I just looked over the page and it seems intended for in-universe examples only.
I didn't look at the fanfic section because fanfic gives me hives.
^ That. It's a subtrope of Take That Me.
"Keep in mind that in order to qualify as true to this trope, it has to be lampshaded in the actual work — i.e., one of the characters blurts it out. If it's the audience who's saying it, it's probably just actual Bad Writing."
In other words, yes, it's in-universe only: An actual character in the work turns to the audience, as it were, and says, "who writes this crap?", recognizing that they're a character in a poorly-written (in their own opinion) work. It's not meant to be a page of complaints about works that are poorly written in the opinion of tropers.
I think the name is pretty clear — it's a phrase that's very commonly used in this context. About a jillion fictional characters have, at some point or another, actually uttered something like "who writes this X?"
edited 10th Dec '10 12:08:32 PM by girlyboy
Did we do this or not. If we did then this needs a lock.
Is this trope supposed to be about in-universe examples only? Because (investigation of wicks notwithstanding) the temptation to pothole it for Take Thats and Complaing About Shows You Hate feels pretty strong with this one.
An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.