History Main / StubbornMule

* ''Film/CharlieWilsonsWar'': Gust reacts with incredulity when he's told that the mules have to be trained to carry stuff through the Afghan mountains:

* In ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'', while traveling through Mexico, you'll occasionally encounter a peasant leading his donkey down the road. The peasant will loudly and repeatedly curse the beast in Spanish. You yourself can ride donkeys, but they won't jump, they can't run as fast as a horse, and you can't put a hogtied person on one.

It's a common stereotype for mules, as well as for their donkeys sires, to be stubborn, recalcitrant, and uncooperative animals. This typically applies in the context of trying to use them as beasts of burden, with the animal in question stubbornly refusing to pull its cart or haul its load and firmly planting itself in its spot. If it will be convinced to move at all, it will only be by dint of much pulling, pushing, and cursing, and most likely after some judicious application of goads or stout sticks. Less commonly, the mule or donkey will be used as a steed instead, typically on a path to harsh for horses, and at an arbitrary point in the path suddenly refuse to move any further.

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmallOne'': Inverted. The eponymous ass is gentle, patient, and quite amazingly self-sacrificing.

Although in RealLife, donkeys are quite effective in pulling wagons, in media, the donkeys pulling the cart are often stubborn and unreliable, and don't want to do the heavy work. Of course, it doesn't have to involve carts.

Sometimes the ass is used as a symbol, not so much of stubbornness, as of sheer stupidity. It was probably this characterization that led to the modern usage of "ass" to mean "fool." On still other occasions the donkey is used to depict low status or servility, especially when contrasted with more favored beasts such as the horse or the hound. Finally, paradoxically, the mule has been used to symbolize sturdy, if stubborn, practicality, and a no-nonsense attitude towards the harsher realities of life.

Both these characterizations (ironically) come from the fact that donkeys and mules are ''more'' intelligent than horses and have a stronger sense of self-preservation. This makes them less ''obedient'' to humans, therefore we perceive them as stubborn, but consider: you can ride a horse to death, but a donkey will stop when it's exhausted. Which is smarter?

Despite the name, this trope is not limited to mules. Compare MoodyMount (which is for rideable animals ''other'' than donkeys and mules being troublesome.)

[[folder:Comic Strips]]

* The eponymous donkey from the classic comic strip ''And Her Name Was Maud''.
* In ''ComicStrip/GasolineAlley'', junkmen Joel and Rufus ride around between disasters on a cart pulled (when she's in a good mood) by Becky, the mule.

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Film/{{Patton}}'': During the invasion of Sicily, a pair of mules pulling a wagon refuse to move, blocking a bridge and causing a column of American troops to be strafed. Patton shoots the mules and has them dumped over the side of the bridge, allowing the column to continue.

* In ''Cahill, United States Marshal'', John Wayne is left horseless and is forced to buy a mule from a farmer for lack of any alternative. There's a short clip of it bucking in protest when he mounts up, although it cooperates perfectly well in later scenes.
* ''Film/TheTenCommandments'' has one of these during the leaving of Egypt.

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/TheManyDatesOfDannyFenton'' (''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'', WesternAnimation, [[{{Series}} TV Series]], and ComicBooks.): Tucker refuse to consider his misleading profile is why he getting so many bad dates.
[[/folder]]

* The original {{Aesop}} had several fables centering on these.

* ''Literature/AnimalFarm'': Benjamin the donkey is never taken in for a moment by the pigs' false promises of Utopia, and refuses to undertake extra labor for it as some of the more idealistic animals do, but he also refuses to do anything to oppose the pigs.
* Invoked in Creator/MercedesLackey's ''The Fairy Godmother'', the first of her ''Literature/TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms'' series. A stubborn prince who behaves like an ass finds himself [[InvoluntaryTransformation transformed into one]]. His asinine behavior persists for some time until he loses some of his pride and subsequently reforms.
* One of Creator/AlanDeanFoster's ''Literature/{{Spellsinger}}'' novels has a talking ''hinny'' as a supporting character. (Mules have a horse mother and donkey father; hinnies are the other way around.) Yep, she's stubborn too.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has some rather intelligent, hermaphroditic "mules" wear [[OurDragonsAreDifferent scales and breathe fire]]. The key to Valyrian-brand dragon-riding seems rather geared towards making bloody sure the individual dragon both knows you and really, ''really'' likes you before you try asking it to do anything it might object to. Thwacking one with a stick when it decides it wants to snooze or because it's in the way is [[KillItWithFire categorically]] ''[[ManOnFire not]]'' [[TooDumbToLive recommended]]. No more than walking up to one who doesn't know you, let alone accept you, and acting overly chummy is, even if you definitely have the right bloodline -- more than one Targaryen and Valeryon princeling found this out over the years. [[FoodAsBribe Possitive]] [[BondCreatures reinforcement]], yay!
** Actual mules, donkeys and hill ponies/horses (moor-, Shetland- or Icelandic analogues) also show up. Although not widely deemed as impressive as a warhorse, let alone a dragon, they are ''essential'' if you want to get around the wilder parts of the Seven Kingdoms in anything like decent time. For climbing up to the Eyrie or trekking around and beyond the Wall, you need reliable, hardy stubborness that's both willing to balk at mutually suicidal directions and can just keep ticking along on even dodgy forage. As Stannis finds out when he tries ploughing Southern-bred slabs of hay-guzzling muscle through autumn snow. The poor war- and draught-horses weren't bred or trained for that.

* The season 12 opener of ''Series/TheAmazingRace'' had a challenge which involved transporting peat using a donkey, most seemed compliant enough but the donkeys used by Ari & Staella and Nathan & Jennifer proved to be premiere examples of this trope, resulting in both teams placing in the bottom rung.
** In season 1 of the Australian version, Richard and Joey got a stubborn ''goat'' that didn't want to go where they had to take it, resulting in them being eliminated.
* On ''Series/DirtyJobs'', part of Mike Rowe's visit to a California camel ranch involves rectally taking the temperatures of several camels. When he jokingly asks if they're going to do the same for the ranch's donkeys, his host hastens to make it clear that handling the donkeys is a much different undertaking than handling camels: "You don't do anything to a donkey unless you ''ask'' first."

* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' [[GaidenGame skirmish game]] ''TabletopGame/{{Mordheim}}'', the expanded rules for mounted warriors [[note]] from the ''Mordheim Annual 2002'' book[[/note]] include mules as one of the additional purchasable mounts. These mules have the "Stubborn" special rule that forces their rider to take a test each turn in order to get the mount to move.

* In ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'', while traveling through Mexico, you'll occasionally encounter a peasant leading his donkey down the road. The peasant will loudly and repeatedly curse the beast in Spanish. You yourself can ride donkeys, but they won't jump, they can't run as fast as a horse, and if you try putting a hogtied person on one, it won't work.

* Parodied in a ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' cutaway, where a mule plays the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game, and refuses to admit that he was in ''Film/{{Footloose}}''.
* Averted in Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TheSmallOne'' (directed by Creator/DonBluth) in which the eponymous ass is gentle, patient, and quite amazingly self-sacrificing.

** Applejack is actually less patient then an ''actual'' mule.

** There's an actual (nameless) mule who shows up when one of the protagonists says how somepony else is "as stubborn as a mule", [[PresentCompanyExcluded prompting them to quickly add "No offense!"]] Humorously, the actual mule never does take any offense, implying that he's actually more agreeable than the ponies.
* Donkey in ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' is implied to be one of the stubborn donkeys from Aesop's fables listed above, as the first time we see him he is about to be sold into bondage by his owner, promising to never be stubborn again. After this, Donkey's stubbornness is mostly an InformedFlaw, as he's generally pretty agreeable and willing to do some dangerous feats. He is stubborn in one regard, though - [[IJustWantToHaveFriends making friends with Shrek.]]

* The [[UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem American Democratic Party]] has a donkey for a symbol. This is sometimes said to originate--like so many American political terms--with an insult: namely, calling Democrats "jackasses" because they supported [[UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson Andrew]] '''[[UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson Jack]]'''[[UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson son]]. However, the link between the Dems and the donkey was cemented by [[PoliticalCartoon political cartoonist]] Thomas Nast in the late 19th century, who drew the Democrats as a donkey stubbornly but futilely kicking the Republican elephant (itself chosen to represent the GOP's domination over [[TheGildedAge Gilded Age]] politics). Democrats continue to emphasize the use of the donkey as a representation of stubbornness...although today, the ''reason'' for the donkey's stubbornness (intelligence) is also emphasized.

** In ''Discworld/{{Jingo}}'' a donkey gets stuck up a minaret in Al Khali. Being the stubborn animals they are there is no chance it will back down. It can't turn around, and being right at the top it can't go forward. The locals are amazed at Vetinari when he disappears into the minaret and returns leading a docile donkey. Vetinari helpfully explained that the key is to find that part of the donkey that really wants to get down. He is holding a walking cane when speaking, suggesting mechanism.

Despite the name, this trope is not limited to mules.

* Averted in Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''Disney/TheSmallOne'' (directed by Creator/DonBluth) in which the eponymous ass is gentle, patient, and quite amazingly self-sacrificing.

* In the American West, J. Golden Kimbell, a Mormon leader, was infamously known as ''The Swearing Apostle''. "As a young man he had worked as a mule driver. And as everyone knows, mules are twice as stubborn as any other creature on earth. And these were Church-owned mules! Church-owned mules are ten times as stubborn as ordinary mules. You had to blister them with the coarsest oaths known to man for over two hours just to get them to move ten feet. I was the best mule driver in camp, and my language showed it."

In the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' [[GaidenGame skirmish game]] ''TabletopGame/{{Mordheim}}'', the expanded rules for mounted warriors [[note]] from the ''Mordheim Annual 2002'' book[[/note]] include mules as one of the additional purchasable mounts. These mules have the "Stubborn" special rule that forces their rider to take a test each turn in order to get the mount to move.

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]

* ''FanFic/RosarioVampireBrightestDarkness'': Throughout Acts V and VI, Arial takes this trope UpToEleven, repeatedly insisting that she and Dark are soul mates and brushing off all attempts to reason with her. It's only after her actions nearly drive Dark over the DespairEventHorizon and get him hit by an [=HDA=] vehicle that she finally listens to reason.

[[/folder]]

* ''Literature/AnimalFarm'': Benjamin the donkey is never taken in for a moment by the pigs' false promises of Utopia, and refuses to undertake extra labor for it as some of the more idealistic animals do.

* In ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'', while traveling through Mexico, you'll occasionally encounter a peasant leading his donkey down the road. The peasant will loudly and repeatedly curse the beast in Spanish. And that you can ride donkeys, but there's some downsides. Donkeys won't jump, they can't run as fast as a horse, and if you try putting a hogtied person on one, it won't work.

** Applejack is actually less patient then an ''actual'' mule. Another case has Cranky Doodle Donkey, who's old, set in his ways, and very, ''very'' unwilling to deal with Pinkie Pie. After a while, you start to empathize with him.
** There's an actual (nameless) mule who shows up when one of the protagonists says how somepony else is "as stubborn as a mule", prompting them to quickly add "No offense!" Humorously, the actual mule never does take any offense, implying that he's actually more agreeable than the ponies.

* The season 12 opener of ''Series/TheAmazingRace'' had a challenge which involved transporting peat using a donkey, most seemed compliant enough but the donkeys used by Ari& Staella and Nathan & Jennifer proved to be premiere examples of this trope, resulting in them both placing in the bottom rung.

* Donkey in ''Film/{{Shrek}}'' is implied to be one of the stubborn donkeys from Aesop's fables listed above, as the first time we see him he is about to be sold into bondage by his owner, promising to never be stubborn again. After this, Donkey's stubbornness is mostly an InformedFlaw, as he's generally pretty agreeable and willing to do some dangerous feats. He is stubborn in one regard, though - [[IJustWantToHaveFriends making friends with Shrek.]]

* In ''Series/TheAmazingRace'' Australia season 1, Richard and Joey got a stubbourn ''goat'' that didn't want to go where they had to take it, resulting in them being eliminated.

* The [[AmericanPoliticalSystem American Democratic Party]] has a donkey for a symbol. This is sometimes said to originate--like so many American political terms--with an insult: namely, calling Democrats "jackasses" because they supported [[UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson Andrew]] '''[[UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson Jack]]'''[[UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson son]]. However, the link between the Dems and the donkey was cemented by [[PoliticalCartoon political cartoonist]] Thomas Nast in the late 19th century, who drew the Democrats as a donkey stubbornly but futilely kicking the Republican elephant (itself chosen to represent the GOP's domination over [[TheGildedAge Gilded Age]] politics). Democrats continue to emphasize the use of the donkey as a representation of stubbornness...although today, the ''reason'' for the donkey's stubbornness (intelligence) is also emphasized.

* This is the reason they were used to carry equipment in mountainous terrain, horses were just too damned obedient to choose a safe path. They're also generally tougher than horses, making them a good choice for the military for getting to places where vehicles can't go (the USMC started using them in Afghanistan).

** Actual mules, donkeys and hill ponies (moor-, Shetland- or Icelandic pony analogues) also show up. Although not widely deemed as impressive as a warhorse, let alone a dragon, they are ''essential'' if you want to get around the wilder parts of the Seven Kingdoms in anything like decent time. For climbing up to the Eyrie or trekking near the Wall, you need reliable, hardy stubborness that's both willing to balk at mutually suicidal directions and can just keep ticking along on even dodgy forage. As Stannis finds out when he tries ploughing Southern-bred slabs of hay-guzzling muscle through autumn snow. The poor horses weren't bred or trained for that.

** Actual mules, donkeys and hill ponies (moor-, Shetland- or Icelandic pony analogues) also show up. Although not widely deemed as impressive as a warhorse, let alone a dragon, they are ''essential'' if you want to get around the wilder parts of the Seven Kingdoms in anything like decent time. For climbing up to the Eyrie or trekking near the Wall, you need reliable, hardy stubborness that can just keep on ticking on even dodgy forage. As Stannis finds out when he tries ploughing Southern-bred slabs of hay-guzzling muscle through autumn snow.

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has the rather intelligent "mules" wear [[OurDragonsAreDifferent scales and breathe fire]]. The key to Valyrian-brand dragon-riding seems rather geared towards making bloody sure the individual dragon both knows you and really, ''really'' likes you before you try asking it to do anything it might object to. Thwacking one with a stick when it decides it wants to snooze or because it's in the way is [[KillItWithFire categorically]] ''[[ManOnFire not]]'' [[TooDumbToLive recommended]]. No more than walking up to one who doesn't know you, let alone accept you, and acting overly chummy is, even if you definitely have the right bloodline -- more than one Targaryen and Valeryon princeling found this out over the years. [[FoodAsBribe Possitive]] [[BondCreatures reinforcement]], yay!