Follow TV Tropes

Following

Something's bugging me about the Widget Series trope.

Go To

DRCEQ Since: Oct, 2009
#1: Oct 11th 2011 at 12:09:41 PM

I've been thinking about this for a little while now, wondering if I should make a topic on it or not, and decided to finally do so.

I remember reading a long time ago that Widget Series is named after WJT: Wierd Japanese Thingy.

A title like this makes me wonder why the examples don't consist of only things that actually came from Japan. I see this listed on work pages like Adventure Time, which is clearly a western cartoon. Looking at the discussion on the page, I see someone decided to add this tiny little hottip that tries to justify the existence of non-Japanese examples on it by giving other acronyms that include WTF (A Weird Thing from France), WHAT (A Weird Humorous American Thing) or just WAT, Wabbit (Weird British Thing), Wicket (Weird Canadian Thing), STANZA (Strange Thing from Australia/New Zealand/Australasia), EIEIO (Excessively Irish Example of Intentional Oddity), WST (Weird Scandinavian Thing) and WIT (Weird Icelandic Thing).

Now, this isn't a repair shop thread. This is a thread to discuss whether I should make a repair shop thread, because I find it odd that this pre-existing term, which by it's name alone should be limited ONLY to examples that actually come from Japan, has numerous non-Japanese examples on it, with only a small hot-tip trying to justify them.

What do you folks think?

32_Footsteps Think of the mooks! from Just north of Arkham Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Think of the mooks!
#2: Oct 11th 2011 at 12:46:03 PM

There's been some definition drift for this one over the years. I think the original idea was that things from Japan that strike folks as odd are consistently strange in the same way, every time (which I don't necessarily think is true... Bobobobo Bobobo and Welcome To The NHK are distinctly weird in much different ways).

This has somehow mutated into a "man, this is weird." And I don't think that any American would really be able to say whether something American was consistently strange in an American fashion; that would be a bit culturally dependant.

For that matter, it seems to me that what would strike an American as being a Weird Japanese Thing would possibly be different from what a Brit or the French would... and even if they all agreed that one particular thing was a WJT, there's no guarantee that those three would agree on what makes it one.

Reminder: Offscreen Villainy does not count towards Complete Monster.
20LogRoot10 Since: Aug, 2011
#3: Oct 11th 2011 at 6:05:24 PM

It seems this trope wants to be about things that seem weird due to cultural differences, but it's become about things that are just plain odd. I personally blame the fact that "widget" sounds as strange as the series it describes.

Yeah, unwritten rule number one: follow all the unwritten procedures. - Camacan
Raso Cure Candy Since: Jul, 2009
Cure Candy
#4: Oct 11th 2011 at 6:17:04 PM

I think most of the problem comes from What Do You Mean, It Wasn't Made on Drugs? (mostly from the name I think.)

Sparkling and glittering! Jan-Ken-Pon!
DoktorvonEurotrash Welcome, traveller, welcome to Omsk Since: Jan, 2001
Welcome, traveller, welcome to Omsk
#5: Oct 12th 2011 at 1:12:12 AM

I think restricting it to Japanese works would be a bit culturally myopic. The idea leaves a bad taste in my mouth - a Japanese person might not find the works weird at all, due to having a wider insight in the cultural background, so the article would seem like it intended to alienate Japanese users. I like having the term being equal-opportunity. It makes us seem less like a bunch of narrow-minded Americans pointing and laughing at those crazy Japanese.

edited 12th Oct '11 1:13:01 AM by DoktorvonEurotrash

It does not matter who I am. What matters is, who will you become? - motto of Omsk Bird
DRCEQ Since: Oct, 2009
#6: Oct 12th 2011 at 4:45:33 AM

But that's part of the name's problem. A Pre-existing term such as Weird Japanese Thingy by it's name alone is designed only for Japanese examples. If everything on that trope is an example of "It's popular because it's odd", then a rename is needed.... but it's a pre-existing term, so....

20LogRoot10 Since: Aug, 2011
#7: Oct 12th 2011 at 11:02:02 AM

[up][up]The article as written is specifically about things that only seem odd due to lacking that insight. It's looking more and more like it needs to visit TRS.

Yeah, unwritten rule number one: follow all the unwritten procedures. - Camacan
BrokenEye True False Prophet from Beyond the Stars Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
True False Prophet
#8: May 4th 2014 at 10:10:03 PM

I think the examples should be separated by categories, like what you see on other trope pages that have multiple versions. You have the Weird Japanese Things under one heading, and the Weird Things from France under a different one. And then give the page they're all on its own, more general acronym like Weird Foreign Thing, or something.

If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is
Someoneman Since: Nov, 2011
#9: May 5th 2014 at 6:46:52 PM

I think that Widget Series should be split into "Japan Is Weird" (about the stereotype that the Japanese enjoy things that seem bizarre to other cultures, since the title "Widget Series" is clearly coming from said stereotype) and a second trope for works that are extremely strange and nonsensical with a less culturally specific name.

edited 5th May '14 6:48:29 PM by Someoneman

Add Post

Total posts: 9
Top