History Main / WouldRatherSuffer

* ''VideoGame/TheAngryVideoGameNerdAdventures'' throws up a randomized message each time the Nerd dies, following the template: "I'D RATHER (colorful descriptive phrase) THAN CONTINUE THIS (colorful adjective) GAME!!"

* ''VideoGame/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'' throws up a randomized message each time the Nerd dies, following the template: "I'D RATHER (colorful descriptive phrase) THAN CONTINUE THIS (colorful adjective) GAME!!"

* On ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'' Stefan and Damon are voiced to visit their old girlfriend Katherine, who's trapped in a tomb by a spell. She asks them to join her, and Damon says he'd rather poke his eyes out.

* In the ''{{WesternAnimation/Bonkers}}'' episode "I Oughta Be in Toons", Bonkers mentions that former child star Babyface has [[SmallNameBigEgo an ego so big]], that people have said that they would dance barefoot on the surface of the sun rather than work with him again.

* In the ''{{WesternAnimation/Bonkers}}'' episode "I Oughta Be in Toons", Bonkers mentions that former child star Babyface was so hard to work with, people have said that they would dance barefoot on the surface of the sun rather than work with him again.

* In the ''{{WesternAnimation/Bonkers}}'' episode "I Oughta Be in Toons", Bonkers mentions that Babyface was so hard to work with, that people said that they would dance barefoot on the surface of the sun rather than work with him again.

** In "Keep Bikini Bottom Beautiful", when SpongeBob ask can he help Squidward, Squidward tells him that "I would rather beaten to a pulp."

* ''[[http://www.somethingawful.com/hosted/cranky/ Cranky Steve's Haunted Whorehouse]]'' includes a colorfully described "Pain Level" for each awful map reviewed.

** ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' for the NES included two such lines that became part of the lyrics of the ThemeTune: "I'd rather have a fucking buffalo take a diarrhea dump in my ear than subject them to this horrendous garbage... I'd rather eat out the rotten asshole of a roadkill skunk than play this game, ever again."

* A regular occurrence with ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'', often in a profane matter. For example, in the first ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' episode, he advises to destroy the game instead of playing it, saying, "You'd rather super-glue your asshole shut than play that game. You'd rather drown in gasoline."

* In the ''{{WesternAnimation/Bonkers}}'' episode "I Oughta Be in Toons", Bonkers mentions that Babyface was so hard to work with, that people wished that they would dance barefoot on the surface of the sun than work with him again.

* Stuart Campbell's ''Magazine/AmigaPower'' review of ''International Rugby Challenge'' included a "scientific" comparison of the game with other "most-bad things." The Bosnian war, the Somalian famine, the Rodney King beating, and the depletion of the ozone layer were all judged to be not as bad as ''International Rugby Challenge'', though "Having Electrodes Attached To Your Genitals And Being Flogged Senseless With A Knotted Rope" would probably be just as bad.

You want me to describe another trope? [[SelfDemonstratingArticle I'd rather drink]] the BrainBleach!

!Examples:

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* A ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'' comic subverts this: a couple are arguing, with the man saying that he'd rather shove red-hot needles in his eyes than talk to her family any more. A while later, due to demonic influence, [[EyeScream he does just that,]] and tells her in a completely normal voice that he was wrong: this is much worse.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* From ''WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird'', we have a pair of college girls having a conversation, with one of them saying, "And then I said, 'I'd rather get the black plague or get stuck in an iron maiden than go out with you!'"
* In ''Film/EverAfter'', [[BlondesAreEvil Maguerite]] and her [[WickedStepmother mother]] make plans for her to wear a dress which belonged to Danielle's deceased mother to the masquerade ball. After walking in on Maguerite about to try on the dress, Danielle angrily declares "I would rather die a thousand deaths than to see my mother's dress on that spoiled, selfish cow!"

'''Mom:''' I'd rather have my tongue nailed to this table every morning at breakfast.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* In ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'' Scrooge suggests that the indigent go to prisons or workhouses instead of him giving to charity. The person he's talking to says "Many can't go there; and many would rather die."

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

* ''Series/BabylonFive'': At the end of the first season, faced with going into the council chamber and and ceding all claim to a sector of space to the Narns, Londo comments, "I think I'll go stick my head in the station's fusion reactor, it would be less painful. And after a while, I might even come to enjoy it."
* In an episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', Raj is about to lose his work Visa and is in danger of deportation, so Sheldon offers to let Raj work for him. (Not ''with'' him, '''for''' him.) Raj says he'd rather swim naked across the Ganges River with paper cuts on his nipples and die a slow agonizing death from infection than work with Sheldon. Then he takes the job.

[[AC:{{Magazines}}]]

[[AC:{{Music}}]]

[[AC:NewspaperComics]]

* Similarly, Michelle does this to ''ComicStrip/{{Curtis}}'' sometimes when he asks her out.

[[AC:WebComics]]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* A regular occurrence with ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'', often in a profane matter. For example, in the first ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' episode, he advises to destroy the game instead of playing it, saying, "You'd rather super-glue your asshole shut than play that game. You'd rather drown in gasoline."

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* Montana Max's relationship with Elmyra from ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' is like this. In the episode, "Prom-ise Her Anything", Monty tells Elmyra he'd rather get a lobotomy than be her date. In "[[Main/ItsAWonderfulPlot It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special]]", he tells her he'd rather eat dog food than kiss her Main/UnderTheMistletoe. Both times, he doesn't just say this to her, [[Main/NoIndoorVoice he yells it to her, really loudly]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'', a businessman sitting next to the Warners, who pester him and want him to be their "special friend", tells them that "I'd rather be stranded on an island and be eaten by cannibals than be your 'special friend'!" [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Which is exactly what happens to him at the end.]]
** In her debut cartoon "Meet Minerva Mink," Minerva listens to her phone messages, one of which is from a nervous Lawrence, asking, "I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me?" Minerva, BreakingTheFourthWall, replies, "I'd rather chew aluminum."

* Stuart Campbell's ''Magazine/AmigaPower'' review of ''International Rugby Challenge'' included a "scientific" comparison of the game with other "most-bad things." The Bosnian war, the Somalian famine, the Rodney King beating, and the depletion of the ozone layer were all judged to be not as bad as ''International Rugby Challenge''.

* A regluar occurance with ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'', often in a profane matter. For example, in the first ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' episode, he advises to destroy the game instead of playing it, saying, "You'd rather super-glue your asshole shut than play that game. You'd rather drown in gasoline."

Commonly used to respond to the advances of an AbhorrentAdmirer or CasanovaWannabe.

-->'''George:''' So you no want Ursula to love George?
-->'''Mom:''' I'd rather have my tongue nailed to this table every morning at breakfast.

-->"Do you think I would hesitate to cut yours?"

-->That's right, you ain't gonna see me crying
-->I'm glad that you found somebody new
-->'Cause I'd rather spend eternity eating shards of broken glass
-->Than spend one more minute with you.

-->'''Arthur:''' You don't want to kiss me?
-->'''Francine:''' Are you kidding?!? I'd rather get head lice!