History Main / HumiliationConga

->''"Do you know what my days used to look like? I just tested! Nobody murdered me... Or put me in a potato... Or fed me to birds... I had a pretty good life. And then ''you'' showed up. You dangerous. Mute. ''Lunatic.''"''

Compare HumblePie (when it's a single, very humiliating event rather than a series of humiliating events), TraumaCongaLine (a far more serious {{trope}} where audiences are meant to feel sympathetic for the victim rather than cheering their downfall), and TheChewToy. May overlap with ShamedByAMob or TheFreelanceShameSquad, depending on who shows up to witness the humiliation. Not to be confused with TheMasochismTango.

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Everything the antagonist has built up, piece by piece, comes crashing down in front of them: [[StarCrossedLovers the lovebirds they kept apart so they could have a hero(ine) for themselves]] pass by them arm-in-arm while discussing how they're HappilyMarried, the hotel they spent millions building catches fire and burns down, their former YesMan steps on their foot, the bum they spat on now has a Rolex (probably the exact model ''they'' coveted) and asks them to light his cigar, and the [[KickTheDog dog they kicked]] is now [[ShoutOut laughing at them]] (or [[UrineTrouble worse]]). People ComeToGawk at HowTheMightyHaveFallen, and when [[TheFreelanceShameSquad one starts laughing]], [[ContagiousLaughter everyone joins in]]. And here come the cops; turns out [[EngineeredPublicConfession the mic was on when they declared their foul intentions]].

Ultimately, they realize they're in ''very'' dire straits. They're still alive, natch, but that's not all for the good.

* HumiliationConga/MusicVideos

* The music video for ''Music/CatHairballs'' might as well be retitled "[[WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy Stimpy's]] Humiliation Conga." For starters, the video is about Ren forcing Stimpy to lick and hwarf up hairballs onto a conveyor belt so that the former can make stuff out of them. Outside of that, Stimpy gets: forcibly squeezed like a tube of toothpaste, then shot off like a rocket, smacked around, and slapped really hard. By the latter half of the video, Stimpy is running out of body parts to lick, can barely hwarf, and is desperately gasping for breath, yet they are still being forced to keep going. Eventually, Stimpy is completely licked clean of hair and, after a lick that turns up nothing, and an all-or-nothing hwarf, passes out on the conveyor belt. Then Ren violently [[PainToTheAss Stamps Stimpy's ass]] which makes a tortured ''hluarf'' sound upon impact, and the video ends on an unconscious Stimpy, whose ass is sporting a new brand smashed into their cheeks.

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Everything the antagonist has built up, piece by piece, comes crashing down in front of them: [[StarCrossedLovers the lovebirds they kept apart so they could have a hero(ine) for themselves]] pass by them arm-in-arm while discussing how they're HappilyMarried, the hotel they spent millions building catches fire and burns down, their former YesMan [[TheDogBitesBack steps on their foot]], the bum they spat on now has a Rolex (probably the exact model ''they'' coveted) and asks them to light his cigar, and the [[KickTheDog dog they kicked]] is now [[ShoutOut laughing at them]] (or [[UrineTrouble worse]]). People ComeToGawk at HowTheMightyHaveFallen, and when [[TheFreelanceShameSquad one starts laughing]], [[ContagiousLaughter everyone joins in]]. And here come the cops; turns out [[EngineeredPublicConfession the mic was on when they declared their foul intentions]].

Often the main component of a BreakTheHaughty subplot. If the antagonist is evil, this may cause (or even be the result of) a VillainousBreakdown. But beware -- done too gratuitously or drawn out too long, [[UnintentionallySympathetic it might actually make people feel sorry for the trounced antagonist]], or worse, effectively make the protagonists of the story the ''[[MeetTheNewBoss new]]'' [[HeWhoFightsMonsters baddies]].

Then how about the Humiliation Conga?

It's the end of the episode/StoryArc/series, and the villain's [[EvilPlan plans]] have fallen through. Now it's just a matter of dealing with them.

Sometimes you want [[VillainExitStageLeft the villain to escape]] or [[HeelFaceTurn have them realize their evil ways were wrong and become a goodie]], but not this time, usually because it would make for an unsatisfying ending or would just take up too much time. But there's a problem... you can't kill them off. Maybe [[NeverSayDie the censors won't allow it]]. Maybe [[HarmlessVillain they're just not evil enough]] or what they did isn't deserving of [[CharacterDeath death]]. Maybe they're literally [[CompleteImmortality unkillable]]. Maybe you just aren't feeling up to bloodshed. Maybe you feel [[CruelMercy death is too good for them]]. [[JokerImmunity Or, of course, they need to survive]] for their next EvilPlan.

Then how about the [[TitleDrop Humiliation Conga]]?

Everything the villain has built up, piece by piece, comes crashing down in front of them: [[StarCrossedLovers the lovebirds they kept apart so they could have a hero(ine) for themselves]] pass by them arm-in-arm while discussing how they're HappilyMarried, the hotel they spent millions building catches fire and burns down, their former YesMan [[TheDogBitesBack steps on their foot]], the bum they spat on now has a Rolex (probably the exact model ''they'' coveted) and asks them to light his cigar, and the [[KickTheDog dog they kicked]] is now [[ShoutOut laughing at them]] (or [[UrineTrouble worse]]). People ComeToGawk at HowTheMightyHaveFallen, and when one starts to laugh, [[ContagiousLaughter everyone joins in]]. And here come the cops; turns out [[EngineeredPublicConfession the mic was on when they declared their foul intentions]].

In the end, the villain realizes they're in very, very dire straits. They're still alive, natch, but that's not all for the good.

This {{trope}} is very popular on kids' shows or a show with a general audience, as it's a way to ensure the villain is good and defeated without getting unduly violent. Compare with CherryTapping in VideoGames. Heroes may knowingly tailor one as part of a CruelMercy punishment or maybe a CoolAndUnusualPunishment (or both) for the villain.

It's worth noting that this isn't always done because the villain can't die or doesn't deserve to; oftentimes, they could be killed, but it just wouldn't be a fitting end for them. As some proponents of CruelMercy would say, sometimes death would just be the easy way out and is too good for the villain in question. The audience may be left feeling such a villain didn't get nearly what they deserved. Thus, a well-crafted [[TitleDrop Humiliation Conga]] offers a satisfying alternative. The villain is defeated, but they didn't get the easy death. And naturally, this makes sense; the more we hate the bad guy, the more we want to see him suffer. (Granted, sometimes the villain ''is'' killed at the tail end of their Humiliation Conga, apparently on the reasoning that his degradation won't be complete until he's a rotting corpse; likely suffering the treatment of LastDisrespects too.)

Occasionally, this {{trope|s}} may be quite literal, as the protagonists may find it hard to prevent themselves from literally dancing with glee at the villain's downfall. If sex or overly affectionate people are involved, it becomes SexualKarma.

May also result in (or even be the result of) a VillainousBreakdown from the villain. Often the main component of a BreakTheHaughty subplot. But beware -- done too gratuitously or drawn out too long, [[UnintentionallySympathetic it might actually make people feel sorry for the trounced villain]], or worse, effectively make the protagonists of the story the ''[[MeetTheNewBoss new]]'' [[HeWhoFightsMonsters baddies]].

Compare HumblePie (when it's a single, very humiliating event rather than a series of humiliating events), TraumaCongaLine (a far more serious {{trope}} where audiences are meant to feel sympathetic for the victim rather than cheering their downfall), and TheChewToy. May overlap with ShamedByAMob or TheFreelanceShameSquad, depending who shows up to witness the humiliation. Not to be confused with TheMasochismTango.

** In the last case of the second game, ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll Justice For All]]'', it is revealed that [[spoiler:your client is indirectly guilty of the murder, having hired a hitman to do it for him.]] After proving his guilt, the player (Phoenix) gets to decide the guilty man's fate. Have him declared "Guilty" where he will go to jail, or let him be "Not Guilty" where he will immediately be targeted by the hitman that he tried to use as a scapegoat. It's such a lose-lose situation for him that if you choose "Not Guilty," he'll beg and scream and confess to ''everything'' just to get the extra buffer of prison security between him and the hitman.
** In ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations Trials and Tribulations]]'': [[spoiler:Dahlia believes that being dead makes her beyond punishment by the living. But when Phoenix reveals that the target of her revenge, missing and presumed dead, is in fact the medium whose body she is currently inhabiting, he and Mia explain in detail how each of her crimes was a failure, and that she has doomed herself to the "ultimate punishment": spending all eternity as a "miserable, pathetic, weak creature who can never win at anything". In hell]].

Sometimes you want [[VillainExitStageLeft the villain to escape]] or [[HeelFaceTurn have them realize their evil ways were wrong and become a goodie]], but not this time, usually because it would make for an unsatisfying ending or would just take up too much time. But there's a problem... you can't kill them off. Maybe [[NeverSayDie the censors won't allow it]]. Maybe [[HarmlessVillain he's just not evil enough]] or what they did isn't deserving of death. Maybe they're literally [[CompleteImmortality unkillable]]. Maybe you just aren't feeling up to bloodshed. Maybe you feel [[CruelMercy death is too good for them]]. [[JokerImmunity Or, of course, they need to survive]] for their next EvilPlan.

->''"Do you know what my days used to look like? I just tested! Nobody murdered me... Or put me in a potato... Or fed me to birds... I had a pretty good life. And then ''you'' showed up. You dangerous. Mute. ''Lunatic.''''

->''"You CHEAP LITTLE ROTTER! I've been run over by a car, made to drive a gimp shopping cart, threatened by your gestapo security guards, had me head set on fire, I was attacked by wild lobsters, beaten by a very large woman, had me dog wrapped in plastic, nearly starved to death, and I still made the 12:00 deadline. So if you don't change that total back to a dollar fifty, I WILL DO SOMETHING '''NOT NICE!'''"''
-->-- '''Rocko''', ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'', "Rocko's Happy Sack"

It's the end of the episode/StoryArc/series, and the villain's plans have fallen through. Now it's just a matter of dealing with the villain.

Sometimes you want [[VillainExitStageLeft the villain to escape]] or [[HeelFaceTurn have the villain realize that his evil ways are wrong and become a good guy]], but not this time, usually because it would make for an unsatisfying ending or would just take up too much time. But there's a problem... you can't kill him off. Maybe [[NeverSayDie the censors won't allow it]]. Maybe [[HarmlessVillain he's just not evil enough]] or what he did isn't deserving of death. Maybe he's literally [[{{Immortality}} impossible to kill]]. Maybe you just aren't feeling up to bloodshed. Maybe you feel that [[CruelMercy death is too good for him]]. [[JokerImmunity Or, of course, he needs to survive for his next]] EvilPlan.

Then how about the Humiliation Conga?

Everything the villain has built up, piece by piece, comes crashing down in front of him: [[StarCrossedLovers The lovebirds he kept apart so that he could have the heroine for himself]] pass by him arm-in-arm, the hotel he spent millions building catches fire and burns down, his former YesMan [[TheDogBitesBack steps on his foot]], the bum he spat on now has a Rolex (probably the exact model ''he'' coveted) and asks him to light his cigar, and the [[KickTheDog dog he kicked]] is now [[VideoGame/DuckHunt laughing at him]] (or [[UrineTrouble worse]]). People ComeToGawk at HowTheMightyHaveFallen, and when one starts to laugh, [[ContagiousLaughter everyone joins in]]. And here come the cops; turns out [[EngineeredPublicConfession the mic was on when he declared his foul intentions]].

In the end, the villain realizes he's in very, very dire straits. He's still alive, natch, but that's not all for the good.

The Humiliation Conga is very popular on kids' shows or a show with a general audience, as it's a way to ensure the villain is good and defeated without getting unduly violent. Compare with CherryTapping in VideoGames. Heroes may knowingly tailor one as part of a CruelMercy punishment or maybe a CoolAndUnusualPunishment (or both) for the villain.

It's worth noting that this isn't always done because the villain can't die or doesn't deserve to; oftentimes, they could be killed, but it just wouldn't be a fitting end for them. As some proponents of CruelMercy would say, sometimes death would just be the easy way out and is too good for the villain in question. The audience may be left feeling such a villain didn't get nearly what they deserved. Thus, a well-crafted Humiliation Conga offers a satisfying alternative. The villain is defeated, but they didn't get the easy death. And naturally, this makes sense; the more we hate the bad guy, the more we want to see him suffer. (Then again, sometimes the villain ''is'' killed at the tail end of his Humiliation Conga, apparently on the reasoning that his degradation won't be complete until he's a rotting corpse; likely suffering the treatment of LastDisrespects as well.)

Occasionally, a Humiliation Conga may be quite literal, as the protagonists may find it hard to prevent themselves from literally dancing with glee at the villain's downfall. If sex or overly affectionate people are involved, it becomes SexualKarma.

Because of the nature of this trope, a full '''Spoiler Warning''' is probably called for.

May also result in (or even be the result of) a VillainousBreakdown from the villain. Often the main component of a BreakTheHaughty subplot. But beware -- done too gratuitously or drawn out too long, [[UnintentionallySympathetic it might actually make people feel sorry for the trounced villain]], or worse, effectively make the protagonists of the story the ''[[MeetTheNewBoss new]]'' [[HeWhoFightsMonsters bad guys]].

Compare HumblePie (when it's a single, very humiliating event rather than a series of humiliating events), TraumaCongaLine (a far more serious trope where audiences are meant to feel sympathetic for the victim rather than cheering their downfall) and TheChewToy. May overlap with ShamedByAMob or TheFreelanceShameSquad, depending who shows up to witness the humiliation. Not to be confused with TheMasochismTango.

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!!Examples

* HumiliationConga/ProWrestling

-->-- ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'', "Rocko's Happy Sack"

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[[quoteright:346:[[WesternAnimation/SouthPark https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ButtersHumiliation_7863.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:346:[[ButtMonkey Butters]] is having a bad day.]]

Keep in mind, this trope can also happening to a completely undeserving person, such as [[ButtMonkey the poor sap]] in the page image.

->''You CHEAP LITTLE ROTTER! I've been run over by a car, made to drive a gimp shopping cart, threatened by your gestapo security guards, had me head set on fire, I was attacked by wild lobsters, beaten by a very large woman, had me dog wrapped in plastic, nearly starved to death, and I still made the 12:00 deadline. So if you don't change that total back to a dollar fifty, I WILL DO SOMETHING'' '''''NOT NICE!'''''

[[caption-width-right:346:[[ButtMonkey Butters]] is [[{{Understatement}} having a bad day]].]]

!! [[AC:This page's Real Life section is subject to a crowner vote [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13350380440A15238800&page=401 in the Real Life Section Maintenance Thread]]. Please vote down to keep the section or vote up to delete it. Please ask any questions in the thread.]]

* HumiliationConga/RealLife

->''You CHEAP LITTLE ROTTER! I've been run over by a car, made to drive a gimp shopping cart, threatened by your gestapo security guards, had me head set on fire, I was attacked by wild lobsters, beaten by a very large woman, had me dog wrapped in plastic, nearly starved to death, and I still made the 12:00 deadline. So if you don't change that total back to a dollar fifty, I WILL DO SOMETHING NOT NICE!''