Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / GradeSystemSnark

Go To

1[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/PizzaTower https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pizzatower_gradesystemsnark.png]]]]
2
3->''"The turtles are back, dudes! I give us a 10 for style, an 8 for skill, and a... (I-beams collapse) 2, for stealth."''
4-->-- '''Michelangelo''', ''WesternAnimation/{{TMNT}}''
5
6When going through TheHerosJourney, the [[HeroProtagonist protagonist]] will typically have to undergo some trial (or test, whether physical or written) to prove his or her own worth. The test will come at any given time, normally during the Road of Trials for the inexperienced adventurer, but for the returning victor, it can happen as early as Crossing The First Threshold. The standard obstacle (but not always) that he or she will face will be some unknown EldritchAbomination, so powerful that it will even terrify [[MentorArchetype the Mentor]], prompting the fledgling savior to TakeAThirdOption, one that for his or her mentor would never have even come to mind. After the fight, the mentor, still having a sense of [[NotSoStoic awe and pride in his voice]], will try to keep a sense of authority by making some rather [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] comments, almost as if he was grading a test, about how he would've handled the situation differently.
7
8More than often will result in some form of MadLibsCatchphrase if it happens on more than one occasion. Can appear as CasualDangerDialogue also, though the timing of the quip and subsequent action can follow each other in any random order, as seen by the page-topping quote.
9
10An obvious {{Subtrope}} of DeadpanSnarker. Compare OnAScaleFromOneToTen, which uses this ratings system with numbers instead of an alphabetical rank, and FMinusMinus, where the letter grade is below the lowest possible score. May also involve BrokeTheRatingScale. Please no TruthInTelevision examples, as no group of friends ever seem to be able to take a rating system seriously.
11
12Contrast TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, which, unlike this, there is (usually) no humor involved in the berating involved. Compare BrokeTheRatingScale, which can involve grading snark in whatever odd rating is assigned, and HoldUpYourScore, where characters display score cards as if they were a panel of judges at an event.
13----
14!!Examples:
15
16[[foldercontrol]]
17
18[[folder:Fan Works]]
19* ''Fanfic/TheBoltChronicles'': Mittens comically grades out the humor-challenged Bolt's awkward joke attempt in "The Wedding Reception."
20-->'''Bolt:''' ''[grabbing his throat, doing an exaggerated eye roll, lolling his tongue out, and falling over backwards]'' Styrofoam? That's my kryptonite! No wonder I've felt so powerless all day!\
21'''Mittens:''' ''[quipping]'' B-plus for execution and C-minus for content. A-plus for effort, though.
22[[/folder]]
23
24[[folder:Film]]
25* ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'': After Hercules defeats Nessus the River Guardian and rescues Meg by [[UseYourHead literally using his head]], Philoctetes mutters under his breath "[[LiteralMetaphor Not exactly what I had in mind]], but not bad..."
26* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda1'': When Po first starts kung fu training with Master Shifu and the Furious Five, he offers to start at "level zero", and Shifu insists there is no such thing. He changes his mind after Po gets owned by a training dummy/doorstop, which knocks him onto the obstacle course where he gets thrashed by every hazard present.
27--> '''Po:''' ''([[AshFace covered in soot]] and dragging himself along the floor)'' How did I do?\
28'''Shifu:''' There is now a level zero.
29* The 2007 ''WesternAnimation/{{TMNT}}'' film provides us with the page quote from [[CloudCuckooLander Michelangelo]] after the FiveManBand, directly disobeying Splinter's orders, pass through The Return and Crossing The Return Threshold phases by randomly attacking monsters (just because they looked suspicious) on an unfinished skyscraper. Splinter was pissed when he found out what happened.
30[[/folder]]
31
32[[folder:Literature]]
33* In the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' short story "Cave Dwellers", which sheds some light on one of Batgirl's numerous training missions with the famous Caped Crusaders, [[TheStoic Batman]] himself gives a rather nasty [[InvertedTrope inversion]] of this, without any form of sarcasm whatsoever:
34-->'''Batman:''' I wouldn't grade you as ''high'' as my partner.\
35'''Batgirl:''' Yeah? Well, I have a few words for ''you'', too.\
36'''Batman:''' I don't think you ''passed''.\
37'''Batgirl:''' I ''survived'', didn't I?\
38'''Batman:''' That's ''not'' enough. You used ''lethal force'' against your last opponents. We don't ''do'' that. We don't kill ''even'' to defend ourselves.\
39'''Batgirl:''' Was I supposed to let your paperdolls ''shoot'' me? What would ''that'' have proved?\
40'''Batman:''' Only that you could be one of ''us''.
41* From ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1'': "'Ten out of ten' for style, but 'Minus several million' for good thinking."
42* The grading system for the O.W.L.s in ''Franchise/HarryPotter''. Harry, Ron, and Hermione thought Fred and George were ''joking'' when they said the lowest grade is named after the phenomenally stupid ([[DumbMuscle but very strong]]) creatures known as trolls. Even Hermione thought it was a joke, and she was the girl who was determined to find out everything she could about the exams. But Fred and George were (for once) totally serious: the grading scale is
43-->O - Outstanding\
44E - Exceeds Expectations\
45A - Acceptable\
46P - Poor\
47D - Dreadful\
48T - Troll
49[[/folder]]
50
51[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
52* The Australian game review show ''Series/GoodGame'''s review of ''VideoGame/RobotUnicornAttack'': Despite giving deadly serious scores out of ten on every other game, Hex gave it a rating of 8971 Rubber Chickens. Bajo was "...not sure how to score it after that."
53** In the end show summary, it have Bajo's score as a picture of a purple unicorn head.
54* Creator/ConanOBrien as the Clueless Gamer has these as the end scores for his reviews. At first, he gives games a numerical score with no rhyme or reason behind it, before he moves on to grading games with various colors, noises, and how he beats up Aaron Bleyaert.
55-->'''Conan:''' "Out of an 88 - an 88 being pretty good, a 110 being excellent, a 150 being awful, a 3 being...eh, not bad, I'd give this a...say, a 26C."
56[[/folder]]
57
58[[folder:Theatre]]
59* Shrek gives Fiona one in the "I Think I Got You Beat" song in ''Theatre/ShrekTheMusical''
60-->'''Shrek:''' I've heard better, I'm just sayin'\
61A for effort, thanks for playing\
62Sad to see a princess suffer\
63But I had it rougher.
64[[/folder]]
65
66[[folder:Video Games]]
67* [=GLaDOS=], of ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' fame, does this rather stealthily through a BaitAndSwitch technique. While at first she seems like she's congratulating you for a job well done after each and every test chamber, listen closely-- the compliments are heavily drenched with [[SarcasmMode sarcasm]].
68** Exaggerated in the sequel.
69-->'''[=GLaDOS=]:''' Oh you did VERY well. I'm going to write that on your form. Oh there's ''lots'' of room here. "Did well... enough."
70* There's a minor report card gag in the third case in the third ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' game. The characters note things like "gets into trouble being the center of attention" supposedly getting written on others' report cards.
71* Trevor's end-of-battle soundbyte from ''VideoGame/JaggedAlliance'' ''2''.
72-->"Way hay, they're all dead! Got to give them an A for effort, though..."
73* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfFinalFantasy'', Lann suggests referring to a magical transportation portal as a "porta-party." Tama says that the name gets an F, Reynn comments that it deserves an H. Later, when he makes a "Tama-hawk" joke, Tama gives it a PU grade.
74[[/folder]]
75
76[[folder:Webcomics]]
77* In ''WebComic/DarthsAndDroids'', Yoda snarks at the antics the protagonists have gotten into:
78-->Remedial course in Jedi Ethics, you need.
79** Which later gets a CallBack during the climactic Obi-Wan/Anakin duel:
80--->'''Obi-Wan:''' You've earned a failing grade in Jedi Ethics.\
81'''Anakin:''' That's it, Obi-Wan! YouHaveFailedMe [[{{Pun}} for the last time!]]
82* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Pandora refers to [[spoiler:Sarah]] as being a [[http://egscomics.com/egsnp/2015-05-04 "D rank talent with an S rank spell"]] and initially thought of [[spoiler:Rhoda]] as the same but revised that to being [[http://egscomics.com/egsnp/2016-11-09 "one hundred percent S-Rank"]].
83[[/folder]]
84
85[[folder:Western Animation]]
86* From ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'': In "Mars University", Fry, Amy, and Gunter, a chimp whose intelligence was enhanced through [[MakesAsMuchSenseInContext a bowler hat powered by sun spots]] participate in a class on 20th century history. Not only is the professor in charge of the class thick on the [[SarcasmMode sarcasm]], but every seat in his lecture hall is rigged to [[DisproportionateRetribution electrocute any student who makes a snide remark, calls out of turn, or answers incorrectly.]]
87* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', this is Rainbow Dash's response to a tortoise who joined the competition to see who would be her pet; she gave him an A for effort, and would give him a gold star if she had one.
88* When Timmy from ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' wishes for a watch which basically operates as an InUniverse ResetButton to [[SaveScumming redo any unfavorable events]], one of the ways he uses it is for a test. The various comments that [[SadistTeacher Mr. Crocker]] gives to each attempt are as follows:
89-->Heh, [[SarcasmMode good news, Turner]]. You've taken "F" to a whole new level. I'm going to give you... a [[SuddenlyShouting SUPER F]]! (EvilLaugh)\
90A D! As in "[[FunWithAcronyms Don't get your hopes up for a high-paying career!]]" (EvilLaugh)\
91A B! As in... "But you're not supposed to ''[[{{Pun}} be]]'' this smart"... (MirthlessLaughter)\
92An A minus! As in, [[SpannerInTheWorks hmm]], [[DidntSeeThatComing I give so few A's I don't have any prepared sarcasm.]]
93[[/folder]]

Top