History Main / TalkativeLoon

* Speaking of Stephen Fry, Peter Kingdom's half-sister Beatrice (on ''Series/{{Kingdom}}'' of, course) has been characterized as this. Of course, she's just as likely to be eerily silent.

Talkative Loons can sometimes actually be misunderstood [[WaifProphet Waif Prophets]]; it can be hard to tell the difference between the two. If the talkative loon happens to be a beautiful young woman, she may also be TheOphelia. Occasionally some InfallibleBabble might slip out of them, but SturgeonsLaw applies to the remaining ninety percent, and there's no way to tell which is which.

%%* Jeffrey Goins from ''Film/TwelveMonkeys''.

* [[DependingOnTheWriter Some incarnations]] of ComicBook/TheJoker are like this to some degree. The more harmless versions of the character tend to fall into this a lot, while the DarkerAndEdgier versions use it to [[ObfuscatingInsanity trick their victims into fatally underestimating them]].

* In ''Comicbook/SonicTheHedgehog'', when [[spoiler:Eggman]] goes insane, he tends to do this, combined with a Madness Mantra of [[spoiler:"I hate that hedgehog!"]].

* Dan Rather had a run-in with an assailant who kept asking him [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Rather#.22Kenneth.2C_what_is_the_frequency.3F.22 "Kenneth, what is the frequency?"]]

* Selfdemonstrating/{{Deadpool}}, who ever since losing his sanity ''and'' [[BreakingTheFourthWall gaining knowledge of the reader]], is always rambling to the point of confusing other people.

-->"Diddle diddle fiddle piddle poodle piddle poodle racky sacky [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHtgAUW9zzw want some seafood mama.]]"

* ''[[Literature/SixteenThirtyTwo 1635: The Eastern Front]]'': When [[spoiler:the head of the USE]] gets a severe concussion during a battle, he starts speaking gibberish like this. This sets in motion the events in ''The Saxon Uprising''.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlack'', the telltale sign that [[ExpendableClone a quick clone]] [[ImMelting is about to break down]] is that they begin babbling nonsensically.

* In ''JustForFun/PokemonVietnameseCrystal'', a BlindIdiotTranslation of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokemon Crystal Version]]'', every single NPC is one, especially your rival. They all ramble on about god knows what in sentences full of grammatical errors, spelling errors, and SesquipedalianLoquaciousness.

* In the ''Series/AshesToAshes2008'' finale, [[spoiler: Jim Keats flirts very closely with {{Talkative Loon}}acity. He suddenly gets incredibly chatty and incredibly baffling.]] Likewise, in episode 6 of series 3, [[spoiler: Thordie comes across as either a chatty, deranged Sam Tyler, or a very clever man. Although, you'll have to wait until the finale to find out which.]]

See also WordSaladPhilosophy and {{Cloudcuckoolander}}. If they're the main characters, try ThroughTheEyesOfMadness. A similarly disjointed title is a WordSaladTitle; the musical equivalent is WordSaladLyrics. Can often be caused by [[IntoxicationEnsues Intoxication Ensuing]]. The babble they spit out might include an IceCreamKoan occasionally.

Note that this sort of behavior is [[TruthInTelevision a real symptom of certain real mental illnesses]], particularly schizophrenia (psychiatrists call this kind of talk from a schizophrenic patient "word salad" or "schizophasia") but it is far from universal, even in schizophrenics. In the real world, the insane do not, as a general rule, identify themselves quite so easily and conveniently. Of course, the character exhibiting this might not be crazy at all -- just brain damaged, perhaps suffering from aphasia.

[[folder:Fan Fic]]

[[folder:Film]]

* In ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'', the E. Henry Thripshaw's Disease sketch. "And the thing about saying the wrong word is, A, I don't notice it, and B, sometimes orange water gibbon bucket of plaster."

* Bridge from Series/PowerRangersSPD slips into this from time to time. Sometimes it even seems intentional like when he uses it to interrogate a prisoner. We love him for it.
* Perhaps Exidor on ''Series/MorkAndMindy'' qualifies as well.
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'':
** Stark was a Talkative Loon who later claimed that he was only ''pretending'' to be crazy, though he was still pretty unhinged for the rest of the series.
** Also, the rest of the universe considers Crichton to be one as well, and upon learning that there is an entire planet where he's considered to be normal ("Erp"), Moya's crew resolves to avoid it like the plague.
* In the episode "Signals and Codes" of ''Series/BurnNotice'', Michael is approached by a schizophrenic man named Spencer who, despite being a pattern-seeing computer genius also believes that Michael is a member of a secret group of guardian aliens fighting against the forces of darkness. At the end of the episode [[spoiler: he's on medication and Sam's gotten him a job with a cryptographer friend of his, so the babbling is a bit lessened]]
* Sometimes the Hybrids on ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' just babble: "Mists of dreams drip along the nascent echo and love no more. [[Film/{{Tron}} End of line]]."
** Sometimes they're prophetic: "Find the hand that lies in the shadow of the light. In the eye of the husband of the eye of the cow."
** Sometimes NoFourthWall: "Throughout history the nexus between man and machine has spun some of the most dramatic, compelling and entertaining fiction."
* The people of Trinity struck by [[WellIntentionedExtremist Merlyn's]] plague on ''Series/AmericanGothic1995'' suffered from this as well.
* Arguably, Livia on ''Series/{{Rome}}''. There's a scene where she and Octavian have S/M sex, and once they're finished Livia starts talking. "''I like birds. But I don't like eggs. There's something quite sordid about eggs.''"
** Or she was just bored while Octavian had sex with her. And there is something sordid about eggs. You do know where they come from, right?
* The various shopkeeper/hairdresser/other-occupation characters played by Creator/StephenFry in ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie''. "Good day!" "One of a goodness it is indeed!" is just a start...
** "Mr. Dalliard? Mr. Dalliard, I've gone all peculiar now!"
* Speaking of Stephen Fry, Peter Kingdom's half-sister Beatrice (on ''Series/{{Kingdom}}'' of, course) has been characterized as this. Of course, she's just as likely to be eerily silent.
* [[MonsterClown Papa Lazarou]] on ''Series/TheLeagueOfGentlemen''. He [[AccidentalMisnaming calls everyone "Dave"]], keeps offering to sell you pegs, adeptly speaks [[SpeakingSimlish gibberish]], spouts bizarre non sequiturs like "This is just a saga now," and will haunt your dreams forever.
* ''Actual'' WordSalad is used in ''Series/BostonLegal'', when Alan Shore has a breakdown. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wkZfq86kgY He doesn't even realize he's doing it, and looks up at everyone's confused faces and asks, "What?"]]

* In the ''Series/{{House}}'' episode "Failure to Communicate," a patient finds himself suffering from aphasia after hitting his head, saying a bizarre combination of synonyms, rhymes, loosely-connected words and similar-sounding words instead of the words he intends to say.
-->'''Doctor:''' Do you understand what ''we're'' saying?
-->'''Patient:''' Of golf!

* [[Series/DoctorWho The Doctor]] occasionally comes across as this, particularly the Fourth, Tenth and Eleventh.
** Also, from "The Stolen Earth", Dalek Caan has been reduced to a babbling lunatic, due to [[spoiler: his warping back into the Time War to rescue Davros; the trauma destroyed his mind]].
** Idris from "The Doctor's Wife" does a bit of this. She's not crazy, though; she's just [[spoiler:the soul of the TARDIS trying to get used to being human and having a body.]]
* In the ''Series/AshesToAshes2008'' finale, [[spoiler: Jim Keats flirts very closely with {{Talkative Loon}}acity. He suddenly gets incredibly chatty and incredibly baffling.]] Likewise, in episode 6 of series 3, [[spoiler: Thordie comes across as either a chatty, deranged Sam Tyler, or a very clever man. Although, you'll have to wait until the finale to find out which.]]

* Though one could arguably describe Hawkeye of ''[[Series/{{MASH}} M*A*S*H]]'' of being this all along, [[spoiler: he became this, in spades, for the first few parts of the series' finale. At one point, B.J. realizes Hawkeye's past talking to once he starts rambling about kids' booties]].
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babel_(DS9_episode) An episode]] of ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' has the entire cast succumbing one by one to a virus which causes them to speak this way. At first it's just funny, until they can no longer run the station properly due to being unable to communicate with each other, and it's also revealed that the virus is potentially deadly.
* Omar White from ''Series/{{Oz}}'', although much is insanity and how much is just an inability shut up is open to debate. Even so, the inability to stop talking even when you know what you're about to say is going to land you in trouble is probably indicates some kind of mental problem.
* In the ''Series/MastersOfHorror'' episode "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road", Buddy has clearly lost his mind after being Moonface's captive for so long, joyfully asking Moonface's new victims if they want to sing with him or brought any candy with them before Moonface comes back. [[spoiler:Ellen eventually shuts him up with a well-placed blow to the head.]]
* Woody, the main protagonist of the series ''Series/SunTrap'' has a talent for aggravating people no-end with his incessant nonsense. A recurring theme is that he can get away with almost anything by bewildering anyone in his way. His jabbering has even been weaponized and can cause heart attacks in people suffering from stress, as demonstrated in the final episode of the first season.
* Pappy [=McPoyle=] from ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' is quite obviously insane, as his first appearance consists of him ranting incoherently about how [[ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext all the [=McPoyles=] sprung from his loins]], and although one of his babies tried to eat him, [[EatsBabies he ate him first]]. Things somehow get even weirder the second time he shows up.
* ''Series/TheManInTheHighCastle'': After his capture, [[spoiler:the Man in the High Castle]] produces an endless stream of random gibberish while in his cell, causing the Nazis to wonder if he's actually speaking in code.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In "Comicbook/SonicTheHedgehog",when [[spoiler:Eggman]] goes insane, he tends to do this, combined with a Madness Mantra of [[spoiler:"I hate that hedgehog!"]].

* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeRedemption'' has Dev/Null. "I'm not Dev/Null. I am a rock! Am a rock!"

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphasia#Types Wernicke's aphasia]] is a mental disorder characterized by an inability to understand language, including one's own speech or writing, while the ability to produce language is left intact, resulting in speech that is frequently nonsensical. Individuals who suffer this condition are unable to recognize any form of language-based communication and frequently produce Word Salad which they can neither control, recognize, nor stop.

* The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight from "WesternAnimation/TheTick vs. The Tick"

When a TV character is meant to be completely, irretrievably unhinged, and it's inconvenient (as it would be in 95% of television scenes) to have them exhibit typical deranged behavior such as detached wandering, violent outbursts or obsessive drawing/crocheting/self-mutilation/etc, the general method for conveying their insanity is to have them constantly spout rambling incoherent phrases, e.g. "The avenue is clear and we must use it to convert the extra limbs - not yet though, not until the pastor has been distracted, or do they have the right parts? White fish elephant man which was lettuce matrix!"

See also WordSaladPhilosophy and {{Cloudcuckoolander}}. If they're the main character, try ThroughTheEyesOfMadness. A similarly disjointed title is a WordSaladTitle; the musical equivalent is WordSaladLyrics. Can often be caused by [[IntoxicationEnsues Intoxication Ensuing]]. The babble they spit out might include an IceCreamKoan occasionally.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphasia#Types Wernicke's aphasia]] is a mental disorder characterized by an inability to understand language, including one's own speech or writing, combined with the ability to produce language that is frequently nonsensical. Individuals who suffer this condition are unable to recognize any form of language-based communication and frequently produce Word Salad which they can neither control, recognize, nor stop.