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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

TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit The clown of STEEL from Ichnusa Since: Mar, 2024
The clown of STEEL
#6126: Oct 20th 2025 at 1:19:15 AM

I'm also leaning on keeping Projared and the Completionist here. I never was the kind of person to keep up with the latest news of YouTuber drama, but even then I got how much their channels suffered back then. Even if they're having their respective Career Resurrections, it still implies their careers almost died at one point.

Especially since they waited at least a couple of years, and had to release apology videos, before viewers could even say "okay, it's over". The fact that it took some time to reverse someting that happened very quickly (and there isn't the guarantee people won't tease about it anymore), to me, is a sign that they've been Overshadowed by a Controversy — if a historical one.

Come to think of it, it reminds me of that "old adage": if you post something embarrassing on the internet, people will never forget it. Would it mean that there are way more web-original controversies than we assumed, or that internet works have a higher standard for what counts as a controversy? Or is that just a joke with no real implications on what people consider a controversy or not?

Oo oo ah ah
mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#6127: Oct 20th 2025 at 8:47:38 AM

I always try to think of whether a layperson would primarily know about the person through the controversy even if their fanbase has moved on. Hence why I'd think Channel Awesome counts despite still having a dedicated fanbase, since they lost so many contributors and fans through their 2018 controversy despite still having some success in their own bubbles. Not sure whether that applies to Jared or Jirard but I do see them come up a lot less in general than before. Even people who defend Jared will still bring him up as an example of cancel culture which IMO still counts as controversy to me.

Edited by mightymewtron on Oct 20th 2025 at 11:47:57 AM

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
king15 Have Faun Since: Mar, 2024
Have Faun
#6128: Oct 20th 2025 at 9:34:13 AM

[1] The comments on the Reddit post you linked seem to suggest it's an issue with YouTube, not Jirard going out of his way to remove negative comments. Whether that's true or not is hard to tell, but still.

Rabbitearsblog Movie and TV Goddess from United States Since: Jan, 2014 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Movie and TV Goddess
#6129: Oct 20th 2025 at 10:34:22 AM

So, even if the content creator in question still continues to post up content and their controversy is downplayed in recent years, does that still count as overshadowed by controversy, since they haven't really stopped posting up content, because of said controversy?

Edited by Rabbitearsblog on Oct 20th 2025 at 10:35:59 AM

I love animation, TV, movies, YOU NAME IT!
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?
#6130: Oct 20th 2025 at 1:52:55 PM

[up] With the newer guidelines, there’s still room for dispute as to what the exact lines for qualification are, but I think the gist is that the new standard for content creators, authors, etc. is that the controversy must be so big as to end their career (at least in mainstream works). So, if they continue posting through it, but have seen a truly catastrophic long-term cratering indicating that nobody besides the a small group of blindly loyal fans will ever watch them willingly again, it probably counts. If it’s a noticeable dip but still one that lets them comfortably continue making a career out of it, then they’re likely not OBC.

And the jury’s still out on what degree ‘historical’ examples are allowed.

Edited by DDRMASTERM on Oct 20th 2025 at 4:18:10 AM

Rabbitearsblog Movie and TV Goddess from United States Since: Jan, 2014 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Movie and TV Goddess
#6131: Oct 20th 2025 at 4:25:10 PM

[up]

And what if said creator, author, etc managed to bounce back from the controversy? Would they still count as an example, even though the controversy no longer overshadows them?

I love animation, TV, movies, YOU NAME IT!
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?
#6132: Oct 20th 2025 at 5:17:51 PM

[up] Doubtful they’d count. Maybe if they spent a long time being radioactive they could be a historical example, but even then I’m unsure.

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)
#6133: Oct 20th 2025 at 5:30:28 PM

We've allowed historical examples before and I personally think they're fine to keep as long as it was a genuine controversy at the time.

Trying to make all information on a YMMV page pertain only to recent reactions is a fool's errand.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#6134: Oct 20th 2025 at 8:14:12 PM

I think if it caused a significant blow to their format, company, reputation, etc that hasn't quite recovered since, it could count. Like I use Channel Awesome because they lost almost every member from the controversy but they still exist to push Nostalgia Critic, and while they still have their fans, they will never again be the same and it's impossible to ignore what happened to them.

I think if there's a "pre-controversy" and "post-controversy" perception of the creator, that's a good sign that it counts as a "historical" example.

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
astrixzero from Sydney Since: Aug, 2011 Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
#6135: Oct 20th 2025 at 11:20:19 PM

Speaking of which, can OBC be applied to Karl Jobst? It's over 6 months after his court case against Billy Mitchell concluded, and he suffered a significant hit to his reputation when it was revealed that the case was related to defamation over the deceased Apollo Legend, and not over Mitchell's cheating as commonly believed. Jobst's channel lost around 30k subs, with many accusing him of misleading viewers, and his legal battle against Mitchell has been a big focus of his channel for the past few years.

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)
#6136: Oct 20th 2025 at 11:23:48 PM

Maybeeee? I haven't heard of it until recently admittedly, and I was following his content for a bit, but I also live under a rock and it does seem to have caused damage to his channel.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
GearFriedTheKnight BLOCKING - A weapon for the 21st century. from The nearest road that can be raced (Experienced Trainee) Relationship Status: I'm in love with my car
BLOCKING - A weapon for the 21st century.
#6137: Oct 21st 2025 at 5:00:52 AM

Related to Jobst, I vaguely recall him being revealed to have some ties to the far-right and white supremacists also wrecked his reputation? Or was it somebody else?

''There's no magic in tuning; yet, it's something that tends to escape from any logic."
Marchen Too hot (Hot damn) from Somewhere Out in Space (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
Too hot (Hot damn)
#6138: Oct 21st 2025 at 5:17:35 AM

No, that was him. He turned out to be buddies with an infamous Neo-nazi speedrunner, complete with posting in his discord channel about, if memory serves me right, "not being allowed to say the n-word". That all blew over when he released a video explaining that the n-word doesn't actually mean anything in Australia, so I don't think it counts.

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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)
#6139: Oct 21st 2025 at 6:33:52 AM

Yeah, there were Nazi allegations but those blew over.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Mariofan99 Since: Jun, 2021 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#6140: Oct 21st 2025 at 6:40:07 AM

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15417159170A60176600&page=245#comment-6124

Hey as the guy who edited the ProJared entry I will say that while Jared's views were slumping a little bit before the allegations dropped, the scandal definitely had a noticeable impact on his viewership.

At Jared's peak he was averaging 1-3 million views a video, yet the only videos of Jared's made after scandal that have passed the 1 million view mark were his reviews of Final Fantasy V, and Final Fantasy VI, which were the first two reviews Jared released after his response IIRC. This me indicates after the initial hype of Jared's return wore off, people decided that even if he hadn’t done anything illegal, they still felt too uncomfortable about the situation to support him.

Edited by Mariofan99 on Oct 21st 2025 at 9:50:00 AM

bunnyofdoomo1 Since: Apr, 2023
#6141: Oct 21st 2025 at 8:07:45 AM

[up][up] [up]Nah, pretty sure the n-word still has the same hateful connotations in Australia, so that should not absolve him at all

Edited by bunnyofdoomo1 on Oct 21st 2025 at 11:07:58 AM

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bwburke94 I am mad scientist! It's so cool! from 1.048596% (Y2: Electric Boogaloo) Relationship Status: She does the things you do, but she is an IBM
I am mad scientist! It's so cool!
#6142: Oct 21st 2025 at 8:18:43 AM

As I said earlier, the allegations fell apart rather quickly. The "controversy" (if you can call it that) barely lasted a month.

2025: the year it all ends?
mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#6143: Oct 21st 2025 at 9:15:14 AM

Unfortunately even if we think the controversy should have mattered more, it's not an example if it blew over.

[up][up][up]I think Jared could still qualify by that metric then. I feel like even his supporters still have to defend him when they bring him up.

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
SkylaNoivern Since: Sep, 2016
#6144: Oct 21st 2025 at 9:30:35 AM

In regards to keeping historical examples, I would like to contest the removal of Jontron's entry from a while ago. His infamous debate with Destiny did appear to actually impact him - he was recast in Yooka-Laylee over it, lost subscribers (something he still seems to be hemorrhaging), and made news headlines. While he still continues to make content, he generally only comes up nowadays to mention or joke about his race comments or more recent inflammatory takes, and there's posts from his Reddit sub from fans who feel disillusioned with his recent content. I feel he's in the same boat as Projared or The Completionist where while they still create videos, their scandals loom over their heads.

Reymma RJ Savoy from Edinburgh Since: Feb, 2015 Relationship Status: Wanna dance with somebody
RJ Savoy
#6145: Oct 21st 2025 at 12:38:16 PM

The problem about "what would the layman think of first?" as applied to Youtubers is that usually anyone who doesn't watch videos outside of instructional ones will have no idea either way. I don't think anyone in my immediate family would know of the Nostalgia Critic or any of his former associates if I hadn't shown them a few videos. But if the controversy made it into mainstream news, that is a very strong indication that it's what people outside their audience will remember them for.

Stories don't tell us monsters exist; we knew that already. They show us that monsters can be trademarked and milked for years.
mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#6146: Oct 21st 2025 at 1:11:49 PM

That's why I lean towards the Mr. Enter Turning Red thing keeping as it's the only controversy that ever broke him into the mainstream and nobody outside of the cartoon community gives a crap about him otherwise, even if he's had many controversies before. It colors his perception among the greater internet world.

Not sure about Jontron, I personally associate him first and foremost with his controversy, but I'm biased as a modern Game Grumps fan and they tend to hate him lol.

Edited by mightymewtron on Oct 21st 2025 at 4:13:04 AM

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
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
#6147: Oct 21st 2025 at 1:17:41 PM

[up] Yeah, but it didn't hurt his career enough to count. I don't think he lost subs en masse and he wasn't forced onto hiatus, if not retirement, as a result of the Turning Red "controversy" (which was more people clowning on him for a legendarily bad take than an actual controversy).

Once Upon A Time.
Mariofan99 Since: Jun, 2021 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#6148: Oct 21st 2025 at 6:48:38 PM

In my experience Jared and Enter’s controversies are brought up far more than Jon’s

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!
#6149: Oct 22nd 2025 at 9:15:50 AM

I think we can add an entry for Dr. Crafty now. It's been a year, his You Tube channel was deleted entirely, his deviantart has gone completely radio silent, Linkara very publicly broke ties with him, while recasting his role in his storyline segments and specifically selling off his merchandise with Crafty's artwork at heavily discounted prices while donating the proceeds to charity, and AFAIK he's pretty much vanished from the Internet.

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
#6150: Oct 22nd 2025 at 2:04:31 PM

This is a bit of a long shot, but do you think David Jaffe counts? It is far more likely that people recognize him as that guy who threw a tantrum over a very simple Noob Bridge in Metroid Dread (and inadvertantly proving that the game was actually very well designed trying to defend his point) than as the person who created God of War.

Once Upon A Time.

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