History Main / TensionCuttingLaughter

* There are several occasions in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels when the narrator notes that characters are laughing at not-very-funny lines because people who thought they were about to die will laugh at ''anything''. In ''Discworld/TheTruth'', Sacharissa's TensionCuttingLaughter lasts too long, and William realises the tension isn't cut at all, and this is "[[DieLaughing the kind of laughter you die from]]".

* ''Manga/BlackLagoon''. Balalaika's EvilLaugh (possibly [[LaughingMad insane laugh]]) does this for the three-way MexicanStandoff in ''Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise''. Balalaika had just been saying that when you have a gun to your head you'd better come up with a reason why you shouldn't die, or find a way to humor the person doing so. Fortunately Rock achieves the latter.

* In ''ComicBook/JohnnyTheHomicidalManiac'', there's a scene where Devi and Nny are on a date. Devi jokes about killing Nny and leaving his dead body. Both fall silent, but after a moment they both laugh.

* Found at the beginning of ''Film/BatmanReturns''. [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Max Shreck]], a villain, and [[Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} Selina Kyle]], his secretary, break out in this after Max makes like he's going to choke her to death. After the laughter subsides, he [[DestinationDefenestration pushes her out of the 45th floor window]].
* In ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'', when Jack Ryan, Captain Bart Mancuso and Seaman "Jonesy" Jones arrive aboard the titular sub, there is dead silence as the Americans and Russians stare at one another. But when Ryan accepts a cigarette from one of the Russian officers, he coughs while smoking (earlier, he'd explain that he doesn't smoke, repeatedly turning down cigarettes), which amuses the Russians and soon eases the tensions between both sides.

* There are several occasions in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels when the narrator notes that characters are laughing at not-very-funny lines, because people who thought they were about to die will laugh at ''anything''. In ''Discworld/TheTruth'', Sacharissa's TensionCuttingLaughter lasts too long, and William realises the tension isn't cut at all, and this is "[[DieLaughing the kind of laughter you die from]]".

* On one episode of The Daily Show, after showing news footage of a republican criticizing the President for cheering upon learning of someone's death, Stewart quipped, "He's cheering the way you would when the doctor tells you "It's benign."
* In ''Series/BreakingBad'', Tuco is the master of this....[[HairTriggerTemper and then beating someone to death anyway.]]

-->'''President Bartlet''': Oh man Leo. When I think of all the work you put in to get me to run, when I think of all the work you put in to get me elected...[[BaitAndSwitchComment I could pummel your ass with a baseball bat]]. (''Leo and the President both burst into laughter'')

** Subverted when Tryion and his sellsword Bronn encounter the Mountain Clans. Shagga asks Tyrion how he wants to die. Tyrion replies "At the age of 80, with a bellyfull of wine and a girl's mouth around my cock." Shagga gives a short laugh and Tyrion starts to smile...[[HaHaHaNo then Shagga]] tells his clansmen to kill Bronn and capture Tyrion, who has to resort to some fast negotiating to convince them otherwise.

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': In "Rocks and Shoals", the crew has been shot down and crash landed on a hostile world in Dominion space. As they make their way from the ship, O'Brien starts shouting in frustration.

* In ''Webcomic/KnightsOfBuenaVista'', Mary mentions she likes GoingFurASwim, but then her boyfriend Bill says that's a private thing between then. [[http://elsaletyoufinish.tumblr.com/post/90881450883/kobv-frozen-0017 His sister Adriana then]] notes that Mary [[PrettyInMink let her borrow most of her furs]], making Adriana think she wore clothes that were worn when having sex with her brother. After [[BrainBleach Adriana said she was going to be sick]], Mary insisted nothing like that happened; Bill just took pictures while she wore those. After Adriana snaps [[DiggingYourselfDeeper that isn't helping]], Dick just snarks that they should stop whining about their "first world problems", and then jokes that Mary could at least share those pictures. Mary and Adriana some much needed laughter from that.

* In ''Videogame/Yakuza1'', during a dramatic face-off with Kiryu at the batting cages, Majima's villainous monolgue is interrupted when the pitching machine beans him in the head with a ball. After an awkward silence, Majima laughs it off, with the rest of his henchmen joining in. [[SubvertedTrope But then]] he notices one of his men isn't laughing and [[MoodSwinger flies into a violent rage.]]

Laughter is a reaction normally associated with good humor, shared insight, and merriment being had. Other times, it signals that you are not going to get shivved in the back. TensionCuttingLaughter is that second kind, the kind that says "Ah, so the Don ''doesn't'' think [[TheInformant I'm a rat selling him out to the Feds]]" or "So Bob ''isn't'' going to [[OverprotectiveDad kick my ass for insulting his daughter]]" or even simply "Mary ''does'' get I was kidding about [[TropeyComeHome selling her cat on]] EBay." It is akin to an exhale of relief after a particularly tense bit of drama has been wound up, the source of which is usually a misunderstanding.

* In ''Videogame/Yakuza1'', during a dramatic face-off with Kiryu at the batting cages, Majima's villainous monolgue is interrupted when the pitching machine beans him in the head with a ball. After a awkward silence, Majima laughs it off, with the rest of his henchmen joining in. [[SubvertedTrope But then]] he notices one of his men isn't laughing and [[MoodSwinger flies into a violent rage.]]

* The infamous forced laughter scene from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' is in the spirit of this.

* ''Series/{{Angel}}''. Wesley suffers ConflictingLoyalties when he finds a prophecy that Angel will kill his own son. After spending the entire episode wrestling with his conscience and consulting an oracle in the [[ItMakesSenseInContext shape of a fast food hamburger]], Wesley starts to laugh after hearing Angel talk about how much he loves his son.

-->'''Wes:''' "Life. Life is funny. Listening to stupid people talking to hamburgers is funny. Worrying about things that will never... It's all so incredibly funny and...and beautiful.

Compare {{Corpsing}}, where an actor inadvertently starts laughing during a serious scene.

* In ''[[{{Deryni}} Deryni Rising]]'', though the protagonists are anticipating trouble from Charissa at Kelson's coronation, there's some larking about whilst dressing for the ceremony. Morgan strikes a pose in his finery and Duncan calls him conceited, wagging a finger in the role of scolding priest, whereupon both men burst out laughing, Morgan holding his sides and Duncan collapsing into a chair. [[LampshadeHanging The chapter's epigraph is "For surely laughter masks a nervous soul."]]

* In ''TheWestWing'' - in the first season episode "[[Recap/TheWestWingS01E03AProportionalResponse A Proportional Response]]", President Bartlet has been angry all episode about the fact he doesn't think their response to Syria shooting down a plane and killing everyone on board (including the President's physician) has been strong enough. Finally, right before the President is scheduled to go on network television, Leo [=McGarry=] and the President argue it out in private, and though passions are running high, Leo manages to convince the President they're on the right course. Then the President says this:

* In ''JohnnyTheHomicidalManiac'', there's a scene where Devi and Nny are on a date. Devi jokes about killing Nny and leaving his dead body. Both fall silent, but after a moment they both laugh.

* ''Manga/BlackLagoon''. Balalaika's EvilLaugh (possibly [[LaughingMad insane laugh]]) does this for the three-way MexicanStandoff in ''Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise''. Balalaika had just been saying that when you have a gun to your head you'd better come up with a reason why you shouldn't die, or find a way to humor the person doing so. Fortunately Rock does the latter.

[[folder:ComicBook]]
* In ''JohnnyTheHomicidalManiac'', there's a scene where Devi and Nny are on a date. Devi jokes about killing Nny and leaving his dead body. Both fall silent, but after a moment they both laugh.

* In [[HorusHeresy Galaxy In Flames]], Fulgrim is raging to Horus about the latter's orders, with Horus trying to flatter him into obeying. After a terse pause, Fulgrim breaks out laughing and points out he knows what Horus is trying to manipulate him but it's working anyway.

Laughter that deflates the tension built up over a scene or sequence.

* In ''Webcomic/KnightsOfBuenaVista'', Mary mentions she likes GoingFurASwim, but then her boyfriend Bill says that's a private thing between then. [[http://elsaletyoufinish.tumblr.com/post/90881450883/kobv-frozen-0017 His sister Adriana then]] notes that Mary [[PrettyInMink let her borrow most of her furs]], making Adriana think she wore clothes that wore worn when having sex with her brother. After [[BrainBleach Adriana said she was going to be sick]], Mary insisted nothing like that happened; Bill just took pictures while she wore those. After Adriana snaps [[DiggingYourselfDeeper that isn't helping]], Dick just snarks that they should stop whining about their "first world problems", and then jokes that Mary could at least share those pictures. Mary and Adriana some much needed laughter from that.

* Done famously in ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}'' after a prolonged scene where [[HairTriggerTemper Tommy DeVito]] (JoePesci) appears to be offended at being called "funny" by Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), his rage visibly building over the course of several minutes. A bit of a twist in that it is Ray Liotta who breaks the tension.

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' - near the end of season four, Series/{{Angel}} visits Sunnydale to try and mend fences after a falling out with Buffy on his own show. Instead, he gets in a LetsYouAndHimFight with her new love interest. When Buffy asks what he was trying to do, he replies "I was trying to make things better" and they both crack up.
** In [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E22Grave the season six finale]], Buffy tells Giles the ways the Scoobies have stuffed up in the half-season since he left, ending with "And I've been sleeping with Spike." She then looks nervous as she waits for Giles to tear strips off her...only for Giles to burst into laughter. After a moment Buffy can't help but join him.
* In ''TheWestWing'' - in the first season episode "A Proportional Response", President Bartlet has been angry all episode about the fact he doesn't think their response to Syria shooting down a plane and killing everyone on board (including the President's physician) has been strong enough. Finally, right before the President is scheduled to go on network television, Leo [=McGarry=] and the President argue it out in private, and though passions are running high, Leo manages to convince the President they're on the right course. Then the President says this:

* In ''Series/GameOfThrones'', there's a very tense scene when Robb Stark, who's risen to patriarch of his House very young due to the murder of his father, is struggling to maintain the loyalty of his bannermen, who see him as a "green boy". An argument with BoisterousBruiser Greatjon Umber leads to a dagger being drawn and Robb's wolf biting off two of the man's fingers.
-->'''Robb:''' My father told me it was death to bare steel against your liege lord. Doubtless Lord Umber merely meant to cut my meat for me. \\

* ''WebAnimation/TurnaboutStorm'': The massive laughter coming from the courtroom after [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Dash's]] EmbarrassingOldPhoto is shown almost makes forget the fact that she was going to be declared guilty just a few seconds ago. Of course, this being ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'', MoodWhiplash strikes again quickly.

* In ''GameOfThrones'', there's a very tense scene when Robb Stark, who's risen to patriarch of his House very young due to the murder of his father, is struggling to maintain the loyalty of his bannermen, who see him as a "green boy". An argument with BoisterousBruiser Greatjon Umber leads to a dagger being drawn and Robb's wolf biting off two of the man's fingers.

Laughter that deflates the tension built up over a scene or sequence. You've SeenItAMillionTimes.

Can be a source of MoodWhiplash, doubly so if the Tension-Cutting Laughter is followed by the revelation that the one laughing ''actually'' '''is''' taking everything seriously.