Bait-and-Switch Sentiment

Mike: We have everything we need to win right here. (Mike puts his hand on his chest.)
Squibbles: [smiles] Heart.
Mike: No, me! I'm going to win this for us.

— Monsters University

Bait-and-Switch Sentiment describes an instance in which one character assumes that the actions or words of another are done, said for or even refer to a sentimental reason when the opposite is true. For example:

Alice and Bob have had it. No matter how many times Alice tells Bob that his socks don't belong on the floor, he just doesn't get the message. No matter how many times Bob tells Alice that there's no point in trying to vacuum the driveway, she insists that it has to be done. Naturally, the two get in a massive argument that culminates with Bob storming out of the house only to reenter seconds later. Alice smiles softly and says "I understand. You came back because you realized that we both have flaws and that it's best to work through them together instead of just running away from them." Bob responds "No. I forgot my car keys."

It is important to note that the execution of this trope doesn't require an argument (although it can certainly happen as a result of one especially if the Jerk with a Heart of Jerk or Deadpan Snarker is involved). Gestures that get mistaken for sentimental ones can include anything from a pat on the back to single-handedly taking on an army of Mooks. If Alice assumes that Bob is finally confessing his love for her, that's Mistaken Declaration of Love. If Alice assumes that Bob's words demonstrate the depths of humanity's knowledge and wisdom on an often universal level, that's Mistaken for Profound. May often overlap with Poor Communication Kills or even Can't Kill You, Still Need You if the Hero mistakenly believes that the villain has spared him because he might be having a change of heart (or vice-versa). Dialogue based examples often take the form of a Bait-and-Switch Comment.

Compare Misplaced Sorrow, Bait-and-Switch Compassion, Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?, Mistaken for Brooding, Moving Right Through and Failed Dramatic Exit.

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Examples:

Advertising

• A Jack-In-The-Box commercial features Jack walking up to the concession stand of a movie theater. The vendor informs him that popcorn is seven dollars. Jack protests the price and adds that it isn't even a meal before telling the viewer about a deal at the restaurant. The ad pans back to the movie theater and Jack's wife consoling him, though she admits that she's surprised that a movie would cause him to cry. He responds, "No. I'm still sad about the popcorn."

Anime & Manga

• Ah... and Mm... Are All She Says: Toda blushes and gets wide-eyed when Tanaka says "I like you," but then says that she feels the same about Yanagi and Norush, two other mangaka at the magazine. Tanaka probably didn't even realize the inadvertent meaning her words had.
• Ah! My Goddess:
  • At one point in the Mara the demon possesses Keichii's sister Megumi and "confesses" her love to Belldandy. Mara's stunned when Bell says that she loves Megumi too… and Keichii, and Tamiya, and Ootaki, and her sisters…
  • Belldandy, who initially seems to play this trope, flat out states that her wish to make Keiichi happy overrules her wish to make everyone in the world happy.
• Played straight in the first School Festival arc in the Asteroid in Love manga, but averted in the anime, owing to the latter emphasizing the more sentimental elements of the work. When the Earth Sciences Club need help with their boring (as in drilling) sample, Ayano rounds up the baseball team. However, it quickly becomes apparent they've got the hots for Ayano herself. That was removed from the anime, however, making it appear the baseball team just has an excess of school spirit.
• In Boarding School Juliet, when Inuzuka revealed his taboo relationship with Percia, an enemy soldier, Hazuki pulled him into a hug. Inuzuka thinks she's accepting him for who he is, but actually the 'hug' was Hazuki placing a ceremonial robe on him so he could commit seppuku honourably.
• In Cardcaptor Sakura, after an exchange between Sakura and Tomoyo in which the both tell each other they like each other, the latter lampshades the trope by saying that "what you mean with like and what I mean with like are two very different things." Sakura fails to see the point.
• A very serious example in Fullmetal Alchemist: During Hughes' funeral, Fuhrer Bradley appears to tremble when the deceased's child is crying. When Roy points this out later, Bradley explains he was actually shaking with rage, because he thought her crying was annoying.
• A variation occurs in Fushigi Yuugi; When Nuriko confesses to Tamahome that he loves Miaka, he goes on to say, "For that matter, I love you too. I love Hotohori, Tasuki — all of them. I think that's what makes me a Suzaku warrior, and I'm proud of that." The whole speech is so vague that fans still dispute whether Nuriko was IN love with Miaka, or if he just really loved her as a friend.
• In the end of episode 11 of High School Star Musical, Nayuki confesses his love to Hoshitani - alone in a classroom, passionately worded - and Hoshitani responds that he does, too - he loves the whole team.
• In an Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians episode, Kan'u asks if Ryuubi does love her. Ryuubi says yes, which causes Kan'u to feel like she's in heaven… until Ryuubi continues that she likes the rest of the school members (Chouhi, Chou'un, Koumei, even Kouchuu)… which instantly petrifies Kan'u.
• Subverted in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War when Ishigami offers a giant heart-shaped gift to Tsubame during the Devoted Hearts Festival (which is a sign of eternal love in-universe). Ishigami doesn't know the legend behind it due to having a very small social circle and was just giving it to her as thanks for all the times she's helped him out, but everyone else in the school interprets it as a Love Confession. Of course, Ishigami actually does have a crush on her and had been trying to find a way to confess, but he remains completely oblivious to the fact that he's already done so.
• Early on in Maison Ikkoku, Godai receives a handmade scarf from Kyoko. He is dismayed when he learns that Mitaka received one as well. They debate whether that means she likes them equally, only to learn she made scarves for everyone at Ikkoku as thanks for taking care of her when she was sick.
• Punchlines in Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun are often set up this way, with a character seemingly about to do or say something romantic/heartwarming but then doing something completely different.
  • As Nozaki walks home with Sakura when sharing an Umbrella of Togetherness in the rain, he laments that he wishes time would stop. Sakura wonders if he's thinking the same thing (that he doesn't want to stop walking with her). It turns out Nozaki doesn't want time to stop because he's dreading coming home to wet laundry.
  • Nozaki attempts a simulation where he, Sakura and Mikoshiba try to look for each other at the train station without using their phones. When reporting back to Miyamae, Nozaki notes there's some things that haven't changed compared to the olden days. Miyamae snarks to himself that he's probably going to say something cheesy like "the thrill of waiting to meet up". Nozaki's actual answer? "Lost child services." (Mikoshiba had reported himself as a lost child to make it quicker to find the others).
• Negima! Magister Negi Magi uses this once or twice:
  • Once when Negi tries to encourage Asuna to confess to Takahata — I've always liked you, Asuna *gasp and blush* And so does Konoka and everyone else!
  • The second is when Negi is about to head to the Magical World, gets Asuna alone and asks her to come, seeming to imply a Relationship Upgrade on the pactio thing, and then invites everyone else along as well. Asuna's reaction is rather suspicious but ambiguous as well.
• Happens rather deliberately in Overlord (2012). When Ains tells Albedo that he loves all of the Floor Guardians, because they were created/programmed by his dear friends and guild-mates, she VERY DETERMINEDLY focuses on the fact that she is included in that group, and therefore, he loves her. It basically makes her lock up for a bit.
• In Reborn! (2004) Tsuna is thrilled when his crush Kyoko gives him a charm thinking this means she likes him but is soon disappointed when he learns that she made some for Gokudera and Yamamoto too.
• Done by Mihoshi in Sora no Manimani. After she apparently says "I love you!" to Saku, there's a beat, a chance for Saku and Hime to be stunned, followed by Mihoshi listing every other member of the Astronomy Club, leaving Saku and Hime stunned in a different way.
• In the story that introduces Inaba in the final quarter of Urusei Yatsura, there is a sequence where Ataru Moroboshi, Lum and Shinobu Miyake go searching for a good future, only for none of them to find a future that makes them happy. Whilst griping, Lum disdainfully scoffs that Ataru is just upset that he can't find a future where he has a harem, but he shoots back that he's actually been looking for a "far more realistic" future, which he describes as a one-room apartment with him and Lum. The smitten oni has just enough time to start swooning before he adds that the room would also have all the pretty girls he chases on the regular. An enraged Lum points out that such a future is literally no different to the opulent harem he was looking for from the start.
• Yo-kai Watch features this heavily in "Kyubi: Operation Heartbreak" The titular Yokai is capable of making people fall in love with him at a single glance. He has collected ninety-nine hearts and is endeavoring to collect one more to gain a promotion. He decides that Katie will be the one to give her heart to him before taking the form of a boy her age and attempting to woo her. However, every time Katie gives the signature lovestruck look that indicates Kyubi's powers are working, she turns out to be referring to something else i.e.: the beauty of a rose, remembering that she can just walk around the puddle that Kyubi placed his sweater over and that it was a shorter route home in addition or even remembering that she brought her own umbrella and doesn't need his to shield her from the rain.
• Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Girag confronts Yuma when he finds out that Ray Shadows apparently attacked Alito. Yuma believes Ray would never do such a thing... because he believes Ray is incapable of pulling something off like this. Tori and Bronk don't disagree (which is saying something considering they called him out for shunning Ray off in the beginning). This is brought to light again when Yuma tells Astral that he doesn't believe Ray "could or even be able to" attack Alito like that.

Comic Books

• In an Archie comic, Archie and Betty watch a sad movie. Archie says that he wishes Betty wouldn't cry, but not for the reasons she imagines:
  Archie: I wish you wouldn't cry at the movies.
  Betty: Because my crying makes you sad?
  Archie: No, because it makes the popcorn soggy.
• Robin: At one point Robin and his girlfriend Spoiler were chatting on a rooftop and she missed the point at which he switched from reciprocating in her flirting to worrying about their quarry. When she leaned in for a kiss she nearly landed on her face when he abruptly turned away to swing off the rooftop instead. Luckily Steph finds Tim's dedication to crimefighting endearing rather than annoying and found it hilarious that he completely failed to realize what she was about to do.

Comic Strips

• Crabgrass: at the end of an arc in which Miles got grounded, ran away and hid at Kevin's house, and his parents eventually find him there, he is afraid he will be send to Military School now. His mother assures him they would never send him away, which his father confirms...because military school is way too expensive.

Fan Works

• The Great Ace Detective: When Maria Gorey remarks she wanted to see Stronghart's dead body for herself, Susato supposes it's because he's like family to her, being an apparent friend of her mother Dr. Sithe. It's actually because she's never autopsied someone as tall as him and she finds it fascinating.
• In The Loud House fanfic Of Flowers and Bees, Lynn Sr. is trying to give Lincoln The Talk and to imagine Ronnie Anne as a flower. Lincoln asks what kind of flower Ronnie Anne is, and when Lynn Sr. has him pick, Lincoln chooses a rose. Lynn Sr. says, "How romantic!", but then Lincoln clarifies, "No, dad- I mean because of the thorns."

Film—Animated

• Big Hero 6:
  • Right after Hiro gets into college, Tadashi pulls him aside. Hiro says that he knows what Tadashi is going to say: That he should be proud of himself because he's finally using his gift for something important. Tadashi responds that he was just going to tell Hiro that his fly was down during the entire presentation.
  • Baymax states several times to Hiro that the now deceased "Tadashi is here" while pointing to his chest. Being a robot, this turns out to be a Literal Metaphor: Baymax has video recordings of Tadashi and a projector in his chest.
• Monsters University:
  • Scott worries about how their team would win the scare games with a team comprised of monsters that were generally considered not to be scary. Mike places his hand on his chest and states they "have everything we need to win right here", leading Scott to believe he meant "Heart" only for Mike to clarify he was referring to himself.
  • Sulley suggests to Mike that they replace their four teammates with scarier, more competent monsters. Mike retorts that they can't do that... because he checked, and it's against the rules.
• The Spongebob Squarepants Movie ends this way too. After his adventures, Spongebob gets promoted to manager and this exchange occurs:
  SpongeBob: Wait a second, everybody. There's something I need to say first. I just don't know how to put it.
  Squidward: I think I know what it is. After going on your life-changing journey, you now realize you don't want what you thought you wanted. What you really wanted was inside you all along.
  SpongeBob: Are you crazy? (Grabs manager pin) I was just gonna say that your fly is down! (Squidward's eyes widen) Manager! This is the greatest day of my life!

Film—Live-Action

• In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Jones Sr. mistakenly knocks out Indy with a vase at the castle. When the dust clears and Indy turns out unharmed, Jones Sr. expresses his relief which Indy takes as a sign of sympathy from his father. Until it's revealed that Jones Sr. was only happy that the vase that got broken in the process was fake, though he does later apologize for hitting him. Watch the scene here.
• Quiz Lady: When Anne is seemingly having a heartfelt moment with her Cranky Neighbor:
  Francine: I've met a lot of people and I've only liked one.
  Anne: ...Was it me?
  Francine: No. You get too much mail.

Literature

• In Alvie Eats Soup, baby Alvie is about to say his first word. He stammers "muh" and "duh", causing his parents to think he's going to say, "Mommy" or "Daddy" but he says, "Mulligatawny".
• Roys Bedoys: In “Stop Jumping to Conclusions, Roys Bedoys!”, Roys says to Coder, “There’s no way you could kick the ball at my head on purpose. You’re not that good at kicking the ball.”

Live-Action TV

• In the Doctor Who episode "The Time of Angels", after River and the Doctor have been sniping at each other for several minutes, Amy asks River how she can fly the TARDIS:
  River: Oh, I had lessons from the very best.
  Doctor: (trying not to look flattered) Well, yes.
  River: It's a shame you were busy that day.
• How I Met Your Mother: Ted awakens from a nightmare to find Barney kneeling at his bedside, only to find that rather than being there out of concern, Barney was looking for condoms.
• In the I Love Lucy episode "Ricky's Old Girlfriend", Lucy dreams that Ricky leaves her for another woman. After walking out of their apartment, Ricky returns, to which Lucy is overjoyed. However, he just came to grab a sock that she had been sewing and walks out again.
• Mimpi Metropolitan:
  • In episode 13, when Bambang tells Melani the sad story of Nancy's late husband, Melani gives him a tissue. Not for wiping soon-to-be-shed tears, but for wiping sauce in his face.
  • Episode 16 has Pipin telling Mami Bibir that she is glad Mami Bibir is not missing or worse, because otherwise there would be no one to pay for the gado-gado that Mami Bibir ordered.
  • In episode 36, after seeing Prima massively wet, Mami Bibir allows him to go home. Prima is touched until Mami Bibir tells him she doesn't pity him but she doesn't want an absent field coordinator tomorrow.
  • Episode 41 and 42 has a weird case where the lack of sentiment is treated as a happy thing due to a Love Triangle. Pipin is really sad after Wawan secretly left. Alan is saddened due to jealousy until Pipin explains that she only cried because Wawan only paid a miniscule amount of money that he owed Pipin.
  • When Alan asks Pipin does she like him in episode 42, Pipin answers that, yes, she does like Alan, but only when Alan pay his debt.
  • In episode 64, upon hearing that Alan is going to leave, Pipin looks saddened. Alan thinks this is a sign that Pipin does reciprocate his feelings, but Pipin is more upset about how no one will be helping her carrying stuff in her shop.
• Odd Squad:
  • In "Blob on the Job", Otto complains that he and Olive have been searching for the rest of the missing blob for hours and that he's tired of getting slimed. Olive realizes where, exactly, the rest of the missing blob is, and points at Otto's chest. He thinks she's saying they have to look inside their hearts. She's actually saying that the rest of it is on his suit.
  • "Switch Your Partner Round and Round" provides an inversion of the above example.
  Olive: I know where the blob is. [points to Otto's chest] It's right here.
  Otto: You're right! It's on my suit!
  Olive: Actually I was gonna say all you have to do was look inside your heart, but your idea's better.
  • Double-subverted in "Raising the Bar", when the Mobile Unit agents are inside O'Wow's Mental World and discussing how OSMU can become the top dog in the rankings.
  Opal: Let's make this quick. We can't stop solving cases until OSMU's number one.
  Omar: We are number one!
  Opal: Sure, maybe in our hearts-
  Oswald: No. On a graph. And in our hearts.
• In the Red Dwarf episode "Better Than Life", the crew have entered a Total Immersion Video Game that makes all your fantasies come true, shortly after Rimmer told Lister that he spent his whole life wanting his father to say he was proud of him. Sure enough, Rimmer's father shows up in the game, after Rimmer has suddenly become an admiral.
  Rimmer's father: I'm sorry to barge in on you and your officer chummies, but I just wanted to tell you...
  Rimmer: Yes?
  Rimmer's father: I just wanted to say...
  Rimmer: Yes?
  Rimmer's father: I just wanted to say ... you're a total smeghead.
  Rimmer: What? This isn't my fantasy!
  Cat: No, it's mine!
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine:
  • When Kira had to carry Miles and Keiko O'Brien's baby Kirayoshi after Keiko had an accident, after Kirayoshi was born, Kira thought that he was smiling at her due to recognising her, but actually he just had gas.
  • In "The Ascent," Odo and Quark have to climb a mountain to set up a rescue signal after they're stranded on an uninhabited planet. Odo, who is trapped in solid form at this point of the series, breaks his leg in a fall, so Quark rigs up a stretcher to drag him on. Odo castigates Quark for what he thinks is a pointlessly noble gesture, but Quark sets him straight: he's bringing Odo along so he can eat him if he dies.
• The Twilight Zone (1959):
  • The episode entitled "The Brain Center at Whipple's." The eponymous Mr. Whipple is in the process of overzealously industrializing his company without any regard for how many men he puts out of work in the process. Soon he fires an employee of his named Mr Hanely prompting this dialogue:
    Whipple: Now in spite of the fact that you think I'm some kind of an ogre— some sort of a heartless Scrooge—I'm not going to forget the many years of hard work you put in here for me and my father. I'm going to see that you get an extremely liberal severance pay and what I'm sure you'll agree is a far better than average pension.
    Hanely: That's very generous of you, Mr. Whipple. Now there's something I'd like to give you if you don't mind.
    Whipple: (smiles) No. What is that?
    Hanely: (punches Whipple squarely in face) That's for you, Mr Whipple, from me. It's for your lack of sensitivity, your lack of compassion. Your heartless manipulation of men and metals. You can take my severance pay, my pensions and your goodbye speeches and feed them into your machine!.
  • "The Chaser" brings us Roger Shackleforth. He is madly in love with a woman named Leila. He calls her constantly and asks to see her. She declines each time prompting this conversation:
    Roger:Well then talk to me! Say something! Say anything.
    Leila: (warmly) Alright Roger...I'll say something (Beat) Why don't you take a flying jump at the moon?

Video Games

• In the backstory of Them's Fightin' Herds, Tianhuo interrupts a gang of bullies so she can hurt their victim more.
• Xenoblade Chronicles 2:
  • During the climactic moment where Nia reveals that she is a Blade, she also gives a Love Confession to Rex. Rex, who is already in love with both Pyra and Mythra, is clearly gobsmacked. He soon rallies and declares that he loves her too! ...and everyone else! She stares at him for a moment, before laughing and saying she shouldn't have expected anything different.
  • While at the time it seemed like Rex simply didn't understand the sentiment, it's later implied that he did understand, and was deliberately dodging the confession. In some post-battle quotes he'll tell her that they need to talk for real eventually, and in a Psychological Torment Zone made from Rex's doubts, she yells at him for ignoring her feelings.
  • In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, at the very end, a photograph shows that Rex had children with Pyra, Mythra, and Nia. Seems his declaration was a bit more literal than everyone assumed.

Webcomics

• Sandra and Woo: When Sandra's Holding Hands with Cloud.
  Sandra: Because I've already found the most precious thing.
  (Cloud smiles)
  Sandra: Look, my missing favorite earrings! They were in a side pocket of my backpack.
• At the end of Yumi's Cells, Yumi is getting married, and while she's getting her pictures taken, she notices her mom trying to say something to her from a distance. Yumi can't hear what she's saying, but assumes that it's an encouragement, and promises her mom to be happy. As it turns out, her mom is telling her not to cry, lest she ruin her make-up and make the wedding photos look bad.

Western Animation

• Adventure Time: Having killed Princess Bubblegum's plant in "Death In Bloom", Finn and Jake venture to the land of the dead to reclaim the plant's soul. While there, they meet a skeleton named Lester who is fascinated by their flesh and calls some others to come look. Finn is wary, but Jake assures him that the skeletons are only gathering around them because they think they're cool. Finn asks if this is true and is told "No! We're gonna rip that flesh off you and eat it!"
• The Amazing World of Gumball:
  • At the climax of "The Hero", Richard saves Gumball and Darwin and they all cry together. Gumball consoles his father and assures him that he'll always be his hero. Richard remarks that he's only crying because Gumball's claws are digging into his nipples.
  • In an effort to get candy from the store in "The Limit", Gumball announces that there's a free box of Huggy Bites for the first person to hug the blue lady in aisle three. Cue everyone dogpiling on top of Nicole. Astonished, Richard pulls everyone off of her declaring that she is his wife. Nicole smiles, pleased by this gesture but Richard jumps on top of her instead.
    Richard: If anyone's going to win those Huggy Bites, it's me!
  • "The Roots" kicks off with Darwin staring longingly at a big fish tank each time the family enters the pet store. When his family asks why, Darwin makes a remark about how the tank reminds of him of all the fish in the ocean. He declines to speak further and adds that he already said too much. Concluding that Darwin wants to return to the ocean because he misses other fish, the Watterson Family reluctantly complies. By the end, Darwin is forced to reveal that he wasn't staring at the tank longingly because he wanted to go back to the ocean. He was staring at the tank because he was trying to guilt his family into buying it for him.
  • "The Parents" has the titular character sing an entire song about forgiveness and letting go. Nicole and her parents get the alleged message and reconcile. Anais and Darwin congratulate Gumball for this, only for him to say that the song was about how his grandparents owed them a lot of Christmas presents.
• In Angelina Ballerina, one episode involves Angelina's baby sister Polly and her classmate's yoyo going missing around the same time. When Angelina sees the classmate, she believes he's looking for Polly, but really he's looking for the yoyo.
• In the Back to the Future episode "Dickens of a Christmas", Marty, claiming to be the Ghost of Christmas, takes the local Tannen on a midnight flight to show him the miserable sights of the city so maybe he'll change for the better. After one incident, said Tannen starts crying, but when Marty comments on it, he reveals that it's because what he saw reminded him of a child who still owes him a small amount of money.
• In an episode of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Warp Darkmatter, Buzz's former teammate until he was revealed to be The Mole, nearly strands Buzz on another planet but changes his mind and comes back saying that he can't leave without Buzz— which touches Buzz at first until Warp clarifies that he literally can't leave without Buzz because Warp doesn't know how to pilot the ship he was going to escape on.
• In the Doc McStuffins episode "Chilly Gets Chilly", Lambie holds onto Doc's leg. Doc thinks Lambie is hugging her, but really she's just trying to stay warm.
• In a Futurama episode, Fry discovers that his girlfriend Michelle has frozen herself. He assumes it's because she knew he'd been frozen and wanted to live in the same time as him, but really she didn't know he was even still alive and froze herself just to start anew.
• Hey Arnold! has an example in the episode "Stinky's Pumpkin.'' Seized by the belief that he's no good at anything, Stinky decides to grow the titular gourd at the behest of a disembodied voice. His efforts culminate into him having the following conversation with his father:
  Pop: Stinky?
  Stinky:: Yeah, Pa?
  Pop: I've been watching you out here all day son, and I just wanna say—
  Stinky: That you're proud of me, Pa?
  Pop: No. That I think you're a dang fool for trying to grow something in this forsaken old patch of dirt.
• The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack has an episode called "K'nuckles Is A Filthy Rat." In it, Flapjack finds a rat with fleas and decides to keep it as a pet. He names it after Captain K'nucles. Soon, everyone in Stormalong contracts the Bubonic Plague. By then, Flapjack had already decided that it wasn't safe to have a rat for a pet and ventured to Plague Island. He's overjoyed when he spots Captain K'nuckles and all of Stormalong's denizens aboard the ship. His joy increases when K'nuckles tells him "Not one of us can live without you." Flapjack decides to head for home only to learn that K'nuckles meant that statement literally because the doctor requires Flapjack's blood to make an antidote.
  K'nuckles: Didn't mean to get all sentimental there, Flap but I meant we literally can't live without you. Doc needs your blood to make a cure.
• Phineas and Ferb
  • The following conversation occurs in the episode "Minor Monogram":
    Major Monogram: Carl...Did I ever tell you you're like the son I never had?
    Carl: (Smiles) Really, sir?!
    Major Monogram: Yes, it's because you're so unlike the son that I did have and here he is, come on over here, Monty.
  • In "The Inator Method," the boys decide to race planets on a giant orrery. Isabella is thrilled at the fact Phineas saved Venus for her, but it doesn't last:
    Phineas: I saved Venus for you, Isabella.
    Isabella: Aww, because Venus is the goddess of love?
    Phineas: Actually, I hadn't thought of that, but sure.
  • In "Bee Story" Isabella falls victim once again. This time, Phineas and friends are being served iced tea by Linda:
    Phineas: Isabella, we're having iced tea. You want some, Honey?
    Isabella: What did you say?
    Phineas:I said, We're having iced tea! You want some honey?
  • And Doctor Doofenshmirtz gives one of the patriotic variety as he recounts his immigration story:
    Doofenshmirtz: I was heading to a golden land of opportunity, a land with a pioneering spirit which welcomed misfits like me! But I ended up in America instead.
• In South Park, Randy goes through a whole ordeal believing he's dependent on alcohol when being forced to attend A.A. meetings after a D.U.I., by then end of the episode, Stan tells him that it's actually ok to drink, but do so in moderation and not go overboard.
  Randy: How did I manage to raise such a smart kid?
  Stan:I've had a great teacher.
  Randy: Thanks son.
  Stan: No not you, my karate teacher. He's really smart.
• SpongeBob SquarePants:
  • Episode "Dumped." Gary shows a sudden and inexplicable urge to be around Patrick. He keeps covering Patrick with slime and SpongeBob tells Patrick that it's Gary's way of showing that he likes someone. After a few moments, SpongeBob expects Gary to return but he goes as far as deciding to stay with Patrick from then on. When the episode ends it's revealed that Gary wasn't showing Patrick affection; he just wanted the cookie in Patrick's back pocket.
  • In "Fear of a Krabby Patty", SpongeBob dreams about a talking Krabby Patty.
    Krabby Patty: Remember, SpongeBob, I'll always be with you, (points at his chest) right here.
    SpongeBob: In my heart?
    Krabby Patty: Actually, in your arteries.
  • In "Neptune's Spatula", after SpongeBob wins a cookoff with King Neptune and now has to live in his castle, Mr. Krabs is crying. SpongeBob thinks it's because Krabs is going to miss him, but it turns out that Krabs bet all his money on Neptune.
  • "The Chaperone" has SpongeBob bidding Pearl goodnight after her prom at her front door when Mr. Krabs comes bursting through it while brandishing a rake and orders him to "get away from me precious little flower!" As he then cringes at his stance and Pearl is somewhat touched, he then continues with "You almost stepped on it!" as he begins raking the ground around an actual flower in the grass.
• Star vs. the Forces of Evil:
  • "Lava Lake Beach." Kelly speaks with Marco about how she and her boyfriend Tad have broken up and remarks that he's "still here" before placing her hand on her chest. Assuming that she means her heart, Marco starts into a speech about how Tad will always be there but that it gets easier. Kelly stops him and says that she meant Tad was still on top of her head and hadn't moved out yet.
  • The episode "Starfari", towards the end. Buffrog is made Mewni's new Monster Expert after Star discovers that Jelly Goodwell's sanity was tenuous at best. Star places the "Monster Expert" pin on Buffrog's chest and notices his tears. She remarks "Aww you're crying." He responds "No. The badge. I think you broke the skin a little." Star apologizes and readjusts the badge.
• Ultimate Spiderman 2012 features this trope. In the episode entitled "The Avenging Spiderman," Loki tricks the titular character into switching bodies with him. By the time they switch back, Spiderman's friends are aware of what has happened but still believe that Loki is inhabiting Spiderman's Body. As a result, he avoids their attacks and tells them that Loki would fight back but that he won't. Nova throws a punch that stops only inches from Spiderman's nose, at which point this conversation occurs:
  Iron Fist: The purity of his actions convinced you!
  Nova: (Wafts at air in front of his face) Purity nothing! The real Loki would never travel by sewer!
• Wander over Yonder features this trope heavily in "The Axe." It is seen most notably when Hater tells Commander Peepers that they've been through a lot together. Peepers agrees and just a moment passes before Lord Hater asks him to keep the pictures but crop himself out of them. The ending subverts the trope. Having realized how much he needs Commander Peepers and given him the best apology he could muster, Lord Hater commissions a statue of Commander Peepers and places it right next to his own on their latest conquered planet.

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