History Main / InsultToRocks

-->'''Yusuke:''' Dirt is the source of all things beautiful and nutritious. I won't allow anyone to insult it like that.

-->To suggest that Creator/BruceWillis is phoning in his performance in ''Cosmic Sin'' would be an insult to telephone communication, which can be an effective means of conveying important information and genuine emotion.[[/folder]]

* In ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', one of the more fucked-up people you meet in the game, aside from the villains themselves, is the powerful Judge Fang: a man so disgustingly perverted that he's implied to have gotten off to a corrupt guard's genitals being torn off by starved dogs in addition to paying a prostitute a lot of money to allow him to "do things to her" that makes his own guards both flinch at their offensiveness but still pity her for having to put up with him. If your main character says "Sounds like a really sick and twisted person," the guard quips "Nah. I wouldn't call him sick and twisted. That would be an insult to all sick and twisted people everywhere. Fang, he's on a whole other level …"

* In the Franchise/{{Superman}} vs. Franchise/{{Predator}} crossover comic, the MadScientist is trying to cleanse the world of genetic defects by killing everyone with them, via atmospheric poisoning. ComicBook/LoisLane claims she would spit if her mouth wasn't so dry, but retracts the statement, saying "—spit's too good for you."
* ''ComicBook/LeChat'', a Belgian comic book written by Philippe Geluck:
-->"We often say 'Man is a wolf to man.' But saying this is bad for the wolves. Instead, we should say 'Man is a man to man.' But it would be harsh for men." (untranslatable pun: In French he says "c'est '''vache''' pour l'homme": when used as an adjective, "vache" means "harsh", but it also means "cow".)
* ''ComicBook/EnemyAce War in Heaven'':

* In ''ComicBook/TheBeano'' strip "Crazy for Daisy," Daisy compares Ernest, the [[StalkerWithACrush guy who just won't leave her alone]], to a warthog. After this, she's incredibly shocked at herself for being so insensitive and immediately apologizes — [[BreakingTheFourthWall to any warthogs who happen to be reading]].
* In ''ComicBook/BatmanHush'', Batman thinks about ComicBook/RasAlGhul's daughter ComicBook/TaliaAlGhul, who is running ComicBook/LexLuthor's company:
-->'''Batman:''' Talia. Ra's. Luthor. Calling them a nest of vipers is an insult to vipers...
* In ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'', you must insult especially carefully. Calling the overweight Spratt widow a cow promptly offends a cow.

* In the ''Franchise/HowToTrainYourDragon'' and ''Franchise/TheAvengers'' crossover fic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14087136/1/Full-Loki Full Loki]]'', in chapter 17, Hiccup calls Schmidt a backstabbing Death Gripper because comparing him to a snake is an insult to snakes.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'': When Sanji found out about [[spoiler:his brother Niji beating up a cook just to spite Sanji for helping her]], he's so infuriated he can't even bring himself to call the guy responsible scum; he's the ''shit beneath it''.

** ''Film/TheVillage'': "Eventually the secret of Those, etc., is revealed. To call it an anticlimax would be an insult not only to climaxes but to prefixes."

->''"Well, it's no secret how I feel about surgeons. I hate them. I'd liken them to rocks, but that would be an [[TropeNamers insult to rocks]] because, you see, at least rocks are useful to society. We build bridges with them. We stone surgeons with them."''

* ''Literature/PleaseDontTellMyParentsImQueenOfTheDead'': Avery likens to social behaviors at Pepperidge Prep to a snake pit. When Alicia Blackheart possesses her, she decides that was an insult to the snakes.

** In "Beyond Blunderdome", a studio executive declares that an [[ActionizedSequel Actionized Remake]] of ''Film/MrSmithGoesToWashington'' (that ends with Smith killing everyone in Congress and decapitating the President) made by Creator/MelGibson and Homer was worse than ''[[Film/TheGodfather Godfather III]]''. Mel and Homer gasp in horror and the studio executive quickly apologizes.

** Dr. Cox, as made evident by the quotation at the top.

--->'''Dr. Cox:''' Could I be included in the planning of your coming out party?
--->'''J.D.:''' Is that a gay joke?
--->'''Dr. Cox:''' No, it's a cotillion joke. ... I would never compare you to the gays. I ''like'' the gays. I like their music, I like their sense of style, I especially like what they've done with Halloween! But ''our'' thing is that you're a little girl.

* A New Yorker goes in a bar in the DeepSouth, starts drinking and yells out loud "Texans are all assholes!". Dead silence in the bar, until a huge guy goes up to him and says "Hey now, I take offense to that." "Why, are you a Texan?" "No, I'm an asshole!" (replace Texan with {{Acceptable Target|s}} of choice).

** In one segment that dealt with trying to debate whether Creator/{{Fox News|Channel}} were stupid or evil, Wyatt Cenac (on Team Evil) noted that if they weren't evil they were as stupid as potatoes with mouths. Creator/JohnOliver (on Team Stupid) helpfully pointed out that potatoes can still power a digital clock, and suggested rocks with mouths.

* From Christy Lemire's [[https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cosmic-sin-movie-review-2021 zero-star review]] of ''Cosmic Sin'':

You want to tell someone else that they're as dumb as a brick. But then you answer, that's a terrible thing to say about bricks.

More generally, any insult following the form of 'I'd call you an X, but that would be an insult to all X's.' Typically, X will be an inanimate object, or something detestable. 'I'd call you a motherfucker, but it'd be demeaning to those guys who [[ParentalIncest fuck their mothers]].' Using this latter form is like saying that the one being insulted is far worse and more worthy of contempt than the detestable X to which they're being compared.

Another variant is acknowledging that at least X is much more worthy of some respect. 'I'd call you an X, but then again I take it back because at least X is <insert positive description here>.'

A third is to state the insult, and then apologize — [[BaitAndSwitchComment to any X who felt insulted by the comparison.]]

A fifth involves the form 'You are so <insert negative description generally used to describe X here>, X is <insert opposite positive description here> in comparison.'

** In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie'':
--->'''Moe:''' What, are you telling us we're trapped like rats?!\\
'''Russ Cargill:''' No, rats can't be trapped this easily. You're trapped like... carrots.

* Creator/AllisonPregler, on ''Film/TheRoom'': "I'd go as far as saying ''The Room'' is this generation's ''Film/Troll2'', but I'd be afraid of insulting ''Troll 2''."

** ''Film/TheRoom'':

->''"Well, it's no secret how I feel about surgeons. I hate them. I'd liken them to rocks, but that would be an insult to rocks because, you see, at least rocks are useful to society. We build bridges with them. We stone surgeons with them."''

* Shizuo from ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' does not like it when people positively compare him to Kasuka — as far as he's concerned it's much too insulting to his little brother [[HeroicSelfDeprecation to be put on the same level as him]].

* ''WebVideo/MothersBasement'': Geoff's claim to fame is many videos bashing ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'', so whenever he says a series is ''even worse'' than SAO, you know he really hates it.

* There is a Website/{{Facebook}} group that claims that calling [[Literature/{{Twilight}} Edward Cullen]] gay is an insult to gay people. One would argue this is a JustifiedTrope: most gay people don't [[StalkingIsLove break into someone's house to watch them sleep]].

* The controversial practice of using [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_behavior_analysis "Applied Behavior Analysis"]] to teach children on the autistic spectrum to interact with others in an outwardly 'normal' way is frequently compared to dog training by its detractors. (And, tellingly, [[NotHelpingYourCase some of its advocates]].) At least one professional dog trainer has weighed in on the subject [[https://theaspergian.com/2019/03/27/is-aba-really-dog-training-for-children-a-professional-dog-trainer-weighs-in here,]] describing the comparison as deeply unfair: She would ''never'' treat a dog that way.

* ''WesternAnimation/EetuJaKonna'': When Eetu and Konna are on the run from government agents, at one point they hitch a ride in a wagon carrying pigs, and Eetu says:

* In the ''Franchise/HowToTrainYourDragon'' and ''Franchise/TheAvengers'' crossover fic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14087136/1/Full-Loki Full Loki]]'', in chapter 17, Hiccup calls Schmidt a backstabing Death Gripper because comparing him to a snake is an insult to snakes.