History Main / OldShame

* ''Series/{{Castle}}'':

* Author Vic George does regret writing "The Innocence Of A Smurf" in ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'' because it made Empath (and the Smurfs in general) look like a killer.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Facade}}'', Trip regards the fact he worked in a crappy bar through college as this, being mortified when Grace reveals she knew about it all along.

* In an episode of ''Manga/LuckyStar,'' Hiyori invites friends over to her house, only to be horrified when she finds them skimming through old sketches in her artbook.
* In ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'', episode "Sex and the Daten City": Panty and Stocking are set to debut a movie starring them, and Panty accidentally reveals that she acted in a porno [[OhCrap without realizing it at the time]]. The episode revolves around Panty thereupon setting out to destroy all the copies of the porno in existence. [[spoiler: Panty then decides to edit Stocking out of the movie, and Stocking responds by uploading a secret copy of the porno to Website/YouTube, where [[InstantHumiliationJustAddYouTube everyone can see it]].]]

* The case of Eita of ''Literature/{{Oreshura}}'' is somewhat similar to Yuuta, above, in which he was also trying to hide a bout of {{Chuunibyou}}. This is an important plot point--a notebook containing his fantasies was used by Masuzu to {{Blackmail}} him into her fake boyfriend.
* [[NoodleIncident Her first time on the Internet]] is this for Chisame Hasegawa from ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi''. So much, in fact, that the face she makes just for remembering it gets Jack Rakan's approval as a fine "bad face".
* In ''Manga/{{Bakuman}}'', after hearing that [[TheRival Eiji]] came up with the idea for his incredibly popular series "Crow" while younger, Mashiro decides to look at his drawings for inspiration. With most of them, he is surprised at how much he sucks, but he does actually manage to find one that serves as the basis for his and Takagi's first serialized manga, "Detective Trap".
* In ''Manga/RockLeesSpringtimeOfYouth'', Sasuke considers imperfectly copying Rock Lee's taijutsu to be this. Suigetsu considers it ''hilarious''.
* ''Literature/DateALive'':
** Shido is horribly embarrassed by many things from his middle school days, including bad poetry, playing guitar, and general {{chuunibyou}} tendencies. Kotori is merciless in using these against him by threatening to make recordings public if he doesn't meet her standards.
** Five years before the main plot, Kurumi used to wear an eye patch that covered her [[ExoticEyeDesigns clock pattern eye]]. When Shido asks about it, the current day Kurumi's refusal to explain seems to indicate it's an embarrassing topic.
* ''Anime/{{Shirobako}}'' uses this trope with the director character, Seiichi Kinoshita, whom had found early success in the anime industry but then directed the [[OffModel laughably bad]] ''[[BestKnownForTheFanservice Jiggly Heaven]]'' before restoring his reputation with ''[[ShowWithinAShow Exodus!]]'' and ''Third Arial Girls Squad.''

* In ''Manga/AsteroidInLove'', Mira met a boy called Ao and made ThePromise when they were children. When they reunited many years later, it turns out Ao [[UnsettlingGenderReveal has always been a girl]]. Because of this, Mira sees all the romance manga she made on her own in the intervening years like this, since they're effectively her romantic fantasies of Ao.
* In ''Manga/CityHunter'', near the end of the story arc of Eri, a CloudCuckooLander who treats fashion as SeriousBusiness, she decides to create a coat inspired by Ryo's BadassLongcoat and [[CrazyPrepared the weapons and other needed items he hides in it]] and make it elegant by using the weapons as decoration after seeing him utilize his coat and the equipment hidden within it in action, but it's so ridiculous she's embarrassed by it in the very following chapter.
-->'''Eri:''' ''[in audible whisper]'' You don't need to emphasize that. I also know that time was a failure. Who hasn't made a mistake...?

* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic ''Fluffershy'' (no link because it is NSFW, even if it is not a {{Lemon}}) is about her friends trying to find out if [[ShrinkingViolet Fluttershy]] has an old shame. Pinkie Pie [[ItMakesSenseInContext accidentally found a pornographic video]] which seems to have Fluttershy's rump on front, and a mixture of lecherous curiosity and genuine concern causes her friends to investigate. [[spoiler: She both has and hasn't. She was just an extra in the film and didn't do anything remotely sexual, but still considers it an old shame. The filmmakers put her flank on the cover even if you don't get to see her have sex in it because CoversAlwaysLie.]]
* ''Fanfic/TitaniaFalls'', a ''Manga/FairyTail'' and ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' CrossOver FanFic, shows that [[spoiler:Ford]] is a huge ''Franchise/StarWars'' fan that only managed to watch up to ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' [[spoiler:before he was stuck traversing TheMultiverse for thirty years]]. When he finally watches ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', a subsequent gag scene shows him burning his old [[IncestYay Luke/Leia]] FanFiction.

* In ''Fanfic/Batman1939'', Zatanna regards any of the times she was made to do the EthnicMagician routine as part of her act to be troubling and wrong, largely because one of her very first times doing so saw her adopt the persona of "Esther", a Jewish mystic, and she was mistaken for the real deal by a bunch of Orthodox Jews who took her to a ''very'' embarrassing dinner after the show. She only is willing to do them at all because [[MoneyDearBoy some managers won't pay her otherwise]].

* Sharyn [=McCrumb=]'s novel ''Literature/{{Bimbos of the Death Sun}}'' features an author who despises the series of cheesy ''Literature/ConanTheBarbarian''-style novels to which he's become metaphorically chained by success and merchandising, all the while wanting recognition for his use of Celtic mythology in the books.

** In "The Final Frontier", this trope actually leads to the murder: [[spoiler:The actress who played Lt. Chloe on the short-lived ''Nebula 9'' hated the show so much that when she found out that the woman who owned the rights to it was selling them to a major film company so it could possibly remake the series, she killed her before she could finalize the deal.]]

** Ivy once created a ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' {{OC}} called Ziz the Eagle. She's now deeply embarrassed about it, and would be aghast if anyone found it out. That said, she still has enough sentiment towards it that she named her drone after it.

* In ''VisualNovel/HeartOfTheWoods'', Madison "Maddie" Raines, a twenty-something young adult and college dropout turned manager for her best friend's VlogSeries, is "Still tortured by her teenage goth phase," according to her character profile.

* Strong Bad of ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' refers to his first attempt at drawing a dragon as the "S-is-For-Sucks" Dragon. However, in the Trogdor's 5th birthday toon, he sings a song about the S is For Sucks Dragon, then indicates that he's sick of Trogdor, claiming that "[[MemeticMutation you Internet types]]" [[ItsPopularNowItSucks ruined him]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/SlackerCats'' it turns out Mrs Boots had done some "mistakes" as a kitten like dressing up as a pirate and a fireman in "Cats Do the Cutest Things". Eddie and Buckley blackmail her with it.
* In ''[[WesternAnimation/TotalDrama Total Drama World Tour]]'', Sierra brings up Chris's earlier career (making bad movies about talking cats, being on a cooking show that lasted one episode, and being in a boy band). Chris is not amused, to say the least.

** In the episode "Go Team Go", Kim blackmails Shego into helping her defeat a villain by threatening to reveal that [[FallenHero she used to be a hero]].

* On ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', Linda Flynn has mixed feelings (mostly embarrassment) about her short-lived career as a pop singer, Lindana, back in the eighties.
* The ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "It's a Jersey Thing" has Sheila hiding her past as a hardcore partying Jerseyite.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "Baby Commercial", Betty regrets having Phil and Lil star in a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin commercial]] for diapers. When Didi sees it on television, Betty briefly mentions the horrors she experienced with Phil and Lil on the set before quickly offering a cup of coffee. When the director of the commercial stops by to recruit the twins for another gig, Betty refuses and slams the door in his face when he persists.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** In "Krusty Gets Busted", Sideshow Bob takes over after framing Krusty for armed robbery. Bart reminds him of the times Krusty would shoot him out of a cannon, and Bob glares at him for doing so. After Bob is exposed, he admits that he framed Krusty because he was sick of being Krusty's ButtMonkey.
** In the episode "Bart of Darkness", Krusty the Clown is extremely embarrassed by his [[TheSixties 60s]] "Classic Krusty" shows, which were more like a late-night talk show a la ''The Mike Douglas Show''.
** Not as embarrassed as by the time he imitated [[Music/TheDoors Jim Morrison]]. ("Oh, man, what was I on?")
** Another episode, ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS14E12ImSpellingAsFastAsICan I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can]]'', has the KBBL Booberella show ''Matine of Blood and Comercials'' showing ''Frankenstein and the Harlem Globetrotters Meet the Mummy and the Washington Generals'' starring a young [[Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond Ray Romano]]. The broadcast stops as Booberella warns that Romano sued for a temporary injunction to stopping them from showing the movie, and that they will fight the injunction as they show something else.
** Richard Dean Anderson's CreatorBacklash against his most famous role was parodied InUniverse in one episode where Anderson guest stars. Patty and Selma are ecstatic to meet the star of ''Series/{{MacGyver|1985}}'' in person, [[BrokenPedestal only for him to proclaim disgust for the series and refer to it as "just another paycheck"]].

* After the events of the Thanagarian Invasion in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', Shayera considers her original costume and even the name "Hawkgirl" to be this, changing into a new, [[CivvieSpandex more down-to-earth outfit]] and referring to herself only by her real name.

** In the episode "Sonic Rainboom", Rarity enters the Best Young Flier Competition with [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything a set of magical wings]]. She flies too close to the sun, causing her wings to disintegrate. After she knocks out the Wonderbolts during their attempt to rescue her, Rainbow Dash saves them mere inches before they hit the ground. When these events are [[ContinuityNod brought up much later]] in "Sleepless in Ponyville", Rarity blushes, clearly regretting the scare she caused.
** In "The Crystalling Part 1", we see that Starlight Glimmer is really not too happy over her actions as the main antagonist back in Season 5, becoming TheAtoner yet not feeling worthy of being Twilight Sparkle's student in friendship. In the following episode, we find out that Starlight's old friend, Sunburst, the pony who accidentally started her on her evil path, is equally in the same boat - turns out that he's great with magical theory but is nowhere near the powerhouse Starlight thought he was and he was too embarrassed to admit that to her.
* In ''WesternAnimation/MiloMurphysLaw,'' [[OnlySaneMan Zack]]'s is that he used to be in a regionally-famous BoyBand called the Lumberzacks. His friends discover [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dMyVeonqqg video evidence]].

* On ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' when Brian and Stewie go to UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} they discover that the pamphlet lists nothing happening between 1939 and 1945 and the tour guide furiously denies it[[note]]Which is incredibly [[{{Irony}} ironic]]; denying that the Holocaust actually happened along with other German WWII atrocities in Germany is in fact a '''''very serious crime''''' that will land you in prison. They really do take what happened back then very seriously, and for good reason.[[/note]].
--> '''Tour Guide:''' [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Nothing happened! Everyone was on vacation!]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'', Jim once starred in a movie called "Paco, The King of Disco", which including him disco-dancing. He's so embarrassed by it that Jeremie once blackmailed him with it. Later, the entire student body finds out about it thanks to Sissi overhearing Odd talking about it and reporting it on the school news. This actually helps Jim get over as it eventually gains popularity with the students.
** It's implied that Jim has a lot of these, but as he often says, [[NoodleIncident he'd rather not talk about them]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' episode "Reaching Out", Alador dismisses [[RetiredBadass his past as a tournament fighter]] as "nonsense" and tells Amity that she shouldn't waste her potential on such things. That said, the small smile he gives at the time implies that he has more fond memories of it than he's willing to admit and is touched by his youngest daughter's desire to follow in his footsteps.

* ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'': ComicBook/WonderMan is not exactly proud of his involvement in a children's TV show as a character called Mr. Muscles, who dressed as a jungle man with Simon's sunglasses and, in-character, was a DumbMuscle brute who took a pie to the face. Beast found the show channel-surfing and got a laugh out of the whole thing.

* Most of the characters to be involved in the ill-fated ''ComicBook/Champions1975'' are none too proud of it. They tend to [[RealitySubtext share the same criticisms that fans made of the team in real life]]--the team had no meaningful relationships, barely accomplished anything apart from defending its own headquarters, and failed entirely at its stated goal of being "the heroes for the common man." The only exception is Hercules, who seems to view it more fondly.
* ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'': The "Toastmaster" {{BFG}} is this for John Henry Irons, as he never wanted the weapons getting out because they were way too powerful. When they ended up in gangs' hands in Metropolis, he forged the ComicBook/{{Steel}} armor and fought to get rid of them.
* ''ComicBook/{{Maus}}'': There is a scene in which Vladek discovers Art's comic ''Prisoner on Hell Planet'', which he created in an attempt to deal with the emotional fallout from his mother's suicide. Art is clearly ashamed and attempts to hide the work from Vladek. Vladek, on the other hand, is disturbed both by the art style and the subject matter, but is also very happy that his son found a constructive way to cope.

* ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManNickSpencer'': It's mentioned that Peter is not being particularly fond of a period in his college career when he read some Creator/AynRand and thought himself the new [[Literature/AtlasShrugged John Galt]]. This doubles as a MythologyGag to a contentious scene in the ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManLeeAndDitko'' in which he brushes off a group of (entirely non-political and jokey) protestors who want him to participate, which many readers have surmised was the heavily UsefulNotes/{{objectivis|m}}t Creator/SteveDitko going full WriterOnBoard.

** Woody finds out that he's part of a popular show from TheFifties called ''Woody's Roundup''. Woody is overjoyed to discover this while Jessie and Bullseye are just as thrilled to see their old selves again. Stinky Pete on the other hand is disgraced by his portrayal, giving a FacePalm after his character is introduced.

* ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'': ComicBook/WonderMan is not exactly proud of his involvement in a children's TV show as a character called Mr. Muscles, who dressed as a jungle man with Simon's sunglasses and, in-character, was a DumbMuscle brute who took a pie to the face. ComicBook/{{Beast|MarvelComics}} found the show channel-surfing and got a laugh out of the whole thing.
* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': In the 3rd issue of ''ComicBook/TheJoker'' spinoff comic, the Joker kidnaps a cartoonist named Sandy Saturn who created the ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' parody ''Cashews'', who as it turns out hates the strip and only draws it because of his contract. He gladly complies with his captor's order to draw pictures of the Joker beating and killing Charlie Cashew.
* ''{{ComicBook/Maus}}'': There is a scene where Vladek discovers Art's comic ''Prisoner on Hell Planet'', which he created in an attempt to deal with the emotional fallout from his mother's suicide. Art is clearly ashamed and attempts to hide the work from Vladek. Vladek, on the other hand, is disturbed both by the art style and the subject matter, but is also very happy that his son found a constructive way to cope.
* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'': ''[[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Captain Super Fox Man: The Mutant Cyborg Clone]]'' was apparently this for [[KidSidekick Tails]] as he never showed the project to ANYONE. Which makes Espio knowing about it just a touch creepy.
** Sonic's treatment of Tommy Turtle when they were younger (ie. mocking the terrapin for being slow).
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManNickSpencer'' makes mention of Peter not being particularly fond of a period in his college career when he read some Creator/AynRand and thought himself the new [[Literature/AtlasShrugged John Galt]]. (This doubles as a MythologyGag to a contentious scene in the ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManLeeAndDitko'' where he brushed off a group of (entirely non-political and jokey) protestors who wanted him to participate, which many readers have surmised was the heavily objectivist Ditko going full WriterOnBoard.)
* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': In ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'', the "Toastmaster" {{BFG}} is this towards [[ComicBook/{{Steel}} John Henry Irons]] as he never wanted the weapons getting out as they were way too powerful. When they ended up in gangs' hands in Metropolis, he forged the Steel armor and fought to get rid of them.

* In the 3rd issue of ''ComicBook/TheJoker'' spinoff comic, the Joker kidnaps a cartoonist named Sandy Saturn who created the ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' parody ''Cashews'', who as it turns out hates the strip and only draws it because of his contract. He gladly complies with his captor's order to draw pictures of the Joker beating and killing Charlie Cashew.
* ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManNickSpencer'' makes mention of Peter not being particularly fond of a period in his college career when he read some Creator/AynRand and thought himself the new [[Literature/AtlasShrugged John Galt]]. (This doubles as a MythologyGag to a contentious scene in the ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManLeeAndDitko where he brushed off a group of (entirely non-political and jokey) protestors who wanted him to participate, which many readers have surmised was the heavily objectivist Ditko going full WriterOnBoard.)
* In the Avengers, [[ComicBook/WonderMan Simon]] is not exactly proud of his involvement in a children's TV show as a character called Mr. Muscles, who dressed as a jungle man with Simon's sunglasses and, in-character, was a DumbMuscle brute who took a pie to the face. ComicBook/{{Beast|MarvelComics}} found the show channel-surfing and got a laugh out of the whole thing.
* ''[[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Captain Super Fox Man: The Mutant Cyborg Clone]]'' was apparently this for [[KidSidekick Tails]] in ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' as he never showed the project to ANYONE. Which makes Espio knowing about it just a touch creepy.
** Sonic's treatment of Tommy Turtle when they were younger (ie. mocking the terrapin for being slow).

* In ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'', the "Toastmaster" {{BFG}} is this towards [[ComicBook/{{Steel}} John Henry Irons]] as he never wanted the weapons getting out as they were way too powerful. When they ended up in gangs' hands in Metropolis, he forged the Steel armor and fought to get rid of them.

Supertrope to IWasYoungAndNeededTheMoney and OnceDoneNeverForgotten. Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly, please. Real life examples go to CreatorBacklash, which is for when a real life creator ends up regretting a past work of theirs, and BuryYourArt, where creators are ashamed of their work so much that they try to suppress it.

Also compare MyGreatestFailure, which is when the hero is motivated by this.

* From ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'': [[TomboyishName Gary]] considers that one time when she invested her money into one of Larry Stork's schemes, which lost all the money she put into it, as this. She continues to harbor grudges even when she's [[FictionFiveHundred quite well-off]] and claims she would exact revenge should she see Larry again. Sure enough, Larry shows up at her shoe store a bare minute later, and Gary proves she meant business by punching his lights out (though she winces from the recoil afterwards).

-->'''Buzz:'''Tell me I wasn't this deluded...

* ''Literature/TheUnderlandChronicles'': In ''Gregor and the Code of Claw'', [[spoiler: it's revealed that Bartholomew of Sandwich resorted to poisoning the moles to get their land. It was thought they were all killed by this tactic, and it [[IncrediblyLamePun poisoned]] everyone else's opinion of the humans.]]

-->--'''Homer Simpson''' (on his song "Everybody Hates Ned Flanders"), ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS14E18DudeWheresMyRanch "Dude, Where's My Ranch?"]]

'''Nanette:''' It’s called “Bangladesh, Dhaka Before The Dawn”:\\

'''Frasier:''' ''(beat)'' The Bangladesh part’s coming.

-->-- '''Homer Simpson''' (on his song "Everybody Hates Ned Flanders"), ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS14E18DudeWheresMyRanch "Dude, Where's My Ranch?"]]

* The case of Eita of ''LightNovel/{{Oreshura}}'' is somewhat similar to Yuuta, above, in which he was also trying to hide a bout of {{Chuunibyou}}. This is an important plot point--a notebook containing his fantasies was used by Masuzu to {{Blackmail}} him into her fake boyfriend.

* In the PC game of ''Series/WhereInTimeIsCarmenSandiego'', the entire plot revolves around a convoluted plot by the title character [[spoiler:to erase her history as an ACME detective]].

* ''LightNovel/LoveChunibyoAndOtherDelusions'': Knowing the [[{{Chuunibyou}} kind of weird things]] you did because [[IJustWantToBeSpecial you just want to be special]] is shameful indeed.

* ''LightNovel/DateALive'':

!!Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly.

Supertrope to IWasYoungAndNeededTheMoney and OnceDoneNeverForgotten. Compare CreatorBacklash, which is for when a real life creator ends up regretting a past work of theirs, and BuryYourArt, where creators are ashamed of their work so much that they try to suppress it.

!!Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly

* In one ''Webcomic/{{Oglaf}}'' sequence, a follower of Sithrak, who supposedly [[EvilGod inflicts endless afterlife torture upon everyone who dies]], has a near-death experience. Sithrak is surprised than anyone still reads the "Book of Dismay" (the Sithrak religion's scriptures), and describes it as old teen poetry he wrote while in a bad mood. He sends his follower back to explain this; however, the follower concludes that Sithrak is messing with his head and is even ''more'' malevolent that he'd realized.

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