>>211784206
You can alter the language so it breaks the format of "I'm not X, it's just that...". You don't end that sentence by then demonstrating yourself to indeed feel X. And most importantly, you don't use the false-aloof, snarky tone typical of the "It's Just That...".
"Dude, it kinda seemed like you were pretty mad about us seeing the Fornite movie instead of your movie."
>Nope, I'm all good, I knew I wasn't gonna like that movie, so I figured I'd go [insert a fake or real errand or passtime or something] while you guys watched the Fortnite movie.
Having a sincere tone, and no intention to make remarks critical of your friends for insisting on the movie, or even too heavily critical of the movie itself, are key here. Explaining that you are not mad versus just claiming it then immediately demonstrating that you ARE in fact mad are pretty clearly distinct when you hear both.
>"We just think it’s funny that he’s basically doing Mad Libs with pop culture references and making millions"
Matt and Trey don't think it's "funny" that Family Guy has a particular format of jokes. They're not deriving humor from this fact. "Funny" is just a vague, soft-peddled, weak-tea way of saying they have some negative feelings about it.
>"We just think it's [vague dishonest term] that he's basically doing [easy thing] with [low hanging, low effort material] and making millions [that we're implying isn't deserved.]"
Peppering in downplays/put-downs, hiding behind the purposely vague "funny", and then bringing up that he's earning large sums of money (which you only do after put-downs to imply it's too much money for what the person is doing) obviously demonstrates envy, resentment, anger, or whatever. He denies the feelings and then immediately demonstrates the feelings he denied.
>"I'm not mad, I just wasn't gonna enjoy Fortnite. If I was storming off from the movie, I wouldn't have come back for lunch with you guys."
Denial > explanation > refutation. Very different.
