History Main / WhatWereYouThinking

* Pops up in ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' on occasion, such as Joel to Crow for letting [[EvilTwin Timmy]] on board, or (much later) Crow to Mike after he's [[MikeNelsonDestroyerOfWorlds just blown us his third planet]].

'''Apu:''' Oh, you have got to be kidding sir. First you think of an idea that has already been done. Then you give it [[FailOSuckyname a title that nobody could possibly like]]. Didn't you think this through... (timeskip fade) ... it was on the bestseller list for eighteen months! Every magazine cover had... (timeskip fade) ... one of the most popular movies of all time, sir! ''What were you thinking?!'' (pause) I mean, thank you, come again.

[[Folder: RealLife]]

* Zoe Heller's novel ''NotesOnAScandal'' (later made into a film of the same name) was released under the (patently absurd, given the novel's tone) title of ''What Was She Thinking? Notes On a Scandal'' in the US.

-> '''Xander:''' [[WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong As long as nothing really bad happens between now and then]], [[TemptingFate you'll be fine]].\\
'''Buffy:''' Are you crazy? [[YouJustHadToSayIt What did you say that for?]] [[GenreSavvy Now something bad is gonna happen.]]\\

'''Willow:''' [[TemptingFate Not until some dummy says, "As long as nothing bad happens."]]\\

-->--''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', "School Hard" [[spoiler: It isn't.]]

-->'''Cranky:''' So you gave the Crystal Coconut to King K. Rool!? What were you thinking!?

-->--''Series/{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}'', "School Hard" [[spoiler: It isn't.]]

Can follow a MyGodWhatHaveIDone for a KickTheDog moment. A DealWithTheDevil is almost always followed by this, [[ViewerStockPhrases if only from the audience]]. Not to be confused with WhatTheHellHero, which has less to do with recklessness and more to do with [[KickTheDog kicking]] or [[ShootTheDog shooting the dog]], though it can overlap. If someone is asking ''himself'' (or herself) this, it's DidntThinkThisThrough.

* These exact words are used in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' when the Tendos, particularly [[BewareTheNiceOnes Kasumi]], [[WhatTheHellHero call Genma out]] for taking his son to the cursed training ground of Jusenkyo. To the annoyance of some readers, though, this is only in the very first chapter of the manga, and nobody so much as raises an eyebrow when Genma later reveals he taught Ranma the [[HarmfulToMinors Nekoken]] because he was too lazy to read the next page, [[NowYouTellMe which warned]] that the technique [[SanityHasAdvantages invariably drove trainees insane]] and was [[UselessUsefulSpell too stupid to use, anyway]]. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Although]], it's entirely possible that people stopped asking this of him because they realized [[WhatAnIdiot it just wouldn't do any damned good.]]

* From the ''StarWars: Clone Wars'' comics, during the battle of Kamino:

* The captain asks ''CoolHandLuke'' what he thought defacing parking meters would get him. Luke replies that, [[AlcoholInducedIdiocy being drunk at the time, he probably wasn't thinking.]]
* ''HappyFeet'': Gloria asks a version of this after she discovers that him singing to her at the mating season is really him lip-synching and letting someone else sing (Mumble can't sing).

* In ''[[OhGod Oh God! You Devil]]'', when Bobby literally finds God near the end of the film, the Almighty agrees to help him out of the predicament he's in, but not without giving Bobby a (for God) gentle rebuke.

* Reverend Mother asks it word for word in ''Sister Act'' in response to Deloris/Mary Clarence turning the choir into a girl group act.

* [[LawAndOrder Adam Schiff]] does this to Jack [=McCoy=] when he cuts a very favorable deal for a mob hit man in "House Counsel" because he wants to beat the mobster's attorney, who happens to be an intense rival of [=McCoy's=] from law school.

* {{Lampshaded}} in ''[[AmericasFunniestHomeVideos America's Funniest Home Videos]]'' during the Daisy Fuentes season, where she gives a little speech about the three primary audience reactions: "hahahaha", "[[ShareTheMalePain owwwww...]]" and "what were they thinking?"

* Used verbatim in ''[[FlashForward2009 Flashforward]]'', regarding Mark Benford's [[WhatAnIdiot actions]] in the last episode.

* Used in ''{{The League Of Gentlemen}}'' when a [[TooDumbToLive minor member of a]] [[CannibalClan gentleman's club]] of... [[MacGuffin purveyors of Special Stuff]] (which makes even [[ImAHumanitarian human flesh]] seem upstanding and moral) run by [[TheButcher Hilary Briss]] decides to bring his wife to a secret meeting:

* Jay Leno famously asked Hugh Grant after the latter's [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity sex scandal]]: "What the ''hell'' were you thinking?"
** Creator/DenisLeary said the same thing about Marv Albert's scandal in his stand-up special, ''Lock and Load.''

* Comes up quite a lot in WWE, either from skits backstage after a loss (or near-loss) because of a tag team partner, or when a commenter wonders what a high-flyer was thinking after attempting a high risk move successfully (or unsuccessfully) and losing the match.
* {{Wrestling/Kane}} buried Wrestling/TheUndertaker...[[DeathIsCheap again]]. He decided to hold a funeral in respect of him...and then Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio interrupted. Now, given that Alberto has only been on Smackdown for a few months, and Kane is a veteran who ''just took out The Undertaker'', and that Alberto interrupted his "funeral" just to challenge Kane, the audience, Kane, and pretty much anyone else who may have been watching all exclaimed...

** ...the funny thing is, Alberto then proceeded to [[OhCrap slap Undertaker's urn]] from Wrestling/PaulBearer's hand, dodge Kane's punch and ''[[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu kick him across the face.]]''

* ''{{Zits}}'' has Mom convey an expression that says this phrase without using words to react to Jeremy's antics. Likely she doesn't say it because Jeremy will likely react with some quip.

* Take an RPG, any RPG, and one character will inevitably say this to another.
** And most likely, the player was thinking about [[StupidityIsTheOnlyOption why they had to do that to continue.]]
* In ''FateStayNight'', Shirou gets this a lot, because what he does tends to get him disemboweled or otherwise grievously harmed while the person he was helping probably would have been okay, or whoever he was trying to save was clearly beyond help. Unusually for this trope, Shirou fully realizes that what he's doing is mind-bogglingly stupid ''even as he's doing it'', [[HonorBeforeReason but he's so dependent on his "save everyone" philosophy that he refuses to compromise it in any way]], [[DeathSeeker even if it means his own life.]]

* In ''BobAndGeorge'', [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/000803c you built dangerous robots and let the bad guy take them to conquer the world.]] Followed by the StockPhrase.

* Some editors in ThisWiki tend to use this at times as a reaction... and {{Pothole}} it to this very page.
* During WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob's crossover with {{Phelous}}[[note]]Neither has brought anything to review, so Brad is looking at a clothes iron held by Phelan[[/note]]:

* Parodied in an episode of ''TheSimpsons''
-->'''Marge:''' This is the worst thing you've ever done!\\

-->'''Skinner:''' Now I... I finally have time to do what I've always wanted: write the great American novel. Mine is about [[Film/JurassicPark a futuristic amusement park where dinosaurs are brought to life through advanced cloning techniques.]] I call it "[[ABoyAndHisX Billy and the Cloneasaurus]]."
-->'''Apu:''' Oh, you have got to be kidding sir. First you think of an idea that has already been done. Then you give it [[FailOSuckyname a title that nobody could possibly like]]. Didn't you think this through... (timeskip fade) ... it was on the bestseller list for eighteen months! Every magazine cover had... (timeskip fade) ... one of the most popular movies of all time, sir! ''What were you thinking?!'' (pause) I mean, thank you, come again.
* ''FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'', "Mac Daddy": Bloo says this about Mac having apparently conjured up "Cheese". Mac's response: "Exactly, I wasn't thinking."

* ''TransformersAnimated'': Megatron kidnaps [[GeniusDitz Bulkhead]] to complete his space bridge, and Bulkhead is so sick of people assuming he can't do anything that he makes it work. When Professor Sumdac calls him on this, Bulkhead points out that Sumdac was the guy who ''rebuilt Megatron'' (although he had no idea about the evil tyrant thing).

* [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry Cranky Kong]] asks this of Donkey Kong when he learns that DK has given the [[MacGuffin Crystal Coconut]] to [[BigBad King K.Rool]], being told to give up everything to know everything;

[[TVTropesRuinedYourLife You Let TV Tropes Ruin Your Life]]? '''''[[SelfDemonstratingArticle What Were You Thinking?!!!!!!]]'''''
----

* ''{{The Spectacular Spider-Man}}'s'' Norman Osborn solidifies his GenreSavvy credentials by asking [[spoiler: his son Harry this when he learned he had been drinking the Green Goblin serum.]]

* Mike Mozart of JeepersMedia uses this catchphrase when he comes across a toy with a... [[FreudWasRight suggestive]] design flaw.

* In an [[http://imagineeridan.tumblr.com/post/77899645353/imagine-eridan-watching-the-little-mermaid-because untitled]] ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' fic, this is Eridan's reaction to finding out that ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' is Feferi's favourite movie. [[note]]They live on an alien world where the finned, seadwelling aristocracy rule those on land with an iron fist. Because Eridan is part of that aristocracy, he is ''horrified'' by the thought that a mermaid would give up her gills to live with a 'peasant'.[[/note]]

* Used in an episode of EverybodyHatesChris, in which Julius is laid off and has to take care of the house, cooking, and cleaning while Rochelle tries to find a job. After being insulted by Rochelle for most of the episode, Julius makes the mistake of saying that taking care of the house, which Rochelle usually does, isn't that hard. Cue Rochelle, who is known for cursing people out, launching a positively ''horrifying'' hour-long tirade that had Julius cowering in the corner, ending with Rochelle yelling "HAVE YOU ''LOST'' YOUR MIND!??!"

* {{Wrestling/Kane}} buried TheUndertaker...[[DeathIsCheap again]]. He decided to hold a funeral in respect of him...and then AlbertoDelRio interrupted. Now, given that Alberto has only been on Smackdown for a few months, and Kane is a veteran who ''just took out TheUndertaker'', and that Alberto interrupted his "funeral" just to challenge Kane, the audience, Kane, and pretty much anyone else who may have been watching all exclaimed...

** ...the funny thing is, Alberto then proceeded to [[OhCrap slap Undertaker's urn]] from PaulBearer's hand, dodge Kane's punch and ''[[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu kick him across the face.]]''
* Some fans exclaim this when a promotion has a good angle or rivalry going and then proceeds to screw it up somewhere along the line. WWE tends to get this ''a lot''. For example, dropping the US Title rematch of DanielBryan vs {{Sheamus}} from Wrestlemania 27, considering that they're two of WWE's most consistent workers and could have put on an awesome match.

* These exact words are used in ''RanmaOneHalf'' when the Tendos, particularly [[BewareTheNiceOnes Kasumi]], [[WhatTheHellHero call Genma out]] for taking his son to the cursed training ground of Jusenkyo. To the annoyance of some readers, though, this is only in the very first chapter of the manga, and nobody so much as raises an eyebrow when Genma later reveals he taught Ranma the [[HarmfulToMinors Nekoken]] because he was too lazy to read the next page, [[NowYouTellMe which warned]] that the technique [[SanityHasAdvantages invariably drove trainees insane]] and was [[UselessUsefulSpell too stupid to use, anyway]]. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Although]], it's entirely possible that people stopped asking this of him because they realized [[WhatAnIdiot it just wouldn't do any damned good.]]
* Yuna Roma Seiran gets this from the ORB military officers in ''GundamSEEDDestiny'', for hiding war criminal Lord Djibril in ORB and denying it, then acting all surprised when ZAFT sees through his obvious lies and invades in full force. Apparently, he thought that since ORB had successfully hidden [[CoolShip the Archangel]] from them two years ago, but not even in anime do politics bend to the RuleOfCool...

** DenisLeary said the same thing about Marv Albert's scandal in his stand-up special, ''Lock and Load.''

* TransformersAnimated: Megatron kidnaps [[GeniusDitz Bulkhead]] to complete his space bridge, and Bulkhead is so sick of people assuming he can't do anything that he makes it work. When Professor Sumdac calls him on this, Bulkhead points out that Sumdac was the guy who ''rebuilt Megatron'' (although he had no idea about the evil tyrant thing).

Can follow a MyGodWhatHaveIDone for a KickTheDog moment. A DealWithTheDevil is almost always followed by this, [[ViewerStockPhrases if only from the audience]]. Not to be confused with WhatTheHellHero, which has less to do with recklessness and more to do with [[KickTheDog kicking]] or [[ShootTheDog shooting the dog]], though it can overlap.

* ''DoctorPhil'', anyone?

Popular answers include "[[IdiotBall I wasn't]]!", "I don't know!", "ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdeaAtTheTime!", and "IDidWhatIHadToDo." If someone answers "ForScience!" it's a good bet that he's a lost cause.

* [[http://explosm.net/comics/1582/ This]] ''{{Cyanide and Happiness}}'' comic.

-> '''Xander:''' [[WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong As long as nothing really bad happens between now and then]], [[TemptingFate you'll be fine]].
-> '''Buffy:''' Are you crazy? [[YouJustHadToSayIt What did you say that for?]] [[GenreSavvy Now something bad is gonna happen.]]
-> '''Xander:''' What do you mean? Nothing's gonna happen.
-> '''Willow:''' [[TemptingFate Not until some dummy says, "As long as nothing bad happens."]]
-> '''Buffy:''' It's the ultimate jinx!
-> '''Willow:''' ''What were you thinking?!'' Or were you even thinking at all?
-> '''Xander:''' You don't know... Maybe this time it'll be different...

-->'''Apu:''' Oh, you have got to be kidding sir. First you think of an idea that has already been done. Then you give it [[FailOSuckyname a title that nobody could possibly like]]. Didn't you think this through... (timeskip fade) ... it was on the bestseller list for eighteen months! Every magazine cover had... (timeskip fade) ... one of the most popular movies of all time, sir! ''What were you thinking?'' (pause) I mean, thank you, come again.

* During WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob's crossover with {{Phelous}}[[hottip:*:Neither has brought anything to review, so Brad is looking at a clothes iron held by Phelan]]:

* In ''{{Saiyuki}}'''s "Kami-sama" arc, Sanzo attempts to break a barrier that he thought was created by will power by shooting at it, on the "rationale" that the bullets are infused with ''his'' will power, and thus the two will cancel out...yeah, no. Instead, the bullets ricochet back and everyone dives for cover, with Hakkai yelling, "What are you DOING, Sanzo??"