Rename (alt titles 5/15): BLAM Episode

"BLAM Episode" sounds just like "Wham Episode" but is in fact unrelated. This is because the BLAM part is actually an acronym for Big-Lipped Alligator Moment.

The Rename Guidelines tell us to avoid acronym trope names, so I think it would be good to swap this page name with its redirect that spells out the acronym, i.e. Big Lipped Alligator Episode.

They're roughly the same. Both require knowledge of the meaning behind "big lipped alligator moment." If anything, BLAM Episode makes more sense. It's like a BLAM, but for a whole episode. But when you stretch out the acronym, you see the metaphor lost. An episode with a big lipped alligator? No, that's not that a BLAM episode is. It's impossible to keep one of those guys around for longer than a moment.

If we did rename the trope, we'd rightly drop the BLAM altogether.

One thing at a time. And if we rename this, it might even have a different name altogether.

No, I don't think they're meant to be the same.

WHAM is supposed to be an episode that contains a shocking event that has a major impact on the continuity (e.g. suddenly one of the major characters gets killed off). BLAM is supposed to be an episode that is just weird and is ignored for continuity (e.g. an episode features an inexplicable swarm of penguins that are never mentioned again).

That said, BLAM contains a lot of examples that are wrong (e.g. for shows that have no continuity, or shows that are intentionally weird all the time) and contains quite a lot of Complaining About Episodes You Don't Like.

At the least, BLAM should be subjective and requires cleanup (and removing about half of the examples). And given the incorrect examples on the page, I'm not averse to dropping the "BLAM" reference from the name, either.

Sorry - I meant BLAM Episode and Big Lipped Alligator Episode are roughly the same, with the same flaws. BLAM Episode and Wham Episode are different indeed.

edited 21st Jan '12 2:09:28 AM by Routerie

An out-of-nowhere episode that is different based on if it changes continuity, or gets ignored in future continuity.

Seem similar to me. Different tropes, but similar.

This, particularly about the rename.

Is it too early to make a renaming crowner?

Bump. Any objections to swapping with the redirect (that spells out the acronym)?

Well, it's not worse, but it's only slightly better. Either way, you must know what a big lipped alligator moment is to understand it.

Yep, generally pointless shuffling.

I think that the acronym works. Because it spells out "BLAM", generally a onomatopoeia for something hitting something out of nowhere. Then again, it might just be my own personal experience...

The acronym only works if you don't know what it means, though. Once you do, you run into the weirdness of calling something a "moment episode".

Also this.

edited 4th Mar '12 4:40:20 AM by DoktorvonEurotrash

The acronym doesn't work because it sounds similar to WHAM, whereas the trope is unrelated. BLAM Episode is unrelated to Wham Episode, but you cannot tell from the titles which is which.

And yes, that's a good point.

edited 4th Mar '12 2:35:08 AM by Spark9

How about B.L.A.M. Episode.

How does that fix any of the problems with the title?

Big Lipped Alligator Episode looks too similar to Big-Lipped Alligator Moment. When I see "BLAM" initialized in the title, I know it's a reference to the BLAM right away, rather than having to read to the end of the trope name.

I really don't see a reason to swap out the names. I don't get my "BL"s mixed up with "WH"s, and I doubt anyone else would either.

edited 23rd Mar '12 7:19:22 PM by pokedude10

The point is that the name's not descriptive in the least. Hell, Big-Lipped Alligator Moment itself is in desperate need of a rename: it's a reference to some Internet Caustic Critic, which in turn references a specific example from All Dogs Go To Heaven. It doesn't freaking describe the trope, it simply copies someone else's esoteric term for it.

All I'm saying is, we need a little less Darmok here. Both tropes should have descriptive names - and, yes, possibly related names. But enough about long-term plans. Big-Lipped Alligator Moment needs to go, but the issue at hand is BLAM Episode, which adds an additional level of obfuscation by requiring that the reader knows what "BLAM" means in the first place. Forgive me for repeating myself, but it doesn't freaking describe the trope.

In the interim, consider this an additional vote for Big Lipped Alligator Episode.

I'd say #14 is as much of an argument to rename Wham Episode as BLAM Episode. Both are about unexpected events.

However, I don't see how Big Lipped Alligator Episode looks too similar to Big-Lipped Alligator Moment.

edited 24th Mar '12 6:24:56 AM by Feather7603

Anyone think A Day at the Bizarro and BLAM Episode are the same trope?

Almost every example on their is also on BLAM Episode so I'm going to say "Yes." Or if there's a difference, editors are ignoring it.

You know, that makes a very good point. There is only slight difference between them.

It says in the description for BLAM Episode that the difference between it and A Day at the Bizarro is that BLAM doesn't come across as surreal. That seems like an awfully weak separation to me; Tropes Are Flexible after all.

edited 25th Mar '12 7:48:07 PM by pokedude10

So A Day at the Bizarro - The Same But More. While we sort out this trope, we can merge those two. (For the record, I just think this needs to be swapped with the redirect.)

edited 25th Mar '12 11:30:56 PM by MegaJ

BTW, the name doesn't spell out to "Big Lipped Alligator Episode". There is still the "M", so it's "Big Lipped Alligator Moment Episode". Doesn't that just "roll off the tongue"?