Basic Trope: A scientist is mocked by other scientists because of their seemingly crackpot hypothesises. Becoming a Mad Scientist afterward is optional, but common.
- Straight: Dr. Drachenstein presents a new theory to the scientific community. They refuse to accept it, call him insane and throw him out: causing his Start of Darkness.
- Exaggerated:
- Every scientist in the series was mocked and called mad for their theories.
- Drachenstein goes to multiple universities and governments, each of which calls him insane and sends him out in sequence.
- The peerage in question beats the living crap out of Drachenstein and constantly insults his experiments at every turn after he reveals this theory, as well as tyring to commit him to a mental hospital.
- The slightest insult to his theory causes Drachenstein to go into a screaming maddened rant, complete with maniacal laughter and shouting “YOU CALLED ME MAD!” and “I’LL SHOW YOU ALL” at the top of his lungs.
- Downplayed: Dr. Drachenstein’s theory, while odd, is not entirely without merit and the scientific community accepts this. However, they still don’t think it’s worth a research grant, and Drachenstein takes it VERY personally.
- Justified:
- The theory in question is completely insane, has very little evidence for it, does not have due scientific rigour and contradicts a large amount of accepted theory. While they could be more polite about it, it would likely be thrown out even if they didn’t mock its maker first.
- The board is Hard on Soft Science, and Drachenstein is a homeopath professor.
- Drachenstein has an unrelated mental disorder, and it’s less the theory being bad and more the board being insensitive pricks.
- Inverted:
- No-one ever laughed at Drachenstein during his job as a clown, and so he worked to become a scientist in order to study humour and force them to laugh.
- It’s the acceptance and constant praise on all his unusual theories that drive Dr. Drachenstein mad. All the attention went immediately to his head.
- Drachenstein suffers from severe imposter syndrome. He insists that his results cannot be right but other scientests look at it and declare him one of the greatest minds of a generation. Even with their through validation he is the one insisting he is a mad crackpot operating based upon back of the envelope calculations and vague hypotheses and that none of it makes any sense.
- Subverted:
- At first the scientists reviewing Drachenstein’s theory have to stifle their laughter, but after closer investigation they come to accept it and acclaim his genius.
- This trope is hinted at as being part of Drachenstein’s back-story…but it turns out that childhood bullying drove his madness, not during his college years.
- Double Subverted:
- It turns out they were being sarcastic, and they consciously mock Drachenstein behind closed doors.
- He was bullied for trying to be a scientist at 10 years old.
- Parodied:
- Even Drachenstein thinks he’s mad, and laughs himself out.
- The institute laughs out all theories, even normally accepted ones such as gravity and that water is wet.
- Dr. Drahcenstein constantly screams about how he’ll show them all. When asked what he’ll show them, he just blinks and looks around confused.
- Drachenstein storms back into the theatre with a strange device screaming about how he’ll show them all… and what he does show them is a power-point presentation of why he is right.
- "They called me crazy! They called me insane! They called me LOONY!... and boy, were they right!"
- Zig Zagged: Drachenstein is laughed out of the review board for his hypothesis… but it is not until it is accepted by an another group of mad scientists that it drives him insane.
- Averted:
- No laughing or mad-calling occurs. The scientists give Dr. Drachenstein's theories a proper amount of attention.
- There are no scientists in the series to laugh or be laughed at.
- Enforced: The author does not really understand the scientific process, and thinks this is how it really works.
- Lampshaded:
- “They called you mad? Gee, I wonder why…”
- “I don’t understand why they won’t give me a grant! It’s self-evident that a 50ft tall battle monkey could only benefit society!"
- Invoked:
- The Omniscient Councilof Vagueness reviewing Drachenstein deliberately mocks him, in order to push him over the edge into Science-Related Memetic Disorder, as he’ll be of more use to their plans once insane.
- Drahcnestien is already mad before he goes in for review, and demands the board to laugh at him at gunpoint, in order to provide self-justification for his insane viewpoint.
- Exploited: One of Drachenstein’s friends guess this is going to happen and makes preparations to comfort him…As well as a side bet on the result.
- Defied:
- Drachenstein keeps his hypothesises to himself and only releases them posthumously, due to fearing this trope and giving up hope they’ll be accepted in his time.
- The board quietly pretend to accept Drachenstine’s insane and morally rehensible theory, before ushering him out the door and having him arrested in order to avoid his reprisal.
- Discussed: “Yes, being insulted for one’s theories is a common trigger for Science-Related Memetic Disorder.”
- Conversed: You would think they’d know better than to insult a man who’s last name is literally “Dragon-stone.”
- Deconstructed:
- The insistence of the board on calling Dr. Drachenstein’s theory insane without even testing it or analysing it is indicative of a community of scientists who can no-longer accept data objectively or reasonably. Long after his plan’s defeat, Drachenstein is accepted as a martyr for the spirit of innovation, while the board is decried for their unscientific thinking.
- Drachenstein’s proposal was politely rejected by the board for legitimate reasons. But his twisted mind constantly reworked the scene over and over again in his head until it bloomed into full-on mocking. Ultimately, it was this self-justification and Irrational Hatred that drove Drachenstein mad; not the mocking.
- Reconstructed:
- While the board’s treatment of Drachenstein’s theories were considered an affront to due scientific rigor, it was still commonly accepted that Drachenstein was morally in the wrong, and that his theories were not legitimate. They are sent in for sensitivity training, while the latter is sent to jail for his crimes.
- But the board mocked Drachenstein behind his back anyway.
They called me MAD! But I’ll show them, I’ll show you ALL-this link back to the main page! BWAHAHAHAHA!
