1 | '''Basic Trope''': During a suspenseful moment, there is a quick moment of relief via something harmless (often a cat) being shown to be the source of suspicious noises. |
2 | * '''Straight''': A character investigates some strange noises... and a cat jumps out at them, apparently the source. |
3 | * '''Exaggerated''': A character hears strange, frightening noises, and finds... a pile of puppies and kittens. |
4 | * '''Downplayed''': A character is caught off-guard by the sound of a meowing cat, but quickly recovers their wits. |
5 | * '''Justified''': A cat jumps at a character investigating a strange noise, because it was [[EvilDetectingDog fleeing terrified from the killer]]. |
6 | * '''Inverted''': The cat's owner jumps out and frightens it on purpose...then the real threat arrives as the owner is oblivious to his pet's continued reactions |
7 | * '''Subverted''': |
8 | ** The cat jumps out, and the character is initially relieved after the scare, but it turns out the cat '''is''' the monster and it kills the character. |
9 | ** It is set up for a monster to jump out, but then nothing happens. |
10 | * '''Double Subverted''': A character investigating frightening noises has the cat jump out at them, and feels relieved, nothing happens for a good while. And then the psycho jumps out. |
11 | * '''Parodied''': |
12 | ** An intelligent cat hangs by its claws from ceilings and makes a bunch of noise so it can jump out at those who investigate and laugh at their reactions. |
13 | ** A character investigating frightening noises finds a cat... it's a [[OutOfTheFryingPan ''Panther''.]] [[note]]And if they really want to parody it, it's not a Panther, it's a ''[[TankGoodness Panzer]]''.[[/note]] |
14 | ** A cat walks through the house, we hear strange noises... then someone jumps out at the cat. |
15 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC2ZruUMefY The cat scare leads to...another cat scare...then another and another.]] Eventually, the victims of the cat scare [[SkewedPriorities ignore the actual threat to deal with the cat.]] |
16 | * '''Zig Zagged''': |
17 | ** The cat ''is'' the psychopath, and tries to kill the character. But wait, no it's not, it was just ''very'' startled- it's harmless after all. Wait a minute, the cat couldn't have made all that noise, there must be something worse there! Wait, no there isn't... |
18 | ** Both the cat ''and'' the psycho jump out at the same time, startling each other. |
19 | * '''Averted''': A character investigates strange noises. The killer pops out right away. |
20 | * '''Enforced''': The hero is way too smart and fast to be surprised by the clumsy, slow monster. So a CatScare is used to lower his defense and let the final showdown begin. |
21 | * '''Lampshaded''': "Oh, it's just the ca- wait a minute, there's something worse waiting for me, isn't there?" |
22 | * '''Invoked''': A killer hides in houses and throws cats at those who investigate in order to keep suspicion off himself. |
23 | * '''Exploited''': The killer knows that the hero will be distracted by the cat, and sneaks up on the hero by surprise. |
24 | * '''Defied''': When the cat jumps out, the character is not at all relieved and gets ready to face whatever else is lurking. |
25 | * '''Discussed''': "Uh-oh. The cat jumped out at me. I shouldn't be relieved, it probably means something worse is going to follow." |
26 | * '''Conversed''': "No no no! Augh, she thinks the noise was just the cat- how could she be so ''stupid''?" |
27 | * '''Deconstructed''': |
28 | ** The cat actually scares the victim into a fatal heart attack, and the killer finds their dead body. |
29 | ** The killer is actually a pissed-off feral cat. |
30 | * '''Reconstructed''': Cats are benevolent creatures that are trying to warn the hero. |
31 | ---- |
32 | GYAAAAH!! O-oh, it was [[CatScare just a cat...]] ...Wait a minute... |
33 | ---- |
34 | %% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion: |
35 | %% |
36 | %%* '''Implied''': ??? |
37 | %%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ??? |
38 | %%* '''Played For Laughs''': ??? |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext PlayingWith / CatScare
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load