History Main / AcceptableProfessionalTargets

* There's a joke that goes like this: A biologist is a chemist who can't do math, and a chemist is a 3rd-rate physicist.

A writer, artist, musician etc can have all the talent in the world, but they won't find huge success if they cannot show the world that talent- and get entertainment executives to hire them, put them on stage or screen, and pay them a fat stack of cash for their work. Unfortunately this work requires a very different skillset from that of writing novels, painting on canvas or writing the perfect pop song. Enter the talent agent- the person whose very job it is to be attention-seeking, [[ProfessionalButtKisser ass-kissing]] and money-grubbing, and who does all of this so you don't have to. For [[OnlyInItForTheMoney a hefty fee]], of course. Expect the talent agent in fiction to be brashly confident, ruthless, money-obsessed, insincerely polite and friendly to those they need to impress, and an abrasive jerkass to everyone else. The may be [[BrutalHonesty brutally honest]] to their clients when required, but not to the point that their client might take their money elsewhere.

Since they're trained to defend anyone, even if their client is [[ObviouslyEvil obviously guilty]] (or to prosecute anyone, even if the defendant is blatantly innocent), lawyers are often labelled as prolific, greedy liars who will [[LoopholeAbuse find even the most vague of loopholes]] in the law to get a good verdict. While there are, of course, [[Series/BostonLegal positive]] [[Franchise/AceAttorney portrayals]] [[Literature/ToKillAMockingbird in media]], such as ''Franchise/PerryMason'', they are still normally villains by default, and the source of many morality-based jokes. See EvilLawyerJoke. It also doesn't help that the media is full of FrivolousLawsuit stories. Usually defense attorneys or corporate lawyers get the brunt of this, but even prosecutors and other less prominent examples will get this treatment, with the former often portrayed as [[KnightTemplar zealots obsessed with "purging" all traces of criminality everywhere]] and the latter as literal [[RulesLawyer Rules Lawyers]]. The fact that any evil lawyer defending a guilty client or prosecuting an innocent is always paired against another lawyer trying to do the inverse seems to go over everyone's heads.

* In bands there are two members who are joke magnets: the [[NobodyLikesTheBassist ever-neglected bassist]], and the drummer, who is either [[AllDrummersAreAnimals a wild thing]] or [[DumbAndDrummer a moron]].

* '''Vietnam Veterans''': The [[ShellShockedVeteran traumatic flashbacks]] of said group are quite often played for laughs. Try depicting the same thing occurring to soldiers returning from the war in Iraq under the context of comedy and see what kind of response you'll get.

!!Health and Safety inspectors
Generally not shown that much in fiction (after all, NoOSHACompliance is the law of the land in fiction-land), but the prevailing stereotype of the EHS officer in construction and manufacturing is as follows: an ObstructiveBureaucrat who likes to play "safety cop" and ride people's asses about trivial matters or, worse, about things that are genuine safety issues that are unavoidable either due to the employer's continual failure to adequately address them, or because not ignoring them would lead to things being way behind schedule or production falling below goals, and generally does nothing other than get in the way and unduly interrupt workflow. Furthermore, they are generally viewed as management's [[YesMan compliance dogs]], rather than actually making hard decisions when the interests of the workers and of management don't align - when their jobs are on the line, they will usually kowtow to management, then bark a big game about how the workers are their real boss, when they really don't care about anything other than their own self-interest.

%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample * ''Film/IndependenceDay'': "I better call my brother! I better call my housekeeper! I better call my lawyer!.... Nah, forget my lawyer!"

** ''Series/LawAndOrder'' is often seen as the first subversion to an even older image. ''Perry Mason'' depicted poor, ineffectual [[UnfortunateNames Hamilton Burger]] who was a PunchClockVillain at best and a SmugSnake, always eager to send people to the gas chamber at absolute worst.

[[AC:RealLife]]
* American architects have brought some of this on themselves, by lobbying and self-regulating for decades to put as much legal responsibility as possible on their consulting engineers. Within the construction industry they definitely have the reputation as artsy can't-do-math types. Things are somewhat better in Europe, where architects are more likely to have some extensive structural engineering knowledge.
** Also there is the saying "An architect is someone who is too [[CampGay gay]] for Engineering, but too straight for Fashion Design".

[[AC:RealLife]]
* The blog [[http://clientsfromhell.net/ Clients From Hell]] collects true stories submitted by graphic designers. Most of the hellish clients try to get out of paying by claiming they're not doing "real work". "You do this for ''fun'', right?" seems to be a depressingly familiar phrase among them.

[[AC:RealLife]]
* Oddly enough, the founding father of modern mime, Marcel Marceau, was beloved the world over - ''despite'' [[FrenchJerk being French]] and ''despite'' inventing (or at least codifying) most of the mime techniques (including those mentioned above) that have been endlessly [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderized]] and mocked in the popular media. The fact that he was a war hero (helping a great many Jews, including himself, escape from Nazi-occupied France) might have a little to do with his positive portrayal, although one suspects that he also benefited from becoming popular (he first started performing widely in the mid-1950s) long, ''long'' before the streets of major world cities became inundated with silent, white-faced buffoons. These many inept imitators (who at certain points in recent history have almost seemed to be ubiquitous) have probably had much to do with [[ItsPopularNowItSucks cheapening the image of mime]].
** This became apparent after Marcel Marceau's death. One team reporting the news mentioned his death in a joking manner. The next day on ''The View,'' Whoopi Goldberg completely shredded the two of them. She mentioned that Marcel had a large impact on her acting (StarDerailingRole aside, she is still an Oscar winner) that performing anything completely in pantomime is incredibly difficult, and that they should be ashamed of themselves.
* Another exception is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireneusz_Krosny Ireneusz Krosny]], who is also quite well loved around the world. It's probably because he creates his own original acts, whereas the hated mimes just do cheap imitations of Marcel Marceau.

[[AC:RealLife]]
* [[UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers The Daily Mail's]] Richard Littlejohn criticised reporters covering the 2006 murders of five "women who worked as prostitutes" for not simply referring to them as "prostitutes." In one of his articles he argued that the victims were [[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/columnists/article-423549/Littlejohn-Spare-Peoples-Prostitute-routine-.html being given undeserved sympathy]], and failed to see that other writers were simply trying to afford the victims a little dignity and avoid upsetting their families; some of the victims were teenagers.
* [[http://boobiebar.livejournal.com/ Tales From The Boobie Bar]] pretty much shows that if you work as a stripper because you enjoy it, it gives good pay, and makes you feel proud of your body, prepare to spend a lot of time giving snarky comebacks to people who think you're just a stupid crack whore.

[[AC: RealLife]]
* This is a mixed bag in real life. Generally, hunters are live-off-the-land type and hunt for food or to cull overpopulation to [[MercyKill save wildlife from starving to death or disease]] because of said overpopulation, and they're also deeply concerned about conservation to the point where if you were to talk to them about conservation without going into hunting, [[NotSoDifferent you might confuse them for a welfare advocate]]. Trophy hunters, however, can very much play the worst stereotypes straight, as they've been known to (knowingly or not) help poachers kill "at risk" or endangered species to take their trophies.
** It also varies much by region depending on local tradition: in some places it may be more-or-less an everyman's custom, associated with old blood aristocrats in others, and yet something different elsewhere.

''[[LongList Did we miss anyone?]]''
* Carpenters, due to [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} the world's most famous Carpenter]] rendering this occupation unmockable. Despite this, there's actually rather compelling evidence that he was a stonemason rather than a carpenter, given his love of using rock terminology in metaphors.

In military-themed works, as the most junior and inexperienced commissioned officers, [[UsefulNotes/CommonMilitaryRanks lieutenants and ensigns]] tend to be a punchline. As they combine a level of command responsibility with [[NewMeat a complete lack of experience]], the ''best'' they can hope for is to be treated as puppies who might someday grow up to be someone useful if they listen to SergeantRock. At worst, "the most dangerous thing in the world is a lieutenant with a map and a compass" and shrugging your shoulders in confusion is referred to as "the ensign salute". This is normally PlayedForLaughs, though. Lieutenants' screwups actually getting people killed is rarer in fiction (though it happens), because that's more depressing than entertaining. Interestingly, being even younger than the average O-1 (who, being usually [[MilitaryAcademy straight out of school]], is about 21-22 years old) can take you out of the acceptable targets crosshair, likely due to your youth: [[PluckyMiddie Midshipmen and Cadets]], particularly in the [[WoodenShipAndIronMen age of sail]], are often young enough that they're basically ChildSoldiers and so when something bad happens to them it's not funny, it's tragic.

* [[http://www.mit.edu/~jcb/viola-jokes.html Viola Jokes]]

* {{Music/Chicago}}'s [[https://youtu.be/zZ7Ef12EyUI Critics Choice]].

Usually portrayed as fat, bumbling, incredibly stupid losers who ''desperately'' want to be real cops but have absolutely no hope of ever getting into police academy, so they just act like power-tripping assholes instead. Their qualifications are little more than being tall, heavy-looking and occasionally [[ScaryBlackMan belonging to an ethnic group that's known for being tough]]. Expect [[DisproportionateRetribution greatly overblown reactions]] to just about everything and completely uncalled-for rudeness. Particularly unpleasant examples frequently add in hefty doses of racism, as well as incredibly creepy behavior around women. Frequently given the RedShirt treatment, which is rarely, if ever, considered a karmic strike against their killers (e.g. if the protagonists are sympathetic bank robbers, they can kill numerous bank guards in highly-dubious "self-defense" and somehow still be treated sympathetically by the plot).

* The protagonist of Crichton's {{Literature/Sphere}} is a psychologist, included in the underwater research team to keep an eye on the others. Even though he's the sanest of the crew and most aware of the situation, the other characters are not above jokes at his expense, such as accusing him of playing mental tricks on them.

Gynaecologists, like proctologists, professionally stick their fingers where other people don't, but with additional sex undertones. Male gynaecologists are often presented as {{Covert Pervert}}s who secretly enjoy getting their figurative noses into the lady parts of many a young woman, or awkwardly but otherwise harmlessly enthusiastic. By contrast, female gynaecologists are rarely presented as any different to any other kind of doctor, apparently because it seems more "natural" for a woman do take an interest in women's problems.

* The "Victim of Circumstance" version is subverted in ''Film/IndependenceDay;'' Jasmine, though technically a SingleMomStripper, is clearly intelligent, a good mother, in a committed relationship with a decorated Marine officer whom she eventually marries, and not ashamed in the least of her profession. She chats about it casually with the ''First Lady,'' for crying out loud.

* Portrayed very unsympathetically in most [[GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion pro-life]] works, where they are [[MedicalHorror cold-hearted amoral scientists]], or worse.

!![[EnsignNewbie Lieutenants]]
In military-themed works, lieutenants tend to be a punchline. As they combine a level of command responsibility with [[NewMeat a complete lack of experience]], the ''best'' they can hope for is to be treated as puppies who might someday grow up to be someone useful if they listen to SergeantRock. At worst, "the most dangerous thing in the world is a lieutenant with a map and a compass." This is normally PlayedForLaughs, though. Lieutenants' screwups actually getting people killed is rarer in fiction (though it happens), because that's more depressing than entertaining.

With the exception of [[Franchise/SuperMarioBrothers Mario]] (whose profession is rarely mentioned), plumbers in media are dumb rednecks with poor hygiene. Who have never heard of a belt... or long shirts.

* ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'' has it's money laundering factor into cases on occasions. In one episode, "The Big Bingo Bamboozle", it appears that this trope will be PlayedStraight, but the it is {{Subverted}} when it turns out a sweet senior lady is running bingo games that acts as a cover for money laundering taking place. However, there is much more to her than meets the eye.

!!Money Laundering

* A certain group, referred to on this wiki as the ChurchOfHappyology, considers psychiatrists to be their mortal enemy (perhaps because if there's one thing a meme can't stand, it's competition and the possibility of {{deprogramming}}). Consequently, they spend an inordinate effort attempting to discredit this profession. Some of the anti-psychiatry ideas floating around out there may have originated with this Church.

* [[{{VideoGame/Hitman}} Agent 47]] is assigned to assassinate his share of drug traffickers. [[VideoGame/HitmanBloodMoney Don Fernando Delgado]] is especially noted for the cocaine ring he's running in Chile, yet he has [[VillainWithGoodPublicity an impeccable reputation]] and the public has no idea he's using his vineyard to hide a cocaine operation. Agent 47 is also contracted to take out his son Manuel D. to make it appear a rival drug lord ordered the hit. The Delgado family storyline is continued in ''VideoGame/{{Hitman2}}'' with another Rico Delgado contracted for elimination; this time, a village is being [[AssholeVictim tyranized by his cartels' presence]] making it feel like you're doing them a service eliminating the family leadership here.

* [[{{VideoGame/Hitman}} Agent 47]] is assigned to assassinate his share of drug traffickers. [[VideoGame/HitmanBloodMoney Don Fernando Delgado]] is especially noted for the cocaine ring he's running in Chile, yet he has [[VillainWithGoodPublicity an impeccable reputation]] and the public has no idea he's using his vineyard to hide a cocaine operation. Agent 47 is also contracted to take out his son to make it appear a rival drug lord ordered the hit. The Delgado family storyline is continued in ''VideoGame/{{Hitman2}}'' with another family member contracted for elimination; this time, a village is being tyranized by their presence making it feel like you're doing them a service eliminating the family leadership here.

* [[{{VideoGame/Hitman}} Agent 47]] is assigned to assassinate his share of drug traffickers. [[VideoGame/HitmanBloodMoney Don Fernando Delgado]] is especially noted for the cocaine ring he's running in Chile, yet he has [[VillainWithGoodPublicity an impeccable reputation]] and the public has no idea he's using his vineyard to hide a cocaine operation. Agent 47 is also contracted to take out his son to make it appear a rival drug lord ordered the hit. The Delgado family storyline is continued in ''VideoGame/{{Hitman2}}'' with another family member contracted for elimination.

Professional musicians are another category of artist that get this treatment. Unless you're a rock/pop/hip-hop/country star or a [[DeadArtistsAreBetter centuries-dead composer]], the stereotype is that you're living in a box or your mom's house. [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs Or a box in your mom's house]].