History JustForFun / TheUglyBarnacle

''The Ugly Barnacle'' is a classic FlashFiction story in the Pacific Literary Canon, the authorship of which is generally attributed to one Peter F. Patrick (then using the pen name "Patrick Star"). According to legend, "Star" improvised "The Ugly Barnacle" in an attempt to cheer up a friend who believed himself to be suffering from a case of "the Ugly", or "the French Disease" as it was then known (the two later realized that the friend actually had a bad case of halitosis after eating a homemade "sundae" of sorts). Unfortunately, the tale failed to console him in any manner whatsoever.

* FridgeHorror: There is a story called "The Drain" where everyone involved dies [[spoiler:also revealed to be AllJustADream]]. It also includes other characteristics similar to The Ugly Barnacle, such as brevity, disproportionately high stakes, and [[spoiler:it being told by [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick]]. What if this similar story is merely a corrupted version of ''The Ugly Barnacle'', warped to create AnAesop? What if this Drain is the only barrier between the living world and the world of the ugly barnacle?

** There was a time when ''The Ugly Barnacle'' was listed on the [[TheEpic epic]] page. It had to be removed, but still.

* NonstandardCharacterDesign: Most people in the universe of ''The Ugly Barnacle'' are so nondescript that they are glazed over in ''one word'' ("everyone"). The titular barnacle, by contrast, is described as being [[spoiler:[[EldritchAbomination so ugly]] that [[EverybodyDiesEnding everyone died]].]]

* VindicatedByHistory: When Patrick originally devised the story, [=SpongeBob=] found it offensive and unhelpful. ''The Ugly Barnacle'' has since gone on to become a celebrated work of fiction, considered unmatched in its literary canon.

* AdaptationSpeciesChange: The German version is called "Der hässliche Blaubarsch" (The Ugly Blue Perch).

''The Ugly Barnacle'' is a classic FlashFiction story in the Pacific Literary Canon, the authorship of which is generally attributed to one Peter F. Patrick (then using the pen name "Patrick Star"). According to legend, "Star" improvised "The Ugly Barnacle" in an attempt to cheer up a friend who believed himself to be suffering from a case of "The Ugly" or "The French Disease" as it was then known (the two later realized that the friend actually had a bad case of halitosis after eating a homemade "sundae" of sorts.) Unfortunately, the tale failed to console him in any manner whatsoever.

An animated film adaptation of the tale, also titled ''The Ugly Barnacle'' but later renamed ''[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E2SomethingSmellsBossyBoots Something Smells]]'', was produced in 2000. Unusually, the movie is both a [[TheFilmOfTheBook Film of the Book]] and a {{Biopic}}, as it focuses on both the legendary story and the events surrounding its creation. The film managed to avoid many problems commonly faced by page-to-screen adaptations, a fact which many critics attributed to P.F. Patrick's extensive personal engagement with the film-making process, and the scriptwriting and casting+design in particular. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WejTV7r3tkU Experience this work of art here, albeit dubbed over in English,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osc04vpIz98&feature=related and now in Venezuelan Spanish]]. Unfortunately [[InTheOriginalKlingon the original French]] [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes is not available]], as the ''Département Bikini des Basses Terres'' Ministère de la Défaite claims exclusive French-language broadcast rights [[ScrewedByTheLawyers and has a very well-funded]] [[DigitalPiracyIsEvil anti-piracy sub-office]].

* {{Bowdlerise}}: In the Italian translation, everyone [[spoiler:runs away.]]

* CosmicHorrorStory: If mere ''barnacles'' are enough to [[spoiler:make everyone die]], imagine [[NightmareFuel what other things in the ocean are able to do]]... [[spoiler:Not a lot, since they're all dead.]]
* CrapsackWorld: In the Barnacleverse, ''the existence of a single unattractive crustacean'' is enough to [[spoiler:trigger the Apocalypse.]]

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: Inverted. The story explains exactly what gives the reason why [[spoiler:everybody died.]]

%%* SuperWeight:

[[quoteright:347:[[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/uglybarnacle6_6743.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:347:The most unforgettable scene from TheFilmOfTheBook.]]

''The Ugly Barnacle'' is a classic ShortStory in the Pacific Literary Canon, the authorship of which is generally attributed to one Peter F. Patrick (then using the pen name "Patrick Star"). According to legend, "Star" improvised "The Ugly Barnacle" in an attempt to cheer up a friend who believed himself to be suffering from a case of "The Ugly" or "The French Disease" as it was then known (the two later realized that the friend actually had a bad case of halitosis after eating a homemade "sundae" of sorts.) Unfortunately, the tale failed to console him in any manner whatsoever.

* {{Doorstopper}}: Possibly one of the harshest inversions of this trope ''in the history of fiction.''

* ShortStory: The story is only 15 words long, and has exactly 59 letters.

An animated film adaptation of the tale, also titled ''The Ugly Barnacle'' but later renamed ''[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E2SomethingSmellsBossyBoots Something Smells]]'', was produced in 2000. Unusually, the movie is both a [[TheFilmOfTheBook Film of the Book]] and a {{Biopic}}, as it focuses on both the legendary story and the events surrounding its creation. The film managed to avoid many problems commonly faced by page-to-screen adaptations, a fact which many critics attributed to P.F. Patrick's extensive personal engagement with the film-making process, and the scriptwriting and casting+design in particular. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WejTV7r3tkU Experience this work of art here, albeit dubbed over in English,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osc04vpIz98&feature=related and now in Venezuelan Castilian]]. Unfortunately [[InTheOriginalKlingon the original French]] [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes is not available]], as the ''Département Bikini des Basses Terres'' Ministère de la Défaite claims exclusive French-language broadcast rights [[ScrewedByTheLawyers and has a very well-funded]] [[DigitalPiracyIsEvil anti-piracy sub-office]].

*** According to the Spanish translation, "everyone" is not the name of a single person. [note]]While verbs in English often share conjugations (the way verbs change depending on who does the action, like "we are") in all tenses, in Spanish, this is far less common, and only happens to the first person singular and the third person plural (which doesn't even happen in the past preterite form, so that should eliminate further confusion). The translation used is "''todos se murieron''", which is the third-person plural conjugation, so "''todos''" ("everyone") is everyone in the world.[[/note]]

** Does "Everyone" refer to everybody in the immediate vicinity, everyone in town, everyone in the world, every single living thing that has ever existed, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking or]] a [[AmbiguousSyntax single person named Everyone]]? We never get the answer.
*** According to the Spanish translation, "everyone" is not the name of a single person. [[note]]While verbs in English often share conjugations (the way verbs change depending on who does the action, like "we are") in all tenses, in Spanish, this is far less common, and only happens to the first person singular and the third person plural (which doesn't even happen in the past preterite form, so that should eliminate further confusion). The translation used is "todos se murieron," which is the third-person plural conjugation. So "todos" (everyone) is everyone in the world.[[/note]]

%%* AndManGrewProud: One interpretation of the barnacle, of how it became ugly enough to [[spoiler: kill everyone]] and of how, and why, we still tell its harrowing tale.

* AntagonistTitle: If you interpret the Barnacle as a villain or a VillainProtagonist..
* AntiHero: [[WildMassGuessing Possibly.]] If the barnacle was meant to be the good guy, he qualifies, since ugliness isn't usually seen as a hero's trait, much less [[spoiler:lethal ugliness]].

* AuthorAppeal: Patrick lives underwater - that's probably why he chose a barnacle as the ugly character.

%%* BigBad: The barnacle's ugliness. [[spoiler: Possibly, the Barnacle himself.]]

* CosmicHorrorStory: If mere ''barnacles'' are enough to [[spoiler: make everyone die]], imagine [[NightmareFuel what other things in the ocean are able to do]]... [[spoiler:Not a lot, since they're all dead.]]

* CrossesTheLineTwice: An ugly barnacle? Not funny. A barnacle so ugly it [[spoiler: causes everyone to die]]? Hysterical!

** The titular barnacle is apparently so ugly that he can [[spoiler: kill everyone just by being ugly]]!
** [=SpongeBob=] believes himself to be ugly. [[SubvertedTrope He just needs a breath check first.]]
* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Possibly the fate of [[spoiler: everyone before dying]], since the barnacle was [[spoiler:ugly enough to kill people by its mere ugliness.]]

%%* TheGrotesque: The Ugly Barnacle.

* MemeticBadass: He could [[spoiler: kill ''everyone'']] just by being ugly. His name is probably only "The Ugly Barnacle" because no mortal can ever know his true name and survive.

-->"That didn't help at all..."
[[spoiler:Oh, and by the way, you just read [[{{Troperiffic}} 140 tropes]] on ''a 20-second joke'' from ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Good job wasting about 15 minutes or more.]]]]

*** According to the Spanish translation, "everyone" is not the name of a single person. [[note]] While verbs in English often share conjugations (the way verbs change depending on who does the action, like "we are") in all tenses, in Spanish, this is far less common, and only happens to the first person singular and the third person plural (which doesn't even happen in the past preterite form, so that should eliminate further confusion). The translation used is "todos se murieron," which is the third-person plural conjugation. So "todos" (everyone) is everyone in the world.[[/note]]

* AmbiguousSituation: A number of tantalizing details are left out. We aren't told, for instance, how or why [[spoiler: everyone dies, nor whether or not that includes the barnacle itself]]. Similarly, the barnacle's relationships with the rest of the cast are quite vague.

* AnimalisticAbomination: The titular barnacle. He's apparently so ugly that he can [[spoiler: kill everyone just by being ugly!]]

* AntiVillain: The Barnacle is possibly a TragicVillain, who [[spoiler: kills everyone as a response to harassment for his ugliness.]]

* AssPull: We're given no foreshadowing at all that [[spoiler: everyone could die because of the Barnacle's ugliness.]]

* BeyondTheImpossible: It shouldn't be possible for someone to be [[spoiler: so ugly that everyone dies]], yet that's exactly what happens.

* BittersweetEnding: Another interpretation of the ending. [[spoiler: Everyone died but at least they don't live in a world with an ugly barnacle.]]

* CerebusSyndrome: The beginning of the story seems upbeat and implies the Barnacle will overcome his ugliness [[spoiler: but then everyone dies.]]

* CurbStompBattle: Nobody had any chance of stopping the Barnacle from [[spoiler: killing everyone.]]

* DiabolusExMachina: The first part of the story implies that the barnacle will overcome its ugliness by the end. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, the ugliness proves to be so lethal that it kills ''everyone''.]]

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler: On pretty much ''everyone'' at the end, succumbing to the Barnacle's mere ugliness.]] And, depending on your definition of [[spoiler:"everyone"]], this may include [[spoiler:the barnacle itself.]]

* TheEndingChangesEverything: Admit it, you thought [[spoiler: it was going to involve the barnacle overcoming its ugliness, didn't you?]]
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: Seeing as how [[spoiler: ''everyone'' was killed by the barnacle's ugliness]], this may very well be the case for the rest of the world as a whole.

* EverybodysDeadDave: [[spoiler: ''Everyone'' dies at ''the second sentence of the story''.]]
* EyelessFace: RealLife Barnacles do not have eyes, or even ''any'' kind of identifiable facial features, so the reader can assume that the same applies to The Ugly Barnacle, and may be part of what makes it ugly enough to [[spoiler: kill everyone.]]
* FanonDiscontinuity: There is said to be a group of fans of the story that refuse to acknowledge that [[spoiler: everyone died from the barnacle's ugliness]], preferring that nothing bad happened due to the [[spoiler: barnacle's ugliness]].
* FingerPokeOfDoom: The Barnacle's mere ''appearance'' is enough to [[spoiler: kill everyone.]]

* FridgeHorror: There is a story called "The Drain" where everyone involved dies [[spoiler: also revealed to be AllJustADream]]. It also includes other characteristics similar to The Ugly Barnacle, such as brevity, disproportionately high stakes, and [[spoiler: it being told by [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick]]. What if this similar story is merely a corrupted version of ''The Ugly Barnacle'', warped to create AnAesop? What if this Drain is the only barrier between the living world and the world of the ugly barnacle?
** Further, while it is only one barnacle that is said to exist, this brings the question of ''how'' it came to exist. Was it naturally born? If so, was it ugly at birth, or did it become uglier as time progressed? Could there be more of them? Was it created as a [[spoiler: [[DoomsdayDevice Weapon of Mass Destruction]]? If so, [[OmnicidalManiac who created it]]? And did they survive to make more]]?
*** Also, what was the [[spoiler: area of effect? Did it take out everything for miles? Tens of miles? ''Hundreds'' of miles? The ecological damage from this single eldritch creature could very well be [[DesolationShot catastrophic]] for the [[NaturalDisasterCascade biosphere as a whole]], regardless of its true nature. To be blunt, this one creature may have ''[[EarthThatWas killed off the entire planet]]''.]]
* FridgeLogic: If the Ugly Barnacle [[spoiler: was so ugly that everyone died]], does that mean its own ugliness caused ''itself'' to die?
* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments:

** Everyone [[spoiler: died!]] [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Ha, that's funny! Right?]] [[DudeNotFunny Right?]][[note]]It might actually be, depending on your taste of BlackComedy.[[/note]]

* GenericDoomsdayVillain: The barnacle himself counts if he is indeed a villain, on account that his [[spoiler: end result of killing everyone]] pretty much spells an ApocalypseHow scenario for the world.

* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Possibly the fate of [[spoiler: everyone before dying]], since the barnacle was [[spoiler: ugly enough to kill people by its mere ugliness.]]

* InvincibleVillain: If the barnacle was in fact a VillainProtagonist, then any hero would not be able to stand against it, for [[spoiler: he would just kill them along with everybody else]].

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: ''Everyone'' at the end dies, and there is no mention of them coming back.]]

* MindScrew: After the ending, we're left with a great big pile of unanswered questions. Just how did the Barnacle's ugliness [[spoiler: kill everyone]]? Did the Barnacle himself [[spoiler: die]]? Literally nothing is ever explained.

** It's heavily implied that just ''looking'' at the barnacle has the power to instantly [[spoiler: kill everyone]]. Admit it. That's a badass power.

** The fact that a [[spoiler: one-off joke from ''[=SpongeBob=]'']] warranted ''all'' these Website/TVTropes pages is pretty epic.
** If the barnacle was so ugly that [[spoiler: everyone died,]] then who told the story? Somebody almost as badass as a barnacle capable of [[spoiler: killing (almost) everyone,]] that's who!
*** Guess who is this guy who told the story, who knew it [[spoiler: because he was there?]] It's [[spoiler: [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Patrick Star]]]].

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Assuming he's meant to be TheHero, [[spoiler:the barnacle]] breaks it and [[spoiler: kills everyone]].

* OneSceneWonder: [[spoiler: In the [=SpongeBob=] episode the story was told in.]]
* ParanoiaFuel: Somewhere, there might be a barnacle, or even another creature, that is so ugly that [[spoiler: it will somehow end all life on Earth.]]

* TheScrappy: The barnacle in-universe. [[spoiler: He's so ugly that everybody died presumably because they looked at him.]]

* ShootTheShaggyDog: ''"Once, there was an ugly barnacle. He was so ugly that everyone [[spoiler: died.]] The end."''

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: This is possibly the most cynical story ever written for children. [[spoiler: Despite the initial hope of the Barnacle succeeding, his sheer ugliness results in the extinction of all life.]]

* SurprisinglyCreepyMoment: You probably thought this was a more traditional tale in the vein of Literature/TheUglyDuckling [[spoiler: until everyone died from the barnacle's ugliness]], right?
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: One of many interpretations on how [[spoiler: everyone died from the barnacle's mere ugliness, was, simply being exposed to the mere sight of the barnacle, and then just dying in an instant.]]

* TakeOurWordForIt: The story doesn't explain how the mere appearance of the Barnacle, who is vaguely described with the subjective term "Ugly", is able to [[spoiler: kill everyone]], unless the word wasn't meant to be taken literally and was meant to imply something more sinister or dangerous about the barnacle, most likely a physical feature of it.
* TearJerker:
** Everyone died. Everyone. You. Your friends. Your family. '''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Every. Single. One.]]'''

* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Whether everyone [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation deserved it or not]], [[spoiler: they're all dead, and possibly the barnacle too]], whether ''[[spoiler: it]]'' deserved it or not. Even the FramingDevice is momentarily subject to this, as it didn't help [=SpongeBob=] at all.
* TrailersAlwaysLie: It was set up in a way to make it seem as if it is an uplifting tale about someone overcoming the stigma of being ugly. [[spoiler: Instead, we get a {{Everyone Dies|Ending}} DownerEnding.]]

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: Inverted. The story explains exactly what gives the reason why [[spoiler: everybody died.]]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotDidactic: {{Invoked}}, {{Exaggerated}} and of course [[spoiler:PlayedForLaughs]]

* ItWasHisSled: Good luck finding someone who knows about the "Something Smells" episode without knowing the story first.

*** Also, what was the [[spoiler: area of effect? Did it take out everything for miles? Tens of miles? ''Hundreds'' of miles? The ecological damage from this single eldritch creature could very well be [[DesolationShot catastrophic]] for the [[NaturalDisasterCascade biosphere as a whole]], regardless of its true nature. To be blunt, this one creature may have ''[[EarthThatWas killed off the entire planet]]'']]

->'''Patrick Star''': ''"Once, there was an ugly barnacle. He was so ugly that everyone died. The end."''\\
'''[=SpongeBob SquarePants=]''': ''[Beat]'' ''[[AssuranceBackfire "That didn't help at all!"]]''
-->-- '''The story.'''

* SurpriseCreepy: You probably thought this was a more traditional tale in the vein of Literature/TheUglyDuckling [[spoiler: until everyone died from the barnacle's ugliness]], right?

An animated film adaptation of the tale, also titled ''The Ugly Barnacle'' but later renamed ''[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E2SomethingSmellsBossyBoots Something Smells]]'', was produced in 2000. Unusually, the movie is both a [[TheFilmOfTheBook Film of the Book]] and a {{Biopic}}, as it focuses on both the legendary story and the events surrounding its creation. The film managed to avoid many problems commonly faced by page-to-screen adaptations, a fact which many critics attributed to P.F. Patrick's extensive personal engagement with the film-making process, and the scriptwriting and casting+design in particular. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WejTV7r3tkU Experience this work of art here, albeit dubbed over in English,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osc04vpIz98&feature=related and now in Venezuelan Castilian]]. [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes Unfortunately the original French is not available]], as the ''Département Bikini des Basses Terres'' Ministère de la Défaite claims exclusive French-language broadcast rights [[ScrewedByTheLawyers and has a very well-funded]] [[DigitalPiracyIsEvil anti-piracy sub-office]].

An animated film adaptation of the tale, also titled ''The Ugly Barnacle'' but later renamed ''[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E2SomethingSmellsBossyBoots Something Smells]]'', was produced in 2000. Unusually, the movie is both a [[TheFilmOfTheBook Film of the Book]] and a {{Biopic}}, as it focuses on both the legendary story and the events surrounding its creation. The film managed to avoid many problems commonly faced by page-to-screen adaptations, a fact which many critics attributed to P.F. Patrick's extensive personal engagement with the film-making process, and the script-writing and casting+design in particular. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WejTV7r3tkU Experience this work of art here, albeit dubbed over in English,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osc04vpIz98&feature=related and now in Venezuelan Castilian]]. [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes Unfortunately the original French is not available]], as the Département ''Bikini des Basses Terres'' Ministère de la Défaite claims exclusive French-language broadcast rights [[ScrewedByTheLawyers and has a very well-funded]] [[DigitalPiracyIsEvil anti-piracy sub-office]].

''The Ugly Barnacle'' is a classic ShortStory in the Pacific Literary Canon, the authorship of which is generally attributed to one Peter F. Patrick (then using the pen name "Patrick Star"). According to legend, "Star" improvised "The Ugly Barnacle" in an attempt to cheer up a friend who believed himself to be suffering from a case of ''The Ugly'' or ''The French Disease'' as it was then known (the two later realized that the friend actually had a bad case of halitosis after eating a homemade "sundae" of sorts.) Unfortunately, the tale failed to console him in any manner whatsoever.

Despite the fact that ''Barnacle'' failed to accomplish its initial and indeed primary goal, it eventually found its way to the intellectual community of the Département ''Bikini des Basses Terres''. There many came to hail the story for its [[TrueArtIsAngsty harsh realism]], innovative use of {{minimalism}}, and [[RoundedCharacter detailed characterization]]. Slowly but surely, the story came to spread from its cradle within the nurturing environment of the ''Bikini des Basses Terres'' (where it was subject to some refinement, the story as most know it in fact being the ''Third Edition'') to grace the entire world with its compelling narrative and execution.

*** According to the Spanish translation, "Everyone" is not the name of a single person. [[note]] While verbs in English often share conjugations (the way verbs change depending on who does the action, like "We are") in all tenses, in Spanish, this is far less common, and only happens to the first person singular and the third person plural (which doesn't even happen in the past pretrerit form, so that should eliminate further confusion). The translation used is "todos se murieron," which is the third-person plural conjugation. So "todos" (everyone) is everyone in the world.[[/note]]

* FridgeLogic: If the Ugly Barnacle [[spoiler: was so ugly, everyone died,]] does that mean its own ugliness caused ''itself'' to die?

* SurpriseCreepy: You probably thought this was a more traditional tale in the vein of Literature/TheUglyDuckling [[spoiler: until everyone died from the barnacle's ugliness,]] right?

* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Whether Everyone [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation deserved it or not]], [[spoiler: they're all dead, and possibly the barnacle too]], whether ''[[spoiler: it]]'' deserved it or not. Even the FramingDevice is momentarily subject to this, as it didn't help [=SpongeBob=] at all.

* {{Troperiffic}}: At the time it was moved to JFF, the story (despite being only 13 words long, 15 if you count TheEnd) had 144 tropes, plus another 41 under YMMV, 36 character tropes, and 9 on the Trivia page, approximating to 17 tropes ''per word''. There were more ''subpages'' of The Ugly Barnacle than there are '''words in the story.'''

[[spoiler:Oh, and by the way, you just read [[{{Troperiffic}} 140 tropes]] on ''a 20-second joke from WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Good job wasting about 15 minutes or more.]]]]

** The fact that a [[spoiler: one off joke on Spongebob warranted]] ''all'' these Website/TVTropes pages is pretty epic.

[[spoiler:Oh, and by the way, you just read [[{{Troperiffic}} 140 tropes]] on ''a 20-second joke from WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Good job wasting a good 15 minutes or more.]]]]

-->[[spoiler:You just read [[{{Troperiffic}} 140 tropes]] on ''a 20-second joke from WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Good job wasting a good 15 minutes or more.]]]]

* EightPointEight: Many fans of the story were rather mad when [=SpongeBob=] claimed that the story was un-helpful to him.

* SeldomSeenSpecies: Name ''one'' other story with a barnacle as a protagonist. Ironically one of the main reason barnacles rarely appear (their ugliness) is a central part of this story.

* TheAloner: [[spoiler:If the barnacle didn't die in the end, he probably became one of these]].

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Is the barnacle a pitiful [[TheWoobie woobie]], or pure evil?
** Does "Everyone" refer to everybody in the immediate vicinity, everyone in town, everyone in the world, every single living thing that has ever existed, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking or]] [[AmbiguousSyntax a single person named Everyone]]? We never get the answer.

* AmbiguousEnding: We don't know exactly what happens to ''anyone'' in the story: the barnacle's victim(s) could have easily just come back to life. Plus, the story doesn't tell us ''anything'' about what happens to the barnacle at the end.

* AndManGrewProud: One interpretation of the barnacle, of how it became ugly enough to [[spoiler: kill everyone]] and of how, and why, we still tell its harrowing tale.

* AntiHero: [[WildMassGuessing Possibly.]]

* ApocalypseWow: See above.
* ArtifactOfDoom: Another interpretation of the barnacle.

* TheBadGuyWins: The ending ''could'' be this, assuming the barnacle is evil.
* BadPowersBadPeople: Possibly.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: And conversely, ugliness equals evil.
** Possibly [[InvertedTrope inverted]] if one considers the Barnacle to be the hero of the story and everyone else to be irredeemable bullies.
** Or that there was NoAntagonist and the Barnacle killing everyone [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone was an accident.]]
** Alternately, it could be an [[ExaggeratedTrope exaggeration]] by showing the aforementioned counterpart to the trope.

* BigBad: The barnacle's ugliness. [[spoiler: Possibly, the Barnacle himself.]]

* BrownNote: The most common interpretation of how [[spoiler:everyone dies.]]

* DrivenToSuicide: One of the [[EpilepticTrees many]] interpretations of how [[spoiler:everyone died.]]
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler: On pretty much ''everyone'' at the end, succumbing to the Barnacle's mere ugliness.]]
** And, depending on your definition of [[spoiler:"everyone"]], this may include [[spoiler:the barnacle itself.]]

* EnemyToAllLivingThings: The barnacle is very much so, because of his ugliness.
* EsotericHappyEnding: Implied by Patrick's cheery expression at the end.

* FridgeBrilliance: If the story is indeed a reference to ''Literature/TheUglyDuckling'', [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goose_barnacle#Mythology the substitution of a waterfowl for a barnacle actually isn't unprecedented.]]

* FridgeHorror: There is a story called "The Drain" where everyone involved dies [[spoiler: also revealed to be AllJustADream]]. It also includes other characteristics similar to The Ugly Barnacle, such as brevity, disproportionately high stakes, and [[spoiler: it being told by [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick]]. What if this similar story is merely a corrupted version of The Ugly Barnacle, warped to create AnAesop? What if this Drain is the only barrier between the living world and the world of the ugly barnacle?

* {{Gonk}}: The titular barnacle is apparently so ugly that he can [[spoiler: kill everyone just by being ugly]]!
** [=SpongeBob=] believes himself to be ugly. He just needs a breath check first.

* TheGrotesque: The Ugly Barnacle.

* HappilyEverAfter: {{Subverted|Trope}}.

** Patrick really came through as a friend for [=SpongeBob=] in this episode. He's able to discern what the problem is and relate to [=SpongeBob=] with this tale. It may not be the happy-go-lucky story that [=SpongeBob=] wanted to hear, but it's the story he ''needs'' to hear.
*** And in that way, it ''did'' help at all.

* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:Assuming he was a hero. Patrick did say that ''everyone died'', so shouldn't that include the barnacle itself?]]
** It's not specified '''who''' the hero is, but assuming one existed, [[spoiler:we can safely assume he/she died]].

* HeroKiller: Assuming he's not meant to be TheHero, [[spoiler:the barnacle]] is this.

* HopeBringer: ''Painfully'' subverted for The Ugly Barnacle.
* HopeSpot: At first, it seems the barnacle will be able to overcome its ugliness. [[spoiler:Then he turns out to be so ugly, that he kills everyone, possibly crushing the barnacle's hope.]]

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: ''Everyone'' at the end.]]

* NauseaFuel: The Barnacle, probably.

* NighInvulnerability: Considering that you can't even go near the barnacle without [[spoiler:dying]]...

* NightmareFuel: Yes, you too could be so disgustingly ugly that [[spoiler:your loved ones all die.]]
** [[spoiler:Not just your loved ones -]] ''[[spoiler:everyone.'']]

* NobodyPoops: Either played straight or averted, depending on whether you count [[spoiler:the emptying of bowels after death]].

* ObliviouslyEvil: How some people view the barnacle.
* OffstageVillainy: Assuming that the barnacle is evil.

* SubvertedKidsShow: In the bluntest way possible.

* SuperWeight:
** Type 0: Everyone.
** Type 5: [[spoiler:The Ugly Barnacle, as it managed to kill everyone.]]

* UglyCute: FanArt depicting the barnacle as TheWoobie will often depict it as this.

* VillainProtagonist: Possibly.

* WalkingSpoiler: Knowing too much about the Ugly Barnacle gives away the twist that [[spoiler:he kills everyone.]]

* TheWoobie: The aforementioned ugly barnacle.
** WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: The Ugly Barnacle is a literal and perhaps the ultimate example, knowing [[spoiler:the ending of the story.]]
** IronWoobie: Assuming that he had to go through all the trauma.
** JerkassWoobie: One interpretation of the titular barnacle states that he killed everyone as a result of harassment.

* YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm: [[spoiler:Well, you can't do it and ''survive...'']]

** The fact that a [[spoiler: one off joke on Spongebob warranted]] ''all'' these Wiki/TVTropes pages is pretty epic.

* MorePopularSpinoff: This story's page on Wiki/ThisVeryWiki has been given more attention than the page for the episode it was in.

-->[[spoiler:You just read [[{{Troperiffic}} 140 tropes]] on ''a joke from WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Good job wasting a good 15 minutes or more.]]]]

** Does "Everyone" refer to everybody in the immediate vicinity, everyone in town, everyone in the world, [[UpToEleven every single living thing that has ever existed]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking or]] [[AmbiguousSyntax a single person named Everyone]]? We never get the answer.

* {{Troperiffic}}: At the time it was moved to JFF, the story (despite being only 13 words long, 15 if you count TheEnd) had 144 tropes, plus another 41 under YMMV, 36 character tropes, and 9 on the Trivia page, approximating to 17 tropes ''[[UpToEleven per word]]''. There were more ''subpages'' of The Ugly Barnacle than there are '''words in the story.'''