Line #154 Main/LetsMockTheMonsters


1	[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/YetAnotherFantasyGamerComic https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mock_8709.PNG]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''Did you trade your left half for that sword?!'']]
3
4	->''"Tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna HAHAHAHA-, heh LAAAAAAAUUUGH!"''
5	-->-- '''Pinkie Pie''', ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E2ElementsOfHarmony Friendship Is Magic, Part 2]]"
6
7	The heroes are walking through the dark catacombs. Is that [[NightmareFuel heavy breathing]]? No, not wanting to imagine what could be so loathsome as to ''live'' in such a place, they dismiss it as the wind. They press on, then suddenly something terrible leaps out of the shadows and... the heroes burst into laughter.
8
9	Whether it's the CausticCritic harping on the quality of the game's monsters, or the actual characters within a story, this trope applies any time monsters are being ridiculed. [[AttackOfTheKillerWhatever Killer Whatevers]], {{Slurpasaur}}s and monsters that have suffered from a SpecialEffectFailure are particularly prone to being mocked.
10
11	If the monster looks stupid but the characters treat it as if it were terrifying, that's not this trope.
12
13	See also: OurMonstersAreDifferent, MonsterMash, EverythingTryingToKillYou, DoNotTauntCthulhu, MonsterOfTheWeek.
14
15	Has nothing whatsoever to do with HeWhoFightsMonsters, TalkingTheMonsterToDeath, MuggingTheMonster, or BullyingADragon. Although the last two might well result in a CurbStompBattle.
16
17	----
18	!!Examples:
19	[[foldercontrol]]
20
21	[[folder:Advertising]]
22	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyVsHNEBeBk Jack Link's Beef Jerky presents: Messin' with Sasquatch.]]
23	[[/folder]]
24
25	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
26	* ''Manga/OnePiece'' is rife with targets for this trope, constantly introducing impossibly stupid-looking monsters, only to have Luffy, as an inversion, call them really cool. Sanji tends to play the trope straight though, talking about how to cook monsters while beating them senseless.
27	* In the second season of ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'', Lina and company encounter a monster that looks like a floating tribal mask. Then its body grows in and it resembles, well... a ''penguin'' wearing a tribal mask.
28	-->'''Lina:''' ''laughs hysterically'' Oh, you're just ''weird'', pal.
29	[[/folder]]
30
31	[[folder:Comic Books]]
32	* Spider-Man does this to his enemies all the time, especially during their first meetings. This can sometimes works against him; for example the first time he meets [[https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Hubert_Carpenter_(Earth-616) The Walrus]] and hears about "the proportional strength, speed, and agility of a walrus" bit, Spidey is so busy laughing his guts out that the villain manages to sucker-punch him.
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Fan Works]]
36	* ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'':
37	** Calvin does this to several ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' villains in "Calvin's Batman Adventure".
38	** Jark (from "Attack of the Monsters") gets hit with this a lot as well.
39	--> '''Jark:''' I ''WILL'' DESTROY YOU! And I ''WILL'' take over the planet!\
40	'''MTM:''' Did your mummy tell you that?
41	* In ''Fanfic/GettingBackOnYourHooves'', the BigBad assumes the form of an alicorn to terrorize the Mane Six within a dreamscape. They mock her for it since they've fought a real alicorn and fail to be impressed.
42	* ''Fanfic/Plan7Of9FromOuterSpace''
43	** In the ActionPrologue, Constance Goodheart is abducted by Slo-Man (an expy of ''Film/RobotMonster'') and actually stops [[ScreamingWoman screaming]] to comment how ridiculous he looks.
44	** When the alien invader D'Ork of the Thorkoth does his DoNotAdjustYourSet thing, everyone bursts out laughing as he looks like a bad special effect from ''Film/ItConqueredTheWorld''.
45	** A news headline states that ''Space Ranger HQ declares [[Series/DoctorWho saltshaker aliens from Skaro]] are 'too ludicrous to pose any threat'.''
46	[[/folder]]
47
48	[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
49	* Peter Venkman's specialty in the ''Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}'' franchise, although the others get in on the act. Interestingly, this doesn't kick in until ''after'' the [[Film/Ghostbusters1984 first movie]]: after beating ''Gozer the Gozerian'' (and ''Cthulhu'' in the [[WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters animated series]]), everything else seems a bit pathetic in comparison.
50	** Interestingly, it's actually Ray who's the first to do this: he mocks Slimer over the radio, who then slimes Peter in revenge since he heard Peter's radio.
51	--->'''Ray:''' He's an ugly little spud, isn't he?
52	--->'''Peter:''' [[OhCrap I think he can hear you, Ray]].
53	[[/folder]]
54
55	[[folder:Literature]]
56	* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Harry Dresden does this as a matter of course, though it's sometimes a strategic choice — the name [[spoiler:naagloshii]] evokes such terror that Harry's sarcastic nickname "Shagnasty" keeps it from becoming unbeatable.
57	* This is the proper way to fight boggarts in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series — use Riddikulus charm and concentrate on something funny. The boggart will become funny and powerless.
58	* In ''Literature/{{Lacuna}}'', Liao is less than polite to the Toralii fleet that jumps in after they release the Forerunner.
59	* ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'' has an ancient evil appear in the form of — a chicken. That cackled. Even staunch fans of the series agree that was utterly {{Narm}}tastic.
60	* Any customer who walks into Clauss' garage in ''Literature/{{Unique}}'' and behaves like the customers described in Notalwaysright.com is unknowingly doing exactly this. Of course, even if they don't know that the big grey bearded biker is actually a literal PapaWolf, that still doesn't change the fact that he's a big, grey-bearded biker with hands like slabs of rawhide covered meat. Not to mention that it's just plain rude AND stupid to piss off the guy you're paying to repair the vehicle you don't know how to fix yourself.
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
64	* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E4FearItself Fear Itself]]":
65	-->'''Xander:''' Who's a little fear demon? Come on. Who's a little fear demon?\
66	'''Giles:''' Don't taunt the fear demon.\
67	'''Xander:''' Why? Can he hurt me?\
68	'''Giles:''' No, it's just tacky...
69	* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
70	** Find someone who's never heard of ''Doctor Who''. Show them a picture of a Dalek and tell them it's the most dangerous creature in the universe. Odds are high this trope will be their instinctual reaction. Even in their own series, they get mocked. "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E6Dalek What are you going to do? Sucker me to death?]]" [[TemptingFate And so it did.]]
71	** Even fans of ''Doctor Who'' can't take the villains of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E6TheInvasionofTime The Invasion of Time]]" seriously, due to some poor handling by the writer, uninspiring costumes, and a big heap of SpecialEffectsFailure. (Which is a pity, because their basic concept, had it not been mishandled, is frankly terrifying.) When they returned in the ExpandedUniverse, the Doctor's companion spent several minutes riffing on the theme of "Oh, good, it's only the Vardans!" ''to their faces''.
72	** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS16E1TheRibosOperation The Ribos Operation]]" starts off with a scene kicking off an epic {{Arc}} about OrderVersusChaos where the Doctor encounters a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien who may be God. The script called for him to be in awe, and in the novelisation (based off the script) he almost grovels. However, Creator/TomBaker insisted on playing it mockingly while trying not to laugh at how serious it all was, both [[RebelliousSpirit much more in-character]] and pretty badass into the bargain.
73	** The Doctor and Sarah suggest alternate names for [[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E5TheBrainOfMorbius Morbius]] in his [[MixAndMatchMan new body]], such as Potpourri or Chop Suey the Galactic Emperor. Morbius is not amused. "You will be the first to die!"
74	* Creator/{{David Mitchell\|Actor}} [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt2u4dlZBHE mentions]] this trope on ''Series/MockTheWeek'' when discussing the Russian-Georgian war in 2008.
75	-->"Shall we have a bit of fun? Poke the Russians! Poke the Russians! [[OhCrap Oh my God they're coming!]]"
76	* On ''Series/TheMonkees'' Micky and Mike, confronted with a mummy, berate it for being dirty and smelly. The mummy retires discomfited. (Note that despite his bravado, Micky is actually terrified.)
77	* Many of the riffs on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' are about the monsters, be it bad costumes, bad stop-motion animation, cheesy special effects, or transparent plot twists.
78	* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': Every single episode.
79	** In ''Series/PowerRangersRPM,'' the DarkerAndEdgier series couldn't always get around the goofy monster designs of the cracktastic ''Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger'' and had to plunge in, with even the ''villains'' pointing it out. "It looks like a bottle of window cleaner. Are you going to ''destroy'' the city or give it a streak-free shine?"
80	* In ''Series/StargateSG1'' O'Neill has zero respect for the Goa'uld and demonstrates it every chance he gets. Although it's usually their [[EvilIsHammy over-the-top hamminess]] that gets mocked instead of their appearance.
81	--> '''Ba'al''': You dare mock me?
82	--> '''O'Neill''': Ba'al, you know me. ''Of course'' I dare mock you.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
86	* From Headinjury dot com we have the following critiques ([[http://www.headinjurytheater.com/article73.htm part 1]] and [[http://www.headinjurytheater.com/article95.htm part 2]]) of stupid ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' monsters.
87	* For more ''D&D'' monster mockery, visit the [[http://www.somethingawful.com/d/dungeons-and-dragons/wtf-monster-manual.php WTF D&D!?]] feature at Website/SomethingAwful, as it takes the piss out of the artwork in tabletop game sourcebooks, usually focusing on ridiculous monster ideas.
88	* Many, many [=PCs=] do this when their DM reveals a custom monster he's spent all week lovingly crafting. Not that published monsters are exempt, especially those published by 3rd party publishers.
89	** Lampshaded in ''TabletopGame/{{Munchkin}}'' with the Monster The DM Made Up Himself.
90	** In D&D 5th Edition, the spell Vicious Mockery lets Bards literally mock the monsters-- and do psychic damage!
91	* Many [=PCs=] when they encounter something that would be terrifying... about five levels ago.
92	* In the TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}} manual, before the class chapter, we are treated with Valeros saying about ogres that they "have some uglies ahead. With faces like that, no wonder they are afraid of going out during the day."
93	** The "Misfit Monsters Redeemed" supplement is written to avoid this trope to some degree. Basically, it takes several silly Gygax-era monsters and attempts to reimagine them as serious and dignified encounters. For instance, the Flumph, originally a silly flying jellyfish prone to falling over by itself, is now a good-aligned extraplanar harbinger who seeks to warn other races of the approach of malevolent aberrations and other {{Eldritch Abomination}}s. The Wolf-In-Sheep's-Clothing, which originally looked like a stump with an unconvincing rabbit-puppet sitting on it, is now a tentacled monster that uses the corpse of its last meal as a lure to draw in more victims.
94	[[/folder]]
95
96	[[folder:Theatre]]
97	* ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' calls a ghost a "king of shreds and patches".
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Video Games]]
101	* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' does this constantly.
102	-->In the Spooky Forest, you are attacked by one of the spookiest mummies you've ever seen. [...] This isn't saying much, though, since you've never found mummies to be particularly spooky. I mean, "Ooooh, no! I'll have to walk slightly faster if I want to escape!"
103	* ''VideoGame/TouhouShinreibyouTenDesires'' has Marisa meeting Mamizou Futatsuiwa, the {{Superboss}} of the game, who she couldn't resist making fun of after finding out what she is despite it being [[TemptingFate a hazard to her health]].
104	-->'''Marisa:''' But you're still a [[spoiler:{{tanuki}}]], right? The kind that [[spoiler:drums on their bellies on the night of the full moon]]?\
105	'''Mamizou:''' You are making light of us, are you not? What do you call yourself?\
106	'''Marisa:''' [[BlatantLies I'm Reimu Hakurei]]!\
107	'''Mamizou:''' [[{{Namedar}} Marisa Kirisame, is it]]? I'll be sure to remember that. I intend to take my revenge, so you'd best watch your back on the night of the full moon.\
108	'''Marisa:''' [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Hey, go after]] the [[WithFriendsLikeThese Miko]], [[ThisIsGonnaSuck not me...]]
109	* In keeping with series tradition, ''VideoGame/GhostbustersTheVideoGame'' gives us plenty of monster mockery from Peter Venkman.
110	-->'''Monster:''' ''I am... the Architect!''\
111	'''Ray:''' Oh God... do you know what Architects ''do''?\
112	'''Peter:''' They... dream?
113	[[/folder]]
114
115	[[folder:Web Animation]]
116	* ''[[Film/PressStart2007 Press Start Adventures]]'' [[http://www.darkmaze.com/pressstartadventures/episodes/019.html episode 19, "Up To Code"]]: "What happened to the bodies of these medusas?"
117	[[/folder]]
118
119	[[folder:Webcomics]]
120	%% * ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}'' has its [[http://www.adventurers-comic.com/d/0343.html infamous evil pants.]]
121	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
122	** The [[GreekChorus demon roaches]] mock [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0541.html acid-breathing sharks]] as a not-so-subtle TakeThat at the quality of certain ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' supplements (an acid-breathing shark had appeared about a year before that strip in a supplement written by [[SelfDeprecation the webcomic's creator]]).
123	** Seeing an owlbear, Vaarsuvius immediately [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0322.html complains]] about the inherent silliness of some MixAndMatchCritters.
124	* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': In the Fantasy Wasteland NP storyline, Grace quietly critiques a giant roach she comes upon as a staple of post-apocalyptic fiction, but not really fantasy-flavored... until a second later when the roach unfurls dragon wings and breathes fire.
125	* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'' regularly mixes this trope with AlternateCharacterInterpretation for the robot masters. While on the subject of ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'', the way the fandom treats him Bubble Man may as well be ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'s EvilCounterpart.
126	* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}''
127	** The [[http://www.goblinscomic.com/tempts-fate-7/ Rant Golem]] from the subcomic ''Tempt Fate'' seems to exist to mock everything else it encounters.
128	** Also an inversion appears in [[http://www.goblinscomic.com/12222006/ this strip,]] where Complains finds out humans can't see in the dark and asks, "Man, how have these creatures ''not'' been wiped out?"
129	%% * Happens in ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'' when Dr. [=McNinja=] [[http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/8p22 punches a zombie and then taunts the helpless monster]].
130	%% * ''Commissioned'': [[http://www.commissionedcomic.com/?p=243 See that scrawny catperson in tighty-whities?]] The player thinks his character is a hulking badass weretiger.
131	* Torg and Riff from ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' do this pretty much instinctively. It comes in handy one time when they need to cause K'Z'K pain in order to exorcise him. He's invincible but still suffers from their horrible puns about his name.
132	* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'': After Undine tells the rest of her training club about the shadowy creature that she believes was responsible for her teammates' death, Bud suggests calling it "Goops", after it's vaguely BlobMonster-esque appearance. Her rationale is that, since the creature has evidently been trying to scare people, mocking it with a dumb nickname would make it seem less frightening. Later that night, Harley voices reservations that Bud might be taking the situation too lightly, to which Bud does admit that she's still taking it all in.
133	[[/folder]]
134
135	[[folder:Web Original]]
136	* ''WebVideo/{{Hadriex}}'':
137	** This trope gets its name from [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXO9FsERhwg the review]] of ''VideoGame/NezumiMan'' where, after naming this trope, the reviewers exercise it for half of the video.
138	** Hadriex would go on to use this trope in many future videos, getting better at it as he went. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5pmxOXixf4 His review]] of the ''VideoGame/TheGreatGianaSisters'' used it to good enough effect that BlaskForestGames linked to his video back when they were making Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams.
139	* WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd has mocked many generic or poorly conceived monsters in his run. His [[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/angry-video-screwattack/65116 Action52 review]] has the best variety ... 'shit pickles'.
140	* ''WebVideo/{{Retsupurae}}'' does it a lot with the {{jump scare}}s within the Arise series. "John [=McCain=]! Why?!"
141	* ''WebVideo/SuburbanKnights'' features the reviewers encountering and taunting Cat, the Cloaks, and Which Warrior. What follows is:
142	** Cat unleashing a CurbStompBattle on them, managing to take out most of Team 1 before he is stopped.
143	** The Cloaks opening fire with balls of electro-magic and [[MoreDakka the fire of a thousand arrows.]]
144	** Which Warrior channeling a demon and then unleashing a lighting storm that destroys Phelous's little friends.
145	** Then, before the last battle, WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic mocks Jaffers. Jaffers then responds by summoning all of the above for a battle.
146	* LetsPlay/{{raocow}} keeps finding every enemy in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'', as well as the game as a whole, hilariously goofy.
147	* Sadie Doyle of ''Podcast/TheThrillingAdventureHour'' is incapable of taking [[MonsterClown Nightmares the Clown]] seriously. When she sees him she excitedly cries "Clown!" and keeps making fun of him. This often stymies the clown, who feeds off fear and bolsters Sadie's husband Frank, who has feared Nightmare since he was a child.
148	* WebVideo/BuzzfeedUnsolved: Shane's entire MO for the "Supernatural" seasons consists of actively threatening/mocking whatever paranormal entities he and Ryan have come to find.
149	[[/folder]]
150
151	[[folder:Western Animation]]
152	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'':
153	** "[[Recap/FuturamaS4E11WhereNoFanHasGoneBefore Where No Fan Has Gone Before]]": Upon seeing EnergyBeing Melllvar, Bender's response is "What a cheesy effect!"
154	** "[[Recap/FuturamaS4E1KifGetsKnockedUpANotch Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch]]": Bender again. "What's that big, ugly thing? A frog? a toad? Or [[YoMomma your momma]]?"
155	** "[[Recap/FuturamaS6E17Benderama Benderama]]": The crew make a delivery to a giant alien and are warned not to remark on his hideous appearance. Naturally, Bender (and the two clones of himself he created) lets fly with the ugly jokes, and the giant attacks them. Later, the giant flies to Earth to apologize, but everyone is drunk because all water has been turned to alcohol (Bender's fault, of course) and ends up being insulted and going on a rampage all over again.
156	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
157	** There is a whole song about it in part 2 of the pilot, in which Pinkie Pie teaches her friends to literally laugh away their fears.
158	** In "A Dog and Pony Show", Rarity is initially intimidated by the Diamond Dogs who are holding her captive, but when they try to force her to find and dig up gemstones, she obstinately refuses, then goes on to mock their appearance, manners, and personal hygiene. By the time her friends show up to rescue her, the dogs are begging for them to take her away, and pay them to do so.
159	** Later, when Rarity gets snagged by an angry, rampaging dragon (actually a transformed Spike) she chides him for his uncivilized behavior.
160	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E4TreehouseOfHorrorX Treehouse of Horror X]]", Homer mocks a [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Werewolf]] Flanders, while he's being mauled!
161	* In one ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'' episode, the MonsterOfTheWeek introduces himself as a string of gibberish ending in "ack". Static and Gear promptly go "What kind of a name is Thumbtack?"
162	* In Soviet cartoon ''Two Epic Warriors'' Russian and Central Asian warriors ended up in wrong fairy tales, which made their enemies WrongGenreSavvy. Russian warrior faced a giant daeva (kind of a demon) who was empowered by fear. He mocked him until he became small, then lured him into a narrow cave and said: "I'm very afraid of you!" The daeva got stuck there.[[note]]Meanwhile the Central Asian hero faced an immortal undead wizard. Instead of searching for the magic needle with his death or fighting a HopelessBossFight he just lassoed him and left him tied up.[[/note]]
163	[[/folder]]
164
165	[[folder:Real Life]]
166	* This supposedly happened the first time settlers found out about the Platypus, often described as God's idea of a joke. Then we found out just how dangerous these things really are...
167	[[/folder]]

Context Main / LetsMockTheMonsters