History SoYouWantTo / WriteAnExcusePlot

** Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto cites this as a reason why he doesn't allow the VideoGame/SuperMarioBros series to have plots more elaborate than its basic "Save Peach and defeat Bowser!" stories--he felt that anything beyond that would just get in the way of the lighthearted tone and gameplay of the series. While he's not against having games with richer narratives (his own series, ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda'', certainly does not rely on the Excuse Plot) he feels some works simply don't warrant elaborate stories.

* The game or work could have an [[SidenoteFullStory engaging, rich backstory]] that is relevant to the overall experience, [[PlayTheGameSkipTheStory but it can be overlooked or skipped]] in favor of the rest of the works content.

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongJungleBeat'''s minimal plot was poorly received for making DK, who had previously been characterized as a MartialPacifist, brutally violent for no apparent reason. Game director Yoshiaki Koizumi said in an interview that "The only thing Donkey Kong needs is to be the best, and to become the king of the jungle," which did not go over well with fans.

* The work might start out with an Excuse Plot, but as it goes on its story pertains more and more relevance to whats going on.

* ExtremeSportExcusePlot

* The infamous [[Recap/RenandStimpyAPC1x04NakedBeachFrenzy "Naked Beach Frenzy"]] episode of WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpyAdultPartyCartoon is a perfect example of how ''not'' to do a typical BeachEpisode excuse plot, as it ramps up what should be fun fanservice to [[FanDisservice downright tasteless and grotesque levels]] that come off as [[UnfortunateImplications shamelessly sexist if not downright]] ''[[UnfortunateImplications pedophiliac]]'' (especially when you know more about the real life history of the shows director and its female artists working under him).

* As mentioned before, excuse plots don't necessarily preclude WorldBuilding; if anything, it allows the work for more opportunities to expand on its setting where the narrative would typically go.

* NegativeContinuity: Because the excuse plot is basically irrelevant, continuity can be seen as having little to no importance to the work or even a hinderance to the work.

** The WriteAWesternRPG guide mentions that most DungeonCrawler-type {{Role Playing Game}}s have excuse plots so the player can focus on looting and grinding.

** Disney's ''Disney/TheJungleBook'' is acclaimed as a legitimate animated feature classic, even though its plot is wafer thin. Creator/WaltDisney specifically told the story artists to not read or follow the book, and even chewed them out when they had concerns over the simplistic story, saying the characters and entertainment were more important. Animator and story artist Floyd Norman, who worked on the film, [[http://floydnormancom.squarespace.com/blog/2015/5/5/requiem-for-a-gagman summed it up on his blog]]:

* The infamous "Naked Beach Frenzy" episode of WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpyAdultPartyCartoon is a perfect example of how ''not'' to do a typical BeachEpisode excuse plot, as it ramps up what should be fun fanservice to [[FanDisservice downright tasteless and grotesque levels]] that come off as [[UnfortunateImplications shamelessly sexist if not downright]] ''[[UnfortunateImplications pedophiliac]]'' (especially when you know more about the real life history of the shows director and its female artists working under him).

* Creator/HayaoMiyazaki's ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro'' is a perfect example of how a thin plot can actually make a movie better. The film is almost entirely devoid of anything resembling conflict and is merely a setup for the children sharing SliceOfLife experiences with the eponymous forest spirit, which are put across beautifully by its nuanced visual filmmaking. As [[https://letterboxd.com/daveyjenkins/film/my-neighbor-totoro/ David Jenkins of Letterboxd put it]];
->""No plot. No central character. No antagonist. No defined purpose for side characters. No threat. No three acts. No jokes. No punchlines. No explanations. No internal references. No catch phrases. No political polemical voice. No melodrama. No lessons. No beginning. No end. One of the best movies ever made."

* NegativeContinuity: Because the excuse plot is basically irrevereant, continuity can be seen as having little to no importance to the work or even a hinderance to the work.