I did some serious clean up on the page itself. It seems like it just needs some clean up and for people to stop listing Subculture of the Week. The wicks could use a once over as well.
edited 18th May '14 1:00:31 PM by shimaspawn
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
The trouble is that the name is non-indicative as well. I can see how the name connects to the description, but it uses both reactionary and fantasy in a non-standard way.
I agree, the name isn't the best and there is a decent chuck of misuse.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Hi
Clock is set.
Apparition in the Woods
The Reactionary Fantasy is a very real trope if you look at something like God Is Not Dead or, ye gods, The Turner Diaries, but it is being wildly misused here. Some clean-up is definitely necessary.
EDI: Ah, the description here seems to be going with a different definition in turn. I'm not sure exactly what the technical term for that trope is. It does exist, but the examples here are kind of mixed...
edited 18th Jun '14 4:57:27 PM by JHM
I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.
If nothing else it need a rename and an example cleanup, but I'm not to inclined to even keep it.
edited 19th Jun '14 5:03:25 AM by Catbert
After some research, I believe the original use of the term was from Michael Moorcock describing "The Lord of the Rings". IMHO Moorcock pretty much he did mean "those bad Tories are sneaking into my fantasy literature field". AKA, Complaining About Works Whose Political Subtexts I Disagree With. Though yes, LOTR really does have some Tory political subtext in it, especially in "The Scouring of the Shire".
Well, Moorcock also complained about Tolkein's florid writing style. Pot, kettle, black IMHO. :)
Even by *that* definition, the given examples were pretty broad. (Is the existence of obstructive bureaucrats really in itself a reactionary fantasy? Or not being as far left as The Clash?)
PS Why is there a term for "Reactionary Fantasy" and not for "Radical Fantasy"? The latter certainly exists. EG, "His Dark Materials".
Re-clocking due to inactivity over a few months.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Jupiterian Local
I don't think "specific genre of work with a specific political theme" is tropable.
Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Villain Protagonist
^ how would that not be tropable? genres and themes are absolutely tropeworthy
Jupiterian Local
Genres are tropeable and themes are tropeable but a genre-and-theme trope would just be The Same But More Specific. Why would we need a trope for "fantasy work with reactionary politics" and more than we'd need a trope for "action-adventure with reactionary politics" or "period drama with progressive politics" or "romantic comedy with environmentalist themes"?
Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Political ends as sad remains will die
This trope isn't about the fantasy genre. It's about simultaneously engaging in and vilifying a new trend.
Not right away, not right away
I think it needs a new name. When I hear "reactionary fantasy" I think something like the tabletop game Racial Holy War, which was literally a fantasy game for reactionaries, all about acting out in a game the things they wish they could do in real life.
This trope seems to be intended as something very different from that, something like Ripped from the Headlines, only negative, and more subtle than Could This Happen to You?. The name itself seems to be there only to have a Trope Namer, but said Namer isn't even an example of the trope so... why?
Not sure what a better name would be, though.
edited 26th Oct '14 7:54:12 PM by wrm5
Definitively a last clock here.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Clock expired with no progress; closing.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Gives a definition, but the examples mostly don't fit. The examples read more like "A case where conservatives sneak their views into our media".
I mean, Ghostbusters is a reactionary fantasy because one plot point is an obstructive bureaucrat? Is such thing really a fantasy and only believed by reactionaries?
Or Black Metal is reactionary fantasy because "despite having anti-Christian or Pagan lyrics" (interesting turn of phrase that), some of the bands have allegedly conservative politics?
The Ramones are reactionary fantasy because they have more conservatives political views than the Clash? Which means you have to be pretty far left to not count as reactionary!
Really needs a cleanup to be more than Complaining About Shows That Have Politics I Don't Like.