History Main / AudienceSurrogate

-->-- ''{{Twilight}}: [[http://www.the-editing-room.com/twilight.html The Abridged Script]]''

* Bella of ''{{Twilight}}'' has no personality of her own and the story is told in the first person so the audience can project themselves onto her very easily. Of course, YourMileageMayVary greatly as to whether or not she's a ''successful'' example of an AudienceSurrogate.
** It has been hypothesised that this is the reason why the nuttier Twilight fans are so violently defensive of the series. They've basically replaced Bella with themselves and so consider any criticism of the series as a personal attack. Although it could just as easily be that no one likes a constant barrage of insults [[{{Hatedom}} aimed not only at a work that they enjoy]], but [[FanHaters aimed at themselves for enjoying it]].

On VideGames, this is always the HeroicMime. ThisLoserIsYou is an AudienceSurrogate by definition. SuperTrope for AscendedFanboy, TheEveryman, and ArthurDent (See CanonicalListOfSubtleTropeDistinctions for an explanation of the difference), and related to EscapistCharacter and OtakuSurrogate. Examples below should not cover these.

ThisLoserIsYou is an AudienceSurrogate by definition. SuperTrope for AscendedFanboy, TheEveryman, and ArthurDent (See CanonicalListOfSubtleTropeDistinctions for an explanation of the difference), and related to EscapistCharacter and OtakuSurrogate. Examples below should not cover these.

* J.K. Simmons as the unnamed CIA director in BurnAfterReading.
* Joe Black in 'MeetJoeBlack,' particularly at the beginning (when he serves as the exploratory vehicle within Bill Paxton's estate), and the end, when he tears up watching the party-farewells and acts as the receptacle for Bill's summative reflections - essentially parroting the anticipated reaction of the audience watching the end of the movie.
* A refreshing example from {{Inception}} is Ariadne, who doesn't sit there, ask questions and let others do the work for her. She adapted easily to the dream world and was the one to [[spoiler: find out about Cobb's wife infiltrating his mind]], afterwards actively trying to help Cobb. Then, it was her idea to [[spoiler: go into the fourth level]] after Cobb and Eames had given up. In other words, she is the character that behaves as the audience would if they were in her place.

* Firestorm in [[LessThanThreeComics LessThanThree Comics']] Brat Pack. Even though he should be the opposite, what with his family upbringing and all. Sometimes Mr Perfect will take this role.

* Penny fills this role for non-geeky fans of ''{{The Big Bang Theory}}''. Whenever one of the guys makes an obscure reference to something in geek culture, Penny's always there to sarcastically ask what the heck they're talking about, when many viewers were wondering the exact same thing.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Ahsoka in ''StarWarsTheCloneWars'': a child, not having learned yet all she needs in order to survive in the universe, suddenly thrust into a life of excitement and adventure (and, more importantly, authority [at least, in her own mind] over more experienced adults). Isn't that what lots of kids fantasize about ([[IfYouKnowWhatIMean among other things]])?
** Which might explain the outfit.
* Orko on ''He-ManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse'' was clearly supposed to represent the target demographic viewer.
* Most of the princes and princessses in the DisneyAnimatedCanon.
[[/folder]]

Compare SlidingScaleOfAudienceIntelligence.

* When Fred Rogers is alone with the camera, he's a parental character. But when he's with a friend, they become the parental figure and Mr. Rogers becomes a child on behalf of the audience.

* Ahsoka in ''StarWarsTheCloneWars'': a child, not having learned yet all she needs in order to survive in the universe, suddenly thrust into a life of excitement and adventure (and, more importantly, authority [at least, in her own mind] over more experienced adults). Isn't that what lots of kids fantasize about ([[IfYouKnowWhatIMean among other things]])

* Orko on ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' was clearly supposed to represent the target demographic viewer.

** It has been hypothesised that this is the reason why the nuttier Twilight fans are so violently defensive of the series. They've basically replaced Bella with themselves and so consider any criticism of the series as a personal attack.
** Although it could just as easily be that no one likes a constant barrage of insults aimed not only at a work that they enjoy, but aimed at themselves for enjoying it.

* Joe Black in 'Meet Joe Black,' particularly at the beginning (when he serves as the exploratory vehicle within Bill Paxton's estate), and the end, when he tears up watching the party-farewells and acts as the receptacle for Bill's summative reflections - essentially parroting the anticipated reaction of the audience watching the end of the movie.

* A refreshing example from {{Inception}} is Ariadne, who doesn't sit there and ask questions. She adapted easily to the dream world and was the one to [[spoiler: find out about Cobb's wife infiltrating his mind.]] Then, it was her idea to [[spoiler: go into the fourth level]] after Cobb and Eames had given up.

* [[InnocentFlowerGirl Hanami]] in ''{{Tasakeru}}''.

** I think this is a case of variable milage. ;) Bella may be a person that one would aspire to be, but very few people can honestly say that they are a low maintenance, very mature and unusually intelligent at a tender age of 17. Bella always acts and dresses practically. Figures out motivations of the antagonists like Victoria even when the century old vampires can not. Realizes that Edward is a vampire in under three days. Never once loses her composure, or blames Edward for the danger she is in, and best of all, never once whines for life to be normal, as is typical for audience subs. So I don't see her as one. She is simply too unusual a character to be a good audience sub, even if she is subdued. I also don't see how she lacks in personality. I think it is simply that she is polite and calm and lacks in outbursts. That would make her a poor substitute for an average teen girl.

ThisLoserIsYou is an AudienceSurrogate by definition. SuperTrope of AscendedFanboy, TheEveryman, and ArthurDent (See CanonicalListOfSubtleTropeDistinctions for an explanation of the difference), and related to OtakuSurrogate. Examples below should not cover these.

See also EscapistCharacter.

# A character who the audience (or the children in the audience) doesn't just sympathize with, but are supposed [[EscapistCharacter to actively see themselves as]].

* Director Bruce Robinson used this trope so literally that the second half of his titular duo in ''WithnailandI'' doesn't even get a ''name.'' Paul [=McGann's=] character (credited as "...& I" in the credits, but revealed to be named "Marwood" in the script) is never named in the course of the film, allowing the audience to more easily identify with his misfortunes.

* According to WordOfGod in one of the SBSes, Usopp was intended to be this, which is why he will always remain the weakest fighter of the crew, with human-normal abilities (other than his ImprobableAimingSkills). He ''may'' also be an ArthurDent, but considering his coping mechanism is "freak out, yell at people, cower, fake illness, and then get over it and JustShootHim..." yeah. Not sure.

* In [[Fanfic/ToyHammer ToyHammer]], this role is passed between Michael, Alice and Vincent.

* The little girl (boy?) in the ''[[StarWars Ewok]]'' TV movies.
** It's a girl. [[ViewerGenderConfusion Trust me on this]].