TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Is this an example?

Go To

Do you have trouble remembering the difference between Deathbringer the Adorable and Fluffy the Terrible?

Do you have trouble recognizing when you've written a Zero-Context Example?

Not sure if you really have a Badass Bookworm or just a guy who likes to read?

Well, this is the thread for you. We're here to help you will all the finer points of example writing. If you have any questions, we can answer them. Don't be afraid. We don't bite. We all just want to make the wiki a better place for everyone.


Useful Tips:

  • Make sure that the example makes sense to both people who don't know the work AND don't know the trope.
    • Wrong: The Mentor: Kevin is this to Bob in the first episode.
    • Right: The Mentor: Kevin takes Bob under his wing in the first episode and teaches him the ropes of being a were-chinchilla.
  • Never just put the trope title and leave it at that.
    • Wrong: Badass Adorable
    • Right: Badass Adorable: Xavier, the group's cute little mascot, defeats three raging elephants with both hands tied behind his back using only an uncooked spaghetti noodle.
  • When is normally far less important than How.
    • Wrong: Big Bad: Of the first season.
    • Right: Big Bad: The heroes have to defeat the Mushroom Man lest the entirety of Candy Land's caramel supply be turned into fungus.
  • A character name is not an explanation.


Other Resources:


For best results, please include why you think an example is iffy in your first post.

Also, many oft-misused tropes/topics have their own threads, such as Surprisingly Realistic Outcome (here) and Fan-Preferred Couple (here). Tropers are better able to give feedback on examples you bring up to specific threads. We don't discuss Complete Monster or Magnificent Bastard examples; please don't bring them up.

Edited by SeptimusHeap on Jul 17th 2025 at 8:59:01 PM

Mariofan99 Since: Jun, 2021 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#32776: Sep 19th 2024 at 5:58:26 AM

Would Rey from Star Wars count as an example of Not Badass Enough for Fans? Several detractors of the sequel trilogy deride her as a Memetic Loser thanks to her lack of formal training and claim any any Jedi from the Prequel Trilogy era would easily Curb Stomp her. This is despite the fact canon shows Rey is a natural prodigy with the Force thanks to being a descendant of Palpatine and having a Force Dyad with Ben Solo (who is currently on the page for more understandable reasons).

I'm debating to add this because a good amount of detractors also deride Rey for being TOO powerful and I don't know which sentiment is larger in the fandom

taotruths Live Jet Reaction (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: I sleep in a big bed with my wife.
Live Jet Reaction
#32777: Sep 19th 2024 at 9:03:39 AM

This was recently added to Trivia.Something About under Promoted Fan:

I think this is misuse, because the Trivia is about the Something About series, and not Jeremy Chinshue himself. On top of that, there's already a Creator.Jeremy Chinshue page, that has this example where he became a promoted fanboy and was commissioned by Sega.

Edited by taotruths on Sep 19th 2024 at 9:04:09 AM

CanuckMcDuck1 PEPSIMAN from Japan Since: Sep, 2023 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
PEPSIMAN
#32778: Sep 19th 2024 at 10:14:47 AM

[up]It could probably be just kept on Jeremy's page and removed on the Something About page since it's redundant.

[down]Oh, no need to apologize.

Edited by CanuckMcDuck1 on Sep 19th 2024 at 11:35:02 AM

Do not mess with creatures which you do not understand.
taotruths Live Jet Reaction (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: I sleep in a big bed with my wife.
Live Jet Reaction
#32779: Sep 19th 2024 at 10:33:41 AM

[up]that's what i was thinking, though i don't think i made that clear in my last post, apologies.

Shyhero Unmotivated dyslexic writer. from Sofa Since: Jun, 2020 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Unmotivated dyslexic writer.
#32780: Sep 19th 2024 at 12:36:38 PM

Clock Strikes Thirteen

Folklore?

  • According to the urban legends of London, if Big Ben were to strike 13. Two Lion statues in the city would come to life. The legend does not elaborate on what happens after.

Malbicho Since: Dec, 2021
#32781: Sep 19th 2024 at 1:22:53 PM

I was watching an anime series, in a scene where two characters fall off a cliff, when they land there is a small frame that looks like a long black box in the background to the left in black that appears for a few miniseconds and then disappears, I don't know if this is an animation error or an unintentional glitch, are there unintentional glitches in the animation too? and no, it's not my PC, I've been watching the same scene on several platforms and the same thing comes out. Any idea what it could be?

I leave you an image here the strange line is on the left

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/captura_de_pantalla_2024_09_19_153015.png

fragglelover Since: Jun, 2012
#32782: Sep 19th 2024 at 5:23:29 PM

This was added to Rugrats in Paris:

I would say that it might be a fit for Interchangeable Asian Cultures, except that I doubt that the film is about Japanese culture in the first place. While two major characters are Japanese, and there are scenes that use such (a scene in a Japanese style restaurant and a play at the theme park that has heavy Japanese influence, which makes sense given that the park is based on in-universe Godzilla expy Reptar), the film takes place in Paris, and doesn't really seem to be about any culture.

JustaUsername Weredragon | he/him from Melbourne, Australia Since: Jul, 2009
Weredragon | he/him
#32783: Sep 19th 2024 at 10:33:40 PM

Was considering writing this for the YMMV of My Little Pony: A New Generation

  • First Installment Wins: The movie has the best reception of the Generation 5 entries, with even some detractors of the generation calling it a decent movie. This is helped by its mostly standalone nature, in contrast to My Little Pony: Make Your Mark which both depends on the continuity of Generation 4 while also retconning elements, isolating both old MLP fans and new viewers. Meanwhile though My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale managed to have more success than Make Your Mark, appealing to younger audiences and new fans, the Denser and Wackier nature of the series did not appeal to older fans of G4.

Edited by JustaUsername on Sep 20th 2024 at 3:36:24 AM

Some people say I'm lazy. It's hard to disagree.
MrMediaGuy2 Since: Jun, 2015
#32784: Sep 19th 2024 at 10:53:49 PM

[up] Even though I haven't watched any G5 outside of this first movie, it looks good to me.

Khoshekh6 Since: May, 2022
#32785: Sep 20th 2024 at 5:01:57 AM

First Installment Wins is about notoriety, not reception

Also, I think the first installment in this case would technically be G1, but im not sure

Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the "Retromancer"
#32786: Sep 20th 2024 at 5:35:30 AM

Malbicho, this isn't a Trope Finder thread, and animation errors aren't tropes unless it's a Special Effects Failure

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
JustaUsername Weredragon | he/him from Melbourne, Australia Since: Jul, 2009
Weredragon | he/him
#32787: Sep 20th 2024 at 5:55:40 AM

[up][up]Funny, looking at the laconic notoriety is not the only condition.

The first installment of a series is the most well-known or considered the best.

Edited by JustaUsername on Sep 20th 2024 at 10:58:26 PM

Some people say I'm lazy. It's hard to disagree.
Bullman Enid Sinclair Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
Enid Sinclair
#32788: Sep 20th 2024 at 11:06:14 AM

I removed the Hugh Jackman He Really Can Act entry from YMMV.Deadpool And Wolverine. Anymore opinions on what to do with Corrin's entry?

Edited by Bullman on Sep 20th 2024 at 1:11:17 PM

Fan-Preferred Couple cleanup thread
taotruths Live Jet Reaction (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: I sleep in a big bed with my wife.
king15 Have Faun Since: Mar, 2024
Have Faun
#32790: Sep 20th 2024 at 12:05:47 PM

[up][up]I think keep Corrin, just because there is a lot of precedent on the wiki for examples of "Otherwise respected actor does something new well", and Corrin is a (fairly) up and coming actor anyway. However, it does probably go against the description of He Really Can Act, so I can see arguments for removing it.

Khoshekh6 Since: May, 2022
#32791: Sep 20th 2024 at 1:12:06 PM

^^^^ tropes are defined by their descriptions, not their laconics

JustaUsername Weredragon | he/him from Melbourne, Australia Since: Jul, 2009
Weredragon | he/him
#32792: Sep 20th 2024 at 5:40:46 PM

I feel this is a No Context Example in Character Class System due to not giving some examples of what the classes are but I feel I jumped the gun.

  • In Dungeon Dreams 2 each class has several other classes the player can branch into to obtain their skills and passives.

Some people say I'm lazy. It's hard to disagree.
TrendingToon1 Since: Apr, 2015
#32793: Sep 21st 2024 at 7:42:36 AM

Is the "Kelly Cooper: Terrible Movie" trailer from the iCarly episode "iKiss" an example of Real Trailer, Fake Movie?

Agentofchaos A God Am I from Somewhere in the Universe Since: Dec, 2021
#32794: Sep 21st 2024 at 9:04:04 AM

On The Legend of Korra - Enemies Seasons 1 and 2 under Vaatu's folder

Does this apply? I thought Token Non-Human only applies to groups and not one villain just happening to be a god instead of a human

"We'll meet again" | 🏳️‍⚧️
CompletelyNormalGuy Am I a weirdo? from a place where folks put cream cheese on hot dogs (Oldest One in the Book)
Am I a weirdo?
#32795: Sep 21st 2024 at 12:18:09 PM

[up]Yeah, that's misuse. Unless they all get together for an "Avatar Villains Annual Barbecue", then they aren't exactly a group.

Bigotry will NEVER be welcome on TV Tropes.
DanteVin The Time Has Come from Somewhere Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Singularity
#32796: Sep 21st 2024 at 1:01:56 PM

I have a question regarding the Named by the Adaptation trope.

Does it strictly apply only to characters? Or is it "flexible" enough to allow objects as well?

Specifically, I found this example on the trope page itself:

  • Harry Potter:
    • This applies to a building instead of a character, but the books never give a name to the orphanage Voldemort lived in as a child. In a flashback from the sixth film, the sign out front reads "Wool's Orphanage". It's unclear whether this name came from Rowling or if the filmmakers invented it.

The example admits that it applies to a building. Again, I'm wondering if that is within the trope's scope, because if it does, I'm also planning to add a Named by the Adaptation example to Persona 3 Reload which is about a building's floor being named in the newer adaptation/remake.

With Great Power, Comes Great Motivation
StFan Since: Jan, 2001
#32797: Sep 21st 2024 at 1:38:30 PM

Recent addition to The Empire Strikes Back:

  • All for Nothing: As Lando stated to Vader that carbonites can kill people, Vader tested the carbonite on Han Solo before using it on Luke Skywalker. However, Han survived that being frozen in carbonite was completly random, so it won't make sure that Luke would also can be frozen in carbonite safely.

Besides not being very well written, isn't that example speculative? We don't know if carbonite survival was random with every use; maybe the uncertain part was proper calibration of the process, which then would justify a test run.

Agentofchaos A God Am I from Somewhere in the Universe Since: Dec, 2021
#32798: Sep 21st 2024 at 2:22:15 PM

Does Fantastic Racism apply when it's human on human racism in a fantasy setting with fictional human races, in addition to the normal fantasy racism?

"We'll meet again" | 🏳️‍⚧️
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (10,238/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (10,238/50,000)
#32799: Sep 21st 2024 at 3:43:03 PM

From YMMV.Rocketman 2019:

  • Misaimed Fandom:
    • Even before the film's release, much of the hype and discussion revolved around the sex scene shown between Elton and Reid, with fans of their actors being especially excited for it. Although it does deserve credit for being the first sex scene shown between two male characters in a major studio film, the scene is not particularly graphic nor is it the only thing about the film that celebrates Elton's sexuality, and the relationship that comes from this scene, in both the film and Elton's real life, does not end well.
    • A small minority of fans have even taken pairing Egerton and Madden to a further extreme because of this scene, harassing Egerton's real-life girlfriend and Madden's close friend and roommate Brandon Flynn for getting in the way of the two, despite both Egerton and Madden repeatedly affirming that their offscreen friendship is entirely platonic and professional.

Now I know the second example doesn't count since it's Actor Shipping (it's not as though people ship Elton with Reid, in fact fan content presents Reid as basically Satan), but I'm not sure what to do with the first. Does it qualify, or is it also misuse?

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
CompletelyNormalGuy Am I a weirdo? from a place where folks put cream cheese on hot dogs (Oldest One in the Book)
Am I a weirdo?
#32800: Sep 21st 2024 at 5:39:42 PM

[up]That feels like misuse. Fans being excited about the sex scene shouldn't really be all that impacted by the fact that the characters weren't actually a good match. Now, if fans shipped the characters because of the sex scene, then that would be misaimed, but that doesn't seem to be what's happening.

[up][up][up]I agree that's definitely speculative.

Bigotry will NEVER be welcome on TV Tropes.

Total posts: 36,649
Top