Fighteer
Lost in Space
from The Time Vortex
(Time Abyss)
Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
#2: Jan 29th 2011 at 6:28:28 AM
Unfortunate Implications is far too widely used, full stop. This might make a good Trope Repair Shop topic, though.
edited 29th Jan '11 6:28:41 AM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Total posts: 2

The recent release of that four-colour TV was given a face by none other than Mr. Sulu, George Takei. This was tagged as an Unfortunate Implication, because the fourth colour is yellow, and George Takei is asian.
This implies... something something Asians something something yellow? Sorry? What specifically does this imply?
I think that Unfortunate Implications has become far too bloated with what I think should be called Unfortunate Associations- things that have unfortunate ties to each other, but not does not actually imply anything. For example, the Faux Action Girl in a setting of heavy action and competence is Unfortunate Implications because it implies that women are not as competent as men. If, in a different story, a different female character, a genuine Action Girl, is the only one who wears pink, this is not Unfortunate Implications, because it doesn't imply anything- instead, it's Unfortunate Associations because it's a stereotypical female colour, but the story does not bear out any implications.
What do you think? It's a split, but I think it's a useful distinction, as it allows the original trope to be a bit more specific.
edited 29th Jan '11 1:43:17 AM by Somfin