Possible Reasons for the Reaction
Here are some common reasons that characters may never live something down:
- It's shocking or offensive: Audiences are often ones to notice when a character does something immoral or mean. In more gritty works, this could be as serious as taking a life, but in lighter works, this could simply involve being handed the Jerkass Ball. In severe cases, this could lead to audiences forming a
Hatedom for the character, or it could lead to Jerks Are Worse Than Villains even if they're not usually a jerk. While these characters rarely end up becoming scrappies, they do commonly end up being Base Breaking Characters. Sometimes this is due to Values Dissonance — a character says a slur, spanks a child, or does something else that was considered normal at the time the work was produced, but is considered wrong today. - It's weird: If a character once said or did something that was particularly offbeat, viewers (both fans and detractors alike) will notice. For instance, if Alice once wore bunny ears to a funeral, or if Bob once mentioned something about keeping a collection of stale bread, you can bet those will be what the viewers remember them for.
- It tugged at the heartstrings: If the scene the character was in was particularly sentimental or sad, it'll be the scene the fans remember. This is why many characters are known for things such as their deaths, or kiss scenes.
- It's subversive: If a scene played Bait-and-Switch (especially if it subverted a trope), the viewers might always associate the character who did the subverting with the scene. Having a character turn out to be part of an underrepresented minority (such as a woman or LGBTQIA+ will also often lead to this (compare Watched It for the Representation).
- It's a memorable quote: If a character said something pithy, it might become often-quoted and/or mistaken as their catchphrase, particularly if promotional material quotes it a lot. Compare Beam Me Up, Scotty! for when a character becomes famous for something they didn't actually say.
- It's sexual: If a character did something sexual, this might become what they were known for either because it was gross (which overlaps with the "shocking or offensive" reason), because of titillation, because the viewers saw it as gratuitous, or because it was funny.
- It's undignified: Characters might become infamous for being unable to do something, being bad at something, or being defeated in a stupid way even if it only happened once. An example is the hypothetical on the main page, where Bob plays darts badly on one occasion but is known by the audience as "the sucky dart player" from then on.
