History Main / ThisIsReality

* In ''Film/TheCrow'' after T-Bird recognizes Eric Draven as the man him and his buddies killed a year ago, he keeps repeating this. It comes across as VillainousBreakdown combined with GoMadFromTheRevelation that either his sanity has taken a leave or reality isn't what he has believed his whole life.

** Earlier in the part, Kakyoin dismisses Polnareff's claims that the stand they were currently fighting is in a mirror world by saying that "This isn't some kind of fantasy or comic book"...when they both have invisible GuardianSpirits, just got done fighting a man that can change the direction of bullets on the fly, and also faced/fought (In no particular order) a beetle, a sea monster, an orangutan, and a doll (at least in Polnareff's case).

* In ''VideoGame/{{Homescapes}}'', Chloe, dismayed by her fear of heights, the dark and wild animals, comments that [[LawyerFriendlyCameo Laura the Explorer]] isn't afraid of anything. Austin replies that this is because Laura is a character in a book.

* ''VideoGame/IWasATeenageExocolonist'': If Flulu sits down to talk with Sol about their rebellious attitude in their late teens, she emphasizes that surviving Vertumna "isn't some holovid high school drama", but a matter of life or death.

* In the second mission of ''VideoGame/SplinterCellChaosTheory'', Lambert warns Sam of a recently installed alarm system. Sam then says "Don't tell me: three alarms and the mission is over?" to which Lambert replies "Of course not! This is no video game, Fisher!". Besides being a meta-joke, this also had the purpose of letting the player know that the old "three alarms and game over" rule had been removed.
* During the first codec conversation between Snake and Otacon during Act 2 of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', Otacon wonders anxiously whether Vamp is immortal. Snake dismisses this notion immediately, stating "Not a chance. This is the real world, not some fantasy game." As it turns out [[spoiler: Vamp's healing factor is technologically enhanced, allowing him to regenerate wounds from bladed weapons in seconds and recover from a bullet wound to the head in a few seconds more. This explanation distracts everyone, most players included, from the fact that his regeneration ''itself'' is never explained; we saw it work less efficiently, without the enhancement, in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty''.]]
** Snake seems to be forcing himself into a state of genre blindless; in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', he fought more than one supernatural enemy. In ''[=MGS2=]'', he brushes off Fortune's ability to have bullets curve away from her with the line "There's no such thing as a witch." [[spoiler: It turns out he's right in this case and her ability is completely technological, but he has no way of knowing that going in.]] In ''[=MGS4=]'', he dismisses anything that seems supernatural as some sort of magic trick, not just Vamp. [[spoiler: He's actually right in some cases; Screaming Mantis can't possess a fly. What she ''can'' do is use the nanomachines in people to manipulate their bodies. On the other hand, Screaming Mantis is also just a shell possessed by Psycho Mantis, Snake's psychic enemy from the first game, who actually comes back to possess [[AnimatedArmor Screaming Mantis' armor]] once you defeat her in combat.]]
** This is especially jarring, since the first three ''[=MGS=]'' games go out of their way to exaggerate the fact that they ''are'' fantasy video games. Characters [[HeKnowsAboutTimedHits actually talk about game mechanics as character development]], among other things -- like the whole thrust of the plot of ''[=MGS2=]''. The previous games also had psychics, shamans, human-plant hybrids, human hornets nests, electrokinetics, and a ghost. Even this game still has a few fourth-wall breakages, like [[spoiler:Otacon referencing the disk-change point when you return to Shadow Moses Island]].
** [[MindScrew And it becomes even more mind-numbing]] when you take into account the canonical state of VR missions in the series. Raiden in ''[=MGS2=]'' becomes quickly disillusioned when he suddenly can’t tell the difference between the game’s actual events and the VR missions he did as part of his training. [[VideoGames As if there is an actual difference.]]
* Near the end of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', the villainous Lord Saddler mocks Leon's determination to save [[LivingMacGuffin the President's daughter]] and stop his evil plan because life isn't "one of your Hollywood movies."
** [[WrongGenreSavvy Humourously]], everything after he makes this comment plays out ''exactly'' like a cheesy Hollywood movie: Saddler goes OneWingedAngel, [[StuffBlowingUp Leon blows him up with a rocket launcher]], [[LoveInterestTraitor Ada swoops in and betrays Leon for the sample]] [[PetTheDog but leaves him with the keys to a jetski so he can escape]], [[CollapsingLair the island starts blowing up]], Leon and Ashley OutrunTheFireball down a tunnel and only narrowly make it, and the story ends with Ashley flirting with Leon while they go off RidingIntoTheSunset.
* In ''Beneath a Steel Sky'', your robot sidekick Joey gets hold of a new weapon (a welding torch) and rants about going out to zap some humans. The main character brings up Creator/IsaacAsimov's Three Laws of Robotics, to which the annoyed robot replies "That's fiction, Foster!" He then proceeds to roll around chanting "[[Series/DoctorWho EX-TER-MIN-ATE! EX-TER-MIN-ATE!]]" (Don't worry. He's a RobotBuddy)

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': At one point in a chat message with the rest of the Phantom Thieves, discussing who ought to be the next target for their HeelFaceBrainwashing [[InternalReformist social reform crusade]], you have the option of suggesting "An evil overlord." If you do, Ryuji will reply saying, "Dude, this ain't some kinda video game!" [[spoiler:As it happens, you do actually end up fighting such a figure later in the game. Additionally, the whole plot is referred to as a game created by fake Igor, pitting the MC against Akechi.]]

* In ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'', pedestrians will occasionally shout "This isn't one of your stupid video games! This is real life!" as they jump out of the way of your speeding car.
* In ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'', when the xel'naga artifact is assembled, Tychus is worried that it might upset the entire space-time continuum, which prompts Raynor to assure him that "this ain't science fiction". [[spoiler: Since that same artifact can kill all zerg in a certain radius every once in a while and...mostly...de-infest Kerrigan, really, Tychus' fear of its potential isn't too much more ridiculous.]]
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' (which also makes uses of NotAGame), the possessed Ultimecia kills the dictator Vinzer Deling and then comments "This is reality. No one can help you. Sit back and enjoy the show."
* ''VideoGame/OracleOfTao'': Those words aren't used, but the are numerous examples of this. For example, thanks to some coding, there is RealTime in addition to an InUniverseGameClock. The party insists that the clock that shows the ''real time'' is off, and has no problems accepting the game time.
* Near the beginning of ''Shin Megami Tensei VideoGame/Persona3'' Mitsuru gives the warning, "This isn't a game, Akihiko." As though that would stop him anyways...

* In ''TabletopGame/SpaceHulk - Vengeance of the Blood Angels'', your squad regularly report on what they can see or hear (or smell). One of the lines is admonishing another marine, telling them that "this is not a game".
* In ''VideoGame/{{The Dig|1995}}'' after being taken to an alien planet on a FasterThanLight starship, IntrepidJournalist, Maggie Robbins, says:
-->'''Maggie:''' After all those bad TV shows, here is the real proof. There ''is'' alien life!
* In the Dubai mission of ''VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon'', performing a certain [[AirstrikeImpossible Dogfight Mode]] maneuver will make your wingman chatize the player character's recklessness, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNCgxnaeFM8 adding]] "This ain't ''Ace Combat'', bro." Which actually makes perfect sense, since AH takes place in the modern world, so the other Ace Combat games would exist in-universe.
* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'', a codec conversation in Pakistan has Kevin rule out the use of an infiltrator [[spoiler: on board Air Force One to assassinate the US president]] as foreign press would not be allowed on board the plane in reality, "not like in the movies."
* In ''VideoGame/Tekken6'', Jin sometimes says "This is reality" as UnsportsmanlikeGloating after defeating an opponent.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', Loghain delivers one of these to King Cailan before the Battle of Ostagar:
-->'''Loghain:''' Your fascination with glory and legends will be your undoing, Cailan. We must attend to reality!
* ''VideoGame/EightEyes''[='=] instruction manual actually says "This is reality!" after noting the game's aversion of VideoGameLives.
* In ''VideoGame/UntilDawn'' this is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28mlABjOc6E said by Mike to Jess]] when Jessica mentions [[spoiler:she saw a bear opening a car door on the Internet after they think a bear chased them to the cabin]].
* In ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange'', Max tells Chloe about her powers, to which Chloe replies, "This isn't anime or a video game; people don't have these powers, Max!"
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel II'' opens with protagonist Rean Schwarzer awakening from [[AsleepForDays a month long sleep]] and wondering if he's dreaming. Pretty much the first thing [[spoiler:Celine]] tells him is that "This is reality. Cold, cruel reality."
* ''VideoGame/TheDarksideDetective'': When trying to obtain access to a shut down subway station, [=McQueen=] and Dooley consider leaping the ticket barrier, but decide their insurance won't cover it and they'd better crawl underneath instead. [=McQueen=] complains that police work doesn't include the fun stuff that happens in movies.
* The intro for ''VideoGame/TravisStrikesAgainNoMoreHeroes'' features Travis Touchdown BreakingTheFourthWall to address [[SequelGap his long absence]], drawing his rival Badman's ire.
-->'''Badman''': YOU BASTARD! Quit trying to butter up the gamers! Your fight is here in the ''real'' world! SON OF A BITCH!
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'', [[Franchise/ToyStory Buzz]] rejects the notion of worlds being split apart, saying that this is reality, not a video game, in a universe where toys come to life and move around on their own.
* In ''Homescapes'' Chloe, dismayed by her fear of heights, the dark and wild animals, comments that [[LawyerFriendlyCameo Laura the Explorer]] isn't afraid of anything. Austin replies that this is because Laura is a character in a book.

* In the ''Literature/GoosebumpsHorrorLand'' book ''Weirdo Halloween,'' the protagonist asks her friend, a sci-fi nerd, for help with the alien who's invaded her life.

* From the ''Literature/{{Tempest}}'' novel ''Tempest Unleashed'': "I might be in the middle of a war with an evil sea witch, but ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' really was just a Disney cartoon. Real life in mermaid territory was much more treacherous than Ariel could ever have imagined."

* A snippet of dialog from ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'':
-->'''Greg:''' Can't he just... [[Franchise/StarTrek beam up]]?\\
'''Elliott:''' This is ''reality'', Greg.

* In ''Film/MyFavoriteYear'', washed-up actor Alan Swann (played, with magnificent appropriateness, by Peter O'Toole) proposes that he and his minder, Benji, use a fire hose to climb down the outside of a building and crash a party being thrown by the parents of the girl Benji likes. Benji protests to no avail, finally snapping.
-->'''Benji Stone''': That was the movies! This is ''real life''!\\
'''Alan Swann''': What is the difference?
* ''Film/TheBoondockSaints'': In a sense, this is an [[InvertedTrope inversion]]. Usually, the character is contrasting RealLife and fiction, declaring that they are not in a work of fiction (and causing the audience to chuckle). Smecker, on the other hand, has just unwittingly ''likened'' RealLife to fiction (since a trope that only happens in "bad television" has just popped up). His intended point is that the killers were unprofessional -- though if he followed his own logic, he might have realized that they are, in fact, in a work of fiction.
-->'''Agent Smecker:''' Television is the explanation for this. You see this in bad television. Little assault guys creeping through [[AirVentPassageway the vents]], coming in through the ceiling? That ''Film/JamesBond'' shit ''never'' happens in real life! ''Professionals'' don't do that!
* Played straight in ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/AttackOfTheClones'', where Padme tells Anakin that "we live in the real world; come back to it." Which is smashed to bits by her following line: "You're studying to become a Jedi Knight, I'm a senator."
* Played straight, but intended for subtle humor according to the filmmakers, in ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock'', where the following exchange takes place.
-->'''Obnoxious Cadet:''' What, have you lost all your sense of reality?\\
'''Uhura:''' This isn't reality. ''[points a phaser at him]'' This is fantasy.
* In what may be a case of the fiction [[Website/TurkeyCityLexicon protesting too much]], the film ''Film/TheBourneUltimatum'' seeks to remind us again and again that "you couldn't make this stuff up", "this isn't some story", and so on.
* In ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'', Lone Starr yells "Welcome to Real Life!" to the Princess, when she complains that she has to carry her own luggage. Minutes later, the movie's villains use a copy of the movie itself to track them down.
* In ''Film/{{Network}}'', Max reminds Diana that this isn't one of her television drama scripts, it's real life.
* Near the end of ''Film/DialMForMurder'', GenreSavvy thriller author Mark is desperate to save Margot from being executed and comes to her husband Tony with an idea he's worked out of how Tony could claim he had been trying to kill Margot and spend a few years in jail in exchange for saving her life. Unknowingly, he proceeds to outline almost the exact same plan that Tony actually used. Tony says that nobody would believe a story like that.

* In ''Film/KissKissBangBang'', the two lead characters are being walked, at gunpoint, into a nearby building. One of them starts [[SeinfeldianConversation talking to his friend]] and fellow hostage about the difference between movies and reality. Specifically, how in the movies anyone you turn a gun on is a hostage, whereas in real life, the professionals like to keep a distance of at least five feet, lest the "hostage" take the gun and "make them eat it". He then proceeds to do exactly that.
* '' Film/IdentityTheft'': Our body-snatcher explains what happens to Matt (now in Karen's body).
* A favorite line of the main character in ''Film/InTheMouthOfMadness'' is that "This is reality." He's wrong [[spoiler: on more levels than you can count as he is not only a character in a movie where a book is controlling reality but a character in a movie who is part of a mind warping movie which is revealed to be the movie that you are watching. With a small chance that he's just hallucinating and it's still not real.]]
* In ''Film/SilverStreak'', Gene Wilder is surprised at how quickly his gun runs out of bullets. Richard Pryor comments "What do you think this is, a western?" Since the movie itself is not a western, this could also be a genuine fourth wall breaking comment.
* {{Inverted|Trope}} in ''Film/{{eXistenZ}}'', which has several [[SchrodingersButterfly "nested" realities]] thanks to people playing a virtual reality game that uses all of one's senses. Hence, the characters might be playing the game, then in the game start playing the game, then in that game start playing the game to further something in the "earlier" level of the game. When finally all the strangeness "resolves" in TheReveal, the shock causes one minor character to comment: "Wait, we're still in the game, right?" So maybe this is not reality.
* ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' began with Jor-El declaring "This is no fantasy -- no careless product of wild imagination." He was referring to the conspiracy between General Zod and his cohorts, but the line also plays as a wink at the audience.
* In ''Film/WhateverWorks'', the main character has NoFourthWall, which his pals doubt.
* Claimed by a character in ''Film/Cube2Hypercube''.
-->''"This isn't a game, Kate. There is no happy ending."''
* In ''Film/{{Super}}'', one of Sarah's friends accuses her of acting as if she lives in TV because she plans to marry Frank (who later dresses as a superhero from influence of TV and comic books).
* Near the end of ''Film/{{Hugo}}'', Papa Georges sadly states that [[spoiler:he knows his automaton was destroyed]], because "happy endings only happen in the movies". Cue Hugo running off to get it, because this ''is'' a movie, and there ''is'' a happy ending.
* A hilarious example from the 1991 movie ''Film/TheHardWay''; Nick Lang (Michael J. Fox), an action-adventure star parody of ''Franchise/IndianaJones'', is doing research for a gritty cop movie by following John Moss (James Woods), a hard-boiled detective. At one point, Moss can't take it anymore:
-->'''John Moss:''' We live this job. It's something we are, not something we do! Every time a cop walks up to a car and has to give a speeding ticket, he knows he may have to kill someone or be killed himself. That's not something you step into by strapping on a rubber gun and riding around all day. You get to go back to your million dollar beach house and your bimbos and your blow jobs and you get 17 takes to get it right. We get one take. It lasts our whole lives. We mess it up and we're dead.\\
'''Nick Lang:''' ''[holding up a tape recorder]'' Fuck was that great! John. Look. Can you just say that one more time for me, please? John.
** Later becomes an IronicEcho when, in the [[ShowWithinAShow completed movie]], Lang's character uses the last line of Moss' speech.
** As a veteran actor that has made many action movies, Lang warns Moss that the serial killer he's investigating will come after him as it's the Third Act. Moss laughs off the warning, as "real criminals stay well away from the police". The killer being not entirely sane, that's exactly what he does.
** Nick manages to give the Party Crasher a TapOnTheHead on the climactic battle, only for the Crasher to be too tough for ''one'' tap to work, and so he turns, yells "this is ''not'' a movie, asshole!" and shoots Nick in the shoulder.
* In ''Film/Blade1998'', Blade tells Karen that crucifixes and holy water are ineffective against vampires and advises her to "forget what you've seen in the movies."
* The {{Tagline}} for ''Film/SuperMarioBros1993'' is "This ain't no game... it's a live-action thrill-ride!"
* ''Film/{{Swordfish}}'' starts with Creator/JohnTravolta's character talking to a group of Feds and complaining about Hollywood making predictable, unrealistic movies. One of his main concerns is that bad guys never get off scot-free, whereas, in RealLife, this is a strong possibility. Except, [[spoiler:in ''this'' film, they do get off scot-free. Specifically, they survive and use their ill-gotten gains to finance their counter-terrorist operations]].
* In ''Film/TheCableGuy'', As Chip is holding Robin hostage on the satellite tower:
-->'''Chip:''' You've gotta admit though, this is a pretty cool place for an ending.\\
'''Steven:''' An ending to what?\\
'''Chip:''' It's like that movie ''Film/GoldenEye''.\\
'''Steven:''' No it's not. It's not like anything. This isn't a movie. This is reality. There's a difference.
* ''Film/{{Serenity}}'' has [[NoNameGiven The Operative]] pull this after he [[CurbStompBattle beats the crap out of]] Mal. He's WrongGenreSavvy, though.
-->'''The Operative:''' Nothing here is what it seems. He is not the plucky hero. The Alliance is not an evil empire. This is not the grand arena.\\
'''Inara:''' [[DamselOutOfDistress And that's not incense]].\\
''[Inara's flash-bang explodes]''
* ''Film/SpeciesII'': When Colonel Carter dismisses Preston's suggestion on how to track the alien.
-->'''Carter:''' This isn't ''Series/TheXFiles'', goddammit! We're not gonna follow the word of a lunatic.
* In ''Film/TheCrow'' after T-Bird recognizes Eric Draven as the man him and his buddies killed a year ago, he keeps repeating this. It comes across as VillainousBreakdown combined with GoMadFromTheRevelation that either his sanity has taken a leave or reality isn't what he has believed his whole life.
-->'''T-Bird:''' I knew I knew you, I knew I knew you. But you ain't you. You can't be you. We put you through the window. There ain't no coming back. This is the really real world, there ain't no coming back. We killed you dead, there ain't no coming back! There ain't no coming back! There ain't no coming back!
* In ''Film/{{Logan}}'', there were comic books made based on the X-Men's adventures. Logan tells fangirl Laura that they don't reflect reality.
-->'''Logan''':You read these in your spare time? Oh yeah, Charles, we got ourselves an X-men fan. You do know they're all bullshit right? Maybe a quarter of it happens — but not like this. In the real world, people die! And no self-promoting asshole in a fucking leotard can stop it! This is ice cream for bed-wetters!\\
'''Charles:''' Logan...\\
'''Logan:''' That nurse has been feeding her some grade-A bullshit.\\
'''Charles:''' I don’t think Laura needs reminders of life's impermanence.
* In ''Film/SmilesOfASummerNight'', Desirée brushes off Fredrik's suggestion that he hide when the Count shows up by pointing out that they're not on the stage. Fredrik counters that it's a farce all the same.
* Practically said word for word by Anthony in ''Film/SmoshTheMovie'' when Ian suggest they split up like in the movies.
* ''Film/ChanIsMissing'': Jo spends the whole film looking for Chan, who has disappeared. Near the end Jo encounters yet another acquaintance of Chan's. He says wryly that "If this were a TV mystery, an important clue would pop up at this time and clarify everything." Sure enough, the man that he talks to, while saying some interesting things, does not impart any new information that solves the mystery.
* The central theme of the song "Hollywood Ending" from ''Film/AnnaAndTheApocalypse'' is that love isn't anything like it is in fiction, and that no one in "reality" gets a Hollywood ending. In an interesting twist, while they ''are'' in a movie, it's [[ZombieApocalypse not exactly the kind]] where one can get the ending described in the song.
* ''Film/TheRainbowExperiment'': When Sila is trying to get JC to talk about [[spoiler:how the methanol got into the beakers, causing the explosion that almost killed Matty]], she says, "This is like when you watch TV and there's a cop drama. This is like that, only this is your life."
* In ''Film/GlassOnion'' Benoit Blanc frequently points out that even though he is a world-famous PrivateDetective, his cases are nothing like the fiction that people expect.
** When Blanc is first asked to investigate the Disruptors, he warns against unreasonable expectations and explains that he is not Franchise/{{Batman}}. He has no power to punish anybody, and if he does uncover a crime all he can do is provide any evidence to the police and legal authorities to let them make the best case they can.
** Blanc repeatedly insults mystery/crime games since their clear simplicity bears no resemblance to real-life crimes. He points out that ''Clue'' only has a single perpetrator who could have committed the crime, while ''Among Us'' just ends once the impostor is identified. In real-life multiple people have motives and opportunities, and merely identifying the true culprit doesn't prove anything.
* In ''Film/DungeonsAndDragonsHonorAmongThieves'' Simon says this while explaining that magic cannot solve all problems.

* ''Series/{{Castle}}'':

* In General, this is often the reason in TrappedInAnotherWorld series where the protagonist, reincarnated as his/her maxed out character, is vastly overpowered compared to the normal people. As the player was able to grind and try things out without the fear of death, but this being real life for the other world, they cannot just risk their one life so easily.

* In Lawrence Block's ''Literature/TheBurglarWhoPaintedLikeMondrian'', Carolyn states that Archie Goodwin (one of her cats) has been kidnapped. This initially confuses Bernie.

* In ''VideoGame/TheDig'' after being taken to an alien planet on a FasterThanLight starship, IntrepidJournalist, Maggie Robbins, says:

* Several times in ''Fanfic/OriginStory'', the characters think of an idea, then declare it to be something that'd only work in an action movie or a comic book. Note that this story is a ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' / ''ComicBook/PowerGirl'' cross-over that takes place in the MarvelUniverse.

* In ''Literature/TheLastUnicorn'', Molly Grue is tired of the made-up stories of Captain Cully's exploits and asks for one about RobinHood. Captain Cully angrily replied that Robin Hood is a myth.

'''Slappy''': [''[[AsideGlance looks at the camera for a long]] {{Beat}}''] [[AsideComment Don't tell him]]. He might crack.