TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Overshadowed By Controversy Cleanup

Go To

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

mariic Since: Nov, 2009
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!
#3827: Jun 21st 2023 at 2:35:40 AM

[up] Might be worth a look.

Reymma RJ Savoy from Edinburgh Since: Feb, 2015 Relationship Status: Wanna dance with somebody
RJ Savoy
#3828: Jun 21st 2023 at 3:24:54 AM

[up][up] We would need some evidence that a portion of the public knows it mostly because of that fact and not for any merit of the book itself.

Stories don't tell us monsters exist; we knew that already. They show us that monsters can be trademarked and milked for years.
RandomTroper123 She / Her from I'll let you guess... (Not-So-Newbie) Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
She / Her
#3829: Jun 21st 2023 at 6:10:02 PM

[up](x3) If it meets the requirements, then sure, though I don't know if it does tbh.

ArthurEld Since: May, 2014
#3830: Jun 21st 2023 at 7:45:38 PM

The fact that the original work doesn't even have a page here is probably enough reason to not do it. The Nyctalope is a minor footnote in pulp history, the fact that his author was at one point pro-Nazi is just a footnote on a footnote.

mariic Since: Nov, 2009
#3831: Jun 25th 2023 at 3:36:22 AM

Should we add Armor of God for being the film that almost killed Jackie Chan, or would that fit more under Troubled Production?

andrewthetroper from ...mislim, iz Srbije Since: May, 2022
#3832: Jun 25th 2023 at 4:11:28 AM

[up]Add to Troubled Production whatever you decide about Overshadowed by Controversy.

The pessimist sees a dark tunnel, the optimist sees a light, the realist sees two lights and the engineer sees three idiots.
VampireBuddha Calendar enthusiast from Ireland (Wise, aged troper) Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Calendar enthusiast
#3833: Jun 25th 2023 at 6:09:49 AM

Armor of God may be known for that, but I don't think almost killing Jackie Chan overshadows it because grievous injury is a normal part of the job for Chan.

Ukrainian Red Cross
mariic Since: Nov, 2009
#3834: Jun 25th 2023 at 5:35:09 PM

[up]There is a distinct difference between a grevious injury and a nearly fatal injury.

miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#3835: Jun 27th 2023 at 11:28:04 AM

Can I cut this? Saying Voltaire, Shakespeare, dickens and Fydor are more known for this than their works is such a massive stretch.

  • This extends to authors who expressed racist and sexist stereotypes in their works, which in their day might have been typical or exceptional, or even Fair for Its Day, but thanks to later political developments, their legacy gets tarnished. Richard Wagner is universally considered a genius composer, but his open anti-Semitism and the Nazi party's promotion of his music and writings has tarnished his legacy. Modern readers of books by William Shakespeare, Voltaire, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and many others often find them difficult to read for the open anti-Semitism, sexism, and other stereotypes present in the content. Rudyard Kipling's promotion of Mighty Whitey and White Man's Burden made him, formerly one of the most popular and well-read authors of his day and regarded as anti-racist, an embarrassment for many literary critics in the wake of decolonization.

Also something has to be done about Th r real life section on Real Life. I dunno why were talking about stuff like elon musk, Jaime Oliver and sean Hannity. Like this is a media site ? Even ignoring that several of these examples are just controversial people in general like hannity.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
bowserbros No longer active. from Elsewhere Since: May, 2014
No longer active.
#3836: Jun 27th 2023 at 11:41:01 AM

I think you can very much keep Wagner at the very least. His antisemitism overshadows his work to such an extent that not only is his music banned in Israel, but the neo-Nazi paramilitary group that rebelled in Russia recently is named after him. Kipling can also be kept considering that his name has been a byword for colonial paternalism for ages (exemplified by Nam June Paik naming the art piece "Bye Bye Kipling" after him to mock his "never the twain shall meet" quote). Dickens I'm on the fence about, as specific works of his (namely Oliver Twist) are more likely to be overshadowed than the man himself.

Be kind.
mariic Since: Nov, 2009
#3837: Jun 27th 2023 at 1:36:43 PM

[up] In Dickens's defense, he edited some of the bad stuff out of later reprintings.

ArthurEld Since: May, 2014
#3838: Jun 27th 2023 at 2:53:51 PM

Plus, when the average person hears Dickens, they think Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and usually the adaptations and not the source material. They definitely don't think "anti-semitism".

Actual literature critics and academics may have a different point of view, but the rate at which people keep churning out those adaptations means it is not something that actually overshadows those works, multitudinous as they are.

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?
#3839: Jun 29th 2023 at 6:13:13 AM

I simply don’t buy that Charles Dickens is personally overshadowed. He’s one of the most famous writers of his time and is still primarily remembered for his books first and foremost, Christmas Carol being his most famous by far. I could buy they’re problematic by today’s standards, but that’s not enough to justify listing him.

Edited by DDRMASTERM on Jun 29th 2023 at 7:13:35 AM

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
#3840: Jun 29th 2023 at 6:15:04 AM

TBH I don't think Dickens is overshadowed by antisemitism — his stories are far too famous and beloved.

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#3841: Jun 29th 2023 at 10:18:52 AM

Most of the time when his antisemitism is brought up, there's usually a note that he felt bad about it afterwards anyway when a friend complained, and tried to do better. So definitely not overshadowed. While Fagin is heavily criticized, it's not been to the point that the book is overshadowed.

Edited by AlleyOop on Jun 29th 2023 at 10:19:35 AM

mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#3842: Jun 29th 2023 at 10:28:45 AM

Plus I think the Adaptation Displacement of the less antisemitic musical helps keep Fagin from being as controversial as he could be. Most people seem to chalk Dickens and Shakespeare's antisemitism to Values Dissonance more than holding it over them, unlike say Wagner and Lovecraft who were extremist for their time.

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#3843: Jun 29th 2023 at 10:41:00 AM

I'll just turn wagner and kipling's parts into their own entries. And cut the rest.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
Zarina Since: Aug, 2014
#3844: Jun 30th 2023 at 1:29:09 PM

Regarding the entry on the His Dark Materials series that fragglelover brought up on the previous page, since that got lost in the shuffle:

I agree that it's an issue of controversial premise, rather than an outside controversy overshadowing. If people have strong opinions about the religious elements in the trilogy, they either like it for being creative and having high stakes, or don't because they find it offensive or pretentious etc. Most discourse I've seen in the last several years about the series was the movie adaptation of The Golden Compass not being faithful enough to the book.

Mrph1 he/him from Mercia (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: This is not my beautiful wife!
he/him
#3845: Jun 30th 2023 at 2:04:37 PM

[up] Agreed. It's Pullman, who also wrote The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ - the controversy on that aspect is deliberately baked into HDM by the author, it's not a 'small part' of the work, and it doesn't seem to meet the criteria for the trope.

RainbowPumpqueen R A T (she/her) from Kalos Since: Apr, 2021 Relationship Status: Squeeeeeeeeeeeee!
R A T (she/her)
#3846: Jul 1st 2023 at 12:05:16 AM

Found this on the Comic Books page.

  • The non-canon Bad Future miniseries Spider-Man: Reign is remembered chiefly for the disgust and mockery with which fans reacted to the plot element of Mary Jane dying from cancer due to exposure to radiation in Peter's... bodily fluids.

Since this doesn't mention the example sparking fierce debate or containing something offensive, wouldn't this better fit Signature Scene? It's already listed as that on the YMMV page, albeit it's a zce.

Feel free to help with the sandbox or edit my troper wall
nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#3847: Jul 1st 2023 at 1:40:23 AM

[up]Eh, 'offensiveness' is a subjective term I'd prefer not to use, but for the sake of clarification I should point out that the "bodily fluids" referred to there are semen, which was certainly A Storytelling Choice.

VampireBuddha Calendar enthusiast from Ireland (Wise, aged troper) Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Calendar enthusiast
#3848: Jul 1st 2023 at 10:08:49 AM

Reign is pretty much entirely known for Peter's radioactive sperm giving MJ cancer, but that feels closer to something like Never Live It Down.

Ukrainian Red Cross
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)
#3849: Jul 1st 2023 at 10:09:53 AM

Only if it's something Peter is stereotyped by the fandom as doing often. A writing choice fans dislike is not what Never Live It Down is about.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#3850: Jul 1st 2023 at 5:06:15 PM

IIRC they didn't actually specify that it was semen as opposed to bodily fluids in general. In context it's very like to be semen, but there's enough plausible deniability that they could've said it was saliva from kissing.


Total posts: 6,229
Top