History NeverLiveItDown / Literature

*** In an paradoxal note: a large part of the Fandom will never forget he is a SadisticTeacher and the fact his bullying of Harry is due to wanting to take revenge against James Potter . And nobody will forget he is Neville's worst fear. This trope is the reason of why he is BOTH DracoInLeatherPants and RonTheDeathEater in fanfiction. People only Remember the best or the worst part of who he is and not for the JerkassWoobie he really is

*** In an paradoxal note: a large part of the Fandom will never forget he is a SadisticTeacher and the fact his bullying of Harry is due to wanting to take revenge against James Potter . And nobody will forget he is neville's worst fear. This trope is the reason of why he is BOTH DracoInLeatherPants and RonTheDeathEater in fanfiction. People only Remember the best or the worst part of who he is and not for the JerkassWoobie he really is

** Pontius Pilatus: washing his hands was basically a way of saying, ''"I don't want to hear about this anymore"''. This is just about the only thing that we hear ''him'' and it is what he is most remembered for, to an almost TropeNamer level. It's also where the term "wash one's hands of it" came from, meaning to absolve oneself of responsibility or guilt, or to simply not want to discuss something anymore. The fact that the only thing he's known for has become a common part of the English language isn't doing Pontius any favors.

*** In a [[InsaneTrollLogic truly bizarre twist of logic]], after Rowling offered her WordOfGay, many MoralGuardians actually decried Rowling for inserting a gay character into her books, claiming that it was inappropriate. While the HomoeroticSubtext is arguably there, a person could easily read all seven books and have no inkling that Dumbledore was gay.
*** Conversely, many have vigorously decried Rowling for not having his homosexuality more overtly featured in the series. This can be considered somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] for the books, given that no publisher of note in the 1990s would have printed a children's book with an openly gay protagonist. That said, his relationship with Grindelwald is prominent in the ''Fantastic Beasts'' prequel series and has more of an overt erotic angle than in the books.

* ''Literature/LittleWomen'': Amy March burns Jo's book manuscript as a child, is chosen by Aunt Carrol to go to Europe instead of Jo, and marries Laurie, whom [[FanPreferredCouple countless fans consider Jo's soul mate.]] For these three reasons, she's been subjected to a century and a half of RonTheDeathEeater.

* ''Literature/RamonaQuimby'': Ramona is most known for cracking an egg on her head by accident, squeezing out a tube of toothpaste, throwing up, and wearing her pyjamas to school under her clothes.

** James Potter won't live down [[spoiler:being a jerk to Snape]]. People who've suffered bullying in the past would see James as a spoiled brat that got everything handed to him while Snape had to suffer his whole life. They also completely ignore that Snape (according to [[UnreliableNarrator Sirius Black who hated him]]) gave as good as he got and even went so far as to use Dark Magic to slash him across the face (albeit in self-defense), while the worst thing James did to him was hang him upside down and pants him.

*** In an paradoxal note: a large part of the Fandom will never forget he is a SadisticTeacher and the fact his bullying of Harry is due to wanting to take revenge against James Potter . And nobody will forget he is neville's worst fear. This trope the reason of why he is both DracoInLeatherPants and RonTheDeathEater in fanfiction. People only Remember the best or the worst part of who he is and not for the JerkassWoobie he really is

*** In an paradoxal note: a large part of the Fandom will never forget SadisticTeacher. And Noby will forget he is neville's worst fear. This trope the reason of why he is both DracoInLeatherPants and RonTheDeathEater in fanfiction. People only Remember the best or the worst part of who he is and not for the JerkassWoobie he really is

** Yes, in ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' Nico [[spoiler: summoned the dead with Happy Meals.]] And Thalia torched New England.

* Yes, in ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' Nico [[spoiler: summoned the dead with Happy Meals.]] And [[spoiler: Thalia]] torched New England.

* ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'' only say "All for one and one for all!" ''twice'' in the original books; most adaptations have them saying it all the time. Then again, [[InformedAttribute they do claim it is their motto]].

--> "No, senor, that's not true," said Sancho, "for I am more cleanly than greedy, and my master Don Quixote here knows well that we two are used to live for a week on a handful of acorns or nuts. To be sure, if it so happens that they offer me a heifer, I run with a halter; I mean, I eat what I'm given, and make use of opportunities as I find them; but whoever says that I'm an out-of-the-way eater or not cleanly, let me tell him that he is wrong; and I'd put it in a different way if I did not respect the honourable beards that are at the table."

** While Rowling has become infamous in recent year for her constant, oftentimes nonsensical, {{Retcon}}s about the lore of her world, the reveal that wizards used to poop and pee where they stood and magicked it away is one of the most notorious, and is what people who have grown disgruntled with Rowling and the franchise turn to.

* A few of the people in ''Literature/TheBible'' have traits they'll never live down. "Doubting" Thomas springs to mind.
** Bible researchers have also pointed out that the characters of those who told Thomas weren't impeccable either: John, who had an awful temper, and Peter, who denied Christ thrice.
** Pontius Pilatus: washing his hands was basically a way of saying, ''"I don't want to hear about this anymore"''. This is just about the only thing that we hear ''him'' and it is what he is most remembered for, to an almost TropeNamer level. It's also where the term "wash one's hands of it" came from, meaning to absolve oneself of responsibility or guilt, or to simply not want to discuss something anymore. The fact that the only thing he's known for has become a common part of the English language isn't doing Pontius any favors.
** Similarly, Judas for betraying Jesus, leading to his execution. You don't contribute to God dying without paying for it for all eternity.
* Richard Rahl, protagonist of the ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'', once led his troops to cut through a peace protest staged by TooDumbToLive [[StrawCharacter political strawmen]] to get to the villains they're guarding, during the book that even fans acknowledge is [[FanonDiscontinuity best ignored]]. The key word here, of course, is "''once''". A good chunk of the times it's mentioned on this wiki, though, it's phrased to make it sound like he spends all eleven books doing nothing but slaughtering pacifists.
** The infamous scene in which the demonic entities are first introduced... [[{{Narm}} as a chicken]].
--> "This looked like a chicken, like the rest of the Mud People's chickens. But this was no chicken. This was evil manifest."
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** Catelyn Stark, who is otherwise a kind and caring mother and a woman with a strong sense of honor and duty, is often remembered for being a stone-cold, callous bitch due to her poor treatment of her husband's [[HeroicBastard illegitimate son]] Jon Snow: [[spoiler:her son lies unconscious, forever a cripple, and in a moment of mad grief, she tells Jon (who is also grieving and worried for his half brother), "It should have been you," before breaking down in tears]]. She never lives that one down, it seems. It's a big KickTheDog moment, but let's be perfectly honest: who ''doesn't'' get one of those in this series? It doesn't help that it's one of the ''first'' things readers see her do and as such, something like this tends to stand out.
*** Oh, and in the first book she [[spoiler:arrests Tyrion Lannister for a crime he has been completely innocent of]], and by sheer luck (and some power of his wits) he gets out of the mess alive. Justified since she [[spoiler:feels she can trust her childhood friend Littlefinger who implicated Tyrion]], not having realized how much he has changed over the years, and the crime in question was [[spoiler:attempted murder of her already crippled son]], so she isn't thinking too clear on the matter. Nevertheless, her mistreatment of not one but ''two'' fan favorites has built her quite a reputation in fanon. For instance, if in fanfics any of her children are paired with any one of the Lannisters (or their bannermen, or any of the Starks' enemies), in most cases expect Catelyn to [[LoveObstructingParents oppose the match with all her might]], up to threats of disowning her children, no matter how much in love the couple is and how politically profitable the marriage can be.
** Similarly, Sansa Stark, Catelyn's daughter, is largely defined by her naivety and ignorance in the first book, and forever characterized as TooDumbToLive and HorribleJudgeOfCharacter. Granted she did make some idiotic mistakes, chief among them believing [[{{TheSociopath}} Joffrey]] was her prince charming, betraying her father's escape plans to [[{{GodSaveUsFromTheQueen}} Cersei]] and not backing up Arya about Joffrey attacking the butcher's boy. (Which gets the boy and Sansa's own direwolf killed). However, fans seem to forget she was only an ''eleven-year-old girl'' coming from a sheltered upbringing, with parents who totally failed to prepare her for the dangers of court. Despite the subsequent hell she goes through, and becoming much savvier and less idealistic, the vitriol against her is worse than that against some villains. Her case isn't helped by being a {{Foil}} for her little sister Arya, a scrappy, tomboyish underdog who manages to be a better judge of character than her parents and older siblings put together, and is frequently bullied by Sansa.

* While Literature/SherlockHolmes used cocaine in more than a couple of stories, he was an addict, not of that drug, but of mental exercise. His brain had to be constantly working or else it would "rebel." When on a case or any other activity that he would consider mentally challenging, he would stop using for as long as his brain was entertained. If one only knew Holmes from fanfics and pastiches (professionally published fanfics), he turns into a drug-addicted genius who needs a constant high to function. In such stories, his drug of choice is usually changed to opium for whatever reason, even when it was specifically stated in the canon that he doesn't do opium. This is also carried over to more official adaptations.
** Playing on the [[ILoveYouBecauseICantControlYou only-woman-to-outsmart-Sherlock-Holmes]] angle, all adaptations portray Irene Adler as a notorious [[DatingCatwoman Catwoman-like]] criminal mastermind, despite her only "crime" in [[OneSceneWonder the one story she appears in]] being possessing a photograph that someone fears she could use to blackmail him... which she ultimately never does. Perhaps it's just easier to put Holmes' WorthyOpponent on the opposing side of the law.
** Also the BreakoutVillain Moriarty, who encountered Holmes once in person and also sent him a letter once, but is only ''ever'' remembered as 'Holmes's ArchEnemy'.
* Good luck finding a hater of the Literature/InheritanceCycle who doesn't notice the HoYay. Constantly. Admittedly, even the people who [[GuiltyPleasures like the books]] notice this too.
** Same goes for ''Literature/EndersGame'' (there was ''one'' fight in showers, OK? ''One'' fight!), though considering Creator/OrsonScottCard's [[HeteronormativeCrusader recent activities]], it's hard to feel bad for him.
* Perhaps it's safe to say that Johanna of ''Literature/TheHungerGames'' fame won't be living down ''[[NakedPeopleAreFunny stripping down naked in an elevator]]'' while simultaneously casually chatting with Katniss and Peeta any time soon.
** Or Katniss agreeing to [[spoiler: the Capitol Games]]. Some people ignore the fact that [[spoiler: she was ''acting'' in front of President Coin.]]
* Yes, in ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' Nico [[spoiler: summoned the dead with Happy Meals.]] And [[spoiler: Thalia]] torched New England.
* In ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'', Ebenezer Scrooge has become most famous for his '[[CatchPhrase catchphrase]]', "Bah! Humbug!" In reality, he uses this phrase only twice during the entire book.
** This is to say nothing of the fact that Scrooge has become synonymous with greed and anti-Christmas sentiment, despite the fact that the book is about his redemption from these traits and that such redemption begins taking place almost immediately upon being transported to Christmas Past.
* Isildur from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. He was a total badass who did many great things. Chief among them, he actually [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu defeated]] Sauron, admittedly with his father and Gil-Galad having done most of the work. However, all many readers seem to remember him for is not destroying the ring, which meant Sauron could return. What makes this an especially glaring example is that ''no one could have done any better.'' Frodo is the next person to be in a position to destroy the Ring and makes the exact same choice. According to WordOfGod, no one has enough willpower to actually destroy the ring.
** In the movie version, this is compounded with Isildur only defeating Sauron with a desperate swing of his sword that luckily cut Sauron's ring finger off (after which Isildur retrieves the Ring), followed by Isildur refusing Elrond's urging to destroy the Ring. In the book, there is no mention of Elrond taking Isildur to the Cracks of Doom and it's unknown whether or not he ever told Isildur to destroy the ring.
* Chances are, if you haven't read ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' you're only going to know one thing about it: 42, the meaning of life. Which it isn't, by the way; it's the answer to the great Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything, so it's utterly meaningless unless you know them both. Despite a generation of bored mathematicians and conspiracy theorists attempting to prove him wrong, the author insisted all his life that 42 was simply a number he grabbed out of the air and found amusing. It doesn't help that Stephen Fry likes to troll people about this, saying he'll take the "real" reason to his grave.
* ''The Pet Goat'' gained enormous amounts of attention as the book UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush was reading when 9/11 happened.
* ''Literature/{{It}}'': Bev has sex with the rest of the Losers Club after defeating It. Whether it was evidence of Bev's abuse manifesting itself in questionable sexual development, a scene about the fears and uncertainties of adulthood, or Creator/StephenKing just being on drugs; it is an incredibly awkward scene and [[Film/It1990 both]] [[Film/It2017 adaptations]] cut it. The scene is quite infamous when discussing Bev and the story in general and when the 2017 film came out a number of King's more malicious critics tried to use it as evidence that he was or was enabling child predators.
* The title character of ''Literature/{{Cujo}}'' has undergone MemeticMutation as a label for any frightening, vicious dog. People actually reading the book are likely surprised to find he's actually a BigFriendlyDog who only becomes the killer he's remembered as because of a rabies infection. The epilogue even spells out that he never wanted to hurt anyone and was a victim himself of the disease.
* King himself will probably never live down the idea of his "writing while flying high on cocaine". He has been drug-free since the early '90s. For that matter, people tend to blame the (perceived) weak ending of ''Literature/TheStand'' and the rather rambling plot of ''Literature/TheShining'' on King's drug habit, when in fact he wouldn't have serious drug problem until the '80s. He did, however, have a drinking problem early on.
** The list of things King may never live down is pretty long, but one would be remiss not to mention the supposed idea that the latter half of his career has consisted of unreadable dreck that even his fans can't stand. Some even blame his being hit by a car for "destroying his creativity". In the opinions of those who have actually read his post-accident output, he's written some of this best work since then, including ''Literature/DumaKey'', ''11/22/63'', ''Literature/DoctorSleep'' and ''Revival''. Many of the novels held up as "proof" of his later work being awful generally include ''Rose Madder'' or ''Insomnia'', two books that are actually from the '90s and pre-accident, or they will bring up ''Literature/{{Dreamcatcher}}'' and ''Cell'', which he wrote years apart, and are only two books out of his post-accident period.
* ''Literature/AliceGirlFromTheFuture'':
** In one of the several dozen entries of the series, Alice talks about a dish called brambulet that she can cook herself. The topic is forgotten after a few paragraphs, and brambulet isn't mentioned in any other ''Alice'' books. In fanfics, however, it often becomes practically ''the'' national dish of the bright future and Alice's favorite food in particular.
** If you read fanfiction, you might think Rat always calls Alice "Alisochka", the pet form of her name (whether as a TermOfEndangerment or actual AffectionateNickname, depends on the fanfic). Canonically, he only addresses her like that ''twice'' in all their numerous confrontations.
* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'':
** From the constant fanart (and the existence of sites like Blog/CinnamonBunzuh), you might think that all Ax ever does in human morph is eat cinnamon buns. While they are his TrademarkFavoriteFood, that's really only due to them being the one food item that's mentioned most. He [[ExtremeOmnivore eats anything edible]], and a few things that aren't.
** He only did it once or twice, but [[DrivesLikeCrazy Marco's driving]] has become a MemeticMutation. To be fair, he was 13 or 14 at the time, in a stolen truck, and [[IKnowMortalKombat had only driven in video games before]].
--->''' Jake:''' Do you hate trash cans? Is that it? Do you just HATE TRASH CANS?

*** Conversely, many have vigorously decried Rowling for not having his homosexuality more overtly featured in the series. This can be considered somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] for the books, given that [[SocietyMarchesOn no publisher of note in the 1990s would have printed a children's book with an openly gay protagonist]]. That said, his relationship with Grindelwald is prominent in the ''Fantastic Beasts'' prequel series and has more of an overt erotic angle than in the books.

* ''Literature/TortallUniverse''

** ''Literature/TheImmortals'' has one positive and one negative. The good: Daine and her '''rampaging zombie dinosaurs'''. The bad: hooking up with Numair when he's 30 and she's 16. Although Alanna/George had an eight-year age gap and he was declaring his love for her while she was still a teenager, they were both still adults by modern standards, and it didn't push StudentTeacherRomance squick buttons. The outcry was so great that Pierce promised never to have such a wide age gap again.
** Pierce herself has this with the book ''Mastiff'', which went over with her fans like a lead balloon and was largely seen as a shocking quality drop from a usually great author.

* While SherlockHolmes used cocaine in more than a couple of stories, he was an addict, not of that drug, but of mental exercise. His brain had to be constantly working or else it would "rebel." When on a case or any other activity that he would consider mentally challenging, he would stop using for as long as his brain was entertained. If one only knew Holmes from fanfics and pastiches (professionally published fanfics), he turns into a drug-addicted genius who needs a constant high to function. In such stories, his drug of choice is usually changed to opium for whatever reason, even when it was specifically stated in the canon that he doesn't do opium. This is also carried over to more official adaptations.

* ''{{Literature/It}}'': Bev has sex with the rest of the Losers Club after defeating It. Whether it was evidence of Bev's abuse manifesting itself in questionable sexual development, a scene about the fears and uncertainties of adulthood, or Stephen King just being on drugs; it is an incredibly awkward scene and [[Film/It1990 both]] [[Film/It2017 adaptations]] cut it. The scene is quite infamous when discussing Bev and the story in general and when the 2017 film came out a number of King's more malicious critics tried to use it as evidence that he was or was enabling child predators.

** The list of things King may never live down is pretty long, but one would be remiss not to mention the supposed idea that the latter half of his career has consisted of unreadable dreck that even his fans can't stand. Some even blame his being hit by a car for "destroying his creativity". In the opinions of those who have actually read his post-accident output, he's written some of this best work since then, including ''Literature/DumaKey'', ''11/22/63'', ''Literature/DoctorSleep'' and ''Revival''. Many of the novels held up as "proof" of his later work being awful generally include ''Rose Madder'' or ''Insomnia'', two books that are actually from the '90s and pre-accident, or they will bring up ''Dreamcatcher'' and ''Cell'', which he wrote years apart, and are only two books out of his post-accident period.

* ''Literature/DonQuixote'' is well-known for being an idealistic fool in a cold grey world, a laughingstock and ButtMonkey. As a result, there's a huge MisaimedFandom that sees him as an ideal to strive for even if he can't win. The original Quixote ''was'' an idealistic fool, but it wasn't his entire character. Both the MisaimedFandom and the people who laugh at him forget that he was also an unsympathetic snob, who used his "knighthood" as an excuse to not pay for things and to bully his social inferiors, especially Sancho. Part of why he isn't remembered this way is the ''Theatre/ManOfLaMancha'', which emphasized his foolish idealism a lot more. ("Dream... the impossible dream...")

** There's Dumbledore, who was gay. He did some other stuff, but mostly, he was gay. You can understand why Rowling didn't insert this fact into the books, since Dumbles' primary characteristic since the WordOfGay announcement is that [[RuleOfThree he was gay]]. Man, people who refuse to read a sentence from the books or watch one minute of the movies are more likely to know that than any other detail, despite the fact that Dumbledore's sexuality was implied in the last book but never outright stated.

** ''Literature/TheImmortals'' has one positive and one negative. The good: Daine and her '''rampaging zombie dinosaurs'''. The bad: hooking up with with Numair when he's 30 and she's 16. Although Alanna/George had an eight-year age gap and he was declaring his love for her while she was still a teenager, they were both still adults by modern standards, and it didn't push StudentTeacherRomance squick buttons. The outcry was so great that Pierce promised never to have such a wide age gap again.

** Catelyn Stark, who is otherwise a kind and caring mother and a woman with a strong sense of honor and duty, is often remembered for being a stone-cold, callous bitch due to her poor treatment of her husband's [[HeroicBastard illegitimate son]], Jon Snow: [[spoiler:her son lies unconscious, forever a cripple, and in a moment of mad grief, she tells Jon (who is also grieving and worried for his half brother), "It should have been you," before breaking down in tears]]. She never lives that one down, it seems. It's a big KickTheDog moment, but let's be perfectly honest: who ''doesn't'' get one of those in this series? It doesn't help that it's one of the ''first'' things readers see her do and as such, something like this tends to stand out.
*** Oh, and in the first book she [[spoiler:arrests Tyrion Lannister for a crime he has been completely innocent of]], and by sheer luck (and some power of his wits) he gets out of the mess alive. Justified since she [[spoiler:feels she can trust her childhood friend Littlefinger who implicated Tyrion]], not having realized how much he has changed over the years, and the crime in question was [[spoiler:attempted murder of her already crippled son]], so she isn't thinking too clear on the matter. Nevertheless, her mistreatment of not one but ''two'' fan favorites has built her quite a reputation in fanon. For instance, if in fanfics any of her children are paired with anyone of the Lannisters (or their bannermen, or any of the Starks' enemies), in most cases expect Catelyn to [[LoveObstructingParents oppose the match with all her might]], up to threats of disowning her children, no matter how much in love the couple is and how politically profitable the marriage can be.
** Similarly, Sansa Stark, Catelyn's daughter, is largely defined by her naivety and ignorance in the first book, and forever characterized as TooDumbToLive and HorribleJudgeOfCharacter. Granted she did make some idiotic mistakes, chief among them believing [[{{TheSociopath}} Joffrey]] was her prince charming, betraying her father's escape plans to [[{{GodSaveUsFromTheQueen}} Cersei]] and not backing up Arya about Joffrey attacking the butcher's boy. (Which gets the boy and Sansa's own direwolf killed). However fans seems to forget she was only an ''eleven year old girl'' coming from a sheltered upbringing, with parents who totally failed to prepare her for the dangers of court. Despite the subsequent hell she goes through, and becoming much savvier and less idealistic, the vitriol against her is worse than that against some villains. Her case isn't helped by being a {{Foil}} for her little sister Arya, a scrappy, tomboyish underdog who manages to be a better judge of character than her parents and older siblings put together, and is frequently bullied by Sansa.

* While SherlockHolmes used cocaine in a more than a couple of stories, he was an addict, not of that drug, but of mental exercise. His brain had to be constantly working or else it would "rebel." When on a case or any other activity that he would consider mentally challenging, he would stop using for as long as his brain was entertained. If one only knew Holmes from fanfics and pastiches (professionally published fanfics), he turns into a drug-addicted genius who needs a constant high to function. In such stories, his drug of choice is usually changed to opium for whatever reason, even when it was specifically stated in the canon that he doesn't do opium. This is also carried over to more official adaptations.

* Isildur from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. He was a total badass who did many great things. Chief among them, he actually [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu defeated]] Sauron, admittedly with his father and Gil-Galad having done most of the work. However, all many readers seem to remember him for is not destroying the ring, which meant Sauron could return. What makes this an especially glaring example is that ''no one could have done any better.'' Frodo is the next person to be in a position to destroy the Ring, and makes the exact same choice. According to WordOfGod, no one has enough willpower to actually destroy the ring.

* King himself will probably never live down the idea of his "writing while flying high on cocaine". He has been drug-free since the early 90's. For that matter, people tend to blame the (perceived) weak ending of ''Literature/TheStand'' and the rather rambling plot of ''Literature/TheShining'' on King's drug habit, when in fact he wouldn't have serious drug problem until the 80's. He did, however, have a drinking problem early on.
** The list of things King may never live down is pretty long, but one would be remiss not to mention the supposed idea that the latter half of his career has consisted of unreadable dreck that even his fans can't stand. Some even blame his being hit by a car for "destroying his creativity". In the opinions of those who have actually read his post-accident output, he's written some of this best work since then, including ''Literature/DumaKey'', ''11/22/63'', ''Literature/DoctorSleep'' and ''Revival''. Many of the novels held up as "proof" of his later work being awful generally include ''Rose Madder'' or ''Insomnia'', two books that are actually from the 90's and pre-accident, or they will bring up ''Dreamcatcher'' and ''Cell'', which he wrote years apart, and are only two books out of his post-accident period.

-->''' Jake:''' Do you hate trash cans? Is that it? Do you just HATE TRASH CANS?

** Quixote's "battle" with the windmills that he sees as giants in his mind--[[AmusingInjuries which goes about as well as you'd think it would]]--has become the SignatureScene of the novel, and any discussion of the novel is all but guaranteed to mention it. The incident happens early on in the novel and is particularly memorable for how unreasonable Quixote is acting, but those who then go on to read the novel are usually surprised by how short the scene is, and how the incident is treated as just another one of the Don's misadventures.

*** In a [[InsaneTrollLogic truly bizarre twist of logic]], after Rowling offered her WordOfGay, many MoralGuardians actually decried Rowling for inserting a gay character into her books, claiming that it was inappropriate. While the HomoeroticSubtext is certainly there, a person could easily read all seven books and have no inkling that Dumbledore was gay.

** James Potter won't live down [[spoiler:being a jerk to Snape]]. People who've suffered bullying in the past would see James as a spoiled brat that got everything handed to him while Snape had to suffer his whole life. They also completely ignore that Snape gave as good as he got and even went so far as to use Dark Magic to slash him across the face, while the worst thing James did to him was hang him upside down and pants him.

** The list of things King may never live down is pretty long, but one would be remiss not to mention the supposed idea that the latter half of his career has consisted of unreadable dreck that even his fans can't stand. Some even blame his being hit by a car for "destroying his creativity". In the opinions of those who have actually read his post-accident output, he's written some of this best work since then, including ''Literature/DumaKey'', ''Literature/112263'', ''Literature/DoctorSleep'' and ''Revival''.

** There's Dumbledore, who was gay. He did some other stuff, but mostly, he was gay. You can understand why Rowling didn't insert this fact into the books, since Dumbles' primary characteristic since the WordOfGay announcement is that [[RuleOfThree he was gay]]. Man, people who refuse to read a sentence from the books or watch one minute of the movies are more likely to know that than any other detail, despite the fact that Dumbledore's sexuality was never so much as mentioned in the books.
*** In a [[InsaneTrollLogic truly bizarre twist of logic]], after Rowling offered her WordOfGay, many MoralGuardians actually decried Rowling for inserting a gay character into her books, claiming that it was inappropriate. While the subtext is there if you look for it, a person could easily read all seven books and have no inkling that Dumbledore was gay.
*** Conversely, many have vigorously decried Rowling for not having his homosexuality more overtly featured in the series. This can be considered somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] for the books, given that [[SocietyMarchesOn no publisher of note in the 1990s would have printed a children's book with an openly gay protagonist]]. That said, it ''is'' rather harder to defend in the case of the ''Fantastic Beasts'' prequels, one of which will depict Dumbledore at the time his major romance was taking place.

%% "In-universe" examples are covered by the trope Once Done, Never Forgotten