History Main / NightmareRetardant

* "Fairies Wear Boots" is this in itself, but it gets worse if you picture said fairies [[http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/151008/underpants-gnomes as]] [[http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/103470/coffee this.]]

** The episode "Cow Days" had another deliberate example of this too, with a haunted house that was [[http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/104518 decidedly un-scary.]]

* The [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]] commentary for ''Film/TheIncrediblyStrangeCreatures'' --which definitely ''definitely'' fits here-- was one of the earliest uses of the term "Nightmare Fuel". The earliest was ''Santa Claus'' -- which actually ''was'' pretty scary, but not in the intended scenes.

* YouTuber Creator/TomScott tried to build a "lie detector" based on an [[https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/criminal-confession-skeleton-patent apparently-never-actually-built 1920's patent]]. The device is: a dark room, a skeleton with glowing red eyes, and a spooky amplified voice. As a device for obtaining confessions, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU2hjhw1RCs it fails miserably]]. One of the test subjects admits that the suspense of being in a dark room with an unknown interrogation device almost have convinced them to spill the beans, but as soon as they saw the skeleton, they just felt silly.

** The Imprisoned is a large, menacing monster that haunts Link's nightmares throughout the first part of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword''. But when you finally face the thing in battle, it may be hard not to crack up at its almost cutesy-looking feet with flabby "toes", and the fact that it looks like a giant man-eating pinecone.

** For those unfamiliar with the origin of the name (or even some who are)[[note]] It's derived from the term Copy Pasta, a bastardization of Copy Pasta.[[/note]] the name "creepypasta" is a nightmare retardant itself. If you were trying to explain it to someone not versed in internet culture, there would probably be a moment they would think you are terrified of Italian cooking. It's kind of like if we called horror movies spookysalads.

* Narrowly avoided during shooting of the original ''Film/{{Predator}}''. The original costume had a bulky space suit with a snake-like head sticking out that bounced around like crazy. It was everything the directors did ''not'' want and they demanded a new design after one day.

On the other hand, this effect can be deliberately invoked by the artists. For instance, there can be scenes of horror and of menacing evil, but it can be countered with reassuring images and music as powerful heroes learn of the menace or are otherwise called into action to stop it. Or the work is child friendly and any potentially frightening elements are [[{{Bowdlerise}} Bowdlerised]] to avoid scaring the kids watching.

On the other hand, this effect can be deliberately invoked by the artists. For instance, there can be scenes of horror and of menacing evil, but it can be countered with reassuring images and music as powerful heroes learn of the menace or are otherwise called into action to stop it. Or the work is child friendly and any potentially frightening elements are [[{{Bowdlerise}} Bowdlerised]] [[ThinkOfTheChildren to avoid scaring the kids watching]].

* The first ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' game features a boss fight with [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever giant]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 Ursula]]. The setting is appropriately intimidating, being trapped underwater in a dark, swirling abyss with an enemy a great many times larger than you, but the fear factor is diminished somewhat by Ursula herself. Her eyes follow Sora as he swims around the arena, which is a good effect when it works, but she'll often go cross-eyed or look in two different directions at once when Sora gets close enough to attack. Some players like to take her [[BossBanter repeated taunts of "This won't be pretty!"]] as a warning of incoming derp faces.

On the other hand, this effect can be deliberately invoked by the artists. For instance, there can be scenes of horror and of menacing evil, but it can be countered with reassuring images and music as powerful heroes learn of the menace or are otherwise called into action to stop it. Or the work is child friendly and any potentially frightening elements are [[{{Bowdlerize}} Bowdlerized]] [[ThinkOfTheChildren to avoid scaring the kids watching]].

The polar opposite of NightmareFuel: Something meant to be truly terrifying (or at least somewhat frightening or disturbing) which instead comes off as stupid, laughable, cute, or all of them. As with NightmareFuel, examples will often be subjective; what one may consider this, [[NarmCharm another may still find terrifying as heck]]. Often caused by SpecialEffectsFailure or StockSoundEffects; sometimes, for older titles with now-outdated special effects, it can simply be an example of SeinfeldIsUnfunny. Also often unintentionally invoked when a character looks or sounds like a less frightening character from another work. Of course, when used intentionally, it could be an IntendedAudienceReaction.

* A comic book adaption of ''Literature/WhoGoesThere'' (the same story that ''Film/TheThing1982'' was based on) showed what the monster's original form looked like. It looked a goofy fuzzy green humanoid with stringy white hair and three bulging red eyes. A character in the comic said [[{{Narm}} "It looks like pure evil!"]]. [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] in his review of the comic burst out laughing when he saw this and said it look like a rejected [[Franchise/TheMuppets Muppet]] or a little green man from ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' wearing a wig. In later episodes an [[AdorableAbomination adorable]] plushy based on it can be seen on the shelf behind Linkara.

On the other hand, this effect can be deliberately invoked by the artists. For instance, there can be scenes of horror and of menacing evil, but it can be countered with reassuring images and music as powerful heroes learn of the menace or are otherwise called into action to stop it.

** A lot of characters who may have once been terrifying have been turned to jokes due to overexposure and a fandom developing around them. The aforementioned Jeff the Killer was a mediocre story in the first place, but good luck ''ever'' taking him seriously again after finding out there's a [[DistaffCounterpart Jane the Killer]], and countless others, each one more [[MarySue Sue-ish]] than the last.

* [[http://wwwrunningwonthelp-lya.blogspot.com/ H(a)unting]] is a blog about three people and their encounters with [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos Slender Man]], who is one of the most genuinely creepy mythos creatures out there, particularly considering his origin - with the Rake and a second Slender-creature known as //IT// showing up later - and the Rake is essentially the main character's dog, Slenderman gives her candy for winning a Pokemon tournament and brings her a flashlight during a storm, and can not only be beaten up by her but by her pet chicken too. Oh, and she's conveniently immune to Slendy and the Rake's powers and is special in almost every way. MarySue much? In any case, you simply cannot be afraid of a Slenderman who is afraid of a silkie chicken, brings frightened girls flashlights, and gives people Reeses candy for winning a video game tournament.

* "K-fee", a German brand of coffee, had a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFsiSxDKgKM TV advertising campaign]] with several adverts featuring several peaceful and tranquil locations... until the peace is broken at the last second when a [[JumpScare zombie or gargoyle suddenly pops up from nowhere and lets out a loud, monstrous scream]].[[note]]The campaign's tagline was "Ever been so wide awake?"[[/note]] In the following year, however, parodies of three of the adverts were made to promote the new "K-fee Lite", which had men in silly costumes popping up at the end instead of the more realistic zombie or gargoyle screaming. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI-vH5RVg5M car parody]] had a man in a girly outfit slowly rising up and saying "Boo" in a casual voice. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLcr57NLmDw sunset beach parody]] featured a man in a teddy bear costume also saying "Boo", and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QSXy4CRjUs golf parody]] features a man in a sort of demon costume making a silly roaring noise, with the top part of his head and antennas visible throughout the advert before he actually pops up.

** Orochimaru is introduced as a thoroughly creepy character: eating people's faces off and taking on the role of an already creepy woman (?) and first making himself known by picking up a kunai knife with his ''tongue'' and talking about bloodlust because he lost some hair... which all comes into perspective after the Internet "outed" him as gay. His otherwise creepy Body Transfer Technique loses its scary appeal entirely when [[http://mangafox.me/manga/naruto/v38/c345/10.html inside it]]. That tongue. ''His expression''.

* For many, TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt falls into this due to people at least annually announcing the end is near. There are even [[http://www.geocities.com/Athens/oracle/9941/ sites]] [[http://qntm.org/?board dedicated]] to mocking this phenomenon.

** Even ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}'', which ''is'' one of the good Bluth movies, has some of this. "In the Dark of the Night" is a solid VillainSong, and Rasputin ''himself'' is scary, but nothing ''else'' scary is going on; the visuals for the song are mostly dancing bugs.

** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E6TheTalonsOfWengChiang The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]" has a subplot about a giant rat in the sewers of nineteenth-century London. The effect was achieved by [[{{Slurpasaur}} filming an ordinary rat in a scale model of the sewer]] and intercutting it with reaction shots of the actors in the life-sized sewer set. We're already into {{Narm}} and SpecialEffectsFailure territory, but there's more. To complete the illusion, a nearly immobile life-sized giant rat was built. It looks jarringly different from the real rat and is the exact opposite of threatening. This trope is in fullest effect in the cliffhanger where the camera dramatically zooms in to the cute rat plushie while the tense music reaches a crescendo.

** "Woodland Critter Christmas" has the newly-born Anti-Christ, who looks like a hairless rat with horns and makes hig-pitched gibberish sounds. It's killed when Santa Claus whacks it with a hammer.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Trolls}}'': Although Chef is aleadry despicable-looking by herself, the movie makes some bland attempts to always make her appear scary whenever she shows up, especially it comes to the stereotypical storm and EvilLaugh, both of which happen when she speaks to the kidnapped Snack Pack members about her intention to overthrow Gristle.

[[folder:Films — Animated]]

* [[WesternAnimation/Pingu]]; despite being [[NightmareFuel the highlight for the infamy surrounding]] ''Pingu's Dream'', the walrus' laughter/chuckle isn't that hard to remind of [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Dr. Hibbert]].

* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WesternAnimation/Pingu]] despite being [[NightmareFuel the highlight for the infamy surrounding]] ''Pingu's Dream'', the walrus' laughter/chuckle isn't that hard to remind of [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Dr. Hibbert]].

* ''WesternAnimation/Pingu'' despite being [[NightmareFuel the highlight for the infamy surrounding]] ''Pingu's Dream'', the walrus' laughter/chuckle isn't that hard to remind of [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Dr. Hibbert]].

* Nemesis from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis'' is supposed to be a terrifying ImplacableMan who chases the player unceasingly around Raccoon City and can never be stopped for very long. Thing is, while he's frustrating to kill, it's [[HumiliationConga relatively simple to kick his ass every time he shows up.]] After a while, you almost start to feel sorry for the [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain big old moron.]]
** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJYvCHm3Ov4 "Mansion Basement" theme]] from the soundtrack for the [[UpdatedRerelease DualShock]] version of [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil1 the first game]] tries to sound ominous, but instead sounds like someone playing a trombone while drunk.

* "K-fee", a German brand of coffee, had a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLicfr1AYfo TV advertising campaign]] with several adverts featuring several peaceful and tranquil locations... until the peace is broken at the last second when a [[JumpScare zombie or gargoyle suddenly pops up from nowhere and lets out a loud, monstrous scream]]. In the following year, however, parodies of three of the adverts were made to promote the new "K-fee Lite", which had men in silly costumes popping up at the end instead of the more realistic zombie or gargoyle screaming. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI-vH5RVg5M car parody]] had a man in a girly outfit slowly rising up and saying "Boo" in a casual voice. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLcr57NLmDw sunset beach parody]] featured a man in a teddy bear costume also saying "Boo", and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QSXy4CRjUs golf parody]] features a man in a sort of demon costume making a silly roaring noise, with the top part of his head and antennas visible throughout the advert before he actually pops up.

* Creator/RalphBakshi's animated adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/TheLordOfTheRings'' suffers this during the scene where Gandalf and his companions are in the mines of Moria being attacked by goblins. Suddenly a fearsome roar is heard, the frightened goblins cease their attack, and the crowd parts to reveal the Balrog, a fiery demon that...looks like a bipedal Chow Chow with butterfly wings. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kylnv0eTsGc No, seriously.]] This is especially interesting to consider in light of the fact that this film's depiction of the Balrog turned one of Tolkien's most fearsome creations into a total joke, for the Orcs it did the exact opposite: turning Sauron's mooks into a hellish red vision of faceless, rotoscoped shadow people, accompanied by [[HellIsThatNoise demonic chanting and a frantic, discordant trumpet blare.]]