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| 4 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks! |
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| 8 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1497564870067852100 |
| 9 | %% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread. |
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| 11 | [[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/{{Brave}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_bravebear.png]]]] |
| 12 | [[caption-width-right:350:''He murders in the mountains and fights with ev'ry clan\ |
| 13 | His teeth and jowls have ripped many a highland man!'']] |
| 14 | %% |
| 15 | ->''"Just so you know... I don't feel mercy or sympathy. Cuz I'm a bear, after all."'' |
| 16 | -->-- '''Monokuma''', ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'' |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Want to [[FromBadToWorse make a bad situation worse]]? Add a bear! |
| 19 | |
| 20 | Just as [[SillySimian monkeys]] are used to make something funnier, bears have a knack for scaring the crap out of everyone. Polar and brown bears are the largest extant land-based predators in the world, with a penchant for aggressive behavior, so it's easy to see why.[[note]]Polar bears, the largest of bear species, can weigh up to ''1,500 pounds (680 kg)'' and have been known to hunt walruses and beluga whales.[[/note]] Because of this, throwing a bear into a scene is the best way to let the audience know that our heroes [[FromBadToWorse have gone beyond rock bottom]] and are now totally screwed. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | In many a film and television show, our heroes will quite often find themselves cooped up in a cabin as a killer bear is just outside, trying to get in. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | This can sometimes be TruthInTelevision. Being between [[CubCuesProtectiveParent a mama bear and her cub]] has been justly described as the most dangerous place on earth, but any number of bears can be very dangerous indeed. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | Another issue is that bears are very intelligent (often regarded as being very close to chimpanzees) and they actually have individual personalities. This adds to their unpredictability, as how a bear reacts to a certain situation will entirely depend on both the bear itself and the mood it's in at the time. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | Bears have such a long history of scaring the [[{{Pun}} Pooh]] out of human beings that most of the names we've ever given them are derived from [[FluffyTheTerrible conciliatory euphemisms]], as part of an old taboo against [[SpeakOfTheDevil naming something so dangerous]]. The English word 'bear' originally meant "brown one", and the Slavic word ''medved'' originally meant "honey eater." Even the original [[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfEnglish Proto-Indo-European]] word [[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂ŕ̥tḱos was related to the word for "destruction",]] proving [[OlderThanDirt just how ancient]] this particular PrimalFear is. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | Incidentally, this same fear has also inspired great respect, as such, a great way to raise the credentials of any badass, villain, or AntiHero if you give them [[TheBeastMaster a bear]]. Especially as a mount, because there's nothing cooler than riding a bear... except maybe a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot robot bear]] or [[RaisingTheSteaks zombie bear]], or a [[ElementalPowers bear made of fire or ice]]... |
| 31 | |
| 32 | UrsineAliens can also invoke this. |
| 33 | |
| 34 | [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Do not confuse this with]] ''Film/TheBadNewsBears'' (the {{Trope Namer|s}}, though [[ThisIndexIsNotAnExample not an example]]), with the BearerOfBadNews, with TheBear, which is about a big hairy ManlyGay guy, or with ExitPursuedByABear, though that trope's name is an example of this trope. In the LandDownUnder, you should watch out for [[YowiesAndBunyipsAndDropBearsOhMy drop bears]], though those are supposedly carnivorous koalas rather than actual bears -- but even real koalas can be [[KillerRabbit plenty dangerous in their own right]], being UsefulNotes/AustralianWildlife and all. MamaBear may be related but is usually metaphorical. |
| 35 | |
| 36 | For animals that tend to get a similar treatment, see SavageWolves, CruelElephant, RhinoRampage, ManiacMonkeys (and KillerGorilla), ThreateningShark, and ReptilesAreAbhorrent (and NeverSmileAtACrocodile). Often a SuperTrope to FightingPanda, for when pandas are portrayed as martial artists capable of kicking ass. |
| 37 | |
| 38 | Contrast with BearyFunny and BearyFriendly, which are about more positive depictions of bears. |
| 39 | |
| 40 | ---- |
| 41 | !!Example subpages: |
| 42 | |
| 43 | [[index]] |
| 44 | * BearsAreBadNews/AnimeAndManga |
| 45 | * [[BearsAreBadNews/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]] |
| 46 | * BearsAreBadNews/{{Literature}} |
| 47 | * BearsAreBadNews/LiveActionTV |
| 48 | * BearsAreBadNews/TabletopGames |
| 49 | * BearsAreBadNews/VideoGames |
| 50 | * BearsAreBadNews/WesternAnimation |
| 51 | [[/index]] |
| 52 | |
| 53 | !!Other examples: |
| 54 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 55 | |
| 56 | [[folder:Advertising]] |
| 57 | * According to the Boston Bruins hockey team, if you do not follow the unwritten rules and etiquette of being a hockey fan, a giant bear ''will'' find you and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRDuNwXeOzE kick]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwchenZolCE your]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7YAfb1Yrbc ass]]. And when it's done doing that, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Vn35Ybr90 it will dance.]] The bear has since become the team's commercial mascot, as it has been shown [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZGp8i6fBE4 promoting new jerseys]], rallying fans for a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZGp8i6fBE4 new]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U17OEcbSPkg season,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOPjs6U4C_A celebrating Christmas]] and doing [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHALHEqnQRw a little exercise.]] But it still finds time [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7P9xU_09Ko to]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cr89xbl26g punish]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewUXalRDcgc those]] who violate good hockey fan behavior. |
| 58 | * Australian rum brand Bundaberg Rum features a polar bear as its mascot, the Bundy Bear, who prominently features in their advertising. Things do tend to be worse with "Bundy" around, but that's got more to do with how he's an enormous {{Troll}} to tourists. |
| 59 | * A Capri-Sun commercial has a kid beating a giant cyborg bear with the straw from his pouch. |
| 60 | * Is it any wonder that Sugar Bear is one of the few cereal mascots who successfully runs off anyone who tries to take his Golden Crisp as opposed to all the other sorry saps like Lucky the Leprechaun and [[Advertising/TrixRabbit the Trix Rabbit]]? |
| 61 | ** During the sugar-is-now-evil transition from Super Sugar Crisp to Super Golden Crisp in the 1980s, Sugar Bear could turn himself into Super Bear. Super Bear was a realistic-looking grizzly bear with no traces of cuddliness whatsoever. Eventually, Post figured out that a scary carnivore might not be the best mascot for a children's cereal, and the concept was dropped. ''Webcomic/BreakfastOfTheGods'' takes advantage of that brief time that Super Bear was scary. |
| 62 | ** In the early '60s, when Sugar Bear became a sweater-wearing hipster, his TV ads showed him barging into sweet old Granny's house and stealing her cereal. A thieving nuisance, [[BearyFriendly but at least he was mellow and good-natured]]. |
| 63 | * An ad for Hotels dot com has a family lost in some woods, and the father wandering outside the car briefly, before a bear seen briefly in the background chases him back and forth. In the end, though, he just winds up, inexplicably, with just a broken arm as a result of the encounter. |
| 64 | * UsefulNotes/McDonalds is apparently so delicious that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKS4cfjRQ20 even bears will attack your car for it.]] In one memorable commercial, the Hamburglar planned to scare Ronald and the others out of their cheeseburgers with a bear costume, but they were onto him; they planned to humor him for a while, but unfortunately, a ''real'' bear came along first, who they mistook for him. Suffice to say, hilarity ensued. |
| 65 | * Advertising/{{Orangina}} has a dancing bear for its [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck14LKBI9GM commercial]] who is about to attack a doe... until he sees the doe drinking Orangina! |
| 66 | * [[TemptingFate How could a]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6iHCFiSqIw Panda Bear be evil?]] [[Advertising/NeverSayNoToPanda If you don't say "no" to its Panda Cheese, you're doomed.]] |
| 67 | * ''Advertising/BiggieBear'' of the "Parents For Responsible Viewing" [=PSAs=]. Doesn't get any more bad than [[SubvertedKidsShow pretending to be good]], then committing murder, drug supplying, and rape. |
| 68 | * An old Pepsi commercial had five bears emerging from the wilderness to terrorize a small town by spelling out "Pepsi" in a distinctly "YMCA"-style dance. After the townspeople fearfully comply with the beasts' request, a man remarks, "Heaven help us if they ever learn the Macarena." Coca-Cola, on the other hand, is famous for its commercials with lovable, cute polar bears. A serious subversion. |
| 69 | * An ad for Safe Auto insurance lampoons other insurance company mascots as an obnoxious bear that goes around from car to car terrorizing people, growling at them to "Switch and Save!" You can see him in action [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNwBnagDEzU here]]. |
| 70 | * Want someone to bully campers into putting out their fires? Say hello to Smokey Bear! An {{aver|tedTrope}}sion to the trope, actually, since Smokey is, in fact, a wise, friendly bear, but woe upon anyone who tries to destroy forests in his presence! |
| 71 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3393O1uD_w8 This bear working in the movie business]] is almost a [[BearyFunny subversion]], weren't it for the [[PrimaDonnaDirector occasional tantrum]]. Also, he seems to be very fond of StuffBlowingUp. |
| 72 | * An entry in the Allstate Insurance "Mayhem" ads has Mayhem as one of these. Papa Bear woke up from the "best hibernation of my life" with an empty stomach and spots the cooler in parked car. Bear trashes the car and chows down. |
| 73 | * A State Farm Insurance ad in the same vein is BasedOnATrueStory. A client called State Farm to make a report of a bear breaking into the garage and helping themselves to the contents of the freezer located in said garage. |
| 74 | [[/folder]] |
| 75 | |
| 76 | [[folder:Art]] |
| 77 | * Edwin Landseer's ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_Proposes,_God_Disposes Man Proposes, God Disposes]]'' shows a pair of hungry polar bears viciously scavenging the wreckage of the ill-fated [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin%27s_lost_expedition John Franklin expedition from 1845]]. If the painting itself wasn't nightmarish enough on its own, there's [[SpookyPainting a handful of superstitions and urban legends surrounding it]], which claim that whoever stares at it for too long will be driven to madness, and students of the Royal Holloway, University of London, where the painting is currently hung, believe it gives bad luck to them and can [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking cause them to fail at exams.]] |
| 78 | [[/folder]] |
| 79 | |
| 80 | [[folder:Asian Animation]] |
| 81 | * ''Animation/BoonieBears'': Downplayed. While the eponymous bears do have a tendency to mess with Logger Vick, it's only in relation to his job as a woodcutter since the bears don't want their forest destroyed. The bears are actually on decent terms with Logger Vick otherwise and would never outright attack him. |
| 82 | * ''Animation/HappyHeroes'': In episode 10, a bear attacks Big M. and makes off with his bread. It comes back at the end of the episode, this time going after his fish. |
| 83 | * ''Animation/{{Lamput}}'': In "Skinny Monster", Fat Doc tries to get the attention of a creature he thinks is Slim Doc as a monster. Slim Doc comes back a few seconds later and demonstrates his monster potion has worn off; the creature Fat Doc poked turns out to be a bear and chases the two for having pestered it. |
| 84 | * ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'': It's a RunningGag that Wolffy has a tendency to be attacked or otherwise bothered by bears. |
| 85 | [[/folder]] |
| 86 | |
| 87 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 88 | * ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'' had an ongoing strip about Shako, a polar bear VillainProtagonist supposedly inspired by the shark in ''Jaws'', thus neatly combining the worst aspects of both bears and sharks. |
| 89 | * ''ComicBook/{{Blacksad}}'': One graphic novel has an (anthropomorphic) polar bear heading the "Arctic Nation", a [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Nazi/KKK fusion]] white-fur supremacy group. The leader was undercover and is the chief of police. In the first album, one of Statoc's enforcers is a brown bear that beat Blacksad to a pulp with his Rhino partner. |
| 90 | * ''ComicBook/{{Extinctioners}}'': Harvest (real name Sindi Ursulus), an anthro bear with the ability to control plant life, is one of the hybrids in the story working for the human invaders. Her bio also mentions that due to her fathers dictatorship status in her home country, it would be an understatement to say she grew up spoiled. |
| 91 | * ''ComicBook/TheFrankensteinMonster'': In the tenth day after his creation, the Monster is confronted by a bear in the woods, whom he kills and uses its pelt to create his signature vest. |
| 92 | * ''ComicBook/TheFurtherAdventuresOfIndianaJones'': In #22, Indy is captured by Ben Ali Ayoob who releases him in the courtyard of his castle to fight an enraged grizzly bear unarmed. |
| 93 | * ''ComicBook/TheHerderWitch'': While passing through Blossomville, a bear gets loose and goes on the rampage. Thankfully, fellow witch Padora is there to freeze it in ice and then capture it inside a magical container. |
| 94 | * ''ComicBook/JonahHex'': In #50 (original series), Jonah is forced to take shelter in a cave during a blizzard. The cave is already occupied by a grizzly bear which attacks him. With his rifle out of action, he is forced to kill the bear with his knife. The bear manages to mangle his face some more in the process. |
| 95 | * ''ComicBook/JuniorBravesOfTheApocalypse'': The Junior Braves encounter a zombified bear while hiking through the woods. This is their first introduction to the fact that animals are just as vulnerable to the virus as humans. |
| 96 | * ''ComicBook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'': In the second volume, one of [[Literature/TheIslandOfDoctorMoreau Dr. Moreau]]'s creations is H-9, who happens to be a more ferocious take on the title character of ''ComicStrip/RupertBear''. H-9 is shown to be very ill-tempered and even tried to assault Allan Quatermain and Mina Murray. |
| 97 | * ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies'': A zombie bear (Ursa Major, of the Russian Avengers) appears. It bites down on Machine Man's head where he impales it with spikes and rips it apart. Hell, you wouldn't want to get on Ursa Major's bad side in actual Marvel continuity either, even if he ''is'' a good guy. He's pretty tough. In fact, he's pretty tough [[HuskyRusskie even in human form.]] |
| 98 | * ''ComicBook/NewMutants'': The archenemy of Dani Moonstar is [[https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f0/60/47/f060470c6995fc904cfeb5151ce7b5af.jpg the Demon Bear]], a gigantic spectral bear who steals souls and seemed to have killed her parents. |
| 99 | * ''ComicBook/PrideOfBaghdad'': Fajer is a monstrous black bear, and the most morally black character in the comic. |
| 100 | * ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'': In the ''ComicBook/ThePunisherWelcomeBackFrank'' story arc, the Punisher falls into a polar bear enclosure at a zoo. Hearing the bad guy mooks in pursuit, Frank punches the nearest bear. He escapes, and the enraged bear attacks the bad guys. The finale includes Frank throwing the big bad into the bear pit and letting the bears chew her arms and legs off. |
| 101 | * ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs'': In "Bathing Smurfs", Gargamel deals with a bear chasing him through the forest, which leads to his accidentally finding the Smurf Village. He later encounters the same bear who eats up his TrailOfBreadCrumbs (cherries that he left so he could find his way back to the Smurf Village) and gets into a fight with it, getting bruised in the process. |
| 102 | * ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': |
| 103 | ** ''ComicBook/AMindSwitchInTime'': A grizzly bear attacks two campers in the Smallville woods. Fortunately, ComicBook/{{Superboy}} arrives and shakes the bear off before sending it stumbling back into the brush. |
| 104 | ** ''ComicBook/SupermanSupergirlMaelstrom'': Kal-El and [[Characters/SupergirlTheCharacter Kara Zor-El]] are exploring an alien jungle where they have no powers. As wading through a river, Superman is ambushed by a leaping blue bear-like creature and shoved into the running waters. |
| 105 | * ''ComicBook/Thor2014'': A OneSceneWonder in Jason Aaron's ''Thor'' run post ''ComicBook/{{Secret Wars|2015}}'' was a ''ComicBook/GhostRider'' [[http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix6/russianbeargr1.jpg riding a Bear]] instead of a vehicle. The baddest news bears if there ever was one. |
| 106 | * ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'': Tintin has an unfortunate encounter with bears in ''Destination Moon''. At first, he is covered with cuddly bear cubs who want to get their paws on his lunch (sandwiches with honey), but he goes OhCrap when he sees the mean-looking parents coming. |
| 107 | * ''ComicBook/{{Tomahawk}}'': The first time Tomahawk meets his future wife [[IndianMaiden Moon Fawn]], he has to save her from a bear attack as she is [[OutdoorBathPeeping bathing in a creek]]. He succeeds in killing the bear using only his tomahawk. |
| 108 | * ''ComicBook/TraggAndTheSkyGods'': In #9, Tragg and his tribe move into a new set of caves on the coast. However, the caves are already occupied by a cave bear that attacks them. |
| 109 | * In a story by Creator/WilhelmBusch, a bear eats the donkey of Saint Anthony, but Anthony makes the bear carry him instead. |
| 110 | [[/folder]] |
| 111 | |
| 112 | [[folder:Comic Strips]] |
| 113 | * ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' has a StoryArc where Calvin decides to run away from home with Hobbes because he tried to push the car out of the garage and it accidentally rolled into a ditch. Walking through the woods, they think they hear something big crashing through the brush, and climb a tree out of fear that it's a bear: |
| 114 | -->'''Calvin''': There it is! The bear's coming out of the brush! Oh no! It looks like it's on its hind legs! Bears stand up only when they're really mad!!\ |
| 115 | '''Hobbes''': Wait, that's not a bear. That's your mom!\ |
| 116 | '''Calvin''': ''AAUGHH!'' EVEN WORSE! CLIMB HIGHER! CLIMB HIGHER! |
| 117 | * There's a ''[[ComicStrip/TheFarSide Far Side]]'' cartoon in which a bar fight is happening in an old Western saloon. From the speed at which people are running out the door/being thrown through the window, it's implicit that there's a pretty tough guy inside. Well, his bear is parked outside among the horses. |
| 118 | ** Gary Larson actually did this a few times. Another example can be summarized by quoting the caption. Two bear hunters are examining the gruesome fate of a third, and one of them says: |
| 119 | -->There he is, just like all the others. [[TheHunterBecomesTheHunted Tied up with his own shotgun, hunting license stuffed in his mouth.]] I want this bear, Dave. I want him bad. |
| 120 | ** In one strip a [[ThreateningShark shark]] tricks a bunch of beach-goers into the water [[InvokedTrope by shouting "Bear! Bear!"]] |
| 121 | ** In another one, the well-known fact that female bears are [[MamaBear fiercely protective of their offspring]] was lampooned, where the cartoon had a tired office worker absentmindedly stepping into an elevator between a mother grizzly and her cub. (She seemed docile in the scene as shown, but according to the caption, what was about to happen would not be pleasant.) |
| 122 | ** Another one has two boys playing catch with what appears to be a teddy bear... |
| 123 | -->And no one ever heard from the Anderson Brothers again. |
| 124 | ** Another has two bears observing some picnickers, and one says to the other: |
| 125 | -->"C'mon Look at these fangs! Look at these claws! You think we're supposed to eat just honey and berries" |
| 126 | * ComicStrip/{{Garfield}} tends to have trouble with bears on Jon's {{Horrible Camping Trip}}s; one of the worst (which provides the current image for MistakenIdentity) was when he found what he ''thought'' was his teddy bear Pooky away from the campsite, only to find the real Pooky and a ''very'' [[MamaBear angry bear]] there. "Momma!" cries the -- real -- bear cub he's holding. |
| 127 | * A recurring storyline in ''ComicStrip/NonSequitur'' is "Homer the Reluctant Soul" which involves Homer's numerous lives and rebirths; many of them end at the hands of a bear; at the end of one of his lives, it revealed that this is actually the same bear, whom he has met in ''the bear's'' numerous lives. (Its name in the afterlife is Maurice; when he confronts it there, it simply says, "Right, like the food chain is ''my'' fault?") |
| 128 | * ''ComicStrip/RhymesWithOrange'' has a strip set in an office building. There's a live bear in a display case with the case labeled, "To put your emergency in perspective, break glass." |
| 129 | [[/folder]] |
| 130 | |
| 131 | [[folder:Fairy Tales]] |
| 132 | * In "Literature/TheBrownBearOfTheGreenGlen", John's first impression; it has to threaten him to get him out of the tree. |
| 133 | * "Literature/TheCatOnTheDovrefell": The traveler's white bear chases a huge pack of trolls out of the farm when one of them disrupts its sleep. |
| 134 | * "Literature/{{Goldilocks}}": They were bad news for a girl who was dumb enough to break into the house of three bears, damage the furniture, and then ''[[TooDumbToLive take a nap]]'' there until they came back. |
| 135 | * "Literature/{{Kolobok}}": A starving wild bear tries to devour the main character. |
| 136 | * In the folk tale of ''Masha and the Bear'', a young girl has to outwit a bullying bear who's press-ganged her into becoming his servant [[DisproportionateRetribution for taking shelter in his house while he was out]]. |
| 137 | * In one Appalachian folk tale, a grandmother sends her grandson to buy baking soda. The boy buys the baking soda, but on the way home, he has to cross a bridge [[TrollBridge under which a bear lives.]] The bear eats the boy. Every time a member of the family goes to see what happened to the boy, they too run into the bear and get eaten. Finally, the family's pet squirrel is the only one left, and he also comes across the bear. Before the bear can eat him, [[DavidVersusGoliath the squirrel outsmarts the bear]] and the bear coughs up the humans. |
| 138 | [[/folder]] |
| 139 | |
| 140 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 141 | * ''Fanfic/ANewProblem'': Going from where the finale of ''WesternAnimation/TheProblemSolverz'' left off, the bear attacked Horace and Roba. |
| 142 | %%* ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesIIIDoubleTrouble'': Calvin sets up a trap for Chill that exploits this. |
| 143 | * ''[[http://www.tbillingsemergencyfanfic.com/closerthanabrother.htm Closer Than a Brother]]'': John Gage gets clawed by a bear on a HorribleCampingTrip. Since they don't have their usual paramedic equipment, Roy has to keep John alive until they can get help. |
| 144 | * ''Fanfic/CourtneysCrusadeForRedemption'': Courtney's opponent in the boxing challenge is the series' recurring bear. [[ActionGirl She wins.]] |
| 145 | * ''Fanfic/DiscordsNewBusiness'': In Trixie's chapter, an [[CelestialBody Ursa Major]] appears, one that's [[MamaBear rather]] [[UnstoppableRage vexed]] by Flim and Flam accidentally [[TooDumbToLive hurting its cub.]] |
| 146 | * ''Fanfic/TheDragonAndTheBow'': The Vendal are a malicious BarbarianTribe led by Mor'du the Demon Bear. They're not actually bears, but they wear bear pelts, wield weapons tipped with bear claws, and kill people in a manner similar to bears. Mor'du himself is the most dangerous of the bunch, [[spoiler: especially because he's the ChildByRape of [[SolitarySorceress Hilde the Witch]] and [[DragonsAreDemonic the Red Death]]. In this case, Half-Dragons Named After Bears Are Bad News?]] |
| 147 | * ''Fanfic/{{Eleutherophobia}}'': Rachel's first two physical appearances in the series involve her trying to kill [[SparedByTheAdaptation Tom]] while in bear morph. In ''The Day the Earth Stood Sitll'', Tom compares [[NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow her slamming into his body to a sledgehammer hitting a watermelon]]; and in ''Escape from L.A.'', she has a "shoot first, ask questions later" attitude as she pursues him through the sewers. |
| 148 | * ''Fanfic/EquestriaGirlsDinosapien'': Played with realistically where a grizzly menaces Maia and Sandalwood on account being a literal MamaBear trying to intimidate them away after Sandalwood accidentally spooks the cub going for his trail food. She and Eno square off briefly but, aside from a light tackle from Eno, they don't physically fight and just back off. |
| 149 | * ''Fanfic/ForumOfThrones'': The cruel leader of a bandit clan calls himself Bear and wears a helmet shaped like a bears head, paired with knives embedded in the fingers of his gloves, to emulate claws. Surely enough, he is bad news whenever he shows up. |
| 150 | * ''Fanfic/HalfLifeFullLifeConsequences'': [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4988255/1/Halflife_Fulllife_Consequences_Free_Man John Freeman]] got quiet then dropped weapon and said "I have to kill fast and bullets too slow" and started killing Combines with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULWgEnnmcv4 bear hands.]] |
| 151 | * ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone: The Soft World'': George is interviewed for the Guardians by Bayr, a big, hairy man who can turn into a 12-foot-tall grizzly bear. He does this to show off in front of George, not knowing that [[VoluntaryShapeshifting George can turn into a 50-foot dragon]] and is ''so'' not impressed (though he does ''pretend'' to be impressed). |
| 152 | * ''Fanfic/LittleHandsBigAttitude'': Shadow is more concered about running into a bear in the woods than being caught by GUN Agents. Granted, those agents are [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy so incompetent]] that Shadow's honestly wondering if they're disguised Bigfoot hunters. |
| 153 | * ''Fanfic/MustLoveNedFlanders'': [[AuthorAvatar Naomi]] gets chased by a bear in Alaska. |
| 154 | * ''Fanfic/TheNightmareHouse'': [[WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse Lisa Loud]] has a nightmare about an evil ''teddy'' bear who treats her like a baby and spanks her. |
| 155 | * ''Fanfic/{{Paradise}}'': An Ursa Major passes by in the Unicorn territory, causing the whole herd to go into RedAlert mode. |
| 156 | * ''Fanfic/APikachuInLove'': An Ursaring shows up in the later chapters and [[spoiler: nearly beats both Pikachu and Pichi to death. (Pikachu was too exhausted at the time from staying up all night to put up a good fight.) Though, granted, they did crash into his den unannounced by accident..]]. |
| 157 | * ''Fanfic/PrehistoricEarth'': Baloo the cave bear can be surprisingly friendly and affable for the most part despite his tough and grizzled appearance. However, that still doesn't change the fact that he's an utterly massive bear with incredible strength, viciously sharp teeth, and equally viciously sharp claws. And God help you if you're stupid enough to harm or threaten his primary caretakers Will and Alice in front of him. |
| 158 | * ''Fanfic/PrehistoricParkReimagined'': Smokey the ''Arctodus'' proves a quite vicious force to be reckoned with, first getting introduced on the clear winning end of a CurbStompBattle against [[PantheraAwesome Diego the]] ''[[PantheraAwesome Smilodon]]'' and still proving fairly gruff and aloof when he's later seen amongst the animals rescued and living at the titular park (to the point that even the other ''Arctodus'' rescued don't want to risk pissing him off). [[spoiler:And that's without taking into account how both he ''and'' the park's usual poster boy for BearyFriendly Kronk the ''Arctotherium'' become quite horrifyingly more aggressive than normal when under the effects of [[HatePlague a mysterious unnatural aggression and rage inducing virus]]]]. Much like with his counterpart in ''Prehistoric Earth'', God help you if you piss off the usually BearyFriendly cave bear Baloo. |
| 159 | * ''Fanfic/RealityCollidesTheEzekielChronicles'': A bear attacks the Killer Bass during The Sucky Outdoors. Even with Ezekiel, Duncan, and Eva working together, the bear shrugs off every injury it takes. It also causes Eva to suffer a broken leg, eliminating her from the game. |
| 160 | * ''Fanfic/TheRavensPlan'' has [[spoiler:Bran]] warging into a bear and mauling [[spoiler:Ramsay]] to death. |
| 161 | * ''Fanfic/ATeachersGlory'': Technically, the Drop Bears are giant arboreal carnivorous sloths, but they are still creatures even jonin prefer to avoid when they can. |
| 162 | * ''Fanfic/{{Vigil}}'': Among the many {{Uplifted Animal}}s humanity has created are bears. Some of them joined XCOM, resulting in giant, PowerArmor-clad humanoid bear soldiers with plasma cannons. |
| 163 | [[/folder]] |
| 164 | |
| 165 | [[folder:Films -- Animated]] |
| 166 | * ''WesternAnimation/The3LittlePigsTheMovie'': Played with; the first bear we see is friendly, and quietly helps Feeno make mortar for brick-laying. The next bears we see are some of the dinner guests at the inn. One is fairly passive, and asks for a jar of honey, only to be thrown out by his fellow patrons for not requesting meat. The rest of the bears play the trope straight, and are just as rowdy as the other guests, slamming their fists on tables, and later along with the rest of the guests, [[spoiler: trashing the place in a riot]]. |
| 167 | * ''WesternAnimation/AlphaAndOmega'': Downplayed. Several bears threaten Humphrey and Kate due to Humphrey accidentally making a cub cry, but they're defeated by the wolves. Subverted in the sequel ''A Howl-iday Adventure''. Fearing that they might experience a repeat of what happened in the first film, Humphrey initially refuses to help a lost bear cub before doing so. [[spoiler:But at the film's climax, the bear cub actually gets his mother and their fellow bears to effectively use this trope to defeat [[BigBad King]] and his rogue wolves and force them into retreating.]] |
| 168 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Balto}}'' features a fight with a bear near the beginning of Balto's journey to find the medicine, and the bear is portrayed as outright ''demonic''. It's only defeated by falling through the ice and drowning. |
| 169 | ** This carries over to the sequel, where Balto and Aleu fight a bear. Thanks to his embodiment of an animal totem, he comes across as more of a spirit guide, but he's still fairly menacing and seems to believe ScareEmStraight is the best way to guide them. |
| 170 | ** Even though they are cubs and thus good the polar bears Muk and Luk spell this trope for their babysitter, "Uncle" Boris (who at one point says "I hate bears!"). Good thing that they apparently are stuck as cubs forever (if the time between the movie and sequels is of any indication). |
| 171 | * ''WesternAnimation/BillyAndMandysBigBoogeyAdventure'': Horror's Hand reveals that Irwin's worst fear is having to tell jokes to bears, which causes an entire nightclub where the guests are angry grizzlies to spawn, with poor Irwin as a comedian. Naturally, Irwin fails to entertain the ursids and they all promptly gang up on him and maul him alive. [[spoiler: Thankfully, they all get poofed away when the Hand reveals the [[BigBad Boogeyman's]] worst terror (being unable to scare others at all), which the heroes find ridiculous.]] |
| 172 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'' has Mor'du. He's twelve feet tall with razor sharp claws, one glowing red eye and an almost rabid taste for human flesh. [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids You know, for kids!]] He also ripped off the leg of King Fergus, father of protagonist Merida, leading him to have an unending grudge against bears. [[spoiler:Given Merida leads her queen mom to [[ForcedTransformation become a bear]], Bears Are ''Really'' Bad News...]] |
| 173 | * ''WesternAnimation/BrotherBear'': The main character sees bears as irritations at first and develops a full-blown hatred towards them after one inadvertently caused his brother's death. Subverted when he turns into one and finds out that bears actually aren't so terrible. |
| 174 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheChristmasTree'': At one point, Judy's kids and their dog Licorice get attacked by a bear with an uncanny resemblance to Baloo from ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967''. |
| 175 | * ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'' has living gummy bears trying to take out a FlyingCar gremlin style, until being stopped by a gummy bear-loving monkey. |
| 176 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheHound'': In the climax, a bear is portrayed as some demonic beast spawned from the depths of Hell. (This has a lot to do with the fact that Amos shoots it but only wounds it, making it very, ''very'' angry, as wounded animals often are.) It might not be ''the'' most terrifying antagonist to appear in a Disney film, but it's definitely on the list. |
| 177 | * ''WesternAnimation/FunAndFancyFree'': Averted with [[BearyFunny Bongo, Lulubelle and the gang of friendly bears]], but played straight with the huge, monstrous bear, Lumpjaw. |
| 178 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheLittlePolarBear'': Averted with Lars, his parents and his friend Greta. Downplayed with Brutus, a grown-up polar bear who serves as a major antagonist and Lars' archenemy in the films. He dislikes Lars for ruining his seal hunting plans. However he is merely a simple neighbourhood grump and not that much of a villain, although he does commit some minor immoral acts such as interrogating a lemming and threatening Lars' dad in the original film and leaving Lars with his friends behind on a train to be transported away from the Arctic to the south in the sequel ''TheLittlePolarBear2TheMysteriousIsland''. |
| 179 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{NIMONA}}'': One of the title character's forms is a bear, and is seen as a villain. |
| 180 | * ''WesternAnimation/OverTheHedge'': Vincent is one of the three {{Big Bad}}s, and insists that R.J. that he must find food for him, or else he will eat him. |
| 181 | * ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'' features the Three Bears Crime Family as part of the BigBadEnsemble, led by their adopted daughter Goldilocks. They are appropriately huge and strong enough to bust holes in a brick house with their bear hands. |
| 182 | * ''WesternAnimation/SherlockGnomes'': Irene's bouncer, bodyguard and general enforcer is a gigantic, hulking teddy bear who is missing an eye. |
| 183 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Sing}}'': The street performer Mike runs afoul of the Mafia, portrayed by bears and speaking with {{Russian|Bear}} accents, [[spoiler:when he tries cheating at cards]]. |
| 184 | * ''WesternAnimation/TomSawyer2000'': The BigBad is a massive, hulking anthro grizzly named Injurin' Joe, a far more sadistic and deranged version of Injun Joe from the novel. In an otherwise lighthearted musical film, the guy stands out as a particularly [[KnightOfCerebus monstrous]] and [[VileVillainSaccharineShow spine-chilling]] antagonist. |
| 185 | * ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'': [[spoiler:Lotso, the teddy bear at Sunnyside Daycare, and BigBad of the film, is as bad as a bear comes. He was once a nice and friendly toy, until he was lost and replaced by the girl he belonged to, causing him to snap and become monstrous. After arriving at Sunnyside, he took over the daycare and treated it like a prison for new toys, which he leaves to the mercy of the daycare's destructive toddlers]]. |
| 186 | * ''WesternAnimation/WereGoingOnABearHunt'': Lampshaded, in contrast to the children's book on which it's based. The children perceive the bear as a danger and run away from it, despite it being conveyed to the audience that the bear is a gentle, friendly creature in this version. |
| 187 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': The crime boss MisterBig has polar bear bodyguards. |
| 188 | [[/folder]] |
| 189 | |
| 190 | [[folder:Humor]] |
| 191 | * A Russian joke goes something like this: |
| 192 | -->A guy is lost in the woods, so he just stands there and keeps shouting "Hello!"\ |
| 193 | Suddenly, he feels a pat on the shoulder. He turns around and sees a bear, who asks, "Dude, why are you yelling?"\ |
| 194 | "In case someone hears me?"\ |
| 195 | "Well, I heard you. Feeling better?" |
| 196 | * There's a joke about someone in the woods who finds a praying bear. There are many versions of it. |
| 197 | ** The version where it's a generic hunter in the woods: |
| 198 | -->''A hunter is out hunting bear in the woods. He sees one, lines up his sights, takes a shot, and misses. The bear sees the hunter and charges towards him. The hunter tries to take another shot, but finds he's out of ammo. He throws down the gun and starts running away, but he realizes that the bear is going to catch up to him.\ |
| 199 | The hunter falls to his knees and starts praying. He says, "Dear Lord, I ask that you let this bear find some religion before he does me in."'' |
| 200 | -->''He turns around, and the bear stops, falls to its knees, and starts praying. The bear says, "Dear Lord, for this food I am about to receive, I am truly grateful..."'' |
| 201 | ** The version where it's a Christian in the woods: |
| 202 | -->''There's a Christian who's hiking in the woods one day when he comes upon an angry bear. The bear stands up on its hind legs and growls ferociously, clearly preparing to charge. In panic, the Christian starts to run, but the bear follows close on his heels.\ |
| 203 | Finally the hiker comes to a cliff, so he drops to his knees and asks God to please make this bear a good Christian bear. To the hiker's amazement, the bear suddenly stops growling, falls to his knees and folds his paws together in prayer! "Thank you, Lord!" exclaimed the Christian.'' |
| 204 | -->''"Thank you, Lord!" exclaims the bear, "for this meal I'm about to receive!"'' |
| 205 | ** The version where it's a Jew in the woods: |
| 206 | -->''A man, out for a walk in the woods came across a bear. Frightened for his life, he ran as fast as he could to escape and hide in a cave. He was horrified to find that the bear followed him into the cave trapping him. He closed his eyes and recited "Shema Yisrael" in anticipation of his final moments. When he is finished, he opens his eyes and is surprised to see the bear in front of him with his eyes closed -- also praying!\ |
| 207 | The man thinks to himself "how lucky am I to be cornered by what must be the only Jewish bear! He's frum! We're mishpocheh... and I'm not Kosher. I'm saved!" He then listens more carefully to the bear's prayer: "...hamotzi lechem min haaretz."'' |
| 208 | ** The version where it's an atheist in the woods (the longest one): |
| 209 | -->''A photographer, who was also a confirmed atheist, decided to go into the woods to capture photos of the fall foliage. It was a beautiful day: fall colors, birds chirping, a babbling brook, and a gentle breeze rustling the leaves.\ |
| 210 | While snapping shots, the photographer heard a noise behind him and whirled around to see a huge bear coming through the bushes.\ |
| 211 | He dropped his camera and ran. And kept running and running... and looking behind him, he noticed the bear was gaining on him! He was so scared that tears came to his eyes. He ran faster, but the bear was closing in on him. He ran faster yet and tripped over a root. Rolling over onto his back, the man saw the bear rise to his full height and raise a huge paw... and the atheist cried out, "Oh, God, no!"\ |
| 212 | And everything stopped. The birds stopped chirping. The brook stopped babbling. The gentle breeze stopped. And the bear froze with his paw in the air. And the man heard a booming voice say, "Young man. For years you've doubted my very existence, but now that your life is in peril you call my name to help you. Why should I do so?"\ |
| 213 | And the man thought for a moment, and said, "Yes, you are right. If you are God, then it would be hypocritical of me to become a Christian at this point in my life. But, do you think that you could at least make the bear a Christian for today?" And the booming voice was quiet for a moment and then said, "Done."\ |
| 214 | And everything started again. The birds chirping, brook babbling, and gentle breeze rustling the leaves. And the bear slowly lowered his paw. Then the bear put his paws together, and bowed his massive head and said, "Dear Lord, please bless this food we are about to eat."'' |
| 215 | * An old hunter's joke: How do you tell the difference between a black bear and a grizzly bear? Climb a tree. If the bear climbs up after you and kills you, it's a black bear. If it knocks the tree down and kills you, it's a grizzly bear. And if there's no tree in sight, it's a polar bear. |
| 216 | * A {{Feghoot}}, [[https://chongoblog.tumblr.com/post/692750967801888768/if-you-find-yourself-hiking-and-you-see-a-bear courtesy]] of Website/{{Tumblr}}: |
| 217 | -->If you find yourself hiking and you see a bear, there are three ways to avoid confrontation with the animal. The first way is the most well-known, is to size them up and make yourself look large to dissuade them from engaging. Another one I heard about is to attempt camouflage with the darker areas of the forest (although I can’t confirm this one). A third way that is extremely unlikely is to already be hiking with me, since every morning I take a bath in bear pheromones (do not ask why, it’s a thing).\ |
| 218 | [[WaxingLyrical In summary:]]\ |
| 219 | [[Music/TheBlackParade So darken your clothes, or strike a violent pose. Maybe they’ll leave you alone (but not me)]] |
| 220 | [[/folder]] |
| 221 | |
| 222 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 223 | * Music/{{Genesis|Band}}: |
| 224 | -->But if you're sitting there beside her/And a bear comes in the room/And you keep on going 'cause you're unaware/Then you know that you are there/Beyond the silver rainbow/You won't know if you're coming or going |
| 225 | * Subverted in Grandaddy's "Silver Lake" video -- at one point the band is performing in a small cabin, Jason Lytle opens the door, sees a bear and immediately shuts the door again. The bear then lets himself in through the back door, to the band's visible concern... But apparently it just enjoyed the music and wanted to rock out to it -- the bear even gives Lytle a high five. Adding to the humor is deliberate SpecialEffectFailure -- the bear is obvious green-screened stock footage when it's outside the door, and a man in a bear suit once it's inside. |
| 226 | * If you are the band Horion and you wanted to release an album named "No Fear Restriction", what you'd put on the cover to match? [[http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/27266 Right...]] |
| 227 | * The back of the album cover of Music/JethroTull's ''Stormwatch'' has a 1000 foot tall polar bear stomping on an oil refinery station. |
| 228 | * Nekrogoblikon has a song called Bears. |
| 229 | -->Claws leaving scars, giant teeth tearing skin,\ |
| 230 | Fur on the outside and darkness within! |
| 231 | * Music/{{Radiohead}}'s album ''Music/KidA'''s marketing campaign told a vague but disturbing story about genetically modified bears killing everyone. The "Radiohead Bear" has remained the band's logo ever since. |
| 232 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRU-DUD3Bv0 Bears]]" by the Royal Guardsmen is built around this trope. |
| 233 | %%* The utterly terrifying corpse paint featured in black metal bears a striking resemblance to a panda bear. %%What is this from?%% |
| 234 | [[/folder]] |
| 235 | |
| 236 | [[folder:Myths & Religion]] |
| 237 | * ''Literature/TheBible'': |
| 238 | ** Elisha in [[Literature/BooksOfKings 2 Kings 2:23-24]], while walking up to Bethel, was insulted by some [[BlindIdiotTranslation bandits]]. They had called him "baldhead" and implied that he had been complicit in the death of Elijah. His response? Summoning two bears to come and maul 42 of them, making this trope OlderThanFeudalism. There's a reason why this story isn't included in compilations of Bible stories meant for toddlers. |
| 239 | ** Also, David kills a bear and a lion that threaten his flock. People tend to forget that although he was only 12ish when he fought the giant Goliath, he was a pretty [[BadassAdorable badass kid]]. |
| 240 | ** Even ''{{God}} [[WordOfGod Himself]]'' states that bears make things worse in [[Literature/BookOfAmos Amos 5:19]]: "As if a man should run from a lion [[OutOfTheFryingPan and be attacked by a bear]]." |
| 241 | * ''The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft'' noted a conspicuous absence of bears in some shamanic societies' legends, probably owing to the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-ness. Though Celtic lore does mention the bear as the king of the animals (a distinction kept until the popularity of the lion as a symbol for Jesus). |
| 242 | * The Inuit and other Arctic peoples had mixed opinions about polar bears. On one hand, they are the biggest living terrestrial carnivore, so they were obviously feared. On the other, their mythologies usually held the polar bear with a lot of respect, as a sacred shamanic symbol. |
| 243 | * UsefulNotes/DavyCrockett. King of the wild frontier. Killed a bear when he was only three. |
| 244 | * Myth/NativeAmericanMythology: |
| 245 | ** Averted by many legends. Amongst the Navajo, for example, the bear is a symbol of healing, peace, and tranquility and harming one brings ''very bad'' luck. Then again, if you try to provoke a bear [[LaserGuidedKarma you're probably going to get everything you deserve]]. |
| 246 | ** Played straight by others. The JustSoStory of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Tower_ Devil's Tower]] in Wyoming involves one or more gigantic bears trying to kill frightened children and the Creator raising the tower up under the kids to save them. |
| 247 | ** There's a ''very important difference'' between black bears and grizzly bears. Black bears are generally regarded as the positive aspects of the bear, being peaceable and shy. Grizzly bears are almost literally called ''AxCrazy'' in some legends. |
| 248 | ** There is an old Inuit story of a woman who went to live among strange people. She became a burden, and so they placed her in a boat, took her out to sea and cast her overboard. She struggled to regain the side of the boat, but they cut off her fingers to keep her away. As she died in the water, she became Sedna, the goddess of the sea and mother of all beasts. Her fingers became the walrus and seals and whales that the people would hunt to eat. But her middle finger became the white bear. When the other animals see a man, they try to run away. But when the white bear sees a man, he is filled with revenge and tries to kill the person who he believes murdered the woman from whose finger he was born. Wise Inuit stay away from the white bear... |
| 249 | *** ...so, when you see a polar bear, it's the Goddess giving you the finger. Makes sense. |
| 250 | * Myth/JapaneseMythology: The ''Oniguma'' (devilbear): strong enough to carry away horses and [[LightningBruiser quick enough to smash monkeys with one blow]]. Also, it was said that killing bears would cause the "Bear Wrath", a really nasty event. |
| 251 | * Myth/ClassicalMythology: Averted in the Greek myth of Atalanta, who, after being left to die as a baby, was raised by a she-bear, and became a badass ActionGirl. |
| 252 | * One possible etymology of Myth/KingArthur's name is a derivation from *''artos'', which means bear, and he sure was bad news for the Saxons. |
| 253 | [[/folder]] |
| 254 | |
| 255 | [[folder:Pinball]] |
| 256 | * The family in ''Pinball/VacationAmerica'' panics when a grizzly bear approaches them in the middle of taking a picture. |
| 257 | [[/folder]] |
| 258 | |
| 259 | [[folder:Podcasts]] |
| 260 | * In ''Podcast/InStrangeWoods'', a bear visits the site of the annual Turkey Drop on New Year's Eve, threatening a neighbor's dog and the guests. Peregrine successfully driving it off is what convinces her mother to let her do the Final. |
| 261 | [[/folder]] |
| 262 | |
| 263 | [[folder:Professional Wrestling]] |
| 264 | * Back in the territorial era, there was a [[TheGimmick gimmick]] of the wrestling bear. While the "matches" would generally involve the bear's trainer, at times, it was used as a threat against a heel manager. The most famous were Victor, who worked with heel manager "Playboy" Gary Hart in Texas, and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrible_Ted_(bear) Terrible Ted,]] who worked in Maple Leaf Wrestling in Toronto, the [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} World Wide Wrestling Federation]], Wrestling/DickTheBruiser's World Wrestling Association in Indianapolis, and other promotions until he retired in 1974. There is a match, such as it was, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EH-fV9szTs between Terrible Ted and Gene DuBois]] on ''Volume 4: No More Mr. Nice Guy'' of the ''Wrestling Gold'' DVD series hosted by Wrestling/JimCornette and [[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Dave Meltzer]]. But it goes back to at least the 1930s with a wrestling bear named Ginger. |
| 265 | * Terrible Ted was the trope namer for BearHug, as he had been declawed and lost all of his teeth during his carnival days prior to his pro wrestling debut, so "hugging" was his most effective form of offense. The less famous Smokey, whom Ted was partnered with when he joined the pro wrestling business, was much more dangerous and eventually was taken by the humane society after mauling someone to death. On the not-so-bad news side, a young Wrestling/BretHart would let Ted lick melted ice cream off of his feet when it was living under the Hart porch. |
| 266 | * Bearcat Wright Jr., who wrestled through the territories in the 1950s through '70s, and his successor of sorts, Bearcat Brown through the '60s through '80s. |
| 267 | * Willie Williams (a kickboxer who did some MMA and Pro Wrestling) actually did fight a bear, instead of its trainer, [[RedBaron which earned him the nickname]] "Bear Killer". |
| 268 | * Wrestling/IvanKoloff, the man who ended Wrestling/BrunoSammartino's EIGHT-YEAR reign as [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWE (then WWWF) World Heavyweight Champion,]] was known as "The RussianBear". |
| 269 | * The BearHug has been used as a submission hold by everyone from [[ForeignWrestlingHeel evil Russian]] Wrestling/NikolaiVolkoff to [[Wrestling/MarkHenry "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry]]. It was innovated by Wrestling/GeorgeHackenschmidt, whose RedBaron, ironically, was [[KingOfBeasts "The Russian Lion"]]. |
| 270 | * Sylvester Terkay, better known for his work in Japan, had a run in Wrestling/{{WWE}} where he used the RedBaron "The Man-Bear." |
| 271 | * Wrestling/BigShow uses a bear as his logo. |
| 272 | * Bear Fukuda, the resident street fighter of Next Door Project "El Dorado", which went on to become "Secret Base". |
| 273 | * 1970s British wrestler John Elijah was known as "Bearman". Only of ordinary size for a heavyweight (~210 pounds), he once nearly lifted Shirley Crabtree ("Big Daddy") over the top rope, inducing his 350-pound opponent to signal for a round of applause from the crowd. |
| 274 | [[/folder]] |
| 275 | |
| 276 | [[folder:Puppet Shows]] |
| 277 | * ''Series/TheMuppetShow'': In one skit, the Swedish Chef is cooking at a campsite, and is annoyed by a group of squirrels. Eventually, he gets angry and chases them offstage with a cleaver. A few seconds later, a bear—who has the cleaver—chases ''him'' back onstage and offstage in the other direction, with the squirrels laughing their heads off. |
| 278 | [[/folder]] |
| 279 | |
| 280 | [[folder:Roleplay]] |
| 281 | * Roleplay/CerberusDailyNews has Brizzly, a sapient, biotic grizzly. |
| 282 | * ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'': There is a common joke among handlers that inactive characters are killed and eaten by an "Inactivity Bear". Also, in her first post, version 4 character Maria Graham has a dream where she was actually "Robo-Bear 5000", which was a robotic bear disguised as a student and was going to avenge its kidnapping. |
| 283 | [[/folder]] |
| 284 | |
| 285 | [[folder:Sports]] |
| 286 | * Several sports teams such as the Memphis (originally Vancouver) Grizzlies (basketball), the Chicago Cubs (baseball), the Chicago Bears (football), and the Boston Bruins (hockey). |
| 287 | ** In UsefulNotes/AustralianRulesFootball, the Brisbane Bears failed at this, by having a koala as their mascot. [[ArtisticLicenseBiology Koalas are not bears]]. |
| 288 | [[/folder]] |
| 289 | |
| 290 | [[folder:Stand-Up and Recorded Comedy]] |
| 291 | * Comedian Mitch Hedberg had a joke where he and a friend decided to go out to the woods to do drugs in order to avoid authority figures only to run into a bear, which was "even more of a buzzkill". The friend attempted to appease the bear by promising to prevent forest fires. Smokey is ''way'' more intense in person. |
| 292 | [[/folder]] |
| 293 | |
| 294 | [[folder:Theater]] |
| 295 | * The Bad Idea Bears from ''Theatre/AvenueQ'', ''look'' adorable, but [[PunctuatedForEmphasis they]]. are''. '''[[TheAggressiveDrugDealer EVIL!!!!!!!!!]]''' '' |
| 296 | * Siegfried sets one loose on Mime in ''Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung''. |
| 297 | * In ''Theatre/UbuRoi'' Pile, Cotice and Père Ubu are attacked by a bear in the forest. Pile and Cotice barely manage to kill it, while Ubu hides and prays, coming out after the bear is killed and claiming they'd never survive the encounter without his prayer. |
| 298 | * Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/TheWintersTale''. "ExitPursuedByABear." The bear pursuing Antigonus off the stage does in fact make everything worse (especially for Antigonus). |
| 299 | [[/folder]] |
| 300 | |
| 301 | [[folder:Toys]] |
| 302 | * Graalok the Ash Bear from ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', who briefly terrorizes Takua and Jaller in ''Mask of Light''. Bonus points for being a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot cyborg bear]]. |
| 303 | * The first figure in the [[http://bmogtoys.com BMOG]] toyline is Ursenal, who is essentially [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot a bear made of guns]]. His [[http://bmogtoys.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/bio-ursenal.jpg profile]] states that he's ''technically'' a good guy, but his tendency to shoot first and ask questions later is... problematic, to say the least. |
| 304 | * Japanese artist Mori Chack's Gloomy Bear line is based around this trope. The titular bear, [[CuteIsEvil despite its cute, pink appearance]], is often coated in blood, and is described as violent and wild. He's often seen mutilating his human "[[WithFriendsLikeThese friend]]" Pitty in artwork featuring the two. |
| 305 | * Averted by Toys/{{teddy bear}}s. They're so ''soft'' and ''cute'' and ''huggable''! Unless you go by CuteIsEvil. |
| 306 | * The main premise of the ''Toys/TeddyScares'' line is that teddy bears rejected and outgrown by their owners have come back as undead monsters. The best examples are Rita Mortis and Redmond Gore, who are both very violent and antisocial. |
| 307 | * Franchise/{{Transformers}}: |
| 308 | ** ''Franchise/TransformersGeneration1'' had a Pretender Bear named Chainclaw. He was an Autobot. And a hypochondriac. |
| 309 | ** The main ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' toyline had at least one. [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Polar_Claw Polar Claw]] transformed a polar bear. He was repainted into two other characters, [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Grizzly-1 Barbearian/Grizzly-1]] and [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Survive Survive]]. The Mutant [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Icebird Icebird]] also turned into a polar bear as one of his alternate modes (the other being a snow owl). |
| 310 | [[/folder]] |
| 311 | |
| 312 | [[folder:Web Animations]] |
| 313 | * ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'': An episode featured ''Smokey Bear vs. [=McGruff=] the Crime Dog'', and since this is a Death Battle, Smokey gets to show all his ferocity towards [=McGruff=]. Including pinning [=McGruff=] down, mauling him, [[spoiler:and finally turning giant to crush him and his monster truck like a bug]]. |
| 314 | * ''WebAnimation/DoodleToons'': The pilot episode, "Rabbit for Dinner", depicts a bear as the bad guy that captures Bellybutton's {{Love Interest|s}}, Jellybean. |
| 315 | * ''WebAnimation/DorklyOriginals'': In a ''Franchise/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}'' video, Sonic frees the animal critters from inside Badniks. Unfortunately, one Badnik contained a very large bear that proceeds to immediately tear into Sonic and devours him. |
| 316 | * ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': Snowball can become a gigantic and dangerous adult bear with huge claws. |
| 317 | * ''WebAnimation/DSBTInsaniT'': Windears are very quick to anger, especially if you are dumb enough to try and fight them. |
| 318 | * ''Advertising/DumbWaysToDie'': Poking a stick at a grizzly bear is portrayed as one of the dumb ways to die. |
| 319 | * ''WebAnimation/EtraChanSawIt'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI9hxjJBnsc Tokusa]] encounters a bear cub and later its mother after finding his wandering daughter Yuri in the forest, who being a little girl, mistook them for dogs. Years later, Yuri's collection of the incident still mistook them for dogs until Tokusa and Karin tell her the truth, much to her surprise and embarrassment. |
| 320 | * ''WebAnimation/GamingAllStars: The Ultimate Crossover'': [[VideoGame/CrashBash The Bearminator]], a submarine-piloting polar bear who can summon smaller robotic bears to assault his targets, interrupts [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] and his gang from proceeding any further not long after escaping from [[VideoGame/HalfLife the G-Man's]] clutches, prompting them to evade his gunfire as they work to take care of him. |
| 321 | * ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'': Flippy is a bear who, while on the surface [[CuteAndPsycho appears nice, goes insane now and then and brutally kills the entire cast]]. |
| 322 | ** In the episode "Take a Hike", Nutty and Lumpy [[HorribleCampingTrip get mauled by a wild bear while hiking.]] |
| 323 | * ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': Strong Bad's turf is guarded by a (wooden cut-out of a) '''bear holding a [[ThreateningShark shark]]'''. |
| 324 | * ''WebAnimation/HowToKillAMockingbird'': The pirates' [[LaserBlade laser-swords]] shoot bears that are [[IncendiaryExponent on fire]]. |
| 325 | * ''WebAnimation/PuffinForest'': In "Miscellaneous Monsters and Bears of Sand" a PC lied to a guard that they were hunting sand bears, monstrous half bear half scorpion creatures. One of PC's didn't realize that sand bears weren't real and was later killed by a manifestation of his fears in the form of a sand bear. |
| 326 | * ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': The Ursa are bear-like Grimm, and they serve as EliteMooks. Ursa Major are even bigger, stronger versions, and they're downright terrifying opponents. Of course, from their perspective, the trope is more "Badass Teenagers With {{Mix And Match Weapon}}s Are Bad News". |
| 327 | * ''WebAnimation/UnforgottenRealms'': In episode 12, Roamin the Paladin rides to the scene of a big battle on the back of, not just a bear, but Ursa Arkadios, Archduke of the High Bears! Oh, and they're loaded with every sword in the rulebook. |
| 328 | %%* [[https://web.archive.org/web/20050308231341/http://www.thefucksociety.com/anim.php?id=bearhello&w=400&h=300 "No, you fool, only bears can have bear powers!"]] |
| 329 | * In the ''[[WebAnimation/WeeblandBob Weebl's Stuff]]'' animation "Cucumbers", cucumbers can only be grown in Bognor Regis due to pandas being the cucumbers' enemies. They attack with their feet, so the cucumbers need to drive go-karts to escape them. |
| 330 | * WebAnimation/WolfSongTheMovie: one scene has the heroes chased by a bear, but they soon are able to drive it off. However, [[spoiler: Damien is badly wounded during the attack, oh and that’s no ordinary bear]] |
| 331 | [[/folder]] |
| 332 | |
| 333 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 334 | * ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'': |
| 335 | ** [[http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/9p5/ Did someone mention robot bears]]? |
| 336 | ** [[http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/3p48/ Grizzly bear with a midget trying to control it.]] |
| 337 | * ''Webcomic/{{Bearmageddon}}'' is essentially "Everything's Worse With Bears: The Webcomic". |
| 338 | * ''Webcomic/AgentsOfTheRealm'': Norah has just made a really bad impression to her teacher and her day is going downhill... and then she's attacked by a giant magical translucent spiky bear. Not to mention that it leads to her introduction to the Agents, which is a mixed blessing. |
| 339 | %%* ''Webcomic/AwkwardZombie'': [[http://awkwardzombie.com/comic/maul-bearer NO MORE BEARS!]] |
| 340 | * Parodied in ''Webcomic/BeaverAndSteve'', where it's taken to [[https://web.archive.org/web/20060507055312/http://www.beaverandsteve.com/index.php?comic=25 the next level]] |
| 341 | * ''Webcomic/BirdBoy'': After you [[ForbiddenFruit go into the forest]] and stumble on the AbandonedArea, [[http://bird-boy.com/comic/volume-i-page-20/ http://bird-boy.com/volume-1-page-20 naturally you get a bear]]. |
| 342 | * ''Webcomic/BobTheAngryFlower'': Robots and bears are a very bad combination, since they are natural enemies and need only the slightest provocation to fight to the death. |
| 343 | * The {{invo|kedTrope}}cation of this trope is how the title character in ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'' finds out for the first time just how powerful he's become... he knocks a bear out with a desperately flailing kick. For scale, bear in mind that Charby has the body of an 8-year-old boy. |
| 344 | * ''Webcomic/CtrlAltDel'' Sillies feature Faildruid, the worst noob in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' who also happens to be a bear (and at one point an owl-bear). |
| 345 | * ''Webcomic/CyanideAndHappiness'' warns [[http://www.explosm.net/comics/1365/ bike enthusiasts]]. Also, there's [[http://www.explosm.net/comics/1313/ one creature much worse than an owlbear]]. |
| 346 | * In ''Webcomic/DeadOfSummer'', the BigBad attacks our heroes with a zombie grizzly bear. However, they dispatch it pretty quickly. |
| 347 | * [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2011-02-08 This]] ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' filler. |
| 348 | ** A bear, with an accordion, on a pogo stick! My greatest fear! |
| 349 | * ''Webcomic/TheEvolutionsOfHomosexualityAndSuicide'': One pair of scenarios has a Stone Age couple being slaughtered by a bear in an over-the-top, bloody way. |
| 350 | * ''Webcomic/FakeNewsRumble'': Stephen's first direct confrontation with the AlienInvasion is this: |
| 351 | --> '''Stephen:''' "A bear. Of course it's a bear. Why would I have thought it would be anything other than a bear." |
| 352 | * ''Webcomic/FiveNightsAtFreddysLostSouls'': [[spoiler: Golden Freddy invokes the trope more and more as the comic goes on. For starters, there's a heavy implication that he's somehow connected to the entity in the fog. Then there's his extremely manipulative behavior. He tells Cody to stay away and implies he'll hurt Bridget if they continue to come back. He repeatedly guilt-trips the rest of the Fazbears for their feelings of friendship toward the kids and even pressures Freddy into barring Cody and Bridget from returning. When the rest of the animatronics finally talk back to him and start to press him on his insistence that the children need to stay away, he snaps at them, spotting some pretty creepy BlackEyesOfEvil.]] |
| 353 | * ''Webcomic/GeneralProtectionFault'': A storyline in the second year has a hike in the woods ruined by a bear. A [[http://www.gpf-comics.com/archive.php?d=20000414 talking]], [[http://www.gpf-comics.com/archive.php?d=20000421 poetry-writing]] bear. |
| 354 | * ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': |
| 355 | ** The female Jagermonster Jenka [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20050606 rides a giant bear]]. This is how you know that [[DarkActionGirl she can kick your sorry ass]]. According to Jenka [[https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20151214 Fust is]] not an ordinary bear, but a [[SuperSoldier Jager bear]], backed up by [[AllThereInTheManual his stats]] in TheRoleplayingGame. That said, Agatha's [[WeaselMascot Wasp Eater]] seems [[https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20151216 a match for him.]] |
| 356 | ** The possible inspiration for Jenka and Fust can be found in one of Kaja Foglio's other comics, ''[[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/stories/dovrefjell/dovrefjell_01.php The Cat On The Dovrefjell]]'' which is based on [[Literature/TheCatOnTheDovrefell a Norwegian folk tale]] and involves a bunch of trolls being chased away by a huge white bear. |
| 357 | ** Agatha and her companions face off with another spark and holding him off. Then he [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20140721 calls up a large group of angry bears]]... Agatha and friends promptly decide to retreat. |
| 358 | ** Things take a turn for the better when it turns out they share a creator with [[spoiler:Krosp, and are programmed to follow his orders]]. |
| 359 | * ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'': [[GhibliHills Pitcheresk Forest]] is very beautiful and hanging out there causes CharacterDevelopment... but it also invites [[http://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/237/ bear attacks.]] |
| 360 | * In ''Webcomic/LaserFeet'', a bear stars in the test pattern used when the creator is unable to upload that week's comic, for whatever reason, as seen [[http://www.thelaserfeet.com/comic/003/ here]]. |
| 361 | * ''Webcomic/LookingForGroup'': I'm a [[http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/134 bearlock now.]] |
| 362 | * ''Webcomic/MacHall'': Matt Boyd and Ian [=McConville=], authors of ''Webcomic/MacHall'' and ''Webcomic/ThreePanelSoul'', remind you that this trope also applies to [[http://machall.com/view.php?date=2003-08-18 Morrowind]] and [[http://threepanelsoul.com/view.php?date=2008-05-19 Quebec]]. |
| 363 | * Generally averted by ''Webcomic/MilkAndMocha'', but played straight in a nightmare sequence where Mocha performs a SlasherSmile. PlayedForLaughs when Milk gets hangry. |
| 364 | %%* [[http://i.imgur.com/6tQaU.jpg This anonymous MS Paint comic.]] |
| 365 | * Radic from ''Webcomic/MurphysLaw'' occasionally wildshapes into a bear. |
| 366 | %%* ''Webcomic/{{Nedroid}}'': Combined with ThreateningShark: [[http://nedroid.com/2009/07/doorway-to-your-inner-self/ I CAN NEVER STOP SCREAMING]]. Averted with Beartato, the friendly OnlySaneMan. |
| 367 | * ''Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella'': Wonderella + ThePowerOfRock + [[http://nonadventures.com/2006/10/07/the-500-bearable-lightness-of-being/ 500 Bears]]. |
| 368 | * In ''Webcomic/NoRestForTheWicked'', [[http://www.forthewicked.net/archive/04-27.html Perrault climbs a tree and November feigns fainting]], and the bear's nice manners can't induce them not to fear this trope. |
| 369 | * ''Webcomic/{{Oglaf}}'''s Flatbears [[http://oglaf.com/northerner/ blow in on the northerlies.]] |
| 370 | * ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': |
| 371 | ** Inverted regarding the owlbear: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0322.html "Why would anyone crossbreed a perfectly serviceable bear with an owl?"]] |
| 372 | ** How does a druid who focuses on spellcasting prepare for melee combat? That's right, by [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0353.html becoming a dire bear]]. |
| 373 | ** Exploited: They also have a "bear druid riding a bear while summoning bears" ''[[http://www.cafepress.com/orderofthestick/10865760 T-shirt]]''. |
| 374 | * In ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure'', [[http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/ep0237.html scouting the woods turns up bears.]] |
| 375 | * ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'': "We've secretly replaced Gabe's Xbox controller with an ''eight hundred pound grizzly bear''. [[http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2002/03/25 Let's see if he notices.]]" |
| 376 | ** "Did you order one of those smaller controllers or something? I think I like it better." |
| 377 | ** Another strip had Tycho and Gabe expressing terror at the concept of playing a game of baseball outside because there are bears "outside". |
| 378 | %%* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'': [[http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1285 One of the most bizarre mood killers of all time]] appears, courtesy of a bear. |
| 379 | * ''Webcomic/{{Roza}}'': [[https://web.archive.org/web/20090923010813/http://www.junglestudio.com/roza/?date=2009-09-14 Just what you want to interrupt your fight.]] |
| 380 | * In ''Webcomic/SamuraiPrincess'' when pondering what is inside a treasure chest, Jacquline says it could be a bear. Cue imagination spot. |
| 381 | * ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'' gives us [[http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1488#comic this]]. |
| 382 | * ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'': |
| 383 | ** {{Uplifted|Animal}} polar bear (or "ursumari") Captain Landon from the "Delegates and Delegations" arc is normally pretty mild-mannered, but you [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2015-03-08 don't want to get him angry]]. |
| 384 | ** The Ob'enn race, who prove that even being a small and fuzzy koala-like bear doesn't get in the way of being a menace. Being sociopathic xenophobes with huge battleships goes a long way towards the goal. |
| 385 | * [[http://www.shreddedmoose.com/comic/comic_arc.php?comicID=132 This]] strip of ''Webcomic/ShreddedMoose'' shows that sex is also Worse With Bears. |
| 386 | * As photoshopped by Website/SomethingAwful: [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bears_online.jpg 1 in 5 children online gets eaten by rabid bears]]. |
| 387 | * ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'': Bear beasts are rare, powerful and dangerous. The chief issue in Onni's attempts to hunt down the kade is the fact that it's partnered up with a group of three infected bears, which are far too dangerous for him to tackle directly. Once the largest one is angered, she proves to be a fast, powerful, ferocious and relentless danger. |
| 388 | * ''Webcomic/TheWhiteboard'' has 3 bears, all of whom are bad news to anyone that happens to annoy them: |
| 389 | ** The protagonist airsmith BigEater GadgeteerGenius grumpy polar bear Doc. |
| 390 | ** His friend and a regular client brown bear Bruno. Sometimes described as "old, fat and slow", but more of a CoolOldGuy with overtones of being badass. |
| 391 | ** Another friend of Doc, [[ComedicSociopathy bad-tempered]] scary-looking obnoxious panda Gino. Usually appears when [[HilarityEnsues situation already went out of control]] and [[ExaggeratedTrope escalates it]] or [[DropTheCow takes the story in entirely new direction]]. [[http://the-whiteboard.com/autotwb1323.html Like a skunk spray in the aftermath of zombie invasion]]. WordOfGod says he's a bail bondsman and a bounty hunter. |
| 392 | * In ''Webcomic/WildeLife,'' the White-Faced Bear is the apparently BigGood of the series, and Eliza works with him to protect Podunk and the surrounding area. [[GoodIsNotSoft You should still be afraid of him]]. Chapter Six sees him threaten Oscar for back-talking him, and he's notably the one to kill [[spoiler:[[WickedWitch Zulime]]]], whom Eliza seemed at least tentatively willing to let go. |
| 393 | * ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' [[https://xkcd.com/2381/ addresses]] the idea that the original word for "bear" was forgotten out of fear that [[SpeakOfTheDevil speaking it would summon it]], then makes the mistake of reconstructing it. |
| 394 | * ''Webcomic/TheYoungProtectors'' raises the stakes to a fifty-foot-high [[http://webcomics.yaoi911.com/typ/ete-ch4-page-33/ spirit bear]] with EyeBeams that cause some serious trouble even to [[spoiler:two of the most powerful supervillains in the world]]. |
| 395 | * The bears in ''Webcomic/YuMeDream'' are enforcers for a fascist dictatorship ruling the dreamworld. |
| 396 | [[/folder]] |
| 397 | |
| 398 | [[folder:Websites]] |
| 399 | * ''[=CHEEZburger=]'': |
| 400 | ** [[https://cheezburger.com/3993881856 Bears]] [[VideoGame/GearsOfWar of War.]] |
| 401 | ** The newest [[BadHumorTruck Good Humor flavor]]: [[http://cheezburger.com/View/3600008704 StrawBEARies and SCREAM!]] |
| 402 | * ''[[Creator/DropOut CollegeHumor]]'': |
| 403 | ** There is such thing as a ''[[https://web.archive.org/web/20101002204138/http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1809479 Bear Attack Flowchart.]]'' |
| 404 | ** It reminds us that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-qpbTaEx6A Cartoon Bears are still bears.]] |
| 405 | * The nightmare "Unspeakable Things" on the ''Website/NightmareProject'' has the dreamer pursued by a metal-skinned bear through a LethalLavaLand. |
| 406 | * When tasked with pondering how the ongoing, deadly civil war in Syria could possibly get any worse, ''Website/TheOnion'' came to one logical conclusion: [[http://www.theonion.com/articles/syria-conflict-intensifies-as-bears-enter-war,33659/ Bears]]. |
| 407 | * The Website/SCPFoundation maintains a few "ursine"-tagged subjects, nicely compiled into the [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/bearitage-collection Bearitage Collection]]: |
| 408 | ** [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-549 SCP-549]], which moves and behaves like a normal grizzly despite being 17 centimetres long. As in, it's still as heavy, strong, and hungry as a regular bear. |
| 409 | ** [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-1048 SCP-1048]], a sapient teddy bear that can use any material to make hostile creations in its image. |
| 410 | ** [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-1055 "Bugsy"]], a grizzly that gets bigger and more aggressive the [[YourMindMakesItReal more people know about it]]. |
| 411 | ** Another teddy bear, [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1145 SCP-1145]] isn't actively malicious... it just so happens to now be a NuclearMutant after getting utterly irradiated by the bombing of Nagasaki. |
| 412 | ** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1313 SCP-1313]], a mathematical equation whose solution is a live grizzly bear. Foundation mathematicians are thus investigating the implications of bears existing in the set of real numbers. |
| 413 | ** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2875 SCP-2875]], aka The Town that got Fucked By Bears. It's a town in Wisconsin that, every three days, randomly spawns anywhere between 50-100 grizzly bears. Bears that have to be tranquilized and beaten to death, because if you shoot one [[AsteroidsMonster two more take its place]]. |
| 414 | * ''Website/{{Serina}}'': The largest of the bumblebadgers, a clade of quadrupedal birds adapted for life as generalist meat-leaning omnivores, are called bumblebears, and are dangerous and bad-tempered ground predators adapted for purely carnivorous lifestyles. |
| 415 | ** A relatively small species, the bramblebreaker, is described as "an animal nobody wants to meet". They're highly muscular, dangerous predators and extremely foul-tempered even by bumblebear standards, but provide a useful service for other animals through their ability to open paths through the dense cactaiga by simply chewing their way through the dense growths of spiny plants. |
| 416 | ** [[https://sites.google.com/site/worldofserina/the-ultimocene-250-million-years/the-truculent-bumblebear The truculent bumblebear]], at eight feet in height and nine hundred pounds in weight, is one of the largest bumblebear species and the apex predator of its era. They're extremely powerful and dangerous predators, equally happy killing and eating literally any creature they encounter as they are chasing off other predators from their kills. They have no natural enemies, and their most common cause of death is being killed by a conspecific in a conflict over territory. |
| 417 | ** During the height of the Ocean Age glaciation, the truculent bumblebear evolves into the dire bumblebear, the largest bumblebear to ever live and a fearsome, powerful, and highly aggressive predator. Dire bumblebears are adapted for killing thorngrazers, the only remaining land herbivores to exist in large numbers during this period. As thorngrazers are themselves aggressive and powerful beasts who live in large herds and in one species' case are covered in spines, dire bumblebears get their food by being even stronger, tougher and more ferocious than their prey -- although they will also happily chase other predators from their kills, as nothing alive will willingly fight one of these beasts. The tundra's sapient natives, the woolly wumpos, fear these beasts immensely. |
| 418 | [[/folder]] |
| 419 | |
| 420 | [[folder:Web Videos]] |
| 421 | * ''WebVideo/AfterlifeSMP'': Junior, Joey's pet panda, is of the aggressive variant in Minecraft and will attack continuously if provoked. [[spoiler:This has caused two deaths on the server, thus having a higher KillTally than about half of the player population.]] |
| 422 | * In a roundabout sort of way, when the ''WebVideo/GameGrumps'' play ''VideoGame/NaughtyBear'', their first part got decidedly low ratings due to their inability to complete ''the very first task of the game, '''even though the game itself was guiding them'''.'' |
| 423 | * This is a running joke in the online web series ''WebVideo/LoadingReadyRun'' where Kathleen, one of the people in comedy group, has what she describes as a "completely rational fear" of bears. |
| 424 | * ''WebVideo/PiratesSMP'': Grizzly bears are part of the mod-pack and have been known targets of "A Terrible Beast" quests because they have a tendency to crash random people's picnics. Even if they are [[BearyFriendly tamed as mounts]], they are still hostile to anyone outside of the tamer's faction and will attack them on sight if they get too close. |
| 425 | * Joel Heyman from ''Creator/RoosterTeeth'' picked [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEUULIs_UWE the wrong Fluffy to tame]].[[note]]The footage in question appears to be from ''Cabela's Big Game Hunter'', or a closely related game.[[/note]] |
| 426 | -->"[[MemeticMutation Cinnamon, no!]]" |
| 427 | * ''WebVideo/TierZoo'': Zigzagged when the series looks into extant and extinct bears and their position in the metagame of ''Outside''. |
| 428 | ** Played straight by powerful generalist bears like brown bears, kodiaks, and black bears. Their versatility, intelligence and ability to hibernate to conserve resources through winter make them premier S-tier predators. |
| 429 | ** {{Exaggerated|Trope}} by the cave bears from "The Ice Age Tier List", which was even bigger and stronger than modern bears -- while black bears are S-tier on versatility and intelligence, the cave bears made S-tier on the back of its overwhelming power, defense, and hitpoints, plus its ability to switch between hunting and scavenging when need be. Datamining suggests that unlike other large Ice Age builds, their decline was not a result of the in-universe GameBreaker, Humans, arriving on the scene. Note that the "cave bear" in "The Ice Age Tier List" is actually [[CompositeCharacter a combination]] of both its real-life counterpart and another giant bear species -- the short-faced bear -- combining the former's herbivory with the latter's scavenging and fighting prowess. |
| 430 | ** Subverted by most specialized bears, with only the very strong polar bear making it outside of the very low tiers. Even then, it's hampered by lacking the useful Hibernate ability and having to contend with the unforgiving Arctic server, including months-long Arctic nights. In the lowest tier is the panda, which has specialized extremely heavily into eating bamboo, even though it provides them almost no energy or XP. |
| 431 | * Literature/WhateleyUniverse: the Mediwhila Native American tribe just off the grounds of [[SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy]] are Weres. But the leader's boyfriend is a Werebear. Do not mess with this guy. |
| 432 | * ''WebVideo/WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou'': Nash finds it hard to believe just how many stories he's had that involve people trying to take on bears in some way, calling bears "living furry tanks" and at least once uttering the Trope name itself (which left him open to Tara following it up with "Especially when they play baseball."). Some of the more infamous examples: |
| 433 | ** One story about a man who wanted to find a bear, kill a bear, wear the bear's skin, and then maul his ex-girlfriend to death to make it look like some sort of freak bear attack. Nash was quick to point out the flaws in this plan. |
| 434 | --->'''Nash:''' Number one, it's a bear. Number two, it's a bear. Number three, and probably most important... HOLY SHIT, YOU FUCKING IDIOT! IT'S A GODDAMNED BEAR! |
| 435 | ** They also had another story where a man and his girlfriend were camping and a bear started to go into their tent while they were sleeping. The man managed to punch the bear in the face and drove it off. Both Nash and Tara agreed that punching a bear in the face to save your girlfriend is better than a marriage proposal. Tara was also concerned about her then-boyfriend finding out about the story as he wants to punch a bear and now has proof you can survive doing it. |
| 436 | ** Another one about a man donning a realistic bear costume and harassing a family of bears, going so far as to get near the cubs, leaving Nash to have to explain why the MamaBear trope exists: "You get next to Mama Bear's cubs, that is ''death''!" |
| 437 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfNU7AgSVQM Violated by Bears Man's]] origin. |
| 438 | [[/folder]] |
| 439 | |
| 440 | [[folder:Other]] |
| 441 | * They're learning ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghgg_fukbvU&feature=related Kung Fu]]'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVjAQqZrGcg now]]. We're all gonna die. |
| 442 | * Preying on public fear and stereotypes, the following hoax[[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2026914/Mum-bear-eating--Final-phone-calls-woman-19-eaten-alive-brown-bear-cubs.html]] describes a 19-year old Russian girl and her stepfather get eaten alive by a literal MamaBear and cubs. |
| 443 | * Speaking of Russians, various caricature artists use this trope as a metaphor for [[UsefulNotes/RussianFederation Russia]]. |
| 444 | * Even memes aren't safe from this trope. [[https://imgflip.com/memegenerator/47902606/Chainsaw-Polar-Bear Polar bears can even carry a FUCKING CHAINSAW!]] |
| 445 | * There's the MemeticMutation image that illustrates this page... [[https://web.archive.org/web/20081018173551/http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Bear_cavalry which gets some responses]]. |
| 446 | * [[https://web.archive.org/web/20130917152011/https://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/most-interesting-bear-in-the-world-meme.jpg Stated in this rendition]] [[MemeticMutation among the many]] of ''Advertising/TheMostInterestingManInTheWorld''. |
| 447 | * The Russian Internet meme [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/preved-medved Preved Medved (Hello Bear).]] |
| 448 | * That's not important. Let's focus on [[http://jerslater.blogspot.com/2006/06/on-follow-up-calls.html RAPEBEAR]]. |
| 449 | ** And [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/pedobear#.Tc2ZEc0Zwno Pedobear.]] |
| 450 | * [[https://hamsterfly.cgsociety.org/23pe/bear-mutant-concept This]] cute bear is a [[https://www.pinterest.com/pin/665266176202297246/ combination of this trope]] and AnimalisticAbomination. |
| 451 | ** Ditto when [[https://elestoque.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/bearmageddon1-300x210.jpg there are bears with tentacles or bat wings]]. |
| 452 | [[/folder]] |
| 453 | |
| 454 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 455 | * The Nazis probably felt this way about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojtek_(bear) Voytek]]. A bear... [[BoisterousBruiser that drinks, smokes, fights, and carries ammo]]. However, in his personal life Voytek was known as [[GentleGiant a kind and lovable fuzzball]], who loved sweets, baths, and hanging out with his buddies. A case where he brought this upon someone: one day when Voytek went to the steam baths, he found an enemy spy hiding in them. He roared and backhanded the spy, who promptly surrendered, presumably not having expected a bear to blow his cover. What's amazing is that throughout his military career, he caught spies that sneaked into his base, not once but twice. Voytek was rewarded with cool bath and bottles of beer. So he was punching Nazis before Harrison Ford made it cool. |
| 456 | * Try to read all the way through [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America this page]] without getting the chills. Some standout incidents include: |
| 457 | ** The woman who climbed onto her roof when the bear broke into her cabin. It ''[[SuperPersistentPredator followed her onto the roof]]'' and killed her. Nowhere is safe... |
| 458 | ** The one where a bear broke the necks of two campers, dragged them off, and ate part of them. When police found the bear five days later... it was ''guarding and protecting their corpses''. The disturbing implication that the bear had come to enjoy the taste of human flesh, to the point where it jealously guarded the corpses, makes this one even creepier. |
| 459 | ** The bear who apparently ripped the door off of a trailer to get to the man inside. |
| 460 | ** The bear who dragged a five-month-old ''off of the porch of her house'' and killed her. |
| 461 | ** The one where [[NothingIsScarier the only information they give us]] is that "his/her partially consumed remains were found." Especially scary is the guy whose half-eaten body was found ''in a campground'' when people woke up the next morning, or the one where "days later, searchers found his campsite with his bare skeleton, one intact hand, and both feet, still booted." |
| 462 | ** And then there's the guy who managed to drag himself 1.5 miles to a meadow to die after being mauled and partially eaten. |
| 463 | * What's scarier than a bear? '''A rabid bear.''' One managed to smash through a house once and savaged everything in it until it was shot to death by the owner. The bear even ''head-on'' charged his jeep! If Cujo was bad, this is ''much'' worse. |
| 464 | * There's a ''reason'' the expression "loaded for bear" means "carrying the biggest gun you can get your hands on." In the muzzle-loading days, it meant cramming in extra powder. It takes quite a lot to put a bear down, and there's a lot of TakingYouWithMe potential if you don't get it right. A party of Eastern European hunters once cornered a large male brown bear-- after they shot it twice with a [[{{BFG}} 9.3x74mm double rifle]], the bruin did not show the least desire to die, but charged them furiously, prompting the leader to perform the quickest reload of both barrels in his lifetime and shoot again, [[OhCrap only to see that it did not even stop the furious bear, let alone kill it]]. The entire party ran away like madmen, and when they could scrounge enough guts to go back, they found the bear dead: [[MadeOfIron all four expanding rounds had hit, one of them almost cut down a hind leg, yet the bear survived long enough to charge them]]. |
| 465 | * As depicted in ''Film/GrizzlyMan'', Timothy Treadwell had been hanging around bears for thirteen years and filming them until two finally ate him and his girlfriend. Before that, he apparently had such a way that he could get close to cubs without hitting the momma's BerserkButton. It was described as being a particularly harsh fall, with a salmon run that was far below average and bears that were hungrier and more aggressive than usual. Guess it doesn't matter how much of a strong connection you have to nature when there's a food shortage... it didn't help that he had stayed longer than planned, and the bears that did know him weren't the ones in the area any more. |
| 466 | * A Russian circus manager [[http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/23/russia.skating.bear.death/ was killed]] by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNsqkmHxpEE an ice skating bear.]] |
| 467 | * A group of armed militants in Kashmir [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8339549.stm stopped to have some pudding in a cave hideaway... shared by a bear]]. The bear killed two and severely injured a third. The cave was shared, not the pudding. This may be why the bear attacked. |
| 468 | * The Lewis and Clark expedition experienced grizzly bears for the first time when they were exploring the west. "Experienced" here meaning "coming across a creature so incredibly strong, they were unable to kill it with all of their guns and had to hide up trees until it left." Climbing a tree is not a foolproof solution to bears. Bears, even grizzlies, have been known to climb trees, too. Standing on the ground, a big bear can reach as much as 10 feet into a tree. |
| 469 | --> '''Lewis:''' ''(in his journal)'' I find that the curiossity of our party is pretty well satisfyed with rispect to this anamal. |
| 470 | * In 2006, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_JJ1 a brown bear nicknamed "Bruno"]] by the press became something of a ''cause célèbre'' when it wandered into southern UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} from UsefulNotes/{{Austria}}, making him the first wild bear to be seen in Germany since 1838. Bruno was extremely large and aggressive, showing a particular fondness for killing (but not eating) domestic animals. The fumbling attempts of the [[UsefulNotes/TheSixteenLandsOfDeutschland Bavarian]] government to deal with him (particularly Minister-President [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWcIimwhkr8 Edmund Stoiber's description]] of him as a "''Problembär''" ("problem bear")) attracted a great amount of derision. Bruno was finally shot to death by government marksmen. |
| 471 | * And now they're joyriding in [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10753021 your car]]. |
| 472 | * There was a drug bust of a Marijuana farm guarded [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill by 10 black bears]]. However, they were so docile and domesticated that all that happened was that one of them sat on a cop car's hood for an hour, and then they just watched everything. |
| 473 | ** If this is the same story, the whole thing was just [[{{Corpsing}} too ridiculous]] for one [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6xa3VcxWtI Russian news reader]]. |
| 474 | * As if WorldWarIII wouldn't be bad enough, it was almost started [[http://io9.com/5664390/5-times-we-almost-nuked-ourselves-by-accident by a bear]]. More precisely, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a black bear tripped an intruder alarm at a US Air Force installation in Duluth, Minnesota, putting the entire base on full alert and nearly starting WorldWarIII. |
| 475 | * The [[https://web.archive.org/web/20111204223856/http://www.nonstopsnow.com/blog/stuff-we-like/svalbard-ski-marathon/ Svalbard Ski Marathon]]: probably the only annual sporting event where the entire track has to be surveilled by armed guards to stop polar bears from eating the competitors. |
| 476 | ** It's not just the marathon. In Svalbard, you are required to carry a rifle while outside a settlement for self-defense against polar bears. |
| 477 | ** Why a rifle? Because shooting a polar bear in the face with a handgun [[SuperPersistentPredator won't make it stop]]. |
| 478 | * The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloth_bear_of_Mysore Sloth bear of Mysore]], which plagued the Mysore province in India in 1957. The Sankebetsu Brown Bear incident, seen above, is scary, but while that killed seven people, and wounded two others, the sloth bear of Mysore killed 12 people, and mutilated a dozen others, making it the single bear responsible for most human fatalities ever. To make matters scarier? No one really knows why the bear attacked, it only ate three of its victims, so this cannot have been the primary motivation, implication that it was a "thrill killer", remains. And to make matters even worse, sloth bears attacks by clawing the face of their victims with their long claws, perfectly adapted for destroying termite mounds. Yep, that's right, most of those that died had their face torn apart, and most of those who survived live with such a face for the rest of their life. Eventually, after three hunts, GreatWhiteHunter [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Anderson_%28writer%29 Kenneth Anderson]] shot it dead. |
| 479 | * Les Stroud, aka the ''Series/{{Survivorman}}'', gets dropped into environments all over the world armed with nothing bigger than a small knife and spends the week by himself demonstrating how to survive in that situation, and has made a point of usually not having a firearm with him despite being in environments with the potential for hostile wildlife (plus, hunting for food would be easier). The exception was when he filmed an episode on Baffin Island, and authorities ''required'' him to carry a rifle, specifically because of the danger of polar bears. |
| 480 | * The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankebetsu_brown_bear_incident Sankebetsu brown bear incident]], which took place in Hokaido, in late 1915. It resulted in the deaths of seven people (one of whom was pregnant) over the course of five days, and wrecked multiple houses. It's believed that the cause for the attack was the bear (who went on to be named "Kesagake", which means "the diagonal slash from the shoulder") awoke early from hibernation, leading him to become more ravenous and aggressive. |
| 481 | * What's worse than a single bear mauling you? '''A pack of bears!''' [[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6338571/amp/Zoo-horror-bears-kill-female-wolf-shared-enclosure.html Four bears mauled a female wolf to death in a Dutch Zoo while the other wolves trying to save her...]] |
| 482 | * Bears were also bad news for Neanderthals, with a [[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276353034_Large_carnivore_attacks_on_hominins_during_the_Pleistocene_a_forensic_approach_with_a_Neanderthal_example 2016 study]] finding that 45 out of 124 sampled Neanderthal skeletons had been victims of a bear attack. |
| 483 | * Even their ''skeletons'' ain't immune to this trope, as they look frightening and even near-demonic. |
| 484 | * Among truckers in TheSeventies, "bear" was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_CB_slang CB radio slang]] for a highway patroller, whose hats resembled that worn by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokey_Bear Smokey Bear]] in {{public service announcement}}s. Hence the title of ''Film/SmokeyAndTheBandit''. |
| 485 | * In 2004, the city government of the small town of Grafton, New Hampshire was taken over by libertarians who stopped enforcement of many regulations -- including rules prohibiting leaving out food and waste that might attract bears. Several town residents started deliberately feeding the local bears; which attracted them to everyone's homes. When they couldn't eat garbage; they would go after backyard chickens and outdoor pets or try to get into the houses. Many residents eventually moved out of town. Documented in "A Libertarian Walks Into A Bear". |
| 486 | * Bears were so feared in Medieval Europe that [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_spear a special type of spear]] was developed to hunt them; its salient feature was a stout crossbar behind the head, meant to prevent the speared bear from [[TakingYouWithMe pushing itself down the shaft to attack the wielder]]. (A similar but smaller type of spear was used to hunt [[FullBoarAction wild boars]], for much the same reason.) |
| 487 | * A more metaphorical sort of bear: the [[TheBerserker berserkers]] (literally "bear-shirts") of Norse mytho-history were said to fight with the ferocity of angry bears, or even transform ''into'' bears during battle in the more fanciful tellings. In reality, they were probably "just" the most hardened and experienced warriors in an army, who wore bear-skin cloaks or tunics as a badge of rank, and who psyched themselves up and intimidated the enemy before battle by roaring and chewing their shields like bears. (Bonus: given that the body types favored by Norse warriors tended towards StoutStrength, using their own bodies as barricades and battering rams in shield-wall warfare, many berserkers were likely TheBear as well.) |
| 488 | [[/folder]] |
| 489 | |
| 490 | |
| 491 | ---- |
| 492 | ->'''[[TheHeckler Statler:]]''' A bit late to tell us; [[Characters/TheMuppetShow we're well aware!]]\ |
| 493 | '''[[TheStinger Waldorf:]]''' We better [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare exit]], before we're [[Theatre/TheWintersTale pursued by ours!]]\ |
| 494 | '''[[JustForFun/StatlerAndWaldorf Both:]]''' Doh-ho-ho-ho-hoh! |
| 495 |
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