Line #88 Main/TheEeyore


1	%%
2	%%
3	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
4	%%
5	[[quoteright:300:[[Franchise/WinnieThePooh https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_eeyore61_5881_5847.jpg]]]]
6	[[caption-width-right:300:"Sorry for being on this page..."]]
7
8	->'''Gamal:''' How's it going?\
9	'''Jeriah:''' Not too good -- still alive.
10	-->-- ''Webcomic/MenInHats''
11
12	%% One quote per page, thanks. Additional entries can go on the Quotes tab.
13	%% Quote changed per thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1327331003042025100&page=257
14	%%
15	This character exists solely to bring everybody down, but not in the DeadpanSnarker sense; they are defined entirely by their complete inability to be happy for more than a few seconds at a time, an emotional state that usually arises from their only ''[[{{Wangst}} occasionally]]'' [[DarkAndTroubledPast justified]] suspicion that they are the ButtMonkey of the [[CosmicPlaything entire universe]]. They are the walking AnthropomorphicPersonification of clinical depression. However, the few moments that they ''are'' [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness happy]] can be a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment\|s}}.
16
17	Sometimes overlaps with SourSupporter, but not often; they are generally too unhappy to be effective or active.
18
19	When upset, the Eeyore may as well become CuteAndPsycho. Being an Eeyore could easily be interchangeable with {{Emo}} when their angst comes from over-sensitivity and introspection. A stereotypical {{Goth}} will adopt such behaviour out of a more cerebral, nihilistic view of humanity. An Eeyore with artistic talent will use it to [[TrueArtIsAngsty express his overwhelming angst]].
20
21	If written a certain way, The Eeyore can easily become a [[TheWoobie Woobie.]] Some versions may be ProneToTears, while others may just be perpetually dour. In a FourTemperamentEnsemble, this character is almost always Melancholic.
22
23	ThePollyanna is the polar opposite of this trope.
24	----
25	!!Example subpages:
26
27	[[index]]
28	* TheEeyore/AnimeAndManga
29	* TheEeyore/{{Literature}}
30	* TheEeyore/LiveActionTV
31	* TheEeyore/VideoGames
32	* TheEeyore/WesternAnimation
33	[[/index]]
34
35	----
36	!!Other Examples:
37
38	[[foldercontrol]]
39
40	[[folder:Asian Animation]]
41	* In ''Animation/HappyHeroes'', Sad S. has it right in her name that she's quite morose and is not only very ProneToTears, but ''weaponizes her OcularGushers''.
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Arts]]
45	* ''Art/RaphaelRooms'': Among the brightly colored geniuses of "The School of Athens" sharing their knowledge in excitement, the pessimist philosopher Heraclitus bends over a piece of marble, covering his face in shadow, as he looks away from the writing he seems to get no joy from contemplating.
46	[[/folder]]
47
48	%%[[folder:Comic Books]]
49	%% * In ''ComicBook/AllFallDown'', Pronto is this after [[spoiler:the loss of his legs]].
50	%% * Bertrand Labévue from ''ComicBook/GastonLagaffe''.
51	%% * Cassie from ''ComicBook/HackSlash'', in a virulently homicidal sort of way. The one and only time she was genuinely happy was when someone got her drunk at springbreak.
52	%% * Sometimes, ''ComicStrip/{{Rudi}}'' from the German comic with the same name. He also has a buddy who's ''always'' like this.
53	%% * And, yes, Eeyore is a depressed pessimist in Disney's ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' comics as well.
54	%%[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
57	* ''ComicStrip/TheBoondocks'' protagonist Huey Freeman is a cynical, pessimistic young boy who often rants about whatever (real or perceived) life's problems are on his mind. In one strip, Huey's Granddad asks him how making himself miserable all the time will help, to which he replies:
58	-->'''Huey:''' I ''hate'' wisdom.
59	* Charlie Brown from ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' is frequently, though thankfully not always, like this.
60	* Porky Pine from ''ComicStrip/{{Pogo}}''. His most famous line is probably, "Don't take life so serious, son. It ain't nohow permanent."
61	* Ted's mom from ''ComicStrip/{{Sally Forth\|Howard}}'': She's always worrying and complaining even if nothing's wrong; Sally implies that her mother-in-law enjoys complaining:
62	-->'''Ted's Mom:''' Was the flight dreadful?\
63	'''Ted:''' Actually it was pretty smooth.\
64	'''Ted's Mom:''' Yeah, air travel is always a nightmare.
65	** Ted's tween daughter Hilary was like this when she met her boyfriend Jon. To be fair, her knowledge of relationships comes from "[[SoapOpera bad]] [[{{sitcom}} television]]":
66	---> '''Hilary:''' So I guess we're going to make a lot of mistakes then, huh?\
67	'''Jon:''' Or we'll have a great time together.\
68	'''Hilary:''' Oh. Right. I like your way of thinking much better.
69	[[/folder]]
70
71	[[folder:Fan Works]]
72	* Sarahva Boor from ''Fanfic/The61stAnnualHungerGames'' is always depressed and doesn't consider herself worthy of allying with anybody. She's a kind character, but she doesn't really open up to anyone and has a pessimistic worldview.
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
76	* Manny from ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'' fits this description, especially in the original movie, when he is morose and grieving over the loss of his family.
77	* Sadness from ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' definitely qualifies. Every memory she touches turns sad too (though it's noted that this is a recent development). When Joy asks her to think of something happy, Sadness thinks of rain and [[DownerEnding the ending to]] ''Film/OldYeller''. [[spoiler:Eventually, the other emotions learn how to use her in positive ways.]]
78	%%* Bad Bill from ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}''.
79	* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'': Chuckles the Clown is a subversion: [[{{Expy}} he acts much like Eeyore]], to the point of sharing a voice actor, but then you hear his [[StartOfDarkness backstory]]...
80	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Trolls}}'': The Bergens are an entire race of Eeyores. They're perpetually depressed and grouchy, with a Bergen being shown hardheartedly burying himself alive. Eating Trolls is the only way a Bergen can feel happiness, and they only do that once a year. [[spoiler: Eventually the Trolls convince the Bergens that they can feel happiness on their own, thanks to a little bit of the PowerOfLove for the king.]]
81	[[/folder]]
82
83	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
84	* In ''Film/CanyonPassage'', Logan's clerk Clenchfield is constantly predicting ruin and disaster. In the end, he is proved right (but Logan doesn't care as it just means he gets to start all over again).
85	* Music/RingoStarr in ''Film/AHardDaysNight''. Apparently, [[RealLifeWritesThePlot he had shades of this in reality as well]], but it did bother him when the press began referring to him as "the Sad Beatle" after the movie came out; he claimed that he was perfectly happy, but didn't have a naturally smiley face.
86	* ''Film/HowToBlowUpAPipeline'': Michael is continually dour for most of the film, and even implied to be a {{death seeker}} at one point.
87	* "The Prophet" from ''Film/OperationPetticoat'', who does things like singing "You can't win, my friend, you can't win...", at least until [[spoiler: he survives an attempted strafing.]]
88	* In the UsefulNotes/WorldWarII movie ''Film/AWalkInTheSun'', Private Archimbeau gripes constantly (right up to his LastWords) that they're stuck in a ForeverWar and will be fighting all the way to Tibet.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Music]]
92	* Spanish singer Music/AlexUbago is popularly stereotyped as being both depressive and depression-inducing, due to the content heavy in sadness and melancholy of his songs.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Podcasts]]
96	* Johann of ''Podcast/TheAdventureZoneBalance'' is always sad and speaks in a droopy voice. Given that he's best bard to have ever lived but his job ensures that no one will ever hear his compositions, it's hard to blame him.
97	* Hope from the internet comedy podcast ''Hope Is Emo'' is, well... emo.
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Radio]]
101	* The Happy Postman, played by Creator/MelBlanc on ''Radio/TheBurnsAndAllenShow''. His [=catchphrase=], always done in a sobbing voice of deep despair: "Well, good-bye, Mrs. Burns. And remember: Keep smiling!"
102	** Blanc uses the Happy Postman voice (and catchphrase) for a JerkassWoobie Easter Bunny in the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' "WesternAnimation/EasterYeggs''.
103	* Marvin the Paranoid Android from ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1978''. According to the biography of Douglas Adams written by Neil Gaiman, Marvin was originally based on a friend of his, a manic-depressive named Marshall who could only ever be cheered up by his long-suffering wife; he changed the name from "Marshall" to "Marvin" out of kindness. However, after talking about this in an interview, Adams was called by his mother, who claimed that he was totally wrong - Marvin was Eeyore. Adams went to look at some older copies of ''Winnie the Pooh'', "...and blow me down, so he was!" Adams also said that the story he based Marvin on Andrew Marshall was one he'd told so often he no longer remembered if it was true or not. Marshall, he claimed, really was like that, but this proved nothing because ''all'' [[SadClown comedy writers are Eeyores]].
104	** Andrew Marshall co-wrote ''Radio/TheBurkissWay'', the big radio rival to [=h2g2=]. His persona as "Marvin" was part of a running rivalry between the two hit shows, although people who met him in pubs could confirm he really ''was'' a gloomy pessimist hovering on the brink of depression. He responded by writing an impenetrably boring genius called ''Different Adams'' into his radio show. He went on to write ''2point4Children'' and the TV series, later movie, about WW3, ''Series/WhoopsApocalypse''.
105	** Incidentally, Marvin's original voice actor was later cast as the TropeNamer in a BBC Radio 4 adaptation of the original AA Milne stories.
106	%% * Wartime [=SitCom=] ''Radio/{{ITMA}}'' had [[PunnyName Mona Lott]], whose [[CharacterCatchphrase catchphrase]] was "It's being so cheerful that keeps me going".
107	%% * Red Symons, former guitarist for the Skyhooks, cultivated this persona for his radio and television career.
108	[[/folder]]
109
110	[[folder:Roleplay]]
111	* Harriet from ''Roleplay/DawnOfANewAgeOldportBlues''. After her parents died, something that she [[ItsAllMyFault blames herself for]], her previous personality as an enthusiastic child performer did a complete 180 into a gloomy girl who thoroughly hates herself and always assumes the worst of others.
112	[[/folder]]
113
114	[[folder:Theatre]]
115	* In ''Theatre/LOrfeo'', Orpheus is said to have treated sighs and weeping as food and drink before he met Eurydice, and falls right back into this after her death, lamenting that he's still alive while she's dead. [[spoiler:He becomes this again after he causes her second death, but Apollo snaps him out of it.]]
116	* George Washington in ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix''. He never actually appears on stage, but his dispatches from the field (read to the Congress) are gloomy to the point of despair. As delegate Thomas [=McKean=] puts it, "Och! The man would depress a hyena!"
117	%% * OlderThanSteam: Jacques in ''Theatre/AsYouLikeIt''. The JustForFun/ZerothLawOfTropeExamples strikes again!
118	%% * This is one interpretation of the title character in ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''. That is, when he's not being the DeadpanSnarker.
119	%% * Henrik in ''Theatre/ALittleNightMusic''.
120	%% * Sam in ''Theatre/StreetScene'' is almost constantly brooding. His girlfriend, fortunately, doesn't agree with him when he says that life isn't worth living.
121	[[/folder]]
122
123	[[folder:Web Animation]]
124	* ''Angry Little Girls'': Xyla, the gloomy girl.
125	%%* "Sad Larry" of ''WebAnimation/CyanideAndHappiness'' is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.
126	* Strong Sad from ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner''; notable in so far as he really ''is'' the ButtMonkey of the entire universe... or at least his brothers' most readily available punching bag. It's implied he actually has depression, as a few episodes (like the WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail "funny" and the short "No Hands on Deck!") imply he's taking some kind of medication for it.
127	** However, some CharacterDevelopment has turned him from what the fans call "Depressing Strong Sad" into "Whiney Strong Sad", and is [[http://forum.hrwiki.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14704 now liked more by the fandom]] than when he had his old personality.
128	--->''I don't like food anymore!''
129	** His 1936 counterpart, Sickly Sam, is like this trope times two, being a chronically-ill bum who lives in an old box and speaks in a sad, wheezy voice.
130	* In ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'', one of the Inquisitors accompanying Karamazov turns into a besaddened doomsday prophet when they're [[spoiler:sent into the Warp]].
131	* ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': Pita often says really twisted and dark things as if he is trying way too hard to be edgy.
132	[[/folder]]
133
134	[[folder:Webcomics]]
135	* Petitus in ''Webcomic/OneOverZero'', especially in his earliest days. Tailsteak directly tells him in a later strip that he was created to be The Eeyore of the series.
136	* ''Webcomic/TheBirdFeeder'' has Lewis, who is a crow, and who is definitely quite the downer. At the very least, he always ''looks'' sad. When any of the other characters become sad or morose, they are assumed to have been hanging around Lewis too much.
137	%% * The main character of ''[[http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Boxdog/4851001/ Boxdog]]''. Although considering the [[ShootTheShaggyDog setting]]...
138	%% * [[http://www.explosm.net/comics/2296/ Dan the Downer]] from ''Webcomic/CyanideAndHappiness''.
139	* ''Webcomic/{{Follower}}'': Geedy is this at the beginning of the comic due to his isolation. He's slowly improving after meeting Dia.
140	* Aradia of ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' is [[CharacterCatchphrase okay with a lot of things]], including the Trolls' unavoidable failure and the destruction of their universe. Which she likes to remind the others of ''constantly''. The sheer depressing nature of her conversations is probably one of the reasons why she's not very popular in the fandom at large.
141	** [[spoiler: Until she resurrected into the [[CameBackStrong God Tiers]] and lost the Eeyore-ness.]]
142	* Piro of ''Webcomic/MegaTokyo'' could be accused of being this when he's not caught up in the middle of somebody else's drama, though never so much as AuthorAvatar source Fred Gallagher himself.
143	%% * Jeriah from the webcomic ''Webcomic/MenInHats''.
144	* Greyview the worg in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' is always ready to respond to anything from the most negative perspective possible. ("Do you even ''have'' fruit in the arctic?" '''Greyview''': "Have bitter fruit of eternal despair.") He also has a very cynical view of his relationship with his master Oona: "Is futile to argue. Nod. Get treat. Only certainty in life: When icy jaws of death come, you will not have had enough treats."
145	%% * Davan from ''Webcomic/SomethingPositive'' fits the profile to a tee. The sympathy stays with him mostly because every [[CrapsackWorld other person in the webcomic universe is depicted as an asshole]].
146	%% ** Considering that he is too, the sympathy usually doesn't stay for long.
147	* Siv Västerström from ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'' is definitely one of these. She always looks like a NervousWreck, can list why any given course of action will go horribly wrong without having to think hard about it and can only challenge people in a [[PassiveAggressiveKombat passive-aggressive way]] that makes her [[IgnoredExpert easy to override]], even after she's plucked up enough gumption to do it (she's [[OnlySaneMan not wrong]], just too quietly melodramatic). This also makes her a bit of an ExtremeDoormat who can't (or won't) fight her corner, particularly when trying to deal with her GenkiGuy husband, Torbjörn. What seals the deal? She only kind of brightens up a little when ''he'' starts to frazzle -- it confirms she was right to be down!
148	* ''Webcomic/VampireGirl'': Levana has an extensive list of grievances of what she dislikes being a vampire, and even tells Laura that because of that, she's sick and tired of always being depressed over who and what she is.
149	[[/folder]]
150
151	[[folder:Web Original]]
152	* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'' has Caleb Widogast, who perpetually sounds sad and sullen and rarely smiles or laughs. Given his DarkAndTroubledPast, it's pretty warranted.
153	-->'''Caleb:''' ''(after {{No Sell}}ing Twiggy's Hideous Laughter spell)'' [[GratuitousGerman Ja]], I am not a happy guy.
154	* There's a ''color'' dedicated to this trope in Website/{{Neopets}}, and it's gray. The Gray Faerie usually is portrayed with a cloud over her head, and never, ever says anything cheerful. Fandom has determined that both the faerie, pets and items are just all emo, as there's no reason to do so in such a utopic setting.
155	* The ''WebVideo/RealTimeFandub'' take on ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' portrays Silver the Hedgehog as a ButtMonkey who is almost always wallowing in depression, whining, and making self-deprecating comments while being given little to no respect by any of the other characters.
156	-->'''Amy:''' Aw, dammit, [[ItMakesSenseInContext I missed my opportunity on Sonic's next album]]! This is your fault, silver boy! I'm gonna pluck you up, melt you down, and make a ''fucking'' necklace!\
157	'''Silver:''' Yeah, I probably deserve it...\
158	'''Amy:''' Oh, wait... Shit. You don't make this fun 'cause you're sad!\
159	'''Silver:''' I'm always sad. [[ItsWhatIDo That's just my thing... I... I'm sorry I'm sad. I can't- that's just how I be.]]\
160	'''Amy:''' Well, now I just feel bad. Dammit.
161	* Website/{{Reddit}} has its cheerful little subreddit r/2meirl4meirl, which is mostly reposting suicidal, extremely self-loathing, and nihilistic reposts from Tumblr and elsewhere, mixed in with pleas to kill them. It's like Shinji Ikari, Marvin the Paranoid Android, and Eeyore ruining all your favorite tumblr posts.
162	* WebVideo/{{Vinesauce}} gives us the "long-lost third [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario brother]]" Sponge, who possesses the power to absorb the sadness of those around him. [[BlessedWithSuck Unfortunately, this only forces him to feel that sadness instead]]. Even aside from this, he hasn't exactly lived the happiest life -- a fan-created ROM hack has him trying to rescue his own princess, [[spoiler:only to find that she died waiting for him, because he couldn't reach her fast enough.]] [[PerpetualFrowner No wonder he refuses to smile]].
163	[[/folder]]
164
165	%% [[folder: Real Life]]
166	%% * Creator/StevenWright
167	%% * There's sure to be an Eeyore amongst the more emotionally and philosophically adjusted people in the world.
168	%% * Creator/FranzKafka.
169	%% * Clinically depressed people are sometimes like this when they're riding the sliding scale of needing attention versus deserving that attention.
170	%% * This trope is essentially [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysthymia Dysthymia]] personified.
171	%% * ''Creator/KarlPilkington'' is known for this.
172	%% -->'''Karl:''' I don't like fun.
173	%% [[/folder]]

Context Main / TheEeyore