."). Later on, he's brought up again, this time [[ItMakesSenseInContext among the Greeks hiding inside the Trojan Horse]]:
--> "Uh, hello. Oh! Have they gone? Oh, damn. Uh, we were just cleaning up. Yeah! I'm Agamemnon, this is Ajax, and this is Prince Philip of England. (beat) Don't say a bloody word! Do NOT say..."
* Creator/BillCosby criticizes a mother demanding an answer to a question she asks, then tells the answerer to shut up when they try to respond:
-->'''Bill as mother:''' Day and night, night and day, work my fingers to the bone, and for what?\\
'''Bill:''' I don't--\\
'''Bill as mother:''' [[PunctuatedForEmphasis SHUT.]] ''[[BigShutUp UP!]]'' When I ask you a question, ''you keep your trap shut''! You think I'm talking just to hear myself ''talk?! ANSWER ME!!''

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'', Lili gives one to Raz after he grimaces because of her ranting about a comic book.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

* [[http://www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.php?s=28 This]] SequentialArt.

[[folder: Web Original ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* Seen in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. Rarity and Fluttershy are both unhappy, but pretending to be excited so as not to hurt the others feelings, and confide in Twilight. Twilight realizes that just talking would solve everything, but whenever she tries, Pinkie appears out of nowhere and looks threateningly at her.
* From the ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' special "Summer Belongs to You":
-->'''[[HarmlessVillain Dr. Doofenshmirtz]]:''' I know what handcuffs are, I'm not an ''idiot''! ''(glares at [[TheSpeechless Perry the Platypus]])'' And not one word out of you!

-->'''Phineas''': Labryinths should be cool, fun, and exciting! Ferb..."
-->'''Ferb''': ''(holds up a hand)'' You don't even need to say it.

-->"What was that for?"
-->"For saying 'I told you so'!"
-->"But I didn't!"
-->"Well you were gonna!"
* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' episode, ''Picking Up Margaret''
--> '''Margaret''': Wait, are you sure you want to give me a ride and not because someone bet you could or...?\\
'''Mordecai''': Pfft, What? C'mon! When have I...(Rigby starts to say something behind him, Mordecai instantly points to him without looking) ''BE QUIET!''

[[folder: Real Life ]]