Does Not Illustrate: Lampshade Hanging

Okay, I have a pretty good feeling this is gonna be a hopeless uphill struggle.

Back when I was new to TV Tropes, when I didn't know what a lampshade was or the action of hanging it, I was very confused by this image. I get the Visual Pun humor now, but it's not a good image for demonstrating the trope. It's like a circular definition. It does not help to illustrate the definition because it uses itself in the definition. It's demonstrating Lampshade Hanging as "to hang a lampshade", which isn't helpful for those who don't know what Lampshade Hanging is.

I'd say Keep Until Better Image Suggested, but we should try to find a better image.

edited 16th May '13 6:45:50 AM by Rethkir

Does the actual strip use a proper lampshade?

But anyway, it's just a minor trope. No one will notice if we pull the image.

(Keep Until Better Image Suggested)

That was an edit, because I didn't think it was needed at first.

edited 16th May '13 7:27:25 AM by AnotherDuck

A trope with 60000 inbounds is not "minor".

That said, I'll give this a Keep Until Better Image Suggested.

Oh come on, he even potholed in the joke!

I say don't touch. I think this is literally our biggest trope, isn't it? Important enough that it's on the logo, at least.

This is one where I feel obliged to ask, "Just how do you propose to show the trope in action in a static image, without relying on the text to do all the heavy lifting? The image would have to show both the trope that's being lampshaded, and the fact that the characters in the image are aware of the trope."

Keep Until Better Image Suggested

As I said: hopeless uphill struggle. We could try looking in the comic and webcomic examples, since the text is right there. I'd say it'd have to be a really good image, but it can't hurt to look.

What about the source of the comic? Do the strips immediately before it set up the joke? A little more context might help.

I agree. It does help it make sense in context, but it's an awful lot of text and would not make a good image. [1] At the very least, we could link it in the caption.

edited 16th May '13 7:50:59 AM by Rethkir

k.U.B.I.S. it is then.

Yeeah, that is a lot of text, and OOTS is also an editing nightmare. Yet another reason why I don't care for it, but Keep Until Better Image Suggested for now.

Anyone in favor of providing a link to the comic in the caption?

There you go. Analysis plus a link to said strip at the bottom of the page.

EDIT: Man am I dense... I thought you wanted the link... Anyway, yeah, that would be a good temporary solution until we find a better image.

edited 16th May '13 8:02:39 AM by Basterd

I actually don't like the pic at all. It ISN'T illustrative, and the trope itself is a little confusing when I first came to the site.

But I still do think it's as good as we're going to get.

There are some good examples in the Web Comics section, like this: [1]

edited 16th May '13 8:17:28 AM by Rethkir

Definitely K'UBIS; I think it's very hard to find a better pic than this meta picture that actually includes a lampshade.

Keep. Period.

Another strong keep vote. Funny + 60,000 inbounds + really major page outside the inbounds thing and image has been there a long time. ("Image has been there a long time" is not normally something I would bring up or accept as a point, but here it matters because the page is so big and the image has helped that. And this is part of the uphill battle you knew would happen despite it not being so illustrative.)

If there is a really, really good suggestion, have at it, but I'dn't vote for an illustrative image that was only mediocre.

edited 16th May '13 9:52:38 AM by Telcontar

Keep Until Better Image Suggested - As long as we can at least get the trope through hints (like the Visual Pun in this picture), it demonstrates.

In this case, it "lampshades" the lampshade.

Keep. it's a meta example and a visual pun.

Since the consensus is keep to Keep Until Better Image Suggested, I think this one's safe to lock down.