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You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
A TV Tropes Wiki Trope involving the loose usage of the term "subversion".
— Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
Subverted Trope vs. Averted TropePeople tend to label any series that merely completely avoids a certain trope as a "subversion," when in fact that's called an aversion. It's only a subversion if the creator sets up the trope within the work, creating an expectation that the trope will be used, and then does something else. It's an aversion when the genre itself creates the expectation that the trope will be used, but it isn't even set up within the work. For instance, if the trope in question is "pre-recorded laughter that punctuates every joke in a sitcom":
Subverted Trope vs. Inverted TropeA slightly more subtle distinction; inverted tropes are sometimes incorrectly described as "subverted". An inverted trope is where the usual setup of the trope is in some way swapped: sex-flipped versions are quite common, though by no means the only example. As an example, if the trope in question is the Black Dude Dies First.
Subverted Trope vs. Justified TropeWorse, occasionally a slight spin on the standard trope formula, such as the addition of a justification, is seized upon as a subversion by the occasional fan, perhaps because they don't want to acknowledge that a trope was played deadly straight to good effect in their favourite work. The reverse assumption is also common.Subverted Trope vs. Deconstructed TropeOccasionally, Deconstructions are also listed as subversions. A Deconstructed Trope is played completely straight, and so is not a subversion even though they subvert people's expectations of the consequences of a trope. There's also a related problem of people mislabelling things as deconstructions or Deconstructed Tropes when they aren't, but that's another matter.Subverted Trope vs. Downplayed TropeSometimes, when people talk of "Partial Subversion", they mean Downplayed Trope, where the trope is still present, but to a much lesser degree.Subverted Trope vs. Playing with a TropeBeware ye these abominable Weasel Words that refer to various methods of Playing with a Trope:
Subverted Trope vs. Played StraightSometimes, a trope is marked as a subversion even though it's actually played straight. This is most likely to happen in a trope that can be played straight in a number of ways, but one method is chosen the majority of the time. An example of this kind of trope is Down to the Last Play. Though it doesn't have to be the protagonists' team that dramatically wins the game, it almost always is.
Subverted Trope vs. Square Peg Round TropeWorst case scenario, the so-called "subversion" is actually Not an Example at all. If the event that gets "subverted" is Not a Trope at all, this is not a subversion because there is no trope. It's just Bait and Switch. If you ever see Subverted Trope listed as an example, it's probably this.
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