Line #41 Main/TheStoolPigeon


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5	[[quoteright:287:[[WesternAnimation/ADayAtTheZoo https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stoolpigeon.jpg]]]]
6	[[caption-width-right:287: [[PunBasedCreature "Oh, he did so do it. I saw him with my very own eyes. So there."]]]]
7
8	->''There's a gentleman that's going 'round\
9	Turning the joint upside down\
10	Stool pigeon - ha-cha-cha-cha!''
11	-->-- '''Music/KidCreoleAndTheCoconuts''', "Stool Pigeon"
12
13	The tattletale. The blabbermouth. The squealer. That [[NobodyLikesATattletale no-good snitch!]] You can't go through life without having the misfortune of coming across someone who's willing to rat you out and get you in trouble.
14
15	However, the motivations of the snitch and how they're regarded in a story can vary wildly. Snitches have the reputation of being [[DirtyCoward cowardly weasels]], but there are times when a snitch can be responsible or heroic, if they report unethical or illegal activity done by authorities (in this case, they may be called a "whistleblower"). Due to the sheer prevalence of this trope, there are several important variations:
16
17	'''Petty Patty/Peter:''' A character that's [[GreenEyedMonster jealous]] of the main character or has a [[EvilIsPetty petty reason]] to dislike them, and thus relishes the chance to get them in trouble. You can usually spot them [[SmugSnake smiling smugly]] as the main character is chastised for whatever they did. Naturally, they're going to [[LaserGuidedKarma get some payback]].
18
19	'''Disgruntled Daria/Davey:''' A character that [[OnlySaneMan dutifully gives information to their superiors]] but is then unsatisfied with how they deal with it. If they won't listen to her, then she'll find someone who will! This kind of snitch can vary wildly; sometimes the [[HeadInTheSandManagement authorities refuse to listen]], so they secretly tell someone else who will take action. However, sometimes [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure the authorities]] are just acting in a way she doesn't like and thus is going to [[TheyCalledMeMad force their hand]]. This latter variation can be considered treason and can cause [[AHouseDivided internal strife]].
20
21	'''Betrayer Belinda/Barry:''' A character that sells out their own friends to [[DirtyCoward save his own skin]]. Maybe they've gotten caught and [[PleaBargain offered a plea deal]], maybe the authorities are offering incentives, or maybe they're [[{{Jerkass}} just jerks]]. Either way, this character can end up [[CementShoes in a lot of trouble]] if their friends find out what they did ...
22
23	'''Snobby Sara/Simon:''' A character that turns in any other character, no matter what reasons they had for what they did. They broke the rules, so those little punks have to suffer the consequences! This character doesn't care about justice or rules as much as they [[{{Pride}} enjoy feeling smug and superior to others]].
24
25	'''Obnoxious Olivia/Oscar:''' A kid character that tattles on someone else for ... well, the thousands of reasons why kids like getting people in trouble. Usually played for laughs, but can sometimes be taken more seriously, especially if the kid is a young whistleblower or is called a liar.
26
27	'''Drug Debbie/Doug''': A character who ends up blabbing about activities to another person without realizing it because they were under the influence of drugs or [[InVinoVeritas alcohol]]. Also a TruthInTelevision, as drugged people or drunk people often blab the truth at the most inappropriate times due to their inhibitions being loosened. Can sometimes fall under Lacerated Larry if the person was drugged as part of an interrogation.
28
29	'''Obedient Olga/Obadiah''': A character who spills the beans because they believe this is what a good citizen ought to do, [[NothingPersonal without any personal grudges or strained relationships]]. Because they hold no grudges, such a person simply blabs and immediately moves on. They may believe [[BlindObedience obedience to authority to be a virtue]] and any defiance of it is inherently wrong. They are neither TheMole nor a spy. They never had anything to do with whomever they ratted out in the first place, but simply discovered them and reported them the same way one might report a suspicious package to the police.
30
31	and, more sympathetically,
32
33	'''Innocent Ingrid/Isaac''': A character who, along with other characters, has been involved in some activities that have gone rapidly downhill, and turns them in because of this. Maybe they never wanted to do anything bad but suddenly found themself caught up with people prepared and willing to do so, maybe their co-conspirators began [[NotWhatISignedOnFor doing things that they cannot stand]], or maybe they honestly didn't know that their friends or co-workers were doing anything wrong and upon finding out, decide to turn them in.
34
35	'''Concerned Claire/Corey:''' A character that turns in a friend or associate out of genuine concern for their well-being. Maybe their friend is sliding towards becoming a WellIntentionedExtremist, maybe they're compromising their cause, or maybe they're going to land themselves in jail ...[[DeathSeeker or worse]]. This character is willing to nobly [[WhatWereYouThinking take any hostility from their friend]], because they'd rather [[ForYourOwnGood see them alive and safe than continue what they were doing]]. Whether their concern is responsible or misguided can vary.
36
37	'''Whistleblower Wilma/Wilson:''' A character who sees a villain - [[WhatTheHellHero or even a hero]] - breaking the rules and turns them in because of [[TheFettered their own moral conscience]]. The most heroic of all snitches, many whistleblowers risk their friendships, careers, or even their lives to tell the truth.
38
39	'''Lacerated Lacey/Larry:''' A character that was simply [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique interrogated]] to the point of having the information [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured out of them.]] In many cases, the person may have been an extremely loyal comrade and in normal circumstances would not have ratted out their team. But since TortureAlwaysWorks and the cold-hearted villains [[WeHaveWaysOfMakingYouTalk have ways of making victims talk]], the captured member will always be left screaming in the end.
40
41	Snitches vary from GossipyHens because they're actually telling the truth and usually telling it to a recognised authority, whether it's a parent or the government. This can lead to a lot of problems because no matter how much of a jerk a snitch might be, the characters wouldn't have gotten in trouble if they hadn't done something snitch-worthy in the first place.
42
43	See also TheInformant, of which this trope is a SubTrope. For instances where the stool pigeon is an ''actual'' bird, see NotInFrontOfTheParrot.
44
45	----
46	!!Examples:
47
48	[[foldercontrol]]
49
50	[[folder:Advertisements]]
51	* Two unseen figures are examining files on the advertised car in the middle of the night, when a security guard bursts in and captures them.
52	-->'''Guard:''' So ''you're'' TheMole! ''(shines his torch on the spy, who is a literal mole)'' And who's that? ''(shines torch on a pigeon sitting on a stool)''\
53	'''Mole:''' A stool pigeon!
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
57	* In ''Manga/{{Bokurano}}'', Tamaki "Komo" Komoda is an Innocent Ingrid, since she is the one who tells the authorities about the kids piloting Zearth once it becomes clear what they've gotten involved in. In the manga, she goes to her father, who is an admiral, after a few battles have taken place. In the anime, while the group is being questioned by the police after the second battle, she tells them that they were piloting the robot.
58	* ''Manga/CallOfTheNight'': Anko invokes the trope twice.
59	** She first threatens to report Nazuna's cuddle buddy business for employing Yamori, a minor, which goes against the Labor Standards Act, [[IWasJustJoking only to pass it off as a joke]].
60	** Days later, once it becomes clear that she can't convince Yamori that [[AlwaysChaoticEvil vampires are evil]], she settles for calling the cops on him and telling them that "a suspicious boy has been seen wandering the streets" so that he can't go out at night anymore. She later retracts her report, however, after realizing that not only it wouldn't persuade Yamori, [[ForbiddenFruit it would probably have the opposite effect]].
61	* In Turn 19 of ''[[Anime/CodeGeass Code Geass R2]]'', [[spoiler:after Schneizel meets some resistance to the Black Knights in his efforts to goad the Black Knights into turning on Lelouch, Ohgi and Villetta's account of Lelouch's geass end up sealing the deal. Quite possibly a Petty Patty for Villetta, as she also could have [[MyCountryRightOrWrong just been doing her job as well]], and a misguided Whistleblower Wilson for Ohgi, considering [[QuoteMine some of]] [[FalseReassurance the evidence]]]]. The CompilationMovie more or less cuts out the majority of this part without affecting the result, possibly [[spoiler: turning Ohgi into a Concerned Corey who tries offering Lelouch a chance to actually explain himself.]]
62	* In ''Anime/GuiltyCrown'', [[TheLancer Yahiro]] ends up selling out the protagonist to secure treatment for his sick little brother. Especially jarring since he used to be an admired friend of [[TheHero Shu's]], who was under the impression that they had successfully talked over their differences. Even after Yahiro returns to being a permanent member of Shu's group, the tension created by this event remains between them for most of the series, leading to several "Silence, Traitor!" moments.
63	* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', Shizune goes to Homura and Koharu regarding Tsunade allowing Naruto to go on missions where he might encounter the Akatsuki. She's clearly a Concerned Claire over Naruto's well-being, where Tsunade is far more inclined to take it on faith that [[IdiotHero Naruto]] will make it out alright. She gradually begins to accept Tsunade's reasoning, but when she does, the elders come in to attempt to restrict Naruto's movements based on what Shizune told them, and in the anime, Tsunade gets quite upset with Shizune.
64	* In the manga version of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', Kaji was a Betrayer Barry when he was a kid. He and his friends were stealing food and supplies from a military base. Kaji was caught and gave up his friends to the soldiers to keep from being killed. The soldiers killed his friends, and he's been haunted by SurvivorGuilt ever since.
65	* In the ''Manga/OnePiece'' anime {{Filler}}, one of the slaves on Tequila Wolf reports Robin to the others when being threatened with punishment, and is rewarded with a box of chocolates. She, however, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone is overcome with guilt]], and gives it to Soran, who goes to give it to Robin.
66	* Yoko Kamiya of Manga/TokimekiTonight is the epitome of the Petty Patty type. She takes an instant dislike to Ranze because Ranze has eyes for Shun, the boy Yoko loves, and in episode one of the anime gleefully turns both Shun and Ranze in for cheating on an exam. Both Shun and Ranze are told to stay after class, and while Ranze seethes, she notices Yoko giving her a SmugSnake grin and makes an ugly face at her in retaliation.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Comics]]
70	* In ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004'', Wally West averts this trope, even though he'd fall squarely into the Whistleblower Wilson category, when he decides not to [[spoiler: tell Superman and Batman that a group of Justice League members have been wiping supervillains' memories via Zatanna to protect their secret identities, even when he learns they went so far as to effectively lobotomize Dr. Light and, when Batman found out and objected, mind-wiped him as well]].
71	* [[spoiler:Becky]] of the ''ComicBook/SinCity'' story ''The Big Fat Kill'' falls squarely into Betrayer Belinda territory. Her reason for selling out Gail and the other girls of Old Town was that [[spoiler:Manute and the mob offered her a way out of being a prostitute, something the girls of Old Town never did. It didn't help that she wasn't willing to let the girls of Old Town protect her mother, [[DontTellMama who she kept her life as a prostitute a secret from]]]].
72	* One of the things that keep the NaughtyIsGood characters in ''Comicbook/TheBeano'' looking like the good guys is that they're contrasted with characters like Cuthbert Cringeworthy and Walter, who are a combination of Petty Peter, Snobby Simon, and Obnoxious Oliver.
73	* In ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'' retired general Wisecube becomes a Disgruntled Davey in his last appearance, deciding that if the US government and army won't reveal to the public about the Evronian threat then he'll do it to force them to act. He's shown as a WellIntentionedExtremist for this, as he apparently doesn't get that doing this would cause mass panic and make defence against the Evronians even more difficult-or that he was forced to retire because his assault to the main Evronian spore nest in Africa was effectively an act of war against Kenya and completely unauthorized by the government or the Pentagon.
74	* [[spoiler:Bettina Ramblé]] from ''ComicBook/{{Diabolik}}'' eventually joins an organization of Whistleblower Wilsons, and in her latest appearance [[spoiler:she's trying to expose that Clerville's army is building a KillSat against international law]], joining forces with Diabolik to get the evidence-and letting him steal the rubies necessary.
75	* In the ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' comic ''Suki, Alone'', [[spoiler:Biyu]], one of Suki's fellow inmates at the [[TheAlcatraz Boiling Rock]], betrays her nascent resistance movement to the warden for better treatment from the guards.
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
79	* Bolt Buck is the Betrayer Barry type in ''FanFic/CapeAndCowl''; Bolt Buck tells Snow Storm who her brother's other murderers are and where they are after he's put into the hospital by her attacking him the night before.
80	* Sasuke Akechi turns out to have been the Betrayer Barry type, with a little bit of the Lacerated Larry type, in ''Fanfic/DanganronpaKommSusserTod'', accepting a plea deal to help convict his co-conspirators for their attempt to kidnap Sayaka Maizono out of compensation of being subjected to PoliceBrutality during the arrest.
81	* Goh Hanma's backstory in ''Fanfic/DanganronpaParadiseLost'' involves him being the Innocent Isaac type, turning in his former clique after his attempt to stop them gang-raping a student resulted in them [[DestinationDefenestration punting him out of a window]].
82	* Scott Lang in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/7986607/chapters/18275158 Nobody's Heroes]]'' fears that "snitching" on the rest of Team Captain America would make him a Betrayer Barry but a lawyer explains to him he'd be a combination of Innocent Isaac and Obedient Obadiah, citing that the other rogue Avengers are criminals and it's every citizen's civic duty to report crimes to the authorities.
83	* ''FanFic/PokemonAMarvelousJourney'': A mix between a Concerned Claire and a Whistleblower Wilma in the fourth bonus chapter. When Lakeisha violates Merlin's privacy by filming a video of her meltdown without her knowledge or consent then sends it to her friends, one of those friends, Cindy, immediately reports it to one of the teachers and the principal so Lakeisha could face the consequences for her actions. She did it because she was disgusted at Lakeisha for violating her sister's privacy like that and because she wanted to nip the situation in the bud long before the issue got out of hand or the video was put on the internet.
84	* Severus Snape serves as this in ''Fanfic/InquisitorCarrowChronicles''. His main purpose in Voldemort's ranks was to produce healing potions and spy on Hogwarts, and that's where his involvement ended. He didn't know about Augustus Crabbe's depraved tastes or the means he used to "manufacture" [[NightmareFuel customized servants for his brothels]], and the instant he's informed, he grabs pen and paper and wastes no time in writing every single thing he knows about Britain's fouler potions masters, suppliers, and clients.
85	* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13279982/5/Harry-Potter-and-the-Burning-of-Bridges Caring For Crookshanks]]'': Though Hermione was acting as a Concerned Claire, Ron was raised to ''never'' involve adults when you have a problem with another kid. As such, he sees her as a Betrayer Belinda type and acts much the same by going to [=McGonagall=] about Crookshanks eating his pet Scabbers. This causes Hermione to act as a Petty Patty and rat Harry out regarding the Marauder's Map in an attempt to "make Ron pay".
86	* ''Fanfic/TheSimpsonsTeamLASH'' has Simon Skinner-Chalmers, Principal Skinner's son, who is so notorious for tattling on his fellow students that he's been nicknamed "The Snitch". If he sees anyone breaking the rules in any capacity, he ''will'' tell his "Principal Dad" about it.
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
90	* In ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'', Chatter Phone was the Lacerated Larry type: he ended up confessing to Lotso and his minions about Woody and the others escaping from Sunnyside from what was implied to be torture.
91	* Melvin Sneedly retains his Snobby Simon tendencies in ''WesternAnimation/CaptainUnderpantsTheFirstEpicMovie'', rather proudly rubbing his tattling in George and Harold's faces after their meeting with Krupp in the beginning of the movie.
92	-->'''Melvin''': Somebody has to stand up for The Man.\
93	'''George''': ''Nobody'' has to stand up for The Man! That's the whole point of ''The Man''--he stands up for himself.\
94	'''Melvin''': Respectfully disagree.
95	[[/folder]]
96
97	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
98	* ''Film/InMyCountry'': [[spoiler:Anna's sound technician Dumi]] got several people killed by giving their names to the Apartheid cops. [[AmbiguouslyEvil Whether he was forced to do it or was paid to is unclear.]]
99	* ''Film/TheInsider'' dramatizes the true story of Jeffrey Wigand, a former research scientist at Brown & Williamson, who famously testified (and simultaneously told his story on ''Series/SixtyMinutes'') about how the major tobacco companies not only knew about the harmful effects of smoking but in many cases designed their products to be even more addictive (and more harmful than regular tobacco) in defiance of their claims that they had no knowledge of the health effects.
100	* In ''Film/{{Bullitt}}'', Johnny Ross, a Chicago mobster who agrees to testify against the Mafia. Naturally, the Mafia wants him dead for this--and for the money Johnny stole from them.
101	%%* ''Film/InsideMan'': [[spoiler: The reason for the owner of the bank not wanting his diamonds to be discovered, and the reason why the protagonist gets away with it.]].
102	%%* Used literally in ''Film/TheThreeStooges'' short Of Cash and Hash.
103	* The film version of ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'' made Cho Chang into a Drug Debbie. Dumbledore's Army was initially angered at her betrayal, but then it is revealed that the only reason she squealed was that Umbridge fed her a drink laced with [[TruthSerums Veritaserum]], thus literally leaving Cho with no choice but to spit out the existence of Dumbledore's Army.
104	* ''Film/{{Brute Force\|1947}}'': Wilson gets killed for being a snitch, although he's not a ''Wilson'', but a ''Barry'' type of stoolie.
105	* ''Film/OBrotherWhereArtThou'' has Washington Bartholomew Hogwallop, the cousin of Pete, taking him, Everett, and Delmar in, removing their chains, and giving them a place to stay. Then, he turns the trio in for a bounty, becoming a Betrayer Barry. On the other hand, Wash points out that the Depression going on may have forced him into taking what he needs to survive, so it leaves open the possibility that he is an Obedient Obadiah.
106	* The admiral in ''Film/StarTrek2009'' also ended up a squealer to the Romulans, specifically as a Lacerated Larry, because after he left the ship, they interrogated him and implanted a bug into his system that forces him to reveal everything he knows about Starfleet Academy.
107	* Magneto was a Lacerated Larry at the beginning of ''Film/X2XMenUnited'': It is strongly implied that Stryker had arrived at Magneto's cell beforehand and injected him with the same brainwashing serum from his son to get him to lure Professor X into his prison so X could be captured.
108	* Detective Ed Exley in ''Film/LAConfidential'' is a mixture between being Disgruntled and a Whistleblower. In the former, Exley ends up ratting out his fellow officers to their Captain after he witnesses them conduct police brutality on captured crooks. Naturally [[TruthInTelevision this makes him unpopular with the other officers.]] Later in the movie, [[spoiler: he ends up going after his Captain as well after learning how corrupt he is.]]
109	* ''Film/SchoolTies'': [[spoiler: Rip Van Kelt becomes a Whistleblower Wilson, unwilling to let David Greene take the blame for cheating on a test in place of the true culprit.]]
110	* Kent from ''Film/TheBigHouse'' is a Betrayer Barry type, a DirtyCoward who rats out his friends, informing on an escape attempt in hopes of lightening his sentence.
111	* Peter Ames, from the film ''Film/TheMadMissManton'', is always willing to rat Melsa and her friends out: first, when he finds out Melsa is withholding evidence, and then, when he finds out they’re keeping Frances Glesk, a suspect, with them.
112	* In ''Film/WhereTheSidewalkEnds'', one of Scalise's boys has been got by the police and he tattles on Scalise's secret hideaway, inadvertently saving Mark from being killed by them.
113	* ''Film/TheCriminal'' opens with Kelly, a known snitch, returning to prison, and he is obviously terrified. His previous actions land him a brutal beating on his first night back.
114	* In ''Film/FortyFive'': Clancy is a snitch working for Big Al. He informs Al that Kat has been doing business with his rival Jose, and later implies that Kat and Jose are having sex.
115	* Dana from ''Film/Jimmie2008'' is a Concerned Claire. She rats out her boyfriend Rick for abusing steroids, getting him temporarily kicked off the team and allowing Jimmie to take his place.
116	* In ''Film/TheBatman2022'', the hunt for the Riddler becomes intertwined with the identity of the "rat with wings", or the "stool pigeon" that sold out big-time drug lord Sal Maroni to the cops decades ago, and now is being protected by many of Gotham's authority figures. [[spoiler:It turns out the rat is Carmine Falcone, who conspired with Gotham's current leaders to use EngineeredHeroics to remove a rival and gain clout off the fake drug bust, which in turn gave Falcone the leverage to become de facto ruler of Gotham.]]
117	[[/folder]]
118
119	[[folder:Literature]]
120	* ''Literature/BenSaffordMysteries:'' In ''The Attending Physician'', Dr. Costello is quick to go crawling to the government for an immunity deal once it becomes clear that he's in real danger of losing his medical insurance if he loses an impending malpractice suit. He spends several days smugly spilling his guts about the countless acts of corruption he's involved with. By the time he wraps up, Ben and his colleagues loathe Costello with a passion.
121	* In ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'', when Corelle is found out to have [[spoiler: had sex with Balin Brindle]], she points at Jerin and tells Eldest that [[spoiler: Jerin was seduced by Ren.]] It doesn't work the way she wants to, though.
122	* In ''Literature/TheBerenstainBears and the Scandal Sheet'', the members of the student underground newspaper, including Brother, get exposed and in trouble for making a false statement about a teacher dating someone when Brother tells his sibling about it, who passes the word to Mama who then informs the authorities. This is a case of a Concerned Claire that actually turned out for the better, as with the exposure, the real student newspaper was able to be reformed, making the student underground unnecessary.
123	* Melvin Sneedley from the ''Literature/CaptainUnderpants'' books is a Snobby Simon, a boot-licking nerd who frequently rats out George and Harold whenever they make mischief, just to feed his ego about being the "perfect student".
124	* Creator/TomClancy deconstructed this trope in his first novel, then reconstructed it in his second:
125	** In ''Literature/TheHuntForRedOctober'', a young Marko Ramius was labeled a ''stukach'' (informer) after he told his father that a classmate's father was a dissident. That was a huge no-no in the Soviet Union, so the man disappeared, leaving Ramius' friend fatherless. The other kids found out and ostracized Ramius for it. His outcast status led him to meet an old sailor who was also an outcast, and that began both his love of the sea and ships and his ideas of dissent. Ramius was technically an informer, but the treatment he receives is clearly unjustified because he didn't know what he was doing was wrong, he was horrified by the result, and he never did it again.
126	** In ''Literature/RedStormRising'', General Pavel Alekseyev has just taken command of the Soviet armies in Germany when he discovers that he has a stukach on his staff: the Theater Operations Officer has been reporting Alekseyev's every move to the KGB and the Politburo, which puts Alekseyev's life in danger because he's not following the Politburo's orders. The fact that those orders are literally impossible to follow won't save him. Alekseyev's hatred and contempt for the informer is clearly justified in this case, because he's knowingly betraying a trust and putting a sympathetic character in mortal danger. That makes all the difference in the world.
127	* [[spoiler:Stelli]], in Paula Volsky's novel ''Literature/{{Illusion}}'', is somewhere between a Petty Patty and a Disgruntled Daria: She blames heroine Eliste [[spoiler:(for whom she used to work as a maid)]]for [[spoiler:being unable to save her fiancé's life]] (and in all fairness, Eliste ''tried'') and sells the noblewoman out to the revolution. [[spoiler:Eliste gets away.]]
128	* [[spoiler:Tuller]], in ''[[Literature/TheColSecTrilogy ColSec Rebellion]]'', sells out the main characters to the cops, supposedly to make them leave his gang alone, but it's made fairly clear that he mainly just did it to be a jerk. The rest of the gang are dubious about this to begin with[[spoiler:...and when they find out that the cops have no intention of keeping their end of the bargain, they [[KarmicDeath turn on Tuller]] and [[DeathOfAThousandCuts knife him]]]].
129	* The book version of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'' has Marietta Edgecombe snitch on Dumbledore's Army instead of Cho Chang (as in the film). She's portrayed as a Betrayer Belinda and is left with the word "Sneak" written across her face in boils because Hermione hexed the club's roster sheet.
130	* Sloan from the ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'' pulls the Petty Peter version, twice. Though the second time could be considered to have gotten him RewardedAsATraitorDeserves.
131	* Nelthilta, the silly young Efrafan doe from ''Literature/WatershipDown'', is a variant of the Lacerated Lacey; she's overconfident and gives one too many obvious hints about the upcoming escape plan to the Efrafan officers. Realizing that something is amiss the officers imprison her and torture her into spilling the beans completely.
132	* In ''A Stainless Steel Rat is Born'', Jim, remembering how he decided to pursue a criminal career, recalls a childhood episode in which he framed an Obnoxious Oscar schoolmate for shoplifting. This lad was known to the student body as Smelly and tattled on other children for the simple pleasure of it.
133	* The backstory in Stephen Goldin's ''A World Called Solitude'' reveals [[spoiler:Reva Aaland]] to have been a Lacerated Lacey. However, [[spoiler:the estranged ex whom she was coerced into smearing]] [[UnreliableNarrator vacillates]] between understanding as much and viewing her as a Betrayer Belinda.
134	* ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid'': In [[Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKidRodrickRules the second book]], Manny is established as a major tattletale, so Greg has to avoid doing anything bad in front of him. Manny will tattle on Greg for things Greg did before Manny could even ''talk''.
135	* In ''Literature/TheAmyVirus'', Cyan's parents encourage her older sister Tam to snitch on her. It doesn't work, since Tam isn't on very good terms with her parents by that point either.
136	* Barthe [=DeClements=]' "Elsie Edwards" young-adult novel series (beginning with ''Literature/NothingsFairInFifthGrade'') features a character named Sharon Hinkler, who is unpopular with her classmates for being a narc (and is also a [[GossipyHens Gossipy Hen]] and a crybaby to boot) - her reaction when classmate Jack calls her a narc is to run to the teacher in tears. Later, when Jack gets in trouble for shooting spitballs at Sharon, the teacher assigns him to do something nice for Sharon to make up for it, and Sharon, upon hearing this, has a SmugSnake smile on her face. (Jack ends up baking cupcakes and purposely giving Sharon the most unappetizing-looking one in the batch.)
137	* Another novel by [=DeClements=], ''Literature/NoPlaceForMe'', is the story of a junior-high student named Copper who is sent to live with relatives while her mother is in rehab for alcoholism. The Stool Pigeon in this novel is Copper's cousin, an eight-year-old Petty Patty named Sarah, who's always getting into Copper's teen magazines and music tapes. One night Sarah tells on Copper for sneaking away to a roller rink she wasn't supposed to be at, and when Copper loses her temper and calls Sarah a nasty name, Sarah runs off in tears to tell her mother, who then throws Copper out of her house.
138	* In ''Literature/TheMonsterGarden'', Frankie tries to avert this when deciding whom to trust with the fact that she's raising a baby monster. She thinks her best friend Hazel Brent is too chatty and frivolous to be trusted with the secret, so she goes to her more serious classmate Julia and Julia's brother John for help, even though she doesn't really like Julia. She ends up telling Hazel anyway because she feels bad for excluding her. [[spoiler:Hazel turns out to be trustworthy, but Julia thinks Monnie might be dangerous and tells Frankie's father everything.]]
139	[[/folder]]
140
141	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
142	* ''Series/Accused2023'': Derrick is an FBI informant, it turns out. He had been coerced into this with the threat of doing twenty years in prison.
143	* ''Series/TheBarrier'': The whistleblower variant is an official position under New Spain's current government. The two that are shown are Emilia's neighbor Begoña who acts like the creepy version of a textbook NosyNeighbor and [[spoiler:the nurse from the registry]].
144	* ''Series/TheBeautyQueenOfJerusalem'': Angry over being kicked out of the group, [[spoiler:Tzachi]] starts informing on [[spoiler:the Irgun]] to the British.
145	* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'': Sheldon tends to be this as shown in the episodes "The Apology Insufficientcy" where he tattled on Howard using the Mars Rover for personal use in a previous episode, "The Egg Salad Equivalency" where he tattled on his friends for their previous misconducts while being defensive to the HR director and in "The Workplace Proximity" where tattled on Howard for stating that he would not want to have to work with his wife Bernadette. However, all of these situations are mostly due to [[InnocentlyInsensitive obliviousness]] more than anything.
146	* ''Series/TheBradyBunch'': Three times, and in different ways:
147	** Season 2's "The Tattletale," where Cindy is the Obedient Olga/Obadiah. "I justh tellth it lith it isth," lisps the youngest Brady girl as she squeals on her Brady siblings for minor misdeeds ... and then to Sam when she saw an overly excited Alice hug the mailman (after Alice had won a contest). Eventually, Cindy learns not to tattle, [[ALessonLearnedTooWell just when the family dog took Alice's price certificate and wouldn't tell what happened to it]].
148	** Season 4's "Law and Disorder," where Bobby learns a lesson about how to handle responsibility, justice, and discretion (i.e., when the right time to report wrongdoing and when to give latitude) after he is appointed a School Safety Monitor (or, as Bobby sulks initially, "should be 'Snitch Monitor'). Bobby takes his responsibilities way too seriously and thus becomes a stool pigeon.
149	** Also Season 4, "Goodbye Alice, Hello," where the kids mistakenly believe Alice has become this when she inadvertently reports their various (minor) misdeeds to Carol. It leads to the kids giving her the silent treatment and treating her so badly she temporarily resigns.
150	* ''Series/DerryGirls'': Jenny Joyce is a principled rule follower who delights in informing on others, while Clare ends up telling on her friends out of fear.
151	* Jayne of the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' episode "[[{{Recap/FireflyE09Ariel}} Ariel]]" tried to turn in the Tams to the Alliance during the hospital heist due to him generally resenting the Tams and wanting them both off the ship for a variety of reasons, and due to River recently slashing him with a butcher knife and his concern about her doing it to anyone else. The reward money that the Alliance were offering wasn't a bad incentive either. Jayne was somewhere between Petty Peter and Betrayer Barry, but after Jayne got betrayed himself and arrested right along with them, he decided to get both Simon and River out. He still had to face [[ThrownOutTheAirlock the airlock]] and a [[PapaWolf very pissed off Mal]] because of what he did though.
152	* ''Series/{{Monk}}'':
153	** The culprit in the episode "Mr. Monk and Mrs. Monk's" main motivation in trying to intercept various documents and tapes that detailed journalistic work that Trudy Monk and Janice worked on was because [[spoiler:one of the tapes contained evidence that he was the person inside the dock union who was involved in ousting the former president from power due to corruption charges, and it is heavily implied that had his fellow union workers discovered his involvement, he'd be in deep trouble with his "friends."]]
154	** "Mr. Monk Goes to the Dentist" had a Drug Doug type from the murder [[AssholeVictim "victim"]] of the week: The victim (an ex-cop who went renegade and started robbing armored trucks) is Denny Jardeen, who ends up having to go to Dr. Oliver Bloom for a chipped tooth that he gets in a scuffle with an armored car driver (in the resulting scuffle, both drivers were shot dead). As an ex-cop, Dr. Bloom is on Jardeen's medical plan. While going through the routine anesthesia, Jardeen, evidently under the anesthesia's influence, blabs to Dr. Bloom about the heist as well as the hiding place for the money, to which Dr. Bloom and his assistant Teri steal the money. Unfortunately, Jardeen, either from lingering memories of what happened, or having put two-and-two together, confronts them in their office while they are working on a patient, and he is killed when Teri strikes him with the roots of a giant plastic tooth after a fight. The patient Dr. Bloom is working on happens to be Randy, who tries to convince Stottlemeyer, Monk, and anyone else around him that he saw the murder (Dr. Bloom cleans up the office after the fight and dumps the body as well).
155	* In "The Telling", a third season episode of ''Series/TheMiddle'', we learn that Frankie has been rewarding Brick for years with candy cigarettes for informing on his older siblings.
156	* ''Series/{{Scandal}}'': Justice Verna Thornton becomes a Betrayer Belinda in "Blown Away". Vice President Sally Langston wants Verna out of her Supreme Court seat, while Verna has only a few months to live before she dies of cancer. So Verna offers her a choice: either take her resignation or take the paper revealing the identity of the President's shooter. Sally takes the identity-revealing paper and Huck is arrested. Verna had put two and two together to figure out that Huck supposedly shot the President. Huck didn't do it, and Verna doesn't know that. So it's ambiguous if she was doing this to selfishly keep a job she only gets to have for a few months or if she did it because it's her duty to take down whoever shoots the President.
157	* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode [[Recap/SupernaturalS09E02DevilMayCare "Devil May Care" (S09, Ep02)]], Crowley gives up the names of two demons and the Winchesters expect to give the names of the rest of the demons on earth.
158	* In ''Series/{{Gotham}}'', Gertrud Kapelput (the Penguin's mother) is of the Petty Patty variety, selling out the father of a classmate she had a problem with.
159	* In the ''Series/MurdochMysteries'' episode "Bl--dy H-ll", Brakenreid becomes a Whistleblower Wilson during his TenMinuteRetirement at City Records, discovering evidence of a conspiracy in the city council. His boss at City Records almost coins the word:
160	-->'''Mr Dilbert''': I understand. You used to be a policeman. You see a problem and you want to ... blow your whistle. But it is not our job to blow whistles.
161	-->'''Brakenreid''': If we don't, who will?
162	* A major plot point in the ''Series/MagnumPI'' episode "Past Tense", where one of Magnum's ex-colleagues from UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar is broken out of prison.
163	* Mac in ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' had a reputation for this in high school, leading to his EmbarrassingNickname "Ronnie the Rat." His most notorious feat was apparently ratting out a bunch of drug dealers so that ''he'' could be the only dealer. Even in the current day, he still gives up secrets at a moment's notice if he thinks he can get anything out of it. He thinks this makes him look like a clever wildcard, but it actually makes him look untrustworthy and annoying.
164	* ''Series/FBIMostWanted'': In "[[Recap/FBIMostWantedS01E04 Caesar]]", Jess persuades a member of Cleo's gang to inform on her in exchange for getting his brother moved to a prison [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas closer to their invalid mother]]. When Cleo discovers this, she coldly puts a bullet in the back of his head.
165	* ''Series/TheWire'': A major, recurring topic. "No Snitching" is a golden rule in the streets [[MirroringFactions but also in the police]]. The dangers of testifying, and the City of Baltimore's lackluster treatment of witnesses is a key plot point in the Royce and Carcetti feud. Many characters tell for various reasons:
166	** Bubbles is a professional snitch for money, but his first foray into information gathering is inspired by revenge after some Barksdale dealers beat up his friend Johnny. In season 3, Bubbles and Johnny get into an argument about the ethics of snitching for money and part ways.
167	** Wallace ends up talking to the police about who killed Omar's boyfriend Brandon when he is shocked by the state of his corpse and his own guilt, and ends up killed for this.
168	** Omar goes to the police about Bird out of revenge.
169	** Avon Barksdale shaves six years off his seven-year sentence by informing on CO Tilghman bringing in drugs that killed five inmates. The prison officials suspect he has more to do with the case than he lets on, but since they can't prove anything, but do find drugs in Tilghman's car, they go with the easier prosecution.
170	** Frank Sobotka and the IBS have a strong code against snitching too, but after Ziggy gets arrested for murder, Frank agrees to cooperate with the investigators to help his son. This also ends badly, as word reaches the Greeks before he can answer any questions. After Frank's death, Nicky steps in and tells the authorities what he knows and is then put into witness protection.
171	** White Mike takes little time to flip but is also not shown to suffer any consequences for his actions.
172	** It is implied that The Greek is a protected informant to the FBI, trading information in exchange for protection for his own operation, with Agent Koutris sending him a warning when he is under investigation.
173	** Herc decides to blow the whistle on Hamsterdam after Carver has a body moved out of the Free Zone.
174	** At the end of Season 3, Avon gives Brother Mouzone and Omar a time and location Stringer will be off his guard, while Stringer has been secretly talking to Bunny Colvin and giving him information that finally catches Avon on parole in a room with a table full of guns.
175	** Randy ends up giving the police a lead into Lex's murder, but because Herc accidentally lets slip that they have a witness, Marlo's crew deduce who talked. First Randy gets ostracized and attacked at school for being a snitch, culminating in his home being firebombed. Randy ends up in a group home, and his reputation precedes him, as his roommates tag "SNITCH BITCH" on his bunk bed and beat him up.
176	** Chris Partlow makes Old Face Andre call the police and falsely claim Omar shot a delivery woman in Andre's store. This lands Omar in County Jail, but ends up getting out with the reluctant help of Bunk who is half inclined to let him rot, but knows there's [[OutOfCharacterAlert something suspicious about the claim Omar shot an innocent bystander]].
177	* ''Series/YoungSheldon'': In "A Lock-In, a Weather Girl and a Disgusting Habit", Mary has Sheldon telling on the kids who break the rules during the sleepover; it was the only way she could get him to participate. Missy catches on and tricks Sheldon into hiding so they can enjoy the rest of the sleepover.
178	[[/folder]]
179
180	[[folder:Music]]
181	* Jim Carroll's "People Who Died" has a Betrayer Barry type:
182	-->''Brian got busted on a narco rap.''\
183	''He beat the rap by ratting on some bikers.''\
184	''He said "I know it's dangerous,''\
185	''but it still beats Riker's."''\
186	''But the very next day, he got offed''\
187	''by the very same bikers.''
188	* The song "Stool Pigeon" by Music/KidCreoleAndTheCoconuts is about a Betrayer Barry-type mobster who is convinced by the FBI to be [[HiddenWire wiretapped]] and gather information on his former associates in exchange for money and [[StartingANewLife freedom]]. The plan succeeds with flying colors, but the last verse states that the snitch is [[LonelyAtTheTop unable to enjoy his newfound riches with anyone]] as a result:
189	-->''[[WitnessProtection He got a spanking new identity]]''\
190	''And a condo down in Miami''\
191	''[[ConspicuousConsumption He bought a plane, a boat and jewelry]]''\
192	''But he couldn't buy any company''
193	* Kurage-P's "Chururira Chururira Daddadda!" concerns a Petty type, who decides to get her classmates in trouble for no reason other than so she can be the last one standing. Once she's had her way, she decides that she doesn't want to stop there and prepares to rat out her ''teacher'' by the end of the song.
194	* "G-Code" by Music/GetoBoys is an anti-snitching anthem, specifically bringing up people who cooperate to reduce their own sentence.
195	[[/folder]]
196
197	[[folder:Mythology]]
198	* [[Literature/TheBible Judas]]. Petty Peter appears to be the closest approximation, though [[Music/JesusChristSuperstar certain adaptations]] present him as more sympathetic.
199	[[/folder]]
200
201	[[folder:Video Games]]
202	* Lifesaver from ''VideoGame/MegaManX5'' reported to [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Signas]] that Zero was actually getting stronger when infected with TheVirus. When Signas wisely decides not to act rashly, Lifesaver snitches to Zero's best friend X instead. The resulting misunderstanding and tension result in a battle between the two that nearly gets both friends killed.
203	* Sidonis from ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' [[spoiler:is set up the entire game as a Betrayer Barry since he was on Archangel's squad on Omega, but he’s actually a Lacerated Larry as he was caught by the mercenary gangs and ended up betraying Archangel only save his own skin.]] Depending on how you deal with Garrus's mission, he'll either end up dead by Garrus's hand or he'll be given a chance to redeem himself after admitting his guilt.
204	* In an early Blood Elf starting quest in VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft, the player is asked to find a book for two apprentices. When the book is drenched in water, the apprentices tell the player to take the fall for them, since the player won't be punished much. Instead, upon reaching their master, you tell him what they told you to do, and he has you [[ForcedTransformation hit them with a rod that turns them into animals]].
205	* In the old ''VideoGame/SkoolDaze'' video game on the UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum, a randomly triggered event reveals that Einstein is going to report the player. The player must prevent him from getting to the teacher or else get assigned lines; receiving 10,000 of them results in a Game Over.
206	* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'': Even though Raikov is supposed to be Volgin's gay lover, interrogating him at knifepoint will have him dish out information about some weaknesses of Volgin for Snake to exploit, such as the fact that Volgin is weak against water or that Russian Glowcaps will deflect his electric attacks.
207	** In ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker Peace Walker]]'', anyone of the FSLN who is captured by the Peace Sentinels ends up being tortured until they squealed their comrades' location from it. They end up killed later on. Chico is the only one who managed to live after breaking from it (and even then only because Big Boss rescued him before they could get the chance to execute him).
208	* According to Dr. 0, Dr. Borous spent high school "commie-fink tattletal[ing]" on the kids he disliked in the backstory of ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas: Old World Blues''.
209	* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' has Gissur, a Nord Beggar who acts as a Thalmor informant. His job is to go into crowds and listen out for information that can be useful to them; there's no sadism or hatred involved, he's just desperate for money and they are paying. A variation of the Betrayer Barry as it's his entire race he is betraying; the Thalmor are basically [[OurElvesAreDifferent Nazi Elves]] who despise humans and [[spoiler:want to go so far as to wipe out humanity as a ''metaphysical concept'', because their religion preaches that doing so will let their race regain the divinity stolen from them at the dawn of creation]].
210	* In ''VisualNovel/LuckyDog1'' Homer tries to persuade Gian, the player character, to become one of these as he falsely believes Gian (a member of the mafia) hates criminals due to his parents being murdered and the criminal never getting caught. There's no option to become one as Gian is completely loyal to the mafia but there is an option to attack Homer, who told the guards to stay away from the room believing Gian would agree to be a rat.
211	* In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'', [[spoiler:Juniper Woods]] turns out to be a justified Concerned Claire variant, as she was recruited by Professor Courte to be this to save the students at Themis Academy from giving in to the Dark Age of the Law. She obviously takes ''no'' pleasure in this role, and breaks down in tears upon believing that one of her friends might be doing something corrupt.
212	* [[spoiler:Hector]] from ''VideoGame/PAYDAY2'' was a Betrayer for the PAYDAY Crew. They were collaborating with the FBI to get the crew arrested, in exchange for a reduced prison sentence. Their intel had already led to the arrest of Hoxton prior to the start of the game, but the crew later broke him out and raided the FBI for info. This led the crew to the traitor's location, where they killed [[spoiler:him]], both out of revenge and to throw the FBI off their trail.
213	* In ''VideoGame/PapersPlease'' we have the Antegrian Whistleblower, who exposes the heavy case of [[BigBrotherIsWatching domestic surveillance]] in her [[{{Dystopia}} home country]], who now seeks asylum in [[ALighterShadeOfGray Arstotzka]].
214	* In one of the ''VideoGame/AnakshaFemaleAssassin'' Mini-Adventures, "Quick Stop", Melissa, the cashier of the convenience store Anaksha goes to in order to deal with her PottyEmergency is ratted out by Tracy, her rather crankish co-worker, to their boss for letting Anaksha use the employees-only bathroom, meaning that Anaksha has to help her not get fired for doing Anaksha her good turn. Tracy's motives for ratting Melissa out are a mix between Petty Patty and Snobby Sara; while Melissa did break a rule in order to help Anaksha, Tracy also didn't much like Melissa to begin with and most likely did it to get back at her for having Anaksha copy her music collection onto her new [=MP3=] player.
215	* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'': [[spoiler:Shania is the Petty Patty and the Snobby Sara, having told Moebius, as well as the Agnus Castle garrison, about Noah and the party's plan to bust out Ghondor from the prison, all for jealously towards her and wanting to be a soldier in the Forever War that Guernica[[note]]In Moebius's eyes, rudley[[/note]]interrupted, where she can be reborn again and again even if she died, compared to life in the City, where people get old, but die once. N, aka the original Noah [[LampshadeHanging even makes note of Shania's squealing]] when confronting the party after their shock of her doing so.]]
216	--->'''N:''' ...Such foul-mouthed creatures... [[spoiler:She]] was right to sell you out.
217	[[/folder]]
218
219	[[folder:Webcomics]]
220	* In the ComicBook/ChickTract "The Last Generation", Bobby turns in his grandfather for being a Christian in order to get a reward. One of the Christians, Paul, reveals the location of the cabin where Connie and Charles are hiding, afraid of being caught and tortured.
221	* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'': [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/050417c X reveals that Zero was going to dump his body in the river, and gets accused of being a snitch]].
222	* In ''{{Webcomic/Drowtales}}'' a young Jaal'darya girl named Wa'fay [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8295 risks her life]] traveling through the war-torn city to inform the Sarghress clan of her mother's activities, mainly developing a parasitic flower for the [[ManipulativeBitch leader]] [[BigBad of the Nidraa'chal]], who intends to use it to force everyone to bow to her in a massive PoisonAndCureGambit. She's clearly the Whistleblower Wilma variety and her courage saves countless lives when it starts a chain of events to undermine the plan.
223	* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', [[spoiler:Dr. Sciuridae]] was the snitch who gave out the Project Lycanthrope to Mr. Verres after he grew attached to Grace.
224	[[/folder]]
225
226	[[folder:Web Original]]
227	* In ''Literature/TheCountOfYears'', the spirit Ecaîas, jealous of his race’s position as the pinnacle of creation, corrupts the animal kingdom so that predators attack prey, thereby hoping to make it impossible for [[{{God}} Iáinos]] to make mortals with physical bodies like intended. His sabotage is seen by Amnās, a minor spirit, who runs to Iáinos and tells him everything. However, Amnās didn’t want to get Ecaîas in trouble, instead he wanted to gloat that [[NotQuiteTheAlmighty a mere creature got one over on the creator]]. For this reason, they are both punished, and Amnās swears revenge on all creation.
228	[[/folder]]
229
230	[[folder:Western Animation]]
231	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bravestarr}}'': In "[[Recap/BravestarrS1E26ThePrice The Price]]" focuses on the Concerned Corey version. Brad is suspicious of the drug dealer who approaches him and his friend Jay from the beginning, but initially doesn't say anything because he doesn't want to be a "snitch." Jay takes advantage of this as his addiction progresses. Eventually, after some advice, Brad does tell Bravestarr about it for Jay's own good, but by that time, [[DeathOfAChild it's too late.]]
232	* Sarah from ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' is the Obnoxious Olivia, the Petty Patty, and the Snobby Sara (fittingly enough) depending on the episode. She is a SpoiledBrat who is favored by her mother more than [[TheUnfavorite Ed.]] She always threatens Ed to do her bidding or she'll "tell mom." It doesn't help that their mother just goes along with Sarah.
233	** In one episode, when Eddy leads the other kids in breaking the rules, Double-D tells everyone's parents to restore order. Unfortunately, this results in the other kids throwing the Eds into a cage.
234	* [[BigBrotherBully Candace]] from ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' seems to vary between Snobby Sara, Obnoxious Oliva, Concerned Claire, or Petty Patty, depending entirely on [[DependingOnTheWriter the writer]]. In the future, it's shown that her fascination with "busting" gets to the point where she goes pro and becomes a prosecutor.
235	* ''WesternAnimation/AaahhRealMonsters'': Zimbo not only acts as the Snorch's Familiar, he also acts as the Gromble's personal spy who reports back any unruly behavior by the other monsters, plus he's the only one who understands the Snorch's speech clearly which he'll eagerly exploit for his personal advantage. However, being the Gromble's spy doesn't exempt Zimbo from being punished or chastised, such as when he spread rumors that Ickis was going to explode due to his spontaneous combustibility and turned him into a pariah. Or the time he stalked and harassed Ickis by pretending to be a teddy bear from an animated movie which Ickis had been traumatized by.
236	* Randall from ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' is The Obnoxious Oscar in spades.
237	** He has [[EvenEvilHasStandards reservations]], however. For one thing, he never tries to directly squeal on those who are higher up than him (such as King Bob) and gets legitimately angered at those who do end up doing something like that. In addition, at the end of the movie ''School's Out'', Randall was noticeably disgusted with Fenwick desperately trying to avoid jail time by pinning his boss Dr. Phillium Benedict with the entire blame on the events of the movie, and even offering evidence for the state trial.
238	** In the episode where Principal Prickly is accidentally hypnotised to act like a six-year-old, when TJ and his friends decide to keep it under wraps, Randall overhears them. Unlike most other times where he usually takes joy in snitching, his snitching about what happened to Prickly falls more under the Concerned Claire subtype, as he expresses genuine shock and horror and rushes to Finster to tell her of what happened.
239	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' has several cartoons that display this:
240	** "WesternAnimation/ADayAtTheZoo": As a spot gag, one of the zoo's animals is [[PunBasedCreature a literal stool pigeon]] -- that is, a pigeon standing on a stool who readily tattles on anything he sees.
241	** "WesternAnimation/DontAxeMe": The Barnyard Dawg squeals on Daffy for Elmer to catch him, which he has been trying to for the whole short.
242	** "WesternAnimation/BuccaneerBunny": One parrot keeps telling Pirate Sam where Bugs is hiding until Bugs himself puts him out of his misery by offering him a cracker... a '''fire'''cracker.
243	--->'''Parrot''': Me and my big mouth.
244	** "WesternAnimation/TomTurkAndDaffy": Daffy squeals on the Turk because of his weakness for candied yams.
245	** "WesternAnimation/BigHouseBunny" ends with prison guard Sam getting arrested for freeing convict Bugs when he's pushed to his limit. When he asks who was the stool pigeon who squealed on him, it cuts to Bugs, who [[AsideGlance looks at the camera]] and [[VisualGag starts cooing like a pigeon]].
246	** "WesternAnimation/RabbitTransit": After Bugs finally wins, he gloats to Cecil that he did 100 miles an hour easily. Cecil asks him to repeat it louder so the police could hear; Bugs is promptly arrested as a result. Bugs even calls him this as he’s dragged away.
247	* ''Franchise/TheLoudHouse'':
248	** Of the [[WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse main series]], Lola is an Obnoxious Olivia, which is why her siblings never include her in their confession circle, where they share their naughtiest mistakes and misdeeds under oath of secrecy from their parents. Of course, their actions seem to be justified when Lola tries to retaliate by tattling to their mom about not being let in.
249	** Ronnie Anne's cousin, Carl Casagrande, and Sid Chang's younger sister, Adelaide, of ''WesternAnimation/TheCasagrandes'' are also this. One time, Ronnie Anne and her friends didn't want them attending their slumber party and they would ruin everything, but Carl told Rosa on them and they didn't have any choice but to let them attend. Ronnie Anne and her friends eventually become so annoyed with Carl and Adelaide's antics, they stage a fake scavenger hunt to get them off their backs.
250	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
251	** Frankie the Squealer/[[{{Expy}} Jimmy the Snitch]] of Fat Tony's gang. [[MeaningfulName The name(s)]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin speak for themselves.]] Frankie doesn't really fit any of the above archetypes but rather has a compulsive urge to squeal ("It makes me feel big!").
252	*** Inverted with Johnny Tightlips, who won't inform on ''anything'', even to a fellow mobster asking where he'd been shot.
253	---->'''Louie''': But what'll I tell the doctor?\
254	'''Johnny''': Tell 'im to suck a lemon.
255	** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E8BartTheDaredevil Bart the Daredevil]]": Despite trying to convince Bart of the dangers of daredevil stunts, Lance Murdock is instead impressed by Bart's interest in it, which causes Lisa to tell Homer about it, fearing that he may get hurt or die despite getting the most attention.
256	** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS20E7MypodsAndBoomsticks Mypods and Boomsticks]]": Lisa squeals on Bart after pulling a prank on Steve Mobbs and the rest of the consumers and employees.
257	** Martin Prince is also one when he squealed on Bart in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS1E2BartTheGenius Bart the Genius]]" and on Milhouse in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E25SummerOf4Ft2 Summer of 4 Ft. 2]]". In both cases, he is an Obedient Obadiah variant.
258	** The whole episode of "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS16E14TheSevenBeerSnitch The Seven-Beer Snitch]]" focuses on this trope.
259	** Lisa is pretty much this constantly, with many [[RecycledScript many plots throughout the seasons]] (as an example, "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS10E7LisaGetsAnA Lisa Gets an "A"]]") revolving about someone building a lie (and sometimes the plot showing that the lie is the ''better'' thing for everybody (even Lisa herself) and everybody saying so) and Lisa trying to tell the truth regardless. She ''thinks'' of herself as a Concerned Claire-type (in that she says it's the legal/moral thing to do), but what type she ''really'' is depends on the plot at hand (at least sometimes shows to be doing it out of some desire to thumb her nose up at the liar).
260	* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': Brian in "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS4E23DeepThroats Deep Throats]]" (he was the Petty Patty towards Adam West). And again in "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS8E11DialMegForMurder Dial Meg for Murder]]" (he was the Concerned Corey, however).
261	* [[spoiler:Robin]] in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'' qualifies as a Lacerated Larry. After the Joker kidnapped him, he subjected him to three weeks of shock and serum-based torture before he ends up [[spoiler:breaking from it and confessing everything he knows about Batman, including his secret identity]].
262	* In the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE55TheMechanic The Mechanic]]", Earl Cooper was a Whistleblower William who was nearly killed by his bosses for trying to go public about a potential lethal safety defect in his company's newest model of car and was saved by Batman. He lost his job and was living on the streets when Batman saved him again... by tracking him down and hiring him to design the Batmobile.
263	** "Trial" reveals that ComicBook/TheJoker had given the cops information on where to find ComicBook/HarleyQuinn in exchange for a reduced sentence. [[WomanScorned She doesn't take it well]].
264	* Medusa in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' is mostly a Petty Patty because she tells Batman and Zatanna about where Circe planned to go out of being annoyed by having the latter as a cell-mate in Tartarus. This does allow the heroes to track Circe down, and Medusa gets time taken off her sentence (Tartarus is, in the episode, portrayed like a modern American prison for mythical monsters).
265	* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'', there was a Stool Pigeon that was a well, a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Stool Pigeon]]. His phrase of choice was "I'm Telling".
266	* A ''WesternAnimation/PrivateSnafu'' short has Snafu bragging about a secret that he knows but won't tell. Unfortunately, he ended up becoming exceptionally drunk and told the nearest woman in the tavern about his secret (being on a ship and its coordinates), who also turned out to be a Nazi spy, resulting in his death and being DraggedOffToHell. In other words, he acted as a Drug Doug on ''himself'' (loose lips sink ships, indeed). This cartoon can also be seen at the International Spy Museum.
267	* PlayedForLaughs in ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' when Huey is giving a narration regarding the African-American community's stigma against such behavior and comments that a "whopping 1 in 12 black men" is an active informant for the police, with a montage of the same Obedient Obadiah calling the police with a horrified expression at a series of innocuous social events.
268	** During the same narration, Huey tells the story of a Whistleblower Wilson who went to the police regarding gang activity but was denied witness protection. After the resulting drive-by shooting put him in a full-body cast, [[PoliceAreUseless the cops arrested him]] [[BlamingTheVictim for refusing to identify his own attackers]].
269	** {{Inverted\|Trope}} by another story he tells displaying how great the stigma is, where a young man is shot and killed during a basketball tournament with 300 witnesses and ''[[BystanderSyndrome not a single person]]'' called the cops, instead just going home and ''[[CrossesTheLineTwice leaving a note with his fresh corpse]]'' telling the police they saw nothing.
270	* Mako in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' is a Concerned Corey in the episode "Peacekeepers", ratting Korra out to the President to prevent her from doing something completely irrational and escalating the Water Tribe's civil war.
271	* Dade in ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBeaks'' is a NervousWreck whose first instinct whenever he's in a major panic situation is to tell on grown-ups.
272	-->'''Fee''': Wait, who is this?\
273	'''Dade''': Dade.\
274	'''Fee''': Ooh, Tattle Pants!\
275	'''Dade''': But, I'm not...\
276	'''Kratz''': You kinda are.
277	* ''WesternAnimation/KickButtowski'': "Tattler's Tale" has Miss Chicarelli acting as a mix of Snobby Sara and Obnoxious Olivia; she tattles on all the kids in the neighborhood to their parents so she can get them out of her hair for some peace and quiet.
278	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': In "Banned in Bikini Bottom", after discovering a secret Krusty Krab being run by Mr. Krabs at [=SpongeBob=]'s house because Krabby Patties had been banned in Bikini Bottom, Plankton becomes a Petty Peter when he reports this to the police to get it shut down.
279	* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': In "[[Recap/StarTrekLowerDecksS1E07MuchAdoAboutBoimler Much Ado About Boimler]]", the disfigured passengers aboard the Osler try to recruit Boimler into their mutiny plot, but he rats them out to the captain almost immediately.
280	* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'': In "Girls Night In", when Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy see that Starfire, Raven and a few friends of theirs snuck out of the tower, they suddenly become Obnoxious Oscars who track the girls down to report them to "Mom and Dad", who don't actually exist. This ends up interfering with the girls' fight with Blackfire and results in all of them being captured, but the boys completely fail to realize what's going on and only care about ratting the girls out.
281	[[/folder]]
282
283	[[folder:Real Life]]
284	* Siblings tend to be this. Even relatives like aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc.
285	* Cameras near traffic lights and roads. They tend to take photos of you going even 3 miles above the speed limit or take photos of you running the red light. The photos go to the department and you end up getting a ticket mailed to you.
286	* There are special statutes called "Whistleblower Laws" for Disgruntled Darias who report wrongdoing within an organization to its own internal authorities, see it not acted upon, and then take it to civil authorities (i.e. police). They are meant to protect such "whistleblowers" from retaliation. How well this actually works in practice varies widely and the bodies responsible for such laws [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem have a tendency to make them inapplicable to their own whistleblowers]].
287	* Scandals in the USA often generate whistleblowers.
288	** Daniel Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers which exposed lies by the Lyndon Baines Johnson administration with regards to the Vietnam War.
289	** William Mark Felt, Sr. passed information to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post about the Watergate scandal.
290	** Frank Serpico known for the movie ''Film/{{Serpico}}'' brought up the deep corruption within the New York Police Department.
291	** Sherron Watkins' examination of accounting irregularities led to the downfall of Enron.
292	** Linda Tripp recorded Monica Lewinsky's (who didn't possess this knowledge) phone calls discussing her affair with President Bill Clinton, leading to the infamous scandal and attempted impeachment.
293	** Harry Markopolos repeatedly complained to the Securities and Exchange Commission about Bernard Madoff, but the [[CluelessDetective agent assigned to the case bungled the case because he thought that Madoff was committing front-running]] and failed to consider that Madoff could be running a {{Ponzi}} scheme.
294	** Chelsea Manning sent documents regarding war crimes and other things to [=WikiLeaks=].
295	** Edward Snowden exposed a [[BigBrotherIsWatching domestic espionage scandal]] being perpetrated by the {{UsefulNotes/NSA}}.
296	* [[HonestCorporateExecutive Michael Woodford]] was at one time the CEO of Olympus Corporation. He discovered a massive [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobashi_scheme tobashi scheme]] (a type of accounting fraud) and tried to [[InternalReformist clean it up from the inside]], but he got fired by the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive board of directors who were committing the fraud]]. He went to the police with the details of the fraud.
297	* Joseph Valachi was the first [[UsefulNotes/TheMafia mafioso]] to admit in public, on national television that ''Cosa Nostra'' [[NoMereWindmill is real]]. No one knows for sure why he flipped, but in any case, he hoped to get a lesser sentence by testifying to the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, headed by John [=McClellan=] in late 1963. Although his disclosures never led to any mobster being jailed, Valachi provided a detailed glimpse of the inner workings. His testimony proved to be damning for the Mafia, still reeling from the Apalachin Summit of 1957, where a curious cop accidentally stumbled upon a major CriminalConvention. Also, despite a poor start, law enforcement began to crack down on organized crime, bolstered by the passage of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act in 1970, which allowed mob kingpins to be prosecuted for all of their criminal operations instead of just going after low-level grunts, thereby kneecapping the Mafia by the 1990s.
298	* Snitches are pretty much universally loathed in criminal circles, and often the ugliest fates that a criminal syndicate can hand out are reserved for them. They're also among the [[PariahPrisoner worst treated in prison]], right down there with [[PaedoHunt pedophiles]], ex-cops, and others.
299	[[/folder]]
300	----
301	->''"[[https://youtu.be/--7BPJaP9bM Anything else y'all wanna know? Cause I'm not going to jail for nobody!]]"''

Context Main / TheStoolPigeon