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Argument of Contradictions
"Mom says 'Why can't you agree?' I say 'It's her fault, don't blame me!' 'Is not!' 'Is too!' 'Is not!' 'Is too!' "Is not, is not!' 'Is too, is too!' 'Is not, is not, is not!' 'Is too, is too, is too! Ha!'"
—"Is Not! Is Too!" - children's song by Bill Harley

A quarrel between two characters in which neither side really has any valid points to back up their argument, or they just aren't listening to each other, so for want of trying to win, the argument descends into bickering in the basic format of "Is not!" "Is too!" "Is not!" "Is too!"

Another form this can take is for two characters to simply shout their side loudly and repeatedly, e.g. "Red is the best color to paint it!" "No, blue is the best color to paint!" "Red!" "Blue!" "Red!" "Blue!..."

Often used to indicate general childishness or immaturity.

This may end with any the following:

  • A character ends the argument or tries to end it by declaring "Is too - infinity!"
    • May result in the other character declaring is "Is not - infinity +1!"
  • One of the characters eventually gives up through sheer tiredness
  • The characters eventually realize their argument is silly
  • One character ends the argument by employing Duck Season, Rabbit Season, a subtrope of this

This may date back as far as Commedia dell'Arte, making it Older Than Steam. See also No, You, a similar form of bickering, but one in which insults are specifically involved. Also compare Argumentum Ad Nauseam in which only one side keeps repeating their side of the argument, hoping eventually nobody will care to respond anymore.


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  • A couple of boys are shown doing this at the end of a holiday 2012 advertisement for KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) and their father gives them cookies included as part of the meal being promoted to shut them up.

    Films - Animation 
  • In The Emperor's New Groove, Pacha's kids argue about whether their father would ever kiss a llama. They interrupt their rapid fire litany of "Nuh-uh!" "Yeah-huh!" only to say good night to their mother, then continue through the rest of the scene.
  • In Sleeping Beauty, the fairies argue over the color of Briar Rose's dress. Flora wants pink, but Merryweather wants blue and they repeatedly use their magic to change the color.
  • Blanky accusing Lampy of stepping on him in The Brave Little Toaster triggers a back-and-forth chorus of "Did not!" "Did too!" between Lampy and the rest of the group. Even Kirby the vacuum cleaner gets in on the action.
    Kirby: Did too!
    Lampy: (aggravated) Did NOT!!
  • Finding Nemo has a brief one in the dentist's office when the characters bicker over what tool the dentist used.
  • Snow Miser and Heat Miser in The Year Without a Santa Claus. "White Christmas!" "Green Christmas!" "White Christmas!" "Green Christmas!" ....

    Films - Live Action 
  • Hot Shots! has a similar argument:
    Topper Harley: Are too too too too too too too too too too too...
    Kent Gregory: Not not not not not not not not not...
    Topper Harley: Are too times ten.
  • Loaded Weapon 1 shows at least one way to settle one of these arguments.
    Luger: I'm driving.
    Colt: I'm driving!
    Luger: I'm driving!
    Colt: I'm driving!
    *Luger punches Colt*
    Colt: Okay.

  • Garion and Ce'Nedra argue with each other a lot in The Belgariad, and their arguments occasionally descend to this level when neither is willing to concede the last word or admit defeat. One fight in particular is mostly just the two of them shouting "Spoiled brat!" and "Stupid peasant!" back and forth at each other until the adults finally break it up.
  • In The Ring of Solomon, a prequel book in the Bartimaeus novels series, Bartimaeus and the assassin "hereditary guard" Asmira get into this after he insists that her supposed great skill with magic is, in fact, all a bluff. (He's more or less correct.) After a bit of "It is not!" / "Is so too!", he takes the argument itself as another point in favor for his side, commenting "How many real magicians do you think get involved in stroppy little verbal spats like this? They'd have hit me with the Dark Scouring by now and had done with it? ... You don't even know what a Dark Scouring is, do you?"
  • In Dragon In Distress Princess Florinara Tansimasa Qasilava Delagordune and Drafir get into this over whether Sir George would hit a girl. He would.
  • In E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core!, Book 2 of The Guardians of Childhood , North and E. Aster Bunnymund get into one when North complains that Bunnymund talks too much about eggs. The book describes the child Katherine's opinion that they're both behaving like a pair of brats despite being respectively oldest and wisest creature on Earth & the greatest warrior-wizard of the age. As the argument continues into the next page, she decides to tune them out.

    Live Action TV 
  • Monty Python's Flying Circus:
    • In the "Argument Clinic" sketch, a man goes to the eponymous clinic for an argument, but all he receives is negation - which is to say, this.
      Man: An argument isn't just contradiction.
      Mr Vibrating: It can be.
      Mr Vibrating: No it isn't.
      Man: Yes it is! It's not just contradiction.
      Mr Vibrating: Yes it is!
      Man: No it isn't!
    • In the "Flying Lessons" sketch, Mr. Chigger and Mr. Anemone get into an argument over whether the latter is on a wire, which degenerates into shouting "Is!" and "Isn't!" back and forth until the narrator decides to cut away from this "pointless bickering."
  • On Top Gear, most arguments between Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson end up in this.
  • Turn on any sleazy daytime talk show like Maury or Jerry Springer / The Steve Wilkos Show and get ready to watch the trailer trash let this fly. "Yes, you did cheat on me, nine times!" "No, I din't." "Yes, you did!" "No, I din'!" "And the lie detector said... that was a lie!" "'What?!!!! #@#$# (bleep bleep)"
  • Happens in 8 Simple Rules in a phone conversation between Paul Hennessey and his daughter Bridget, though the viewers only get to hear Paul's side of the conversation:
    Paul: "Dob" means date of birth. ... Yes, it does. ... Yes, it does. ... Yes, it does.
    • It comes up again when he tells her in a phone conversation to "break a leg" and may be a Running Gag.
  • The "You Never Know What You Can Do Until You Try Out Something New" song in "The Sprites' Snow Day" from Johnny and the Sprites features several of these as Basil tells the other Sprites that their ideas won't work and they insist that they will.
    Basil: That won't work.
    Lily: Yes, it will.
    Basil: No, it won't.
    Lily: Yes, it will.
    Basil: I'm afraid that won't work out at all.
    Lily: And why not?
    Basil: Because she's too big and that balloon's too small.
    Lily: Oh, good point.

  • There is a children's song called "Is Not Is Too" written by Bill Harley that is about this and is said to be dedicated to anyone who has a brother, sister, or a good friends they don't get along with.
    "Instead of saying 'is not, is too,' why don't you both try something new? ... Fine! Uh huh. Uh uh. Uh uh uh..."

  • In Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye claims that his little village keeps its peace by quickly settling disputes over things like one man selling another a horse and delivering a mule, but the villagers undermine his point because Jews Love to Argue:
    "It was a horse!"
    "It was a mule!"
  • The song "Anything You Can Do" in Annie Get Your Gun is built around this, with each claim being met with "No you can't", "Yes I can", until one shouts the other down.
  • In Damn Yankees, the men in "Six Months" argue over a baseball game, with one half saying "he's out" and the other half saying "he's safe."

    Video Games 
  • In Tales of Graces, Pascal and Hubert have one when he tells her that her that just because her sister's mad at her doesn't mean that she's to blame, and she thinks that he's consoling her, but he insists that he's not. The skit is titled "Am Not, Are Too."
  • In Total Distortion, you can get into a few variations of these in dialogue with the first Guitar Warrior you meet.
  • Monty Python's Flying Circus has a bonus game where Mr Gumby can win more points the longer he can keep contradicting a Minister For Pointless Arguments.
  • Kingdom Hearts II, when the fairies from Sleeping Beauty disagree over the color of Sora's new outfit, much like they did in the film, before finally landing on a stylish multi-colored outfit that can transform into other outfits patterned after a single color that give Sora special powers.
  • Star Control the guys living in the gas giant tend to devolve into this.

    Web Animation 
  • In the first installment of Kingdumb Hearts: 14 Days and 5 Min, Xemnas has a brief argument of a contradictions with a couple of the other members of Organization XIII over how many members there are now in the Organization - he says 13 and they say 14. One of them tries to end the argument by calling in the The Count, but Xemnas ends it by killing one of them.

  • Sam and Sawtooth in Webcomic/{{Freefall
    Sawtooth: He owes me money.
    Sam: Do not!
    Sawtooth: Do too!
    Sam: Do not!
    Sawtooth: Do too!
    Sam: Don't!
    Sawtooth: Do!
    Sam: Don't!
    Sawtooth: Do!
    Helix: Sawtooth is an advanced model. I could never keep up an intellectual argument like that.

[[folder:Web Original]]

    Western Animation 
  • In "Did Not! Did Too!" on Baby Looney Tunes, Bugs Bunny and Lola have an argument over whose flag to plant in a block tower. They go to their rooms and have a "Did not! Did too!" argument over who asked who to help each other.
  • An episode of Dave the Barbarian has Dave and Fang arguing over how to deal with a band of monsters coming to Udrogoth. The argument eventually degenerates into chasing each other around a table while shouting "Yes!" and "No!" By the end of the episode, they get tired of always coming back to this.
  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic examples:
    • In "Look Before You Sleep", Applejack and Rarity's argument at the beginning of the episode eventually degenerates into this:
    Rarity: How does muddying my hooves serve any useful purpose?
    Applejack: Y'all wouldn't know useful if it came up and bit ya!
    Rarity: Haha, that doesn't even make any sense.
    Applejack: Does so!
    Rarity: Does not.
    Applejack: Does so!
    Rarity: Does not.
    Applejack: Does so!
    Rarity: Does not.
    Applejack: Does so, infinity! Hah!
    Rarity: Does not, infinity plus one! Hah!
    • In "Stare Master," Apple Bloom and Scootaloo do this in an attempt to get arguing cutie marks.
    Applebloom: Maybe that's our special talent: arguing!
    Scootaloo: Is not!
    Applebloom: Is too!
    Scootaloo: Is not!
    Applebloom: Is too! Anything yet? (beat) Darn.
    • Pinkie Pie has one with her alligator Gummy in "Just for Sidekicks," though, of course, we only get to hear her side. "No, I love you more! No, I love you more! No, I love you more!"
  • In "Kid Court" on PB&J Otter Peanut, Jelly, and Baby Butter are having an argument over which of them should get to watch their favorite TV show. They decide to have Pinch solve as a judge in a mock court and Peanut has Flick testify on his behalf. Flick says that Pinch must rule in Peanut's favor because of Peanut's Law, which states "that if your name is Peanut and the ring toss relays are on, then you get to watch them." Jelly protests that Flick is making that up. "Am not!" "Are too!" "Am not a hundred times." "Are too a hundred times infinity!" "Ooh, she's good." In another installment, there is a brief argument of contradictions over what terms the Otters and the Snooties use to refer to their toys.
  • Some arguments between Sonic and Sally devolve into this on Sonic Sat Am.
    • As revealed in the Season 2 episode "Blast to the Past Part 1", they've been arguing thusly pretty much all their lives. Sally's older self even lampshades this after overhearing her younger self and Sonic's argue over whether his messy eating and subsequent belch was cool or disgusting: "*sigh* Some things never change."
  • Adventures from the Book of Virtues: Annie accusing Zach of causing her bike accident results in a "Yes you did!" "No I didn't!" "You did too!" argument between them until Plato stops them from bickering. Then it's lampshaded when Plato tells Annie that arguing with a friend isn't the right answer to an accident.
  • On "Franklin's Halloween" from Franklin, Beaver and Fox have one throughout over whether or not there are real ghosts.
  • In "Rocky Friendship" from Timothy Goes to School, Fritz and Charles have an argument that eventually descends into this when they each find a rock at the same time and are unsuccessful in sharing it.
    • Timothy and Fritz have one in "Abracadabra" after Fritz accuses Timothy of teaching Grace his magic trick, until Grace puts a stop to it by revealing that she peeked at Fritz's book.
  • In "Hop Hooey" on JoJo's Circus, Trina and Croaky have a rapid-fire series of these over a trivial problem in a game before doing the "infinity times a kazillion and one" thing and then squaring off against each other and not talking to each other. JoJo, however, solves things by teaching them a trick she learned from her parents to calm herself down when she's angry.
  • Mr. Bogus and Brattus end up in one of these in the first act of the episode "Nightmare On Bogus Street", when arguing about Bogus's denial about putting Brattus in a stewpot, when Bogus was still in his werewolf form.
  • In the Kim Possible episode "The Full Monkey", Ron and Wade spend several minutes yelling at one another about whether Wade "can not" or "can too" fight monkey magic with science.

    Real Life 
  • Sadly, there has been at least one case of a person murdering their spouse/lover at the height of a heated argument dealing with who loved who more.
  • Levied by some as a complaint regarding the behavior of President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney in the first 2012 U.S. presidential debate. Barack Obama repeatedly stated that Mitt Romney favored a five trillion dollar tax cut and Romney repeatedly replied that this was not his plan. A letter to the editor in Dayton, Ohio city's Dayton City Paper stated "The debate quickly turned into an argument between two teen-aged siblings 'Yes, you did.' 'No, I didn't.' 'Yes, you did.'" Following the debate, Obama's campaign began repeatedly airing a commercial which showed Romney stating in the debate "I'm not in favor of a five trillion dollar tax cut. That's not my plan." The commercial then discussed how an independent analysis found that such a cut would be required under Romney's plan and then stated "If we can't trust him here [the debate], how can we ever trust him here? [seat in the Oval Office]"
  • Who hasn't done this with their brother, sister, friend, or at the very least overheard someone else doing it?

Is not!
Is too!
Is not!
Is too!
Is not!
Is too infinity!
Appeal To Worse ProblemsLogical FallaciesArgumentum Ad Nauseam
Aren't You Forgetting Someone?DialogueArmor-Piercing Question
Anti-HeroOlder Than SteamAside Comment
Achilles in His TentDiscord TropesApple of Discord
Monty Python's Flying CircusImageSource/Video GamesMortal Kombat
Appeal To Worse ProblemsThe Only Righteous Index of FanaticsArgumentum Ad Nauseam

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