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MrStranger616 Since: Feb, 2020
Jul 23rd 2021 at 9:49:53 AM •••

Didn't another episode of Rick and Morty overlap this with "Hypocritical Humor"? Or is that more "Dramatically Missing the Point"?

Bootlebat Since: Dec, 2012
Mar 16th 2018 at 8:50:20 PM •••

I think this and completely missing the point should be 2 separate tropes as the completely missing the point examples are sometimes not funny at all.

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GastonRabbit MOD (General of TV Troops)
Jul 11th 2018 at 6:26:13 AM •••

We already have Dramatically Missing the Point for non-comical examples. Completely Missing the Point is this trope's old name; it was dropped because it was misused for the sake of complaining.

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
billybobfred [[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Cosine!]] Since: Jan, 2001
[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Cosine!]]
Mar 21st 2017 at 11:45:21 PM •••

This article is the target of 1 redirect(s).
Main/Completely Missing The Point
On 1263 page(s).
This trope was renamed in 2011. How do we still have that many wicks to the old name?

Edited by billybobfred she her hers hOI!!! i'm tempe Hide / Show Replies
GastonRabbit MOD (General of TV Troops)
Jun 30th 2017 at 4:14:02 PM •••

It could be that people are still potholing to the old name when complaining about people missing a point, not knowing that it's a humor trope (in other words, the reason why it was renamed to begin with). Such a case would be similar to how I've deleted instances of people potholing to "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer as though it's a drop-in replacement for I Am Not Making This Up.

Edited by GastonRabbit Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
MercuryPenny1 proud infrequent contributor Since: Feb, 2014
proud infrequent contributor
Apr 8th 2015 at 5:44:17 PM •••

Did anyone else notice that the page image links to a non-existent page?

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SeptimusHeap MOD (Edited uphill both ways)
Apr 9th 2015 at 8:26:57 AM •••

Yes, which is not a problem. The title of the target page is important, not so much its content.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
TheLyniezian Is not actually from Lyniezia Since: Aug, 2012
Is not actually from Lyniezia
Jun 18th 2013 at 2:44:16 PM •••

Not too sure the Biblical examples are all too comical. "Tragically Missing the Point" might be more accurate here.

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MikeRosoft Since: Jan, 2001
Jul 23rd 2013 at 11:40:47 AM •••

Agreed and removed:

    Religion and Mythology 
  • Older Than Feudalism, from The Bible:
    Micah 6:7-8: Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, [or] with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn [for] my transgression, the fruit of my body [for] the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
    • Samuel does this in a big way when Saul spares some of the Amalekites and their livestock (which God had previously ordered completely destroyed for their crimes against the Hebrews during the Exodus). Saul says, more or less "I offered the usual sacrifices," and then Samuel more or less flies at him:
      1 Samuel 15:22-Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in hearkening to the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice!
    Samuel then went to the Amalekite king Agag and "hewed him in pieces," saying (implicitly), "this is the point, you idiot! Just why did I ever make you king?"
    • Jesus said it very well when speaking of the Pharisees who forgot the meaning of the law was to show mercy and faith in Matthew 23:24 'Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.'

Long live Marxism-Lennonism!
TheLyniezian Since: Aug, 2012
Oct 4th 2013 at 12:29:18 PM •••

Saved me a job then. It might have made sense when the trope was still "Completely Missing the Point" but not since the name change.

Stoogebie Since: Apr, 2011
Jul 12th 2012 at 11:54:57 AM •••

I have this dialogue from a work I'm doing:

Al: Make any new friends last year?
Ben: ...
Al: You're kidding, right?
Ben: Hey shut up! I did make a couple of buds, it's just...well, one moved away, one broke it off with me, and one of them died in a fire
Al: *stares at Ben in disbelief*
Ben: No, broke it off wasn't it. Uh, they're not friends with me anymore.
Al: What about the one who di-
Ben: It was a completely platonic relationship! No, we hate each other. So it's hatonic! A hatonic relationship!
Al: That's...not what...ugh, forget it.
Is there another trope I'm missing here? Besides the potlinked ones, that is? I'm at least pretty sure it counts as this trope...

Edited by Stoogebie
djbj Since: Oct, 2010
Jul 19th 2011 at 8:30:22 PM •••

Someone added a real life example even though this is an in-universe comedy trope. The very reason this trope was renamed is because people kept adding real life examples as a way to complain about things. I'm going to add a No Real Life Examples Please note to the main text.

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DonaldthePotholer Since: Dec, 2009
Sep 17th 2011 at 6:51:46 PM •••

Moved the former page image to Image Wiki, as it was a Real Life Examples. The only works-based example in the image page can work, if it didn't need all 4 panels.

Ketchum's corollary to Clarke's Third Law: Any sufficiently advanced tactic is indistinguishable from blind luck.
algebra17 Since: Apr, 2012
Jul 12th 2012 at 2:18:25 AM •••

I only have one Real Life Example on me, but I'm wondering why they're forbidden for this trope — it's a relatively common device people use in bantering back and forth.

I mean, think about the conversation between one of Leonidas' general and a messenger for the Persians at Thermopylae:

Messenger: Our arrows shall block out the sun! General: Then we shall have our battle in the shade.

In this case, you could argue that the General is missing the point that this great number of arrows would be really deadly [i]for intended comic effect on his part[/i]. I mean, it also might qualify as finding the silver lining, but you get what I mean?

I have another example of a possible usage in conversation, just to show that it's applicable to real life. Consider a refutation of a "yo momma" joke:

A: What's the difference between yo momma and your washing machine? B: I don't know. A: When I drop a load in your washing machine, it doesn't follow me around for a week! B: My washing machine opens in the front.

So, couldn't this trope have examples in real life? [I thought I'd bring this to the discussion first, since I'm not sure about it, and the page said no. That, and I'm new at this.]

Edited by algebra17
CrypticMirror CrypticMirror Since: Jan, 2001
CrypticMirror
Feb 11th 2012 at 3:32:14 PM •••

An X Just X and Weblinks Are Not Examples line cut pending expansion. Also removed a massive chunk of Complaining about the fanbase not agreeing with the troper.

  • Misfile
    • An in-universe example of this trope can be found in this strip.

Lizuka Since: Jan, 2001
Sep 30th 2011 at 5:26:09 PM •••

Is there some kind of rule that new names have to be terrible?

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BNJC1 Since: Jun, 2009
Oct 12th 2011 at 5:47:47 PM •••

Agreed. These recent renames are just...pointless. The original name got the point across, this is just...good God, awful!

SpellBlade Since: Dec, 1969
Oct 12th 2011 at 5:53:00 PM •••

People kept thinking the trope applied to any character missing the point, whether or not it's a comical moment, so it was renamed.

toomanyaccounts Since: Aug, 2011
Oct 16th 2011 at 7:29:22 PM •••

I know I'm relatively new to the wiki and every edit I make brings me closer to getting kicked off(probably), but this trope has its uses outside of comedy, and the old name fit it better.

AmyJade Since: Jan, 2001
Oct 16th 2011 at 9:00:30 PM •••

The trope's main use outside of comedy seems to be tropers potholing it into inane responses to previous edits.

SpellBlade Since: Dec, 1969
Oct 16th 2011 at 11:31:38 PM •••

^^ If you read the trope description, you'd know that's not true.

Webby Since: Dec, 2010
Oct 27th 2011 at 7:59:02 PM •••

People were using it to mean writers or creators missing the point as well. The rename wasn't pointless, and although it doesn't sound as good at least it's being used as a trope.

Actually a girl.
Snesman64 Since: Aug, 2011
Nov 30th 2011 at 2:34:02 PM •••

If the rename doesn't manage to keep people from misusing the trope can we possibly change the name back?

loafer Since: Nov, 2011
Nov 17th 2011 at 5:20:42 AM •••

I'll change "Dr. Evil of the Austin Powers films misses the point when Frau tries telling him that she's pregnant." in Film Examples to "Dr. Evil of the Austin Powers films misses the point when Frau Farbissina tries telling him that she's pregnant." because "Frau" is not her first name, it is the german word for Mrs.

TVG the vague generation Since: Sep, 2010
the vague generation
Mar 13th 2011 at 8:22:37 PM •••

I've noted how much this trope gets potholed as a criticism of prose laid by earlier tropes, or general snark at a third party, which I do believe should be addressed somehow, perhaps by blanking the page and making this trope a permanent red link, or at the very least discouraging a pothole.

68.96.198.72 Since: Dec, 1969
Oct 14th 2010 at 12:53:54 AM •••

You know what's really this trope? When another troper brought up a valid point about subjectivity of a character and whether or not they counted as The Wesley or not and went into a completely different direction with it.

Funny, isn't it?

Edited by 68.96.198.72
JackSlack Since: Nov, 2009
May 10th 2010 at 9:20:34 PM •••

Regarding the Dragon Age example:

It occurs to me more expanation of my edit there is needed, but it's inappropriate to commit to the main page.

The passage that I think prompted a previous editor to suggest that Cailan was attempting to turn the country over to Orlais was this:

(This letter appears to have been crumpled then carefully smoothed out and folded again) Cailan, The visit to Ferelden will be postponed indefinitely, due to the darkspawn problem. You understand, of course? The darkspawn have odd timing, don't they? Let us deal with them first. Once that is done we can further discuss a permanent alliance between Orlais and Ferelden. — "A note written in an uncharacteristally familiar tone from Empress Celene to King Cailan"

I see the idea, but the claim of 'permanent alliance' is a hell of a distance from "turning over the country". The real thing here is the difference between Logaine's worldview (formed during the occupation of Fereldan by the Orlesians) of Orlais as an incredibly powerful enemy who would love to reconquer Fereldan, and the current reality (that Orlais is not currently hostile to Fereldan, and retaking the country would be a costly endeavour it does not care to endure).

Basically, I think the poster is Completely Missing The Point. Those letters imply that Cailan was secretly having an affair with the empress of Orlais, but it doesn't infer that he was traitorous.

Edited by JackSlack Hide / Show Replies
Turtler Since: Jun, 2009
Aug 17th 2010 at 10:13:45 PM •••

In a feudal world where politics and personal relationships (up to AND including marraige) are so intertwined as to be effectively conjoined, it is difficult to say anything for certain, but even the simple fact that Cailan and Celene were having an affair would have sent up red flags in real life given how land transfers can happen amongst royalty via marraige, it is probable that an alliance would have been the very LEAST that would have happened, particularly considering the possibilities of Celene just using Cailan to prepare for a move on Fereldan in general. It's not 100% certain proof, but it is enough to be highly suspicious of, particularly that even if Cailan wasn't treasonous it might leave the door open for another occupation anyway.

JDCyrus Someone Since: Mar, 2010
Someone
Aug 8th 2010 at 9:40:06 PM •••

I'm not sure whether I like the new image or the old one better (the old one definitely benefited from the caption), but either way I think we can do better. If anyone finds a better image, try posting it; I will if I find one. (I suspect that the current image is a very good illustration of a trope, but not this one. Not sure which one, though.)

No signature at present. (Except for these two sentences fragments.) Hide / Show Replies
AnonymousMcCartneyfan Since: Jan, 2001
Aug 8th 2010 at 9:57:26 PM •••

Recommend that we not use an image that is clearly a Real Life example.

There is a fine line between recklessness and courage — Paul McCartney
gumbal1 Cool Person Since: Sep, 2009
Cool Person
Jul 23rd 2010 at 5:31:25 PM •••

We need to clean up the Playing With section of Completely Missing The Point.

Signatures are for squares. Hide / Show Replies
Hungertoad Since: Dec, 1969
Aug 6th 2010 at 1:04:00 PM •••

Would that happen to be the subverted and double subverted points? Because I wasn't that sure if that would work when I wrote it

A.Rex Son I am disappoint. Since: Dec, 2009
Son I am disappoint.
Jun 17th 2010 at 5:30:28 PM •••

What happened to the image? (don't try to give justification for removing it. There is none)

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