They Called Me Mad: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

Of course not! Everyone knows [[Did Not Do the Research|that's not how you do research!]] They'll mock him, never take a second glance at his theories, and do everything possible to discredit him, bury his ideas, and make him shunned in respectable scientific circles.

* This occasionally happens in [[Real Life]]. Usually, it's because the scientist has been rather...prolific with his wild theories, and this thus becomes more of a case of him happening to (for once) be right. Could you blame people for [[Department of Redundancy Department|ignoring]] the [[Ignored Expert]] if he'd been predicting some kind of world-ending disaster annually before he lucked out?

 

 

At the outset of the story he'll usually be on hard times, and probably have become a recluse or in a dead-end job. Or... will use their [[Super Prototype]] to branch into [[Super Villain|supervillainy]].

 

Compare [[All of the Other Reindeer]] and [[Who's Laughing Now?]] With variant #1 especially, this is frequently a motive behind [[Disproportionate Retribution]].

{{examples}}

== Anime and Manga ==

* In [[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni]], {{spoiler|Professor Takano had been investigating a strange disease called Hinamizawa Syndrome, which could alter one's personality into that of a psychopathic paranoiac. Based on this, he wants to show that a person's personality can be altered or even wholly changed by parasites in the brain. However, at almost every turn, he is refused both funding and consideration for his work -- despite doing careful research, inviting his colleagues to look at his results, and otherwise acting like an actual scientist rather than [[Mad Scientist|the alternative]]. He never got anywhere, and ultimately ended up [[Driven to Suicide|jumping off the roof of his home]] but the Scientist's Beautiful Granddaughter, Miyo, well, [[Kill'Em All|that's another story...]]}}

* Subverted in the sixth ''[[Pokémon]]'' movie. The mad scientist in question, a member of Team Magma, was shunned because his method of resurrecting Groudon ''didn't work''. This leads him to become obsessed with finding a way to do it right, just so he can show them. {{spoiler|He ends up succeeding, sort of, though [[Nightmare Fuel|it's definitely not what he expected.]]}}

* In ''[[Angel Cop]],'' the friendly mad scientist who rebuilt Raiden as a cyborg (no, not ''that'' [[Metal Gear|Raiden]]) gloats that those who once mocked his genius would now be destroyed by it. Raiden makes short work of all the bad guys attacking the facility.

 

== Comic Books ==

* Another villainous example: Dr. Sivana, [[Captain Marvel]]'s archenemy, in his original version, was a scientist who was mocked because of his theories; this led to the indirect death of his wife, and he swore revenge on society at large as a result.

* In the ''[[Blake and Mortimer]]'' book ''The Yellow M'', this is the main motivation of the villain {{spoiler|Dr. Septimus: he had published under a pseudonym a book detailing his theories about the "Mega Wave", a brain wave that if manipulated could actually [[More Than Mind Control|control people]]. However, a group of people had discredited his theories, leading the book's publisher to sue them for libel and lose. This caused Septimus to later kidnap those people and the judge who presided over the case and commit various crimes to prove his theory (even going so far as using the technology to make the judge and the men who discredited him admit they were wrong and that they were complete fools to do so).}}

 

== Film ==

* Dr. Cockroach in ''[[Monsters vs. Aliens]]'' says the whole [[Mad Scientist]] cliche practically word-for-word complete with an evil laugh (he says crazy instead of mad) while working on a way to restore Susan to her normal size. Of course, he did turn himself into a human-cockroach hybrid, but apart from that seems pretty rational.

* ''[[Mousehunt (film)|Mousehunt]]'': Ernie is bemoaning the accident by which the mayor, dining at his restaurant, happened to eat a cockroach and die. Ernie says the world's turning upon him.

'''Lars:''' Really? That's unbelievable. With a cockroach and everything? }}

* ''[[Santo en el Tesoro de Drácula|Santo En El Tesoro De Dracula]]'' features a rare heroic version. For some reason, Mexico's leading scientists don't take the idea that [[El Santo]], the famed [[Masked Luchador]], has invented a revolutionary new time machine during his downtime from wrestling. Santo gets seriously ticked off by this rejection, and the movie's entire plot is driven by his desire to prove the mainstream scientists wrong by retrieving Dracula's treasure.

 

== Literature ==

* The [[Nameless Narrative|nameless hero]] of ''[[The Time Machine]]'' goes through a bit of this in the first couple chapters.

* Alfred Bester's wonderful short time-travel story ''The Men Who Murdered Mohammed'' notes that "The patient reader is too familiar with the conventional mad professor, undersized and over-browed, creating monsters in his laboratory which invariably turn on their maker and menace his [[Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter|lovely daughter]]. This story isn't about that sort of make-believe man. It is about Henry Hassel, a genuine mad professor..." It goes on to contain one of the best lines from short SF: "In exactly seven and one-half minutes (such was his rage) he put together a time machine (such was his genius)."

* A minor character from the history of the ''[[Discworld]]'' seems to have had to deal with this trope. Achmed The Mad, Necromancer and compiler of the Necrotelicomnicon, was apparently irked by his most common moniker and preferred to be known as 'Achmed the I Just Get These Headaches'.

* Doctor Impossible of ''[[Soon I Will Be Invincible]]'' receives this treatment for his obsession with the Zeta Dimension, though he's also a [[Super Villain]] because his vast intellect [[Science-Related Memetic Disorder|compels him to be so]].

* The astronomer in ''[[The Little Prince]]'' who discovered Asteroid B-612 got this treatment - not for anything particularly revolutionary in his work, but because he presented it while wearing traditional Turkish costume. A subsequent presentation in western dress was better received.

* In ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' former Maester Qyburn is a magical version, stripped of his chain by the Citadel for his research into magic and what lies beyond death. While the Citadel does appear to disapprove of magic, the main reason was probably that his research involved ''vivisecting'' people. He seems pretty normal most of the time, but it's worth noting that he's had two known jobs since that happened: as a member of a famously vicious band of sellswords who wouldn't care if he cut open the odd screaming prisoner, and as spymaster for someone whose massive paranoia supplied him with ready access to well sound-proofed dungeon cells and people who should never be seen again.

 

** Literally; he had just been evicted from his apartment before he gave that lecture. Though, to be fair, he never claimed that ''aliens'' built the pyramids, just not the Egyptians (though when it turned out he had no idea, everybody walked out).

** In the [[Alternate Universe]] episode where the Stargate was never discovered, Jackson had been reduced to teaching English as a Second Language classes.

** This happens to both Daniel Jackson and his grandfather. The man found a crystal skull, said it was made by aliens and was laughed at for 40 years. ''Even by Daniel, as they laughed at each other.'' He fell into depression and had himself committed to a mental institution. And later [[Stay with the Aliens|stayed with the aliens.]]

* The scent guy in ''[[Pushing Daisies]].''

* ''[[Black Books]]'' briefly parodies this as Bernard deteriorates under stress into a "[[Mad Scientist]]" as he and his friend/BumblingSidekick try to create a replacement for a priceless bottle of wine they have inadvertently drunk.

* Chandra Suresh of ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'' was widely thought to be losing his mind when he started talking about people with supernatural abilities, and his son Mohinder is later told "everyone thinks you're nuts" when he tries to spread his father's theories.

* In one episode of ''[[Dinosaurs]]'', the Sinclairs watch a show where a [[Mad Scientist]] gives this speech before giving life to a giant... turnip. His Igor declares "You ''are'' mad!", at which point the scientist replies, "Well... yes. But mad-''angry'', not mad-crazy."

* Walter Bishop of ''[[Fringe]]'' owns this trope. Of course, Walter spent the better part of two decades in a psychiatric hospital after having had parts of his brain literally ''removed'' by his oldest friend, at his own request. They called him mad because he ''was'' mad.

* In ''[[SCTV]]'' - mad scientist Dr. Tongue, hammily emoting "They laughed at me in Budapest...THEY LAUGHED AT ME IN PRAGUE!!!" - hunchback assistant Bruno chimes in "They laughed at you in Buffalo too."

* One episode of ''[[Get Smart]]'' featured a Control agent who developed a formula that turns people older by being applied to their photographs and later kills those people by having their photographs ripped. The Chief didn't believe the idea. Because of this, the agent decided to sell the formula to Kaos, where he did get a chance to show the formula does work.

 

== Music ==

* [[Doctor Steel]]: "But alas, I was detained / And they labelled me 'Criminally Insane'." - ''Lament for a Toy Factory''.

* [[The Cramps]]: "Mad! You call me mad?! Haha. I have the secret of eternal love! You call me mad?!!" - 'Thee Most Exhaulted Potentate Of Love'.

 

== Radio ==

* Spoofed in an ''[[I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again|I'm Sorry Ill Read That Again]]'' parody of ''[[Doctor Who]]'', with Graeme Garden as "Doctor Why" and Tim Brooke-Taylor as his companion, Peter:

'''Peter''': It's partly the lines, but mostly the delivery... }}

 

== Newspaper Comics ==

* On the subject of a close relative of "They called me mad", one [[Far Side]] comic featured a mad scientist convention, with the special guest being the man who coined the phrase "Fools! I'll destroy them all!"

* One memorable ''[[Mother Goose and Grimm]]'' single-panel strip had an anthropomorphic cow in a labcoat standing triumphantly over his Frankenstein-cow creation and declaring "Mad? ''Mad'', they say? I'll show them just how ''mad'' I am!" The caption? "When [[Incredibly Lame Pun|mad cow disease]] goes untreated."

 

== Tabletop Games ==

* This is very common in ''[[Genius: The Transgression]]''. Of course, Geniuses ''are'' [[Science-Related Memetic Disorder|mad]] and their creations are not only scientifically impossible, but [[It Runs on Nonsensoleum|obviously so]]:

** Mad science is a bit tricky; [[Brown Note|prospective researchers could very well end up being called mad themselves.]] [[The Masquerade]] is, sadly, rather self-sustaining.

 

== Video Games ==

* Dr. Nefarious in ''[[Ratchet and Clank Up Your Arsenal]]'':

'''[[Servile Snarker|Lawrence]]:''' [[Stealth Insult|Yes, that should clear things right up, sir]]. }}

* Dr. Cranium in ''[[Quest for Glory]] 4'':

** Igor chimes in as well.

* This was the catalyst of [[Mad Scientist|Doctor Neo Cortex]]'s quest for world domination in the ''[[Crash Bandicoot]]'' series.

* In [[Pokémon]] Black and White, this likely applies to the creator of {{spoiler|Genesect}}. Despite being told by [[Big Bad|N]] that he [[Even Evil Has Standards|should stop making a super-powered cyborg Pokemon]], the scientist refused and continued the operation in secret.

 

* ''[[Narbonic]]'':

** Captain Bram in ''[[Skin Horse]]''. [http://www.webcomicsnation.com/shaenongarrity/skinhorse/series.php?view=archive&chapter=39682&name=skinhorse I'll teach those Yankees to laugh at me. ''Yes, they laughed!'']

** The Institute for the Sane Study of Mad Genius (aka "[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/shaenongarrity/narbonic_plus/series.php?view=archive&chapter=45377 those fools at the Institute]") is, apparently, usually the "they" in the Narboniverse. [http://www.webcomicsnation.com/shaenongarrity/skinhorse/series.php?view=archive&chapter=44717 They have classes in it].

** Othar's [[Twitter]] also shows a mild one: [http://twitter.com/#!/Othar/status/17434649633 Part 1] [http://twitter.com/#!/Othar/status/17593592230 Part 2].

* Touched upon with [http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1010 Hannelore's father] in ''[[Questionable Content]]''.

* Slick in ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]]''

Jean: "Okaaaay... now, uh, Slicky, listen... this is important... You're not mad because of your ''theory...'' 'cause it looks like your theory is ''right...'' You're ''mad'' because you're raving like a ''loonie!!!'' }}

 

== [[Web Original]] ==

'''Yes''': Show them! Show them all!! }}

 

== Western Animation ==

* Dr. Wily from ''[[Mega Man (animation)|Mega Man]]'' used this line as well. Fittingly, it was during one of the sillier second season episodes, "Night of the Living Monster Bots".

'''Proto Man''': Sounds right to me. }}

* Milo Thatch from ''[[Atlantis: The Lost Empire]]''.

* ''[[The Simpsons]]'' parodies this in "Treehouse of Horror II", when Burns takes on a [[Mad Scientist]] role and successfully transplants Homer's brain into a robot:

* ''[[Futurama]]'' pokes fun at the professor this way every other episode. It doesn't help that he's senile. Fry as well, to an extent.

** A Fry example:

'''Gay Hippie:''' Hey! There are parts of the Bible I like and parts I don't like. }}

* Parodied in ''[[Johnny Bravo]]'': Johnny has been abducted by gorgeous aliens and Carl and Pops start building a machine to get him back. Bizarrely, ''Pops'' seems to be doing most of the work...

* [[Mad Scientist]] Norton Nimnul of ''[[Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (animation)|Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers]]'' often has one of these speeches before revealing to the viewing audience (or as the audience looks over) one of his weird inventions. Given the nature of these inventions, I must say their reactions were understandable, but on the other hand... they do work, thanks to the scientific principle which states: "Anything can happen in a cartoon."

** Every single one of his inventions was a [[Rube Goldberg Device]] combined with a [[Doomsday Device]]. The most memorable being a giant machine made up of hands that petted kitties to power a lightning ray with static electricity.

* Spoofed in ''[[Darkwing Duck]]'' when Megavolt says, "They called me crazy! They called me insane! They called me a LOONEY! ...and boy, were they right."

** And again in another episode when he goes on a similar rant.

* The [[Mad Scientist|mad scientists]] of ''[[Kim Possible]]'' happily use this trope, most notably crazed biogeneticist DNAmy.

'''Amy:''' Not if you're one of the world's foremost biogeneticists! They called me D-N-Amy. They said I was ''mad'' at the Cuddle Con! [[Evil Laugh|Hee hee!]] ...Gingersnap? }}

* ''[[Dilbert (animation)|Dilbert]]'':

'''Dogbert''': Yes, but ''after'' they told him that he couldn't find tiny people with a stick. }}

* The mad scientist from the original ''[[Superman]]'' short cites this as his motivation. They laughed at his ideas! Now he will destroy Metropolis!

* Non-scientist example: ''[[Family Guy]]'''s "[[Brand X|Superstore]] Sucks" episode featured a guy who was only now succeeding at selling tumbleweed spouting "Y'all laughed at me!", now that nearly every other business in town has gone kaput.

* Spoofed in ''[[Sam and Max Freelance Police]]''

'''Sam:''' ''He must've been a lot funnier then.'' }}

* In the ''[[Garfield and Friends]]'' episode "Robodie II", Dr. Garbanzo Bean not only invoked the trope about himself but mentioned other people who used to be called 'nutty'. First were the Wright Brothers and then Thomas Edison. The last one of them was his uncle, whom Garbanzo admits to be really mad. Dr. Garbanzo Bean then said he wasn't crazy and that he invented the telephone. Sure, he only invented it in 1987 but, how was he supposed to know someone had already invented it before?

* In ''[[X-Men (animation)|X Men]]'', [[Evilutionary Biologist]] Nathaniel Essex's [[Darwinist]] rhetoric elicits a "Good heavens! You're ... you're quite mad!" from [[Charles Darwin]] himself.

 

* The [[Stock Shtick|old stage-comedy joke]], "When I used to say I was going to be a comedian, people laughed. Well, they're not laughing now."

* Fringe theorists are fond of invoking this trope to suggest that orthodox science rejects their ideas out of hidebound stodginess (rather than because their ideas just don't pass muster when evaluated against the available evidence).

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Madness Tropes]]

[[Category:Make My Index Live]]

[[Category:Motivation Index]]