History Main / CircleofShame

Can occur in BadDreams, or can just be an ImagineSpot. If it happens for real, it's probably courtesy of TheFreelanceShameSquad.

* Buttercup's BadDreams in ''Film/ThePrincessBride'' feature an old hag working a crowd against her;

* A quite literal version in Film/WhatWeDoInTheShadows where Nick is banished as the vampires circle him, pointing and chanting "Shame!" at him.

** Discord's BreakThemByTalking to Pinkie Pie in the [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E1TheReturnOfHarmonyPart1 Season 2 premiere]] convinces her that the when she makes her friends laugh they are actually mocking her instead having genuine fun with her. The scene features one of these to drive the point home, complete with mocking laughter as Pinkie trips and lands in the mud.

* In ''Disney/PocahontasIIJourneyToANewWorld'', this happens to the titular heroine when she attempts to stop a bear-baiting at King James' party.
* Happens with Melody in ''Disney/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea'' during her birthday ball.
* ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective''. Basil suffers this after he falls into the trap of the BigBad, who along with his henchman jeer and laugh at him. This sends Basil into a fit of depression, not even trying to escape from their DeathTrap until a GetAHoldOfYourselfMan from Dawson snaps him out of it.

* Tiffany Aching gets one of these in ''Discworld/AHatFullOfSky'', when the AlphaBitch of the trainee witches completely misses the point concerning the invisible hat bestowed by Granny Weatherwax. worst of all, Tiffany suspects some of her fellow novices aren't laughing at her - they're being ''sympathetic''....

* [[WesternAnimation/PixarShorts "I'M STOCK!!!"]]

* A quite literal version in Film/WhatWeDoInTheShadows where Stu is banished as the vampires circle him, pointing and chanting "Shame!" at him.

* Tiffany Aching gets one of these in ''Discworld/AHatFullOfSky'', when the AlphaBitch of the trainee witches completely misses the point concerning the invisible hat bestowed by Granny Weatherwax. worst of all, tiffany suspects some of her fellow novices aren't laughing at her - they're being ''sympathetic''....

** Discord's BreakThemByTalking to Pinkie Pie in the [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E1TheReturnOfHarmonyPart1 Season 2 premiere]] convinces her that the laughs she causes to her friends are always from mocking at her instead having genuine fun with her. The scene features one of these to drive the point home, complete with mocking laughter as Pinkie trips and lands in the mud.

* ''Film/AustinPowersInGoldmember'' - happens twice to Austin as the crowd reacts to his father not being there at a royal award and, in flashback, winning an award at spy academy - and there's a toothless old gardener laughing at him both times.

Can be used in {{Flashback}} to set up TheyCalledMeMad and/or WhosLaughingNow.

-> ''"This is not happening. The cruel slow-motion laughter is just your imagination." ''
-->--'''Sue Sylvester''', ''Series/{{Glee}}''

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* Captain Boomerang experiences a hallucinatory one when Mindboggler unleashes his greatest fear in an early issue of ''Comicbook/SuicideSquad''. He hallucinates that he surrounded by the superheroes who have defeated him the past; all laughing at him.
* Another hallucinatory example happens with Toa Kopaka in ''Comicbook/{{BIONICLE}}'' comic 14, after he is hit by Kuurahk's Staff of Fear

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[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* Used in an episode of ''TheWeekenders'' when Carver gets his revenge on an AlphaBitch by tricking her into showing up to the mall wearing a snorkel mask, a bathing suit, and flippers under the false impression she'll get to meet her favourite celebrity. Because of her ridiculous appearance, this results.

* [[PixarShorts "I'M STOCK!!!"]]

-->''She wasn't no match for such craft, you see,\\

-->--'''Sue Sylvester''', ''Glee''

* Captain Boomerang experiences a hallucinatory one when Mindboggler unleashes his greatest fear in an early issue of ''SuicideSquad''. He hallucinates that he surrounded by the superheroes who have defeated him the past; all laughing at him.
* Another hallucinatory example happens with Toa Kopaka in {{BIONICLE}} comic 14, after he is hit by Kuurahk's Staff of Fear

* ''Film/{{Carousel}}'': "Shame on you! Shame on you!"
* ''Film/{{Carrie}}'' - ''"They're all gonna laugh at you!"''

** Same thing happened in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E22HurricaneFluttershy Hurricane Fluttershy]]]" but with adult ponies, on account of it happening to her ''for real'' when she was a filly.

* In the Russian fantasy ''Film/{{Morozko}}'' (seen on ''MST3K''), a crowd always appears to mock and laugh at the evil ugly sister when she gets in a humiliating situation.

* ''WesternAnimation/Braceface'': In the episode "The Worst First Date Ever. Period.", Sharon walks into the school gym and everyone laughs at her due to having a fat red P on her head. It turns out to be an imagination.

* ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective''. Basil after he falls into the trap of the BigBad, who along with his henchman jeer and laugh at him. This sends Basil into a HeroicBSOD as they're stuck in a DeathTrap, until a PullYourselfTogetherMan speech from Dawson snaps him out of it.

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* In ''Disney/{{Pocahontas}} 2: Journey To The New World'', this happens to the titular heroine when she attempts to stop a bear-baiting at King James' party.
** Also happens with Melody in ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid 2: Return to the Sea'' during her birthday ball.

* ''{{Carousel}}'': "Shame on you! Shame on you!"
* ''{{Carrie}}'' - ''"They're all gonna laugh at you!"''
* ''PeeWeesBigAdventure'' - "There's no basement in the Alamo!" - eveyone laughs at him, and a kid takes his picture.
* ''AustinPowers Goldmember'' - happens twice to Austin as the crowd reacts to his father not being there at a royal award and, in flashback, winning an award at spy academy - and there's a toothless old gardener laughing at him both times.

* In the Russian fantasy "Jack Frost" (sen on ''MST3K''), a crowd always appears to mock and laugh at the evil ugly sister when she gets in a humiliating situation.

* Lampshaded on ''{{Glee}}'' - "This is not happening. The cruel slow-motion laughter is just your imagination"
* TheVicar in ''{{Rev}}'' has a {{Bad Dream|s}} featuring one of these, as all his friends and family point and jeer at him that he'd make a terrible father.

* In ''LadyInTheDark'', the Circus Dream ends with Charley's voice rising in accusation and the chorus laughing at Liza. As they leave her and the dream fades, they chant, "Make up your mind! Make up your mind!"

* Blossom's classmates laugh at her in ''ThePowerpuffGirls'' episode "Power-Noia" after she blows three questions, but all is not as it seems. When she sees that is part of the nightmare scenario staged by Him, Blossom wises up and out-thinks the villain.

* Tiffany Aching gets one of these in ''AHatFullOfSky'', when the AlphaBitch of the trainee witches completely misses the point concerning the invisible hat bestowed by Granny Weatherwax. worst of all, tiffany suspects some of her fellow novices aren't laughing at her - they're being ''sympathetic''....

** Discord's BreakThemByTalking to Pinkie Pie in the Season 2 premiere convinces her that the laughs she causes to her friends are always from mocking at her instead having genuine fun with her. The scene features one of these to drive the point home, complete with mocking laughter as Pinkie trips and lands in the mud.
** In "Lesson Zero", Twilight Sparkle freaks out when she worries about being late sending in a friendship report. She has an ImagineSpot where she's sent back all the way to Magic Kindergarten, and all the little ponies are laughing at her. Later, Twilight hears some giggling little ponies at play in the park, and imagines that they're laughing at ''her''.
** Same thing happened in "Hurricane Fluttershy" but with adult ponies, on account of it happening to her ''for real'' when she was a filly.

* In ''{{Doug}}'', Doug has a fantasy about this happening about OnceAnEpisode.
* ''HeyArnold'' has this happen dozens of times. Often, several of the characters forming the circle were laughed at in an earlier episode, because KidsAreCruel.