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I've had a similar query about argument scenes being disturbingly realistic here
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Harsher in Hindsight? I think that covers things that are even more disturbing due to similarity to real-life events.
A Million Is a Statistic, maybe? As in, killing thousands seems less repulsive on a visceral level than abusing one person.
But what about scenes where the tone is just generally uncomfortable because they're portrayed so realistically?
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
Angst Aversion might be the best fit. But I think it's for work's overall tone than individual characters so it better play a big role in the work to count.
And if they are supposed to make you uncomfortable, be carful it's not complaining about things you don't like.
Being "realistically bad", I assume? (Because being "realistically good" can't be disturbing)
We can never truly eradicate the coronavirus, but we can suppress its threat like influenza
Reception of Umbridge as a villain is another example.
Violence Is Disturbing certainly has this effect on me, like in this campaign ad with Keira Knightley.
^ That would be a subtrope, I think.
The general concept would be "Realism-Induced Horror"
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
^^ Violence Is Disturbing would count for the Joker example, but not so much for the Yuuzhan Vong. Harsher in Hindsight wouldn't work for either as there have been abusive relationships and terrorists long before the works in question.
See, what gives me this feeling is Electronic Game Information. Despite being a comedy stream about video games, there was one arc where the two co-hosts, Robby and Alan, were arguing viciously. I knew it was scripted, but the argument seemed too realistic, as if they were legitimately pissed at each other. Other webseries with arguments like that give me the same "uncomfortably real" vibe.
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
Closest thing I can think of would be Does This Remind You of Anything?
We can never truly eradicate the coronavirus, but we can suppress its threat like influenza
I thought of another example from BTAS, although this probably could fit under Harsher in Hindsight, so I put it there for now: in "Harlequinade" the Joker plans to commit nuclear terrorism need I say more?
Edited by Bootlebat
I'm reminded of the common reaction to It: Chapter Two expressing that the opening scene (taken from the book) was too tasteless and difficult to watch due to depicting a homophobic hate crime, which turned off people hoping for less realistic horror. This seems like a viable audience reaction.
I'm asking you guys: would Does This Remind You of Anything? suffice?
We can never truly eradicate the coronavirus, but we can suppress its threat like influenza
^ No. That's when something is intentionally made to look like something else. It's got nothing to do with this concept.
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
Adult Fear is probably the closest to the original question. That's usually reserved for more mundane fears, but can be expanded to more horrifying scenarios like losing a child.
I know this isn't about comedy, but I think a lot of the same talking points from the description for Dude, Not Funny! probably apply. Where the line is between entertaining realism and being too close for comfort. When a villain stops being a cool thing for the hero to fight and becomes too much like a real-life monster.
^ That's no longer an audience reaction trope, though.
There's Reality Subtext
We can never truly eradicate the coronavirus, but we can suppress its threat like influenza
^ You seem to be missing the fact that this has nothing to do with subtext; it's just something in a work being portrayed so utterly realistically that it becomes upsetting to watch.
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
I was more suggesting it as a starting point to draw from. Though there are tropes that are both YMMV and main page.
Reality Subtext is more about real events shaping production than about a work more closely resembling reality.
So it seems like this is a common issue people have; TLP time?
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
^^^ By "realistic", it tends to end up being "following real life X closely", which is why I think of subtext.
We can never truly eradicate the coronavirus, but we can suppress its threat like influenza
I guess I'll start a TLP of this since I thought of another example
Did this proposed TLP ever get made? I've been looking and the closest I can find is Realistic Horror (Tenative title) by Adept Gaderius
We have Realism-Induced Horror now.
Edited by WarJay77 Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
What trope would this fall under? some examples:
- A lot of people find The Jokers horrible treatment of Harley Quinn to be his most despicable trait, as it seems all too similar to a real abusive relationship
- One for me personally, (although I doubt I'm alone), the Yuuzhan Vong in the Star Wars Legends EU freak me out, as their mindset seems too much like real religious extremist/terrorist groups.
Edited by Bootlebat