Fridge Brilliance and Horror

I have noticed a problem with the "Fridge" namespace, the trope has a very loose definition. It's about things that you don't notice immediately but on reruns or after giving the plot a lot of thought. We have detail A from the plot and detail B that is either a more obscure detail from the plot (or the franchise) or some relevant real-life detail. A + B = C, C either means that the plot makes even more sense than we may have thought (Fridge Brilliance) or that someone is/will be in trouble (Fridge Horror). Problem is, anything goes if it fits that broad definition. Those pages should need some rules in order to reduce the cruft. I propose some ideas.

Things that should not be examples

• Non-sequitur examples. If C is not a direct and logical outcome of A + B (perhaps A + B mean that C may happen) then it's just free association.
• B is no longer canon, or it's from the source material and not stated to be the case in the adaptation. Then, an example that relies on B is questionable, even if prefaced with "if B is also canon here...".
• B is from real life but it contradicts the internal rules of the work.
• B is from real life but it is not ubiquitous enough that you can take it for granted that it exists in its real-life form even if not openly stated (for example, theft being a crime as a general idea is ubiquitous, but the specific fine print of the penal code is not).
• If the A + B = C relation is already openly made in the work to begin with, it's not fridge. There will always be slow watchers that fail to notice the first time something that was explained in their faces, specially if the work is really complex, or if it seemed irrelevant trivia at the moment and a Call-Back makes that info significant later.
• WMG. If something in the work is left a mystery on purpose, trying to guess the answer is for the WMG page.
• Fridge about the work as a real-life work of fiction rather than about its content (for example "and this is likely the true reason the creator did things this way and not that other way"). When it comes to that side of the work, we stick to the known reported facts and avoid rumors and gossip, we certainly won't be creating them ourselves.
• An explanation that amounts to "and this is why this trope works so well!". Those may be better suited for an Analysis page of the trope itself.

Thank you. I've been waiting for a discussion like this for ages... but I think this'll be more suited for Trope Talk.

Fridge attracts a lot of misuse, but this is better served in Trope Talk.

Edited by RallyBot2 on Sep 27th 2021 at 3:10:41 PM

I have started the discussion at that forum, here. Please some admin close this one.