History Main / Discreditedtrope

* VulgarHumor: Originally a staple of more adult-oriented shows and AnimatedShockComedy, jokes like these are now generally considered childish. Nowadays, adult-oriented shows rely more on BlackComedy and CrossesTheLineTwice, with VulgarHumor taking a major backseat.

* OpenHeartDentistry: Most doctors these days (with a few exceptions) are ''quite'' specialized and almost ''never'' do anything outside of their specialties.

* CollisionDamage: Considered an outdated video game cliché, with many modern platform games discarding it due to improved technology allowing different and intricate enemy attack animations. It's still used due to GrandfatherClause by the older game franchises, and if modern non-{{Retraux}} games ever do use it, it's usually done by coating the enemies in something harmful like [[TheSpiny spikes]], [[ManOnFire fire]], [[ShockAndAwe electricity]], [[AnIcePerson ice]], or [[PoisonousPerson poison]] to justify the contact damage. Even the ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros'' series that popularized the trope in the first place, has opted to play an attack animation whenever you get hit in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'', downplaying it.

* {{Tomboy}}: While it hasn't entirely disappeared, thanks to changing gender and social norms, the traditional tomboy girl has gradually fallen out of favor in Western media in favor of the more balanced TomboyWithAGirlyStreak and GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak tropes. The "tomboy" label itself has also become increasingly unpopular in the 21st century for similar reasons, and even in works that do have a traditionally tomboy character, rarely will they be stated as such.

* {{Tomboy}}: Thanks to a mix of changing gender norms and backlash against the trope for reinforcing the negative stereotype that a woman is [[RealWomenDontWearDresses only strong and worthwhile if they're masculine]], the traditional image of the tomboy from the 1980s-2000s has gradually fallen out of favor in Western media in favor of the TomboyWithAGirlyStreak and GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak tropes.

* WomenDrivers: The idea of women being dangerously poor drivers for laughs is now seen as a tired comedic stereotype, and very sexist on top of that. Nowadays, if the trope does show up, the joke is usually about the [[DrivesLikeCrazy driving itself]], rather than the sex of the driver.

* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: The specific "mystery box" variation beloved by Creator/JJAbrams has come under increasing scrutiny and criticism, especially his argument that a cool mystery is always more interesting than its solution. When ''Series/{{Lost}}'' was riding high, it was common for people to describe Abrams as a genius and insist that only the ''feeling'' of a mystery mattered, rather than having any kind of actual satisfying answer involved. After the decades of media that followed [[FollowTheLeader trying to ape its success]] fell victim to aimless {{Jigsaw Puzzle Plot}}s and TheChristCarterEffect, much of it helmed by Abrams himself and potentially including the divisive conclusion to ''Lost'' depending on who you ask, it's now much more common for people to instead argue more forcefully that having enough substance under the style to make actually solving the mystery [[FairPlayWhodunnit a satisfactory challenge]] or having a blueprint for the story with a beginning, middle, and end from the very beginning are generally superior to muddling along, throwing out whatever plot hooks or random ideas feel cool in the moment and hoping you'll come up with something down the road, while abnegating responsibility by insisting that a satisfying answer to a mystery is a contradiction in terms.

* ArabianNightsDays: Much like its related [[{{Orientalism}} Orientalist]] trope AllMuslimsAreArab, this trope is getting harder to play straight in Western countries due to the increasing popularity and profiles of Arab diaspora performers and creators. For obvious reasons, such creators [[StopBeingStereotypical have sought to present Arab countries in a more nuanced and culturally sensitive manner than previous Western depictions]]. There is also the fact that Gulf states such as UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia and the UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates have become growing regional powers ''and'' growing markets for Hollywood productions in the 21st century, causing Hollywood to reconsider the stereotypical aspects of this trope.[[note]]A large part of this has to do with the fact that the Gulf states ''themselves'', starting in UsefulNotes/TheNewTens, are actively trying to discredit this trope by diversifying their economies beyond [[ArabOilSheikh oil and gas]] ''and'' improving [[{{Orientalism}} external (especially Western) perceptions of them]] as [[TheFundamentalist Sharia-governed]] [[{{Qurac}} Middle Eastern countries]], thus encouraging Western institutions to present the region in a more modern and nuanced manner.[[/note]]

* WhyWeAreBummedCommunismFell: With the worsening of relations between Russia and the west in TheNew10s and TheNew20s, plus improved Russian ties with China (something that was a nightmare scenario for the west during the Cold War), this trope is rarely played straight anymore. The allegiances of the Cold War are still in function, there just isn't the same level of ideology involved that there was during the original run.

* WritingLines: Has been disappearing both in modern works of fiction and RealLife, as some teachers have questioned the effectiveness of writing (which is obviously a major aspect of any curriculum) as a punishment. However, ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' is one of the few series that can get away with it due to them [[GrandfatherClause using the trope when it was still commonplace]], and even they have demonstrated awareness of the trope's outdated aspects.

* DietEpisode: Not only has it been overused to the point of cliché (especially in sitcoms and children's shows), but most characters that go on the diets are [[HollywoodPudgy a little pudgy at worst]], resulting in audiences criticizing this trope for promoting HollywoodThin as a must in order to be happy and healthy. With the rising obesity rates in the real world, many are realizing that healthy, sustainable weight loss isn't as cut and dry as "eat less, move more" (Genetics, illnesses and hormone imbalances also play a part, and these things aren't always easy to overcome) and are embracing the "body acceptance" movement as an alternative to yo-yo dieting. Thus, straight uses of this trope are widely discouraged nowadays, at least when it comes to dieting solely to look better rather than improve health overall.

* SchoolIsForLosers: The "drop-out tycoon" variation of this trope has become discredited since at least the mid-2010's. As many have realized that it's usually only those with a lot of intelligence, connections, charisma, and, of course, luck, that can dodge a formal education and become successful (as lampshaded in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', years later it named this very trope).

* SchoolIsForLosers: The opposite belief has, if anything, become more prominent nowadays due to the value that current generations place on high levels of education, and evidence showing that higher levels of education can (for now at least) lead to higher paying jobs. Also the "drop-out tycoon" rarely shows up anymore, as only extremely intelligent and socially-able (if not incredibly lucky) people can dodge regular education (at least) and become successful (as lampshaded in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', years later it named this very trope).

* ForeignLookingFont: Quite a few of them are seen as racist. Chop Suey, Lithos, German Gothic and Neuland all are seen as racist or at least racialized, for example, especially when used in certain contexts or to make something seem "exotic".

* AgeGapRomance: While still common, the idea of an older man dating a young woman (traditionally the most common version of the trope) is no longer seen in a positive light by most people. An older man who dates young women is often viewed as immature, shallow, chauvinistic, predatory (especially if the woman is under 25), going through a [[HollywoodMidLifeCrisis mid-life crisis]], or any combination of the above. Any young woman who dates an older man is automatically assumed to be a GoldDigger and/or suffering from daddy issues. Thus, modern uses in media will put greater emphasis into the problems the age disparity can cause, with the storylines depicting these relationships ending in an affair and/or a breakup more often than not. [[DoubleStandard On the other hand]], an [[MrsRobinson older woman]] dating a [[LikesOlderWomen younger man]] is less likely to be viewed as predatory in present day society, though the implications of such a relationship, such as the older woman being immature or the younger man looking for a MealTicket, may still be pointed out.

* CollisionDamage: Considered an outdated video game cliché, with many modern platform games discarding it due to improved technology allowing different and intricate enemy attack animations. It's still used due to GrandfatherClause by the older game franchises, and if modern non-{{Retraux}} games ever do use it, it's usually done by coating the enemies in something harmful like [[TheSpiny spikes]], [[ManOnFire fire]], or [[ShockAndAwe electricity]] to justify the contact damage. Even the ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros'' series that popularized the trope in the first place, has opted to play an attack animation whenever you get hit in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'', downplaying it.

* CollisionDamage: Considered an outdated video game cliché, with many modern platform games discarding it due to improved technology allowing different and intricate enemy attack animations. It's still used due to GrandfatherClause by the older game franchises, and if modern non-{{Retraux}} games ever do use it, it's usually done by coating the enemies in something harmful like [[TheSpiny spikes]], [[ManOnFire fire]], or [[ShockAndAwe electricity]] to justify the contact damage.

* AltarDiplomacy: In RealLife, the decline of both the number and the powers of monarchies[[note]]A situation that has not been helped by how, [[ValuesDissonance at least in Western countries]] such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands, and Spain, there have been anti-monarchy sentiments with varying degrees of mainstream acceptance[[/note]], coupled with the rise of the United Nations and the European Union, during the 20th and 21st centuries have made it difficult (if not impossible) for remaining monarchical countries to use this trope[[note]]There has also been the fact that significant research regarding the RealLife [[RoyallyScrewedUp drawbacks of this trope]], namely having [[KissingCousins distantly related royals]] inbreeding ''for centuries'' has been produced[[/note]]. For this reason, modern royals (most notably [[UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily Princes William and Harry]] have been marrying "commoners", but out of genuine love, and not out of tradition. In spite of these developments, this trope still lives on in [[PeriodPiece Period Pieces]], Fantasy and SpaceOpera settings, for obvious reasons.

* LoveAtFirstSight: Usually ends with finding out the object isn't really the right person for you after all, nowadays.

* AwardBaitSong: Has been slowly vanishing since its peak in TheNineties. Revised rules in the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s have also ensured that [[TropeBreaker they're no longer award bait]]. The only time you'll see unironic Award Bait Songs are in works that pay homage to the time when they were popular (''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'' for instance) and even then, the songs still face ridicule due to the [[ItsPopularNowItSucks overexposure]].

* DifficultyByRegion: Was primarily an EnforcedTrope in the [[UsefulNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames third]] and [[UsefulNotes/The16bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames fourth]] generations of console gaming, as Japanese developers made international versions of their games more difficult to capitalize on the rental markets in those regions; higher difficulty means more time spent on the game, meaning more revenue for rental businesses. This died out not only with the death of local rental stores in favor of streaming services, but also TheInternet making the differences between regional versions -- and [[MoneyDearBoy the motives behind them]] -- more apparent. Over time, examples became less common and [[DownplayedTrope more incidental]], including renamed difficulty settings, bug fixes, and AntiFrustrationFeatures; by the time game patches became commonplace, these became universal to all regional versions. Playing this straight to the extent of games such as ''VideoGame/TheAdventuresOfBayouBilly'' will upset either [[ItsHardSoItSucks casual]] or [[ItsEasySoItSucks hardcore players]] looking for an unadulterated gameplay experience, and they'll likely find a way to play the original versions anyway.

* EpilepticFlashingLights: Older video games often employed flashing screen effects because color-cycling demands so little processing power. [[TechnologyMarchesOn Advances in graphics technology]] discredited this excuse, and increased awareness of epilepsy and general photosensitivity has led to flashing light effects becoming more heavily scrutinized to the point where they're now considered bad form to use (the change in attitude was best exemplified by ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'' coming under fire for prominently featuring strobe lights, forcing Creator/{{Pixar}} to tone it down for later screenings, TV broadcasts, and home media releases). Additionally, toning down flashing lights or patterns that could trigger seizures has become one of the few alterations routinely made to classic games in official emulated re-releases such as on the UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole.[[/index]]

* MascotWithAttitude: Started with [[FollowTheLeader copycats]] of the TropeCodifier, Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog. Between Sonic's own [[AudienceAlienatingEra/SonicTheHedgehog decline in popularity]] during the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn era, and the number of mediocre to terrible examples souring peoples opinion of this trope (most infamously ''VideoGame/AwesomePossumKicksDrMachinosButt'' and ''VideoGame/{{Bubsy}}''), the trope's death solidified rather easily. While Sonic regained some of his popularity by the early 2000s, this trope never truly revived and at the moment Sonic is the only prominent example of this trope still around, due to him [[GrandfatherClause being the template for it in the first place.]]

* ArabianNightsDays: Much like its related [[{{Orientalism}} Orientalist]] trope AllMuslimsAreArab, this trope is getting harder to play straight in Western countries due to the increasing popularity and profiles of Arab diaspora performers and creators. For obvious reasons, such creators [[StopBeingStereotypical have sought to present Arab countries in a more nuanced and culturally sensitive manner than previous Western depictions]]. There is also the fact that Gulf states such as UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia and the UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates have become growing regional powers ''and'' growing markets for Hollywood productions in the 21st century, causing Hollywood to reconsider the stereotypical aspects of this trope.[[note]]A large part of this has to do with the fact that the Gulf states ''themselves'', starting in UsefulNotes/TheNewTens, are actively trying to discredit this trope by diversifying their economies beyond [[ArabOilSheikh oil and gas]] ''and'' improving [[{{Orientalism external (especially Western) perceptions of them]] as [[TheFundamentalist Sharia-governed]] [[{{Qurac}} Middle Eastern countries]], thus encouraging Western institutions to present the region in a more modern and nuanced manner.[[/note]]

* ArabianNightsDays: Much like its related [[{{Orientalism}} Orientalist]] trope AllMuslimsAreArab, this trope is getting harder to play straight in Western countries due to the increasing popularity and profiles of Arab diaspora performers and creators. For obvious reasons, such creators [[StopBeingStereotypical have sought to present Arab countries in a more nuanced and culturally sensitive manner than previous Western depictions]]. There is also how Gulf states such as UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia and the UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates have become growing regional powers ''and'' growing markets for Hollywood productions in the 21st century, causing Hollywood to reconsider the stereotypical aspects of this trope.
* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: As society is becoming increasingly aware of how serious and traumatizing sexual assault is, people are also beginning to understand that almost no woman would ever complain about ''not'' being raped by somebody. As such, straight instances of this trope are usually considered tasteless and offensive, and certainly not funny anymore.

* SadistShow: At least for media at kids. As overexposure of this in the late 90s and much of the 2000s started taking the shine off it. Nowadays, most people find shows with constantly miserable casts to be rather cringeworthy and even childish, especially with more wholesome and (ironically) sophisticated kid's media coming into prevalence in TheNewTens and TheNewTwenties. Modern shows aimed at adult, however, such as ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' are able to [[UndeadHorseTrope get away with this trope]], somewhat due to GrandfatherClause, but also due to how [[LoveToHate hilariously unlikable the main characters are]].