History Main / TrueArtIsAngsty

-->-- '''Henrik''', ''Theatre/ALittleNightMusic''

The experts have spoken! Only the grimmest of {{traged|y}}ies can effectively [[ContemplateOurNavels explore]] the [[WeAreAsMayflies fragility of]] [[HumansAreFlawed human existence]], the crushing agony of {{love|Hurts}} and regret, and other life-defining themes, such as [[FreudianExcuse why mommy never really loved you]] and the [[TooHappyToLive ultimate futility of happiness]]. Anything with an unambiguously HappyEnding is a piece of cheap boring commercial tripe or even [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical propaganda]]. (And outright [[ComedyGhetto comedies]]? Bourgeois garbage!)

Naturally, [[BlackAndGrayMorality nobody is really]] [[GreyAndGrayMorality the good guy]] in these stories. If there are [[AudienceSurrogate sympathetic viewpoint characters]], don't expect their suffering to be the prelude to a [[EarnYourHappyEnding ultimate triumph]]. No, they have got to be [[BreakTheCutie traumatized for life]], or even [[KillTheCutie killed off]], along with [[KillEmAll their friends]]. Heck, if there are bad guys, why not [[TheBadGuyWins let them win]] and get away with it [[KarmaHoudini scot-free]] while we are at it? That ought to drive home [[{{Anvilicious}} the message]] that [[CrapsackWorld life is suffering]].

* ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'': Andy thinks the opposite is true.
-->'''Andy:''' 'Cause [[Music/NeutralMilkHotel your music]] is sad, and depressing, and weird, and art... is supposed to happy, and fun, and everyone knows that.

* Humorously parodied in [[http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/search/high%20school%20theatre these sketches]] from ''Series/SaturdayNightLive.'' Six high school students put on a bizarre, supposedly symbolic show about contemporary life, including the all-white cast pretending to be shot and declaring "AND WE WEAR ALL BLACK" and [[NoFourthWall annoying audience interaction]]. Their parents, and even the drama teacher (who is seen [[INeedAFreakingDrink chain-smoking cigarettes]]), are all confused and occasionally offended by the "artistic" piece.

But I'd rather make “Not Afraid 2”[[note]]"Not Afraid" from 2010's ''Recovery'' was an uplifting and inspirational song about overcoming addiction that has helped a lot of struggling people, but that a significant portion of his fans found to be {{Glurge}}[[/note]] than make another motherfucking “We Made You” [[note]]a satirical BlackSheepHit song from 2009's ''Relapse'' about Slim Shady lusting after female celebrities, which underperformed in the charts and was criticised for being [[WereStillRelevantDammit outdated]][[/note]]

But I'd rather make “Not Afraid 2”[[note]]"Not Afraid" was an uplifting and inspirational song about overcoming addiction that has helped a lot of struggling people, but that a significant portion of his fans found to be {{Glurge}}[[/note]] than make another motherfucking “We Made You” [[note]]a satirical BlackSheepHit song in 2009 about Slim Shady lusting after female celebrities, which underperformed in the charts and was criticised for being [[WereStillRelevantDammit outdated]][[/note]]

* In an interview with MTV in 1999, Music/{{Eminem}} joked that if his personal life got less horrible, that'd be when he'd start writing [[SillyLoveSongs love ballads]]. Fortunately (...?) his fame destroyed his mental health and marriage... though after his CreatorRecovery he did start making a lot more love songs, oh dear. (Though they are usually anguished songs about [[DestructiveRomance toxic, emotionally dysfunctional relationships]]).

* Humorously parodied in [[http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/search/high%20school%20theatre these sketches]] from ''Series/SaturdayNightLive.'' Six high school students put on a bizarre, supposedly symbolic show about contemporary life, including the all-white cast pretending to be shot and declaring "AND WE WERE ALL BLACK" and [[NoFourthWall annoying audience interaction]]. Their parents, and even the drama teacher (who is seen [[INeedAFreakingDrink chain-smoking cigarettes]]), are all confused and occasionally offended by the "artistic" piece.

* ''WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob'' parodies this as part of the character, such as insisting that if you have a movie with a plot similar to ''Film/{{Xanadu}}'' it should take itself a lot more seriously. Though he also parodies the inconsistent application of this mindset when it comes to certain genres, such as {{Slasher Movie}}s.

* ''Webcomic/AvasDemon'': Tuls Tenebrose liked a girl named Ranunculae, but then he died before he [[CannotSpitItOut Could Spit It Out]]. He now spends his days in Maggie's DreamWorld, painting portraits of Ranunculae to the point of bordering on a RoomFullOfCrazy.

* ''Literature/AtlasShrugged'': Balph Eubank is a major proponent of the idea.

Contrast AngstAversion (though they can overlap) and SillyRabbitCynicismIsForLosers. DarknessInducedAudienceApathy is an audience reaction voicing emphatic disagreement with the creator's notion of this trope.

[[folder: TabletopGames]]

* [[Creator/GrantMorrison Grant Morrison's]] ''ComicBook/AnimalMan'' run gradually turns out to be a massive {{Deconstruction}} of this attitude and the negative effects it sometimes has on artists and their work. [[spoiler:His run climaxes with Animal Man [[BreakingTheFourthWall meeting Grant himself]] in the form of an AuthorAvatar that is suffering a CreatorBreakdown where he turns to this trope in a misguided attempt to cope with personal losses, an inability to change the world, and general artistic disillusionment. Animal Man is forced to confront [[CosmicHorrorStory the existential horror]] of knowing that his life is being [[FromBadToWorse systematically ruined]] all for the sake of cheap drama and [[WriterOnBoard propping up the political beliefs of his writer]]. Ultimately, this conversation drives Grant to a [[HeelRealization change of heart]], realizing that even fictional characters can deserve to be treated with some kindness and dignity, using a DeusExMachina to undo the suffering he put Animal Man through and implicitly regaining some measure of enjoyment from writing.]]

* Alex in Creator/TerryGoodkind's ''The Law of Nines'' is criticized by [[StrawCritic an art gallery owner]] for only creating paintings that look beautiful and celebrate life and other dumb stuff like that, instead of exploring humanity's inherent depravity like a ''real'' artist.

Naturally, [[BlackAndGrayMorality nobody is really]] [[GreyAndGrayMorality the good guy]] in these stories. If there is a [[AudienceSurrogate sympathetic viewpoint character]], don't expect their suffering to be the prelude to a [[EarnYourHappyEnding ultimate triumph]]. No, they have got to be [[BreakTheCutie traumatized for life]], or even [[KillTheCutie killed off]], along with [[KillEmAll their friends]]. Heck, if there is a bad guy, why not [[TheBadGuyWins let them win]] and get away with it [[KarmaHoudini scot-free]] while we are at it? That ought to drive home [[{{Anvilicious}} the message]] that [[CrapsackWorld life is suffering]].

* The ''Webcomic/NerfNow'' strip [[https://www.nerfnow.com/comic/2428 "The Ends"]] associates this trend with indie studios being more "artistic" about their games (though by no means exclusive to them).

[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/{{Minus}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trueartisangsty_4507.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[DarkAndTroubledPast "The butterfly" had an abortion as a teenager.]]\\
[[BlatantLies How fun!]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[DarkAndTroubledPast "The butterfly had an abortion as a teenager."]]\\
"Exquisite."]]