Not Tropeworthy: The Merch

Not so much that it's not trope-worthy, but I really think it's the type of thing that these days we would classify under "Trivia" and not as a proper trope. Just the fact that the show has merchandise doesn't really seem like a trope to me. Now, Merchandise-Driven, I can see, as when it's merchandise driven, that means that the merchandise that's being put out is being directly tied in to what's being put on TV and influencing the nature of the characters and plot. But not every show or game, etc. that's out there that has merchandise, in fact, most I'd say, are actually merchandise driven. For example, Arthur has a ton of merchandise out there, be it plush toys, tableware, party supplies, etc., but it doesn't really have anything to do with what you see on the Arthur TV show. It's interesting, but I'm just not sure it's a trope.

On the other hand, we have regularly treated treated toylines as works in their own right so in a way this can similar to Film of the Book.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick

That's true, but that isn't really what the The Merch trope is about though. As far as I can tell, the examples on the page are simply about what merchandise a show or franchise has, or lack of.

It does sound like Trivia, aye.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

I came into this topic thinking "I bet this is saying it should be trivia" and I basically agree.

Any time The Merch really affects the work itself would fall under Merchandise-Driven, so I'm down with moving it to Trivia.

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No, The Merch can be used in-universe without falling into Merchandise-Driven. The Spaceballs example, for only one.

Merchandise-Driven is when the work takes a backseat to the merchandise to the point that creative choices are made based not on what they add to the work, but instead on how well they'll translate to merchandise.

edited 3rd Apr '15 6:49:28 AM by Madrugada

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

Well, yes, but Spaceballs is so wildly off from The Merch examples and description it barely merits mentioning.

What I mean is that when The Merch comes up front and center, like characters wearing shirts that the webcomic has for sale in shop. That falls under Merchandise-Driven.

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No, that does not fall under Merchandise-Driven unless the webcomic exists primarily to sell the merchandise, rather than the merchandise existing to support the webcomic. That's what makes it driven by the merch. Merchandise-Driven does not mean just "has a lot of Merch, or pimps it within the work."

Schlock Mercenary has a lot of Merch. It is not Merchandise-Driven. Jeph Jacques makes a lot of T-shirts using the designs he puts on his characters in Questionable Content. It is not Merchandise-Driven, however. Girl Genius has a lot of Merch and they use a lot of the things they use in the comic as ideas for the Merch. But the Merchandise does not drive the comic.

Merchandise-Driven would be something like the Foglios writing the wasp-sniffer weasels in GG into existence only so that they could sell plushies of them.

The GI Joe animated show was Merchandise-Driven. So was the Cabbage Patch Kids Show, and the Pound Puppies show.

edited 3rd Apr '15 10:07:23 AM by Madrugada

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

I disagree:

• Merchandise-Driven is Toys —> show.
• The Merch is show —> Toys.

Both are a different form of The Film of the Book; one medium changing to another medium. That's not trivia.

Link to TRS threads in project mode here.

Who are you disagreeing with, Samaritan?

The difference between The Merch and Merchandise-Driven isn't which one came first. It's which one drives the decisions made in writing/producing/scheduling the work.

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

Disagreeing with this general statement:

Link to TRS threads in project mode here.

I don't see how this is a trope at all. The existence of merchandise related to a work is not a trope within that work. The manufacture of Luke Skywalker figurines, or the fact that George Lucas got ultra-rich after the studio stupidly signed over the rights to those figurines, is not a trope within the Star Wars films.

Cut. Failing that, move to Useful Notes.

How about this?

Remake this trope to be specifically about media that aren't Merchandise-Driven, but just sometimes advertise their merchandise inside the media itself. E.g. like those webcomic examples, where characters inside the comic wear shirts that the author has for sale. So,

• Merchandise-Driven: selling merchandise is the main influence behind the media's creative process;
• This trope: the media is given a secondary use as a free ad space for the merchandise.

Or remake it into a trope strictly about in-universe examples dealing with merchandise.

There are some series out there where the merchandising is relevant to discuss, though. For example Neon Genesis Evangelion has some spectacularly unfitting merchandise given the overall feel of the series, like an officially-licensed strip majong game (believe me, I wish I was making that up), sexy figures of Asuka & Rei, and so on. I do agree, however, that it doesn't matter in most cases. This should be Trivia.

Agreeing with Madrugada's assessment of the trope, though I think it could stand to be made into Trivia. In-Universe examples like Spaceballs aren't that common to my knowledge.

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Seconding making this Trivia.

she/her | TRS needs your help! | Contributor of Trope Report

Yeah, Trivia seems the best fit.

And for the few times there's an In-Universe use like with Spaceballs, there's always the option of the [[invoked]] tag (unless that only works with YMMV entries, dunno for sure).

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Seems like trivia to me too. If there's an In-Universe use of it, it draws from how it's used by other works, which is something external to the work itself. Parodies often play with the tropes in non-standard ways, so they're usually not a good indication for how it's usually used. Usually.

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It is a trope about the Luke Skywalker figurines, and we do trope toys. The Merch is a new medium that takes elements from the original work. The example isn't Star Wars films, it's Star Wars figurines (or lunch boxes, or pinball games, or video games, or costumes).

Link to TRS threads in project mode here.

I see no problem with making The Merch a trivia item.

So we have 8 or 9 for making this Trivia. Safe to call?

she/her | TRS needs your help! | Contributor of Trope Report

Let's call this for making it trivia.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick

Okay, it's under the Trivia index now. And now, to deal with wicks on work pages...

she/her | TRS needs your help! | Contributor of Trope Report

Just moved a couple. Will see about working on more tomorrow.

Moved a few, focusing on work/creator pages under the assumption that being listed on a trope page means it's either in the description or in an entry.

Stopped at UsefulNotes.Barack Obama, as I'm not sure that RL people even get Trivia tabs (so I asked on Ask The Tropers).

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