Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?

Pinky: Maybe we could capture Robin Hood and collect the big reward!
Brain: Don't be silly, Pinky, we'd never — YES! Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
Pinky: Well, I think so, [hic] but Kevin Costner with an English accent?

— Pinky and the Brain

A character is facing a problem. They describe the problem and the reason that it is an impediment in such a way as to make the solution exceptionally obvious. And, of course, this is when a solution is conceived. Only the solution isn't the one to which the explanation was obviously leading. It's either patently ridiculous or a total non-sequitur. Most of the time, it's both.

Comes in single-character and two-character flavors. In the single-character version, the character who has explained the problem suddenly realizes the "solution" in a flash of inspiration that parodies a "Eureka!" Moment.

Often, but not always, some other character will helpfully point out a more useful solution.

In the two character version, one character gives the explanation, often with the specific goal of leading the other character to make the obvious connection, then prompts the other character for the answer. The other character, who is usually holding the Idiot Ball, totally fails to make the connection.

Named for the exchange which takes place in every episode of Pinky and the Brain. Pinky's reply is different each time, but it usually makes absolutely no sense and results in Brain getting angry enough to bash him over the head.

A subtrope of Non Sequitur. See also: Comically Missing the Point, Strange Minds Think Alike, and Sure, Let's Go with That.

Here is a compilation of "Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?" with a lot of examples.

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Examples:

Advertising

• In a cinema advert: two Orange executives are trying to decide a name for their campaign which gives two tickets for one on a Wednesday. "We need a movie title. It's every Wednesday. Like Clockwork. And we're Orange. So we'll call it... Orange Wednesday."
• Budget Direct insurance had a parody of the "eccentric genius detective who gets results" being called in to investigate some bizarre happenings — winged creatures escaping from a fiery pit, glowing green eggs spurting slime, household objects floating in mid-air. "What's wrong with this picture?" asks the detective as he stands before The Big Board. The fact that the victims paid so much for their life insurance!

Anime & Manga

• In the dub of the episode "Jump for Joy!" (AG037) of Pokémon: The Series, after an unfamiliar Pokémon (a Shiftry) knocks Team Rocket out of a tree, the following exchange occurs:
  Jessie: James, is that what I think it is?
  James: Could be. But I don't know what you're thinking, and I don't know what it is!

Comic Books

• Spider-Man: In Spider-Man (2016), Peter Parker asks Miles Morales if he remembers the thing he told him when first they met, expecting him to remember that "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility". Instead, Miles remembered that he told him "Baby powder in the private area will reduce costume chaffing". And with the other Avengers and the police standing right next to them.
• Wonder Woman Vol 1: When Etta Candy ends up stranded in their kingdom right as King Tassel and Lord Cob are discussing how they need to figure out how to transport Rykorn seeds to Earth for their plot to conquer it Cob turns to his king and asks. "are you thinking the same as I, your majesty?"

Fan Works

• Happened in a special Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series episode where Rex and Weevil watch the Silent Hill movie:
  Rex: This fog reminds me of that John Carpenter movie with all the fog. I think it was called... Halloween.
  Weevil: Heh heh, yeah, she's looking for Michael Myers!
  Rex: Mike Myers wasn't in that movie, dumbass.
• In Ultra Fast Pony's episode "The Cheesen One", the children are meeting to discuss who should fill the just-vacated Village Idiot role. Snails makes himself an obvious candidate by shouting nonsense like "Frisbee is a winter sport!" and "Peaches are made of crayons!" Meanwhile, Snips steps forward and slyly tells Scootaloo that they all know what must be done... They must split the role among the three of them, so as to share the burden! Meeting adjourned! Scootaloo is so baffled that she can only reply, "What. The. F..."
• Friendship Contract: Naruto asks Pinkie Pie this, calling her "Pinkie", in a Shout-Out to Pinky and the Brain. “I think so Naruto, but how would a button even produce warm blueberry muffins on demand?”
• In Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Dark Lord, we get this moment during the Ballyhoo Breakfast Show:
  Fred: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  George: Yeah, though I'm not sure there are enough spoons in all of Europe for that.
  Fred: True. How about we just have some music?
  George: Sounds good to me.
• From Calvin & Hobbes: The Series:
  "Yes, Zack?" Rupert asked, turning. "Any idea will do. What have we been doing since last year, and still trying to do, today?"
  Zack paused for a second.
  "Eating a banana?" He said, finally.
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fanfic One Awesome Mom:
  Apple Bloom: Are ya thinkin' what Ah'm thinkin'?
  Sweetie Belle: I think so. But I thought we weren't allowed to go near beehives anymore.
  Apple Bloom: No! Ah was thinkin' we should follow Scootaloo and find out just what in tarnation she's bein' so gosh darn secretive about.
• In "Ticket", Stan and Ford want to see a movie but are too young and only have one ticket. They then spot a coat rack with a trenchcoat. Contrary to what Ford is thinking, Stan throws the trenchcoat at the movie theater employee and pulls Ford in.
  Stan: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Ford: Yeah.
• A Chance Meeting of Two Moons: Twilight and Dusk Shine do this during their meeting. And as it happens, they are thinking the same thing.
• Happens in the first chapter of the pro wrestling story, A Ring of Their Own. After Victoria wins $20 million in the lottery, Jim Cornette remarks that he could have run a territory for years with that kind of money. She and Lance Storm silently look at each other, heavily implying this. Cornette also realizes what they're thinking and asks if they've lost their minds.
• Strings of Fate:
  Harry: He's so vain. Even the mention that anything could be wrong is enough to send him running.
  George: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Luna: I think so, but where are we going to store the mallet and the radishes?
  Fred: Umm, we were thinking about constantly mentioning some flaw every time we were around Lockhart.
• Hermione Granger and the Mage of the Underland:
  Flitwick: Miss Granger also went home?
  Sprout: Yes. Which has left Mr. Potter alone in the second year [Hufflepuff] dorms.
  Flitwick: Miss Lovegood too. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Sprout: Yes, but where are we going to find two dozen llamas and a white mouse at this time of day?
• The Twilight Child: Twilight Sparkle asks Rainbow Dash if she's thinking the same thing as her, when they find themselves in a mental reconstruction of the Crystal Empire. Rainbow Dash's response?
  Unless you're thinking about the Wonderbolts, no.
• Raised by Jägers: As Agatha Heterodyne's top minion, Petra's work is to think whatever Agatha is thinking and start carrying it out.
  "We didn't follow it," Petra replied, "but it was in the direction of the Castle, if you're thinking what I think you're thinking."
  "Well, it is your job to think what you think I'm thinking," Agatha said, and gave Petra a toothy grin. She turned to Van, Carson and Tarvek. "We may have just found our way in."
• Like Temfold Shields:
  Fred: Gred, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
  George: Gee, I don't know, Forge, but where are we going to find wheat for the house-elves' porridge at this hour?
  Fred: Good one. No, we should find a willing Muggleborn that knows a lot and can get us music. Do you think dragons know how to read sheet music?
• In Harry Potter the Metamorphpagus Sirius and Remus induct Fred and George into the Marauders.
  George: Fred, do you know what this means?
  Fred: I think so, George. But how are we going to get young Malfoy to dance around the great hall in a tutu to swan lake at the opening feast?
  George: Not that! However, that is an excellent idea, just not the right time!

Films — Animation

• Catwoman: Hunted. Confronted by armed goons Catwoman and Batwoman leap into action...with Catwoman running away while Batwoman charges them and starts throwing punches. They belatedly realise they have slightly different fighting styles.
• Coraline: In a deleted scene, Coraline blurts out a pretty amusing Non Sequitur in the midst of the "Eureka!" Moment when she realizes the Cute Ghost Girl she's been talking to might actually be her friend Wybie's grandmother's long-lost sister.
  Coraline: It used to look like this... pioneer girl! Then, Huck Finn Junior! Then it was this Little Rascals girl, with all these ribbons and braids and... [she stops, and makes an unmistakable "Eureka!" Moment face] ...your grandma's black, right?
  Wybie: Uh...yeah...?
• In Robots, during the big fight sequence, Rodney and Bigweld see the other characters in danger, and Bigweld says, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Rodney replies, "I sure am!" He then releases a gigantic sawblade, sending both of them flying with it.
  Bigweld: This isn't what I was thinking at all!
• Return To Never Land: Hook and Smee are spying on Jane getting failed flying lessons from Peter; she doesn't have the belief of imagination; and therefore, Tink's pixie dust doesn't work on her; Hook decides to take advantage of this.
  Hook: So, the girl can't fly, yet she wants to go home. Smee, do you know what this means?
  Smee: Six more weeks of winter?
  Hook: NO, you imbecile! [chuckles] We'll get me treasure... and the boy.

Films — Live-Action

• From Mirrormask:
  Helena: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Valentine: Absolutely, if we put little wheels on our feet we could just rooooooll everywhere...
• From the 2008 Get Smart remake:
  Max: [after crashing the car into a sign for a fish shop] Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Chief: I don't know. Were you thinking: "Holy shit, holy shit, a swordfish almost went through my head?" If so, yes.
• Young Frankenstein: "Give him a said-a-give!"
  • "SED-A-GIVE?!"
  • Happens a lot with charades, in various programs and films.
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead:
  • Question and question tennis. "No non-sequiturs!!!"
  • This exchange(Guildenstern's pretending to be Hamlet):
    Rosencrantz: To sum up: your father, whom you love, dies. You are his heir. You come back to find that hardly was the corpse cold before his young brother pops onto his throne and into his sheets, thereby offending both legal and natural practice. Now... why exactly are you behaving in this extraordinary manner?
    Guildenstern: I can't imagine.
• I.Q. (1994) (with Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins, Walter Matthau) plays with it a bit:
  Albert Einstein: Are you thinking what I am thinking?
  Ed Walters: Well what would be the odds of that happening?
• This exchange from The Dark Knight, which continues to dance around the issue of whether Lucius Fox knows Batman's secret identity:
  Lucius Fox: It emits a high-frequency pulse for mapping an environment and records a response time.
  Bruce Wayne: Sonar. Just like a...
  Lucius Fox: Like a submarine, Mr. Wayne. Like a submarine.
• In The Naked Gun 2 1/2, there is this exchange:
  Lt. Frank Drebin: Have you noticed anything different about him?
  Jane Spencer: Well, only that he's a foot taller, and he seems to be left handed now... Frank, what are you trying to tell me? That Quentin has somehow found an exact double for Dr. Mainheimer and that tomorrow that double will give a fraudulent report to the president?
  Lt. Frank Drebin: Why that's brilliant, that's a lot better than what I came up with.
• Race to Witch Mountain had a variation with the main character and the psychic alien. "Are you hearing what I'm thinking?"
• Averted in Showtime in this exchange between the showy cop played by Eddie Murphy, who wants to look good on camera, and the serious cop played by Robert De Niro, who refuses to play along. They do end up thinking the same thing at the end, though.
  Trey Sellars: [dramatically] Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Mitch Preston: I doubt it.
• In Freddy Got Fingered: "You want me to get inside my animals???" Semi-subverted in that the other guy thought they were on the same page because he didn't know how literally a Cloud Cuckoo Lander would take the statement.
• The Long Kiss Goodnight, with Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson (in what might be his funniest role to date) contains this exchange:
  Charlie Baltimore: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Mitch: I hope not, because I'm thinking how much my balls hurt!

Literature

• A version of this is seen in one of Robert Asprin's Myth books. Don Bruce, a Mob boss, comes to see Skeeve, who has been quietly sabotaging Mob operations, and starts off by saying he knows Skeeve is the reason the Mob hasn't succeeded in moving into the dimension of Deva. He lists the evidence: Skeeve knows the territory, has connections on Deva, etc. His conclusion? They should have hired Skeeve to work for them in the first place. Don Bruce actually has no idea that Skeeve has been sabotaging him. (This echoes an earlier scene in which the Devan Merchants' Association hires Skeeve to defend them from the Mob, not knowing he was the one who originally brought the Mob to Deva.) He ends up being well-payed by both sides for years because of this.
• This happens when Leonard of Quirm from Discworld tries to name things.
  Leonard: Well, because it is submersed in a marine environment I've always called it the Going-Under-The-Water-Safely-Device.
• The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe, in which the titular pirates and Charles Darwin are trying to work out a way to get to the top of Big Ben very quickly. After much pondering, they remember the airship moored nearby:
  Pirate Captain: We could steal the airship, pop it with my cutlass, and fashion a big rope from all the silk!
  Charles Darwin: Or we could float up there in the airship. Because it's an airship.
• The Drenai novel Waylander 2 by David Gemmell. The assassin Waylander and the gladiator Angel talk about Waylander's would-be-killers:
  Angel: Are you aware that you're outnumbered by at least 10 to 1 here?
  Waylander: Yes... It will take time to kill them all.

Live-Action TV

• Angel. Willow is talking to Cordelia, unaware that she's been subject to Demonic Possession. Worried that Willow might solve the Crisis of the Week, Evil!Cordy secretly reaches for a butcher's knife, but relaxes as Willow talks of how impossible her task is...until Willow has a "Eureka!" Moment.
  Willow: (excited) Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Cordelia: (grabs the knife again) I doubt it.
• Bananas in Pyjamas has this as a catchphrase for the titular pair.
  B2: Are you thinking what I'm thinking, B1?
  B1: I think I am, B2.
  Both: It's (insert plot-relative action) Time!
• Batwoman (2019). In "O'Mouse", Mary is explaining to her lesbian stepsister Kate Kane the tragic story of football star "The Titan" Teslow. Kate not being a football fan, her mind is clearly elsewhere.
  Mary: Turns out there's a not-so-secret secret to all of his success. Say it with me...
  Mary: Steroids!
  Kate: [simultaneously] Sexy cheerleaders!
• Beakman's World:
  • One time, Beakman smashed a watermelon as part of a demonstration.
    Beakman: So what does this prove?
    Lester: That you were too cheap to pop for a seedless watermelon?
  • Numerous times, a bit of music interrupts Beakmania, and Beakman asks "Do you know what that music means?" Cue Lester non-sequitur: "[gasp] The buffet's open?!?"
• In A Bit of Fry and Laurie, there is this exchange:
  Fry: You know what I'd like to know?
  Laurie: Have you told me before?
  Fry: No.
  Laurie: Then how could I possibly?
• Early nineties Dom Com Blossom had an episode which reenacted a World War II-era scenario. Blossom's two elder brothers portrayed a buffoonish detective and a bartender with a massive Hitler-stache who called everyone "Herr" and "Fraulein". The detective eventually concluded that they have a spy in their midst — a Japanese spy.
• On The Daily Show, one of the correspondents creates, as he puts it, "a radar that detects levels of gayness" and then promptly names it the "homometer".
  • With "GAY" and "RADAR" pasted on the bottom of the screen, moving ever so slowly together.
  • When Colbert discussed Burger King advertising Windows 7, he said that Apple had to get in on this and they would need something "McDonalds Big... for Mac...". He decides on Carl's Jr.
• Doctor Who:
  • "Vincent and the Doctor": The Doctor asks Amy if she's thinking what he's thinking at one point. When she responds with a suggestion of food, he says he was thinking of something else.
  • Used in "The Doctor's Wife":
    The Doctor: Valley of half-eaten TARDISs. You thinking what I'm thinking?
    Idris: I'm thinking all of my sisters are dead. That they were devoured. And that we are looking at their corpses.
    The Doctor: Ah. Sorry, no. I wasn't thinking that.
• Father Ted:
  • In one episode, the main characters need to quickly earn some money to repair a leaking roof. One, the titular Ted, comes up with the idea of holding a raffle, and asks fellow priest Dougal if he's thinking what he's thinking. Although Dougal claims at first that he is, it soon becomes apparent that he isn't when his first question is "Where will we get the guns?"
  • It's common in Father Ted to have this exchange where every idea Dougal has is stupid. The one time he has a good idea and Ted agrees, Dougal is quite insistent that it is a bad idea and that "you just haven't thought it through."
• On Flight of the Conchords:
  Bret: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Jemaine: No, I'm thinking what I'm thinking.
  Bret: So you're not thinking what I'm thinking?
  Jemaine: No, 'cos you're thinking I'm thinking what you're thinking!
• From an interview of Ricky Gervais on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross — they were talking about Ross' appearance on Extras, which had involved a scene of them wrestling:
  Ricky: You're going to say, did I get an erection.
  Jonathan: No!
  Ricky: Shit, weren't you?!
• Get Smart:
  • The following lovely exchange:
    Chief: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
    Max: No. I'm thinking what I'M thinking.
  • Maxwell Smart said "Are you thinking what I'm thinking" so many times that it amounted to a catchphrase.
• A shining example from Horrible Histories in the "Victorian Paramedics" sketch:
  Nigel: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Geoff: That top hats are fabulous?
  Nigel: No. (They are!) ...I'm thinking that this lady has tapeworm!
• On How I Met Your Mother Ted thinks this with Barney, Robin, Lily, and Marshall. He assumes they're all wanting nachos, when the rest are all thinking about how ridiculous his hair looks.
• Done in Kaamelott:
  Karadoc: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Perceval: No, but you're staring at me, so I'm staring back.
• On an episode of Malcolm in the Middle, when Reese is playing with some food coloring as Malcolm and Stevie are working on a science project:
  Reese: When you mix blue and yellow together, you get a totally new color! I shall call it... Blellow!
• Married... with Children:
  Al: Son, are you thinking about what I'm thinking about?
  Bud: Luscious hooters?
  Al: No. It's what I should have been thinking about.
  • Also this:
    Ashley: Kelly, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
    Kelly: Why don't things fall up?
    Ashley: No.
• The Mentalist has the following exchange between two cops:
  Rigsby: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Cho: No.
  Rigsby: How do you know?
  Cho: Because I was thinking about what it would be like to date my 6th Grade English teacher.
• In a courtroom sketch on Monty Python's Flying Circus, the judge is responding to charade clues from the foreman of the jury. The last clue is that foreman miming drinking tea in an exaggerated manner, and pointing to the contents of the cup, and results in the judge finding the defendant Not Guil-Cup.
• Mystery Science Theater 3000:
  • In the episode featuring Mitchell, Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank are panicking when Joel escapes when Mike approaches them, wanting them to sign his time card. The two begin laughing before Forrester asks Frank if he's thinking what he's thinking. Frank's response? "Yeah, you're not going to sign his time card, are you?" To be fair, he isn't wrong...
  • The episode Track of the Moon Beast features this classic riff:
    Johnny Longbow: I know what you're thinking...
    Servo: I'm boring and my slideshow eats.
• Adam Savage of the MythBusters did this in true Pinky and the Brain style when Jamie asked how they'd test the "cars falling off cliffs will explode" myth.
  Jamie: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Adam: I think so, Jamie, but it's gonna be hard to find four oak doors and 30 feet of greased chain!
• Night Court once had a plotline where four pregnant women were stranded in the courthouse during a black-out and ended up in labor simultaneously. Judge Harry gave instructions to everyone else to calm the situation, and then said, "Any questions?"
  Random extra: Why is the sky blue?
  Harry: [exasperated] Cause if it was green we wouldn't know when to stop mowing!
• NUMB3RS: Charlie and Colby have one of these in "Brutus" while trying to determine the identity of the mastermind behind a series of assassinations.
  Colby: Feels to me like were missing something so obvious we must've forgotten about it. You know, can't see the forest for the —
  Charlie: — Trees. ("Eureka!" Moment ensues) Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Colby: No.
  • Rather adorably, in the next scene, Charlie still allows Colby to share credit for the breakthrough.

• Done very often between contestants on QI, to avoid the dreaded klaxon.
• There is a beautiful example of this trope in an episode of Red Dwarf. The Cat and Lister are piloting Starbug away from a something and the following conversation ensues:
  Lister: Cat, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Cat: I'm thinking leather underwear with silver studs is a major mistake if you put them on inside-out. What are you thinking?
  Lister: I'm thinking about you, a mallet and ice cubes again.
• Scrubs:
  • Happens a lot with J.D., though we usually see his pondering from his perspective. On the few occasions when we don't, this trope results.
    J.D.: We're gonna need a whole lotta gnomes...
  • When deciding what to do about Kim's pregnancy, Kim mentions an option they haven't yet discussed, "the A Word":
    JD: Appletinis.
• Stargate:
  • In the Stargate Atlantis episode "Vengeance", the team is stuck on a planet with the bad guy and no way to leave. Two of them come across the bad guy's ship and the following exchange takes place:
    Ronon: You thinking what I'm thinking?
    Sheppard: (nods) Fly it, pick you, Rodney and Teyla up and use the dart's DHD to dial the gate.
    Ronon: I was thinking "blow it up", but your idea's better.
  • Stargate SG-1 has Teal'c getting the idiom wrong by asking O'Neill, "Are you considering the same tactic as I?" O'Neill promptly corrects him. Even going as far as to name it a "cliché".
  • Also said by Carter to Vala in the 10th season episode "Insiders".
• Parodied on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the episode "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang" between O'Brien and Bashir:
  Bashir: Miles... You thinking what I'm thinking?
  O'Brien: That depends on what you're thinking.
• In The Suite Life of Zack & Cody:
  Cody: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Zack: Chihuahuas have freakishly large ears? I mean, compared to their tiny bodies they're just, like, MASSIVE...
• Supergirl: Lex, being an Ax-Crazy genius, skips right over guessing someone's idea and instead expands it in a bizarre direction.
  Eve: I have an idea, but you're not gonna like it. What we—
  Lex: You're right. I have to give myself cancer!
  Eve: Whoa, whoa, whoa! That is not what I was gonna say!
  Lex: No, you were going to tell me that I need to work with Lena. And you're right, except she won't buy it. She'll never work with me, but she will save me.
• Utopia: In "Dot Dot Dot", Tony has to formulate a policy on an area he knows nothing about. He is complaining that all kinds of special interest groups are contacting him wanting to discuss the contents of a policy that hasn't been written yet, and comments that they would have better idea what should be in the policy than he does. The penny drops, he looks at Scott and says "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?". Scott replies "About Q&A?"
• In Yes, Minister:
  Hacker: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Bernard: I don't think so, Minister. I'm not thinking anything really.

Pro Wrestling

• When Cactus Jack debuted in WWF in 1997, he was first introduced in a video package where Dude Love interviewed Mankind. Of course, Cactus Jack, Dude Love and Mankind are all the same person.
  Dude Love: Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?
  Mankind: I think I am thinking what you think I think you're thinking.

Puppet Shows

• In the Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock episode "Red and the Big Jump":
  Red: Gobo, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Gobo: That I don't wear enough hats? Totally. I have a ton of them, I just never...
  Red: What? No! (she whispers to him)
  Gobo: I wasn't thinking that, but I love it!

Radio

• You'll Have Had Your Tea: The Doings of Hamish and Dougal gets it down to basics:
  Dougal: Hamish, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Hamish: No.

Video Games

• In the "Milkman Conspiracy" level of Psychonauts, the main character Raz ponders how he can get a birds-eye view of the neighborhood (while a rather obvious helicopter repeatedly flies by in the background, through the window), and briefly contemplates using a pair of stilts.
• In World of Warcraft, one of the joke quotes for the Draenei female is "Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Good. Bring ample supply of butter and goblin jumper cables." NOTE: Goblin Jumper Cables are used to bring people BACK TO LIFE, and the Draenei Jokes were mostly cut since they were TOO sexual. Also worth noting-To put the saddle part of the joke into further context, Draenei have hooves and are referred to as 'space goats' often.
• In the Megazeux game "Funky Chunky Monkey", the protagonist, Melvin Garfunkel (AKA "Funky Chunky Monkey") has an Evil Twin who was banished to the Arctic after his last evil scheme fell flat. Near the end of the game, Funky learns that the Big Bad who kidnapped his sidekick is a character known as THEM (The Hideously Evil Monkey), looks just like Funky, and is currently living in an alternate dimension in Funky's refrigerator. He connects the dots like so...
  Funky: Let's see... looks just like me... lives in a very cold place... hideously evil... I've got it! THEM must be... Robert DeNiro! Wait, that can't be right... I've got it! THEM must be... my evil twin brother Marvin!
• In Dawn of War: Winter Assault, the evil chaos lord Crull has spent most of the shared ork/chaos campaign desiring a powerful Humongous Mecha he plans to reclaim and use to Take Over the World (of course). If you decide to side with the orks for the final level, Warboss Gorgutz is in the process of outlining his plan to force Crull into open battle so Gorgutz can kill him (namely, threaten to destroy the mecha) when he decides to phrase the how of it as a rhetorical question.
  Gorgutz: And you know how I'm gettin' him ta come after me?
  Number Two: ...Yer gonna call 'im a grot?
  Gorgutz: We'll call dat "Plan: Stupid"! I named it after ya!
• I Am an Insane Rogue A.I.: "Are you pondering what I'm pondering? Probably not, because I am smarter than you."
• The Several Journeys of Reemus:
  Liam: Reemus, you know what we have to do!
  Reemus: Yes, I'll start work on the giant deep fryer and you find a peeler. We'll French Fry these creatures right out of existence!
  Liam: Or we could just break into the lair and get the acrobat.
• In the Touhou Project' fangame Sengoku Gensokyo'', this exchange takes place when Remilia detects a certain someone's presence in Patchouli's library:
  Remilia: My, that brings to mind a certain someone.
  Sakuya: It has to me as well. A very certain someone.
  Remilia: ...Shall we reveal who it is, Sakuya?
  Sakuya: I'm afraid I do not have any whips or crosses at the moment.
  Remilia: It looks like we're on different pages then. How boring.
• Adventure Chef:
  Izy: Hey, more bear tracks! Valerie, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Chef Valerie: I'm thinking that, um, that I might have some honey stuck in my hair.
• One scene in Haven (2020) finds Kay and Yu unable to sleep while they're out camping. Kay eventually comes up with something to do in the meantime, which from the questions Yu asks him about it is obviously sex, but her assumptions about what it is can range from "an interpretive dance routine" to "naked hiking" depending on how Kay answers her questions.

Web Animation

• Zany To The Max:
  • Pinky and the Brain still have these exchanges, but Yakko and Wakko have them now, as well. Yakko's responses usually have something to do with Coach Nurse.
  • In the Crossover episode:
    Wakko: Yakko, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
    Yakko: I think so, Wakko, but if Coach Nurse was around, wouldn't Makko be a square?
  • In the Season 2 finale, Yakko asks this question to Coach Nurse as part of the survey.
• This exchange in Red vs. Blue's second season, after the Reds learn that the Blues are getting someone to fix their tank, when only Lopez the robot can fix anything, after a slew of other mishaps have occurred. In a twist, it's the nonsensical answer that's correct.
  Simmons: Sarge, are you thinking what I'm thinking? Lopez runs away, the jeep starts driving itself, and suddenly there's a new guy on the Blue Team?
  Sarge: Yes, Simmons, I am. Quite obviously, the Blue Team has constructed some kind of diabolical mind control ray beam, that they used on Lopez and now he has to do their evil Blue bidding!
  Grif: (hops off the Warthog) Or, since he's a robot, maybe they just reprogrammed him.
  Donut: Or maybe that Blue guy who got killed by the tank came back as a ghost, and now he's possessing Lopez's body. That could also explain why Sarge went nuts when we had the prisoner. The Blue ghost probably possessed him too. And the jeep going nuts was probably just a weird set of coincidences while the guy learned how to use Lopez's body.
  Grif, Simmons, and Sarge: ...
  Simmons: I think I like the ray beam idea better.
  Grif: Yeah-heh, rookie, your idea sounds a little dumb.
• In Space Tree episode Slave Grave:
  Space Tree: Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Commander?
  Commander: I hope not, because that would burn my nipples right off!
• Harry Partridge's Michael the Terrible Boyfriend animation. In all likelihood, you're not.
• Issue 8 of Teen Girl Squad opens with the girls listening to the opening announcements, which mentions that the day's lunch is "a breadtangle of pizza", Tompkins is being called to the principal's office, and there's a Battle of the Bands coming up.
  Cheerleader: You hear that, girls?
  What's Her Face: Pizza belongs in a triangle.
  So and So: That Tompkins is such a renegade!
  Cheerleader: No, yous guys! The Battle of the Bands!
• This exchange in The Gaston Trilogy, that has Lefou's dialogue directly ripped from Pinky and the Brain:
  Gaston: Lefou, I'm afraid I've been thinking.
  Lefou: If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, then why does he keep doing it?
  Gaston: I know.
• Done in gen:LOCK just before Valentina and Yasamin initiate their first mindshare.
  Yasamin: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Valentina: You will in a moment.

Webcomics

• In 8-Bit Theater, Fighter is told by Swordopolis to go to the Castle of Ordeals. However, Fighter then immediately forgets what tower he's supposed to go to. He wanders around the airship hearing all sorts of homophones for "Ordeal" before finally "realizing" that it's supposed to be... Radio Castle!
• In this strip of Adventures of God, Satan and Kat the babysitter realize that they both agree Susan's parents are wasting her time by sending her to soccer practice instead of letting her focus on her music. However, Satan, being Satan, has slightly different ideas on the best response.
  Kat: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Satan: Scorch the soccer fields?
  Kat: No, not that.
• Early Goblins joke. Just see it for yourself.
• Adventures In Ninja Cookery had this exchange:
  Larry: How is the road, Mr. Ninja?
  Iron Ninja: Well, it's brown, and surrounded by trees of some sort.
• Turn Signals on a Land Raider used it here, probably in tribute to Pinky and the Brain.
• Darths & Droids, a webcomic about a group of roleplayers going through a Star Wars campaign, provides a few examples through the player Jim. In one strip, Jim (playing Padme) announces that he'll put a hairpin in his mouth while he's being marched to a pillar he'll be chained up to. When another player compliments him on his idea to pick the lock, his response is "Oh! That's an even better idea! I was going to fake a medical emergency." Also, Yoda's name for the Clone Wars in strip 407.
• Questionable Content has possibly the greatest non sequitur in history.
• A xkcd comic for the now-defunct IBM's A Smarter Planet blog has an example of this with regards to a saying that in the old days squirrels could travel from the Atlantic to the Mississippi without ever touching the ground, which is normally meant to call attention to the issue of widespread deforestation.
  Cueball: Which is why I've developed the aerial squirrel transit pod.
• When Knuckles asks this in Final Fantasy Sonic:
  Sonic: I think so, Knuckles, but shouldn't dancing always be fun?
• In College Roomies from Hell!!!, when Roger finally decides for a name for his pet rock.
  Roger: Well, it's a rock and it's my fella, so...
  Mike: Say no more. You named it "Rockefeller", right?
  Roger: No, "Fluffy". Why?
• Two Guys and Guy: Wayne and Guy each have a pretty miserable day for different reasons, so Wayne suggests something that'll cheer both of them up. He's thinking of badminton; Guy apparently thought it was a Sexual Euphemism and shows up dressed as a Dominatrix.
  Guy: I don't know why I thought we had the same idea. Let's do your thing.
• Housepets! has Sasha's deep thoughts.
• Adventurers!: Idiot Hero Karn tries to escape from a collapsed dungeon.
• Hark! A Vagrant pulled this trope off with Macbeth, of all sources.
  Banquo: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Macbeth: [thinking] Kill everyone.
  Banquo: Haha, our kids are totally gonna hook up.
  Macbeth: What.
• Scandinavia and the World: Due to its food being unhealthy, Sweden asks Burger King to make a few changes if it wants to open restaurants in any of the Nordics. Finland's first suggestion is the addition of a sauna (as an allusion to a Burger King with a sauna actually existing in the country).
• In Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic, one cyclops asks another this. The second cyclops thinks they should become vegetarian (rather than eat adventurers who are fighting back), but the first one was just thinking "talkin' labrats is funny". The strip title is "Stinky and with No Brains".

Web Original

• Spoofed in the Uncyclopedia article for Narf, complete with a Take That! to Ann Coulter.

Web Videos

• RedLetterMedia: In Mr. Plinkett's review of Revenge of the Sith, he suggests that the very title of the movie indicated it it was going to suck, since rearranging the letters in the word "sith" got you... "tsih", Chinese for "disappointed in the cooking of the duck meat".
• When Paw Dugan and Elisa review Fantasia 2000 and notice that JewWario and Nella have never herd of the original:
  Paw: You thinking what I'm thinking?
  Elisa: Yeah, but Jew Wario's already married and Nella's...
  Paw: No, where we are!
• The Nostalgia Critic:
  • A bit between The Critic and Diamanda Hagan in their review of Heavy Metal:
    Diamanda: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
    Critic: I think so... But how could I get Catherine Zeta-Jones in a Batman outfit?
    Diamanda: I was... thinking about Insano.
    Critic: Oh yeah, Insano. How could he get Catherine Zeta Jones in a Batman outfit?
  • The end of his review of The Purge, features Pinky and the Brain breaking up, with a clip of Brain tearing Pinky a new one for giving one too many stupid answers to that question. As an added bonus, they actually managed to get Maurice LaMarche and Rob Paulsen to reprise their roles.
• In Mad Because Small "2.56 - The Far Edge of Fate", when Baby and Alphinaud try to figure out how to stop the Griffin from acting on his revolution, we get this conversation:
  Baby: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Alphinaud: Yes — (quick cut to the two of them in peasant clothing) Shrek cosplay!
  Baby: (glaring at Alphinaud) ANGRY

Western Animation

• In The Amazing World of Gumball episode "The Traitor":
  Gumball: (reading his social media updates) At Joyful Burger?! Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Darwin: That you're gonna catch him red handed?
  Gumball: I was thinking lunch, but THAT'S A MUCH BETTER IDEA!!!
  • In "The Nobody", a Running Gag sees Darwin Comically Missing the Point every time Gumball suggests this trope. This gets lampshaded in the episode "The Diet", where for once Darwin was actually thinking exactly what Gumball was thinking.
    Gumball: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
    Gumball and Darwin: [Together] We use food to trick Dad into exercising!
    Gumball: Uh, that never usually works.
• In American Dad!, Stan brainwashes Haylee. Her mom notices something's wrong and says something like(can't remember): "Something's wrong with Haylee. It's like she's not herself. It's as if...her mind has been put through a cleaning, scrubbed or rubbed vigorously with soap and water... brainpolished... mindscoured..." She looks at Stan, who just shrugs.
• Invoked in Aqua Teen Hunger Force, when Master Shake declares that Frylock's time machine is the key to curing Frylock's cancer. Because they can set fire to the time machine, and smoke the cancer out. Bonus points for actually trying to follow through on the idea.
• Arthur: In "Arthur's Birthday", Arthur and Muffy have their birthday parties scheduled for the same day.
  Binky: What are you thinking about?
  Francine: About whose party to go to. Why, what are you thinking about?
  Binky: Where's Ohio?
• A running gag on Bromwell High, where Natella asks Keisha this.
• In the Care Bears To The Rescue Movie, Cheer's pet gobblebug has just eaten most of Share's garden, and is likely to eat most of the foliage in Care-a-Lot.
  Share: Too bad he can't have his own garden somewhere.
  Cheer: Hey! Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Oopsy: We should all just move away and let Nibbley take over Care-A-Lot?
  Cheer: What? No!
• Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers has this happen a lot with Dale, nearly always resulting in Chip giving him a bop on the head. For example, from the episode "Fake Me to Your Leader":
  Chip: This flying saucer is made out of rubber! Do you know what that means?
  Dale: Er, it's dishwasher-safe?
  Chip: No, stupid! *BONK!* It means it's not a real spaceship.
• The titular protagonist of Chowder does this to HIMSELF in the episode Chowder's Catering Company after finding vermin who like to eat his food.
  Chowder: It's almost like I need to start my own catering company... THAT'S IT! I'll open a store for plus-size ladies' fashion! No, wait, wait, wait...
• City Island (2022): In "Town Hall," Watt asks Windy if she's thinking what he's thinking. They agree that they should go to the town hall meeting.
• JFK on Clone High has the 1-person variant as one of his trademark shticks:
  JFK: What if we take a sample of a song that already exists, and you rap over that sample? I call it... 'song-taking'.
• In Code Lyoko's "Contact", after seeing Sissi getting loaded up in an ambulance, Odd tells Jeremie (thus ending the call with him) that he has "an idea" and hangs up. Then him and Yumi, who was listening in and standing right beside him, have this exchange:
  Yumi: Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?
  Odd: Yeah! Good thinking. ^note Breaking Sissi out of the hospital after she gets there
• Darkwing Duck, episode "Getting Antsy":
  (the Hamburger Hippo disappears after Launchpad returns to retrieve his "lucky" scarf)
  Darkwing: Do you realize what this means?
  Launchpad: I need to get a new scarf?
• In the Ed, Edd n Eddy episode "If It Smells Like an Ed", the Eds try to track down whoever it was that framed them for sabotage, and eventually stumble across a Bound and Gagged Johnny, with gummy candies stuck all over him.
  Edd: This can only point to one thing!
  Ed: Rotten teeth?
  Edd: No, Ed. Well, yes...
• Family Guy:
  • There was a good example in "Petarded". The judge says:
    Judge: If it were up to me, I would send you to a place far away. A place where you were locked up with other dangerous people for a time determined by the degree of your crime. Unfortunately, as far as I know, no such place exists, so I have to let you go free.
  • This is actually a two-person version, as after the judge bangs his gavel, Peter jumps in.
    Peter: Oh and it was prison you were thinking of.
    Judge: Oh, I already banged my hammer!
  • Another example:
    Lois: You should spend some time with our kids Peter, and with me.
    Peter: Well what can you and me do together?
    Lois: [giggles]
    Peter: Lois! You've got a sick mind!
    Lois: Peter, I'm talking about making love.
    Peter: Oh, I thought you wanted to murder the children and harvest their organs for beer money.
  • "I was gonna suggest we eat the kids. You know, jokingly at first, but then I was gonna gauge your reaction, and if you were cool with it, we'd go from there. But this is a much better idea!"
• In one episode of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, this exchange occurs.
  Mac: [to Bloo] Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  [beat]
  Mac: SABOTAGE!
  Bloo: [simultaneously] TAKE A SANDWICH BREAK! Wait, your idea's better. Sabotage.

• From The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones:
  Fred: I know what you're gonna ask - where are we gonna get ten times that much [money]?
  Barney: No, I was gonna ask what's in the coconut juice.
• An episode of Justice League, where four of The Flash's enemies, Mirror Master, Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, and the Trickster are discussing teaming up against their common foe.
  Mirror Master: Here we are, the hardest men in town and we all have something in common.
  Trickster: Bilateral symmetry.
• Kim Possible has a scene like this in "Emotion Sickness" when Drakken and Shego are on a "date".
  Shego: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Drakken: Uh... this ice cream's gonna go straight to my hips and I'll never fit into a size 6?
• Looney Tunes: Speedy Gonzales grants Sylvester the Cat a Team Rocket Wins moment at the end of "A Message To Gracias". While delivering a message to General Gracias, Speedy initially has Sylvester tied up, then finds out the message was a birthday greeting.
  Speedy: Hey, pussycat. Are you theenking what I'm theenking?
  Sylvester: I'm thinkin', all right. (Speedy cuts Sylvester loose and lets him have at Gracias and his friend)
• In The Loud House episode "Child's Play," after seeing Luan with a bunch of cash attained through entertaining at young kids' birthday parties, Luna asks her bandmates if they're thinking what she's thinking. Bandmate Sully was surprised to learn that she meant their band should play at kids' parties, because he wanted to swim in Luan's money. Later, the group sees Lily on her trike, singing, and play the trope again. While the others realize that Lily's taste in music would match those of their new target audience, Sully just wanted to ride the trike. Later still, Lily become unavailable, so the band needs to come up wit their own song. Luna asks if the others are thinking what she's thinking, and Sully guesses that she wants them to act like little kids. Luna is surprised Sully actually got one right.
• The Magic School Bus Rides Again does this in episode 1, "Frizzle of the Future".
  Arnold: Ralphie, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Ralphie: I think so! But who would really invest in a rocket-powered tortoise?
• Happens in The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack episode "Low Tidings", although K'nuckles response to the question ("That Scoops Pennington is a hack?") does at least follow logically from what had gone before. Flapjack was actually suggesting that they take the place of the two sick actors in the Low Tide Day pageant.
• Presented without context: A line of dialogue from Metalocalypse:
  Nathan: I think I know what you're saying. I, um... I think we need to build a space helicopter.
• "Monster High Friday Night Frights" has this exchange between Frankie Stein and Abbey Bominable.
  Frankie: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Abbey: Depends. Are you thinking that Lagoona should be on team, or are you wondering why snowmen always smiling? Seem like very boring job.
  Frankie: Uh, the first one.
• In "Darby's Pony" from My Friends Tigger & Pooh, Darby expresses a desire to have a pony, but says that ponies are really hard to take care of. Afterwards, Tigger walks with Pooh, asking him "Are you think what I'm thinking, Pooh boy?" Pooh suggests that it's if trees were honey, you could drink the leaves. As it turns out, that's not what Tigger's thinking, but rather that Darby really wants a pony and it's up to them to get her one.
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
  • This exchange from the episode "Boast Busters" between Snips and Snails:
    Spike: Look, unless an Ursa Major comes waltzing up the street for Trixie to vanquish, I am not going to believe a word she says, and neither should you!
    Snips: An Ursa walkin' up the street, eh? Snails, you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?
    Snails: Why is it they call it a flea market when they don't really sell fleas?
    Snips: Yeah! Uh... oh, come on!
  • In The Teaser for "Ponyville Confidential", Apple Bloom suggests that the school newspaper may help the Cutie Mark Crusaders in their cutie-mark hunt. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle proceed to use copies of the newspaper in every way they can think of (packing fragile items, lining birds' nests, and making paper boats and paper hats) before finding out that Apple Bloom meant they should try writing for the school newspaper.
• Jelly in the PB&J Otter episode "Babbleberry Day," after she gets the idea to help with babbleberry picking:
  Jelly: Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?
  Peanut: How cool it would be to have central hot chocolate?
  Jelly: No!
• In "The Tree Problem" on Peg + Cat, when Cat is stuck in a tree, Peg opens up a present that she received, hoping for something that might save Cat and finds a giant coloring book and a kaleidoscope. Deciding that she can stack them up to reach Cat, she asks Cat if he's thinking what she's thinking and Cat quickly replies "No."
• In the episode of The Penguins of Madagascar "Tagged", the penguins get fit with electronic tracking devices. An exchange follows:
  Skipper: Rico! Hacksaw!
  Private: Skipper? How long will it take to saw through the bracelet?
  Skipper: Bracelet? I was just going to saw off my foot. But maybe you're on to something there, Private.
• Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero: In "Be My Ghost", Penn, Boone and Sashi are ghosts and spot Rippen working as a ghost exterminator.
  Penn: Hey! Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?
  Boone: The ferris wheels are a rip off because when you get off you're right back where you started?
  Penn: Not. Even. Close. I was thinking we should terrify Rippen. I mean, how often are we ghosts?
• Phineas and Ferb:
  • Parodied in "Phineas and Ferb's Christmas Vacation" where the following exchange occurs (though it turns out that Phineas is just looking at the blueprints upside down):
    Phineas: Ferb! Are you thinking what I'm thinking? [Ferb hands over some blueprints] As usual we're- [looks at blueprints and is immediately disgusted] Oh ugh! Man! No! That's not at all what I was thinking! OH, DUDE! [Ferb flips blueprints upside] Oh, yeah. That's it!
  • Rare self-directed example: "Don't Even Blink" has Doofenshmirtz build an invisibility Ray, explaining that he plans to use it to deal with Fireside Girls who knock on his door and spot him through the window, preventing him from pretending that he isn't home. His plan? Fire the gun at the Fireside Girls so he won't have to look at them. The irony of this situation is that the buildup to this statement implies that he will use the ray on himself to become invisible to the Fireside Girls, i.e. the more sensible approach. Obviously, this thought somehow never dawns on him.
  • In "Make Play", Candace commiserates with her doppelganger Princess Baldegrunde:
    Baldegrunde: I never get to do anything for myself.
    Candace: And I have to do everything for myself!
    Both: I've got it!
    Candace: Let's go to the laundromat and fill the dryers with cheese!
    Baldegrunde: What? No, let us trade lives! I thought for sure on same page we were.
  • In "Fly on the Wall", Phineas is inspired by Buford sitting on the tire swing for the big idea. He says his catchphrase, "Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!", to which Buford replies, "Uh, hatch mosquitos?"
  • "The Return of the Rogue Rabbit" has a variation where it's only one of these from Phineas' point of view.
    Phineas: What do you say, Isabella? Are you ready to take the next step?
    Isabella: Oh, Phineas, yes! I've been right here in front of you all along just waiting for you to... [romantic music abruptly stops] Oh...wait. You were talking about the puppet, weren't you?
    Phineas: Well, yeah. What were you talking about?
    Isabella: Nothing! I uh, was just...[nervous giggling] - hey, where's Perry?
• The Pinky And Perky Show: After hearing the title characters discussing a haunted television studio:
  Vera: Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Eric?
  Eric: Yes, Vera. Why don't they make vases out of rubber?
• Pinky and the Brain:
  • Constantly, of course. Whenever Brain asks this Once per Episode, word-for-word, Pink delivers a Non Sequitur answer.
    Brain: Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
    Pinky: I think so, Brain, but where are we going to find a duck and a hose at this hour?
  • This trope appeared outside of the usual exchange in another episode:
    Brain: Pinky, what rhymes with June?
    Pinky: I'm busy, Brain!
    Brain: Well, what are you doing?
    Pinky: Oh, just hitting a balloon with a spoon while I croon a tune to this baboon by the light of the moon.
    Brain: Well, will you be done soon?
    Pinky: Oh, about noon. Why?
    Brain: What rhymes with June?
    Pinky: ...No, it doesn't.
    Brain: Gah, I'll make it April.
  • And in another episode, it happened within the usual exchange, but with Brain providing the final example. After Pinky suggests that they package their trading cards with something pink and chewy that everyone likes so that people will buy them, Brain sees the obvious answer — include sausages.
  • In one instance, they even lampshade the whole bit.
    Brain: Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
    Pinky: Whoof, oh, I'd have to say the odds of that are terribly slim Brain.
    Brain: True.
    Pinky: I mean, really, when have I ever been pondering what you've been pondering?
    Brain: To my knowledge, never.
    Pinky: Exactly. So, what are the chances that this time, I'm pondering what you're pondering?
    Brain: Next to nil.
    Pinky: Well, that's exactly what I'm thinking, too.
    Brain: Therefore, you are pondering what I'm pondering.
    Pinky: Poit, I guess I am!
  • In Wakko's Wish, they did this exchange as part of a song:
    Brain: (singing) Pinky, are you pondering exactly what I'm pondering?
    Pinky: (singing) I think so, Brain, but just how will we get the weasel to hold still?
  • It was played around with once on the show, when the episode "The Pinky P.O.V." gave us a look inside Pinky's thought processes. The Brain was explaining his latest plan, and quickly devolved into Blahblahblah, blahblah blah blahblah as Pinky pondered how Brain's head looked like a hippo's. This started a chain of thought, ending with the hippo on a beach, and wondering what the hippo WOULD wear on a beach. At this point Brain interrupted with the trope name.
    Pinky: I think so, Brain, but what if the hippopotamus won't wear the beach thong?
  • Inverted at least once.
    Pinky: Well, I think so, Brain, but... no, it's too stupid.
    Brain: We shall disguise ourselves as a cow!
    Pinky: Narf, Brain! That was it exactly!
  • On one occasion, Pinky took the Brain role with his own reflection.
    Pinky: [talking to his reflection in the mirror] Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
    Pinky's Reflection: Why, yes, Pinky! Yes, I am! But where would you get a chicken, 20 yards of spandex and smelling salts at this hour?
  • And then there was the role reversal:
    Pinky: Brain, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
    Brain: We eat the box?
    Pinky: No Brain, we build a boat! And then we eat the box!
  • Rob Paulsen (voice of Pinky) gave this answer in "The Megalomaniacal Adventures of Brainie the Poo" as well as at Comic-Con:
    Fan: Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
    Paulsen: I think so, Brain, but why would anyone want to pierce Brosnan?
  • The other variation on the gag would be a non-sequitur from Pinky, which actually distracts Brain because he ends up agreeing with it.
    Brain: Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Sancho Pinky?
    Pinky: I think so, Don Cerebro, but why would Sophia Loren do a musical?
    Brain: A worthy enigma, Sancho Pinky.
  • Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain featured a variation on this running gag in the form of Brain asking if Pinky has "Any questions?", with Pinky responding by asking a completely irrelevant question. Then, at the end of the episode, Brain gives Pinky the answer to his question. Example:
    Brain: Any questions?
    Pinky: Just one. If Fred Flintstone knew the giant order of ribs was going to tip over his car, why did he order them every week?
    [later]
    Brain: It was an end title.
    Pinky: What?
    Brain: Fred Flintstone doesn't order ribs every week. That was only animated once, then music and voice tracks were added. The footage is run at the end of the show in the same spot every time. It's called an end title.
  • And of course, the marvelous moment from the episode where Brain manages to boost Pinky's intelligence to unprecedented levels...
    Brain: Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
    Pinky: [slight pause, then with mildly-surprised pride] ...Yes, I AM!
  • One time in an episode from the reboot of Animaniacs, Brain tried to evoke this, wanting a foolish response so he'd win a competition of dictators bringing foolish guests. Unfortunately, Pinky was on his best behavior.
    Brain: Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?
    Pinky: No.
• Ready Jet Go!: Happens in a few episodes between Jet and one other person. For example, in "Which Moon is Best?" Jet points out that there are many other moons besides Earth's moon. Sydney then asks "Jet, are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Jet responds "That I'd love a piece of pie right now?"
• In a Robot Chicken sketch parodying G-Force, two of the other team members help Tiny lose weight and get in shape. As he buffs up, he single-handedly saves the day, getting the glory and the girls. The two helpful team members are not too happy about this and glance at each other saying, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" When one comes into the room with a huge banana sundae to find the other has beaten their friend to death with a wrench, he realizes they weren't thinking the same thing at all.
• The Simpsons:
  • In the "Treehouse of Horror IV" story "Bart Simpson's Dracula":
    Kent Brockman: Another local peasant has been found dead - drained of his blood with two teeth marks on his throat. This black cape was found on the scene. Police are baffled.
    Police Chief Wiggum: We think we're dealing with a supernatural being, most likely a mummy. As a precaution, I've ordered the Egyptian wing of the Springfield museum destroyed.
  • In "The Springfield Files":
    Homer: I learned this from a movie I saw about a bus that has to speed around the city, keeping its speed above 50, and if its speed dropped, it would explode. I think it was called The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down.
  • A similar example happened in "Bye Bye, Nerdie":
    Milhouse: This is just like Speed 2, except with a bus instead of a boat!
  • In "Bart Gets an Elephant", kids keep knocking at Homer's door, and as he turns them back, Milhouse offers him money to see it. Homer goes "That gives me an idea!" and he proceeds to plant a sign on his front lawn that reads "Go away".
  • In a similar scene in "Lisa the Skeptic", he's offered a dollar to see the "angel skeleton" in his garage. He responds "A buck, eh?". Cut to Homer greeting a queue of people, charging them fifty cents each.
  • Chief Wiggum again, in the "Treehouse of Horror" story "Night of the Dolphin", where dolphins attempt to take over:
    Police Chief Wiggum: Hmm. Bottlenose bruises, blowhole burns, flipper prints...this looks like the work of rowdy teens. Lou, cancel the prom.
  • In "Lost Our Lisa", Homer has to find Lisa in a busy street. He runs up to a balloon merchant, buys all his balloons, exclaims "I hope this works!", and offers a crane operator said balloons if he can borrow the crane for a while. It works.
  • In "The Sweetest Apu", Homer and Marge are worried about Apu and Manjula's marriage, when Marge has an idea.
    Marge: Homer, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
    Homer: Yep...
    (Dissolve to Homer's dream sequence, where he terrorizes a city with a hang-glider and a laser gun. "You can run... but you cannot GLIDE!")
  • In "Burn's Heir", Mr. Burns signs the paper work for Bart to inherit his fortune, then laments that he will be returning to his mansion alone. Marge asks Homer if he is thinking the same thing and he responds, "Yeah. Let's push him down the steps."
  • In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song", Principal Skinner has an idea for his great American novel.
    Principal Skinner: Mine is about a futuristic amusement park! Where dinosaurs are brought to life through advanced cloning techniques! I call it: Billy and the Cloneasaurus.
    ** Apu tears him apart for not only coming up with something already made, but for giving it the worst possible title.
  • In "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday", Homer is trying to think of a way to sneak him and his buddies past the security guard at the back entrance into the Super Bowl. Bart points out a rack of Halftime Show costumes. He uses the rack to knock over the security guard and they all run in!
  • In "Rosebud", after Kent Brockman reports on Burns' missing bear Maggie holds up the bear in front of the TV (which happens to be showing a picture of the bear) leading Homer to yell:
    Homer: Maggie get that moldy old bear out of the way! Moldy?! Old?! I'm gonna get something to eat!
  • In "Dumbbell Indemnity", Homer is in jail for stealing Moe's car. Hans Moleman comes by with a book cart, offering him some reading material. Homer picks up "How to Tunnel Out of Prison", thinks that it might be useful - then knocks Moleman out with it and escapes.
  • In "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo", the Simpsons travel to Japan, but run out of money and are working at a fish-gutting factory where they see the game show "Happy Smile Super Challenge Family Wish Show" on TV.
    Marge: "Family Wish Show"? Hmm, that gives me an idea...
    Lisa: I think we all had that idea.
    Homer: I didn't. What is it? Lunch?
  • Downplayed in "The Front," where Bart is smart enough to realize that the answer to this question when directed to him by Lisa is "Probably not." Cue Imagine Spot of him holding up Santa Claus at gunpoint.
    Bart: Lie in the snow and count to 60! (rides off in Santa's sleigh) Muahahahahaha! Merry Christmas, suckers!
• Les Sisters: Happens in the Camping Episode after Marie and Wendy break their parents' vase.
  Wendy: Marie, there's only one solution. You'll have to stay strong.
  Marie: You want to kill our parents?! Are you insane?
  Wendy (disturbed): Uh, no, I meant we could camp out in the forest until they calm down.
• South Park:
  • In "World Wide Recorder Concert", after Cartman demonstrates the brown noise:
    Stan: Dude, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
    Cartman: That they should bring back Chicago Hope for another season? Totally!
    Stan: No! That we could use the brown noise to get back at those asshole New Yorker kids.
    Cartman: They should bring back another season of Chicago Hope though, seriously.
  • In another episode, Kyle declares they have to do something about the homeless problem. Cartman agrees, and says he knows exactly what Kyle is thinking. He then sets up a ramp and skateboards over a homeless guy Evel Knievel-style. Later, everyone keeps crediting Kyle with the idea to build ramps over the homeless people.
• SpongeBob SquarePants:
  • The episode "New Student Starfish": SpongeBob asks Patrick to get get a lightbulb from the closet, and Patrick runs in to find a huge mountain of lightbulbs on the floor. He exclaims "Lightbulb!" then races up to the mountain. "But why does it have to be so far away?" (glancing up past the mountain to the lightbulb hanging from the ceiling) He then proceeds to climb the mountain of lightbulbs to reach the one on the ceiling.
  • Also in 'The Great Snail Race':
    SpongeBob: (to Patrick) Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
    Patrick: Yeah! I should get a snail and enter it in that race and beat Squidward! (runs out)
    SpongeBob: (to Gary) Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
    (Gary thinks of watching TV)
    SpongeBob: No no no! I'm thinking about entering you in that race and beating Squidward's snail!
  • Done in "Slide Whistle Stooges" when SpongeBob starts to worry about Squidward's sanity.
    SpongeBob: Patrick, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
    (Patrick thinks about sticking his hand in his belly button)
    Patrick: Probably not.
• Squirrel Boy:
  Andy: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Rodney: Maybe. Are you thinking there's an untapped market for edible socks?
• Star vs. the Forces of Evil:
  • In "Freeze Day", Star and Marco realize that there are giant hamsters in Father Time's dimension, and the Wheel of Progress (which they need to restart in order to unfreeze time) runs on Hamster-Wheel Power. Star asks if he's thinking what she's thinking. Cut to...the Wheel having been turned into hamster-drawn carriage with a seat on top for Father Time. That way time restarts but Father Time can actually explore his dimension instead of spending eternity running in the wheel himself. Marco starts to explain that actually he was thinking of just having a giant hamster run in the Wheel instead of Father Time, but then shrugs it off and says this works too.
  • In "The Bounce Lounge", Star and Pony Head are trying to get one of their old friends to help them save the Bounce Lounge, and their friend prefers to stay at another club. Star asks Pony Head if she's thinking what Star is thinking. Pony Head says yes and her horn starts glowing. Cut to police sirens and the group standing outside the burning nightclub, which Pony Head saying she thought that's what Star had been thinking.
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars, "Bounty Hunters":When their ship is about to crash Anakin asks if Obi-Wan is thinking what he's thinking, and while Obi-Wan says "Most assuredly not." he rather obviously knows what Anakin is thinking but disapproves, as he grabs his mask before Anakin grabs his or gives any further explanation.
• Stōked!:
  Broseph: So Johnny has the keys to the whale bus. And Johnny totally has the hots for Emma. Are you thinking what I'm thinking, bro?
  Finn: Yeah. I should get some smaller cut-outs made. You know, for the babes.
• Taz-Mania: The Platypus Brothers in "Never Cry Taz":
  Timothy: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
  Daniel: Not unless you've got the theme from Hello, Dolly! running through your head.
• In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) we get this exchange:
  Mikey: Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?
  Donny: I think he's thinking what you think he's thinking.
  Raph: If he's thinking what I'm thinking, then I'm thinking we shouldn't just be thinking. What're you think?
• In the Time Travel episode of Totally Spies!, the girls try to rescue their adult counterparts, only to be caught and thrown in a cellblock with them. While thinking of a solution:
  Teenage Sam: You thinking what I'm thinking?
  Adult Sam: No, I think you're thinking what I'm thinking!
  Teenage Alex: Can someone please tell me what the two Sams are thinking?
• Work It Out Wombats!: In "Make It Snow," the kids need something flat on the bottom of their life-sized snow globe. Suddenly, they get wet when Louisa is drying off her inflatable pool. This makes Malik get an idea, and say "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Real Life

• Charlie Rose is a great interviewer in many ways, but take a drink every time he asks his guest an elaborate yes-or-no question that fully incorporates the answer he'd like them to give, and they reply, "...Not really."

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