History Main / FanMyopia

* Using the phrase "in a recent episode", which is useless to anyone who doesn't know what the episode is. Best of all would be to give the title AND number of the episode.
** Of course, if we're talking about editing TVTropes pages there's an even better reason for avoiding that phrase. [[CaptainObvious It won't stay true for very long.]]

* [[WeirdAlEffect Failing to realize]] that a joke in their favorite comedy is actually a reference to something that's {{Older Than They Think}}. Usually an effect of being too young to have known the source of the reference, but definitely a kind of myopia. Happens quite frequently among viewers of ''FamilyGuy'', for [[TheSimpsons some reason]]. To be fair, this has probably also happened to every single person born after 1970 who has never watched a LooneyTunes cartoon.

* Citing examples of characters or episodes without explaining what work they're talking about, because "surely everyone knows what I'm referring to". (''[[{{Action 52}} Cheetahmen II]]. [[XJustX Just... Cheetahmen II.]]'')

'''Warning to Tropers''': Please note that if you do plan to add this on a work's page; and you might be right, while this is not considered to be a SubjectiveTrope unlike its counterpart OpinionMyopia for reasons unknown; due to heated [[OpinionMyopia opinions]] related to this, please do follow the RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment before deciding to do so and we strongly recommend putting it in a page's YMMV section if so.

* With franchises that last several generations, it is inevitable that the reigns of power over creation and production will be passed on to new individuals, some of who may not have been born when the franchise began and are tasked with keeping said franchise up to date and relevant. Typically, the original creator/producer is deceased so fans take it upon themselves to decide whether or not "he" would approve of the direction the current producer is taking with "his" creation.

* Citing examples of characters or episodes without explaining what work they're talking about, because "surely everyone knows what I'm referring to". ('' [[{{Action 52}} Cheetahmen II]]. [[XJustX Just... Cheetahmen II.]]'')

Fans of a particular work or medium see things differently from people who aren't fans of the same things. For instance, a fan might assume that the work is much better known than it actually is. The fan's perspective is a little warped because they are so close to the material. This can lead to behaviors such as:

* Citing examples of characters or episodes without explaining what work they're talking about, because "surely everyone knows what I'm referring to". ('' [[{{Action 52}} Cheetahmen II]]. Just... Cheetahmen II.'')

'''Warning to Tropers''': Please note that if you do plan to add this on a work's page; and you might be right, while this is not considered to be a SubjectiveTrope unlike it's counterpart OpinionMyopia for reasons unknown; due to heated [[OpinionMyopia opinions]] related to this, please do follow the RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment before deciding to do so and we strongly recommend putting it in a page's YMMV section if so.

* Citing examples of characters or episodes without explaining what work they're talking about, because "surely everyone knows what I'm referring to". ('' [[{{Action 52}} Cheetahmen II]]. [[XJustX Just... Cheetahmen II.]]'')

Tropers are not immune to Fan Myopia, nor do they claim to be. Indeed, much of this wiki could not have come about if it weren't for zealous fans of television and other media. However, generalizing from your own experience is usually a bad idea. Assuming that other people know more than they do can result in incomprehensible attempts at a TwoWordsObviousTrope or XJustX, or telling the world that they should know this already or that the ending to something is ItWasHisSled when it wasn't, really.

* Making demands that an actor must "give to fans" by doing cons or DVD commentaries, or demands that actors become as fannish as fans and always refer to the work as the highlight of their career. Notorious examples of actors being bashed by certain fans for not being fannish: Sarah Michelle Gellar by ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' fans, Christopher Eccleston by ''DoctorWho'' fans, Josette Simon by ''BlakesSeven'' fans. Just about everyone starring in the ''Twilight'' series.

* Citing examples of characters or episodes without explaining what work they're talking about, because "surely everyone knows what I'm referring to". ('' [[{{Action 52}} Cheetahmen II]].'')

* Citing examples of characters or episodes without explaining what work they're talking about, because "surely everyone knows what I'm referring to". ('' [[{{Action 52}} Cheetahmen II]]. [[XJustX Just... Cheetahmen II.]]'')

* [[PotHole Pot Holing]] to the characters / situations without identifying the show they come from out of the belief that it's so SelfExplanatory that ''everyone's'' seen it and knows instantly who or what is being discussed.

Tropers are not immune to Fan Myopia, nor do they claim to be. Indeed, much of this wiki could not have come about if it weren't for zealous fans of television and other media. However, generalizing from your own experience is usually a bad idea. Assuming that other people know more than they do can result in incomprehensible attempts at a TwoWordsObviousTrope or XJustX, or telling the world that YouShouldKnowThisAlready or that the ending to something is ItWasHisSled when it wasn't, really.

* Using the phrase "in a recent episode", which is useless to anyone who doesn't know what the episode is. Best of all would be to give the title of the episode.

Fans of a particular work or medium see things differently from people who aren't fans of the same things. For instance, a fan might assume that the work is much better known than it actually is. The fan's perspective is little warped because they are so close to the material. This can lead to behaviors such as:

Fan of a particular work or medium see things differently from people who aren't fans of the same things. For instance, a fan might assume that the work is much better known than it actually is. The fan's perspective is little warped because they are so close to the material. This can lead to behaviors such as:

The assumption made by a fan that their beloved show/movie/book/whatever is much better known than it actually is. This term is not a criticism of their beloved property, which might indeed be legitimately great, but simply a description of the effect it can have on a person. It leads to such behaviors as:

The assumption made by a fan that their beloved show/movie/book/whatever is much better known than it actually is. This term is not a criticism of their beloved property in and of itself (which might indeed be legitimately great), but simply a description of the effect it can have on a person. Leads to such behaviors as:

Tropers are not immune to Fan Myopia, nor do they claim to be. Indeed, much of this wiki could not have come about if it weren't for zealous fans of television and other media. However, generalizing from your own experience is usually a bad idea -- assuming that other people know more than they do can result in incomprehensible attempts at a TwoWordsObviousTrope or XJustX, or telling the world that YouShouldKnowThisAlready or that the ending to something is ItWasHisSled when it wasn't, really.

* The infamous "How could this trope go so long without mentioning Show X?", ''especially'' if the show is not mainstream.

* In some extreme cases, just [[PotHole Pot Holing]] to the characters / situations without identifying the show they come from out of the belief that it's so SelfExplanatory that ''everyone's'' seen it and knows instantly who or what is being discussed.
* Use of the phrase "in a recent episode", which is useless to anyone who doesn't know what the episode is. Best of all would be the title of the episode.

FanMyopia is aided and abetted by having a circle of friends who share your narrow interest, making it seem much less obscure than it is. The Internet can be an enabler here: If you spend all your time talking to people who are fans of the same things you like, it's easy to jump from there -- even unconsciously -- to the assumption that ''everyone'' is a fan of the same things you like.

Even when an interest is shared by a young person's entire generation, it might well be unheard of in other, older demographics and vice-versa. This, too, is a kind of fan myopia. Fan myopia also can lead to over-enthusiasm for the work and related works ("This show is the best thing ever!" "Every other medium is garbage!") and so on. This happens more easily to younger fans than older ones who have, over time, seen works come and go and who have even seen ''mediums'' come and go.

* Citing examples of characters or episodes in a [[HomePage certain wiki]] without explaining what work they're talking about, because "surely everyone knows what I'm referring to". ('' [[{{Action 52}} Cheetahmen II]]. [[XJustX Just... Cheetahmen II.]]'')

** And the infamous "How could this trope go so long without mentioning Show X?", ''especially'' if the show is not mainstream.
** And adding images that are JustAFaceAndACaption.
** And even, in some extreme cases, just [[PotHole Pot Holing]] to the characters / situations without identifying the show they come from out of the belief that it's so SelfExplanatory that ''everyone's'' seen it and knows instantly who or what is being discussed. This can make sense where the character's name ''is'' the title--e.g. ''{{Naruto}}''--but when the link just says "[[StreetFighter S]][[DaCapoII a]][[CardCaptorSakura k]][[TsubasaReservoirChronicle u]][[{{Naruto}} r]][[FateStayNight a]] did [x]", readers can be understandably confused as to which [[SakuraGirl Sakura]] is being referred to (or, indeed, who the hell this Sakura person is in the first place). Depending on what mobile device they're using, they might actually have to open the link, [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife which can have negative effects]]. Probably most [[TVTropesWikiDrinkingGame egregious]] on the CatchPhrase page.
** Making a page for a show (or trope) in which the "description" consists entirely of quotes or is written [[IWannaBeTheGuy "in character"]] or using show-specific jargon that imparts no useful information to anyone who doesn't already know about the show (or trope).
** Use of the phrase "in a recent episode", which is useless to anyone who doesn't know what the episode is. "In one episode" would be better, but best of all would be the name of the episode itself.
* [[WeirdAlEffect Failing to realize]] that a joke in their favorite comedy is actually a reference to something that's {{Older Than They Think}}. Usually an effect of being too young to have known the source of the reference, but definitely a kind of myopia. Happens quite frequently among viewers of ''FamilyGuy'', for [[TheSimpsons some reason]]. To be fair, this has probably also happened to every single person born after 1970 who has ever watched a LooneyTunes cartoon.

* Assuming that just because a thing is "popular", the average Joe on the street (or on the Internet) knows anything about it; i.e., confusing youth/pop culture with actually being mainstream in that country. (For example, ''{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}'' might be popular, depending on how you define your terms, but ''AmericanIdol'' is ''mainstream''.)
** Or, for that matter, failing to understand how one can be just a "casual fan" of a particular work. Or, indeed, not a fan at all.
* Being appalled when the creator or writer of a show/song/book doesn't know as much as the fan knows about their work, and seemingly isn't interested in something they wrote or starred in many years earlier. Perhaps an effect of assuming that the creator shares exactly the [[FanDisillusionment same attitudes]] as the fans. This can lead to fans [[DisContinuity thinking they know the show better]] than the people who created it. Also leads to accusations of [[ItsPopularNowItSucks selling out]] just because somebody stopped writing obscure cult music or TV and became more popular.
** Even more myopic, demands that an actor must "give to fans" by doing cons or DVD commentaries, or in extreme cases demands that actors become as fannish as fans and always refer to the work as the highlight of their career. Notorious examples of actors being bashed by certain fans for not being fannish: Sarah Michelle Gellar by ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' fans, Christopher Eccleston by ''DoctorWho'' fans, Josette Simon by ''BlakesSeven'' fans.
*** And just about everyone starring in the ''Twilight'' series.

* Assuming that their favored work (or media, or genre, etc.) is the ultimate example of everything -- or at least, the ultimate example of everything the fan thinks is good. On this wiki at least, this tends to lead to misguided {{Entry Pimp}}ing and forced attempts to present the show as an example of a particular [[TropesAreNotGood 'good' trope]] even if the show in question does not actually use or reflect that trope, whilst over-protectively [[JustifyingEdit justifying]] or even outright deleting a show's entry in [[TropesAreNotBad a 'bad' trope]] regardless of how fair or accurate the example from the show is.
** In a related example, assuming that a show which provides a subversion or deconstruction of a particular trope is somehow automatically superior to a show which doesn't -- and, by extension, that their favourite show is a subversion / deconstruction of this trope when it patently isn't.
* Assuming that the work is popular worldwide. For an example, lots of {{Anime}} series which are known in the United States and Japan, aren't that known outside. It may be surprising for them to hear that series like ''SuzumiyaHaruhi'', ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' and ''DoctorWho'' aren't that popular outside a few selected countries.

It should be noted that most members of this wiki are not immune to Fan Myopia themselves, nor do they claim to be. Indeed, much of this wiki could not have come about if it weren't for such zealous fans of television and other media. However, generalizing from your own experience is usually a bad idea -- assuming that other people know more than they do can result in incomprehensible attempts at a TwoWordsObviousTrope or XJustX, or telling the world that YouShouldKnowThisAlready or that the ending to something is ItWasHisSled when it wasn't, really.

Even when an interest is shared by a young person's entire generation, it might well be unheard of in other, older demographics and vice-versa. This, too, is a kind of fan myopia. Fan myopia also can lead to over-enthusiasm for the work and related works ("This show is the best thing ever!" "Every other medium is garbage!") and so on. This happens more easily to younger fans than older ones who have, over time, been jaded into having more objectivity in these matters.

** And even, in some extreme cases, just [[PotHole Pot Holing]] to the characters / situations without identifying the show they come from out of the belief that it's so SelfExplanatory that ''everyone's'' seen it and knows instantly who or what is being discussed. This can make sense where the character's name ''is'' the title--e.g. ''{{Naruto}}''--but when the link just says "[[StreetFighter S]][[DaCapoII a]][[CardCaptorSakura k]][[TsubasaReservoirChronicle u]][[{{Naruto}} r]][[FateStayNight a]] did [x]", readers can be understandably confused as to which "Sakura" is being referred to (or, indeed, who the hell this 'Sakura' person is in the first place). Depending on what mobile device they're using, they might actually have to open the link, [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife which can have negative effects]]. Probably most [[TVTropesWikiDrinkingGame egregious]] on the CatchPhrase page.