History Main / TheTysonZone

Some celebrities allow their reputation to become so bizarre that ''any story about them is believable''. These celebrities have entered '''The Tyson Zone'''.

* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' has entered this zone among all who know of her. She's done so many outrageous and varied things that nobody doubts it when they hear of some other bizarre thing she did. {{Lampshaded}} by Haruhi herself in the first story: "Whatever it is you've heard about me, it's probably true."

* [[Series/TheSmellOfReevesAndMortimer Bob Mortimer]]'s stories on ''Series/WouldILieToYou'' are some of the most outlandish ever told... and also [[spoiler:almost]] ''always true'.' Lampshaded by team captains David Mitchell and Lee Mack:
-->'''Lee''': "Don't you remember the last time Bob was on this show?"
-->'''David''': "Yes, and it's ALWAYS TRUE! It was true about the [[spoiler:masks in Castle Douglas]], it was true that he can [[spoiler:tear an apple apart with his bare hands]], it was true about the [[spoiler:games in the gardens]]!"
* ''[=Game2=]: Winter'' was a DeadlyGame reality show pitched by a Russian tech millionaire named Yevgeny Pyatkovsky that turned out to be an elaborate [[http://siberiantimes.com/other/others/news/anger-as-controversial-siberian-hunger-games-creator-claims-his-idea-was-a-fake/ publicity stunt]] done for market research purposes, but not before a lot of people reported that a real-life ''[[Literature/TheHungerGames Hunger Games]]'' was going to be held in Siberia. It turned out that Pyatkovsky was specifically hoping to exploit Russian stereotypes with the announcement, as the idea of somebody actually doing a real-life ''Hunger Games'' would sound more believable if it were being held in Russia, a country widely seen as a semi-anarchic WorldOfBadass where, if you have the money, the law is merely a suggestion. (His fellow countrymen reacted to the news by accusing him of [[StopBeingStereotypical fueling that stereotype]].)

Compare NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity, ControversyProofImage, and PopCultureUrbanLegends. Contrast RoleEndingMisdemeanor, ContractualPurity, CreatorKiller.

* ''Series/ThirtyRock'''s Tracy Jordan not only draws this image (he has admitted that some of the things people think about him aren't true), but actively cultivates it. On one occasion, he gets a (washable) facial tattoo because he's afraid a magazine article will lead people to believe that he's normal.

* Music/KanyeWest entered into this around the time his upstaging of Music/TaylorSwift at the [=VMAs=] made him more famous for his self-aggrandising antics than for his music (despite the music itself being highly critically regarded).

* Teddy Hart got fired/blackballed for getting in a fight with another wrestler? Again? ...Teddy Hart got fired/blackballed for deciding not to go with the previously agreed finish? Not the first time. ...Teddy Hart was selling cocaine? Sure, why not? ...Teddy Hart was acting out gay for pay chloroform fantasies and passing them off as custom matches? Whatever you say. ...Teddy Hart was fined for failing to control one of his many cats? How quaint. ...Teddy Hart got arrested for enabling Masada's public drunkenness and disturbance of the peace? Who cares, why isn't he here now? ...Teddy Hart is being investigated for domestic abuse/kidnapping/murder? At this point fans don't even try to guess why Teddy Hart doesn't appear on a show they thought they'd see him on. They just wait and debate. Are his various misadventures his refusal to clean up? Has he really cleaned up but remained an improbably powerful WeirdnessMagnet? Is professional help required?

* By the time of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'', the prosecutors have realized that four games' worth of [[CourtroomAntic already insane acts]] have put them in this situation via in-universe [[TooBleakStoppedCaring apathy for bleakness]]. As a result, they can do even more crazy stuff to win because nobody cares at that point. People refer to it in-universe as "The Dark Age of the Law."

* Music/KeithRichards of Music/TheRollingStones, infamous for his [[TheStoner drug use]], once claimed to have snorted his own father's ashes. It's when Richards tried to claim he was joking that no one believed him.

The term was [[TropeNamers coined]] by columnist Bill "Creator/TheSportsGuy" Simmons in "honor" of heavyweight boxer Creator/MikeTyson. Examples of Tysonic behavior include offering a zoo handler money to box a gorilla, threatening to eat an opponent's children,[[note]]referring to future opponent Lennox Lewis... even though Lewis did not have any children at the time[[/note]]biting said opponent's leg at a press conference after attacking his associate to start a brawl, biting ''off'' part of the ear of another opponent[[note]]Evander Holyfield[[/note]] in the ring, [[BlasphemousBoast saying he was ready to]] "fight UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}", and blowing $300 million on [[HookersAndBlow hookers, cocaine]] and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking an enormous collection of pigeons]].[[note]]The man loves his birds -- even before boxing. [[Film/TheHangover Also a tiger, apparently.]][[/note]] And yes, Iron Mike really did ''all'' of these things ''and more''.

The term was created by columnist Bill "Creator/TheSportsGuy" Simmons in 'honor' of heavyweight boxer Creator/MikeTyson. Examples of Tysonic behavior include offering a zoo handler money to box a gorilla, threatening to eat an opponent's children,[[note]]referring to future opponent Lennox Lewis... even though Lewis did not have any children at the time[[/note]]biting said opponent's leg at a press conference after attacking his associate to start a brawl, biting ''off'' part of the ear of another opponent[[note]]Evander Holyfield[[/note]] in the ring, [[BlasphemousBoast saying he was ready to]] "fight UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}", and blowing $300 million on [[HookersAndBlow hookers, cocaine]] and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking an enormous collection of pigeons]].[[note]]The man loves his birds -- even before boxing. [[Film/TheHangover Also a tiger, apparently.]][[/note]] And yes, Iron Mike really did ''all'' of these things ''and more''.

The term was created by columnist Bill "Creator/TheSportsGuy" Simmons in 'honor' of heavyweight boxer Creator/MikeTyson. Examples of Tysonic behavior include offering a zoo handler money to box a gorilla, threatening to eat an opponent's children,[[note]]referring to future opponent Lennox Lewis... even though Lewis did not have any children at the time[[/note]]biting said opponent's leg at a press conference after attacking his associate to start a brawl, biting ''off'' part of the ear of another opponent[[note]]Evander Holyfield[[/note]] in the ring, [[BlasphemousBoast saying he was ready to]] "fight UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}", and blowing $300 million on [[HookersAndBlow hookers, cocaine]] and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking an enormous collection of pigeons]].[[note]](The man loves his birds -- even before boxing. [[Film/TheHangover Also a tiger, apparently.]])[[/note]] And yes, Iron Mike really did ''all'' of these things ''and more''.

The term was created by columnist Bill "Creator/TheSportsGuy" Simmons in 'honor' of heavyweight boxer Creator/MikeTyson. Examples of Tysonic behavior include offering a zoo handler money to box a gorilla, threatening to eat an opponent's children,[[note]]referring to future opponent Lennox Lewis... even though Lewis did not have any children at the time[[/note]] biting said opponent's leg at a press conference after attacking his associate to start a brawl, biting ''off'' part of the ear of another opponent[[note]](Evander Holyfield)[[/note]] in the ring, [[BlasphemousBoast saying he was ready to]] "fight UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}", and blowing $300 million on [[HookersAndBlow hookers, cocaine]] and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking an enormous collection of pigeons]].[[note]](The man loves his birds -- even before boxing. [[Film/TheHangover Also a tiger, apparently.]])[[/note]] And yes, Iron Mike really did ''all'' of these things ''and more''.

The term was created by columnist Bill "Creator/TheSportsGuy" Simmons in 'honor' of heavyweight boxer Creator/MikeTyson. Examples of Tysonic behavior include offering a zoo handler money to box a gorilla, threatening to eat an opponent's children[[note]](referring to future opponent Lennox Lewis... even though Lewis did not have any children at the time)[[/note]], biting said opponent's leg at a press conference after attacking his associate to start a brawl, biting ''off'' part of the ear of another opponent[[note]](Evander Holyfield)[[/note]] in the ring, [[BlasphemousBoast saying he was ready to]] "fight UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}", and blowing $300 million on [[HookersAndBlow hookers, cocaine]] and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking an enormous collection of pigeons]].[[note]](The man loves his birds -- even before boxing. [[Film/TheHangover Also a tiger, apparently.]])[[/note]] And yes, Iron Mike really did ''all'' of these things ''and more''.

* ''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic'' brings this up when discussing ''Film/LaraCroftTombRaider'', arguing that the movie rides on Creator/AngelinaJolie's wild child personality she had cultivated. Everything Lara does in the movie almost makes you wonder if the camera crew was just following Jolie around. Specifically, in one sequence she was just doing an acrobatic bungie cord sequence in the main hall of her mansion for no reason. He points out when black ops sent by the BigBad show up, she gives one of them [[MuggingTheMonster a look mixing "Do you really want to do this?" and "I've been waiting for you."]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' has an insane amount of equally insane moments. Ranging from [[VideoGame/Yakuza0 winning a fresh chicken instead of a turkey at bowling]] [[BeyondTheImpossible (and somehow that getting 3 stars in Savvy to boot),]] to VideoGame/{{Judgment}} basically every [[VideoGame/LostJudgment moment with]] [[TheBigGuy Kaito.]] In fact, the sheer hilarity has gotten to a point where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH_RIEwRvXE This Pause Screen]] could actually fool someone into believing that this can actually happen, considering the game's nutty nature.

* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' has an insane amount of equally insane moments. Ranging from [[VideoGame/Yakuza0 Winning a fresh chicken instead of a turkey at bowling]] [[BeyondTheImpossible (and somehow that getting 3 stars in Savvy to boot),]] to VideoGame/''Judgment'' Basically every [[VideoGame/LostJudgment moment with]] [[TheBigGuy Kaito.]] In fact, the sheer hilarity has gotten to a point where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH_RIEwRvXE This Pause Screen]] could actually fool someone into believing that this can actually happen, considering the game's nutty nature.

* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' has an insane amount of equally insane moments. Ranging from [[VideoGame/Yakuza0 Winning a fresh chicken instead of a turkey at bowling]] [[BeyondTheImpossible (and somehow that getting 3 stars in Savvy to boot),]] to [[VideoGame/''Judgment'' Basically every]] [[VideoGame/LostJudgment moment with]] [[TheBigGuy Kaito.]] In fact, the sheer hilarity has gotten to a point where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH_RIEwRvXE This Pause Screen]] could actually fool someone into believing that this can actually happen, considering the game's nutty nature.

* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' has an insane amount of equally insane moments. Ranging from [[VideoGame/Yakuza0 Winning a fresh chicken instead of a turkey at bowling]] [[BeyondTheImpossible (and somehow that getting 3 stars in Savvy to boot),]] to [[VideoGame/Judgment Basically every]] [[VideoGame/LostJudgment moment with]] [[TheBigGuy Kaito.]] In fact, the sheer hilarity has gotten to a point where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH_RIEwRvXE This Pause Screen]] could actually fool someone into believing that this can actually happen, considering the game's nutty nature.

* ''VideoGames/Yakuza'' has an insane amount of equally insane moments. Ranging from [[VideoGames/Yakuza0 Winning a fresh chicken instead of a turkey at bowling]] [[BeyondTheImpossible (and somehow that getting 3 stars in Savvy to boot),]] to [[VideoGames/Judgment Basically every]] [[VideoGame/LostJudgment moment with]] [[TheBigGuy Kaito.]] In fact, the sheer hilarity has gotten to a point where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH_RIEwRvXE This Pause Screen]] could actually fool someone into believing that this can actually happen, considering the game's nutty nature.

* ''VideoGame/Yakuza'' has an insane amount of equally insane moments. Ranging from [[VideoGame/Yakuza0 Winning a fresh chicken instead of a turkey at bowling]] [[BeyondTheImpossible (and somehow that getting 3 stars in Savvy to boot),]] to [[VideoGame/Judgment Basically every]] [[VideoGame/LostJudgment moment with]] [[TheBigGuy Kaito.]] In fact, the sheer hilarity has gotten to a point where [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH_RIEwRvXE This Pause Screen]] could actually fool someone into believing that this can actually happen, considering the game's nutty nature.

* Music/{{Eminem}}, from 1999-2003, was a resident of the Zone less because of his own behaviour (which was, in fact, pretty bad and stupid) and more because of an [[TheNewRockAndRoll overblown, racist moral panic about his music]] led to people believing his satirical KayfabeMusic act was literal, [[PoesLaw no matter how over-the-top he made his performance art and however often he stated it was not to be taken seriously]]. Numerous biographies and kiss-and-tell articles capitalising on his controversy-magnet Slim Shady persona came out during this time, many of which made extraordinary claims about his rampant drug abuse, violence, homophobia and chaotic relationship with [[JunkieParent his abusive mother]] which sound far more like details from Eminem's satirical songs than anything possible in reality, and are still believed by some people, [[RatedGForGangsta even as Eminem's image has softened as he aged into a legacy pop star]].

''Some celebrities allow their reputation to become so bizarre that any story about them is believable. These celebrities have entered The Tyson Zone.''

The term was created by commentator [[Creator/TheSportsGuy Bill Simmons]] in "honor" of heavyweight boxer Creator/MikeTyson. Examples of Tysonic behavior include offering a zoo handler money to box a gorilla, threatening to eat an opponent's children,[[note]]referring to future opponent Lennox Lewis, even though Lewis did not have any children at the time[[/note]] biting said opponent's leg at a press conference after attacking his associate to start a brawl, biting off part of the ear of ''another'' opponent,[[note]]Evander Holyfield[[/note]] [[BlasphemousBoast saying you're ready to]] "fight UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}", or blowing $300 million on [[HookersAndBlow hookers, cocaine]] [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and an enormous collection of pigeons]].[[note]]The man loves the birds. [[Film/TheHangover (Also a tiger, apparently.)]] Even before boxing.[[/note]] And yes, Tyson did ''all'' of these things ''and more''.

Ideally, the nuttiness should be sustained for years. Continual craziness, ideally manifesting in a number of different forms, is required for someone to truly enter the Zone. The subject must be also famous. Being crazy in your house is one thing; being crazy on national television is a whole different story.

* AllMenArePerverts[=/=]AllWomenAreLustful: The easiest way for somebody to enter the Zone is with a bizarre/violent sex life. If nothing is known, salacious rumors will do. (But often, simply an extramarital affair isn't enough. To really stand out from the pack, you need prostitutes, handcuffs, [[NakedPeopleAreFunny public nudity]], some crazy fetish - the whole schmeer.)

** NotMeThisTime: The [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] whenever the individual turns out ''not'' to have committed one of those exploits.

* WeirdnessMagnet: Not all who enter the Tyson Zone are crazy in their own right. Sometimes, the strange things just follow them.

* Invoked by Creator/JohnOliver in one of his routines, where he talks about encountering Tyson in UsefulNotes/LasVegas and realising that he really should go to bed now - this being the purpose of Mike Tyson: to let you know when you're about to go too far and should instead go home. Oliver theorises that deploying Mike Tyson might be a more effective means of dispersing riots than tear gas.

-->''"I saw an interview with Michael Jackson before he died and they were like, "Is it true you bought the elephant man's bones?" And he was like, "I don't know!" Ya know, 'cause how could he keep track of that?"''

** Defense Professors have had such a terrible record over the last decades that ''any'' accusation against them is plausible... which is why the teachers ''don't'' want to hear them, because they don't want to have to fire the professors mid-year; this is for the sake of their students' education.

* A particularly unusual example in ''Film/TheHangover'' franchise: The characters spend the first two movies recovering from blackouts, and begin to believe anything about ''themselves'' while intoxicated. Tyson himself makes an appearance.
* In ''Film/JohnWickChapter2'', John's exploits and insane skills at murder have made him [[TheDreaded a terrifying legend]] among the assassin community ([[OnceKilledAManWithANoodleImplement one story bandied around is about how he killed three men in a bar with a pencil]]). When he arrives in Rome, Julius has to confirm a rumor as to whether or not John has been contracted to ''[[ProperlyParanoid kill the Pope]].''

* The Stig from ''Series/TopGear'' is often hyped this way in-show. This does include his other relatives.

* Rich Hall jokingly suggested one episode that ''Series/{{QI}}'' had got to the opposite of this stage--that Fry could say anything in his capacity as host and the public would believe it to be true.

* [[Series/TheSmellOfReevesAndMortimer Bob Mortimer]]'s stories on ''Series/WouldILieToYou'' are some of the most outlandish ever told... and also [[spoiler:almost]] ''always true.'' Lampshaded by David and Lee:

* Music/KeithRichards of Music/TheRollingStones, infamous for his [[TheStoner drug use]], once claimed to have snorted his father's ashes. It's when Richards tried to claim he was joking that no one believed him.

* Wrestling/RicFlair survived a plane crash that broke his back in three places and returned to wrestling 8 months later. He also survived two lightning strikes (once while holding an umbrella, the other while riding another plane), wrestled in North Korea (not South Korea, ''[[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea North]]'' Korea) with Wrestling/AntonioInoki in front of at least 165,000 people (some estimates put it as high as 190,000; for the record, the largest Wrestling/{{WWE}} crowd is just over 100,000 people), and had a SignatureMove where he would FaceFault into the mat like a goddamn comedy clown despite being one of the most revered wrestlers on the planet. He also claims to have slept with 10,000 women, stripped naked in public a whole bunch of times (most famously on a plane ride with a bunch of other wrestlers), and once stripped down to his socks and boxers on live television [[ItMakesSenseInContext and then handcuffed himself to the ring ropes and hung on like a monkey]].
* Teddy Hart got fired/black balled for getting in a fight with another wrestler? Again? Teddy Hart got fired/black balled for deciding not go with the previously agreed finish? Not the first time. Teddy Hart was selling cocaine? Sure, why not? Teddy Hart was acting out gay for pay chloroform fantasies and passing them off as custom matches? Who cares, why isn't he here now? Teddy Hart was fined for failing to control one of his many cats? How quaint. Teddy Hart got arrested for enabling Masada's public drunkenness and disturbance of the peace? Whatever you say. Teddy Hart is being investigated for domestic abuse/kidnapping/murder? At this point fans don't even try to guess why Teddy Hart doesn't appear on a show they thought they'd see him on. They just wait and debate. Are his various misadventures his refusal to clean up? Has he really cleaned up but remained an improbably powerful WeirdnessMagnet? Is professional help required?

* This was the reason Creator/JohnMulaney gave up drinking. He would always drink so much as to black out, and had to hear about his acts of AlcoholInducedIdiocy second-hand from witnesses because he couldn't remember any of them himself. He had no way of knowing which of the stories about himself, if any, were true.