History Main / LastMinuteProject

* Peter has a habit of doing this in ''FoxTrot'', including writing an essay on ''MobyDick'' in two and a half hours.

* ''CalvinAndHobbes'': Calvin writes a report about bats in which he calls them bugs, uses a lot of vampire myths, and includes an "illustration" consisting of the Franchise/{{Batman}} logo with fangs added. He thinks that having a professional binder will cover up for his lack of research, but it backfires when everyone in the class calls him out for saying bats are bugs.

* WebOriginal: The infamous and awesome ''Literature/HowToKillAMockingbird'' in its entirety.

* BrianRegan has a famous bit in his stand-up about his "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4XSgLMEFoc Cup of Dirt]]" in the science fair.

* Happens in the ''EvenStevens'' episode [[MusicalEpisode ''Influenza''.]] To her horror Ren realizes that she isn't prepared to give her project on the US moon landing and only knows what year it occurred. She tries to save face... in song: "[[{{Earworm}} We went to the moon in 1969]]/[[ShapedLikeItself Not 1968 but the year after...]]" and proceeds to sing about what celestial bodies NASA didn't visit that year. She failed the project. [[spoiler: Lucky for her it was AllJustADream.]]

* In ''OsmosisJones'', during a {{Flashback}} to a science fair, a struggling student was given a project about using oysters to filter water. The teacher remarks that the student most likely just started the project the morning of the science fair, but that she was going to give him an A anyway to give him a leg up. [[spoiler: Mr. ]=DiTorre=] ate one of the oysters, and Ozzy made him puke. [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished Which got Ozzy "suspended for use of unnecessary force."]]]]

* In ''OsmosisJones'', during a {{Flashback}} to a science fair, a struggling student was given a project about using oysters to filter water. The teacher remarks that the student most likely just started the project the morning of the science fair, but that she was going to give him an A anyway to give him a leg up. [[spoiler: Mr. DiTorre ate one of the oysters, and Ozzy made him puke. [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished Which got Ozzy "suspended for use of unnecessary force."]]]]

* Pretty much any report Bart has done on ''TheSimpsons''.

* ''CalvinAndHobbes'': Calvin writes a report about bats in which he calls them bugs, uses a lot of vampire myths, and includes an "illustration" consisting of the {{Batman}} logo with fangs added. He thinks that having a professional binder will cover up for his lack of research, but it backfires when everyone in the class calls him out for saying bats are bugs.

* A ''RobotChicken'' skit begins with an elaborate battle between costumed heroes and villains, one of whom is called Mockingbird. The skit then cuts to a classroom, revealing the whole thing was a kid's attempt at a book report on "{{To Kill a Mockingbird}}". The teacher sighs, "Couldn't even spring for the Cliff's Notes, huh?"

* WebOriginal: The infamous and awesome ''HowToKillAMockingbird'' in its entirety.

* A young Shawn from ''{{Psych}}'' did a book report on CharlottesWeb without reading to the end. Failure ensued.

** And once he was remembered by Susie that on this day, their project about bugs was due (they had one month to do this). Calvin frantically tries to put something together.

Related to BookDumb, DidNotDoTheResearch, CriticalResearchFailure, RidiculousProcrastinator, and TheyJustDidntCare.

* ''CalvinAndHobbes'': Calvin writes a report about bats in which he calls them bugs, uses a lot of vampire myths, and includes an "illustration" consisting of the {{Batman}} logo with fangs added. He thinks that having a professional binder will cover up for his [[DidNotDoTheResearch lack of research]], but it backfires when everyone in the class calls him out for saying bats are bugs.

* [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail64.html One of the more famous Strong Bad e-mails]] on ''HomestarRunner'' involved Strong Bad writing one of these for a student. Naturally, he [[LampshadeHanging hung a lampshade]] by including a sentence about sitting and playing video games for several hours.

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* ''{{Arthur}}'': Arthur, Buster, and Binky are teamed up for a report on an exhibit at the art museum. Binky is convinced that one of the abstract art pieces was hung sideways and wants to do the report on that. Arthur and Buster think that will make them look like a bunch of idiots. They finally agree to let Binky work on his project while Arthur and Buster do a different exhibit. Only they waste so much time worrying about Binky's project that they forget to write the report and copy it from the museum's brochure. The other kids in the class literally follow along as they read it. [[GeniusDitz They are only saved when Binky's half turns out to involve masses of research, a letter to the artist, and a video of the museum re-hanging the painting in response to his project. ]]

* The ''LordOfTheRings'' webpage "[[http://flyingmoose.org/tolksarc/homework.htm Your Homework Done For Free]]" is an intentional trap for people who try to rip their book report off the Internet. It comprises a completely inaccurate summary of the novels, and a list of suggested report topics that focuses on the bits they've made up. Amusingly, [[http://flyingmoose.org/tolksarc/blanchett.htm the London Sunday Times fell for it.]]

* ''CalvinAndHobbes'': Calvin writes a report about bats in which he calls them bugs and uses a lot of vampire myths. He thinks that having a professional binder will cover up for his lack of research, but it backfires when everyone in the class calls him out for saying bats are bugs.

* Holden from ''TheCatcherInTheRye'', wrote a hilarious and definitely unresearched exam essay on the Egyptians.
* Sam on ''{{iCarly}}'' once turned in an orange for a project about environmental efficiency. She got an A. Inverted in the same episode when Freddie and Carly each do elaborate projects (Carly created an electric scooter, Freddie a large composter) and they both fail, having to go on a [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar root and berry trip with their teacher]].

*** Which was done earlier in ''Simpsons Comics''. RalphWiggum entered the same thing in a school art show. He didn't place.

* Sam on ''{{iCarly}}'' once turned in an orange for a project about environmental efficiency. She got an A. Inverted in the same episode when Freddie and Carly each do elaborate projects (Carly created an electric scooter, Freddie a large composter) and they both fail, having to go on a [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar root and berry trip]] [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean with their teacher]].

When a school project or other work that requires research is ''so'' bad, it's plainly seen that the character didn't even ''try'' to study, or in some cases didn't get a chance to study. Usually they either make up some random and awfully incorrect nonsense or plagarize from the internet within 24 hours of the project being due.

** My favorite ''[[TheSimpsons Simpsons]]'' example, from a Halloween episode:

* The ''LordOfTheRings'' webpage "[[http://flyingmoose.org/tolksarc/homework.htm Your Homework Done For Free]]" is an intentional trap for people who try to rip their book report off the internet. It comprises a completely inaccurate summary of the novels, and a list of suggested report topics that focuses on the bits they've made up.

->'''Bart:''' Hey, I didn't know this park was here.
->'''Lisa:''' You wrote a report on it last week.
->'''Bart:''' The internet wrote it. I just handed it in.
->''TheSimpsons'', "Dial 'N' for Nerder"

* A ''RobotChicken'' skit begins with an elaborate battle between costumed heroes and villains one of whom is called Mockingbird. The skit then cuts to a classroom revealing the whole thing was a kids attempt at a book report on "To Kill a Mockingbird" the teacher sighs, "Couldn't even spring for the Cliff's Notes huh?"

* DaveBarry has a few columns about this. In one, he describes one of his projects as being entitled "The Phases of the Moon", consisting of a styrofoam ball, half of it scribbled black with a pen, on a string. He goes on to say that his fellow students found it amusing to use the ball in their own projects, so he ended up with a big Official Science Fair Project Cardboard and nothing else. His wife's project (Movement of the Waves) was described as a pan of water in which a pen was swished around, causing waves.

examples:

* Pretty much any report Bart has done on TheSimpsons.

* Holden from TheCatcherInTheRye, wrote a hillarious and definitely unresearched exam essay on the Egyptians.

* Sam on {{iCarly}} once turned in an orange for a project about environmental efficiency. She got an A. Inverted in the same episode when Freddie and Carly each do elaborate projects (Carly created an electric scooter, Freddie a large composter) and they both fail, having to go on a [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar root and berry trip]] [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean with their teacher]].

* CalvinAndHobbes: Calvin writes a report about bats in which he calls them bugs and uses a lot of vampire myths. He thinks that having a professional binder will cover up for his lack of research, but it backfires when everyone in the class calls him out for saying bats are bugs.

* {{Arthur}}: Arthur, Buster, and Binky are teamed up for a report on an exhibit at the art museum. Binky is convinced that one of the abstract art pieces was hung sideways and wants to do the report on that. Arthur and Buster think that will make them look like a bunch of idiots. They finally agree to let Binky work on his project while Arthur and Buster do a different exhibit. Only they waste so much time worrying about Binky's project that they forget to write the report and copy it from the museum's brochure. The other kids in the class literally follow along as they read it. [[GeniusDitz They are only saved when Binky's half turns out to involve masses of research, a letter to the artist, and a video of the museum re-hanging the painting in response to his project. ]]

* A RobotChicken skit begins with an elaborate battle between costumed heroes and villains one of whom is called Mockingbird. The skit then cuts to a classroom revealing the whole thing was a kids attempt at a book report on "To Kill a Mockingbird" the teacher sighs, "Couldn't even spring for the Cliff's Notes huh?"

* A young Shawn from {{Psych}} did a book report on CharlottesWeb without reading to the end. Failure ensued.

* WebOriginal: The infamous and awesome HowToKillAMockingbird in its entirety.

* How can we forget almost EVERY report in {{Diary Of A Wimpy Kid}}?

* Played with and subverted in TheTroop: Jake forgot to do his potato clock for school, but Felix didn't. It would obviously be identified as a Felix project if it was perfect, so he "Jaked it up" a little to get Jake a passing grade but not an A.

* Peter has a habit of doing this in ''FoxTrot'', icluding writing an essay on ''MobyDick'' in two and a half hours.

* DaveBarry has a few columns about this. In one, he describes one of his projects as being entitled "The Phases of the Moon", consisting of a styrofoam ball, half of it scribbled black with a pen, on a string. He goes on to say that his fellow students found it amusing to use the ball in their own projects, so he ended up with a big Official Science Fair Project Cardboard and nothing else. His wife's project (Movement of the Waves) was described as a pan of water in which a pen was swished around, causing waves.

** WebOriginal: The infamous and awesome HowToKillAMockingbird in its entirety.