History Main / ConceptsAreCheap

* In the final arc of ''FullmetalAlchemist'', [[spoiler:[[FakingTheDead Maria Ross]]]] lampshades the invocation of this trope after she uses it in a radio broadcast to convince the people that [[spoiler:she and Mustang's rebels are on the Führer's side, and that the Central Forces are the ones trying to usurp Bradley's administration.]], saying that people will rally behind anyone who uses words like "[[ForGreatJustice justice]]" as their motive. It works, as in the end, [[spoiler:Mustang and Armstrong are hailed as heroes who fought to preserve Bradley's administration of the country - albeit Bradley having "valiantly" died - when in fact, quite the opposite happened.]]

* ''{{Torchwood}} Children of Earth'' is about aliens trying to take 10% of the world's children. Now even though some specific population numbers are given, the show doesn't define anything like an age limit, or if the aliens want toddlers or teenagers. Plus TheReveal about why the aliens want them gives no biological reason for why they want human children over any other age group. Thus that show uses "children" as a cheap concept, to some degree (it at least explains that such a loss of population would cause some degree of worldwide chaos).

** In Britain the current concepts are fairness and progressiveness. Every policy of the Tory party in government is fair and progressive. Every policy of the Labour party in opposition is fair and progressive. The only way to tell them apart is that the Tries will occasionally throw in "[[ForGreatJustice justice]]" for good measure.

* Mohinder's voice-overs at the beginning of each episode of ''{{Heroes}}'' can be summed up thusly: "Destiny, blah, blah, fate, blah, blah, life and all its mysteries, blah."

* ''{{1984}}'' is full of these. The "Ministry of Love" is responsible for torture, the "Ministry of Peace" controls warfare, and the "Ministry of Truth" spreads lies. The motto of the whole operation? "WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH."

* ''[[MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater]]'' is a [[SubertedTrope subversion]] that may or may not be intentional. The Boss uses the word "loyalty" several times in the game to mean very different things. The number of times she changes her mind about what loyalty is boggles the mind, and it confuses Snake, which seems to be her goal.

* ''{{Torchwood}} Children of Earth'' is about aliens trying to take 10% of the world's children. Now even though some specific population numbers are given, the show doesn't define anything like an age limit, or if the aliens want toddlers or teenagers. Plus TheReveal about why the aliens want them gives no biological reason for why they want human children over any other age group. Thus that show uses "children" as a cheap concept, to some degree (it at lease explains that such a loss of population would cause some degree of worldwide chaos).

* Parodied in ''Megamind'' with the "You can't trap justice..." riff.
* Batman usually fights for an ill defined "Justice" like many of his contemporaries but in the current ''Dark Knight Trilogy'' much of the plot is about Bruce exploring, discovering and refining his concept of justice and his boundaries (for example, Lucius challenges him on his decision to implement an nigh-omnipresent security system throughout Gotham and Bruce decides to retire it after the current crisis.)

* The Tau of ''WH40k'' are the good guys. Why are they the good guys? Because they serve "The Greater Good". What's "The Greater Good"? This is likely deliberate though.

** Although, [[JoeQuesada writing]] [[CharacterDerailment him]] [[DealWithTheDevil making a deal with Mephisto]] in order to avoid taking responsibility for his own mistakes shows [[WriterOnBoard writers]] can even screw up a cheap concept.

ValuesDissonance can hit with some of these concepts. ForScience was a cheap concept in TheFifties (positive or negative, depending on [[MadScientist the sanity of the scientist]].

Can't think of a convincing personal motivation for your hero?

No problem! There are lots of useful words out there. Useful words like [[MeaninglessMeaningfulWords 'freedom' or 'justice' or 'peace' or 'mankind']]! Or 'love'! Or 'hope'! Or '[[OmniscientMoralityLicense good]]'! Yeah!

* In ''{{Avatar: The Last Airbender}}'', the Avatar is supposed to protect "The Balance." Exactly what this is has never been explained beyond the idea that there should be 4 nations (technically 5, if you count the two Water Tribes as separate). It's clearly meant to be something beyond simply 4 nations, extending to the relationship between people and spirits, but what it means has never been made clear.

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** Not too long ago (right after the above happened) during a team up, Stark calls out Peter for wasting his genius. Peter just whines that he can't exploit it because then his villains will be able to come after his loved ones. He's saying this while standing in the ruins of Stark's company that was destroyed by a super-villain to get back at Stark, which Stark chose to allow in order to save his employees. So you can see his point.

ValuesDissonance can hit with some of these concepts. ForScience was a cheap positive concept in TheFifties. Now, those words scare people...

Compare MeaninglessMeaningfulWords.

Contrast JusticeWillPrevail, ForGreatJustice.

No problem! There are lots of useful words out there. Useful words like [[MeaninglessMeaningfulWords 'freedom' or 'justice' or 'peace' or 'mankind']]! Ooh! Freedom stirs up lots of warm fuzzy feelings in people. Better yet, any villains who oppose our freedom-loving hero must be, by definition, evil. Better than ''that'', freedom can mean a million things to a million people: every reader can fill in the blank with ''whatever they want''.

ConceptsAreCheap is the natural end result of writers stuffing their narratives with lots of glossy one-size-fits-all words, rather than inventing motivations which emerge organically from the character's experiences. Like a cheap meal, it leads to an unhappy sensation of emptiness: sure, the hero might have just declared to the villain that 'freedom' is better than 'tyranny' and then struck him with his laser sword, thus winning 'peace' for all 'mankind'... but what exactly drove him to this deed? Why did he care? Why should ''we'' care?

** They are the good guys because they offer the option of not dying and instead joining their Orwellian dictatorship.

** Although, [[JoeQuesada writing]] [[CharacterDerailment him]] [[DealWithTheDevil making a deal with Mephisto]] in order to avoid taking responsibility for his own mistakes shows [[WriterOnBoard writers]] can even [[WallBanger screw up a cheap concept]].