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Hindsight Cleanup

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The Hindsight tropes, Hilarious in Hindsight, Harsher in Hindsight, and Heartwarming in Hindsight, are among the most misused Audience Reaction tropes on this site. Many people don't understand that the tropes require more than just "This happened, so that happened", and end up adding examples which either lack connection or the substance that makes them funny/serious/not-so-funny/heartwarming. Some of them may be suited better for other tropes (ex: Life Imitates Art), while some may not belong on TV Tropes at all (such as ones involving politicians, due to Rule of Cautious Editing Judgment).

Please report any Hindsight example that you feel are questionable, and we'll analyze them to see if they are actually examples or not.

Remember that the Hindsight tropes are Audience Reactions. That means if an example under review discusses significant fan response pointing out the hindsight, the example can't be cut solely for being too tenuous for this thread.

    Common NOT in Hindsight examples 
  • Creator's character/portrayal dies in work and then creator dies in real life, unless their fictional death is closely similar to their real one (such as Billy Bob Joe portraying a character who dies from pancreatic cancer, then Billy Bob dies from pancreatic cancer himself)
  • Mundane word related to something terrible (such as "corona" or "Epstein") unless there's more to the connection (such as someone named "Corona" having the flu)
  • Creator appears in work then becomes more controversial later on.
  • A common event (such as a typical natural disaster) happens in work, then happens in real life (unless they are closely similar, such as the event happening to the same area in both reality and fiction around the same time) For once, not everything related to disease has to do with COVID-19, not everything related to racism and Police Brutality has to do with George Floyd and Black Lives Matter, and not everything related to sexual abuse has to do with #MeToo.
  • A common/generic concept was used in this work and then later reused in that work (too loose for a connection, unless the concept is so unique it's identified with the work)
  • Two actors appear together then do so in another work
  • Hindsight examples involving recent events, due to them often being shoehorns. Specifically:
    • COVID-19 examples, before 75% of the population has returned to normal
    • George Floyd/2020 Black Lives Matter examples, before protests have declined
  • Examples which fall guilty of Older Than They Think, such as "Make X Great Again" slogans. Aside from violating the ROCEJ, this slogan has been in use since the 1940s.
  • Characters using slurs which are treated as annoying at worst in the work, but is now harsher due to how severe the slur is made now. Discrimination has always existed with that slur. (May qualify for Values Dissonance if work is at least 20 years old.)

Note: As of January 2022, "Funny Aneurysm" Moment is no longer separate from Harsher in Hindsight.
  • The former redirects to the latter and all wicks to the former (with the exception of ones on archive pages and the YMMV Redirects index) must either be moved to the latter (if they're valid) or removed (if they're invalid).
  • The subpages for the former are still accessible from this page. After a subpage for "Funny Aneurysm" Moment has been completely cleaned up, turn it into a redirect to the Harsher in Hindsight subpage for the same medium to preserve inbounds.

Edited by Tabs on Jun 21st 2023 at 11:51:25 AM

UFOYeah Since: Mar, 2022
#7976: Dec 1st 2024 at 4:27:04 PM

I've removed it. Should I send a notifier to the troper who added it, or should I leave it?

SharkToast Since: Mar, 2013
#7977: Dec 1st 2024 at 7:16:42 PM

Fred Claus:

  • Harsher in Hindsight: Kevin Spacey being on the naughty list takes on a much darker meaning after the various allegations leveled against him from 2017 onwards.

I'll admit I'm not super familiar with this movie, but I think it's referring to Kevin Spacey's character and not the actor himself. We've cut examples of "Actor who plays a bad guy later does terrible stuff" before. Unless there's some meta joke that I missed, I feel like this should be cut.

CanuckMcDuck1 PEPSIMAN from Japan Since: Sep, 2023 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
PEPSIMAN
#7978: Dec 1st 2024 at 7:53:15 PM

[up]Yeah it’s referring to Spacey’s character (whose a greedy businessman), not Spacey himself. That entry could be cut.


There’s this entry on an episode of Doctor Who I found:

  • Harsher in Hindsight: O'Donnell's keffiyah scarf was probably just intended to be a piece of clothing that has gone in and out of popularity in the west for decades, but with the increase of the destruction in Gaza in 2024 and the fact that this is set in 2024...

Or it is just a piece of clothing. This entry seems like another shoehorn for inserting the Israel/Palestine conflict into something unrelated. Not to mention, keffiyahs are common throughout the Middle East, not just Palestine.

Edit: Done and cut.

Edited by CanuckMcDuck1 on Dec 2nd 2024 at 11:20:05 AM

Do not mess with creatures which you do not understand.
KingofNightmares Since: Aug, 2016 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#7979: Dec 2nd 2024 at 3:46:32 AM

[up] Yeah, that seems flimsy. The fact that the entry reminds me of Mr. Enter's take on Turning Red is not a good sign.

"It was the best of times, it was the BLURST of times?"
BocchiTheRock Since: Feb, 2023
#7981: Dec 2nd 2024 at 9:12:49 AM

On Gen Lock V 1 E 6 The Only Me I Know:

  • Harsher in Hindsight: The early trailers, where Chase was piloting a different model of Holon and Colonel Marin was very worried about sending him out on solo ops while the Union was hunting for him make a lot more sense, considering an earlier version of his Holon was ambushed and captured by the Union on a mission.

Is this even a form of hindsight? Sounds more like the show just had plot changes from its trailer.

DoktorvonEurotrash Lex et Veritas from Not a place of honour (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#7983: Dec 2nd 2024 at 11:24:11 AM

[up][up]Yeah, whatever that is, it's not Hindsight.

CanuckMcDuck1 PEPSIMAN from Japan Since: Sep, 2023 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
PEPSIMAN
#7984: Dec 2nd 2024 at 1:25:39 PM

[up][up][up]Definitely not hindsight. It’s just things changing from trailer to release. It could be cut.


From YMMV.Road To Perdition:

How is this harsh? It barely connects to the film itself besides themes, which directors are obviously going to explore more than once. This example just seems annoyed about how people don’t appreciate Mendes’ time on Bond.

EDIT: Done and cut.

Edited by CanuckMcDuck1 on Dec 3rd 2024 at 8:30:09 AM

Do not mess with creatures which you do not understand.
UFOYeah Since: Mar, 2022
#7985: Dec 2nd 2024 at 2:58:44 PM

[up] "Harsher" examples that mainly exist to complain can easily be cut on sight.

Speaking of which, this example from YMMV.Sex Education sounds like an excuse to complain as well:

  • The Arc Villain for Series 3 is called Hope. Series 4 ended on a fairly pessimistic note.

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)
#7986: Dec 2nd 2024 at 3:10:24 PM

Lmao. Yeah cut that.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
DoktorvonEurotrash Lex et Veritas from Not a place of honour (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#7987: Dec 3rd 2024 at 4:36:46 AM

[up][up][up]That's nothing but complaining. And I didn't even like Spectre.

dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#7988: Dec 3rd 2024 at 5:23:47 AM

Just removed this:

from YMMV.The Simpsons S 8 E 9 El Viaje Misterioso De Nuestro Jomer on grounds of not enough context. Even if it possibly counts I don't know what about Val Kilmer is supposed to make it harsh. I know he's had throat cancer but that doesn't seem related.

deerhornsaresopretty Since: Jun, 2023
#7989: Dec 3rd 2024 at 8:07:47 AM

YMMV.Robo Cop 1987


  • The original trailer for the film features Brad Fiedel's theme for The Terminator and Arnold Schwarzenegger was originally considered for the title role, then comes RoboCop Versus The Terminator, followed by the two meeting once again in Mortal Kombat 11. <— actor trivia
  • "Oh my God, ED-209 killed Kinney!" <— loose similarity
  • The line "Bitches, leave!" is more amusing after hearing the line "Bitches, come!" in xXx. <— nothing in common
  • The 6000 SUX, "An American Tradition!" (note: 8.2 mpg gas mileage) became so thanks to the Hummer H-class series of gas-guzzling SUVs hitting the road in the 2000s. <— not sure
  • On the subject of cars, the producers choosing the then-new Ford Taurus as the vehicle of choice for the future Detroit police. At the time, it was because of the aerodynamic, streamlined look the car had (in comparison to most other 80s cars, which were still brick-like); now, it's more an Unintentional Period Piece than anything else, but it gets funnier when you remember that Ford began selling the sixth-generation Taurus to police departments after the Crown Victoria was discontinued in 2011. <— not sure
  • Just the idea that Clarence Boddicker would go on to threaten to shove his foot up peoples' asses. <— actor trivia
  • The board game Nukem is depicted as being more or less a modern-day version of Battleship for the age of Mutually Assured Destruction. Thanks to both Civilization and DEFCOИ, one can now play Nukem in real life, albeit as a video game instead. (The line from the ad in which the boy complains about how "Pakistan is threatening my border" calls to mind Nuclear Gandhinote  in particular.) And of course, it shares its name with a famous video game protagonist, Duke Nukem. <— nothing in common
  • Paul McCrane, playing Cop Killer Emil Antonowsky in this film, would go on to play a police deputy a year later in The Blob (1988) <— actor trivia
  • The Auto 9 pistol used by RoboCop is stated to have a massive magazine size of 50 rounds. In 2020, it was leaked that Kel-Tec designed a pistol with the exact same magazine size. <— not sure
  • In Spain, the line "Sayonara, Robocop!" is unintentionally funny due to the change of "Hasta la vista, baby!" in Terminator 2: Judgment Day to "Sayonara, baby!" in order to Keep It Foreign. So now it looks like there cannot be an American '80s action movie with a killer robot without also having a "Sayonara, X!" line. <— unrelated
  • In Italy, Casey Wong was dubbed by Federico Neri, who was a journalist himself and would go on to dub Kent Brockman in The Simpsons until he passed away in season 32. The fact Wong is an example of the "Kent Brockman News" trope makes this all the more amusing. <— actor trivia

Bullman Enid Sinclair Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
Enid Sinclair
#7990: Dec 3rd 2024 at 10:07:30 AM

I found this on YMMV.Wicked Part I

  • Harsher in Hindsight:
    • Upon rewatch, the whole "No One Mourns the Wicked" opening number is so painful, knowing everything Elphaba is called and accused of is one big fat lie. Made worse by the flashback section added by the film where we see Elphaba being bullied even as a young child, immediately cut to people cheering and dancing after hearing news of her death. It's even worse because Glinda is clearly uncomfortable with everyone cheering on her friend's death, and trying her best to get it into the Munchkins' heads that Elphaba wasn't all bad and that she should still be pitied.
    • Meta example. Boq’s crush on Glinda, especially his “I would do anything for you, Miss Galinda” can come across as this, as their actors had gotten into a Romance on the Set that was met with negative attention and media scrutiny, due to Ethan Slater leaving his wife and 11 month old baby because of it.

Do these really count as Hindsight? One happens in the film and the other is talking about something that happened before it released.

Fan-Preferred Couple cleanup thread
dcutter2 Since: Sep, 2013
#7991: Dec 3rd 2024 at 10:47:15 AM

Yeah, not really hindsight. Hindsight is not Rewatch Bonus.

Ai-Fan from Germany Since: Jan, 2018 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
#7992: Dec 4th 2024 at 4:14:45 AM

Casper Meets Wendy says:

Harsher in Hindsight: Out of the three actresses playing Wendy's aunts, two of them (Shelley Duvall and Teri Garr) died within four months of each other in 2024.

writer/producer/director/visionary/troper Ai-Fan The Master Of The Romantic (But Deadly) Drinking Game And Haiku™
CanuckMcDuck1 PEPSIMAN from Japan Since: Sep, 2023 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
PEPSIMAN
#7993: Dec 4th 2024 at 5:20:51 AM

[up]That’s a sad coincidence, but it’s also actor mortality, which isn’t used for HIH. That entry could be cut.

Do not mess with creatures which you do not understand.
mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#7994: Dec 4th 2024 at 4:56:44 PM

I was wondering if the Boq one could count instead for the original musical. Specifically because in Act 2, Boq leaves Nessa quits abruptly to go confess his true feelings to Glinda, causing her to lash out.

Edited by mightymewtron on Dec 4th 2024 at 7:58:09 AM

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
maxwellsilver Since: Sep, 2011
#7995: Dec 5th 2024 at 7:42:55 AM

[up][up][up][up][up][up] That seems like misuse that can be cut.

[up][up][up][up][up] That sounds safe to cut. Hindsight has to happen after the work.

Edited by maxwellsilver on Dec 5th 2024 at 10:43:57 AM

UFOYeah Since: Mar, 2022
#7996: Dec 5th 2024 at 4:43:08 PM

Both entries on the YMMV.Command Authority are hindsight examples related to the Russia-Ukraine war, and while the Harsher example kind of makes sense (though still potentially a shoehorn), the Hilarious one is...not hilarious.

  • Hilarious in Hindsight: The many American characters expressing severe concern for Ukraine's ability to defend itself from the Russians becomes this in light of real-world Ukraine (more or less) fending off the Russian military in 2022 onwards.

Edited by UFOYeah on Dec 5th 2024 at 4:43:36 AM

CanuckMcDuck1 PEPSIMAN from Japan Since: Sep, 2023 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
PEPSIMAN
#7997: Dec 5th 2024 at 6:58:16 PM

[up]The hilarity part (barely) is probably from someone who assumed Ukraine still not being taken over years after the Russian invasion began is funny (it’s not. It’s still a war with thousands of casualties, just prolonged). That entry could be removed for being both a stretch and not funny at all.

Edited by CanuckMcDuck1 on Dec 5th 2024 at 8:58:53 AM

Do not mess with creatures which you do not understand.
DoktorvonEurotrash Lex et Veritas from Not a place of honour (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#7998: Dec 6th 2024 at 5:10:38 AM

[up]Yeah, using "hilarious" about anything regarding an ongoing war strikes me as bad taste. (Not to mention that, let's face it, the entry is clearly from a specific moment in time, and we don't know yet what the outcome will be.)

I support cutting.

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)
#7999: Dec 6th 2024 at 8:34:39 AM

To me it reads more as an attempt at irony, like, "hah, those dumb Americans really thought Ukraine couldn't defend themselves". Laughing at us more than the war itself.

But pull.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
deerhornsaresopretty Since: Jun, 2023
#8000: Dec 6th 2024 at 3:51:29 PM

From YMMV.Metalocalypse

  • Harsher in Hindsight:
    • One has to remember season 2 was made in 2008 and the Cosby sexual assault accusations weren't until the mid 2010's when watching Dethdoubles when Skwisgaar says he wants to be Bill Cosby.
      • Although considering how the other two people mentioned in the joke were Joseph Stalin and Richard Nixon, both of whom are largely considered to be bad people, this actually fits quite well. <—- likely deliberate, remove
    • In-universe, Toki's birthday "kidnapping" in Fertilityklok could be also seen as this since he got kidnapped by Magnus Hammersmith in Church of the Black Klok. <—- this is called foreshadowing, remove
    • The cliffhanger ending of "Doomstar Requiem" gets even worse, once you know AS passed on Season 5. Should fan petitions fail, that's how the series ends, which unfortunately didn't work. The only silver lining is Brendon Small's album GALAKTIKON: Become the Storm serves as a spiritual ending to the series just without the name (as Adult Swimm owns the rights to the Dethklok name). <—- unsure
    • To add insult to injury, there is an episode that has Charles saying that the band has the rights to the name Dethklok. Considering that Brendon lost the rights to the name to Adult Swim... <—- unsure
    • HAPPILY finally averted as it's been confirmed a proper Dethklok movie has been greenlit for late 2021-early 2022. Dethklok's fans won! <—- remove


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