Image Suggestion: Very Loosely Based On A True Story

I would like to make a suggestion for Very Loosely Based on a True Story, which currently has no page image. I came across this one◊ some time ago, and think it could work.

Thoughts?

It's too text-centric. The visuals add little. It almost may as well be a quotation, if not for the page already having a better one.

What came to mind was to juxtapose a picture of a historical event with a screenshot or scan of a work portraying this event inaccurately; after that what came to mind was the scene from the Simpsons episode "Mr. Spritz Goes To Washington" where FOX is portrayed as editing Krusty's face onto several historical photos, such as Iwo Jima, the tank man from Tiananmen Square, etc... for now I'll juxtapose the real tank man image with the edited version.

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One benefit of this approach is that the example is in-universe, from a Show Within a Show, such that we aren't singling out any specific actual work that did this for the page image.

"The Daily Show has to be right 100% of the time; FOX News only has to be right once." - Jon Stewart

The visual adds that it is a parody of The Social Network ads; without it the words are almost meaningless. But you have to know what those ads look like. Bzzt.

Becky: Who are you? The Mysterious Stranger: An angel. Huck: What's your name? The Mysterious Stranger: Satan.

Let's keep this thread to discuss other potential page images though.

EDITED IN: In hindsight, it might be more tasteful to use the moon landing one than the Tiananmen Square one...

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edited 20th Jan '12 1:12:30 PM by HiddenFacedMatt

"The Daily Show has to be right 100% of the time; FOX News only has to be right once." - Jon Stewart

I'd be alright with that.

It seems like that's very closely based on a true story, with one detail changed. The OP's picture was text heavy, but at least it made it clear what the trope is about.

I agree with . Both Krusty image strike me more like "This a parody of a famous event" rather than "We pretend that's how it happened and made half of it up."

The OP's, while wordy, does a better job actually showing the trope.

Not sure what that means, was about a potential page image...

Becky: Who are you? The Mysterious Stranger: An angel. Huck: What's your name? The Mysterious Stranger: Satan.

I really like the OP's suggestion but should we be concerned about the "CollegeHumor" at the bottom left corner?

The visuals add little to nothing. It would make a better quotation than image.

In any case, changing who landed on the moon is a pretty damn major change to make. It's silly, but that's the point... The Simpsons is parodying the trope. It's the Show Within a Show that's playing it seriously.

"The Daily Show has to be right 100% of the time; FOX News only has to be right once." - Jon Stewart

Nothing about the image tells me the Show Within a Show plays it seriously (And the expression on Krusty's face seems to indicate he isn't). It just looks like a deliberate parody (Heck, Krusty doesn't have a helmet on the moon). Nor does it look like a parody of the trope.

And the trope isn't about deliberate parody.

The OP's image isn't perfect, but it's the most illustrative offered so far.

edited 21st Jan '12 2:05:27 AM by Ghilz

Except that there's no point in it being an image. The visuals add nothing except the face of the person they're referring to. That arguably doesn't even count, as someone unfamiliar with Social Network could think the image is of someone who said that.

I was suggesting an alternative; if we used it, it wouldn't be the first time an image was supplied by a parody of the trope instead of an example. (Family-Unfriendly Aesop comes to mind.) However, even if my alternative is a bad idea, that doesn't make the Social Network one better.

edited 21st Jan '12 8:17:53 AM by HiddenFacedMatt

"The Daily Show has to be right 100% of the time; FOX News only has to be right once." - Jon Stewart

"Except that there's no point in it being an image."

No, that's not true, the visuals add "this is a parody of / referring to The Social Network". [1]◊

edited 21st Jan '12 12:04:41 PM by rodneyAnonymous

Becky: Who are you? The Mysterious Stranger: An angel. Huck: What's your name? The Mysterious Stranger: Satan.

Also the Krusty Images are not an example even in-universe. In the episode (Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington), they are used by Krusty as part as an ad to get him elected to congress (The implication is that he's photophopping his face on events to make himself appear more patriotic/upstanding). Not as some sort In-Universe retelling of events based on a true story (which is what the trope is about).

Okay, now I’m ambivalent towards my earlier suggestion based on the points raised here.

"The visual adds that it is a parody of The Social Network ads; without it the words are almost meaningless. But you have to know what those ads look like. Bzzt."

I don't think it matters that much if the image directly links to the page of that film.

"I really like the OP's suggestion but should we be concerned about the "CollegeHumor" at the bottom left corner?"

Unsure if it would be a problem. I’ve seen circumstantial indications that they for instance don’t care if other people upload their videos to You Tube because they like the increase in traffic to their site, but I suppose it’s best to err on the side of caution.

If the logo's not a problem however, I'm leaning towards using mine until a better one is suggested.

edited 29th Jan '12 3:35:18 AM by khalini

I don't think we've had any good suggestions yet. The Krusty ones are not really this trope, and the Social Network ones single out a work to pick on which is one of the things I admire this wiki for avoiding. A little joking is fine here and there, but we really are considering a page image that say that a single work made stuff up to make more money? True or not, that's really not our place. Am I alone in thinking this way?

This. So far, picless is the best option.

The Internet misuses, abuses, and overuses everything.

Except that it getting it requires familiarity with Social Network, and requiring familiarity with the work in question is a no-no as far as page images go.

That said, I agree in hindsight that imageless is better.

"The Daily Show has to be right 100% of the time; FOX News only has to be right once." - Jon Stewart

That is why I said it doesn't work.

Becky: Who are you? The Mysterious Stranger: An angel. Huck: What's your name? The Mysterious Stranger: Satan.

I'd be fine with no pic.

I also vote no pic.

Changing my stance to no pic until a good one comes along.

A couple more votes for "no pic" and we can run with it.

Very loosely based on a true story could describe any fictional work depending on how much of a troll you want to be. If you really want an image, I would suggest the tvtropes logo. Nothing else encompasses the vagueness of this trope.

We can always photoshop something as a last resort. Any ideas?

Also, pick your quote, people. One has to go.

edited 14th Mar '12 11:28:47 PM by Catalogue

The words above are to be read as if they are narrated by Morgan Freeman.