History Main / RockBottom

-->'''Aeryn''': You know we don't have a contingency.
-->'''John''': Eh this'll work. Unless that plant can mutate in 5 minutes - what could go wrong? Damn - I did not just say that...
--> To be fair, the plant didn't actually mutate, but it did break an important part of the ship and destroy the chemical they were supposed to be using to get rid of it. Oops.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' provides the page quote, from the scene in "Owl's Well That Ends Well" after [[spoiler:Spike ran away from home. It gets [[HopeSpot a little better]] when Spike finds a warm cave full of gems, but it gets worse AGAIN when said cave turns out to be owned by a grown dragon; one who doesn't exactly go easy on trespassers.]]

* {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d [[spoiler:and subverted]] in ''GarfieldAndFriends'', "The Incredibly Stupid Swamp Monster": Orson, Booker, and Sheldon run into the weasel, who ties them to a tree and leaves them for the barnyard to nab the chickens. Orson delivers the "Things can't possibly..." version, but Sheldon tells him not to say that, because when people say things like that in cartoon shows, things always get worse. Orson compounds the error by delivering the "How could...?" variation, and Sheldon points in the direction of some rumbling. Cue the titular Incredibly Stupid Swamp Monster (really a robot that keeps spouting random incorrect phrases and which has been covered in swamp stuff from submerging itself in it). [[spoiler:This turns out to be a good thing, however, as the monster undoes the rope (to play jump rope) and stops the weasel (in a scene reminiscent of BugsBunny's [[AndCallHimGeorge Abominable Snowman]]).]]

-->'''Jane''': Things couldn't possibly get any worse...\\
''Thunder clashes, rain begins.''\\

* In ''WebAnimation/{{Arfenhouse}} teh Movie: 2'', Joe gets roped into a game of ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}'' involving corporate logos, and complains "Things can't possibly get any worse!" He is then hit by [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext a nuclear bomb shaped like a bleach bottle]].

* Subverted in ''{{Archer}}'' episode 2-4:

* In the ''DoctorWho'' episode "Cold War", the Doctor says "How could it be any worse?" regarding a MonsterOfTheWeek being loose on a submarine armed with nuclear weapons. Then the submarine, currently perched on a ledge because it can't ascend, starts to slide off (risking a ''literal'' RockBottom).

* In ''AxisPowersHetalia'', England and America, mutual [[{{Tsundere}} tsunderes]], are both stranded on an uninhabited island together. They both end up acting as TheMillstone to each other during their time stuck on the island.

* This is a RunningGag in ''BobAndGeorge''. George even went so far as stop himself and shout "I didn't say it! It doesn't count if I didn't say it!" For the record, [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/050714 it counted]].

* Directly quoted and lampshaded in ''AnsemRetort''. After hearing that Aerith and Namine are being attacked by a werepire and Axel isn't helping, Zexion says "well, at least it can't get any worse". Immediately more werepires show up and Namine yells "Oh, you dickhead!".
* Annabel in ''YetAnotherFantasyGamerComic'' after Glon [[http://yafgc.net/?id=332 abducted]] her as a vengeance for mocking him before he became important.

* In ''{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=3640 when Squidley thinks he's hit rock-bottom]], Baby Blue helpfully points to the FireAndBrimstoneHell and says that's rock bottom, which he hasn't hit. Yet.
* {{Inverted}} In ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' when Zoë first encounters [[KillerRabbit Bun-bun]].
--> Ah, I guess things could be worse... Aw, what a cute bunny!
--> You are in my spot, toots. I'm going to have to hurt you on principle.

** And [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060726 here]], a straight "weirder" example.
* [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/shaenongarrity/narbonic_plus/series.php?view=archive&chapter=33392#128379 This]] ''{{Narbonic}}'' strip.

* ''Webcomic/PvP'' lampshaded it in [[http://www.pvponline.com/comic/2012/08/30/sprung-trope this strip]].

* The usually GenreSavvy Crichton has one of these in the {{Farscape}} episode "Natural Election". The crew has found a way to kill the space plant that is trying to digest Moya; Aeryn and John are tasked with taking care of it.

* The classic example in Creator/MelBrooks' ''YoungFrankenstein'', where Frederick Frankenstein and Igor are digging up a grave, leading to the page-quote above.

->'''Igor:''' Could be worse.
->'''Frederick:''' ''How''?
->'''Igor:''' [[TemptingFate Could be raining.]]
->''([[CueTheRain it immediately begins pouring]])''

* The classic example in Creator/MelBrooks' ''YoungFrankenstein'', where Frederick Frankenstein and Igor are digging up a grave:
-->'''Frederick:''' What a filthy job!\\
'''Igor:''' Could be worse.\\
'''Frederick:''' How?\\
'''Igor:''' [[TemptingFate Could be raining]].\\

->''(it immediately begins pouring)''

* In ''DragonBallAbridged'', Vegeta got his ass kicked by the heroes, he failed to get the Dragon Balls, and lost his tail, but said that it couldn't get any worse than that. [[spoiler: Then he discovers that Nappa's ghost is haunting him.]]

* ''PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' gives us the backstory of one Joe Darke, an executed multiple murderer whose interrogation is at the heart of the first game's fifth case. Apparently, he hit someone with his car. Panicking, he tried to hide the body, only to be encountered by a jogger. He killed the jogger to conceal his vehicular homicide, only to be encountered by a ''second'' witness. He killed that one, too, only to be encountered by a ''third'' witness while hiding the first three bodies! After all this, after being arrested for the four murders, [[spoiler:he gets framed for a '''''fifth''''' murder!]]

* {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in ''Series/{{Stargate SG-1}}'':

* ''The Wizard of Speed and Time'' has some fun with this trope in a sequence where the main character is attempting to film a stop-motion animation sequence in his garage. With wind. And bats. And a monsoon. And an earthquake. Eventually the main character says "or it could be quiet..." at which point the earthquake, monsoon and wind all stop (presumably the bats leave, too, but they're inside by this point).

->'''Spike:''' I'm cold and hungry; tired and lonely; [[TemptingFate could it get any worse]]?\\
''([[DramaticThunder Thunder rumbles]]; [[CueTheRain rapid downpour starts]].)''\\
'''Spike:''' [[DeadpanSnarker I guess that's a yes]].
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', "Owl's Well That Ends Well."

* ''MassEffect'' with Kasumi.
-->'''Kasumi''': Trapped inside a reaper. Could be worse. Don't know how, but... I guess it could be full of rats.

--> You're in my spot, toots. I'm going to have to hurt you on principle.