Line #6 Main/SternNun


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[Film/TheBluesBrothers https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stern_nun.jpg]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:Spare the rod, spoil the Blues Brother.]]
6
7	->''"Bitches get stuff done. That's why Catholic schools use nuns as teachers and not priests. Those nuns are mean old clams, and they sleep on cots, and they're allowed to hit you. And at the end of the year, you hated those bitches, but you knew the capital of Vermont!"''
8	-->-- '''Creator/TinaFey''', "Weekend Update," ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''
9
10	A character type of stern, usually elderly nun, who acts as a SternTeacher at a Catholic school (possibly even a SadistTeacher at a BoardingSchoolOfHorrors variety) but may (or may not) be looked back upon with some affection. A DiscreditedTrope nowadays, since a good many teachers at Catholic schools are now laypeople -- not to mention that after about TheSeventies or so, ''any'' teachers beating students would not go over well with parents or administrators, whether those teachers have taken vows or not -- but at one time occasionally TruthInTelevision.
11
12	The strictness that was their hallmark was partly due to the nuns applying the same standards to their students that nuns were expected to hold themselves to, and also partly because Catholic schools both then and now were occasionally used as [[DustbinSchool reform schools for problem children]].
13
14	See also SternTeacher and NunsAreSpooky. The nun in question may or may not be a ChildHater.
15
16	----
17	!!Examples:
18
19	[[foldercontrol]]
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21	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
22	* Dee from ''Manga/{{Fake}}'' was raised in an OrphanageOfLove by one of these. He even calls her "Penguin" out of affection (and to rile her up), and encourages the other kids to do so as well.
23	* Sister Grace, the director of the English BoardingSchool in ''Manga/CandyCandy'' fits in here to a T. She's not ''evil'', but strictly plays by the rules and doesn't tolerate when the students break them.
24	[[/folder]]
25
26	[[folder:Comic Books]]
27	* This trope played a part in the origin of ComicBook/AlphaFlight's Aurora / Jeanne-Marie Beaubier. The not-so-fond memories kind.
28	* ''ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'': The Widowhood are an order of nuns whose husbands and sons were killed defending Atlantis. They are a potent political force, advise the king and have to give consent to his chosen queen. Think of them as the [[Literature/{{Dune}} Bene Gesserit]] without the false humility.
29	* ''ComicBook/FireflyTheSting'': The nuns are frowning sternly from the moment they appear.
30	* ''ComicBook/SinCity'': Marv [[ICallHerVera named his gun Gladys]] after the toughest nun he had in school. He feels it has ''almost'' lived up to the name.
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
34	* Ronald-Ann had one of these in her Catholic school in Berkeley Breathed's ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' sequel ''Outland''.
35	* Sister Steven in ''ComicStrip/NineChickweedLane''.
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
39	* The Penguin from ''Film/TheBluesBrothers''. She whacks both Jake and Elwood with her ruler for swearing.
40	-->'''Jake:''' Well, I guess you're really up shit creek.\
41	''(WHACK)''
42	* The reverend mother for much of the first ''Film/SisterAct'' movie. To be fair though, she is clearly a good person, just traditional.
43	* Sister Aloysius in ''Film/{{Doubt}}'' is basically an example of showing this character type as having HiddenDepths.
44	* Rosalind Russel's character in ''Film/TheTroubleWithAngels'' was one of these character types. (But a lot nicer than most. She's firm, because you have to be with adolescents or they'll walk right over you, but never mean.)
45	* Mother Mary Menglele from the 2012 film adaptation of ''Film/TheThreeStooges''.
46	[[/folder]]
47
48	[[folder:Literature]]
49	* Sister Edgar has this reputation in Don [=DeLillo=]'s ''Underworld''. She stopped hitting her students when the majority of them became Black and Latino, though, because her conscience wouldn't allow her to beat someone who didn't look like her.
50	* Although they were nurses, not teachers, the nuns at the hospital in ''Literature/AngelasAshes'' fit the trope perfectly.
51	* The Mother Superior in ''Series/BlessMeFather''.
52	* In the short story "The Gift" (found in Creator/RosarioFerre's ''Literature/SweetDiamondDust'') Mother Artigas, the director of an exclusive Catholic school in Puerto Rico, appears to be this in the beginning. By the end of the story, the way she mistreats Carlotta, the only Black girl in school and newly elected carnival queen, reveals Mother Artigas to be a racist snob.
53	* ConversationalTroping in ''Literature/TheTruth''. Mr Tulip [[BadHabits is disguised as a Vestigal Virgin]], but is obviously a large, unshaven, violent man. Sacharissa says that she knew he was fake because he (sort of) swore; beyond that he was very much like the ones who taught her at school, except they were worse.
54	[[/folder]]
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56	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
57	* In the third series of ''Series/{{Cluedo}}'', the murder victim Sister Concepta is very much this, talking down to everybody in the Grange.
58	* Sister Dominick from ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody''. Who knew that nuns could be [[DeadpanSnarker so sarcastic]]? Despite this, Sister Dominick does have a sense of humor and encourages positivity. At times, she’ll even dispense wisdom and philosophy in a loose manner. However, she doesn’t hold back in dealing with those who display negative or envious behavior towards others.
59	* [[CrystalDragonJesus Septa]] Mordane in ''Series/GameOfThrones'', who acts as the private teacher for Arya and Sansa Stark.
60	* ''Series/FatherTed'': The only thing in the world that can scare Father Jack Hackett is a no-nonsense old-school nun.
61	* In children's Britcom ''Series/EducatingMarmalade'', Sister Conception and Sister Purification of The Convent of the Blessed Limit. They are men with moustaches and baseball bats.
62	* PlayedForLaughs on ''Series/GoodEats'', when the nutritional anthropologist dresses up as one (and smacks Alton with a ruler) to explain the Roman Catholic origins of the modern waffle.
63	* Sister Michael of ''Series/DerryGirls'' is a snarky, no-nonsense nun and the head of a girls' school.
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Theater]]
67	* ''Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You'' by Christopher Durang.
68	* The popular "interactive play" ''Late Night Catechism'' is based upon this trope.
69	* In the musical remake of ''Film/SisterAct'', reverend mother once again takes up this role.
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Webcomics]]
73	* ''Webcomic/SisterClaire'': Sister Marguerite is very harsh, especially towards Claire. Later [[spoiler:it turns out she was under an affliction which made her bad-tempered. When it's lifted, she is pleasant.]]
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Western Animation]]
77	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
78	** Bart's teacher is one of these when he goes to Catholic school in the episode "The Father, The Son, and the Holy Guest Star".
79	--->Back in my day, we used a ruler on unruly children. Nowadays, ''[[DoubleSubversion we use a yardstick]]!''
80	** In "Gone Maggie Gone", Lisa goes undercover at a monastery searching for Maggie, the place being run by a sardonic Mother Superior who enjoys making insulting riddles.
81	* ''WesternAnimation/TimeSquad'' Before being adopted (kidnapped) by Tuddrussel and Larry, Otto lived in an orphanage which was run by a particularly harsh nun.
82	[[/folder]]

Context Main / SternNun