When a character does something wrong (especially in school) or to show they aren't the most intelligent chap around, they're shown wearing a large, white, coned shaped hat. "DUNCE" in large red letters, or a large "D", may be added for humiliation related purposes, or to exaggerate it. The character will likely be sitting on a stool in the corner, staring at the walls, as a punishment.
A variant is the "donkey ears" cap, that was favored in France.
Dunce (earlier, "dunce disciple"), by the way, was derived from the name of John Duns Scotus (from Duns in Scotland), the Franciscan philosopher, by 16th century opponents of Scholasticism.
While it is
long out of practice, like its Japanese counterpart
Standing In The Hall it is still often used in cartoon culture for a comedic effect.
Examples:
Comic Books
Film
Literature
- Though minus the dunce cap, in Anne of Green Gables, Anne Shirley is forced to stand in front of the class with "Ann Shirley has a very bad temper. Ann Shirley must learn to control her temper" written on the board behind her as punishment for smashing her slate over Gilbert Blythe's head for calling her "Carrots".
Live-Action TV
- On the old Comedy Central game show Win Ben Stein's Money, whenever a contestant would begin an answer with "What is__?", Ben Stein would slap a dunce cap on them and shout "This is not Jeopardy!"
- On Street Smarts (basically a Game Show version of Jay Leno's "Jaywalking") you could challenge you opponent to answer a question that was asked of the people on the street. If they didn't know it they'd have to wear a dunce cap for the rest of the round. But if they did know it then you had to wear the cap.
- El Chavo del ocho: El Chavo, Quico and La Chillindrina were on remedial classes and Don Ramon and Dona Florinda were allowed to be present at class as spectators. At the end of the episode, Professor Jirafales was glad only one person in there deserved donkey ears. Don Ramon was shown wearing them.
Newspaper Comics
Video Games
- A cursed item in NetHack that causes your intelligence to drop when you wear it. Before being identified, it appears as "a pointy hat"... indistinguishable from the useful Wizard's Hat.
- In Escape from Monkey Island, one puzzle is to do as badly as possible in a school so you're stuck with a dunce cap. You then have to wear it so you don't leave a splash as you hit the water during a diving competition.
- In MechQuest, your character gets one upon arriving late to his Mech Combat 101 class (by 3.0456 seconds) on his first day at GEARS University, after thinking "At least she's not going to make me wear a silly hat."
- If you try to summon an "Idiot" on Scribblenauts, you'll get a kid wearing one of these. He loves eating bugs.
Web Original
- Mentioned in an episode of Freeman's Mind: "I'm going to make a dunce cap, and you're going to wear it."
- The Lonely Island/SNL Digital Short "Shy Ronnie" features a kid with one of these sitting in the back of the room.
Web Comics
Western Animation
