Deadpan violence

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Deadpan violence is used to describe a sentence, group of sentences, phrase or action that involves someone threatening violence in an unemotional, detached way.

This may be done to create a comic effect, by being out of place and in an unrealistic context.

Examples in television can be found in the dialogue of Stewie Griffin (Family Guy) and many other creations. It takes the right situation and a certain amount of skill to pull off successfully, but can be very effective when well used.

A classic example of deadpan violence as humor occurs in the Monty Python skit "Cheese Shop". After a long, civil discussion, Mousebender tells the cheese merchant "I'm going to ask you that question (do you have any more cheese?) once more, and if you say 'no' I'm going to shoot you through the head. Now, do you have any cheese at all?" The merchant responds with a "No" and Mousebender shoots him through the head.

Another example is where in the 1993 film Falling Down, D-Fens (played by Michael Douglas) is insulted by a man who has been waiting to use his phone booth. Without much show of anger he responds, "People have been waiting to use the phone? Well, you know what," To which he removes a submachine gun and fires upon the phone booth, destroying it. "I think it's out of order."

[edit] Usage examples

• "Quentin Tarantino's unique brand of hip black comedy and deadpan violence works like a charm in Jackie Brown, the follow-up to his seminal Pulp Fiction" [1]
• "Deadpan violence, stark atmosphere, and characters worthy of a pulp Faulkner."[2]