History Main / TheTamingOfTheGrue

See also CuteMonsterGirl, YouSexyBeast, LovecraftLite, {{Disneyfication}}. FriendlyNeighbourhoodVampire is a subtrope of this. Not to be confused with the plot of ''Western Animation/{{Despicable Me}}''.

See also CuteMonsterGirl, YouSexyBeast, LovecraftLite, {{Disneyfication}}. FriendlyNeighbourhoodVampire is a subtrope of this. Not to be confused with the plot of ''Film/{{Despicable Me}}''.

See also CuteMonsterGirl, YouSexyBeast, LovecraftLite, {{Disneyfication}}. FriendlyNeighbourhoodVampire is a subtrope of this.

* Franchise/{{Godzilla}} began as a horrible monster and nuclear bomb metaphor. Later on he became a protector from the other monsters, to the point of becoming unambiguously heroic during TheSixties and TheSeventies, before being re-tooled as a different kind of nuclear bomb metaphor: still a defender, but [[GodzillaThreshold one you don't want to have to use]].

* Franchise/{{Godzilla}} began as a horrible monster and nuclear bomb metaphor. Later on he became a protector from the other monsters, and for a while during the '60s and '70s, completely heroic, before being re-tooled as a different kind of nuclear bomb metaphor: still a defender, but [[GodzillaThreshold one you don't want to have to use]].

** [[TabletopGame/TheLegendOfDrizzt Drizzt Do'Urden]] has fast-tracked the taming of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''' Drow; although for the most part they're still evil antagonists, ChaoticGood [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch renegade]] dark elves are [[OverusedCopycatCharacter a trope of their own]] by now.

* Zombies and Skeletons while never portrayed as cute or cuddly, in cartoons it's not uncommon see friendly zombies and skeletons, who can detach and attach their parts at will. Then there are movies such as ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania'', ''WesternAnimation/DaddyImAZombie'' and ''WesternAnimation/CorpseBride'' (In which the undead were much more lively and upbeat than the extremely dreary land of the living) and of course the Franchise/MonsterHigh franchise. Even then there are fantasy novels and videogames which may feature Zombies who are friendly but either wish to be accepted by humans, or wish to die due to seeing themselves as monsters. Subverted in Videogame/{{Fallout}} in which the "Zombies" aren't actually zombies [[BerserkButton (And don't use that word in front of them)]] but are humans mutated by radiation to look like a corpse, but if their brain become radiated enough they can become "feral" and act like typical zombies.

* Elves and fairies in general have gone from TheFairFolk to often AlwaysLawfulGood over the course of modern history.

There are also cases where said monster is modified in order to appeal to younger demographics by making him more cute, huggable, and so forth.

* There are [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Cthulhu]] plushie dolls (as shown in the page image). Not to mention [[ClockRoaches Hounds of Tindalos]], gugs, Mi-Go. Moreover, recent fiction is ''much'' more likely to play these guys for laughs rather than straight.

* In ''Literature/PrinceCaspian'', Bacchus and the Maenads undergo this treatment. The original Greco-Roman myths depict Bacchus as a fearsome god of alcohol and madness, and the Maenads as frenzied cultists who partake in orgies of ecstasy and gruesome violence. In ''Prince Caspian'', on the other hand, Bacchus is almost like the Disney version of Disney/PeterPan, and the Maenads are the female equivalents of the Lost Boys. To someone versed in Myth/ClassicalMythology, this comes off like a kiddie cartoon called "[[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom Mola Ram]] and Friends." This is somewhat justified in-story by the implication that they're changed by [[CrystalDragonJesus Aslan's]] presence, losing the aspects of their character associated with corruption and becoming representatives of harmless joy and high spirits. Susan even comments that "I wouldn't have felt very safe with Bacchus and all his wild girls if we'd met them without Aslan." It's a clear reference to the Christian "baptism" of pagan symbolism (e.g., the use of pre-Christian Germanic traditions at Christmas).

** Dwarfs in Myth/NorseMythology may have conceptually evolved from dark elves; indeed, the ''Literature/ProseEdda'' equates dwarfs with ''dökkálfar'' and ''svartálfar'' (literally "dark elves" and "black elves" in Old Norse, respectively). As such, you'd expect these guys to be pretty {{depraved|Dwarf}}, and they often are in the myths. But as time went on, they became shorter and less malevolent until they were recognizable as the [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame dwarves]] (spelled with a ''v'', following Creator/JRRTolkien's example) that we know and love today.

* Franchise/{{Godzilla}} began as a horrible monster and nuclear bomb metaphor. Later on he became a protector from the other monsters, and for a while during the '60s and '70s, completely heroic, before being re-tooled as still a defender, [[GodzillaThreshold albeit one you don't want to have to use]]. So it's still a nuclear bomb metaphor.

** Dwarfs in Myth/NorseMythology may have conceptually evolved from dark elves; indeed, the ''Literature/ProseEdda'' equates dwarfs with ''dökkálfar'' and ''svartálfar'' (literally "dark elves" and "black elves" in Old Norse, respectively). As such, you'd expect these guys to be [[DepravedDwarf pretty nasty]], and they often are in the myths. But as time went on, they became shorter and less malevolent until they were recognizable as the [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame dwarves]] (spelled with a ''v'', following Creator/JRRTolkien's example) that we know and love today.

See also CuteMonsterGirl, YouSexyBeast, LovecraftLite. FriendlyNeighbourhoodVampire is a subtrope of this.

* There are [[CthulhuMythos Cthulhu]] plushie dolls (as shown in the page image). Not to mention [[ClockRoaches Hounds of Tindalos]], gugs, Mi-Go. Moreover, recent fiction is ''much'' more likely to play these guys for laughs rather than straight.

* [[TabletopGame/TheLegendOfDrizzt Drizzt Do'Urden]] has fast-tracked the taming of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''' Drow; although for the most part they're still evil antagonists, ChaoticGood [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch renegade]] dark elves are [[OverusedCopycatCharacter a trope of their own]] by now. And on a larger scale, elves and fairies in general have gone from TheFairFolk to often AlwaysLawfulGood over the course of modern history.

* In ''Literature/PrinceCaspian'', Bacchus and the Maenads undergo this treatment. The original Greco-Roman myths depict Bacchus as a fearsome god of alcohol and madness, and the Maenads as frenzied cultists who partake in orgies of ecstasy and gruesome violence. In ''Prince Caspian'', on the other hand, Bacchus is almost like the Disney version of Disney/PeterPan, and the Maenads are the female equivalents of the Lost Boys. To someone versed in Myth/ClassicalMythology, this comes off like a kiddie cartoon called "[[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom Mola Ram]] and Friends."

Except, as a particular monster gets more popular, it has a tendency to get less... monstrous. [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Dragons]] - which at least in Western mythology were once giant, winged, fire-breathing lizards that burned villages and were slain by knights - first got more intelligent, then more likely to be a "not really a monster" subversion, until, in the modern era, stuff like ''Film/{{Dragonheart}}'' and ''PetesDragon'' are nothing to bat an eye at. Similarly, [[OurOrcsAreDifferent orcs]] - who were invented for ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' to be ''bred evil'' (and mostly stupid) often appear as "{{noble savage}}s" after just eighty years.

* [[TabletopGame/TheLegendOfDrizzt Drizzt Do'Urden]] has fast-tracked the taming of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''' Drow; although for the most part they're still evil antagonists, ChaoticGood [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch renegade]] dark elves are [[OverusedCopycatCharacter a trope of their own]] by now.

See also YouSexyBeast, LovecraftLite. FriendlyNeighbourhoodVampire is a subtrope of this.

* In ''Literature/PrinceCaspian'', [[ACoolNameForARockBand Bacchus and the Maenads]] undergo this treatment. The original myths depict Bacchus as a fearsome god of alcohol and madness, and the Maenads as frenzied cultists who partake in orgies of ecstasy and gruesome violence. In ''Prince Caspian'', on the other hand, Bacchus is almost like the Disney version of Disney/PeterPan, and the Maenads are the female equivalents of the Lost Boys. To someone versed in Myth/ClassicalMythology, this comes off like a kiddie cartoon called "[[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom Mola Ram]] and Friends."

* Zombies and Skeletons while never portrayed as cute or cuddly, in cartoons it's not uncommon see friendly zombies and skeletons, who can detach and attach their parts at will. Then there are movies such as ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania'', ''WesternAnimation/DaddyImAZombie'' and ''WesternAnimation/CorpseBride'' (In which the undead were much more lively and upbeat than the extremely dreary land of the living) and of course the MonsterHigh franchise. Even then there are fantasy novels and videogames which may feature Zombies who are friendly but either wish to be accepted by humans, or wish to die due to seeing themselves as monsters. Subverted in Videogame/{{Fallout}} in which the "Zombies" aren't actually zombies [[BerserkButton (And don't use that word in front of them)]] but are humans mutated by radiation to look like a corpse, but if their brain become radiated enough they can become "feral" and act like typical zombies.

* Zombies and Skeletons while never portrayed as cute or cuddly, in cartoons it's not uncommon see friendly zombies and skeletons, who can detach and attach their parts at will. Then there are movies such as HotelTransylvania, DaddyImAZombie and CorpseBride (In which the undead were much more lively and upbeat than the extremely dreary land of the living) and of course the MonsterHigh franchise. Even then there are fantasy novels and videogames which may feature Zombies who are friendly but either wish to be accepted by humans, or wish to die due to seeing themselves as monsters. Subverted in Videogame/{{Fallout}} in which the "Zombies" aren't actually zombies [[BerserkButton (And don't use that word in front of them)]] but are humans mutated by radiation to look like a corpse, but if their brain become radiated enough they can become "feral" and act like typical zombies.

Except, as a particular monster gets more popular, it has a tendency to get less... monstrous. [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Dragons]] - which at least in Western mythology were once giant, winged, fire-breathing lizards that burned villages and were slain by knights - first got more intelligent, then more likely to be a "not really a monster" subversion, until, in the modern era, stuff like ''Film/{{Dragonheart}}'' and ''PetesDragon'' are nothing to bat an eye at. Similarly, [[OurOrcsAreDifferent orcs]] - who were invented for ''TheLordOfTheRings'' to be ''bred evil'' (and mostly stupid) often appear as "{{noble savage}}s" after just eighty years.

* The oldest tales of [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Dragons]] (in the Western world) describe them as very large, very vicious reptiles, who may or may not have a penchant for eating maidens. The idea of sentient, sapient dragons that are not necessarily hostile to humanity is new, and might be consequence of cross-cultural pollination from Eastern conceptions of dragons. There has always been the occasional dragon that could talk, in legends—at least back to the Migration Period in Europe—but they mainly used the ability to boast, make demands, or trick heroes. However, in some of the ''older'' versions of the St. George legend, he doesn't kill it, but ''baptizes'' it—meaning that dragon not only isn't a brute monster, it ''[[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman has free will and an immortal soul]]''.

* Zombies and Skeletons while never portrayed as cute or cuddly, in cartoons it's not uncommon see friendly zombies and skeletons, who can detach and attach their parts at will. Then there are movies such as HotelTransylvania and DaddyImAZombie and of course the MonsterHigh franchise. Even then there are fantasy novels and videogames which may feature Zombies who are friendly but either wish to be accepted by humans, or wish to die due to seeing themselves as monsters. Subverted in Videogame/{{Fallout}} in which the "Zombies" aren't actually zombies [[BerserkButton (And don't use that word in front of them)]] but are humans mutated by radiation to look like a corpse, but if their brain become radiated enough they can become "feral" and act like typical zombies.

* Zombies and Skeletons seem to be heading in this direction, as usually in kids cartoons you'll see friendly zombies and skeletons, who can detach and attach their parts at will. Then there are movies such as HotelTransylvania and DaddyImAZombie and of course the MonsterHigh franchise. Even then there are fantasy novels and videogames which may feature Zombies who are friendly but either wish to be accepted by humans, or wish to die due to seeing themselves as monsters. Subverted in Videogame/{{Fallout}} in which the "Zombies" aren't actually zombies [[BerserkButton (And don't use that word in front of them)]] but are humans mutated by radiation to look like a corpse, but if their brain become radiated enough they can become "feral" and act like typical zombies.