History SoundtrackDissonance / WesternAnimation

* A very good example is the end of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irbFBgI0jhM the short film]] ''WesternAnimation/{{Alma}}''. [[spoiler: The character has her soul transferred into a doll and another doll is made for the next victim.]] All of this is scored to very cheery music.

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'': "Maid of Honor", Part 2. Franchise/{{Batman}} and Franchise/WonderWoman fight the [[{{Ruritania}} Kasnian]] military to wedding music.

** In "Mother Simpson" Mr. Burns starts playing "Music/RideOfTheValkyries" on his cassette player for a raid on the Simpsons home only for it cut to "Waterloo" by Music/{{ABBA}}--which Smithers taped over the original recording--and they commence without turning the music off.

** In "Dog Of Death", [[TheLudovicoTechnique Mr. Burns turns Santa's Little Helper into an attack dog]] by showing him footage of dogs getting abused accompanied by "Ode To Joy".

* The ''WesternAnimation/StreetFighter'' animated series episode "The Medium is the Message" features a slow build to an upbeat, heroic fanfare. Said fanfare plays while [[BigBad M. Bison]] is [[BigYes exclaiming his joy]] at what he thinks is the heroes' imminent doom.

* In "WesternAnimation/BlueCatBlues", an old ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' cartoon, the music is the gentle, endearing sounds of a past age you'd expect from Creator/HannaBarbera 'toons of the day. Even the maudlin pieces sound more cute than tragic. The piece opens with Tom waiting for a train as he sits on the tracks, heartbroken over a woman. Jerry narrates, and refuses to help Tom, his best friend in this 'toon. He even says, "For the first time since he met her, I suppose he'll be happy.... I suppose people will say I should have helped him, I know, but it's better this way." Cue flashbacks to Tom's failed romance, which drives him to drink milk. Jerry later finds out his girl married another, and joins Tom on the tracks. Tom ''makes room for Jerry to commit suicide right next to him.'' Cue train whistle, fade to black, and cheery outro music. That's right, a blatant reference to alcohol abuse and a double suicide in a ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoon.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' is known for using this trope quite often in several moments in the show.

* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': The ColdOpen of "Pretty, Pretty Dresses" has Bill suddenly weeping drinking with his friends in the alley, which is accompanied by an instrumental version of "Sleigh Ride", [[CrappyHolidays hinting at what to expect in this Christmas episode]].

* A very good example is the end of the short film [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irbFBgI0jhM Alma]]. [[spoiler: The character has her soul transferred into a doll and another doll is made for the next victim.]] All of this is scored to very cheery music.

* ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'': In "Drones", Beavis's confession to Butt-Head about being drugged, raped, thrown under a bridge and intimidated into silence by a school grief counselor is set to Music/Deadmau5's peppy dance music "Ghosts 'n' Stuff".

* An absolutely ''glorious'' example of this in ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'': In the second episode, ''Bestest Friends'', the titular [[AlienAmongUs invader]] attempts to befriend a human in order to appear more normal. Cue a dastardly montage of Zim abusing said friend set to the most ridiculously upbeat score of music possibly ever composed. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlt2SEsz8cU&list=PLBA0415B54F3DF2F8 It must be heard to be believed.]]

* In the WesternAnimation/RegularShow episode "Karaoke Video", Pops is onstage at a karaoke bar singing the title song from ''{{Film/Footloose}}'' when a bar brawl suddenly breaks out - he keeps singing obliviously as his performance becomes the soundtrack to the fight.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Nine}}'': "Somewhere over the Rainbow" plays while [[spoiler:5 is desperately trying to escape a huge and psychotic robot]]. Made all the more disturbing when it cuts back to the others still playing happily, while in the background you can hear [[spoiler:5 screaming for help]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/SnoopyComeHome'', Schroeder plays "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", typically a rather happy song, while accompanying the Peanuts gang crying over Snoopy leaving them forever.

* El Manana by {{Music/Gorillaz}} is a slow, peaceful song, and the video for it has [[{{Moe}} Noodle]] sitting on a windmill in the clouds, surrounded by greenery and looking pretty chilled out. [[spoiler: Then helicopters arrive and start shooting at her, sinking the island and [[WhamEpisode apparently killing her]].]] Cloud of Unknowing, whilst being very sombre in tone, also has a very violent video.

** One of the happiest, cheeriest themes heard frequently throughout the series is a upbeat flute-played tune that would be right at home in a circus... which also happens to be [[MonsterClown The Joker's]] theme music. He sometimes [[DiegeticSoundtrackUsage whistles it]].
** ComicBook/ThePenguin's theme sounds nasty and threatening...which is a bit strange, since this version of the character is quite soft-spoken and at times AffablyEvil - not the quacking maniac we remember from Creator/BurgessMeredith and Creator/DannyDeVito portrayals.
** ComicBook/PoisonIvy's theme is soft, dreamlike and chimey. This is a woman who regularly murders people in the most sadistic ways she can think of.

** The early Joker episode "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE4TheLastLaugh The Last Laugh]]" has a rather minimalist soundtrack: a drum machine straight out of a really dark hip-hop video, with the Joker's regular theme interrupting throughout. [[HellIsThatNoise It's actually very unsettling.]]