History Main / PlayingWithATrope

* '''[[IntendedAudienceReaction Intended Audience Reaction]]''': (also known as "Plotted a Good Waste") A trope that is normally unintentional on the part of the writer is used intentionally, to toy with the audience. Not applicable to most tropes, but still a method of playing with a trope. As you may have guessed, this concept is not applicable to tropes which are normally intentional, such as TheButlerDidIt or PowerGlows. However, one might suggest something in terms of:
** The UnfortunateImplications of [[BeneathSuspicion class warfare]] involved in TheButlerDidIt are brought to the fore.
** The ShowWithinAShow has PowerGlows to the point of obscuring the action as a part of its StylisticSuck.
* '''[[GenderFlip Gender Inverted]]''': This is specific to AlwaysFemale and AlwaysMale tropes. A trope that is part of either category is used on the opposite gender anyway. It should simply be listed as "Inverted" unless another Inversion is also possible.
** The KindlyHousekeeper did it.
** Swords don't glow; [[YouGoGirl Girl Power]] does.

* '''{{Gender Inverted|Trope}}''': This is specific to AlwaysFemale and AlwaysMale tropes. A trope that is part of either category is used on the opposite gender anyway.
* '''IntendedAudienceReaction''': An attempt by the creator to evoke a specific {{Audience Reaction|s}} from the viewers. As you may have guessed, this concept is not applicable to objective tropes such as TheButlerDidIt or PowerGlows.

* '''[[IntendedAudienceReaction Intended Audience Reaction]]''': (also known as "Plotted a Good Waste") A trope that is normally unintentional on the part of the writer is used intentionally, to toy with the audience. Not applicable to most tropes, but still a method of playing with a trope. As you may have guessed, this concept is not applicable to tropes which are normally intentional, such as TheButlerDidIt or PowerGlows. However, one might suggest something in terms of:
** The UnfortunateImplications of [[BeneathSuspicion class warfare]] involved in TheButlerDidIt are brought to the fore.
** The ShowWithinAShow has PowerGlows to the point of obscuring the action as a part of its StylisticSuck.
* '''[[GenderFlip Gender Inverted]]''': This is specific to AlwaysFemale and AlwaysMale tropes. A trope that is part of either category is used on the opposite gender anyway. It should simply be listed as "Inverted" unless another Inversion is also possible.
** The KindlyHousekeeper did it.
** Swords don't glow; [[YouGoGirl Girl Power]] does.

* '''{{Gender Inverted|Trope}}''': This is specific to AlwaysFemale and AlwaysMale tropes. A trope that is part of either category is used on the opposite gender anyway.
* '''IntendedAudienceReaction''': An attempt by the creator to evoke a specific {{Audience Reaction|s}} from the viewers. As you may have guessed, this concept is not applicable to objective tropes such as TheButlerDidIt or PowerGlows.

* '''[[IntendedAudienceReaction Plotted A Good Waste]]''': A trope that is normally unintentional on the part of the writer is used intentionally, to toy with the audience. Not applicable to most tropes, but still a method of playing with a trope. As you may have guessed, this concept is not applicable to tropes which are normally intentional, such as TheButlerDidIt or PowerGlows. However, one might suggest something in terms of:
** The UnfortunateImplications of [[BeneathSuspicion class warfare]] involved in TheButlerDidIt are brought to the fore.
** The ShowWithinAShow has PowerGlows to the point of obscuring the action as a part of its StylisticSuck.
* '''[[GenderFlip Gender Inverted]]''': This is specific to AlwaysFemale and AlwaysMale tropes. A trope that is part of either category is used on the opposite gender anyway. It should simply be listed as "Inverted" unless another Inversion is also possible.
** The KindlyHousekeeper did it.
** Swords don't glow; [[YouGoGirl Girl Power]] does.

** The hero finds a sword with glow power [[MundaneUtility so he can use it as a flashlight in a dark cave.]]

** A hero deliberately supercharges his sword with power [[MundaneUtility so he can use it as a flashlight in a dark cave.]]

* '''LogicalExtreme''':

** Bob is a [[SweaterGirl Sweater Guy]] (meaning he wears tight sweaters in an attempt to look attractive).
** Alice sports a CarpetOfVirility (a thick "carpet" of chest hair).

* '''[[GenderFlip Gender Inverted]]''': This is specific to AlwaysFemale and AlwaysMale tropes. A trope that is part of either category is used on the opposite gender anyway.

* '''[[DiscussedTrope Discussed]]''': The trope is not used, but it is explicitly discussed by GenreSavvy characters in a relevant situation where it could occur.

* '''[[ExploitedTrope Exploited]]''': A GenreSavvy character, aware that a trope will occur (or is occurring), uses it to their advantage. If the trope is not yet in effect, the character who Exploits it may Invoke it in the process.
** The detective purposely investigates the butler first, because the butler always does it in the mystery books he reads.
** A hero deliberately supercharges his sword with power [[MundaneUtility so he can use it as a flashlight in a dark cave.]]

* '''[[TheUntwist Untwisted]]''': Sometimes, a Subversion is ''expected''. In an Untwist, the audience expects a trope to be Subverted, but it is Played Straight instead. The Inversion of a standard Subversion. Highly subjective; any plot development can become TheUntwist to a [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife sufficiently paranoid reader.]]
** The butler is shown early on as the suspect with the flimsiest alibi, like a typical RedHerring with a BigSecret, but after a series of twists and turns the detective reveals to everyone's surprise that it ''was'' old Alfred, after all.
** The "glowing" weapons appear to not glow at all. However, it turns out that they emit ultraviolet light. So they do glow, just ''not in the visible spectrum''.

* '''[[DoubleSubversion Doubly Subverted]]''': The trope is [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], and then Subverted again so that it occurs after all.

** The butler decided to get revenge on his abusive master. Or, he did it because he's actually an assassin that took the job to ''be'' BeneathSuspicion.
** Powerful weapons glow because the villains are [[LivingShadow sentient shadows]]. Or the weapons are powered by glowing [[AppliedPhlebotinum Phlebotinum]].

** The glowing weapons appear to not glow at all -- at least, not in the visible spectrum.

* '''[[AvertedTrope Averted]]''': The trope is simply absent from the work. It is not used, mentioned, or implied at all. Due to the large number of tropes, Aversions are generally not worth noting except in cases where this is especially surprising, such as for a [[OmnipresentTropes nearly universally-used trope]] or a [[NecessaryWeasel trope that is very common in the genre]].
** The butler didn't do it. Or there was no butler at all.

** "In these shows, the butler always does it."

* '''[[ExploitedTrope Exploited]]''': A GenreSavvy character, knowing a trope will occur (or is occurring), uses it to their advantage.

* '''[[IntendedAudienceReaction Plotted A Good Waste]]''': A trope that is normally unintentional on the part of the writer is used intentionally, to toy with the audience. Not applicable to many, many tropes, but still a method of playing with a trope. This concept is not applicable to tropes which are normally intentional, such as TheButlerDidIt or PowerGlows. However, one might suggest something in terms of:

** Bob is a [[SweaterGirl Sweater Guy]].
** Alice sports a CarpetOfVirility.

* '''[[AvertedTrope Averted]]''': The trope is simply absent from the work. It is not used, mentioned, or implied at all. Due to the large number of tropes, Aversions are generally not worth noting except in cases where this is especially surprising, such as for a [[OmnipresentTropes nearly universally-used trope]] or a [[NecessaryWeasel trope that is very common ''in the genre'']].

* PowerGlows

** TheButlerDidIt, and everyone is genuinely surprised.

* '''[[JustifiedTrope Justified]]''': The trope has a reason InUniverse to be present.
** The butler did it because he's actually an assassin that took the job to ''be'' BeneathSuspicion.
** Powerful weapons glow because our heroes are fighting [[LivingShadow shadows]]. Or the weapons are powered by glowing [[AppliedPhlebotinum Phlebotinum]].[[note]]TropesAreTools. Almost all tropes are justified in some way. If you put a JustifyingEdit after every trope that you see you'll be on TV Tropes for the rest of your life and annoy people, too. What's interesting about a trope being Justified is when it's Justified in an interesting or unusual way.[[/note]]

** The butler is the victim. Or the butler solved the crime.

* '''[[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]''': A trope is set up to occur, but then the audience's expectations are thwarted in some way.
** The butler is the prime suspect at the beginning, and is later found innocent.

* '''[[DoubleSubversion Doubly Subverted]]''': Like a [[SubvertedTrope subverted trope]], but then later it turns out that the apparent subversion was misleading, too.

* '''[[TheUntwist Untwisted]]''': The audience expects a trope to be subverted, but it is played straight instead. The Inversion of a standard Subversion. Highly subjective; any plot development can become TheUntwist to a [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife sufficiently paranoid reader.]]

* '''[[ParodiedTrope Parodied]]''': The form of the trope is twisted and often used in a silly way for comic effect.

** The butler was defending himself from his [[{{Asshole Victim}} cruel master]] who was about to murder the butler.

* '''[[AvertedTrope Averted]]''': The trope is simply not used where it could have been. Generally not worth noting except in cases where this is especially surprising, such as for a [[OmnipresentTropes nearly universally-used trope]].

* '''[[EnforcedTrope Enforced]]''': The trope occurs solely because of outside expectations or obligations placed on the writer to use it.

* '''PlayedForLaughs''': The humorous elements of a trope are played up. Differs from parody by being a straight use. Normally only applicable for serious tropes, but can show up for any trope.

** The butler did indeed do it... "it" being [[FelonyMisdemeanor leaving the toilet seat up.]]

* '''[[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]]''': A trope is played straight but explicitly pointed out, without any further explanation.

* '''[[DiscussedTrope Discussed]]''': The trope is explicitly discussed by GenreSavvy characters in a situation that is directly relevant to the trope.

* '''[[ConversationalTroping Conversed]]''': A conversation about tropes the characters have seen in a ShowWithinAShow, or another work. Differs from a DiscussedTrope mainly in either its [[SeinfeldianConversation sheer irrelevance]], or being used purely to [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall lean on the fourth wall]].

* '''IntendedAudienceReaction''': A reaction that is normally unintentional on the part of the writer is used intentionally, to toy with the audience. Not applicable to many, many tropes, but still a method of playing with a trope. This concept is not applicable to generic tropes such as TheButlerDidIt or PowerGlows, but one might suggest, for example:

* '''{{Gender Flip}}ped''': This is specific to AlwaysFemale and AlwaysMale tropes. A trope that is part of either category is used on the opposite gender anyway.

* '''[[ZigZaggingTrope Zig Zagged]]''': None of the above, or more than one of the above; this category covers miscellaneous variations. Examples include a trope that gets triple subverted, both inverted and played straight at the same time, used consistently with a single exception, or, well, [[MindScrew just done confusingly]].

* '''[[ZigZaggingTrope Zig Zagged]]''': None of the above, or more than one of the above; a trope that gets triple subverted, or inverted and played straight at the same time, or, well, [[MindScrew just done confusingly]].

* '''[[InvertedTrope Inverted]]''': The trope (or its elements) are reversed and then used.

* '''[[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]]''': The intentional use and exploration of the trope, played far straighter than usual in order to show the trope as poorly thought out, impractical, and/or much less nice than commonly assumed.

** The most powerful characters are all blind.
* '''[[ReconstructedTrope Reconstructed]]''': Reconstructed tropes are the new and improved Played Straight of an often [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed trope]], taking the best parts of the Deconstruction or reassembling the original trope to strengthen its flaws or improving its feel. In other words, this is the inversion of a Deconstruction.

* '''PlayedForLaughs''': The humorous elements of a trope are played up. Differs from parody by being a straight use.

* '''[[TheUntwist Untwisted]]''': The audience expects a trope to be subverted, but it is played straight instead. Highly subjective; any plot development can become TheUntwist to a [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife sufficiently paranoid reader.]]

* GenderFlip: This is specific to AlwaysFemale and AlwaysMale tropes. A trope that is part of either category is used on the opposite gender anyway.

This is a quick-reference guide, illustrated for clarity with two simple examples:

* Played Straight: The trope is simply used. Note that this is the 'default' manifestation of a trope unless stated otherwise; when citing an example, it's usually [[WordCruft needless]] (and/or [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment redundant]]) to explicitly mention that it was "played straight". Inversely, if a work plays the same trope several times in several different ways or it's a trope which is more commonly played with than played straight, like a DeadHorseTrope, ''then'' it's worth noting it was "played straight". Playing a widely-used trope straight is an example of GenreConsistency.

* [[JustifiedTrope Justified]]: The trope has a reason InUniverse to be present where we see it.

** Powerful weapons glow because our heroes are fighting [[LivingShadow shadows]]. Or the weapons are powered by glowing [[AppliedPhlebotinum Phlebotinum]].
** NOTE: [[TropesAreTools Almost all tropes are justified in some way]]. If you put a JustifyingEdit after every trope that you see you'll be on TV Tropes for the rest of your life and annoy people, too. What's interesting about a trope being Justified is when it's Justified in an interesting or unusual way.
* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]: The trope (or its elements) are reversed and then used. (Not just [[GenderFlip taking the usual gender for the trope and making it the opposite one]], unless gender is ''specifically'' what the trope was about in the first place.)

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]: A trope is set up to occur, but then the audience's expectations are thwarted in some way. Compare RedHerring.

* [[DoubleSubversion Doubly Subverted]]: Like a [[SubvertedTrope subverted trope]], but then later it turns out that the apparent subversion was misleading, too. [[MindScrew Again,]] compare RedHerring.

* [[TheUntwist Untwisted]]: The audience expects a trope to be subverted, but it is played straight instead. (Highly subjective; any plot development can become TheUntwist to a [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife sufficiently paranoid reader.]])

* [[ParodiedTrope Parodied]]: The form of the trope is twisted and often used in a silly way for comic effect.

* [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]]: The intentional use and exploration of the trope, played far straighter than usual in order to show the trope as poorly thought out, impractical, and/or much less nice than commonly assumed.

** The most powerful characters are all blind. What was the audience expecting, them to be able to see after that ultimate attack that's rated at [[Franchise/StarTrek 47]] million Candela?
* [[ReconstructedTrope Reconstructed]]: Reconstructed tropes are the new and improved Played Straight of an often [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed trope]], taking the best parts of the Deconstruction or reassembling the original trope to strengthen its flaws or improving its feel. [[ViewersAreMorons In other words, this is the inversion of a Deconstruction]].

** Vision damage is a risk that the heroes must take to defeat the UltimateEvil. And the heroes, at least, [[AnAesop take]] [[AvertedTrope eye]] [[GogglesDoNothing protection]] [[SeriousBusiness seriously]].
* [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig Zagged]]: None of the above, or more than one of the above; a trope that gets triple subverted, or inverted and played straight at the same time, or, well, [[MindScrew just done confusingly]].

* [[AvertedTrope Averted]]: The trope is simply not used where it could have been. (Generally not worth noting except in cases where this is especially surprising, such as for a [[OmnipresentTropes nearly universally-used trope]] or aversions [[WordOfGod known to have been deliberate]]; see also EnforcedTrope below.)

* [[EnforcedTrope Enforced]]: The trope occurs solely because of outside expectations or obligations placed on the writer to use it.
** The company producer hates butlers, so [[ExecutiveMeddling he ordered the writers]] to cast the butler as the killer.

* NecessaryWeasel: Similar to an {{Enforced Trope}}, the trope is included because [[TheCoconutEffect the genre's audience already expects it to be there]].
** The butler had to be the killer, because the target audience are people who never read mysteries before.
** Children are known to be drawn to the shinier things in a show, so the most powerful things are indicated that way.
* [[ImpliedTrope Implied]]: The trope isn't shown, but the audience is indirectly led to believe that it happened off-screen.

* PlayedForLaughs: The humorous elements of a trope are played up. Differs from Parody, when different, by being a straight use.
** The Butler did it, but it took him three hundred and seventeen tries (of which we're [[ShowDontTell shown twelve]]), all of which his master escaped without realizing anything was happening (including the time when he walked up and shot his master, which the master passed off as "you could've hurt someone, mistaking that gun for a lighter.").

* PlayedForDrama: The serious or melodramatic elements of a trope are played up. Normally only applicable for comedic tropes, but can show up for any trope.
** The Butler did it, but is quite [[SympatheticMurderer sympathetic]], and the reasons he did it are gone into in great detail.

* [[ExaggeratedTrope Exaggerated]]: The trope is used [[UpToEleven to an extreme.]] Please note that this does not necessarily have to be used humourously -- a trope can be exaggerated yet still played completely seriously.

* [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]: The trope is used to a far lesser degree than typical.

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]]: A trope is played straight but explicitly pointed out, without any further explanation.

** "Why are glowing swords more powerful? I mean, [[FridgeLogic it just doesn't make much sense]]."
* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]]: A character is GenreSavvy, and/or uses their knowledge of a trope as a reason for their own actions, hoping that the effect will come through as it does "in fiction".

* [[DefiedTrope Defied]]: A character [[GenreSavvy recognizes a trope]] is about to happen, and takes steps to avoid it.

* [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]]: The trope is explicitly discussed by GenreSavvy characters in a situation that is directly relevant to the trope. Can overlap with ThisIsReality.

* [[ConversationalTroping Conversed]]: A conversation about tropes the characters have seen in a ShowWithinAShow, or another work. Differs from a DiscussedTrope mainly in either its [[SeinfeldianConversation sheer irrelevance]], or being used purely to [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall lean on the fourth wall]].

* [[ExploitedTrope Exploited]]: A GenreSavvy character, knowing a trope will occur (or is occurring), uses it to their advantage.

%% Commented out because I can't find any TropeTrope page for it - to be restored if such a page exists. @/RobinZimm
%% * Doubly Exploited: A GenreSavvy and also reality-savvy character uses to their advantage the fact the trope cannot really occur, but all other characters expect it to do so.
%% ** The real murderer gets away by successfully framing the butler.
%% ** The USA Government enacts a law requiring all nukes to be surrounded with glowing but useless toy weapons, in an attempt to mislead would-be thieves.

* IntendedAudienceReaction: A reaction that is normally unintentional on the part of the writer is used intentionally, to toy with the audience. Not applicable to many, many tropes, but still a method of playing with a trope. This concept is not applicable to generic tropes such as TheButlerDidIt or PowerGlows, but one might suggest, for example:

* GenderInvertedTrope: This is specific to AlwaysFemale and AlwaysMale tropes. A trope that is part of either category is used on the opposite gender anyway.

If the trope is a widely used one, nearly every kind of Playing With a Trope is a violation of GenreConsistency, particularly SubvertedTrope and AvertedTrope. Compare TropesAreFlexible.

See also PlayingWithWiki, an entire subwiki dedicated to doing this to every trope in TheCatalogue, and in particular PlayingWith.TropeName, which is a [[LaconicWiki reasonably concise]] version of this list.

* Played Straight: The trope is simply used. Note that this is the 'default' manifestation of a trope unless stated otherwise; when citing an example, it's usually [[WordCruft needless]] (and/or [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment redundant]]) to explicitly mention that it was "played straight". (Inversely, if a work plays the same trope several times in several different ways or it's a trope which is more commonly played with than played straight, like a DeadHorseTrope, ''then'' it's worth noting it was "played straight".) Playing a widely-used trope straight is an example of GenreConsistency.

Compare TropesAreFlexible.

See also PlayingWithWiki (an entire subwiki dedicated to doing this to every trope in TheCatalogue, and in particular PlayingWith.TropeName, which is a [[LaconicWiki reasonably concise]] version of this list).

If the trope is a widely used one, nearly every kind of Playing With a Trope is a violation of GenreConsistency, particularly SubvertedTrope and AvertedTrope.

Even with [[TropeTropes tropes about tropes]] (metatropes) that describe how tropes tend to be used, it can be hard to pin down the exact relationship between a {{trope}} and a particular work. This is a quick-reference guide, illustrated for clarity with two simple examples:

See also PlayingWithWiki, an entire subwiki dedicated to doing this to every trope in TheCatalogue, and in particular PlayingWith.TropeName, which is a [[LaconicWiki reasonably concise]] version of this list.

And finally, a special case:

* PlayedStraight: The trope is simply used. Note that this is the 'default' manifestation of a trope unless stated otherwise; when citing an example, it's usually [[WordCruft needless]] (and/or [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment redundant]]) to explicitly mention that it was "played straight". (Inversely, if a work plays the same trope several times in several different ways or it's a trope which is more commonly played with than played straight, like a DeadHorseTrope, ''then'' it's worth noting it was "played straight".) Playing a widely-used trope straight is an example of GenreConsistency.