History Administrivia / NotASubversion

A good rule of thumb for remembering which is which is that a ''subv''ersion is where the writer literally "''subv''erts our expectations," while an ''av''ersion is where the writer completely ''av''oids them from the get-go (in fact, it might even be better for aversions to simply be called "avoidances", were it not for the enormous hassle such a change would be for this site).

A good rule of thumb for remembering which is which is that a ''subv''ersion is where the writer literally "''subv''erts our expectations," while an ''av''ersion is where the writer completely ''av''oids them from the get-go (in fact, it might even be better for aversions to simply be called "absent tropes", were it not for the enormous hassle such a change would be for this site).

A good rule of thumb for remembering which is which is that a ''subv''ersion is where the writer literally "''subv''erts our expectations," while an ''av''ersion is where the writer completely ''av''oids them from the get-go (in fact, it might even be better for aversions to simply be called "avoidances" or "absent tropes" were it not for the enormous hassle such a change would be for this site).

A good rule of thumb for remembering which is which is that a ''subv''ersion is where the writer literally "''subv''erts our expectations," while an ''av''ersion is where the writer completely ''av''oids them from the get-go (in fact, it might even be better for aversions to simply be called "avoidances," were it not for the enormous hassle such a change would be for this site).

A good rule of thumb for remembering which is which is that a ''subv''ersion is where the writer literally "''subv''erts our expectations," while an ''av''ersion is where the writer completely ''av''oids them from the get-go (in fact, it might even be better for aversions to simply be called "avoidances," were it not for the enormous hassle such a change would be for this site).

Worst case scenario, the so-called "subversion" is actually not an example at all. If the event that gets "subverted" is Administrivia/NotATrope, it is not a subversion because there is no trope. It's just BaitAndSwitch. Lacking basic required elements of the trope is also not a "subversion"; it may be a DeconstructedTrope instead.

If you find yourself struggling to describe a work's convoluted usage of a trope that meanders between actual examples of subversion and various other categories on this page, there's a good chance you're looking at a zig-zagged trope- a sort of meta-example where the creator spends the whole work poking the trope with a stick in various ways.

-->-- '''[[WebVideo/BeatriceTheGoldenWitch Beatrice]]''', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMH6V5rjuOg&ab_channel=AJ Is There Meaning In "Subverting" Shounen Tropes?]] (video contains spoilers)

Worst case scenario, the so-called "subversion" is actually not an example at all. If the event that gets "subverted" is Administrivia/NotATrope, it is not a subversion because there is no trope. It's just BaitAndSwitch. Lacking basic required elements of the trope is also not a "subversion", it may be a DeconstructedTrope instead.

Worst case scenario, the so-called "subversion" is actually not an example at all. If the event that gets "subverted" is Administrivia/NotATrope, it is not a subversion because there is no trope. It's just BaitAndSwitch. Lacking basic required elements of the trope is also not a "subversion", it's a DeconstructedTrope.

Worst case scenario, the so-called "subversion" is actually not an example at all. If the event that gets "subverted" is Administrivia/NotATrope, it is not a subversion because there is no trope. It's just BaitAndSwitch. Lacking basic required elements of the trope is also not a "subversion", it's just not that trope.

A ''real'' subversion plays off the expectation of a familiar trope being set up in the viewers mind. Subtle, even laudably creative, variants are not that. When a trope ''is'' subverted it's very, very obvious: there is no "somewhat."

* Subversion: The show makes it look like the black dude is going to die first, but then he doesn't.

-->-- '''[[WebVideo/{{BeatriceTheGoldenWitch}} Beatrice]]''', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUQfInd0gLA&t Is There Meaning In "Subverting" Shounen Tropes?]] (video contains spoilers) (video is marked as private and cannot be viewed)

-->-- '''[[WebVideo/{{Diginee}} Digi]]''', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUQfInd0gLA&t Is There Meaning In "Subverting" Shounen Tropes?]] (video contains spoilers)

Occasionally, {{Deconstruction}}s are also listed as subversions. A DeconstructedTrope is played completely straight, and so is not a subversion even though they subvert people's expectations of the ''consequences'' of a trope. There's also a related problem of people mislabelling things as deconstructions or deconstructed tropes [[Administrivia/NotADeconstruction when they aren't]], but that's another matter.

-->-- '''[[WebVideo/{{Digibro}} Digi]]''', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUQfInd0gLA&t Is There Meaning In "Subverting" Shounen Tropes?]] (video contains spoilers)

-->-- '''[[WebVideo/{{Digibro}} Digi]]''', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUQfInd0gLA&t=53s Is There Meaning In "Subverting" Shounen Tropes?]] (video contains spoilers)

-->-- '''WebVideo/{{Digibro}}''', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUQfInd0gLA&t=53s Is There Meaning In "Subverting" Shounen Tropes?]] (video contains spoilers)

The [[YouKeepUsingThatWord loose usage]] of the term "[[SubvertedTrope subversion]]". "Subverted Trope" as we define it here means "It's set up to look like the trope is going to happen, but then it doesn't," but people like to call just about anything a subversion.

Worse, occasionally a ''slight'' spin on the standard trope formula, such as the addition of an in-universe justification why the trope happens, is seized upon as a subversion by the occasional fan, perhaps because they don't want to acknowledge that a trope was played deadly straight [[TropesAreTools to good effect]] in their favourite work. The reverse assumption is also common.

Worse, occasionally a ''slight'' spin on the standard trope formula, such as the addition of a justification, is seized upon as a subversion by the occasional fan, perhaps because they don't want to acknowledge that a trope was played deadly straight [[TropesAreTools to good effect]] in their favourite work. The reverse assumption is also common.

!! SubvertedTrope vs. SquarePegRoundTrope

Occasionally, {{Deconstruction}}s are also listed as subversions. A DeconstructedTrope is played completely straight, and so is not a subversion even though they subvert people's expectations of the ''consequences'' of a trope. There's also a related problem of people mislabelling things as deconstructions or deconstructed tropes [[NotADeconstruction when they aren't]], but that's another matter.

A good rule of thumb for remembering which is which is that a ''subv''ersion is where the writer literally "''subv''erts our expectations," while an ''av''ersion is where the writer completely ''av''oids them from the get-go. (in fact, it might even be better for aversions to simply be called "avoidances," were it not for the enormous hassle such a change would be for this site).

A Wiki/TVTropes {{wiki trope|s}} involving the [[YouKeepUsingThatWord loose usage]] of the term "[[SubvertedTrope subversion]]". "Subverted Trope" as we define it here means "It's set up to look like the trope is going to happen, but then it doesn't," but people like to call just about anything a subversion.