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Overshadowed By Controversy Cleanup

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Overshadowed by Controversy has several examples, particularly under the Fan Works, Webcomics, and Web Original folders, that don't fit the trope as described. The controversy is supposed to overshadow the work, so if it doesn't do that it shouldn't count as a valid example.

The media folders, such as Anime or Western Animation, could also use a look, as some entries deal with shows, while others deal with actors, fans, or creators. Additionally, some of the entries are not controversial anymore or are not known enough to overshadow the show completely, and others seem closer to Never Live It Down.

Some examples even point out that the controversy was debunked or died down eventually, which doesn't fit the trope, as well as examples saying things like "time will tell if [x] can recover." I originally tried the Real-Life cleanup section, and then a TRS thread, but I hope this is the right section to help us clean up this trope's examples. ^^

MOD NOTE: For something to be overshadowed by controversy; it has to have a significant, arguably overwhelming impact on that work/creator/thing that’s provable by pointing to actual evidence beyond social media likes or a news report. The controversy has to be bigger than the thing for it to overshadow the thing.

For a work, did it bomb directly due to the controversy? Was it pulled from shelves or streaming services? Nothing like this? Then it most likely doesn’t count.

For a creator, did they lose their job/get banned or lose all of their sponsorships or are unable to get any work directly due to the controversy? Did they at least retire directly because of the controversy? Nothing like this? Then it most likely doesn’t count.

Valid examples would be people like Gina Carano or Louie CK. As they were both fired and black listed for their controversies. Or Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are now more known for those controversies than their actual careers. Clearly being overshadowed by it.

If only chronically online people like us are going to be aware of something, it definitely doesn’t count. The controversy has to be so big that even people who are rarely online or know very little about something, would still have heard of the controversy.

Edited by kory on Oct 4th 2025 at 10:21:54 AM

SomeNewGuy Since: Jun, 2009
#2551: Jan 27th 2022 at 5:44:38 PM

So uh, Amber Heard's entry on Real Life was just deleted for being "Depp PR crap", and I'm not sure if that's okay.

SpongeBat1 We stan Clippy in this house from Quittersville, Failuretown, and Loserburg (Y2: Electric Boogaloo) Relationship Status: It's a god-awful small affair
We stan Clippy in this house
#2552: Jan 27th 2022 at 5:50:48 PM

[up]That edit reason alone gives me major bad vibes. Maybe take this to ATT.

Came for the tropes, stayed for the cleanup.
themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him
#2553: Jan 27th 2022 at 6:31:25 PM

[up] It's been taken. I mentioned this cleanup discussion there.

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
SkylaNoivern Since: Sep, 2016
#2554: Jan 29th 2022 at 6:04:57 AM

I feel that The Joe Rogan Experience might qualify for this trope as while its an extremely popular podcast, its become equally as known for Rogan's support of medical misinformation and pseudoscience. And that's even before the Neil Young situation that happened just a few days ago.

themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him
#2555: Jan 29th 2022 at 6:10:14 AM

[up] Is it "overshadowed" though, or is it just a controversial work? Rogan's been controversial for a long time, even before COVID—I remember Sen. Bernie Sanders went on the podcast and got criticized for it because of Rogan's transphobic views. I guess you're right in that there have been non-right-wing guests on the show (I don't watch the podcast, but I know some of the guests who've been on—Jon Stewart, Cornel West, Lawrence Lessig, and Andrew Yang to name a few), and they wouldn't have gone on if the show was as toxic as it is now, but the show has always had controversial people—Alex Jones, Gavin McInnes, Jordan Peterson, and Ben Shapiro just to name a few, and the show has been known for being an alt-right gateway for a while.

I will say that a strong argument can be made that the podcast and Rogan's views overshadowed him as a person. Prior to the podcast Rogan had been an actor on NewsRadio, the host of Fear Factor, and a UFC commentator, so perhaps all of this drama has overshadowed Rogan's previous career.

Any other thoughts?

Edited by themayorofsimpleton on Jan 29th 2022 at 9:12:09 AM

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
mamawaluigi Since: Jan, 2022
#2556: Jan 29th 2022 at 10:08:45 AM

I'd be careful to phrase any entry on the subject so as to make clear that it's Rogan's earlier works that are overshadowed, not "him as a person." We trope works, not people.

I think you could make a fair case that it counts though; I've certainly known folks to feel weird about watching him on Newsradio knowing what he'd go on to do.

SkylaNoivern Since: Sep, 2016
#2557: Jan 29th 2022 at 11:37:08 AM

When I wrote that I didn't even know Rogan had any acting roles beyond UFC. So I'm guessing JRE has eclipsed his rep?

themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him
#2558: Jan 29th 2022 at 11:39:11 AM

[up][up] Well, obviously yeah, not "as a person". Sorry about my choice of wording there.

Perhaps I could make a write-up for Rogan and his non-podcast career?

Edited by themayorofsimpleton on Jan 29th 2022 at 2:39:16 PM

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#2559: Jan 29th 2022 at 8:44:22 PM

Ugh, I'm hesitant to add Rogan right now. The Spotify stuff right now feels like a bigger issue than his previous incidents. Plus the work might just be inherently controversial.

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him
#2560: Jan 30th 2022 at 4:49:48 AM

[up] I wasn't talking about his podcast, I was talking about his previous career before his podcast. As I mentioned, Rogan was on NewsRadio, hosted Fear Factor, and was also a UFC commentator, and I think his podcast and subsequent activity has overshadowed all of that.

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
DDRMASTERM do you wanna have a bad time? from Someplace, Utah, USA Since: Apr, 2013 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
do you wanna have a bad time?
#2561: Jan 30th 2022 at 4:49:32 PM

[up][up][up] I'd say go ahead with a write-up. I know that his podcast has been decently influential and controversial for many years, but has become more so in the pandemic era for platforming Covid denialism. But I don't listen to his podcast actively so I'm not in a position to rule on it.

MinisterOfSinister From 'Ell's 'eart Oi stab at ye! from In the Hall of the Mountain King Since: Jan, 2014 Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
From 'Ell's 'eart Oi stab at ye!
#2562: Jan 31st 2022 at 2:45:28 AM

So about this entry from Channel Awesome...

  • The Blockbuster Buster, aka Eric "ERod" Rodriguez, was visibly devastated after the CTC controversy, having spent two years getting noticed by Channel Awesome before finally being invited to the 2018 10th anniversary special, which was unceremoniously cancelled due to the exodus of contributors. As a result ERod left the site in devastation and became openly hostile on social media towards the Walkers and people who still collaborate with them, and even fans who continue to watch their videos. His detractors accused him of being increasingly paranoid and aggressive on social media towards his critics, and even mocked the death of Brad Jones' father-in-law. Melissa, the actress who played Una in the 300th episode, described ERod as one of the most egotistical people she'd ever met and claimed that his wife Marsha Kent enables his behavior.

I'm not sure how "overshadowed" he is since it's been a while since I watched his content, and I couldn't find any trace of this "Melissa" online, but more than that, Marsha passed away last Monday due to heart failure caused by Covid-19. The entry doesn't sit right with me, all around.

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#2563: Jan 31st 2022 at 4:37:34 AM

That actually sounds like a Creator Breakdown entry that's been shoehorned into this one for... some reason.

TheLivingDrawing Lucas the Dreamer from The Town of Clayton Since: Apr, 2019 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Lucas the Dreamer
#2564: Jan 31st 2022 at 5:43:26 AM

Someone removed the entry I put down for Kero the Wolf for Role-Ending Misdemeanor with no edit reason. I realized that probably because it didn’t fit there (he still makes content) so I moved it to overshadowed by controversy. I also removed a NRLEP sinkhole (Bestiality Is Depraved). Can I add it back since the dude literally gets off to torturing animals?

Once Upon A Time.
themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him
#2565: Jan 31st 2022 at 5:43:58 AM

[up] That sounds like it overshadowed him so yes.

Did you send an edit reason notifier?

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
plakythebirb The Unwilling Cycle from The Deep South (Handed A Sword) Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Unwilling Cycle
#2566: Jan 31st 2022 at 5:47:45 AM

[up][up] Bestiality Is Depraved forbids real life examples, so I wouldn't add it any entry relating to real people, regardless of their actions.

Welcome To Ideals' World
TheLivingDrawing Lucas the Dreamer from The Town of Clayton Since: Apr, 2019 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Lucas the Dreamer
#2567: Jan 31st 2022 at 5:49:44 AM

No. I just assumed because it was misuse. It was part of a large edit so that’s probably why there wasn’t one. And yes it did overshadow Kero (I only heard about him from what he did) though I didn’t add that specifically as the entry already implied that and adding one would be clunky. Though most of his comments and twitter replies are positive, likely due to him policing the former and people buying his proclamations of innocence despite the evidence proving his guilt being impossible to fake for the latter.

Edited by TheLivingDrawing on Jan 31st 2022 at 8:56:22 AM

Once Upon A Time.
Atlantis1930 Since: May, 2012
#2568: Feb 3rd 2022 at 9:44:16 AM

So, I've been thinking about this for a couple of days and I think I would like to nominate the author Benjanun Sriduangkaew for this trope, but I'm just posting here first to make sure everyone thinks it's kosher.

Benjanun became known in the early to mid 2010's, and was even a finalist for the John W. Campbell award. However in 2014 she was revealed to be the controversial online blogger Requires Hate and there were multiple allegations from colleagues in the industry that she was a cyberbully and a harraser. A piece by Laura J. Nixon critiquing her behaviour won a Hugo not long after, though opinion is still split. Benjanun has supporters who claim that she gave proper critiques albeit in a rather harsh and abraisive way and was the victim of an unfair backlash, whilst her detractors argue that she was a bully and all around nasty person who used her status to try and destroy the careers of other people. Opinons on her internet activity aside, I believe she meets this trope as she's now FAR more known for that in the general fantasy/science fiction sphere than for any of her creative work, to the point where it's the first thing people usually mention when she's brought up.

Edited by Atlantis1930 on Feb 3rd 2022 at 5:46:55 PM

MinisterOfSinister From 'Ell's 'eart Oi stab at ye! from In the Hall of the Mountain King Since: Jan, 2014 Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
From 'Ell's 'eart Oi stab at ye!
#2569: Feb 3rd 2022 at 4:40:52 PM

I give Requires Hate [tup].

DDRMASTERM do you wanna have a bad time? from Someplace, Utah, USA Since: Apr, 2013 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
do you wanna have a bad time?
#2570: Feb 3rd 2022 at 7:41:25 PM

[up][up] Seems legit.

bowserbros No longer active. from Elsewhere Since: May, 2014
No longer active.
#2572: Feb 3rd 2022 at 10:25:39 PM

This point got brought up in an ATT thread, and having had it in the back of my mind for a while, now would be as good of a time as any to bring it up:


  • Mike Matei was already a somewhat divisive figure on Cinemassacre by some for his infamous Minecraft with Gadget and Elmo In Grouchland videos, as well as his occurring roles on AVGN which some accused as spotlight stealing, but was otherwise generally well respected by fans for the most part for helping James contribute to Angry Video Game Nerd. During the latter half of The New '10s, however, his reputation was tarnished when he boasted about his penis size on social media, complete with him showing a picture of it on the official Cinemassacre subreddit, and deleted comments mentioning the incident, his mishandling of fan favorite Bootsy and Kyle Justin's departure from the site and censoring conversation about them, his antagonistic behavior towards fans who disagree with his opinions on both YouTube and Twitter (going so far as to demand that someone unfollow him for questioning his stance on Disney and superhero movies), publicly taking an antagonistic view towards save-states and rewind features in emulators that was criticized as gatekeeping, claiming the creators of Mortal Kombat modeled The Joker from Mortal Kombat 11 off his take on AVGN (which many saw as narcissistic), and his poorly made edgy webcomics The Loco Bandito coming to light (although he has since apologized for said comics). All of this combined has made Matei a pariah among longtime Cinemassacre fans, to the extent where many fans rejoiced at the announcement of Matei's departure from Cinemassacre in 2020.

To reiterate what I said in that thread, as someone who (regrettably) contributed to the bloating of that OBC point back in the day, in hindsight it comes off as an overly bashy List of Transgressions, and I say this as someone with no real personal investment in Matei beyond his AVGN work (I only knew about stuff like the dick pic incident and the save state spat thanks to heavy word-of-mouth when they were new).

In fact, looking back, I don't think Matei really applies for OBC at all; he actually seems most known for Minecraft With Gadget (to the point where it got a Shout-Out in Deltarune of all things), not any of the stuff listed in that OBC point. Even historically, those incidents were fairly flash-in-the-pan outside of a dedicated Vocal Minority.

Be kind.
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#2573: Feb 3rd 2022 at 10:33:41 PM

I'd keep the penis incident too, as in my experience Mike Matei is known equally for both. There are a lot of jokes about him being that guy who posted his erect penis on the Internet.

  • Overshadowed by Controversy: Mike Matei used to be generally well-respected by fans for the most part for helping James contribute to Angry Video Game Nerd. However, Mike is more known for the time when he boasted about his penis size on social media, complete with him showing a picture on the official Cinemassacre subreddit (which turned out to have been sourced from pornography), and deleted comments mentioning the incident, as well as his infamous Minecraft With Gadget video and his tendency to take down any criticism of it only making it more infamous due to the Streisand Effect.

How is this for a rewrite?

Edited by AlleyOop on Feb 3rd 2022 at 1:40:37 PM

SkylaNoivern Since: Sep, 2016
#2574: Feb 4th 2022 at 9:57:41 AM

[up] Sounds fine.

I tried writing an entry for Joe Rogan by the way:

  • Actor and comedian Joe Rogan, of NewsRadio and Fear Factor fame, has become better known for using his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience to support COVID-19 misinformation, including his opposition to COVID-19 vaccines. Prior to that, The Joe Rogan Experience has been criticized for Rogan making statements seen as transphobic.

bowserbros No longer active. from Elsewhere Since: May, 2014
No longer active.
#2575: Feb 4th 2022 at 11:26:37 AM

[up][up]That writeup seems good if that's the case.

[up]Sounds alright for the most part, I'd just tweak it as follows:


  • Previously known for his spots in NewsRadio and Fear Factor, actor and comedian Joe Rogan has become better known for using his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, to support COVID-19 misinformation (including opposing COVID-19 vaccines) than for any of his earlier work. Prior to that, Rogan's podcast was best known for accusations of him making transphobic statements on-mic.

Be kind.

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