I was the original launcher IIRC. I think the problem stems simply from poor maintenance after it was launched. I think Invisible to Normals and Weirdness Censor makes a pretty solid ground from which to start. There are probably few, if any more prototypical tropes for this index.
Part of the issue is that quite a few tropes are used for the purpose of Weirdness Isolation, but are not Weirdness Isolation tropes per se, e.g. coverup tropes are very close, but not QUITE formally Weirdness Isolation. Are there enough Coverup Tropes to make a subindex out of them?
edited 5th Jan '11 9:02:31 AM by Circeus
Weirdness Censor is a real world phenomena though. The human brain in the real world tends to filter out things that just don't fit. It doesn't fit with the thesis statement or being something small that's changed. It's just a way to explain why people don't notice things being different. I think starting with it as a basis was probably part of the reason the trope collection is so bad. It fits better with your idea of cover up tropes than the idea of Weirdness Isolation.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
goat milk?
Not for nothing, the title made me think this had something with tropes about characters choosing/being forced into some sort of isolation because of their weirdness.
But that doesn't seem to be related to the problem at hand.
"Weirdness Censor is a real world phenomena though. The human brain in the real world tends to filter out things that just don't fit."
Just because there's a similar real world phenomena doesn't mean that the FICTIONAL TROPE isn't a pretty good example of what Weirdness Isolation is all about. These are the tropes that allow non-normal elements (be they supernatural, fantastic, science-fiction-y or anyother "violations of reality") from coexisiting in the universe...
- ...without the Muggles at large actually noticing the weirdness.
- ...while allowing a Like Reality, Unless Noted universe.
Most of the tropes of the second type are well-indexed separately, so I suggest the following course of action:
- Spin off Coverup Tropes into a subindex under this and conspiracy tropes (The Index Is Watching You)
- Trim off the Like Reality, Unless Noted-related tropes that rely on Muggle knowledge
What do you think?
edited 5th Jan '11 2:09:29 PM by Circeus
The Weirdness Censor trope isn't just about things that are supernatural though. It's about anything too weird for people to see it. There are examples of things that don't require any change from the real world. The Punisher and Clan Of The Cave Bears examples for existence. Or the Monty Pythons Flying Circus one. The magical ones are more obvious, but the trope isn't about hiding the supernatural. It's just about people ignoring things out of the ordinary.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Actually, I think the Monty Python example involves playing with the trope, and the Cave Bears one is a clearly incorrect example anyway (it clearly should be under some Invisibility trope), so they do not violate my assertion that the trope is a prototypical example of what goes on that index. Clearly the vast majority of examples agree with it.
Both the Cave Bears and the Monty Python one are actually straight examples of the trope as written. The trope is about ignoring weirdness not necessarily the supernatural. It's just the most common way for it to show up in media. That doesn't make it the core of the trope. More like a side effect. It's still more of a cover up trope than a thing that changes from the real world.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
What? By coverup tropes I mean things like Cleanup Crew, Fiery Cover Up, Shared Mass Hallucination. It doesn't look like there are that many tropes directly relating to coverups, though, and finding a place for them may turn out to be difficult.
I stand fast on my comment. Monty Python is at best an exaggeration of the trope to me. Cave Bears doesn't actually involve censoring a weird thing in my mind. It's closer to a really weird mind-control trick, hence why I'd firmly put it within the scope of By the Eyes of the Blind or some subtrope of it. They certainly don't displace Weirdness Censor away from the scope of that index in any significant fashion regardless how you scope either the trope or the index.
edited 5th Jan '11 7:24:07 PM by Circeus
And Weirdness Censor is about people covering up things from themselves.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
What about Status Quois God? That's probably plays a role in a lot of weirdness isolation tropes.
I'm still not sure what the purpose of this index is and there seems to be no theme to it outside of the creator's mind.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
It is all just tropes involved in maintaining The Masquerade. Pointless index. I'll cut it.
Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
The index's stated purpose is: A great number of tropes are based around making the world stay close to ours with the sole exception of specific strange things. Unfortunately a lot of things on the index don't really seem to fit the idea that they're the unless noted but of Like Reality, Unless Noted.
Conspicuous Trenchcoat? Dying Like Animals? Paper-Thin Disguise? It's hard to figure out exactly what the creator of this index was aiming for.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick