History Main / DisposableIntern

* In ''VideoGame/GhostbustersTheVideogame'' the protagonist is the newest in a series of interns whose primary purpose is to test out experimental upgrades to the equipment. This is also why the other Ghostbusters don't refer to you by name since to them, it's not worth getting attached to someone in your position.

* ''Podcast/TheHiddenAlmanac'', being inspired by ''Night Vale'' above, has a similar but slightly less extreme attitude to intern longevity. This show's interns have been expected to tend the show's test garden, which sounds harmless unless you've heard the host's description of some of the plants' attributes. The garden also seems to be something of a WeirdnessMagnet, having been several times the site of an EldritchAbomination-related event, which have contributed to the interns' attrition rates; in one such case, the interns were abducted en masse by cultists serving an Elder God living somewhere beneath the test garden, and the hosts actually ventured down to rescue them, albeit on the basis that this was marginally safer than tending the garden themselves. A slight majority of the interns returned alive, and although one was possessed by a sentient beehive in the process, this was considered a bonus, as being able to communicate with bees is a major plus on the resume of a young agriculture student.

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'':
** In one classic strip, the Pointy-Haired Boss is seen carrying a corpse to a skip. He turns to camera (FourthWall?) and says "I love hiring these temporary workers! No benefits, no union, no contract, and you can just toss 'em in the dumpster when you're done!"
** When Asok the intern was introduced, his co-workers immediately picked him up and said "I hope this one's sturdier than the ''last'' intern."
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Compare CannonFodder, NewMeat, RedShirtReporter, BadBoss, and CListFodder.

** Even though Don of ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaPresentsTheRidonculousRace'' is much less evil than Chris (he sticks by the rules, dislikes contestants who cheat, etc.) he's [[NotSoDifferent still not above doing this.]] One of his interns even dies in the first episode.

* Many, many times in [[Podcast/TheMagnusArchives]]: Gertrude Robinson has admitted, though subtly, that she cycles through workers like clockwork. The most character that we've gotten for one of these unfortunate interns is [[spoiler: Michael, who she used to [[HumanSacrifice foil the Spiral's ritual]] and force it into a [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm tangible, comprehensive form]].]]
** And the [[SarcasmMode very best part]] about the aforementioned? [[spoiler: [[AllForNothing It wasn't necessary.]] Michael did not need to contain the Spiral, because Gertrude miscalculated. The Spiral wasn't attempting a ritual at the time she thought it was. [[SenselessSacrifice Michael was sacrificed for nothing.]]]]

* In ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'' it's a RunningGag that the interns are sent out to investigate things that are unnatural even by Night Vale's [[EldritchLocation standards]] and won't live past an episode. The only exceptions are Intern Dana ([[AmbiguousCloneEnding or her double]]) who spends her time reporting back from Night Vale's worst EldritchAbomination-infested locations or flicking in and out of existence with no escape in sight [[spoiler:until being elected mayor]], Intern [[spoiler:Maureen who spent a good deal of time blinking in and out of existence like Dana]] and [[spoiler:main character Cecil himself when he was a teen. Who even then, was implied to have died and been brought back somehow]]. The only other intern who hasn't died within an episode is Intern Kareem, who appears to have survived about eleven episodes. It's worth noting the official Welcome To Night Vale intern shirts [[LampshadeHanging are red]].

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Played straight and parodied on ''Series/XPlay''. During numerous skits/reviews, the hosts and staff would abuse, torment, and subject the "interns" to various punishments and horrors for the sake of comedy. Some of these "interns" weren't actually interns at all, though, and were actually other staff and producers of the show portraying a character.
* ''The Late Show with Creator/DavidLetterman'': In one episode a man who had invented a new super-powered pogo stick is demonstrating it outside the theater. Dave has the man pogo stick over a row of interns, since even if he does accidentally hurt one it won't matter. [[note]] However, on close inspection one can see that while the jumper is jumping in a straight line the line of interns is on an angle so the final one(s) won't be hurt even if he doesn't make it. [[/note]]
* In ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', this was the introduction of Mike Nelson. Dr. Forrester and Frank hire Mike as a temp worker, and plot to kill him as soon as he finishes the job. However, their experiment subject Joel winds up escaping from the Satellite of Love just then, so they decide to use Mike as their new test subject instead.
* In ''Series/TheLibrarians2014'' "...And the Horns of a Dilemma", Golden Axe Foods has got through eight interns [[spoiler: because they're using them as a HumanSacrifice]].

* At the beginning of ''Film/RoboCop1987'', an intern is ordered to point a gun at the ED-209; the ED-209 recognizes the threat, but fails to recognize his surrender of the gun and kills him. The executives, of course, are more concerned about the glitch putting them behind schedule. The novelisation claimed that [[UriahGambit the guy was deliberately set up to die]] for annoying someone in upper management (NoSuchThingAsHR at [[MegaCorp OmniCorp]]), which is really not much better.

* Surprisingly, the Wiki/SCPFoundation actually averts this one; interns only get occasional passing mentions and are never deliberately sent into dangerous situations. It's not that [[GoodIsNotNice the Foundation]] doesn't have a high tolerance for casualties, of course, but [[PragmaticHero training is expensive and high staff turnover is bad for morale.]] Besides, when they need CannonFodder they've got the [[BoxedCrook D-Class personnel.]]

TheIntern is the lowest of the low in the company's command. In fiction land they're often not utilized for much besides [[YouGetMeCoffee getting the boss coffee]] and are often abused because of their lowly status. Sometimes that abuse is UpToEleven. And thus they become A Disposable Intern.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''Webcomic/HellInc'', office demons Doug and Bridget have no idea what to do with new intern Sara, a recently-deceased human soul with demonic potential, or how to help her adjust to life in Hell. Most of the interns get eaten or torn apart already by their boss by this point, so this is new territory for everyone.
[[/folder]]

[[/folder]]

* In ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'' it's a RunningGag that the interns are sent out to investigate things that are unnatural even by Night Vale's [[EldritchLocation standards]] and won't live past an episode. The only exceptions are Intern Dana ([[AmbiguousCloneEnding or her double]]) who spends her time reporting back from in Night Vale's worst EldritchAbomination invested locations or flicking in and out of existence with no escape in sight [[spoiler:until being elected mayor]], Intern [[spoiler:Maureen who spent a good deal of time blinking in and out of existence like Dana]] and [[spoiler:main character Cecil himself when he was a teen. Who even then, was implied to have died and been brought back somehow]]. The only other intern who hasn't died within an episode is Intern Kareem, who appears to have survived about eleven episodes. It's worth noting the official Welcome To Night Vale intern shirts [[LampshadeHanging are red]].

[[caption-width-right:350: [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Not at all suspicious name tag, am I right?]]]]

* At the beginning of ''Film/RoboCop1987'', an intern is ordered to point a gun at the ED-209; the ED-209 recognizes the threat, but fails to recognize his surrender of the gun and kills him. The executives, of course, are more concerned about the glitch putting them behind schedule.

* At the beginning of ''Film/{{Robocop}}'', an intern is ordered to point a gun at the ED-209; the ED-209 recognizes the threat, but fails to recognize his surrender of the gun and kills him. The executives, of course, are more concerned about the glitch putting them behind schedule.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/intern_shirt.jpg]]

* ''Podcast/FistsharkMarketing'' has Craig the Intern, whom the main characters think being a ButtMonkey is too good for him.

* In ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'' it's a RunningGag that the interns are sent out to investigate things that are unnatural even by Night Vale's [[EldritchLocation standards]] and won't live past an episode. The only exceptions are Intern Dana ([[AmbiguousCloneEnding or her double]]) who spends her time reporting back from in Night Vale's worst EldritchAbomination invested locations or flicking in and out of existence with no escape in sight [[spoiler:until being elected mayor]], Intern [[spoiler:Maureen who spent a good deal of time blinking in and out of existence like Dana]] and [[spoiler:main character Cecil himself when he was a teen. Who even then, was implied to have died and been brought back somehow]]. It's worth noting the official Welcome To Night Vale intern shirts [[LampshadeHanging are red]].

!!Examples

[[folder: {{Film}}]]
* ''TheLifeAquaticWithSteveZissou'' had a group of college interns whom the titular character (and to some extent the rest of the crew) treats like crap: Steve refers to each as "intern!" rather than by name, forces them to loot an underwater research station owned by his rival and when they quit after the ship was briefly taken over by pirates, he sends them all home with "Incomplete" in their evaluations (his reason being that he didn't want to fail them, but he didn't want them to pass either). One of them, however, decided to stick around. Zissou immediately promised him an "A".

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'':
** In one classic strip, the Pointy-Haired Boss is seen carrying a corpse to a skip. He turns to camera (FourthWall?) and says "I love hiring these temporary workers! No benefits, no union, no contract, and you can just toss 'em in the dumpster when you're done!"
** When Asok the intern was introduced, his co-workers immediately picked him up and said "I hope this one's sturdier than the ''last'' intern."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''WebAnimation/DinosaurOffice'' has Terry eat the Intern, a young parasaurolophus, [[TheyKilledKennyAgain every time he appears]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama''

** Numerous interns are all but directly shown being killed in a few episodes of season 3, "World Tour". When everyone was in Egypt, Chris unleashed a horde of flesh-stripping scarabs on the contestants to give them incentive to start the challenge. One intern was acting as Chris' footrest, fearfully shaking as the beetles crawled by. In the next shot, all that remained was his skeleton, still serving as a footrest.

* Playfully Subverted on ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' Carl is subjected to a lot of Major Monogram's abuse, often resulting in AmusingInjuries, and has had a piano dropped on him in quest for a simple "thank you" from his boss. He sticks around though despite all of this, hence he can't really be called "disposable".
[[/folder]]