Line #36 Main/HollywoodNuns


1	In Hollywood, people expect certain traits of nuns:
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3	# DressCode: They will wear the full "penguin suit" habit most of the time (though there are a few exceptions; e.g., an [[VirginInAWhiteDress all-white]] habit, or much more rarely, the occasional plainclothes nun). Young nuns-in-training might wear just the wimple (the headpiece and/or veil, hence why it's called "TakingTheVeil"), to let the audience know they're still in the pupal stage. (Postulants are rank beginners: they become novices after about six months in basic training.)
4	# Temperament: They will either be [[SternNun terrifying spectres of discipline]], able to strike fear into even the toughest men, wielding yardsticks like samurai wield katanas, or sweet and nurturing with overtones of forbidden sexuality. Young novices may be fresh-faced girls-next-door; old Mothers or Novice Mistresses may be sweetly wise and saintly, setting an example reminding you of why you wanted to join up in the first place. Those who are relatively young may be overly WiseBeyondTheirYears.
5	# Age Group: They will either be old and super-traditional or young and naive (most of them old, except in most anime, where they tend to take on the role of {{Miko}}, right down to being high school girls).
6	# Names: They will often have "Sister Mary..." (referring to Mary, the "Holy Mother") as part of their name (but not always). Many of them will have a male saint's name.
7	# Nun vs. sister: Most of them will referred to as nuns even though most orders in which the women are out of their community are of religious sisters, with nuns living in cloisters.
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9	In real life, of course, there are as many varieties of nuns as there are branches of Christianity. For one thing, most modern nuns seldom wear the full habit anymore. The exceptions are mostly old-fashioned contemplative orders, and even they don't wear them all the time; habits are expensive and difficult to clean, and thus a nun might have only one formal habit for special occasions. They usually just wear the wimple and a plain grey or black dress, and some orders don't even require that much and have their sisters wear modest street clothes (usually the teaching and/or service-oriented orders, for example, the Sisters of Mercy and the Sisters of St. Joseph). Every order also has its unique habit, and not all of them are black and white. Carmelite nuns wear brown, for example. Nuns also vary in temperament, but many viewers who grew up in Catholic schools (particularly before TheSeventies) may remember the "[[SternNun scary nuns]]" most vividly.
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11	Furthermore, not all nuns are Christians (nor Catholic and Orthodox-there are Protestant nuns of the Anglican and Lutheran churches). There are nuns in Buddhism called ''Bhikkhuni'' or ''Dge long ma'', as well as Hindu and Jain nuns, but these are almost never shown in Western media. Recordings of Buddhist nuns singing were very popular with New Age devotees and space music fans some years ago: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVueLvn0WYE the sound is hauntingly enchanting.]]
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13	A sister trope to NunsAreSpooky, NunsAreFunny, NaughtyNuns, NunTooHoly, and SternNun. Contrast: NunsAreMikos.
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15	!!Examples:
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17	[[AC:Comic Books]]
18	* The monstrous SociopathicHero Marv, of ''ComicBook/SinCity'', claims to have feared and respected the nuns at his school, to the point where he named his HandCannon after one of them and claim it's almost lived up to its namesake. One of the possible reasons why he mostly never [[WouldntHitAGirl hits women]].
19	* The French comic ''ComicBook/SoeurMarieTherese des Batignolles'' is a subversion in almost every way, dedicated to getting drunk and/or high and solving most of her problems with violence.
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21	[[AC:Films -- Live-Action]]
22	* ''Film/SisterAct'' at once plays this straight and averts it, which is the source of most of the comedy. Incidentally, Whoopi Goldberg's character is given the name of "Sister Mary Clarence" while in the convent.
23	* Sister Mary Stigmata ("The Penguin") in ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'' plays the "elderly, scary disciplinarian with a yardstick" role almost straight, except for the fact that [[PowerFloats she moves like she's on wheels.]]
24	* The two nuns in ''{{Film/Doubt}}'' fit the two different temperaments pretty well, but their order wore bonnets instead of the stereotypical squarish cornettes and veils over a tight-fitting coif cap. They are the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in New York and were founded by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint.
25	* The nun in ''Film/DeadManWalking'', considering this film is based on a true story, is a subversion in dress with her wearing regular clothes with only a gold cross lapel pin to denote her affiliation. When a priest calls her out on that, she quotes the Pope who ruled that the full habit is not necessary anymore as long as a nun wears something distinctive to mark her calling.
26	* In ''Film/TheSongOfBernadette'' the Sisters of Charity and Christian Instruction fit this exactly, but they're a real order and it's a matter of historical record. The film producers sent a request to the motherhouse at Nevers, France for a copy of the pattern for the exact habit worn at the time Bernadette was there. In fact, ''The Song of Bernadette'' is almost certainly one of the {{Trope Codifier}}s for this trope.
27	* The nuns in ''Film/TheNunsStory'' are the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, and they also fit this exactly, right down to the awesomely wise [[OldMaster Mother Superior]] played by Dame Edith Evans. This film is another candidate for this trope's TropeCodifier, alongside ''The Song of Bernadette'' and ''Film/TheSoundOfMusic''.
28	* ''Film/TheSoundOfMusic'', of course, may just be the most popular depiction of nuns in film, and ticks practically every box on the list.
29	* In ''Film/MrSmithGoesToWashington'', the orphan boys who cheer Smith's proposed boys' camp bill from the gallery are escorted by Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. The "Flying Nun" cornettes are unmistakable.
30	* ''Film/{{Novitiate}}'' has the contemplative Sisters of the Blessed Rose (fictional). Since this is the early 60s, they wear the full "penguin" outfit, in fact one of the plot points is the controversy over dispensing with these traditions in light of the Second Vatican Council.
31	* ''Film/DarkAngelTheAscent'': The nuns whom Veronica meets on the street are in full habits (which look more Orthodox than Catholic incidentally), and offer her a shelter for the night in a church since they think she's homeless. Service work like this is more likely something religious sisters would do, the latter don't wear habits, but simple clothes with perhaps a modest headdress. Even assuming they were nuns, full habits ordinarily are only worn inside of a convent or at mass.
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33	[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]
34	* Nuns appear in the series ''Series/FatherTed'' on various occasions, varying from strict disciplinarians to sweet/tempting.
35	* ''Series/PushingDaisies'' had nuns in full habits, but in keeping with its setting in a candy-colored RetroUniverse, the habits were blue and white instead of black and white. (The Sisters of Mary of the Eucharist, Trinitarians of Mary and Sisters of Life, among others, really do wear blue and white. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Spirit_Adoration_Sisters Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters]], a contemplative order, actually wear ''pink''.)
36	* In ''Series/TheATeam'' episode "[[Recap/TheATeamS2E3TheOnlyChurchInTown The Only Church in Town]]", the A-Team traveled to Ecuador to help a group of nuns (including Face's former One True Love from college) in full stereotypical-looking habits protect their mission from a bunch of nuns. Of course, the full habits helped Face and Murdock sneak into the mission to do reconnaissance work. Also, Face's old flame had taken the name "Sister Theresa" and she fit into the second temperament.
37	* One episode of ''Series/{{House}}'' fully subverts this trope when a nun is found to be dying from a strange allergy. The convent she lives in only use the full habit on special occasions; the other nuns who visit her are dressed realistically in conservative dresses with headpieces. The sick nun herself was found to have had an abortion and used an old form of birth control that left a piece of copper in her body (which she was allergic to).
38	* Sister Peter Marie in ''Series/{{Oz}}'' doesn't wear the habit, but seems to generally follow the rest of the trope (although being rather jaded due to being around the worst humanity has to offer).
39	* Averted with Sister Peg of ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit''. She looks to be about middle-aged, doesn't wear the habit at all, and is neither naive nor excessively strict--which is reasonable for a nun who mostly works on aiding prostitutes to keep them safe and healthy.
40	** Also averted in the original ''Series/LawAndOrder''; in an episode where a nun is accused of molesting one of the homeless children in her care [[spoiler:it's later revealed to actually be a priest]], before she's accused, she comes to visit one of them being held in jail for shooting up a store. She's also dressed like a regular, middle-aged woman, and when Logan asks her if nuns have a curfew, she retorts, "It went out with the penguin suit".
41	* Surprisingly averted on ''Series/OnceUponATime''. The nuns, who were faeries in the magical world, wear plain dresses and overcoats rather than habits.
42	* Averted in ''Series/CallTheMidwife''. For one thing, the nuns in question are Anglican, not Catholic. For another, although they do wear habits, the habits are Fifties-esque (when the show is set) and dark blue, not black--although the more [[AfraidOfDoctors iatrophobic]] residents of Poplar will still call them "penguins" when they're being derisive. And their names are [[TeamMum Sister]] [[SilkHidingSteel Julienne]], [[BattleaxeNurse Sister]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Evangelina]], [[TheReliableOne Sister Bernadette]], and [[TheComicallySerious Sister]] [[CloudCuckoolander Monica Joan]] -- not a Mary in sight (although they are all saints' names). And finally, besides being nuns, they are ''midwives'' and ''nurses'' with full modern training--arguably, they are nurses first and nuns second.
43	* Strongly averted in ''Series/BridesOfChrist''. Diane and Veronica's postulancy and later life as sisters is shown with great accuracy and detail. Halfway through the series, their order begins to modernise with the newer habits and less cumbersome rosaries.
44	* In the ''Series/TheMaryTylerMooreShow'' episode, "Almost a Nun's Story", Georgette considers joining the convent. When a nun in contemporary dress shows up to counsel Georgette, Ted doesn't realize she's a nun and tries to pick her up, leading to a comical conversation where she obliquely refers to "the other man in her life" (i.e. God) and Ted misses every cue.
45	* Played straight in an episode of ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' where Jessica investigated a murder at a convention. Every woman at the convent is dressed in stereotypical gear.
46	* An episode of ''Series/LALaw'' had one of the lawyers being opposed by an attorney who was also a nun. He expresses surprise, given her normal dress and apologizes for not calling her "Sister". She assures him it's no problem. . .then shows up in court clad in her habit, angering the other lawyer, who accuses her of doing it to curry favor with the jury.
47	* ''Series/SexAndTheCity''. Samantha meets a nun while waiting in a doctor's office and is surprised that she isn't in the habit. The woman indicates that it's only for special occasions. A few days later, she shows up at the office in full nun gear, prompting Samantha to note, "Pulling out all the stops, aren't we?" (The doctor is excellent, but is notoriously difficult to get an appointment with and they have been hanging out in her office in the hopes of a spot opening).
48	* When ''Series/OneLifeToLive'''s Maggie Carpenter comes to town, people are surprised when she reveals that she's a nun, given her feisty personality--"You've got a mouth that would embarrass a sailor!"--and that she doesn't wear a habit. She explains that she only does so at church. Indeed, this is the only time we see her wearing it.
49	** Played straight with the nurses at St. Ann's, the local mental hospital. They're not just in habits, they're in the all-white ones with huge headpieces, and are probably meant to be Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul.
50	* An episode of ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'' had Earl's former landlady becoming a nun after hearing (what she thought was) the voice of {{God}}. (It was really Earl on a walkie-talkie coming through her hearing aid and playing a prank on her.) Earl comes to see her at the convent, to tell her what he did and make up for it, and sees that where she used to be a real {{Jerkass}}, she's now cheerful and friendly, and cares for orphaned children. When he tells her what he did, he causes her to have a CrisisOfFaith and go back to being the grouchy landlady she used to be. Earl helps her to get back to being a nun and enjoying life again.
51	* A plainclothes nun appears on ''Series/{{Chopped}}'', alongside a Catholic priest, a rabbi, and a youth pastor, in the episode with the theme of religious people and ingredients from Literature/TheBible, or religious cultural practices.
52	* In an episode of ''Series/ThatGirl'', Ann (Creator/MarloThomas) meets a folk-singer and urges her to start a musical career. The singer declines, and Ann doesn't learn why until she tracks down the young woman -- to her convent, where she wears her habit rather than her plainclothes. (Terre Thomas, Marlo's sister, played the sister. [[note]]And their father, Creator/DannyThomas, played a Father.[[/note]])
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54	[[AC:StandUpComedy]]
55	* The scary disciplinarian nuns tend to be a staple for comedians who grew up going to Catholic school.
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