Misused: Berserk Button.Ed Edd N Eddy

I'm still new to the Forums, so forgive me if this isn't the right place to put this but...

Hoo boy, is there ever some shoehorning in this article. A lot of these examples are of stuff that have only occurred once, or stuff that any normal person would have acted in that instance. For example:

• Ed will become the opposite of his Gentle Giant self if he has a pebble in his shoe, which is kind of like an animal going berserk if it has a thorn in its paw. And it would be foolish to mess with his sister or his pals.
• Don't try to interrupt him once he's started watching an eight-hour monster movie marathon.
• In a few episodes, Jimmy is shown to get angry when some of his toys are destroyed. He also doesn't take kindly to being pushed around, but when he was bullied and given a wedgie in "If It Smells Like An Ed," it was the straw that broke the Camel's back.
• Also, wolves. Mentioning wolves around him (Rolf) seems to flip a switch in his head.

These are all things that happened only once during the series run. Ontop of that, one of the tropes specifically mentioned 'straw that broke the camels back', which isn't what Berserk Button is. The Square Peg Round Trope entry on Berserk Button goes:

'It isn't a hot button issue- it isn't something that annoyed someone when they were in a bad mood (For example, Ed having the pebble in his shoe), it isn't something done until the person snaps (Ed nearly missing his his marathon, Jimmy finally attempting revenge after the Eds wrecked his 'friendship day' party, among other reason) it isn't a laundry list of things that annoy them nor is it something that would make a hostile response an entirely reasonable reaction. (Rolf hating Wolves due to childhood trauma) The first one goes under Soap Box Sadie, the second and third ones describe the straw that broke the camel's back, the fourth one is Hair-Trigger Temper, and the last one isn't a trope.'

Similarly;

• Edd is a Neat Freak, so sneezing on him would be one of the worst things you could do to him. He also gets angry when Ed and Eddy play pranks on him (As seen in My Fair Ed and A Case of Ed). But, in Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show, him falling victim to a cruel prank finally sets him off.
• Only the Eds have been known to push Kevin's buttons, whatever they are.
• Speaking of Plank, it is suggested at one point that he doesn't like board jokes.
• Ed and Eddy's mere existence seems to be another one for her (Sarah).

Are too vague. Either they're stuff that's either been implied, being assumed that's how they'd react, or non-examples. In addition;

• In Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show, hurting his friends is revealed to be one of Ed's when Eddy's Brother got a kick out of brutally beating Eddy and Edd in one of the few instances where Amusing Injuries weren't in effect. Ed responded by unpinning the door he was pulling Eddy away from, sending it slamming into his face and knocking him out. This was the only time in the series that Ed consciously intended to hurt someone.
• Do not harm Jimmy when Sarah's around.
• Similarly, don't trash her (Sarah's) room.
• If you take Plank away from Jonny, it can get really ugly. To wit, he once took on all three of the Kanker sisters to get Plank back, and he won. ◦ For that matter, don't threaten Jonny around Plank, and DEFINITELY don't harm his parents. He knows people.
• For that matter, don't threaten Jonny around Plank, and DEFINITELY don't harm his parents. He knows people.
• Nazz will get preachy and defensive if you've done something wrong.
• The Kankers have 2 of them: the first one is if their "boyfriends", the Eds, are paired with someone else outside of the girls' intentions.
• And, by the end of Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show , we get the third one: beating up Eddy in front of Lee.

... Are how most people would likely react to A: Seeing their friends and/or loved ones hurt or with someone else, B: Someone doing something very wrong, or C: Having their room completely trashed. And, again, all these only really happen once and/or a few times throughout the series run. When it comes down to it, the only things that could legitimately qualify as a Berserk Button are:

• Do not call Eddy short.
• Don't steal or destroy Kevin's bike. It won't end well for you. (Unless you're Nazz.)
• Rolf takes pride in his customs. He does not take kindly to those who ridicule the customs of his homeland. Do not tarnish them, or he will beat you. With a Fish.

... And even those only appear infrequently enough in the series to barely qualify.

I've tried cleaning this page up in the past, but everytime I delete an incorrect example, someone re-adds it sometime later. With the rampant misuse of what a Berserk Button is, and only three examples barely qualifying for it, I think the best thing we can do is nuke the page and make it a member of the Permanent Redlink Club.

edited 8th Aug '14 3:12:31 PM by TokoWH

This is a really well-done OP.

I've tried cleaning this page up in the past, but everytime I delete an incorrect example, someone re-adds it sometime later

That strikes me as a case for a page lock, certainly. As for the three remaining examples, the first two writeups don't really explain how the trope applies.

Wow. I think you're right, that the page is full of shoehorned non-examples. Basically, unless the character is written as having a Hair-Trigger Temper, no character should have more than a couple Berserk Buttons. The definition of a Berserk Button I'm working with is: "some characters almost always get enraged when given a certain trigger."

That, to me, means that

1. any one-off occurrence isn't one, especially if it's something that would reasonably cause anyone to get angry or to react harshly.
2. losing one's temper in reaction to repeated or deliberate provocation isn't one
3. Expressing annoyance isn't one — a Berserk Button inspires rage.

And frankly, I question whether a work with only a dozen regularly recurring characters merits its own dedicated page. My inclination wold be to say it doesn't, that the examples should be cleaned, the good examples be moved back to a folder on the Western Animation page, and the name locked.

edited 8th Aug '14 11:55:47 AM by Madrugada

I say it should be cut completely. Now that I remember, Eddy being The Napoleon only got focus in one major episode, and while I do believe Rolf has enraged in other epsiodes over people accidentally mocking his customs, I think it was mostly downplayed until it appeared as the focus for an episode, and someone having his bike stolen/broken would be a normal reason for one to get enraged.

My vote is to cut it and lock it.

I would be fine with that.

It's cutlisted and locked.

then we're done here

Actually, not yet. In case the cut request gets declined, we'll still need this.

The cutlist hasn't been touched in a long time...I'll mention it to Maddy.

Hitting the cutlist now. Locking up.

Page has been dispatched and discussion notification was added. Requesting closure now.