Cue the Rain: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}


[[File:tjamal-267-raining_421.png|link=The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal|right|[http://tjandamal.com/comic/?id=267 Nature does, in fact, hate them both.]]]
[[File:tjamal-267-raining 421.png|link=The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal|right|[http://tjandamal.com/comic/?id=267 Nature does, in fact, hate them both.]]]


The standard way for things to go [[From Bad to Worse]] is rain. When things are looking real bad for a character, the story will add insult to injury with a perfectly-timed downpour.
The standard way for things to go [[From Bad to Worse]] is rain. When things are looking real bad for a character, the story will add insult to injury with a perfectly-timed downpour.


[[Rock Bottom]] often precedes this trope. While this trope can easily occur with no spoken dialogue at all, if a character ''is'' [[Tempting Fate|foolish enough to actually say]] "At least [[It Can't Get Any Worse]]," or, even more dangerous, "[[It Can't Get Any Worse|At least it's not raining]]"... [[Dramatic Thunder|BOOM!]] It'll start raining immediately and (because [[When It Rains, It Pours]]) heavily.
[[Rock Bottom]] often precedes this trope. While this trope can easily occur with no spoken dialogue at all, if a character ''is'' [[Tempting Fate|foolish enough to actually say]] "At least [[It Can't Get Any Worse]]," or, even more dangerous, "[[It Can't Get Any Worse|At least it's not raining]]"... [[Dramatic Thunder|BOOM!]] It'll start raining immediately and (because [[When It Rains, It Pours]]) heavily.


This is a type of [[Empathic Environment]]--the dark and gloomy rainclouds are great for symbolically mirroring the character's hopelessness and despair; see [[Gray Rain of Depression]], a [[Super-Trope]]. It's almost always [[Hostile Weather]] as well. Subtrope of [[From Bad to Worse]], and frequently follows [[Rock Bottom]]. The [[Inverted Trope|inverse]] is [[Cue the Sun]], where the dark skies clear up when things start to get better. Contrast [[Happy Rain]] and [[Redemption in The Rain]].
This is a type of [[Empathic Environment]]—the dark and gloomy rainclouds are great for symbolically mirroring the character's hopelessness and despair; see [[Gray Rain of Depression]], a [[Super-Trope]]. It's almost always [[Hostile Weather]] as well. Subtrope of [[From Bad to Worse]], and frequently follows [[Rock Bottom]]. The [[Inverted Trope|inverse]] is [[Cue the Sun]], where the dark skies clear up when things start to get better. Contrast [[Happy Rain]] and [[Redemption in the Rain]].


[[Tropes Are Flexible|Snow, hail, and other forms of precipitation count too]], but rain is much more common.
[[Tropes Are Flexible|Snow, hail, and other forms of precipitation count too]], but rain is much more common.
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== Film - Animated ==
== Film - Animated ==
* In ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]'', when Miguel and Tulio are marooned at sea in a rowboat with no food or water, Miguel and Tulio have this exchange:
* In ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]'', when Miguel and Tulio are marooned at sea in a rowboat with no food or water, Miguel and Tulio have this exchange:
{{quote| '''Miguel:''' At least things can't get any--<br />
{{quote|'''Miguel:''' At least things can't get any--
''[It starts to rain]''<br />
''[It starts to rain]''
'''Tulio:''' Excuse me, were you about to say "worse"? }}
'''Tulio:''' Excuse me, were you about to say "worse"? }}
* Played straight in Disney's ''[[Tarzan (Disney)|Tarzan]]'':
* Played straight in Disney's ''[[Tarzan (Disney film)|Tarzan]]'':
{{quote| '''Jane''': [[Rock Bottom|It can't get any worse, can it?]]<br />
{{quote|'''Jane''': [[Rock Bottom|It can't get any worse, can it?]]
''Thunder clashes, rain begins.''<br />
''Thunder clashes, rain begins.''
'''Jane''': Obviously, it can. }}
'''Jane''': Obviously, it can. }}
* In ''[[An American Tail]]'', as Fievel, all alone, curls up in Orphan Alley to cry, it starts to rain.
* In ''[[An American Tail]]'', as Fievel, all alone, curls up in Orphan Alley to cry, it starts to rain.
* In ''[[The Emperor's New Groove (Disney)|The Emperors New Groove]]'', llama!Kuzco gets hit by a sudden downpour when he's alone and abandoned in the jungle.
* In ''[[The Emperor's New Groove|The Emperors New Groove]]'', llama!Kuzco gets hit by a sudden downpour when he's alone and abandoned in the jungle.




== Film - Live-Action ==
== Film - Live-Action ==
* A classic example from ''[[Young Frankenstein]]'':
* A classic example from ''[[Young Frankenstein]]'':
{{quote| '''Frederick:''' What a filthy job!<br />
{{quote|'''Frederick:''' What a filthy job!
'''Igor:''' Could be worse.<br />
'''Igor:''' Could be worse.
'''Frederick:''' How?<br />
'''Frederick:''' How?
'''Igor:''' [[Tempting Fate|Could be raining]].<br />
'''Igor:''' [[Tempting Fate|Could be raining]].
''(Cue [[Dramatic Thunder]] and rain)'' }}
''(Cue [[Dramatic Thunder]] and rain)'' }}
* In ''[[Back to The Future (Film)|Back to The Future]] Part 2'', it starts raining soon after {{spoiler|lightning strikes the time machine and Marty is left stranded in the past again}}. [[Justified Trope]] in that this is the same storm that played a role in sending Marty back to the future in the first film, and there were all sorts of signs of a storm brewing the whole time anyway.
* In ''[[Back to the Future (film)|Back to The Future]] Part 2'', it starts raining soon after {{spoiler|lightning strikes the time machine and Marty is left stranded in the past again}}. [[Justified Trope]] in that this is the same storm that played a role in sending Marty back to the future in the first film, and there were all sorts of signs of a storm brewing the whole time anyway.
* Happens in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypl0qgdAt2c a scene of] the French comedy ''[[Bienvenue Chez Les Chtis|Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis]]''. In France, the northern regions are caricatured as cold and ugly; the main character of this film is transferred there as a sanction for trying to fake a handicap for a job. He prepares for hell, and just as he crosses the sign of the dreaded region, well, this happens.
* Happens in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypl0qgdAt2c a scene of] the French comedy ''[[Bienvenue Chez Les Chtis|Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis]]''. In France, the northern regions are caricatured as cold and ugly; the main character of this film is transferred there as a sanction for trying to fake a handicap for a job. He prepares for hell, and just as he crosses the sign of the dreaded region, well, this happens.


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* In ''[[Sanford and Son]]'' the pair have a disastrous camping trip and Lamont notes that it could be worse. When his father asks how, Lamont notes "It could snow." Sure enough, it instantly starts snowing right there and then.
* In ''[[Sanford and Son]]'' the pair have a disastrous camping trip and Lamont notes that it could be worse. When his father asks how, Lamont notes "It could snow." Sure enough, it instantly starts snowing right there and then.
* Turned up an extra notch in ''[[That's So Raven]]'': Raven got stuck in a limo's moon roof when going to prom. Then it started raining on her. "Well at least it can't get any worse"...cue the gale force winds.
* Turned up an extra notch in ''[[That's So Raven]]'': Raven got stuck in a limo's moon roof when going to prom. Then it started raining on her. "Well at least it can't get any worse"...cue the gale force winds.
* [[Inverted]] in ''[[The West Wing]]'', where rain was seen as a good thing that needed to happen in a string of good things happening--it turned away late voters who would have voted for the other guy, and the rain was literally called on cue by Will (with a lampshade with a "I didn't know I could do that"). It would have been played straight if it was from other guy's POV.
* [[Inverted]] in ''[[The West Wing]]'', where rain was seen as a good thing that needed to happen in a string of good things happening—it turned away late voters who would have voted for the other guy, and the rain was literally called on cue by Will (with a lampshade with a "I didn't know I could do that"). It would have been played straight if it was from other guy's POV.
* Also inverted in ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'', where Ted calls down a deluge in a massive thunderclap by screaming "COME ON!!" at the heavens after doing a desperate [[Rain Dance]] all afternoon. However, it played this trope straight for Sandy Rivers, who was going to get laid on a planned camping trip that was canceled by the rain. In fact, Sandy is seen crying while he reports on the downpour on TV.
* Also inverted in ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'', where Ted calls down a deluge in a massive thunderclap by screaming "COME ON!!" at the heavens after doing a desperate [[Rain Dance]] all afternoon. However, it played this trope straight for Sandy Rivers, who was going to get laid on a planned camping trip that was canceled by the rain. In fact, Sandy is seen crying while he reports on the downpour on TV.


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* ''[[Garfield]]'':
* ''[[Garfield]]'':
** In one strip:
** In one strip:
{{quote| '''Garfield:''' Here I am, stuck up a tree. Things couldn't be worse.<br />
{{quote|'''Garfield:''' Here I am, stuck up a tree. Things couldn't be worse.
''(starts raining)''<br />
''(starts raining)''
'''Garfield:''' Okay, okay, [[Rock Bottom|now things couldn't be worse]].<br />
'''Garfield:''' Okay, okay, [[Rock Bottom|now things couldn't be worse]].
''(lightning strikes)'' }}
''(lightning strikes)'' }}
** In another strip, when Jon and Garfield are at a picnic:
** In another strip, when Jon and Garfield are at a picnic:
{{quote| '''Jon:''' Well, Garfield, the ants ate my cherry pie. The wind blew the food everywhere.<br />
{{quote|'''Jon:''' Well, Garfield, the ants ate my cherry pie. The wind blew the food everywhere.
'''Garfield:''' Don't say it! Don't say it!<br />
'''Garfield:''' Don't say it! Don't say it!
'''Jon:''' [[Rock Bottom|What else could possibly go wrong?]] ''(starts raining)''<br />
'''Jon:''' [[Rock Bottom|What else could possibly go wrong?]] ''(starts raining)''
'''Garfield:''' You said it! }}
'''Garfield:''' You said it! }}
* ''[[Calvin and Hobbes (Comic Strip)|Calvin and Hobbes]]'': A camping trip that no one but Calvin's dad is looking forward too and it starts raining upon arrival. Calvin's dad [[Comically Missing the Point|Comically Misses The Point]].
* ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]'': A camping trip that no one but Calvin's dad is looking forward too and it starts raining upon arrival. Calvin's dad [[Comically Missing the Point|Comically Misses The Point]].
{{quote| '''Calvin's dad''': At least it's not snowing! Right? Right? (Later, as they sit in the rain eating cold ravioli out of cans.) I mean, say it was snowing so hard we couldn't make a fire.}}
{{quote|'''Calvin's dad''': At least it's not snowing! Right? Right? (Later, as they sit in the rain eating cold ravioli out of cans.) I mean, say it was snowing so hard we couldn't make a fire.}}
:: Naturally, the rain stops the ''exact'' moment they decide to leave.
:: Naturally, the rain stops the ''exact'' moment they decide to leave.


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== Theatre ==
== Theatre ==
* ''[[Company]]'', "Getting Married Today," after the second verse of Amy's nervous breakdown:
* ''[[Company]]'', "Getting Married Today," after the second verse of Amy's nervous breakdown:
{{quote| Bless this bride,<br />
{{quote|Bless this bride,
Totally insane,<br />
Totally insane,
Slipping down the drain,<br />
Slipping down the drain,
And bless this day in our hearts ''(thunder)''<br />
And bless this day in our hearts ''(thunder)''
As it starts to rain. }}
As it starts to rain. }}


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== Webcomics ==
== Webcomics ==
* In ''[[The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal]]'', [http://tjandamal.com/comic/?id=267 on a trail in the Smoky Mountains].
* In ''[[The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal]]'', [http://tjandamal.com/comic/?id=267 on a trail in the Smoky Mountains].
* Jayce says almost this exact phrase in [http://www.applegeeks.com/comics/viewcomic.php?issue=371 this page] of ''[[Apple Geeks]]'', much to Alice's increasing irritation.
* Jayce says almost this exact phrase in [https://web.archive.org/web/20131020102348/http://www.applegeeks.com/comics/viewcomic.php?issue=371 this page] of ''[[Apple Geeks]]'', much to Alice's increasing irritation.
{{quote| '''Alice''': "Your headstart is as long as it takes me to fix this tire."}}
{{quote|'''Alice''': "Your headstart is as long as it takes me to fix this tire."}}




== Western Animation ==
== Western Animation ==
* ''[[The Simpsons (Animation)|The Simpsons]]'':
* ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'':
** [[Subverted]] in an episode where the Simpsons lose their house. Tossed out unto the street, Homer says, "Well, it could be worse. At least it's not raining." ([[Beat]]) "See? Told you it could be worse."
** [[Subverted]] in an episode where the Simpsons lose their house. Tossed out unto the street, Homer says, "Well, it could be worse. At least it's not raining." ([[Beat]]) "See? Told you it could be worse."
** In another episode, Mr. Burns is telling the story of how he went to jail. As Smithers leaves, Burns notes that this the point in a story where it would start raining, and decides that, since he's telling the story, it did rain. Then he decides that rain wasn't depressing enough, so he has it snow instead, capping it off with Smithers losing his nose to frostbite.
** In another episode, Mr. Burns is telling the story of how he went to jail. As Smithers leaves, Burns notes that this the point in a story where it would start raining, and decides that, since he's telling the story, it did rain. Then he decides that rain wasn't depressing enough, so he has it snow instead, capping it off with Smithers losing his nose to frostbite.
* In the ''[[Family Guy (Animation)|Family Guy]]'' episode "Brian Writes a Bestseller", Stewie is stuck without a ride and without cab fare. He says, "Well, at least it's not raining." Promptly [[Subverted]] when a man runs up, stabs him, and leaves him for dead.
* In the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "Brian Writes a Bestseller", Stewie is stuck without a ride and without cab fare. He says, "Well, at least it's not raining." Promptly [[Subverted]] when a man runs up, stabs him, and leaves him for dead.
* Spike gets a dose of it in the ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'' episode "[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)/Recap/S1 E24 Owls Well That Ends Well|Owl's Well That Ends Well]]":
* Spike gets a dose of it in the ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'' episode "[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic/Recap/S1/E24 Owl's Well That Ends Well|Owl's Well That Ends Well]]":
{{quote| '''Spike:''' Twilight hates me. I'm cold and hungry; tired and lonely; [[Tempting Fate|could it get any worse]]? ''(Cue the rain.)'' I guess that's a yes.}}
{{quote|'''Spike:''' Twilight hates me. I'm cold and hungry; tired and lonely; [[Tempting Fate|could it get any worse]]? ''(Cue the rain.)'' I guess that's a yes.}}
* ''[[The Powerpuff Girls (Animation)|The Powerpuff Girls]]'':
* ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'':
** In "Simian Says", Mojo Jojo kidnaps the narrator and takes his place, leading to this exchange:
** In "Simian Says", Mojo Jojo kidnaps the narrator and takes his place, leading to this exchange:
{{quote| '''Bubbles''': At least it's not raining.<br />
{{quote|'''Bubbles''': At least it's not raining.
'''Mojo Jojo''' (narrating): That's not a bad idea!<br />
'''Mojo Jojo''' (narrating): That's not a bad idea!
''(it starts to rain)'' }}
''(it starts to rain)'' }}
** In [[The Movie]], when the girls think they've been abandoned by the Professor and are walking home, crying, a rainstorm kicks up.
** In [[The Movie]], when the girls think they've been abandoned by the Professor and are walking home, crying, a rainstorm kicks up.
* [[Zig Zagged]] in ''[[Ed, Edd n Eddy]]'': the rain starts and stops again repeatedly as it's [[Lampshaded]].
* [[Zig Zagged]] in ''[[Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy]]'': the rain starts and stops again repeatedly as it's [[Lampshaded]].
{{quote| '''Edd:''' Summer rains, you can never predict them. ''(Cue thunder, short shower)''}}
{{quote|'''Edd:''' Summer rains, you can never predict them. ''(Cue thunder, short shower)''}}


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

Latest revision as of 08:19, 15 September 2018


Nature does, in fact, hate them both.
Nature does, in fact, hate them both.

The standard way for things to go From Bad to Worse is rain. When things are looking real bad for a character, the story will add insult to injury with a perfectly-timed downpour.

Rock Bottom often precedes this trope. While this trope can easily occur with no spoken dialogue at all, if a character is foolish enough to actually say "At least It Can't Get Any Worse," or, even more dangerous, "At least it's not raining"... BOOM! It'll start raining immediately and (because When It Rains, It Pours) heavily.

This is a type of Empathic Environment—the dark and gloomy rainclouds are great for symbolically mirroring the character's hopelessness and despair; see Gray Rain of Depression, a Super-Trope. It's almost always Hostile Weather as well. Subtrope of From Bad to Worse, and frequently follows Rock Bottom. The inverse is Cue the Sun, where the dark skies clear up when things start to get better. Contrast Happy Rain and Redemption in the Rain.

Snow, hail, and other forms of precipitation count too, but rain is much more common.

Examples of Cue the Rain include:


Film - Animated

  • In The Road to El Dorado, when Miguel and Tulio are marooned at sea in a rowboat with no food or water, Miguel and Tulio have this exchange:

Miguel: At least things can't get any--
[It starts to rain]
Tulio: Excuse me, were you about to say "worse"?

  • Played straight in Disney's Tarzan:

Jane: It can't get any worse, can it?
Thunder clashes, rain begins.
Jane: Obviously, it can.

  • In An American Tail, as Fievel, all alone, curls up in Orphan Alley to cry, it starts to rain.
  • In The Emperors New Groove, llama!Kuzco gets hit by a sudden downpour when he's alone and abandoned in the jungle.


Film - Live-Action

Frederick: What a filthy job!
Igor: Could be worse.
Frederick: How?
Igor: Could be raining.
(Cue Dramatic Thunder and rain)

  • In Back to The Future Part 2, it starts raining soon after lightning strikes the time machine and Marty is left stranded in the past again. Justified Trope in that this is the same storm that played a role in sending Marty back to the future in the first film, and there were all sorts of signs of a storm brewing the whole time anyway.
  • Happens in a scene of the French comedy Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis. In France, the northern regions are caricatured as cold and ugly; the main character of this film is transferred there as a sanction for trying to fake a handicap for a job. He prepares for hell, and just as he crosses the sign of the dreaded region, well, this happens.


Live-Action TV

  • In Sanford and Son the pair have a disastrous camping trip and Lamont notes that it could be worse. When his father asks how, Lamont notes "It could snow." Sure enough, it instantly starts snowing right there and then.
  • Turned up an extra notch in That's So Raven: Raven got stuck in a limo's moon roof when going to prom. Then it started raining on her. "Well at least it can't get any worse"...cue the gale force winds.
  • Inverted in The West Wing, where rain was seen as a good thing that needed to happen in a string of good things happening—it turned away late voters who would have voted for the other guy, and the rain was literally called on cue by Will (with a lampshade with a "I didn't know I could do that"). It would have been played straight if it was from other guy's POV.
  • Also inverted in How I Met Your Mother, where Ted calls down a deluge in a massive thunderclap by screaming "COME ON!!" at the heavens after doing a desperate Rain Dance all afternoon. However, it played this trope straight for Sandy Rivers, who was going to get laid on a planned camping trip that was canceled by the rain. In fact, Sandy is seen crying while he reports on the downpour on TV.


Music

  • The Russian punk rock band Sektor Gaza has a song Tuman ("Fog") with lyrics that literally translate as: "We're getting the jitters/ The rain started suddenly /The stiff, pouring rain will finally kill us..."


Newspaper Comics

Garfield: Here I am, stuck up a tree. Things couldn't be worse.
(starts raining)
Garfield: Okay, okay, now things couldn't be worse.
(lightning strikes)

    • In another strip, when Jon and Garfield are at a picnic:

Jon: Well, Garfield, the ants ate my cherry pie. The wind blew the food everywhere.
Garfield: Don't say it! Don't say it!
Jon: What else could possibly go wrong? (starts raining)
Garfield: You said it!

Calvin's dad: At least it's not snowing! Right? Right? (Later, as they sit in the rain eating cold ravioli out of cans.) I mean, say it was snowing so hard we couldn't make a fire.

Naturally, the rain stops the exact moment they decide to leave.


Theatre

  • Company, "Getting Married Today," after the second verse of Amy's nervous breakdown:

Bless this bride,
Totally insane,
Slipping down the drain,
And bless this day in our hearts (thunder)
As it starts to rain.


Webcomics

Alice: "Your headstart is as long as it takes me to fix this tire."


Western Animation

  • The Simpsons:
    • Subverted in an episode where the Simpsons lose their house. Tossed out unto the street, Homer says, "Well, it could be worse. At least it's not raining." (Beat) "See? Told you it could be worse."
    • In another episode, Mr. Burns is telling the story of how he went to jail. As Smithers leaves, Burns notes that this the point in a story where it would start raining, and decides that, since he's telling the story, it did rain. Then he decides that rain wasn't depressing enough, so he has it snow instead, capping it off with Smithers losing his nose to frostbite.
  • In the Family Guy episode "Brian Writes a Bestseller", Stewie is stuck without a ride and without cab fare. He says, "Well, at least it's not raining." Promptly Subverted when a man runs up, stabs him, and leaves him for dead.
  • Spike gets a dose of it in the My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic episode "Owl's Well That Ends Well":

Spike: Twilight hates me. I'm cold and hungry; tired and lonely; could it get any worse? (Cue the rain.) I guess that's a yes.

  • The Powerpuff Girls:
    • In "Simian Says", Mojo Jojo kidnaps the narrator and takes his place, leading to this exchange:

Bubbles: At least it's not raining.
Mojo Jojo (narrating): That's not a bad idea!
(it starts to rain)

Edd: Summer rains, you can never predict them. (Cue thunder, short shower)