History Main / REALITYSUBTEXT

* TylerPerry has discussed in several interviews that his movies are based his RagsToRiches life story. Some examples include the prevalence of RapeAsBackstory in his movies, relating to his childhood when he was molested several times.

* One of the innumerable executive nightmares surrounding the production of ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' was Martin Sheen having a heart attack due the stress of filming, suspending filming of all his prominent scenes and making his brother double for him.

* The ImageComics miniseries ''Shattered Image'' was intended to be a reverse CrisisOnInfiniteEarths, where the characters from the various studios making up Image would be briefly shunted off into separate universes, then joined back together, mostly. The original notion was that the Silvestri characters would get their own 'verse, while the Liefeld characters would stay part of the whole. Instead, due to real-world machinations, the Liefeld characters vanish without anyone noticing partway through the series (replaced by similar heroes from other 'verses), and the Silvestri characters leave in a solemn parting scene... then return suddenly in the very last panel.
* When [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] and Superman see each other, they usually end up throwing punches, much more often than is typical for LetsYouAndHimFight. This is largely a nod to their very first battle... in court. DC Comics sued Fawcett over Captain Marvel being too similar to the Man of Steel, and eventually got the book canceled. Comic writers have since explored this decades later by having the two of them fight one another in the panels.

* {{Dwayne McDuffie}}'s final ''JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' arc, which saw the team struggling to stay together and BlackCanary questioning whether she even cared enough to continue with the group, was meant as a metaphor for McDuffie's own deteriorating relationship with DCComics. Not too long after, he was fired for publicly speaking out against the ExecutiveMeddling his run had received.

* The ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', episode ''Tales Of Ba Sing Se'' is a breather-episode made up of short sketches, each focusing on a different major character and how they interact with the city. Iroh's story featured him mourning his late son, Lu Ten. In reality, Iroh's voice actor, Mako, had just died. The episode was even dedicated to him.
** However, It should be noted that it is just a tragic coincidence. Mako died after he'd finished recording all his lines, including the The tearbending-worthy DarkReprise of Iroh's song, so clearly the episode was planned.

* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', [[SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker Heath Ledger]] is constantly twitching his tongue and licking around his lips. Most people thought this was simply one of the Clown Prince's character traits, but in reality it was a nervous twitch that Ledger developed from drug usage.
*** Close, but no cigar. Still applicable to this trope, however.
--->"One of several reasons Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker was so mesmerising was the unnerving way the actor kept sucking at his cheeks and licking his lips. This facial tic was a result of Ledger's initial discomfort with the prosthetic scar make-up, but was eventually adopted as a character idiosyncrasy after Chris Nolan was suitably freaked out." [[http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/29/25-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-dark-knight-saga]]

* Given it's a series personifying the ConsoleWars, it's unsurprising the ''VideoGame/{{Neptunia}}'' series is loaded with this. Actually gets PlayedForDrama in the backstory to ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptuniaVictory'', where [[spoiler: the world of 80's Gamindustri is still picking up the pieces after the nation of [[{{Atari}} Tari]] was so horrifically mismanaged it collapsed, sending the [[CrapsackWorld entire world to hell]] until [[{{Nintendo}} Lowee]] was founded and established some order again.]]

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* Creator/DougWalker shaved his goatee to appear on a PBS comedy special. To explain the lack on facial hair in his shows, he stated that WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic and WebVideo/AskThatGuyWithTheGlasses had placed bets that require them to shave if they lost and that [[WebVideo/BumReviews Chester A. Bum]] had shaved in order to fit in with the other two.
** In a more dramatic example, the climax of WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee had [[spoiler: Doug sadly watch the Critic make a HeroicSacrifice to save the world]]. He later confirmed that the movie was made to be the Critic's FullyAbsorbedFinale. (though the show ended up UnCancelled)
** Also in ''ToBoldlyFlee'', the entire subplot about the proposed SUCKA Act was a direct riff on the SOPA and ACTA Acts that were being debated in Congress in early 2012 and was of particular concern to the reviewers on the site, since they feared that they could be used to shut down their site and damage their livelihoods.
* ''AVeryPotterSeniorYear'' is thematically focused on Harry Potter adjusting to the end of his time at Hogwarts and his life afterwards, reflecting TeamStarKid and the fandom's thoughts on growing up, moving on, and letting go of Franchise/HarryPotter and Hogwarts. The characters agree that while they loved their time at Hogwarts, they can't spend forever dwelling there and have to look forward to what's next.[[/folder]]

* In the ''LawAndOrder'' franchise:
** Olivia Benson's stint undercover (leading to her temporary disappearance from the show) in ''LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' was because the actress was pregnant.

* Latka's SplitPersonality problem in Season 4 of ''{{Taxi}}'' was conceived to relieve AndyKaufman's boredom with the role, making him TheCastShowoff in the process. Andy was extremely fond of assuming alternate identities in real life, which was to be incorporated into a first season episode where his AlterEgoActing persona Tony Clifton would serve as the guest star while Andy/Latka was elsewhere...it didn't work because Tony treated ''everyone'' like dirt, to the point he was not only fired, but escorted from the Paramount lot.

* JohnLennon, with TheBeatles and as a solo artist, often wrote songs based on his personal life, sometimes as events were happening to him. Most famously, his ''Mind Games'' and ''Walls And Bridges'' albums (1973 and 1974 respectively) were written as John and Yoko separated and as John moved to Los Angeles to go through a painful two-year alcoholic binge he later referred to as his "lost weekend". ''Double Fantasy'' (1980) and ''Milk And Honey'' (recorded in 1980; posthumously released in 1984) saw John five years later, having reunited with Yoko, moved back to New York City, cleaned up, taken control of his life and living away from the music industry for five years to raise their son Sean and become a house-husband.

** In "For Those Of You Just Joining Us," [[BruceCampbell Rob Tapert]] announces his plan to kill off Iolaus in the fifth season to generate interest in the series. He mockingly says this Paul Coyle, who is being played by Michael Hurst. The real-life Tapert actually did do this with Hurst for those reasons, though presumably in a far kinder way, of course.

** In a more dramatic example, the climax of WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee had [[spoiler: Doug sadly watch the Critic make a HeroicSacrifice to save the world]]. He later confirmed that the movie was made to be the Critic's swan song.

* The interest in masked characters (i.e. [[VForVendetta V]], [[Film/SpeedRacer Racer X]]) in the Wachowski siblings' films might have something to do with their reclusiveness and Lana having to live most of her life as Larry.

* A running theme in MarianKeyes's novels is that some of her characters will suffer from depression, suicidal tendencies, or alcoholism. Marian herself has struggled with depression and alcoholism her whole life and after a suicide attempt and going sober, turned to writing to cope. After her most recent bout of depression, she wove her experience into Helen Walsh's story in ''The Mystery of Mercy Close''.

* ''MaratSade'' is about Creator/MarquisDeSade getting inmates of Charenton, a mental institution, to put on a play. There's some truth behind this.

* In ''TheSimpsons'' episode "The Joy of Sect", the RealitySubtext is that Creator/NancyCartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) is a member of the Church of Scientology.

* In ''TheSimpsons'' episode "The Joy of Sect", the RealitySubtext is that Creator/NancyCartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) is a member of the Church of Scientology.
** During Bart's ImagineSpot in "Bart vs. Thanksgiving", Uncle Sam appears and tell him it's his fault America has lost its way. This is a reference to politicians and conservatives deeming Bart (and the show) a bad influence during the show's early years.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', the episode Tales Of Ba Sing Se featured a subplot of Iroh mourning for his late son, Lu Ten. In reality, Iroh's voice actor, Mako, had just died. The subplot was followed by a message honoring Mako.

* ''AVeryPotterSeniorYear'' is thematically focused on Harry Potter adjusting to the end of his time at Hogwarts and his life afterwards, reflecting TeamStarKid and the fandom's thoughts on growing up, moving on, and letting go of Franchise/HarryPotter and Hogwarts. The characters agree that while they loved their time at Hogwarts, they can't spend forever dwelling there and have to look forward to what's next.

[[/folder]]

** By the same token it's also a view of McCarthyism, with a suspicious Hoover and the FBI keeping Americans under watch.

* The ImageComics miniseries ''ShatteredImage'' was intended to be a reverse CrisisOnInfiniteEarths, where the characters from the various studios making up Image would be briefly shunted off into separate universes, then joined back together, mostly. The original notion was that the Silvestri characters would get their own 'verse, while the Liefeld characters would stay part of the whole. Instead, due to real-world machinations, the Liefeld characters vanish without anyone noticing partway through the series (replaced by similar heroes from other 'verses), and the Silvestri characters leave in a solemn parting scene... then return suddenly in the very last panel.

* Music/TheKinks' "Two Sisters" is about a young woman who is married with children, and who is jealous of her single, freewheeling sister, then realizing she's better off because her family is important to her. Ray Davies actually meant the song to be a {{Gender Flip}}ped portrayal of the relationship at the time to his band-mate and brother Dave Davies: He was married with children, while Dave was single and more free to live the rock star lifestyle.

* Music/TheKinks' "Two Sisters" is about a woman who married young being jealous of her single, freewheeling sister, then realizing she's better off because her family is important to her. Ray Davies actually meant the song to mirror his relationship at the time to his band-mate and brother Dave Davies: He was married with children, while Dave was single and more free to live the rock star lifestyle.

* Creator/StephenKing wrote in his accident with a hit-and-run driver into ''TheDarkTower'' series, where his AuthorAvatar suffered the same accident.