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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.

For cleaning up examples of Complete Monster and Magnificent Bastard, you must use their dedicated threads: Complete Monster Cleanup, Magnificent Bastard Cleanup.

Edited by Synchronicity on Sep 18th 2023 at 11:42:55 AM

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#6926: Dec 6th 2018 at 5:37:08 AM

I think "fandom wikia blogger" covers three strikes all at once. Two minimum, since there may be bloggers who can be used for UI.

crazysamaritan NaNo 4328 / 50,000 from Lupin III Since: Apr, 2010
NaNo 4328 / 50,000
#6927: Dec 6th 2018 at 5:50:37 AM

Suzume's most prized possession is a wooden sword she purchased with her savings. She talks it up a great deal, naming it the demon blade Muramasa, but neither it nor she have any special qualities.
Suzume's special qualities are irrelevant for this trope. I'd accept this as an example if you label it as an Invoked Trope (because she is treating it as an example). Might want to include Subverted Trope (because she's wrong) or Reality Ensues.

Link to TRS threads in project mode here.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#6928: Dec 6th 2018 at 8:07:51 AM

Reality Ensues probably doesn't apply. The premise of the manga of the main character is a Lethal Klutz Huge Schoolgirl who Does Not Know Her Own Strength. How's this for a rewrite:

  • Suzume of Torako, Anmari Kowashicha Dame da yo carries a wooden sword she calls the demon blade Muramasa. However, this is simply her trying to invoke the trope as Muramasa is an ordinary souvenir she bought with her savings. The trope becomes subverted when Suzume tries using it against Torako. The fight consists of Suzume whacking away at the Super Tough Torako, who barely notices, stopping only when she gets too tired and has to rest or when the sword breaks, at which point Suzume starts bawling like a baby.

If nothing else I think this better captures the idea the whole thing is being Played for Laughs.

Edited by sgamer82 on Dec 6th 2018 at 9:10:09 AM

dsneybuf Since: Jul, 2009
#6929: Dec 6th 2018 at 9:27:17 AM

Do any of the What Could Have Been entries on Trivia.Disney Sing Along Songs fit? They all look more like, "Why didn't Disney do this???"

WhirlRX Since: Jan, 2015
#6930: Dec 6th 2018 at 10:15:28 AM

[up]Cut. They are written as why didn't Disney use this.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#6931: Dec 6th 2018 at 10:32:37 AM

My understanding of What Could Have Been is that the creator(s) are on record as having originally planned to do X but ended up doing Y instead and, oh, what could have been had they done X?

Edited by sgamer82 on Dec 6th 2018 at 11:32:53 AM

Anddrix Since: Oct, 2014
#6932: Dec 6th 2018 at 5:52:58 PM

Reposting from the previous page:

Bringing up these from Robin Hood (2018):

Considering how often Narm is frequently misused, can I get confirmation as too whether these examples are being used correctly:

* Narm:
  • Will Scarlett's story is such a brazen, bald-faced ripoff of Harvey Dent's in The Dark Knight that you simply have to laugh at how they thought they could get away with it.
  • The slow-motion during the fight scenes looks fairly impressive... right up until you see Taron Egerton making some of the silliest faces imaginable.

Does this example have enough context?:

* So Bad, It's Good: The movie either just straight up sucks, or it's wonderfully enjoyable with how much it sucks.

WhirlRX Since: Jan, 2015
#6933: Dec 6th 2018 at 6:11:14 PM

[up]For Robin Hood, i remove the Dark Night comparison. The slow mo maybe an example.

Yinyang107 from the True North (Decatroper) Relationship Status: Tongue-tied
#6934: Dec 6th 2018 at 7:56:34 PM

I'm removing this from Trivia.Robin Hood 2018 but I feel like it probably fits a different trope that I can't remember so imma leave it here.

Malady (Not-So-Newbie)
#6936: Dec 6th 2018 at 8:48:21 PM

[up] - Not Doing It for the Art. That's motivation to make a work, as vs. doing it for the money?

Dye Hard seems the best we got?

Although, getting training for a role is different from physical alteration?

Check some movies with similar examples to confirm right trope or not.

Edited by Malady on Dec 6th 2018 at 8:49:51 AM

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
gjjones Musician/Composer from South Wales, New York Since: Jul, 2016
Musician/Composer
#6937: Dec 6th 2018 at 11:06:24 PM

For a potential Didn't Think This Through entry in Fairy Tail:

  • Ur took Ultear to a medical facility. The end result was that Ultear was cruelly experimented on and she plotted to exact revenge on Ur once she saw her with Gray and Lyon. How else did she think it would result?

Thoughts?

Edited by gjjones on Dec 6th 2018 at 2:09:34 PM

He/His/Him. No matter who you are, always Be Yourself.
WhirlRX Since: Jan, 2015
#6938: Dec 7th 2018 at 3:52:52 AM

[up]Was the medical facility shown to be bad before she did it?

Pichu-kun ... Since: Jan, 2001
...
#6939: Dec 7th 2018 at 5:03:31 AM

From Warriors Redux:

The characters have an Animal Religion and a basic society, so are they still Nearly Normal Animals?

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#6940: Dec 7th 2018 at 5:38:29 PM

From YMMV.Steven Universe:

  • Author's Saving Throw:
    • For fans not fond of the Uncle Grandpa crossover, the fact that it went out of its way to state within the first two minutes that it's not to be considered canon, and that it was more of an excuse to cut loose for the sake of one-off humor greatly helped its reception in the fandom.
    • To some fans, the moral of "Love Letters" that there's no such thing as real Love at First Sight conflicted with how Greg and Rose's relationship had been portrayed. "We Need to Talk" shows that after the initial infatuation wore off, they needed to have a serious discussion about how they could realistically work as a relationship.
    • A lot of fans were getting weary of Steven simply talking many of his foes out of hostilities during season 2 and feared that Steven's All-Loving Hero status was being taken to unrealistic levels, especially after he dealt with the Cluster by simply talking it down. As a result, many viewed Steven being forced to learn during his encounters with Bismuth, Jasper, and Eyeball that Talking the Monster to Death doesn't work with every foe he faces and that there is going to be times that he'll be forced to resort to violence in order to survive dangerous encounters as a breath of fresh air.
    • Many criticisms of the show talk about how Steven usually manages to make friends or get on passable terms with the Gems he encounters, especially after defeating them. "Room for Ruby" has Navy take complete advantage of that mindset and stab Steven in the back.
      • 'Room for Ruby' also addresses another criticism. The Rubies suffering A Fate Worse Than Death being left to drift in the cold void of space was seen as needlessly cruel by some. Steven promising to rescue them at the start of the Zoo arc, only to not do that, just added onto it. This episode not only implies that they will all be rescued by Navy, something confirmed come Wanted, but the way Navy goes about acquiring the means to do that involves playing Steven like a fiddle as a revenge scheme.
    • Blue Diamond's Badass Decay in the Zoo arc by being portrayed as The Eeyore compared to her ruthlessness in "The Answer" was an issue with people hoping for her to be as dangerous and threatening as Yellow Diamond. This is remedied when she is portrayed as a menacing authority in the Wanted arc and "Reunited" while downplaying, but not erasing, her sorrowful traits.
    • After increasing complaints that Padparadscha's "can only predict the past" shtick was wearing a little thin, "Your Mother and Mine" shows that her powers do indeed come in handy at times.
    • Most of the episodes that made up the "Heart of the Crystal Gems" Stevenbomb addressed a lot of concerns that fans had been having about the show for quite some time:
      • A common criticism of the Crystal Gems is their tendency to let their own issues fall on Steven's shoulders, with varying degrees of intent. In "What's Your Problem?", Amethyst refuses to do, and Steven calls her the most mature Crystal Gem for it. Additionally, she tells him that he doesn't need to deal with other people's problems, something that many fans had been wanting to tell him for years.
      • "The Question" was one for Garnet even though she didn't even appear. Ever since "Hit the Diamond", many fans noted how unhealthy it was that Ruby and Sapphire couldn't spend a minute apart without each other. Ruby notes how in her whole existence she's never really had any time by herself; she thoroughly enjoys it, and Steven helps her realize that her desire for independence and her wanting to be with Sapphire aren't mutually exclusive. By the episode's end it's implied that from now on she'll want to spend more time by herself, and she excitedly tells Sapphire that being married will mean they're always together — even when they physically aren't.
      • Multiple fans worried that the issue with the Breaking Point or her trying to kill Steven would be swept under the rug upon Bismuth's return, or would be handled in a way that made her look like a villain. Both are handled with care in "Made of Honor"; Bismuth realizes shattering the Diamonds would've done more harm than good, and is very regretful of what she did to Steven, even exiling herself because she believed the other Crystal Gems wouldn't take her back because of it.

Considering Animation Lead Time and the like, I'm not sure how many of these are actual examples.

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
WhirlRX Since: Jan, 2015
#6941: Dec 7th 2018 at 6:03:07 PM

[up]Doesn't help with SU hiatus status and the crew do have an end game in the long run.

Ferot_Dreadnaught Since: Mar, 2015
#6942: Dec 8th 2018 at 1:43:56 AM

YMMV.Fantastic Beasts The Crimes Of Grindelwald

  • Unintentionally Sympathetic: The film doesn't fully demonize Jacob for not marrying Queenie, but they sure do paint him as being wrong for not doing so early on in the film. While they both love each other, Jacob correctly points out how, because he is a Muggle, them getting married puts them at serious risk of being punished for doing so, especially Queenie. This is after he was already put under a Love Potion, which means Queenie used her magical talent to take advantage of him to get what she wanted, which is already treading on Unfortunate Implications grounds as a result. Furthermore, Queenie never apologies for doing so, and storms off when it gets removed, and Jacob spends the rest of the film trying to apologize to her, while Queenie never even remotely apologies for essentially drugging him against his will.

Is it unintentional as opposed to intentional complexity (no-one in work criticizes Jacob over it)?

Pichu-kun ... Since: Jan, 2001
...
#6943: Dec 8th 2018 at 6:00:57 AM

From Newer Than They Think:

  • Hedgehogs were first domesticated in the 1980s. (And in many countries, the idea of hedgehogs as pets is still preposterous.)

Are hedgehogs considered domesticated? I am not a hedgehog expert, but this seems too short a while ago for them to count as anything but tame.

rjd1922 he/him | Image Pickin' regular from the United States Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: Love is for the living, Sal
he/him | Image Pickin' regular
#6944: Dec 9th 2018 at 7:27:58 AM

The first example on CowboyBebopAtHisComputer.Video Games:

  • The official Prima strategy guide for Donkey Kong Country Returns and its 3DS remake don't mention the names of the seven boss Tikis anywhere. note 

Can excluding information, as opposed to giving false information, count as Cowboy BeBop at His Computer?

Keet cleanup
wingedcatgirl I'm helping! from lurking (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Oh my word! I'm gay!
I'm helping!
#6945: Dec 9th 2018 at 7:56:57 AM

Leaving out information that doesn't even exist in the player-accessible portion of the game is definitely not an example.

Trouble Cube continues to be a general-purpose forum for those who desire such a thing.
WhirlRX Since: Jan, 2015
#6946: Dec 9th 2018 at 8:16:47 AM

From Anime.SSSS Gridman.

Take That!: Depending on who you ask, Max's comment on Yuta and Rikka's interaction as "vexing" also doubles as self-deprecation to Darling in the Franxx's Romantic Plot Tumor.

The very first sentence itself is questionable since its ask audience to decide if its that. Also, the two products are produced from the same studio.

[down]They dont. Its still a fear amongst parents. Cut.

Edited by WhirlRX on Dec 9th 2018 at 12:33:55 PM

Pichu-kun ... Since: Jan, 2001
...
#6947: Dec 9th 2018 at 9:28:08 AM

From Unintentional Period Piece:

  • The George Lopez Show: Several episodes have revolved around Carmen's (and less often, Max) instant messaging causing problems for her. At the time, social networks had not quite caught on and there still were fears that online chatrooms were full of child predators.

I don't think parents ever stopped being wary of strangers on the internet.

SamCurt Since: Jan, 2001
#6948: Dec 9th 2018 at 11:53:56 AM

Does Affectionate Gesture to the Head only include headpats? Several editors in Cells at Work! seems to think cheek-poking do count, but the trope description reads like it's strictly limited to head-patting. For example:

Scientia et Libertas | Per Aspera ad Astra Nova
rjd1922 he/him | Image Pickin' regular from the United States Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: Love is for the living, Sal
he/him | Image Pickin' regular
#6949: Dec 9th 2018 at 7:17:18 PM

I removed the bad Donkey Kong Country Returns example. On Read Only Memories, Back Stab should probably be In the Back (since it's an Adventure Game, and Back Stab refers to a gameplay mechanic), but I don't want to edit it myself since I'm considering buying that game and don't want to be spoiled.

Keet cleanup
miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#6950: Dec 10th 2018 at 2:15:22 AM

For Dragon Age: Inquisition. The Unfortunate Implications entry uses tumblr blogs as the citation. This isn't allowed right ?

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."

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