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

laserviking42 from End-World Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
#19401: Apr 3rd 2022 at 8:54:05 AM

I don't see anything in The Queen's Latin that says it does not apply in-universe. Seems like an example to me.

I didn't choose the troping life, the troping life chose me
PikaRobo Since: May, 2011
#19402: Apr 3rd 2022 at 10:09:46 AM

Is Ice Climber an example of Scaling the Summit? The game is about making your way up an icy mountain so I don't know why it wouldn't.

gjjones Musician/Composer from South Wales, New York Since: Jul, 2016
Musician/Composer
#19403: Apr 3rd 2022 at 1:53:44 PM

From Trivia.Final Fantasy XIII:

  • You Sound Familiar: Jihl's English voice actress, Paula Tiso, previous starred in Final Fantasy X as straight-laced black mage Lulu. In many ways, Jihl is like an evil Lulu.

Is this a valid example?

Edited by gjjones on Apr 3rd 2022 at 4:56:05 AM

He/His/Him. No matter who you are, always Be Yourself.
Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#19404: Apr 3rd 2022 at 2:13:35 PM

The first sentence of You Look Familiar literally says 'same continuity' and AFAIK those...aren't.

laserviking42 from End-World Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
#19405: Apr 3rd 2022 at 2:45:10 PM

[up][up][up]I believe it is an example, you are scaling a mountain in that game, or rather an 8bit version of one.

[up][up]I would agree with [up], not an example.

I didn't choose the troping life, the troping life chose me
gjjones Musician/Composer from South Wales, New York Since: Jul, 2016
Musician/Composer
#19406: Apr 3rd 2022 at 3:54:28 PM

[up] FWIW, I removed the You Sound Familiar example.

He/His/Him. No matter who you are, always Be Yourself.
StFan Since: Jan, 2001
#19407: Apr 4th 2022 at 3:53:37 AM

I'm planning to add this to Artistic License – Gun Safety, but I first want to be sure it still ticks all the boxes, given that it's with a crossbow and not a firearm:

  • Lone Wolf: In book 10, The Dungeons of Torgar, Lone Wolf can end up interrogated by Eruan soldiers who suspect that he is a spy. So, he has to properly answer questions while sitting at a table and facing an officer... with a crossbow aimed at his back. Now, they certainly aren't used to people with Super-Reflexes capable of springing away before the bolt even hit, but that still means the officer is willingly putting himself straight into the trajectory of a deadly projectile, and it's indeed possible for him to get hit in a path where the interrogation turns badly.

Edited by StFan on Apr 4th 2022 at 12:59:46 PM

laserviking42 from End-World Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
#19408: Apr 4th 2022 at 8:33:16 AM

The description only talks about firearms, and every example I saw seems to be about firearms, so it doesn't look like the trope refers to non-firearm examples.

Also, are crossbows capable of over penetration like that? I seem to recall that while they are powerful, that power drops off sharply.

I didn't choose the troping life, the troping life chose me
K4713-7R0P3R Mana, the Star Knight from Dream Land (Handed A Sword) Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Mana, the Star Knight
#19409: Apr 4th 2022 at 11:50:04 AM

Hey... I want to clarify one of Morpho Knight's examples from Kirby - Recurring Bosses.

Is there a way to clarify this and perhaps clean up any incorrect information? (You may need to check the rest of his entry as well.)

Edited by K4713-7R0P3R on Apr 4th 2022 at 2:59:02 PM

mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#19410: Apr 4th 2022 at 3:16:21 PM

Contrasting Sequel Main Character doesn't count if it's one member of an ensemble cast, right? Someone added Pete as an example on Human Resources (2022) cuz he's different from the hormone monsters in Big Mouth but A) HR pretty much has an ensemble main cast (and the closest thing to a protagonist is Emmy, not Pete) and B) the hormone monsters were not the protagonists of Big Mouth, the kids were.

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
laserviking42 from End-World Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
#19412: Apr 4th 2022 at 4:02:23 PM

[up][up][up]I'm not sure what you're asking. The example seems to fit, though I would suggest fleshing it out more. But if you're asking someone to do a re-write, then you might be better off in one of the fora that's dedicated to this work or genre and see if someone with knowledge of the work can help you.

[up][up]Contrasting Sequel Main Character is about contrast, or specifically introducing a main character that contrasts with prior work's main character. I would guess that an ensemble would count, but would have to be a one to one comparison. For example, in the prior work a hacker is dweeby and shy, while in the new show the hacker is dashing and a ladies man ... hope that makes sense.

I didn't choose the troping life, the troping life chose me
K4713-7R0P3R Mana, the Star Knight from Dream Land (Handed A Sword) Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Mana, the Star Knight
#19413: Apr 4th 2022 at 4:19:39 PM

[up][up][up][up] Can you show me a link to a better forum, then?

laserviking42 from End-World Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
#19414: Apr 4th 2022 at 7:11:23 PM

[up] You seem to have found the proper forum on your own.

I didn't choose the troping life, the troping life chose me
laserviking42 from End-World Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
#19415: Apr 4th 2022 at 7:57:29 PM

Was checking out the Artistic License – Gun Safety page from above, and there are some dodgy examples. Does this one seem at all cromulent?

  • 1917 is a rare inversion: the character are generally very good at handling their guns in a professional manner, not waving them around and demonstrating decent trigger discipline. Which is ironic, because this is one of the cases where characters being bad at this would actually make perfect sense, since the film takes place in World War I, long before the refinement of most of the usual gun safety techniques.

It seems to be describing an aversion, and I don't really think it's notable what with all the historical natter and speculation.

Edited by laserviking42 on Apr 4th 2022 at 10:58:15 AM

I didn't choose the troping life, the troping life chose me
MatthewGuy6131994 Since: Apr, 2013
#19416: Apr 5th 2022 at 12:28:55 AM

The song "When Will My Life Begin?" from Tangled begins with the lyrics "7 AM the usual morning lineup". I thought that maybe this could be an example of Hilarious in Hindsight because the song Friday by Rebecca Black (which was released just one year after Tangled) starts with the lyrics "7 AM wakin up in the morning". This YouTube Poop makes a joke about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFxMxOBQFhU&t=20s

Edited by MatthewGuy6131994 on Apr 5th 2022 at 12:33:16 PM

Bubblepig Steve from Minecraft (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
#19417: Apr 5th 2022 at 12:54:13 AM

I found about four examples that are probably misused and has no context of how it's a trope in Coitus Ensues. Here's some examples:

  • Ammonite: Mary and Charlotte have a lengthy sex scene.
  • Bride Flight has "sex" "frontal nudity" and "nudity" as the top keywords on IMDB despite only having one scene that features this, making it a Best Known for the Fanservice case.
  • Conan the Barbarian (1982): Both of the sex scenes, which aren't really necessary to the plot.
  • Devil's Prey has a sex scene between Seth and Fawn, also intercut between shots of Sam being tortured. You could probably remove this scene from the film and not hurt the story, given that the relationship between the two characters is already established.
The first two lack any context of how it's a trope while the last two sounds kinda nattery and complainy. Do you guys think the examples is properly used and what should do with it?

Edited by Bubblepig on Apr 5th 2022 at 8:52:00 AM

"CHICKEN JOCKEY!"
BoltDMC Since: May, 2020
#19418: Apr 5th 2022 at 2:21:57 AM

The Trivia trope Pet Fad Starter has several examples which are listed as averted and seems to attract natter. Examples:

    Examples 
  • In the UK, the toilet tissue brand "Andrex" has been advertised by a Labrador Retriever puppy for decades. It is the UK's most popular dog breed. It doesn't hurt that Retrievers are a relatively docile and beginner-friendly dog breed. There's no cause and effect relationship here.
  • When the film Rio came out, some people feared that the film would lead to an increased demand for parrots, which would've been particularly bad since parrots are extremely high-maintenance animals that need constant attention and lots of patience, not to mention they often live for several decades. Thankfully, that never came to pass, though likely for cost reasons; parrots (except for budgies) are expensive and run from several hundred to a few thousand dollars. Not exactly an impulse buy, especially for a first-time bird owner. IOW, not an example.
  • Averted with Coco. There were worries that Dante would cause a surge in Xoloitzcuintli's, however that didn't happen. It caused many people to learn about the breed, though. IOW, not an example.
  • The Marmaduke film averted this, as the eponymous Great Dane is portrayed as being very high-maintenance to say the least. Certain animal welfare groups were concerned about this trope, but it doesn't appear that the film has done much to increase or decrease the popularity of Danes. The utter failure of the film at the box office probably didn't hurt. IOW, not an example.
  • Beverly Hills Chihuahua did its best to avert this with a message in the credits saying, essentially, "make sure that you really want and are prepared to care for a dog should you get one." Ostensibly, this film is immune to the effect, as it was made in response to a terrible cultural trend that was already in existence (and apparently on the decline at the time). If anything, The Simple Life and Paris Hilton are to blame for the trend that led to the film. IOW, not an example.
  • Most people who saw Turner & Hooch probably couldn't have named Hooch's breed to save their lives. Demand for the French Mastiff didn't explode by any means, but that movie and other appearances in media have definitely invoked this trope, since it's a massive, high-maintenance dog that, as the vet herself said, "not many people [have room for]." they might not have time or money to devote to it either. That's with the movie actually portraying how high-maintenance Hooch was fairly realistically. No idea why this is here.
  • The popularity of Black Panther (2018) caused an increase in black cat adoptions. Happily, this means previously unwanted cats, who were shunned for being considered unlucky, can now go to loving homes. No idea why this is here.
  • When a live-action Disney comedy about a pug called Patrick came out in the UK, Disney collaborated with veterinary groups on a publicity campaign in order to avert this and avoid backlash from advocates. They pointed out that many pugs suffer from severe health problems due to their extreme craniofacial shapes, and agreed to avoid some elements in the film marketing that were considered to pose a risk of getting children to excited about pugs. IOW, not an example.
  • Similarly averted when Max, a 2015 family adventure movie about a heroic ex-military Malinois dog came out. Enthusiasts of the breed made a serious effort to get into the media and explain that the breed is primarily bred for guard, police and military work; they are highly energetic, strong-willed and predatory, are liable to become aggressive and destructive if they don't have frequent strenuous exercise and mental stimulation, are a terrible house pet, and should not have unsupervised contact with children. IOW, not an example.
  • Nintendogs Defied this by including a message in the manual:
    • Nintendogs is an interactive entertainment experience centered on puppies. In the uniquely imaginative world of Nintendogs, the young dogs do not age, always remaining puppies. They boast docile habits and personalities, and are easy to handle. However, since real puppies are living things, they have habits and personalities that may be different from those of the Nintendogs, so when training and caring for a real puppy, please be sure to understand the real puppy's habits and personality. When caring for living dog, the trainer holds ultimate responsibility for the survival and well-being of the dog, so be sure to consult with your family before raising a real dog. No idea why this is here.
  • Several social media influencers, particularly on Instagram and You Tube, have been accused of popularizing brachycephalic (flat-headed) dog breeds, namely Pugs, French Bulldogs, and Boston Terriers. Due to their smushed-in faces, these dogs have a huge menagerie of health and breathing problems, which are only further propagated by the aggressive backyard/puppy mill breeding that's done to meet consumer demand. These issues often lead to massive vet bills, causing many owners to abandon their expensive pedigree pooches. Because of this, rescues dedicated to brachycephalic dogs have cropped up. Examples are not general.
  • Many YouTubers and Instagrammers who own unusual pets like foxes and hedgehogs will try to Defy by putting disclaimers in the profile or video descriptions pointing out the difficulties of owning such a pet. Examples are not general.
  • An odd example in that the news is responsible, and a rather tragic one at that: All of the news stories regarding pit bull attacks and dog fighting rings has solidified their image as vicious attack dogs (which isn't accurate), leading to a rise in their popularity amongst unscrupulous owners who just want a tough-looking dog to show off, or, worse yet, to fight against other dogs. Many of these dogs will end up being abused or left tied up in backyards, which causes them to develop behavioral issues (as any dog, not just a pit bull, would in that scenario), and eventually leads to yet another incident of a pit bull attack, and the subsequent news story, and the cycle continues. Dobermans and Rottweilers also suffer from this, to a much lesser extent, but the pit bull breeds tend to get the worst of it. Many have also blamed those who run dog-fighting rings for this problem. No idea why this is here.

In addition, there are plenty of entries people say are examples, but it's not at all clear if they are:

    Examples 
  • I Am Legend likely boosted the popularity of German Shepherds. Likely is the key word. I don't think they know.
  • The only reason pretty much anyone outside of Africa has even heard of the Basenji is the 1950s novel and film Goodbye My Lady. I've never heard of the book or film before.
  • The children's book Stargirl provoked some readers to get interested in pet rats. Never heard of the work before.
  • The popularity of Shiloh caused this with Beagles. Never heard of the work before.

Requesting permission to cut them all.

Edited by BoltDMC on Apr 5th 2022 at 2:51:55 AM

laserviking42 from End-World Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
#19419: Apr 5th 2022 at 9:07:32 AM

[up][up][up]Hilarious in Hindsight has its own cleanup thread, you can propose examples there. However, in my opinion, that is way too tangential to be a good example. You've got a line that kinda sounds like another line of a song, rather thin to hang a reference like HIH on.

[up][up]In order:

  • The Ammonite is probably a valid example, as that's a wild sex scene in the middle of an otherwise dour period piece, but yes it should be re-written to highlight that.
  • From the example written I have no idea, so either cut it or re-write it to better highligh the out of placeness of it all.
  • Conan is a franchise dependent on its gratuitous blood and sex scenes, so not an example.
  • Coitus Ensues is for a sex scene that is wildly out of place in the context of the movie, while B-movies are known for their gratuitous nudity and whatnot. Not an example.

I didn't choose the troping life, the troping life chose me
laserviking42 from End-World Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
#19420: Apr 5th 2022 at 9:24:08 AM

[up][up]Ok, I agree with the first folder comments. Pet Fad Starter is a trivia trope, so it either occurs or it doesn't, and if it doesn't, then it's not notable. I say cut all those.

Looking at the second folder:

  • German Shepherds have been an incredibly popular since they were first registered, and have been either second or third most popular breed since the 90s, not an example.
  • Had to look this one up, but apparently it is true. The Basenji's very existence outside of obscure breeders is directly traced to that film.
  • Pet rat's popularity seems to cycle, but I can't find anything that connects it to Stargirl (a very popular YA book and less popular film adaptation)
  • I do remember Shiloh, a Newberry award winner (meaning kids must read the book), of a boy and his dog learning important life lessons. Looking into it, I've seen a few places state that it did cause an upsurge in beagle adoptions, so it's a maybe in my eyes.

I didn't choose the troping life, the troping life chose me
k5972 Jazz Lover 5972 Since: Jun, 2013 Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
#19421: Apr 5th 2022 at 11:07:38 AM

Is a Japanese woman a Christmas Cake if the feeling of being too old to be attractive is mostly internal? The beginning of the comic suggests that various dates considered her unattractive, but the story is mostly about how she believes a younger Korean man wouldn't like her if he knew she was single at her age.

  • A Fake Affair: 30-year-old Shoko Hama has given up on husband-searching because the combination of her social awkwardness and looking older makes her unattractive. When she meets a younger Korean man on vacation, she has an "affair" with him after accidentally lying that she's married. She can't admit she's single when their paths cross numerous times after that because she believes he wouldn't actually date a woman that old and he's only in it for the thrill of the affair.

MrMediaGuy2 Since: Jun, 2015
#19422: Apr 5th 2022 at 11:24:48 AM

From Slapstick Knows no Gender.

  • Most Imbapovi videos have many female characters be subjected to comical accidents (usually making some part of them bigger), but Jessica Rabbit deserves special mention; She uses a Suck-O-Lux to become even curvier, gets slapped and pin-popped, then complies to use the vacuum to make her whole body bigger, only to inflate like a giant balloon until the vacuum's expelled and she zips around, deflating back to normal.

I watched that video out of curiosity, and since it's a very blatant fetish animation, does it count as slapstick if it's played for erotica instead of laughs?

BoltDMC Since: May, 2020
#19423: Apr 5th 2022 at 11:45:53 AM

[up][up][up] Thanks. I will remove the offending examples and leave the two that may be sufficiently legit.

laserviking42 from End-World Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
#19424: Apr 5th 2022 at 11:51:15 AM

[up][up][up]Per the description of Christmas Cake:

In order to fall under this trope, the woman must make a specific reference to the concept of "needing to have been married by a certain age" - typically by either having a complex about being older and unmarried, or making it clear that they don't believe in the concept of being "too old to marry"

I would have to say that internal feelings definitely count to be an example.

[up][up]Yes, slapstick means physical gags done for comedy, not for getting off. Also that example sounds super general, is Imbapovi a genre? If so, cut the example on those grounds alone.

I didn't choose the troping life, the troping life chose me
TheSinful from Apple orchard. Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
#19425: Apr 5th 2022 at 4:27:01 PM

Is this an example of Screw the Rules, I Make Them! or possibly Screw the Rules, They're Not Real!?

In Death Note (2017), Ryuk seemingly kills the FBI agents investigating Kira, causing Light to rage at him for killing someone without Light writing their names in the Death Note. "I write the names, you kill them! Those are the rules!" But Ryuk brushes him off by saying, "And who do you think wrote those rules?" indicating he follows the rules because he chooses to but can choose not to at any time.

For reference, Ryuk carried out their deaths, but it was Mia who wrote their names in the Death Note.

All is not lost. Not yet.

Total posts: 36,620
Top