History Main / CompetencePorn

* ''Series/TheJoyOfPainting'': There’s something wonderful about watching Bob Ross calmly go from a blank canvas to a finished landscape in the space of half an hour, all while assuring the viewer that you can do it too with a little practice.

* {{Speedrun}}s in general. There's something very cathartic about watching a talented player completely break a difficult game, whether through incredible reflexes (in a real-time run) or an emulator and frame-by-frame analysis (in a tool-assisted run).

Competence porn is a term [[http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2009/08/leverage-204-fairy-godparents-job-post.html invented]] by ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' writer Creator/JohnRogers and [[https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3bj5bk/the-martian-is-pure-pleasurable-competence-porn-1002 used]] by [[https://www.wired.com/2009/10/admit-it-you-love-competence-porn-too/ a]] lot [[https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/02/the-martian-sherlock-holmes-and-why-we-love-competence-porn/ of]] critics [[http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/schedule-for-wednesday-october-28-2015-1.3291976/competence-porn-why-we-like-to-watch-experts-do-things-we-can-t-1.3291978 since]]. It's the thrill of watching talented people plan, banter, and work together to solve problems. It's not just "characters being good at a thing," particularly if that thing is fighting--otherwise the term would apply to virtually all fiction--but specifically about using cleverness and hard work. Though the term mostly applies to realistic dramas, there's an element of WishFulfillment to it, as characters in a competence porn series rarely have to deal with serious infighting, dead end ideas, and all the other difficulties that affect real life groups.

Not to be confused with the CompetenceZone or with actual [[UsefulNotes/{{Pornography}} porn]]. Compare ATeamMontage, which is this in montage form, CatharsisFactor, TheBeautifulElite, and AsskickingEqualsAuthority.

* The rulebook for ''[[{{TabletopGame/Fate}} Fate Core]]'' says this regarding player characters: "Characters in a game of ''Fate'' are good at things. They aren't bumbling fools who routinely look ridiculous when they're trying to get things done--they're highly skilled, talented, or trained individuals who are capable of making visible change in the world they inhabit."

* ''VideoGame/GhostRecon: Future Soldier'' could essentially be summarized as "stone-cold and extremely put together badasses stop a coup in Russia, and then allow the Russians to take credit for it with nary a flinch".

* ''Fanfic/SarumanOfManyDevices'' portrays all of Middle-Earth's armies and leadership as being rational and competent, including Gondor and Rohan, where in canon they were sabotaged by paranoia and and subterfuge, allowing readers to follow the full breadth of military organisation, rather than hurried plans and desperate last-minute saves.

* Frequently commented on by characters in the Literature/{{Vorkosiverse}}. Competent themselves, all the Vorkosigans are great at recruiting teams of hypercompetent colleagues. Standouts include Elena, Tung and Quinn (military), Illyan (intelligence), Bothari, Drou, Pym and Roic (bodyguards), and Lieutenant Bone and Tsipis (accountants!). Not to mention Cordelia, Alys, Ekaterin and the whole Koudelka clan, none of whom are employees but definitely on Team Vorkosigan. Miles even muses "I adore competent women," and wonders if the diplomat he's thinking of has a sister.

* Frequently commented on by characters in the [[Literature/Vorkosiverse]]. Competent themselves, all the Vorkosigans are great at recruiting teams of hypercompetent colleagues. Standouts include Elena, Tung and Quinn (military), Illyan (intelligence), Bothari, Drou, Pym and Roic (bodyguards), and Lieutenant Bone and Tsipis (accountants!). Not to mention Cordelia, Alys, Ekaterin and the whole Koudelka clan, none of whom are employees but definitely on Team Vorkosigan. Miles even muses "I adore competent women," and wonders if the diplomat he's thinking of has a sister.

* Frequently commented on by characters in the ''Literature/Vorkosiverse''. Competent themselves, all the Vorkosigans are great at recruiting teams of hypercompetent colleagues. Standouts include Elena, Tung and Quinn (military), Illyan (intelligence), Bothari, Drou, Pym and Roic (bodyguards), and Lieutenant Bone and Tsipis (accountants!). Not to mention Cordelia, Alys, Ekaterin and the whole Koudelka clan, none of whom are employees but definitely on Team Vorkosigan. Miles even muses "I adore competent women," and wonders if the diplomat he's thinking of has a sister.

* Frequently commented on by characters in the VorkosiganSaga. All the Vorkosigans are great at recruiting teams of hypercompetent colleagues. Standouts include Elena, Tung and Quinn (military), Illyan (intelligence), Bothari, Drou, Pym and Roic (bodyguards), and Lieutenant Bone and Tsipis (accountants!). Not to mention Cordelia, Alys, Ekaterin and the whole Koudelka clan, none of whom are employees but definitely on Team Vorkosigan. Miles even muses "I adore competent women," and wonders if the diplomat he's thinking of has a sister.

* ''Series/BetterCallSaul'': Watching ex-cop, [[CleanupCrew cleaner]] and [[ProfessionalKiller hitman]] Mike Ehrmantraut's various elaborate criminal schemes (both aiding Gus Fring's drug empire and interfering with [[TheCartel The Cartel]]) is one of the main attractions of the series. Emphasized by his interactions with other criminals throughout the series, who are often [[HairTriggerTemper hotheaded]], [[FailedASpotCheck reckless]], or [[WhatAnIdiot complete idiots]].

Common genres include [[TheCaper Capers]], {{Medical Drama}}s, the more idealistic [[GovernmentProcedural Government]] and {{Law Procedural}}s, and [[SlidingScale/MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness harder]] sci-fi. GuileHero and TheTrickster characters from mythology and legend are antecedents.

Common genres include [[TheCaper Capers]], {{Medical Drama}}s, the more idealistic [[GovernmentProcedural Government]] and {{Law Procedural}}s, and [[MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness harder]] sci-fi. GuileHero and TheTrickster characters from mythology and legend are antecedents.

* ''TabletopGame/FateCore'' rulebook has following to say on the topic of PlayerCharacter competence: "Characters in a game of ''Fate'' are good at things. They aren't bumbling fools who routinely look ridiculous when they're trying to get things done--they're highly skilled, talented, or trained individuals who are capable of making visible change in the world they inhabit."

* ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' places the player in the shoes of space bounty hunter Samus Aran. Despite the opening cutscene beginning with her on the wrong side of a CurbstompBattle, the rest of the game features Samus at her ''absolute best''. In gameplay, Samus has an arsenal of abilities, weapons and counters that can allow the player to remain virtually untouched if they're good enough. In cutscenes, Samus shows no signs of panic or distress; when confronted with the towering Kraid, she stands unflinchingly as he struggles to bite and claw at her, counters his attacks and ''stands in his mouth'' firing missiles into it, and then [[NonchalantDodge calmly dodges]] his last-ditch desperation attack. There are rarely other moments in the game where she is any real trouble, but these moments typically result in her growing only more confident and powerful.

* ''[[VideoGame/MedalOfHonor2010 Medal of Honor: Warfighter]]'' also had a lot of dramatised missions involving "Tier-One Operators" strategically taking out terrorist threats in a no-nonsense manner.

* ''[[VideoGame/MedalOfHonor2010 Medal of Honor: Warfighter]]'' also had a lot of dramatised missions involving "Tier-One Operators" strategically taking out terrorist threats in a no-nonsense manner.

* Reticulon's videos, such as ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiYw9eswhk4 SPALL & SPLINTER]]'' show soldiers or secret agents calmly and professionally handling gunfights in expert fashion.

* Restoration channels, such as WebVideo/BaumgartnerRestorations (art conservation), or those with focuses on cleaning and fixing things in general.

* Franchise/SherlockHolmes, in almost all his incarnations, has nearly superhuman powers of deduction.

!Examples:

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder:Film - Live Action]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

[[folder:Web Video]]

* The ''{{WebAnimation/Astartes}}'' videos are a ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bko5GgK5v8 fan series]] that basically shows a bunch of no-nonsense Space Marines deal with the remnants of a uprising without any fuss or drama, exactly as they would normally. Even their ''enemies'' show remarkable tactical acumen, trying to kill the Astartes with more than the usual ZergRush.

* ''WebVideo/TIEFighterShortFilm'' shows the Galactic Empire, for once, not suffering from troops dying en masse ineffectively or having terrible aim, and wins a battle as a result, due to being genuinely more dangerous than the Rebellion.

Not to be confused with the CompetenceZone or with actual [[UsefulNotes/{{Pornography}} porn]]. Compare ATeamMontage, which is this in montage form, and CatharsisFactor.

* ''Film/TheBigShort'' is about [[TheCassandra various people in the finance industry who saw the 2008 financial crisis coming before anyone else did]] and used this knowledge to become rich while the world entered the worst economic recession in nearly a century. [[GreyAndGreyMorality Of course, whether or not their right to do this is up for debate]].

* The ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'' focuses on an elite police unit, but this gets emphasized in the ''[[Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex Stand Alone Complex]]'' sub-series, which shows Section 9 at their best, as a cautious and talented team of counter-terrorists who often out-think, out-hack, and out-politic the antagonists. Even at their most dire, the members always make sure they put up a fight to the last.

* ''Manga/{{Jormungand}}'': Many of the show's [[CurbStomp curbstomps]] are because Koko's team of bodyguards are mainly composed of ex-military, and thus accomplish their job with a precision and professionalism many of their enemies lack. Koko herself is a shrewd strategist and businesswoman who regularly proves she's a braver and better player in the arms-dealing business than her self-styled rivals.

* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' are generally exceptions in that Marvel Comics, as a rule, tend to be more neurotic than DC but Reed Richards is generally considered the most competent and effective leader and scientist in the entire universe and the Four's adventures generally are all about their adventures and inventing and exploring somehow always saving the day.

[[folder:Fanfiction]]
* ''FanFic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'', as well as most [[RationalFic rational fanfiction]], are probably the best example of a competence porn in fanfic form.

-->'''[[Webcomic/{{xkcd}} Cueball]]:''' You know the scene in ''Apollo 13'' where the guy says "we have to figure out how to connect ''this'' thing to ''this'' thing using ''this'' table full of parts or the astronauts will all die? ''The Martian'' is for people who with the whole movie had just been more of that scene.