History Main / SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped

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->''"If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time -- a tremendous whack."''
-->-- '''UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill'''
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An {{Anvilicious}} work is one that has [[AnAesop a moral message]] and delivers it to the audience as heavy-handedly if dropping an anvil upon their heads. But sometimes the audience agrees that the Anvilicious presentation [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools makes the work better (and gets the message across more effectively) than a more subtle approach would have]]. Often seen in {{Reconstruction}}s.

Context can be important. Consider, for instance, Harriet Beecher-Stowe's ''Literature/UncleTomsCabin'' and its message that slavery is bad. The [[CaptainObviousAesop Aesop isn't novel]] nowadays and the book isn't a great work of literature from a purely technical standpoint. However, it was published at a time when many white Americans imagined that slavery was ''good'' for black people. The bold anti-slavery message of the novel, anvilicious and sentimental as it was, was meant to change public perception of slavery -- subtlety would only have diminished its impact. The same can be said about Chaplin's ''Film/TheGreatDictator'' and its anvilicious "Hitler is bad" message. Still, some of the most Anvilicious Aesops have proven to stand the test of time [[ValuesResonance and resonate outside of their time with newer audiences]].

So take this as a reminder that AnAesop in a work is [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools not always a bad thing, even when emphasized to the point where it cramps the narrative]]. Sometimes you have to shock people into doing the right thing. And don't let the fact that [[FridgeLogic the anvils of one work are often incompatible or in direct opposition to another's]] get in the way either.

The trope is behind many a PublicServiceAnnouncement, particularly the ScareEmStraight variety, and at least the intention of a PropagandaPiece.

Subtrope to AnvilOfTheStory. Compare LostAesop (when an anvil needed to be dropped, but it wasn't), BrokenAesop (when they just dropped the wrong one) and CaptainObviousAesop (when they thought the anvil needed to be dropped but everyone believed it already).

Remember, this is not whether or not you agree with the moral, it's about how a story is improved because the message is so blatant. A genuinely anvilicious Aesop is not automatically excused by being an agreeable one. Thus this trope can be seen as an inversion of DontShootTheMessage, where a good message fails to prevent a story from being bad.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Has nothing to do with]] AnvilOnHead. Unless of course you were trying to argue that it's wrong to drop literal anvils on people's heads. Disclaimer: We at Wiki/TVTropes do not condone Anvils On Heads. Some anvils do not need to be dropped.
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!!Examples:
[[index]]
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/AnimeAndManga
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/ComicBooks
* [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/AnimatedFilms Films — Animated]]
* [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/{{Literature}}
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/LiveActionTV
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/{{Music}}
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/{{Theatre}}
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/VideoGames
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/WebAnimation
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/{{Webcomics}}
** SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/CursedPrincessClub
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/WebOriginal
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/WesternAnimation
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/OtherMedia
[[/index]]
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[[WMG:[[center:[[AC:This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1618960336010446100&page=1#comment-1 under discussion]] in the [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13222107430A61495000&page=1#1 Trope Repair Shop]].]]]]]]

Context can be important. Consider, for instance, Harriet Beecher-Stowe's ''Literature/UncleTomsCabin'' and its message that slavery is bad. The [[CaptainObviousAesop Aesop isn't novel]] nowadays and the book isn't a great work of literature from a purely technical standpoint. However, it was published at a time when many white Americans imagined that slavery was ''good'' for black people. The bold anti-slavery message of the novel, anvilicious and sentimental as it was, was meant to change public perception of slavery -- subtlety would only have diminished its impact. The same can be said about Chaplin's ''Film/TheGreatDictator'' and its anvilicious "Hitler is bad" message.

An {{Anvilicious}} work is one that has [[AnAesop a moral message]] and makes it as subtle as an anvil dropped on the viewer's head, in other words not subtle at all. But sometimes, a work can be Anvilicious [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools without suffering in the process]]. Some works not only pull it off gracefully, but are effective ''because'' of the Anvil — and not in a SoBadItsGood way, either. Often seen in {{Reconstruction}}s.

Other times, the anvil comes across very blatant, which might turn off some viewers, but in the era which the story is told, the message itself is more important than the story or allegory it is presented in. Consider, for instance, Harriet Beecher-Stowe's ''Literature/UncleTomsCabin'' and its anvilicious message "slavery is bad". It is not a subtle message and generally not considered great literature. However, it came when many Americans imagined that slavery was good for black people. Effective anti-slavery propaganda was badly needed. That anvilicious, sentimental piece of propaganda served a valuable public service in such a way that subtlety would only diminish its impact. The same can be said about Chaplin's ''Film/TheGreatDictator'' and its anvilicious "Hitler is bad" message.

A reminder that AnAesop is [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Not Bad]]. Sometimes you have to shock people into doing the right thing. And don't let the fact that [[FridgeLogic the anvils of one work are often incompatible or in direct opposition to another's]] get in the way either.

This is also the rationale of many a PublicServiceAnnouncement, and at least the intention of a PropagandaPiece.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Has nothing to do with]] AnvilOnHead. Unless of course you were trying to illustrate that it's wrong to drop anvils on people's heads. Disclaimer: We at Wiki/TVTropes do not condone Anvils On Heads.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/FanWorks

!!Example subpages:

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/{{Other}}

Subtrope to AnvilOfTheStory. When an anvil needed to be dropped, but it wasn't, you have LostAesop. If they just dropped the wrong one, it's a BrokenAesop. If they thought the anvil needed to be dropped but everyone believed it already, that's a CaptainObviousAesop.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/{{Fanfiction}}

->''"If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. [[RuleOfThree Then hit it a third time]] -- a tremendous whack."''

->''"If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time -- a tremendous whack."''

When an anvil needed to be dropped, but it wasn't, you have LostAesop. If they just dropped the wrong one, it's a BrokenAesop. If they thought the anvil needed to be dropped but everyone believed it already, that's a CaptainObviousAesop.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/FanFic

* {{SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/Literature}}

* {{SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/Music}}
* {{SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/Theatre}}

* {{SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/Webcomics}}

* {{SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped/Other}}

Other times, the anvil comes across very blatant, which might turn off some viewers, but in the era which the story is told, the message itself is more important than the story or allegory it is presented in. Consider, for instance, Harriet Beecher-Stowe's ''Literature/UncleTomsCabin'' and its anvilicious message "slavery is bad". It is not a subtle message and generally not considered great literature. However, it came when at least a large minority (if not a majority) of Americans imagined that slavery was good for black people. Effective anti-slavery propaganda was badly needed. That anvilicious, sentimental piece of propaganda served a valuable public service in such a way that subtlety would only diminish its impact. The same can be said about Chaplin's ''Film/TheGreatDictator'' and its anvilicious "Hitler is bad" message.