It's useless without examples. The question is, is it any better with examples?
If something represents sex, we should mention it under any of our several symbolism and innuendo tropes. If it doesn't, why do we care if a troper thinks it does?
I think the point of this is that according to Freudian theory a lot of things are sexual in nature. But I can't see much difference from Accidental Innunendo on this basis alone.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Master Gamesman
"When any kind of long thin shape is assumed to be a penis, or any hole that is oval is a vagina, you've got Freud Was Right in play."
I think it's fine to include examples, as long as it's limited to this. When something is EXPLICITLY referred to as a penis or vagina, there you go. It should keep subjectivity out of it and limit the example list to just a few. Innuendos can perhaps be allowed IF the character in question happens to be Sigmund Freud himself. In Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, for example, it's pretty obvious that Freud is carrying around a penis-like object in just about every scene, and that the film's creators did this intentionally.
If something represents a penis, shouldn't that trope be Phallic Symbol? And if something represents the vagina, shouldn't that be Yonic Symbol?
Does that Everything tall is a penis! Putting anything into anything else is symbolic of sex! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! part need to be there?
No.
This is our usual problem with "Everything Is X" and "X Is Always Y" tropes. If we want to list examples of sexual imagery, that's great, but those aren't examples of everthing being about sex. They're just examples of things that are about sex. On the other hand, we could also have a page about the attitude that everything is about sex, but that would be in-universe, and its examples would have to be things that aren't actually sexual, but that characters interpret as such.
I don't think that this is supposed to be an "Everything Is X" trope, but the description would need a rewrite. And if we do that, it would become a variant of Accidental Innuendo
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
It's certainly phased as one. The bolded definition is "everything is about sex," and it builds up to that definition by mentioning All Men Are Perverts and All Women Are Lustful.
For one, I don't see why we want audience examples here. For two, do we have a trope Yonic Symbol? (what is it's etymology anyway?)
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
I don't know if we do. I also don't know if we have enough examples on hand for one. But I suggest we rename Freud Was Right to Phallic Symbol (currently a redirect!) and then restrict it to that definition. Phallic Symbol, a subtrope of Visual Innuendo and a supertrope to Gun in My Pocket (which is about to be renamed Phallic Weapon).
So, swap with the redirect? Makes sense to me.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
World's Toughest Milkman
Sexual Symbolism would seem broader, so we wouldn't have to arbitrarily through out non-phallic, but otherwise perfectly good examples.
Though I agree with throwing out any purely subjective, in-the-eye-of-the-perverted-viewer-only examples of any type.
Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.
"Represents sex" and "represents a penis" are pretty different. Certainly more different than, say, "represents a penis" and "a weapon that represents a penis".
World's Toughest Milkman
The common English phrase "sexual symbolism" does not mean "represents the act of sex"; it's a broad catch-all that includes phallic symbolism, yonic symbolism, and combinations (which often but not always do actually symbolize sex itself).
The word "sex" has more than one meaning. The word gender, in fact, used to only refer to language, and what we now refer to as gender really only had one word to describe it: sex.
edited 2nd Aug '12 2:22:38 PM by Xtifr
Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.
Genital Symbolism, might this go?
On the "sex" question, just like Wikipedia's page refers to gender and not sexual intercourse? (It's got plenty of traffic, though)
edited 2nd Aug '12 2:21:44 PM by SeptimusHeap
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
I think Sexual Symbolism is fine since Freud Was Right actually is that broad.
edited 2nd Aug '12 2:23:57 PM by troacctid
Rhymes with "Protracted."
World's Toughest Milkman
Google "sexual symbolism". It's not about sex acts per-se, and both phallic imagery and yonic imagery are considered sexual symbolism in ordinary English. The phrase is often used with reference to Freud.
Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.
Note that we have a separate page for orgasm symbolism.
I thought Something Else Also Rises was arousal symbolism, not orgasm symbolism.
Rhymes with "Protracted."
"An orgasm, an erection, or ejaculation."
Clocking.
"If you aren't him, then you apparently got your brain from the same discount retailer, so..." - Fighteer
Dragon Writer
@21: To be fair, one of those is not like the others.
An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.Locking.
"If you aren't him, then you apparently got your brain from the same discount retailer, so..." - Fighteer
Freud Was Right got a staff-imposed Example Sectionectomy, presumably because it refers to an audience seeing sexuality everywhere, even where it would be lewd or creepy to see sexuality. According to a commented-out note, the examples ‘’may’’ me restored after a TRS thread, so I am here to open such a discussion and see if it needs further action.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman