History Main / ADisgraceToBlackbeard

* B. Jenet is the female leader of the Lilian Knights (a band of modern pirates) in the ''{{King of Fighters}}'' universe. They use a nuclear-powered submarine rather than a galleon.

* Also in [[http://www.thefreckledfinger.com/newest-cartoon/2011/3/1/030111-a-childs-disappointment.html this]] strip of TheFreckledFinger.

* {{Aquaman}} battles Somali pirates (with unexpected consequences) in ''BrightestDay'' #1.

* {{Batman}} and {{Aquaman}} clash with modern day pirates during TheTeaser of the ''BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' episode "Clash of the Metal Men".

* Trope name comes from Cartman's assessment of piracy in Somalia in the ''SouthPark'' episode "Fatbeard". However, the Somalian pirates are shown sympathetically to a degree, having resorted to piracy only because a CrapsackWorld forced them into it.
** And the Somalis ''do'' turn into the more romanticized brand of pirate for a time (complete with sea chantey sing-alongs), if only because (as Cartman points out) it's just much more fun that way.

* An episode of ''TheSimpsons'' had a lost-at-sea character being rescued by pirates, and thinking how awesome it was. We see their conversation subtitled as they cheerfully plan to sell him into slavery.
** Except that they were fisherman, and the saved him in a net moments from drowning.

* Deathstroke and TheWarlord in ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}: Deathstroke and the Legend of the Ravager''.

* {{Rambo}} pwns some Burmese river pirates in the fourth movie.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Recently published histories of the resurgence of modern piracy include ''[[http://www.amazon.com/Jolly-Roger-Uzi-Threat-Modern/dp/1557503281 Jolly Roger With An Uzi]]'', and ''[[http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Waters-Modern-Piracy-Terror/dp/0452284139 Dangerous Waters]]''.
* Historical pirate crews ''did'' operate according to rules set by the captain: John Phillips of the ''Revenge'', for example, decreed that any member of his crew who committed rape would be put to death. However, this was less because EvenEvilHasStandards and more because captains needed to maintain discipline among their crews.
[[/folder]]

* On ThirtyRock Cerie's wedding is delayed by several months because her fiancée is captured by Somali pirates. Due to Stockholm Syndrome, some of them end up as groomsmen at the wedding.

* On 30 Rock Cerie's wedding is delayed by several months because her fiancée is captured by Somali pirates. Due to Stockholm Syndrome, some of them end up as groomsmen at the wedding.

* On {{30Rock}} Cerie's wedding is delayed by several months because her fiancée is captured by Somali pirates. Due to Stockholm Syndrome, some of them end up as groomsmen at the wedding.

* On 30Rock Cerie's wedding is delayed by several months because her fiancée is captured by Somali pirates. Due to Stockholm Syndrome, some of them end up as groomsmen at the wedding.

** Some in the church do point out that Somalia has the most of these pirates and least greenhouse gasses.
** That's because without a real government to keep order and create a suitable climate for business (including investment in heavy industry), there is little heavy industry in Somalia, and not a lot of greenhouse gasses as a result. In other words, an increase in pirates ''does'' lead to a decrease in greenhouse gasses, but that's [[{{Your Mileage May Vary}} probably a case of the cure (piracy and anarchy) being worse than the disease (global warming)]]...

->"Those guys were ''pirates?'' Admit it, you chased [[APirate400YearsTooLate much cooler pirates]] when you were on our team."
-> '''Hank Venture,''' ''TheVentureBrothers''

* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Island_(1979_novel) Peter Benchley novel]] ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Island_(1980_film) and later film]]) ''The Island''.

* Gavin gets rescued and then promptly BoundAndGagged by these in ''TheBrittasEmpire'', after being lost at sea on a potato-poweded lilo. I'd ''like'' to say it makes sense in context.

* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS8be19DSpc "Somali Pirates Song"]] by MitchBenn is about this kind of pirate, and makes it very clear that they're not like [[APirate400YearsTooLate the other kind]] (while throwing a few 'Aharr's in for good measure).

Then again, this characterization is exactly how pirates were viewed during the Golden Age of Piracy and many of them lived up to (or down to) this reputation. Perhaps 400 years from now, Somalian pirates will be viewed as romantic rogues. Also in the defense of modern piracy methods, the entire venture cannot work without at least some decent degree of stealth, i.e. independence from worldwide law enforcement. The use of vessels like Blackbeard's ''Queen Anne's Revenge'' or Bartholomew Roberts' ("Black Bart's") ''Royal Fortune'' would be easily visible by satellite imagery, and even if a modern pirate could take control of a hyper-fast and -powerful ship on the order of a US Navy destroyer, most every nation in the world would almost certainly launch immediate near-limitless-resource missions to hunt down and destroy it. In other words, piracy, like any other form of criminal enterprise, was forced to [[TechnologyMarchesOn change with the times]], or die.

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Ironically, Somali pirates don't always live up to their reputation for viciousness. They tend to be village fishermen who graduated from one of Somalia's many militias, and captives (especially Chinese and Westerners, but they'll take ransom from anyone really) tend to be [[IWantThemAlive more valuable alive]]. Many were motivated by [[http://www.eaglespeak.us/2007/11/protecting-somalias-fishing-grounds.html the exploitation of Somalia's fishing grounds by other nations]] in the absence of a federal authority to police them although in recent years they seem to have little interest in targeting foreign fishermen in favor of more profitable vessels. But they're not averse to killing you if you don't cooperate. Not only that, but Somali pirates captured tend to get released, [[AwakeningTheSleepingGiant unless they kill Americans]], since there is no authority in Somalia to release them to. (The "regional government" there is supported by a tax on piracy). Not much different from historical pirates, just... less style.

Unlike their [[{{Pirates}} fictional counterparts]], there is nothing romantic about these modern-day pirates. They tend to be portrayed as completely ruthless, cold-blooded killers, devoid of honour and willing to stoop to any crime. {{Sociopathic Soldier}}s on the high seas. Bonus points if characters express disappointment at these pirates' failure to shiver timbers.

See also SkyPirates for a specific type of modern-day pirates that still retain their romanticism.