Poor Image: Casual Sports Jersey

The current isn't very good quality-wise. Perhaps Moose Mason◊ from Archie comics as a replacement?

Not bad. There's also Bazooka from G.I. Joe: 1◊, 2◊, 3◊

2.1 is the best imho.

Examples in 2 are hilarious but also very extreme. I'd rather see a Jerk Jock outside school wearing his uniform.

It's often not a Jerk Jock, though. I much prefer 2.2 to the others.

So... what is the trope, then? Because Bazooka is great and I love GI Joe getting some images but... is the trope seriously "this character wears a jersey"? That seems like People Sit On Chairs.

It's more like "this character wears jerseys every day outside of sports."

And how is that a trope?

I can see how it could be, but what really worries me is this line in the description: "Other times, it's just something the character prefers to wear." That is the epitome of People Sit In Chairs. If it's about showing someone is a sports fan, then sure, it's a trope. If it's "wearing a jersey is the sign of a Lower-Class Lout" then sure, it's a trope. Or if it were to show they're a Jerk Jock, then yep, it's a trope. But if it's just "someone is wearing a jersey" then it's not. And I don't even remember Bazooka being tied to any sort of athletic background or anything (unlike, say, The Fridge). And I note this got launched with a new three hats, which... seems problematic.

Anyhoo. My issues with this "trope" aside, Happy Gilmore◊ seems like an obvious option. As would, well, The Fridge. Both those images show the person still tied to sports in some way, but obviously not playing the sport of the jersey they're wearing.

But really, since there's no inherent meaning to the trope, I think that finding an image would be... difficult. I'm going to bring this up in the YKTTW Crash Rescue Thread.

edited 14th Dec '16 8:35:46 AM by Larkmarn

That line can and should be removed. "This character happens to wear a jersey" is not a trope. The trope is when the jersey is used to indicate something about the character — that they are a jock (jerk or not, doesn't matter); that they fancy themselves a jock; that they wish they had been a jock even though they weren't; that their self-identity is still tied up to their days playing sports; things like that.

Heres B.D from Doonesbury; he's not wearing ta jersey, he's wearing his football helmet despite being on combat duty in Viet Nam:

edited 14th Dec '16 1:28:53 PM by Madrugada

That still seems overly broad, though. It's barely a step up from "the character's clothing says something about them" in terms of vagueness.

And that's why it's so hard to find an image with any meaning; take yours, we have no indication what his football helmet means about him.

"They are an athlete," "they're trapped living in their glory days," "they wish they had athletic skills that they lack" "they support a sports team" are wildly different. But the trope is just about "this is someone who happens to wear a jersey," as are most examples, really. Seriously, the trope is in its infancy and there's so many sloppy examples, not helped by the name.

Made a post in the Crash Rescue Thread.

edited 14th Dec '16 2:13:23 PM by Larkmarn

If this gets traction, then I vote to close this thread and wait for that to resolve before approaching it again (if needed).

That gets my vote.

Why not take it to the Trope Repair Shop instead?

^ Recently launched tropes have a specialized thread in long-term projects because they tend to have the same problems.

edited 15th Dec '16 9:19:27 AM by Morgenthaler