History Main / FandomBerserkButton

* Sign Languages are most certainly real languages, with their own grammatical structure and vernacular.

[[folder:Linguistics]]
* Do not imply that Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, Shanghainese or any other variant of Chinese is a 'dialect' of Mandarin and thus somehow 'not a real language' - not only will that earn you the ire of its speakers (who will eagerly point out all the ways that the type of Chinese they speak differs from Mandarin), but also of anyone well versed in linguistics. [[note]]Chinese is not a singular, unified language - rather, it is a macrolanguage comprised of hundreds and hundreds of related yet mutually unintelligible language varieties, divided into several major 'branches'. Mandarin Chinese (to be specific, Standard Chinese) is actually a relatively recent development compared to many other Chinese languages, so to imply that said languages are somehow descended from Standard Chinese (when most of them belong to different branches entirely) is quite absurd. In fact, most of them belong to different branches of Chinese entirely (Cantonese is from the Yue branch, Hokkien and Teochew are from the Min branch, Shanghainese is from the Wu branch and Mandarin belongs to the Mandarin branch).[[/note]]
* On a related note, saying that Czech and Slovak are essentially the same language isn't recommended either.

* Do not confuse Iceland with Ireland. Otherwise, Icelanders might throw you in one of the island nation's volcanoes.

* Similarly enough, do not try to imply that Hong Kong is the same thing as Mainland China. [[note]]Officially, HK is part of China. In practice however, it is a semi-autonomous territory - it has its own governing body (albeit one overseen by the Politiburo), executive branches and policies - for example, China's official language is Mandarin, but Hong Kong's de facto official languages are Cantonese, English and Mandarin. Hong Kong is also quite culturally distinct from Mainland China due to having been heavily influenced by British culture during its time as a British territory.[[/note]] In fact, don't refer to Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan as China - China is usually taken to mean 'Mainland China' and referring to any of the first three places as '(Mainland) China' is a really good way to piss off Hong Kongers, Macanese and Taiwanese alike.
* Implying that China is a homogenous country (ethnically, culturally or linguistically) ''will'' earn you the ire of anyone who has more than a passing familiarity with China. Officially, China recognises 55 ethnic minorities, each of which have their own unique traditions and practises. Even the Han Chinese majority are divided into many, *many* different subgroups. As for languages, there are actually hundreds of different languages spoken in China.
* Africa is not a country, it's a continent with multiple countries.

* Implying that China is a homogenous country (ethnically, culturally or linguistically) *will* earn you the ire of anyone who has more than a passing familiarity with China. Officially, China recognises 55 ethnic minorities, each of which have their own unique traditions and practises. Even the Han Chinese majority are divided into many, *many* different subgroups. As for languages, there are actually hundreds of different languages spoken in China.

* If you're in Brazil, please don't try to speak Spanish to the natives there. They speak Portugese.

* On a related note, do not confuse Flemish Dutch with Standard Dutch.
* Saying that Czech and Slovak are essentially the same language isn't recommended either.

* Do not imply that Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, Shanghainese or any other variant of Chinese is a 'dialect' of Mandarin and thus somehow 'not a real language' - not only will that earn you the ire of its speakers (who will eagerly point out all the ways that the type of Chinese they speak differs from Mandarin), but also of anyone well versed in linguistics. [[note]]Mandarin Chinese (to be specific, Standard Chinese) is actually a relatively recent development compared to many other Chinese languages, so to imply that said languages are somehow descended from Standard Chinese is quite absurd. In fact, most of them belong to different branches of Chinese entirely (Cantonese is from the Yue branch, Hokkien and Teochew are from the Min branch, Shanghainese is from the Wu branch and Mandarin belongs to the Mandarin branch).[[/note]]

* For the love of what ever deity (or lack thereof) that you believe in, do NOT refer to Afrikaans as a 'simplified version of Dutch' - Afrikaans has developed grammatical rules unique to it and is a language in its own right.

* Implying that China is a homogenous country (ethnically, culturally or linguistically) *will* earn you the ire of anyone who has more than a passing familiarity with China. Officially, China recognises 55 ethnic minorities, each of which have their own unique traditions and practises. Even the Han Chinese majority are divided into many, *many* different subgroups. As for languages, Chinese is not a singular, unified language - rather, it is a macrolanguage comprised of hundreds and hundreds of related yet mutually unintelligible language varieties.

** Do not imply that Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, Shanghainese or any other variant of Chinese is a 'dialect' of Mandarin and thus somehow 'not a real language' - not only will that earn you the ire of its speakers (who will eagerly point out all the ways that the type of Chinese that they speak differs from Mandarin), but also of anyone well versed in linguistics. [[note]]Mandarin Chinese (to be specific, Standard Chinese) is actually a relatively recent development compared to many other Chinese languages, so to imply that said languages are somehow descended from Standard Chinese is quite absurd. In fact, most of them belong to different branches of Chinese entirely (Cantonese is from the Yue branch, Hokkien and Teochew are from the Min branch, Shanghainese is from the Wu branch and Mandarin belongs to the Mandarin branch).[[/note]]
** On a related note, do not confuse Flemish Dutch with Standard Dutch.
** Saying that Czech and Slovak are essentially the same language isn't recommended either.

* Similarly enough, do not try to imply that Hong Kong is the same thing as Mainland China. [[note]]Officially, HK is part of China. In practice however, it is an autonomous territory - it has its own governing body (albeit one overseen by the Politiburo), executive branches and policies - for example, China's official language is Mandarin, but Hong Kong's de facto official languages are Cantonese, English and Mandarin. Hong Kong is also quite culturally distinct from Mainland China due to having been heavily influenced by British culture during its time as a British territory.[[/note]] In fact, don't refer to Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan as China - China is usually taken to mean 'Mainland China' and referring to any of the first three places as '(Mainland) China' is a really good way to piss off Hong Kongers, Macanese and Taiwanese alike.

* Similarly enough, do not try to imply that Hong Kong is the same thing as Mainland China. [[note]]Officially, HK is part of China. In practice however, it is an autonomous territory - it has its own governing body (albeit one overseen by the Politiburo), executive branches and policies - for example, China's official language is Mandarin, but Hong Kong's official languages are Cantonese, English and Mandarin. Hong Kong is also quite culturally distinct from Mainland China due to having been heavily influenced by British culture during its time as a British territory.[[/note]] In fact, don't refer to Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan as China - China is usually taken to mean 'Mainland China' and referring to any of the first three places as '(Mainland) China' is a good way to piss off Hong Kongers, Macanese and Taiwanese alike.
* Africa is not a country, it's a continent with multiple countries.
* Be careful when you state that Ukraine is the same as Russia in front of Ukrainians...they will kill you.

** Merely suggesting that you think Hans isn't all that bad, or at least has redeemable qualities, will send many members of the fandom into a tizzy. This has caused quite a [[BrokenBase rift]] between his [[DracoInLeatherPants fans]] and the rest of the ''Frozen'' fandom.
* Imply you think Gothel from ''Disney/{{Tangled}}'' loved Rapunzel, even a little. It's FlameBait incarnate and will cause lengthy discussions of AbusiveParents and how she loved Rapunzel like an object.
* ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'':
** [[PopularWithFurries There's no denying that the movie has amassed a large]] UsefulNotes/FurryFandom, but saying that's all it's good for and/or that said Furry Fandom is the only group who will enjoy it is seen as extremely ignorant by the majority of the internet and will earn you a swift rebuttal.
** In a similar vein, claiming that the movie is ''clearly'' an allegory for any particular group or issue, especially if you then say that it got it "wrong", will result in a multitude of fans either pointing out that the movie is supposed to be {{applicab|ility}}le rather than {{allegor|y}}ical (if you're lucky) or responding with their own, no-less-debatable interpretations.
* Try going to a ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'' message board, and claim that Belle was victim of Stockholm Syndrome. Good luck making it out alive.

9* As [[Webcomic/PennyArcade Gabe]] [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/2003/6/13/ discovered]], fans are all too ready to point out that the plural of LEGO is LEGO. Funnily enough, this rule gets broken in the first ''VideoGame/LEGOIsland'' game when DJ Radio delivers the headline "[=LEGOs=] [[RecycledInSPACE in SPACE!]]".[[note]]Unless it was intended as the contraction "LEGO's", i.e. "''LEGO is'' in SPACE!"[[/note]] The LEGO Group used to specifically make the point on the packaging that they should be called "[[StuckOnBandAidBrand LEGO bricks or toys]]" and not "[=LEGOs=]". They were worried about their trademark becoming genericized, as happened to, say, aspirin, escalator, and linoleum.

* Saying anything about ''WesternAnimation/{{Foodfight}}'' that isn't negative will likely get food thrown at you.

** There's no denying that the movie has amassed a large UsefulNotes/FurryFandom, but saying that's all it's good for and/or that said Furry Fandom is the only group who will enjoy it is seen as extremely ignorant by the majority of the internet and will earn you a swift rebuttal.

** Because of this, haters of the series refer to them as 'bricks' wherever possible.
* OlderThanRadio: In Mary Shelley's ''Literature/{{Frankenstein}}; or, The Modern Prometheus'', Victor Frankenstein constructs and brings to life [[FrankensteinsMonster his Creature]] or, if you prefer, Monster. The Creature itself is never named. Thanks to many films, comics and stage plays running the whole gamut of quality, people have been using the term "Frankenstein" to refer to his Creature (and being criticized for it) since the 19th century.
** To the point that using "Frankenstein" without clarifying immediately makes people think that you're erroneously referring to the monster! For example, ''Toys/MonsterHigh'' got called out on this when it first came out and still does. It's a weird situation, because Frankie is indeed the daughter of the Monster and his Bride, but the Monster learned mad science from his creator, and in turn created his daughter.

* Similarly, some fans of Creator/JRRTolkien are grumpy about spelling his surname "Tolkein" or pronouncing it [[NoPronunciationGuide "Tol-kin", "Tol-kyen" or "Tolky-yen"]] rather than "Tol-Keen". And even spelling "Middle-earth" as "Middle-Earth" in extreme cases.

* In the world of Creator/LewisCarroll's ''Hunting of the Snark'', if your snark[[note]]no, not ''[[DeadpanSnarker that]]'' kind[[/note]] happens to be a boojum, "you will softly and ''suddenly'' vanish away, and never be met with again." ''Not'' "softly and ''silently''". This did cause arguments [[OlderThanRadio way back then]], with one fan, [[OnlinePersonas Snarkophilius Snobbs]], becoming infamous for persisting with this misquote.

*** ''Fanfic/MyImmortal'' deserves mention just for the sheer fact that it manages to break pretty much every FandomBerserkButton rule in a spectacular CrossesTheLineTwice fashion.

* Creator/PGWodehouse's [[Literature/JeevesAndWooster Jeeves]] is [[TheJeeves a valet]], not a butler. Not that you can exactly be blamed for making the mistake, since it even occurs on book jackets.
** That he can and has acted as a butler (one book has him as one for a temporary stint) confuses the matter further.
* While not likely to get you flamed, referring to Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' series as "Game of Thrones" (the title of the HBO show based on the series which takes its name from the first book) is a good indicator of what kind of fan you are.
** Also, don't refer to Asha as Yara unless you want to be laughed at. Also, it's Jon, not John; Robb, not Rob; Grey Wind, not Greywind; and Shaggydog, not Shaggy Dog.

** The latter point holds for Harry Potter as well.

* The ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'' was written by Steven Erikson, not Steve Erickson, Stephen Erickson, or even Erik Stevenson. Have the decency to take a look at the cover, especially when you're claiming he cannot write, as most people who misspell the name are wont to do.

** D&D has demons and devils. Many, many fans commonly mistake the two (which isn't really helped by the fact that the earliest editions just had demons, but no devils) and nearly just as many are really [[FanDumb anal]] about fans who can't get it right. And when you throw in the fact that the most common kind of both demons and devils have more specific names (Tanar'ri and Baatezu respectively), it all just gets very messy, very fast. Plus other kinds like obyrith and archdevils that more [[SeriousBusiness pure-blooded]] fans know about.
** Part of this comes from the fact that, in many versions of the game, demons and devils DO have objective differences based on Alignment: while both are always Evil, Demons are characterized as always Chaotic, Devils are always Lawful. This extends to other celestial beings like Angels, Archons, Devas, Asuras, etc., where it is less defined.

* Mention to any member of ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' "phandom" how much you loved the 2004 movie version, and you're likely to get both flamed and spammed with [=YouTube=] links to "better performances".

* Saying anything positive about Creator/AndrewLloydWebber at all is guaranteed to get you flamed to death by ''someone''. Conversely, saying anything ''negative'' about Music/StephenSondheim will produce the same effect, probably from the exact same people.

* Saying that you're a fan of ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' having only seen the movie. Or worse, not realising that it ''is'' anything other than a movie. Also, the main characters' names are spelt "Sweeney Todd" (three E's, two D's) and "Lovett" (not Lovet, Lovette, Lovatt etc). This is incredibly common online, and drives some fans to ''Epiphany''-level rage.

* As [[Webcomic/PennyArcade Gabe]] [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/2003/6/13/ discovered]], Franchise/{{LEGO}} fans are all too ready to point out that the plural of LEGO is LEGO.
** Funnily enough, this rule gets broken in the first ''VideoGame/LEGOIsland'' game when DJ Radio delivers the headline "[=LEGOs=] [[RecycledInSPACE in SPACE!]]".[[note]]Unless it was intended as the contraction "LEGO's", i.e. "''LEGO is'' in SPACE!"[[/note]]
** The LEGO Group used to specifically make the point on the packaging that they should be called "[[StuckOnBandAidBrand LEGO bricks or toys]]" and not "[=LEGOs=]". They were worried about their trademark becoming genericized, as happened to, say, aspirin, escalator, and linoleum.

* Calling Toa or Matoran "{{Toys/BIONICLE}}s" ''will'' result in a massive InternetBackdraft. Pluralizing the ''title'' will get you obliterated. Don't even think about calling them "Bionicles."
** Also, there is a reason why ''BIONICLE'' is not under the LEGO section in this folder. Do not refer to ''BIONICLE'' as "that LEGO story" or otherwise try and imply that it is [[FlameBait "just a story used to sell toys"]].
* Some ball-jointed doll owners get in quite a tizzy over ''Toys/MonsterHigh'' dolls.
* For Monster High itself, it's unwise to say that the reboot is better or even perfect in comparison to G1 of Monster High.

** Similarly, pronouncing the H in "Amherst, Massachusetts" will mark you as an outsider to any Amherst student or townie. Also, assuming that an Amherst College student means [=UMass=] when s/he says s/he went to "Amherst" will not endear you to him/her.

* If you're in Britain, don't call University "College". College is an alternative to Sixth Form that many British teenagers do, or one of the institutions that make up [[{{Oxbridge}} Oxford and Cambridge Universities]]. Or a further education college, a category which includes but is not limited to sixth-form colleges.
** The British university system was reformed in the 1990s and institutions perceived as being at a lower status/academic level, the old polytechnics and some of the larger tech colleges, were allowed to step up and recharter as new universities. These institutions remain sensitive about their origins and the perceived snobbery of those who still persist in thinking of them as somehow "inferior" and not real universities. Anyone who, for instance, refers to Manchester Metropolitan University as "Oh, you mean the ''Poly''?" or Owain Glyndwr University of Wrexham as "Ah, the tech college on Mold Road?" is risking pressing a berserk button, and accusations that they're being snooty and superior. Any reference to "[[UsefulNotes/BritishUnis Clown Colleges]]" can be fighting talk in some quarters.

** However, given that much of it is now being torn down (because it was very badly designed), this is no longer an issue.

* Don't tell any Creator/KeyVisualArts fan that [[ArtisticAge the characters are lolis]]. Don't even comment that they ''look'' like kids -- unless the character is specifically pointed out in canon to look young, like [[VisualNovel/{{Kanon}} Ayu]] or [[VisualNovel/LittleBusters Kud]] -- and especially don't say that their canon ages are "just a number tacked on so you don't get arrested". In keeping with the aforementioned ArtisticAge, all the haremettes are in high school, often late high school, and so are the protagonists. The fans are really tired of hearing it.

* ''VisualNovel/DramaticalMurder'': Unless you have a death wish, '''do not''' bring up the topic of [[JerkassWoobie Min]][[BaseBreakingCharacter k's]] route and whether or not Aoba was suffering from StockholmSyndrome. No matter which side of the argument you're on, [[InternetBackdraft it won't be pretty]]. This has lessened since the release of Re:Connect, which expanded upon Mink's character and motivations, but his route is still very controversial.

* ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'' fans get pretty annoyed when people call the game the "video game version of ''Franchise/{{Saw}}''", which is a rather bad berserk button to have when this is pretty much what every professional reviewer who reviewed the game said. Hardcore fans however will point out that "''999'' is much more original than ''Saw''" and that "if you actually pay attention to the game's entire plot, it's actually nothing like ''Saw''". In actual fact, the game was heavily inspired, not by ''Saw'', but by Eastern horror movies, in which the theme is less about sadistic people inducing violence, and more about sadisticly inducing fear. The theme of the game, going through a game involving puzzle-filled rooms, has been compared to ''Saw'', but as fans are quick to point out, the actual puzzles and entire set up for why they exist in the first place is nothing like it. The same goes for its sequel ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward''.

* ''Webcomic/CheckPlease'' fans are not very welcoming of fanworks depicting Jack breaking up with Bitty to be with Kent. Doing that will trigger at the very least a very passive-aggressive comment of people asking "who hurt you?". This is specially enraging to people since [[spoiler:Jack and Kent past relationship is implied to be rather unhealthy to both: Jack only saw it as a hook up and Kent is still very much hung up on him, though it's still a BrokenBase]]. It's particularly offensive to fans if Bitty receives a DieForOurShip treatment.

* It's not a good idea to bring up ''Webcomic/{{Sonichu}}'' (or its author Chris-chan). At all.

* If you join the Wiki/SCPFoundation, do yourself a favor and peruse the site (which, admittedly, is [[ArchivePanic very large]]) for a while before putting up new SCP entries; while certain community standards are arguably too high or too picky, anything that's flagrantly awful just as a piece of "creative writing", never mind the tone of the site, will typically get long, line-by-line breakdowns of [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech everything you did wrong]]. Repeat offenses (or shotgunning multiple horrid entries at once) may or may not get you kicked off the site, depending on your personal attitude. For really [[SchmuckBait entertaining discussions]], however, just try to say how SCP-173 [[OlderThanTheyThink is a rip-off]] of the [[Series/DoctorWho Weeping Angels]], or why your impossibly amazing self-insert humanoid SCP/Researcher deserves to be all over the site, or how this new thing would really actually easily be able to kill [[NighInvulnerable SCP-682]]. Enjoy your time as a [[CannonFodder D-class]].

* One of the variants of "Rule #1 of Website/{{Tumblr}}"--as if taking a page from ''Film/FightClub''--is to never mention Tumblr outside of Tumblr itself. Though Tumblr is fairly well-known at this point, making this "rule" a DiscreditedMeme.

*** Speaking of fan characters, over-designing them (either appearance-wise, character concept-wise or both) is usually not recommended as fans nowadays don't sit well with this idea as well.

* For ''WebVideo/GameTheory'', intentionally bringing up any such theory to that franchise's fanbase has a good chance of getting you yelled at, and especially don't '''ever''' bring up the "[[Franchise/LegendOfZelda Link]] is dead in ''Majora's Mask''" theory, or better yet, "[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]] is mental".
** Or much more recently, pretty much of any of the ''Videogame/{{Undertale}}'' videos. While [=MatPat=] might not've actually thought Sans was actually [[Videogame/{{Earthbound}} Ness]], the video became a huge source of mockery and anger in places even outside of the Undertale fandom. It somehow got even worse when it was revealed that [=MatPat=] was selected to meet the Pope[[note]]to speak on cyberbullying[[/note]] and gave him a symbolic gesture of a Steam key for Undertale, for its message on pacifism, which was amongst other gifts that other Youtubers gave him. But because the video explaining this was unclear, most people heard the message "this guy just gave the Pope a video game" and he was even more lambasted by even more people. In the intro to one of his later Undertale videos, [=MatPat=] even said that the hate he got from both incidents nearly prevented him from ever making another Undertale video again.

** Whether or not the show will ever have LBGT characters can cause friction. The creators originally stated that they're up for it, and would want the characters to discover their sexuality in their own time. So far, no characters have been confirmed to be LBGT, making the subject a sensitive one within the fandom.
*** As of Volume 5, Episode 8, [[spoiler: Ilia]] has been confirmed to be LGBT, which might make this less of an issue.

* It's not a good idea to praise [=Christianu2ber=] on (ironically) in the comments section of [=Christianu2ber=]'s videos or make a positive video about him.
* Unironically mentioning controversial internet singers such as Music/RebeccaBlack or Misha (no, not [[Creator/MishaCollins THAT Misha]]) is sure to cause annoyance. Or get you laughed at. Or both.
* Mentioning "normie" memes such as [[Series/DrPhil "cash me outside how bout dah"]] or the mocking [[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants SpongeBob]] meme is sure to cause annoyance in some circles.
* Don't praise [=Gligar13vids=] or any of his videos on WebOriginal/YouTube. It will not go well.
* Due to Elsagate (videos that are mislabelled as "kids videos" that have [[spoiler: inappropriate themes]]), you will not get a kind response from all fans of the children's genre if you make or show any Elsagate videos as well as support them and think they're appropriate for children. A [=YouTuber=] by the name of Toy Freaks learned the hard way after making videos of [[spoiler:his children being abused by the guy while labeling it as "family friendly"]].

* Don't ever mention [=JoeysWorldTour=] around any fast food fan.

* Try and bring up the Flat Earth theory, or that you believe it. You'll get flamed for sure.
* Go on, try and say anything positive about Alienware around PC enthusiasts. You'll be lucky if your rig isn't toasted, as not only are Alienware [=PCs=] overpriced, they also have horrendous build quality (blue motherboard, bog-standard heatsink, etc.)

** FandomBerserkButton/{{Hulk}}

** FandomBerserkButton/{{Pokemon}}
** FandomBerserkButton/SonicTheHedgehog

** FandomBerserkButton/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic

* Do not confuse Iceland with Ireland. Otherwise, Icelanders might throw you in one of the island nation's volcanoes.
** Confusing Australia with New Zealand is not suggested either.
** Similarly enough, do not try to imply that Hong Kong is the same thing as Mainland China. [[note]]Officially, HK is part of China. In practice however, it is an autonomous territory - it has its own governing body (albeit one overseen by the Politiburo), executive branches and policies - for example, China's official language is Mandarin, but Hong Kong's official languages are Cantonese, English and Mandarin. Hong Kong is also quite culturally distinct from Mainland China due to having been heavily influenced by British culture during its time as a British territory.[[/note]] In fact, don't refer to Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan as China - China is usually taken to mean 'Mainland China' and referring to any of the first three places as '(Mainland) China' is a good way to piss off Hong Kongers, Macanese and Taiwanese alike.
** Africa is not a country, it's a continent with multiple countries.
** Be careful when you state that Ukraine is the same as Russia in front of Ukrainians...they will kill you.
** Don't mistake Canadians for Americans. Besides disrespecting hockey, that's the fastest way to strip away [[CanadaEh Canada's signature friendliness.]]

** On the [=ScrewAttack=] forums, it's also generally a bad idea to speak positively of ''"[[Franchise/{{Naruto}} Gaara]] vs. [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Toph]]"'' as it is generally agreed that the episode's research was flagrantly poor and the person who lost [[spoiler:which would be Gaara in this case]] would actually come out on top pretty handily. ''"[[WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} Yang Xiao Long]] vs. [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Tifa Lockhart]]"'' is also something of a sore talking point there, as pretty much all of the forum's regulars expected [[spoiler:Yang to lose horribly]] and went into meltdown when this wasn't shown to be the case. In fact, just mentioning WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} or any of its characters will provoke some hostility eventually - the show is something of [[TheScrappy a Scrappy]] there.

* This sometimes happens regarding ComicBook/LexLuthor's name in Franchise/{{Superman}} media, particularly ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]''. A talk show host interviewing Luthor, who happens to be running for President at the time, pronounces it Luther, while in another episode Superman gets it right by forcing the 'thor' part. It's also hard to shake Ned Beatty's unforgettable Brooklynite rendition in ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'', "Mistah Loo-Toah!"

[[TropesAreTools This isn't always bad, though]], at least not concerning examples of CriticalResearchFailure that can lead to an InkStainAdaptation that can tank the reputation of a work.

* Unironically mentioning controversial internet singers such as Music/RebeccaBlack or Misha (no, not [[Creator/MishaCollins THAT Misha]]) is sure to cause annoyance.

* This applies to most media, please don't mention something from 2000 or onward and say something like "only 90s kids remember". You will be labeled as an ignorant normie with no taste in popular culture, especially animation and video games.

** On the [=ScrewAttack=] forums, it's also generally a bad idea to speak positively of ''"[[Franchise/{{Naruto}} Gaara]] vs. [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Toph]]"'' as it is generally agreed that the episode's research was flagrantly poor and the person who lost [[spoiler:which would be Gaara in this case]] would actually come out on top pretty handily. ''"[[WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} Yang Xiao Long]] vs. [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Tifa Lockhart]]"'' is also something of a sore talking point there, as pretty much all of the forum's regulars expected [[spoiler:Yang to lose horribly]] and went into meltdown when this wasn't shown to be the case. In fact, just mentioning WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} or any of its characters will provoke some hostility eventually.

** On the [=ScrewAttack=] forums, it's also generally a bad idea to speak positively of ''"[[Franchise/{{Naruto}} Gaara]] vs. [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Toph]]"'' as it is generally agreed that the episode's research was flagrantly poor and the person who lost [[spoiler:which would be Gaara in this case]] would actually come out on top pretty handily. ''"[[WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} Yang Xiao Long]] vs. [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Tifa Lockhart]]"'' is also something of a sore talking point there, as pretty much all of the forum's regulars expected [[spoiler:Yang to lose horribly]] and went into meltdown when this wasn't shown to be the case.

* Don't deny genocides and other crimes against humanity -- for example, those committed by the [[UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}} Ottoman Empire]] against the UsefulNotes/{{Armenia}}ns during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, by the Axis powers (like UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan) during UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo, by the [[UsefulNotes/SovietRussiaUkraineAndSoOn USSR]] under UsefulNotes/JosefStalin, etc. Just don't do it. People will hate you, and they'll be right to hate you. In several countries, denying UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust is outright ''illegal'', and people can be and have been successfully prosecuted for it. On a related matter, don't say that six million people died in the Holocaust unless you are specifically referring to the Jewish death count. If you are talking about the total death count, the correct number is ''twelve million''. This can be a very touchy subject to people who belong to the various non-Jewish groups that ThoseWackyNazis tried to exterminate (like the UsefulNotes/{{Romani}}).

* Saying anything positive about Creator/AndrewLloydWebber at all is guaranteed to get you flamed to death by ''someone''. Conversely, saying anything ''negative'' about Creator/StephenSondheim will produce the same effect, probably from the exact same people.

** Be careful when you state that Ukraine is the same as Russia in front of Ukrainians...the y will kill you.

** The British university system was reformed in the 1990's and institutions perceived as being at a lower status/academic level, the old polytechnics and some of the larger tech colleges, were allowed to step up and recharter as new universities. These institutions remain sensitive about their origins and the perceived snobbery of those who still persist in thinking of them as somehow "inferior" and not real universities. Anyone who, for instance, refers to Manchester Metropolitan University as "Oh, you mean the ''Poly''?" or Owain Glyndwr University of Wrexham as "Ah, the tech college on Mold Road?" is risking pressing a berserk button, and accusations that they're being snooty and superior. Any reference to "[[UsefulNotes/BritishUnis Clown Colleges]]" can be fighting talk in some quarters.

* This applies to most media, please don't mention something from 2000 or onward and say something like "only 90s kids remember". You will be labeled as an ignorant normie with no taste in popular culture, especially animation.

* Don't ever mention [=JoeysWorldTour=] around any fast food fans.