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{{trope}}
{{quote|''"Somebody's sucked all of the life out of these kids, and unless TV has lied to me, it was a crusty, bitter old Dean!"''
|'''Homer Simpson''', ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]''}}
A [[Sadist Teacher]] in charge of an entire educational institution. This guy hates the protagonist and his friends with a passion. He has the entire institution with its long history and dignified reputation on his side. Its arbitrary and ancient rules exist chiefly for him to abuse in his vendetta.
Dean Bitterman is a pompous and sour old killjoy who is opposed to the merest hint of fun. He believes that it cheapens the good name of the institution. However, don't expect this disdain to be evenly applied; he's a snob who sucks up shamelessly to [[Rich Bitch|wealthly parents]]. He favors the children of alumni and big donors. He has no problem with letting ''them'' get away with murder. He is quite blind to their [[Jerk Jock|obnoxiousness and malevolence]]
If you don't come from old money or have a trust fund, or even if you just happen to be in a fraternity that he disapproves of, then heaven help you.
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In terms of rank, the [[Authority Tropes]] arguably at the next step down are [[Badass Preacher]], [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]], [[Irish Priest]], [[Landlord]], [[Preacher Man]], [[Pedophile Priest]], [[Schoolteachers]], [[Sinister Minister]], and [[The Vicar]]. For the next step up, see [[Majorly Awesome]].
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== Anime
* Similar to ''[[A Little Princess]]'', Japanese drama ''[[Shokojo Sera]]'' has Mimura Chieko, the director of the school, who makes every living moment in Seira's life miserable. The "Bitterman" of the trope really stands out because Chieko was once classmates/friends with Seira's deceased mother and felt inferior compared to Seira's mother who was adored and kind to everyone. So she decides to take out her anger on Seira instead.
== Fan Works ==
* ''[https://archiveofourown.org/works/31492754/chapters/77903009 Mars Attacks: Simpsons]'' has a retired drill sergeant replacing Skinner as prinicpal and becomes this.
== Film ==
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* Dean Alan Halsey of ''The Re-animator'' is initially a nice enough fellow but is corrupted by the nasty Dr. Hill into becoming a jerk. Then he's killed by zombies, re-animated and becomes even more of a nightmare to work with.
* Principal Frank Hockenberry in ''[[Principal Takes A Holiday]]'' is portrayed as evil for trying to keep a student named John Scaduto in line. Yes, his school wasn't as fun as Fitz's, but a school's primary purpose is education, not fun. Of course, this is semi-justified in that nobody was learning while Hockenberry was in charge. Scaduto is portrayed as justified in doing things that are downright illegal (like hiring an actor to impersonate a principal).
* Donna Weller in ''[[Kids in America]]'' pretty much meets this, {{Spoiler| Thankfully, she gets what was coming to her when she tries to extend her power across the school district.}}
== Literature ==
* In ''[[Harry Potter]] and the Deathly Hallows'', Professor
** He also subverts this slightly when he uses his position to {{spoiler|prevent the torture and punishment of Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom for trying to steal the sword of Gryffindor. He ''officially'' punishes them, but he sends them out into the forest for detention with Hagrid, who would obviously not hurt them in any way. The other alternative would have been the Carrows who we're told use Crucio on their own students. This suggests that when he has the option, he gives the students mild, non-life-threatening punishments, while being unable to do much about the detentions that the Carrows give out personally}}.
** Of course, when [[Harry Potter/Characters|Dolores Umbridge]] was [[Tyrant Takes the Helm|in charge]] in the fifth book, the situation wasn't any better.
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* Vice Principal Gavin Price in ''[[Joan of Arcadia]]''. Semi-averted in that the literal [[Word of God]] notes that Price isn't actually evil, he just doesn't understand kids.
* [[Parker Lewis Can't Lose|Parker Lewis]] of course had one of those - Grace Musso. And even she's considered better than Dr. Norman Pankow, director of the neighbouring school.
* [[Rowan Atkinson]] as the headmaster in the "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZMoB6ms2mE Fatal Beatings]" sketch, and the roll call sketch, which had use of [[Punny Name
* Vice-Principal and later Principal Kraft from ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (TV series)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]''.
* Mr. Woodman on ''[[Welcome Back, Kotter]]''.
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** Best of all, Dean Borak openly admitted that he was one of these: "Make no mistake about it, boys, I am a [[Lampshade Hanging|nasty]], [[Genre Savvy|nasty]] man."
* Dean Craig Pelton in ''[[Community]]'' is normally a subversion of this, usually being more of a friendly but rather inept and slightly creepy and inappropriate administrator (particularly towards Jeff), but he had a go at this trope in "Biology 101" when the surreal antics that peppered the school prompted him to grow a goatee, wear a suit and start acting as more of an authoritarian. Unfortunately, he wasn't very good at that either, and it soon collapsed when he came into conflict with the Vice-Dean of the Air Conditioning Repair annex of his school... who turned out to wield considerably more power than him.
* ''[[Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide]]'': Vice Principal Crubbs fits this, to the point he almost lands the job as principal. {{spoiler| However, this was foiled when the Superintendent gave the job to Write, who happens to have a PH.D in education, which made the former English teacher more than quality for a promotion.}}
== Video Games ==
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== Webcomics ==
* ''[[Chainsawsuit]]'''s "Boner College" strips feature a
* ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]]'' has Dean Martin [[Dean Martin|(no relation)]] of the Science Department at Generictown University. His [[Berserk Button]] is when people ask him how [[Jerry Lewis]] is doing.
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== Western Animation ==
* Dean Vernon in ''[[Futurama]]'' ("''Robot Hooooooooouuuuuuusssee''!")
* Trope name comes from [[Show Within a Show]] "School of Hard Knockers" featured in the ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|Simpsons]]'' episode "Homer Goes To College" (1993), excerpting a prank pulled on 'Dean Bitterman' by two brothers of the wacky 'Chugalug House'. When Homer attends Springfield University, he assumes (or wishes) its laid-back [[Reasonable Authority Figure|Dean Peterson]], who is a complete subversion, to be his nemesis:
{{quote|'''Dean''': Hi there! Hello, I'm Dean Peterson, but you can call me Bobby. I just want you to know if you ever feel stressed out from studying or whatever, I'm always up for some hackey sack. Or, hey! If you just want to come by and jam, I used to be the bass player for the Pretenders.
'''Homer''':I can't wait to take some of the starch out of that stuffed shirt... }}
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** Principal Seymour Skinner, of Springfield Elementary, can be one of these in his less sympathetic moments.
*** Homer's high school principal, Mr. Dondelinger, was even moreso.
*** And, of course, Skinner has his own
* Professor Rotwood, upon being promoted to Principal Rotwood, used his position shamelessly to torment title character ''[[American Dragon: Jake Long]]''. He was also the victim of pranks by the mundane student body, so...
** Rotwood is sort of in the same brotherhood as Crocker from ''[[Fairly Oddparents]]'', so really, it's only to be expected that no one really respects him, and that he'd go a little power-mad.
* Dean Toadblatt in the ''[[The Grim Adventures of Billy
* The Gromble qualifies this fully in ''[[Aaahh Real Monsters]]'', he's the headmaster of the monster academy.
* Mr. Lamar Bone from ''[[Doug]]'', "One second late and it goes on your ''permanent'' record!"
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