History Main / GrandfatherClause

** The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most dangerous races in UsefulNotes/FormulaOne history, due to the narrow streets and lack of runoff. Had it been proposed today, safety regulations would not allow it to be built. However, since it's one of the oldest and most prestigious motor races in existence, it's still in the championship.

* The usage of stereotypical black characters as advertising mascots, such as Uncle Ben's, Aunt Jemima and the "Y'a bon" guy for Banania (a French brand of powdered chocolate). Introducing such a mascot today would lead to a lot of controversy, but these companies still used their mascots for many years without much issue (although it does help that their later designs tried to minimize their historical stereotypical aspects, such as Aunt Jemima looking more like a housewife than a maid and the Banania guy being depicted as a cartoon). The UsefulNotes/BlackLivesMatter movement eventually resulted in several such mascots (such as the aforementioned Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima) being dropped, however.

* Many American radio stations play "[[Music/AlicesRestaurant Alice's Restaurant Massacree]]" uncensored on Thanksgiving. The use of the slur "faggots" would normally incur an FCC fine, but no station has ever been fined for playing it. Arlo Guthrie has changed the line in live performances, however.

** CompleteMonster and MagnificentBastard are highly subjective and controversial, and there has been a ''lot'' of conflict over who counts, to the point that all examples must be approved by a cleanup thread (and they still generate arguments to this very day). If they had only been proposed now, they would be discarded immediately. Both tropes also have several examples that were added before the initial thread cleanup and establishment of the official approval process, and were kept without needing to go through the process when it was determined they fit the criteria.

** CompleteMonster and MagnificentBastard are highly subjective and controversial, and there has been a ''lot'' of conflict over who counts, to the point that all examples must be approved by a cleanup thread (and they still generate arguments to this very day). If they had only been proposed now, they would be discarded immediately.

* The simplistic designs of the veggies in ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'' were due to the limitations of CGI technology in the early 1990s, and to this day they remain looking largely the same as they did back in 1993 in spite of [[TechnologyMarchesOn how much CGI has advanced since then]], even within the show itself. This is likely due to the characters' designs being seen as too iconic to change at this point, as attempts by the show's creators to update them for TheNewTens (for the Creator/{{Netflix}} spin-off ''WesternAnimation/VeggietalesInTheHouse'') [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks received a negative response]] and led to them later scrapping the redesigns in favor of slightly-touched up versions of the characters' original 1993 designs.

* Many acts with long discographies still use styles, gimmicks, and techniques which modern performers could not employ with a straight face. Being Music/{{KISS}} or Wayne Newton is a great way to have an extremely long career. Imitating them is a great way to be ridiculed.
** One of the best-known aspects of the career of Music/EltonJohn, at least since 1972, especially onstage, was Elton's use of [[MakingASpectacleOfYourself crazy glasses]] and [[CostumePorn flamboyant costumes]], a gimmick he adopted at the peak of GlamRock and kept intact until [[TheEighties 1986]]. The peak of this tradition would have likely been the (in)famous WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck costume he wore at his free concert at Central Park (the one which later became a RunningGag on ''Series/TheLateLateShowWithCraigFerguson''). The tour of 1986 saw Elton sporting giant multicolored mohawk wigs, a CampGay "Ali Baba" costume, "Music/TinaTurner" wigs, and, for his orchestral concerts in Australia, a "Chopin" costume complete with white wig, heavy white powder and a fake birthmark. Though Elton was only 40 at the time, he (and the press) came to agree that he had carried it far past the point of retaining his dignity, and he auctioned most of the costumes and glasses off in 1988 (after using them for the cover of that year's ''Reg Strikes Back'' album) and toned down his image. He still incorporates a relatively flamboyant look, but rarely to the point he did until TheEighties.
** Unless you don't really care about it, and/or manage to be successful with being gimmicky. Music/LadyGaga is living proof. People did eventually get burned out with her, so Gaga had to tone down the gimmicks and reinvent herself with a more realistic persona. Singers like Music/KatyPerry and Music/NickiMinaj have largely supplanted Gaga in the flamboyancy department, however.
** Imitating KISS, and taking their gimmick to new levels, is what got acts like Music/{{Slipknot}}, Music/{{GWAR}} and Music/{{Lordi}} their success.

** The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most dangerous races in UsefulNotes/FormulaOne history. Had it been proposed today, safety regulations would not allow it to be built. However, since it was one of the oldest grands prix in existence, it's still in the championship.

** Football (and futsal) is a rarity, in that Ireland is split Republic/North (the NI team stubbornly styled themselves "Ireland" until 1950), but there are separate Scotland/Wales/England/NI teams. Great Britain teams went to the Olympics 1904-72, but when amateurs left the Olympics, so did Team GB. At the Olympics in London "Great Britain" qualified automatically to field a team in every sport, leading to 'temporary' mergers of the Scotland, England and Wales teams in many sports. However as many other European countries resent the UK's current set-up resulting in 4 times as many votes in governing body forums and 4 automatic spots on the board of FIFA (as the 4 oldest associations) Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all refused to agree to a combined team, fearing it would set a precedent and FIFA would force them to permanently merge into a team dominated by English players. The Olympic teams ended up fielding teams with only English and Welsh players in the men's team, and only English and (two) Scottish players in the women's team.

* The NBA retired Bill Russell's #6 leaguewide in 2022. Like above with MLB retiring Jackie Robinson's #42, the league has allowed all active players currently wearing #6 to continue wearing it for the remainder of the careers, although UsefulNotes/LeBronJames chose to switch back to his old #23 in honor of Russell.

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' is the only MascotWithAttitude allowed to play all of the facets of the trope straight, due to the fact that [[TropeCodifier he solidified most of them]]. In fact, there was considerable [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks backlash]] against the plots of games where Sega tried to change him up. (A lot of modern Sonic versions and adaptions play him as cool when in his element, but also as a somewhat dorkish DumbJock type when out of it -- in particular, it gives a reason for him to have Tails as a {{Sidekick}}.)

** While other classic video game series have been trying to make their plots deeper and more complex, the ''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Super Mario]]'' series is still about the same Italian plumber [[SaveThePrincess rescuing the same princess]] from the same turtle-dragon creature, and while there have been few games that have tried to avert this like ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'', the franchise always ends up returning to the same ExcusePlot in later installments. The [=RPGs=], being games with a higher StoryToGameplayRatio but having essentially the same plot, make fun of this. Every ''Mario'' RPG so far, besides ''[[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor The Thousand-Year Door]]'' and ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing'', has started with Bowser kidnapping, trying to kidnap, or at least planning to kidnap the princess,[[note]]So far, only the original ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'' has had the main plot focus on this.[[/note]] and in ''Thousand-Year Door'', he objects to someone else doing it because it's ''his'' gimmick (and his love, but that's beside the point). Even the main series has made fun of the gimmick of the princess being kidnapped; ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this with a news report saying that Princess Peach has been kidnapped... [[OhNoNotAgain AGAIN]] (emphasis theirs).

* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' is the only video game franchise that could get away with using the MayanDoomsday as a major plot point since the first main StoryArc, spanning [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI the first game in 2007]] to 2012's ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'', revolves around a solar flare on December 21, 2012 that almost destroyed humanity only for Desmond Miles to do a HeroicSacrifice. Fans playing ''III'' when it first came out joked about rushing to finish it before the apocalypse that was due to several months later.

* Sometimes when patching a game to fix a GameBreaker or a {{Good Bad Bug|s}}, the developers will let the players keep the old versions of equipment if it doesn't hurt other players. For example, when Gearbox nerfed The Bee in ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'', they didn't actually alter any of the shields already acquired -- only new ones, that drop after the patch is implemented.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' made its name with BlackComedy humor that [[CrossesTheLineTwice crosses line all the time]], it's why the series is so popular to begin with. Naturally, when ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheStickOfTruth'' was released, that kind of humor carried over in-full. The most noticeable is the four classes you can play as FighterMageThief and Jew. Yes, there's a Jew class. It's been said that this is the only game that could get away with something like that.

** A specific example of this happening comes from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', where almost every returning character received a new costume except Ryu, Chun-Li, and Zangief (also arguably Rainbow Mika, who received only minor modifications from her original ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha 3'' costume; and later on Gill, Dan, Rose and Oro as well). Capcom deemed that their appearances were simply [[ClothesMakeTheLegend too]] {{iconic|Outfit}} to alter, and as such they remain the same (for their default costume, anyway; Chun-Li has pretty much an UnlimitedWardrobe for DLC), while everyone else looks different (in varying degrees of CostumeEvolution) but usually has a Nostalgia Costume available as [[DownloadableContent DLC]] if players prefer their original/previous design. However, this clause seemingly about to expired in ''VideoGame/StreetFighter6'', which finally gave Ryu, Chun-Li, and all other returning fighters a drastic case of CostumeEvolution -- and even then their classic outfits are available as alternate costumes.
** Another such example comes from ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5''. The new graphics engine was hyped up before release, and to go with it were brand new costumes for almost every character. Except Kasumi, the lead heroine and icon of the franchise. Her costume remained almost exactly the same from [[VideoGame/DeadOrAlive previous games]], primarily because her outfit was too iconic to the character to change or remove.

** In ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee Melee]]'', [[Franchise/FireEmblem Marth and Roy]] speak in Japanese to reflect the fact that [[MarthDebutedInSmashBros the Fire Emblem series had not been released outside of Japan]]. ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl Brawl]]'' (for Marth only) and ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU 3DS/Wii U]]'' continued to have them do so despite ''Fire Emblem'' games already have international distribution, Marth having English [=VAs=] for a while, and later ''Fire Emblem'' protagonists to be playable in the series speak English. This [[BreakingOldTrends was finally averted]] in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', where Marth and Roy both have English lines (Marth's voice provided by his English VA Creator/YuriLowenthal [[note]]by the announcement of ''Ultimate'', Lowenthal had already voiced Marth in ''VideoGame/CodeNameSteam'', ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', ''VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes'', and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemWarriors''[[/note]] and Roy's voice being provided by his English VA Creator/RayChase [[note]]who first voiced him in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes''[[/note]]) in the game at last.

* Most games that focus on cuteness are often viewed as SoOkayItsAverage by western gamers and popular with critics but the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' series are still very well-regarded among even older fans around the world. The older games were a welcome break for many of the NintendoHard games at the time but even now, many teenagers and adult fans will gladly buy the new Kirby game. Even though most cute games will do their best to make it seem badass on the box art, all Nintendo needs to do [[AmericanKirbyIsHardcore is make Kirby look angry]] and [[DiscreditedTrope even that is starting to die down]].

* An example with games released in Europe, PEGI restricts simulated gambling to adult audiences only, but games released before then retain their original rating.

* The MMORPG ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' has an in-universe example of this. There's a quest called "The Knight's Sword" where the player is entasked with replacing a very valuable heirloom sword before its owner (a valiant knight) finds out it's lost. To do so, the player has to mine a specific ore to make the material in order to create a new sword. However, the ore in question, blurite, is considered very weak and useless for making weapons besides three things: the specific sword you need to replace, limbs for blurite crossbows, and blurite crossbow bolts. In fact, blurite items are considered so useless that you can't even sell them (not even the Grand Exchange accepts them for trade). The only reason why the sword is considered so valuable is for three reasons: 1. The sword was passed down for generations 2. The tribe with the knowledge to make them, the Imcando dwarves, was almost entirely wiped out and 3. The ore that is required to make them can only be found in one dungeon in the entire game, and it's defended by powerful ice warriors and ice giants making it difficult to mine without getting attacked. If it wasn't for these aspects, it would be downright embarrassing for the knight to own a prized sword made from such a weak and worthless material.
* In the original ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'', the leader of India was UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi, who while very well-known in western circles as a key figure in the struggle for modern Indian independence never actually held any sort of official office. If Gandhi were to have made his debut in a modern installment of the series, he would have more likely been implemented as a Great Person rather than as the leader of India, especially since India has had many potential leaders throughout its history. Additionally, while older games frequently used leaders from within living memory, the series has mostly avoided this since ''V'', unless the civilization is too young to have any better options (i.e. Canada or Australia), likely due to perceiving its prior use of figures like Stalin and Mao as crass. However, Gandhi has gone on to appear in every ''Civilization'' game since as the leader of India. This is perhaps due to his popularity among the player base, in particular due to the infamous "Nuclear Gandhi" meme, and due to his recurring appearances Gandhi has gone on to become the ''Civilization'' SeriesMascot.

*** CowboyBebopAtHisComputer: The trope is named for an incident where a magazine covering a ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' video game referred to Ed (who is a girl) not only by the name of the titular spaceship, but as a boy. Like a lot of tropes named after or incorporating the names of fictional works or characters, not everyone has heard of ''Cowboy Bebop'', and the name might initially not make sense at all for those who are familar with how the trope works (a work or news media getting facts about another work wrong). But since the infamous magazine clipping the trope was named for is already an example of this trope, it has stuck, and since it's grown to become such a common trope on the wiki, it isn't likely to get a name change any time soon.

* {{Discussed|Trope}} by [=YouTuber=] WebVideo/{{Gomotion}} in her ''VideoGame/SonicPCPort'' review. Regarding how .exe games and small indie horrors invoke AddressingThePlayer for the sake of horror being very overdone, gomotion remarks that even ''PC Port'' is guilty of its use of the trope amid its authentic and deliberate GameBreakingBug in-universe and presentation of its grotesque horrors, but in the context of what its trying to be towards ''VideoGame/SonicExe'', it'd be too important to leave out.
-->'''gomotion:''' But especially in the context of what it's trying to be, I'd argue its too much of an iconic piece of [=Sonic.exe=] to leave out of a fleshed out reimagining. Same goes for some familiar music here and there, as well as the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Kefka laugh]].

* Creator/JamesRolfe admits in [[https://youtu.be/jfnSqLzUzfM The Making Of An AVGN Episode]] that, while swearing is an ''WebVideo/AngryVideoGameNerd'' tradition that he has to keep going, it's exhausted its vocabulary. He even states outright he far prefers it when he's reacting with facial expressions ''without'' swearing and finds that to be something he's much better at, and only really keeps the swearing up since fans expect it.

* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' continues to feature the color coded "Terror Alert" indicator on the family fridge, despite the fact that the [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama Obama Administration]] retired it. Perhaps as a {{satire}} of the changing attitudes of a new decade, the Terror Alert level was only on red, orange or yellow in episodes from the [[TurnOfTheMillennium 2000s]]. But in episodes from [[TheNewTens 2010]] and onwards it's either blue, green (two colors it never was lowered to in RealLife), or missing an arrow; they even had an episode where the color code changed to blue and everyone in the CIA acted like it was a major cause for celebration.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' premiered in 1999, at a time when {{Zany Cartoon}}s with NegativeContinuity ruled the day. Fast forward 20+ years later, when more continuity-driven cartoons are now the norm, and ''[=SpongeBob=]'' is [[LongRunners still actively on the air]] with essentially the same brand of undersea silliness it debuted with. And even ''[=SpongeBob=]'' has [[SequelEpisode Sequel Episodes]] now.

** The show kepts many jokes from the original series due to Grandfather Clause. {{Running Gag}}s such as Don Ramón hitting El Chavo in the head and pinching Quico in the arm would be seen as child abuse if they weren't trademark jokes of ''Series/ElChavoDelOcho''. That said, as the series went on, all the slapstick humor has diminished until it was completely removed from the series (including slapstick that did not involve the children), with very few leftovers of this remaining such as [[ButtMonkey Don Ramón]] getting hurt [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]].
** Likewise, almost all the acceptable targets from the original series are still here due to Grandfather Clause. Jokes about Señor Barriga and Ñoño's overweight, Prof. Jirafales and Don Ramón thinness (and the former's tall height) and Doña Clotilde's old age would be seen as body shaming if they weren't also trademark jokes of ''Series/ElChavoDelOcho'', and unlike the previous point, these ones stuck around for the whole show.

* The phrase came from [[UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement Jim Crow]] laws requiring things like literacy tests to vote but granting an exception to anyone whose grandfather was eligible to vote. Since all whites had eligible grandfathers and few blacks did (UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar having been that recent), and the literacy tests were [[UnwinnableByDesign made very hard]] (and often rigged, one Alabama poll test question was literally: "How many bubbles are in a bar of soap?"), it effectively meant "whites can vote and blacks can't" [[LoopholeAbuse without outright saying so]].

* Pets. There is a well-defined set of "normal" pet animals which have been part of human existence for years (if not millennia), and legislation and customs are always written around the assumption that people are entitled to buy and own these animals. Outside that well-defined set, just watch the people start to stare and the legal compliance issues start to mount. For example: Some animals, such as raccoons, are considered wild animals in the United States (even if born in captivity) and not possible to tame properly after a year or two, and as such, some states allow them as pets, and some don't. In Russia, however, there are no laws against it, so raccoons are surprisingly popular pets (as evidenced by all the Russian [=YouTube=] videos on them).

* The U.S. Constitution requires that the president be a natural-born citizen, OR was a citizen of the U.S. when the Constitution was adopted. The first nine U.S. presidents were born in American states when they were still British colonies. A few say the peculiar phrasing is due to UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton's presidential ambitions, since he was born in the British West Indies and had a strong influence on the final form of the Constitution; it's not clear how much credence to give this, and in any case he never even sought the presidency as he died in his mid to late forties in 1804. More likely to have been in the minds of the framers of the Constitution was that in 1787, the United States had only existed for 11 years and thus it was impossible for anybody to meet the age requirement for the presidency (at least 35 years old) and also be a natural-born citizen.[[note]]The first president to meet both of these requirements was UsefulNotes/MartinVanBuren, who took office in 1837, ''61 years'' after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Curiously, his successor, UsefulNotes/WilliamHenryHarrison, was the last president to be born as a British subject.[[/note]]

* Some airlines in small and/or less-developed countries continue to make use of airliners that have been all but retired from civilian and/or passenger use in the rest of the world. For example: Iran's Saha Airlines continued to operate flights with Boeing 707 aircraft all the way until 2019, when their last operating 707 (and the last operating in civilian use in the world, period) was destroyed in a wreck near Karaj.