Discussion Main / SlidingScaleOfBroadAppealVSSpecificAppeal

I just listed several examples to all three folders, to start with anyways. Feel free to build upon it.

Well it could do with improvement by further reference to Multiple Demographic Appeal and Periphery Demographic. It's a supertrope so super and broad a concepter that examples aren't as much of a problem as making sure that you can demonstrate properly by the tropes that we have and by a few particular examples. The Mickey Mouse and Popeye examples are just awful. Both have an appeal to a wide range of audiences of all ages all over the world. One is just written to be shoehorned into a greater variety of plots so that he can work better as a corporate logo.

I can find nothing that says we have this already. A sliding scale of appeal is useful, interesting and outside of the long, overwrought and just plain bad examples of Mickey And Popeye (really, really sorry but I just find it strange you couldn't think of any two better shows for examples), the beginning description is quite good. Names fine. It could benefit from more exposure but it's not worth cutting.

Alright i edited out the Mickey VS Popeye comparison (although Mickey still gets a mention on the Broad Appeal part of the scale) and i decided to use Star Trek as an example of a series aiming for a specific group, following or appeal. (or would it be interesting to just scrap the mickey mouse example altogether in favor of a Star Wars and Star Trek comparison for the sake of this scale?)

I wouldn't think Star Trek would be an example of limited appeal since it's on equal terms with Star Wars as the most popular Sci-Fi title.

What about hobbyist magazines and websites? Those only appeal to people in the hobby, but almost no one who isn't.

The picture just confuses me. Popeye and Mickey Mouse are both broad appeal. Not sure there is a good picture for this trope.

Popeye is a very specific character that just happened to become popular enough to gain a wide audience. And its been mentioned many times by Disney that Mickey is an intentionally broad, simplistic character.

If you're going to insist Popeye is specific appeal you need to explain why, as this is not information readily apparent to the rest of us.

Consider Popeye's personality:

No matter what location or scenario Popeye is in, Popeye is still the same character-he's a rough and tough fighter, but ONLY fights when provoked, is feircely loyal to Olive Oyl regardless of how fickle she is, and is actually friends with Bruto unless a certain situation drives them to fight each other.

Also, as another example of a character with specific personality, consider the classic Daffy Duck short Duck Amuck, which despite the changing of locations and appearance, we STILL recognize Daffy as a character because of how specific and established his personality is.

With Mickey Mouse, it's the complete opposite: whatever personality he has depends ENTIRELY on the situation he's placed in-hence why he's an Everyman type character, and whatever personality traits he dons are so broad and general that they never become distinguishable or set in stone for him.

...Uh, when I wrote "explain why" I meant on the main page, not to me personally.