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Misused: Walking Backwards

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HeavyMetalHermitCrab Since: Sep, 2018
#1: Jul 14th 2021 at 9:14:43 PM

Walking Backwards is a poorly written, not-thriving page whose definition is technically "backing up while looking around, only to back into something dangerous (can be played for laughs).

Naturally, it's being used for all manner of instances of walking backwards, from Backing Away Slowly to simply backing away from danger.

At the very least, it needs a name change like Backing into Danger, or it could be cut and yarded. I could rewrite the trope description, but I don't have many examples.

Wick check:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Sandbox/WalkingBackwardsWickCheck

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#2: Jul 14th 2021 at 11:30:54 PM

Opening. Based on the number of on-page examples, a bit of crosswicking would be in order.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Berrenta Bejeweled (she/her) (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Bejeweled (she/her)
#3: Jul 15th 2021 at 3:31:06 AM

[tup] for Backing into Danger. Crosswicking after moving is also valid.

GastonRabbit C'est la vie. (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Piterpicher Veteran Editor IV from Poland, for real (Series 2) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
Veteran Editor IV
#5: Jul 15th 2021 at 5:49:10 AM

While I wouldn't call this not thriving in the purest sense of the word (not Starving per Wick), Backing into Danger and clearing out misuse sounds like a good idea.

Currently mostly inactive. An incremental game I tested: https://galaxy.click/play/176 (Gods of Incremental)
themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
ImperialMajestyXO Since: Nov, 2015
#7: Jul 15th 2021 at 6:49:17 AM

Agreed with Backing into Danger. I can't help but wonder if Walking Backwards is worth converting into a disambig.

Piterpicher Veteran Editor IV from Poland, for real (Series 2) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
Veteran Editor IV
#8: Jul 15th 2021 at 7:03:02 AM

Maybe it could be disambiguated. I think the targets should be Backing into Danger, Backing Away Slowly, and Moonwalk Dance (though it's walking forwards but moving backwards)?

Edited by Piterpicher on Jul 15th 2021 at 4:05:05 PM

Currently mostly inactive. An incremental game I tested: https://galaxy.click/play/176 (Gods of Incremental)
eroock Since: Sep, 2012
#9: Jul 15th 2021 at 12:42:13 PM

Name change as suggested but no diambig page.

HeavyMetalHermitCrab Since: Sep, 2018
#10: Jul 15th 2021 at 2:59:12 PM

I'm not fundamentally opposed to a disambig but I also don't see any reason to think it necessary.

Most of the actual misuse involves one of the following:

  • Backing away from a threat, which isn't particularly tropeworthy in itself as it's expected human behavior
  • Miscellaneous uses of walking backwards or giving the appearance of doing so, which were generally covered by other tropes,
  • Backing Away Slowly (only two instances and they were both on-page, not wicks).

I'm not sure a disambig is really needed because I think it's pretty self-evident that the name doesn't even accurately describe the trope. It's much to broad at best, and misleading at worst.

Disambiguating Backing into Danger, Backing Away Slowly, Nice Kitty..., and Moonwalk Dance would essentially be attempting to solve a problem that doesn't actually exist.

Tabs Since: Jan, 2001
#11: Jul 15th 2021 at 3:15:20 PM

I support a name change and redirect, not disambiguation page.

selkies TOO serious! from Guess, guess, guess Since: Jan, 2021 Relationship Status: Star-crossed
TOO serious!
#12: Jul 16th 2021 at 12:30:22 AM

[tup] For changing it to Backing into Danger and cleaning misuse.

Uncanny Valley Hot Babes in Your Area Are Looking To Know YOU! Click Here to Sign Up for FREE! | Not quite back tbh. Don't expect much.
idonom from wouldn't you like to know, weatherboy Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#13: Jul 18th 2021 at 10:33:38 AM

[tup] Rename it to Backing into Danger and clean up misuse

Y'ALL JUST GOT SHREKT
Blegh Since: Jan, 2021 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#14: Jul 18th 2021 at 1:59:02 PM

Renaming to Backing into Danger should solve future misuse, the current name is just too vague.

Tabs Since: Jan, 2001
#15: Jul 19th 2021 at 11:15:17 AM

Is that enough votes for renaming?

HeavyMetalHermitCrab Since: Sep, 2018
#16: Jul 22nd 2021 at 4:55:30 AM

It looks like the response is unanimous for a rename, although there hasn't been a huge number of them.

Do we need a crowner, or is this sufficient? Not that there's any particular reason to hurry asides moving the queue along.

GastonRabbit C'est la vie. (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
C'est la vie. (he/him)
#17: Jul 22nd 2021 at 5:11:01 AM

[up]A Single Proposition crowner wouldn't hurt.

I got a rock for Halloween.
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#18: Jul 22nd 2021 at 1:43:37 PM

Sure, crowner it.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
#20: Jul 23rd 2021 at 11:19:29 AM

The description includes:

Especially stupid when this is a soldier or a police officer, who seems to be doing the "walk quietly in the shadows looking every which way" maneuver, but instead of keeping their back to a wall like they should, are instead turning their back to every opening and spinning around like a top in a predictable fashion.

And one of the entries on the page describes an example of this:

  • In Van Helsing, upon realising there's a werewolf in the large armoury with her, Anna does this in true "horror movie idiot" fashion by walking through the middle of the room (leaving herself open to attack from all sides) while brandishing a pistol (which, being a ranged weapon, gives an even more compelling reason to look ahead and try and spot the monster from as far away as possible). She also commits the other stereotypical horror movie mistake of not looking up, despite knowing that werewolves are capable of a Ceiling Cling.

Should this be considered a variant of the trope and grouped in with it, or a related but separate trope?

selkies TOO serious! from Guess, guess, guess Since: Jan, 2021 Relationship Status: Star-crossed
TOO serious!
#21: Jul 23rd 2021 at 12:12:30 PM

Yes, I think it should be grouped in with this trope, especially since it was already part of Walking Backwards.

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Berrenta Bejeweled (she/her) (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
HeavyMetalHermitCrab Since: Sep, 2018
#23: Jul 27th 2021 at 3:42:51 AM

Well, it's been almost four days, and the vote is 16-0 in favor of the rename.

I've also taken the liberty of updating the description, submitted for your approval. I don't think I've changed anything substantial about it, just made the writing itself less amateur-hour and needlessly smug/complainy.

    Revamped trope description 
Despite having spawned its very own field of study, "situational awareness" ultimately boils down to a simple concept: being constantly vigilant of everything that's going on around you, so that you won't be caught off-guard and can react quickly and effectively if something were to go wrong. Yet simple as that concept is, many characters simply aren't very good at putting it into practice. They may become so preoccupied with being ambushed from behind that they end up walking backwards, not looking where they're going...only to find themselves backing into the exact threat they're trying to avoid.

Backing into Danger is a perennial horror trope, particularly in the Survival Horror or "monster movie" subgenres, but it can just as easily appear in action movies, or any movie with a strong element of suspense. It can take various forms, but the most basic version is that a character backs into something dangerous or scary because they didn't think to look in the direction they were actually moving.

A less cartoonish variation of this trope can occur when a character isn't obliviously walking straight backwards, but simply fails to protect their blind spots properly. For example, a soldier or police officer may be skulking through hostile territory, but instead of keeping their back against a wall, they simply leave their back unprotected. This can lead to them walking right into danger because they couldn't adequately watch every exposed angle.

Yet this trope need not be limited to horror films. Comedies, cartoons, and less-serious films often play this trope for laughs in various ways, the most common method being two people both walking backwards while searching for a threat, and colliding with each other. This often results in a Jump Scare for the characters, without or without a Reactive Continuous Scream. This was especially popular with Hanna-Barbera cartoons, particularly Scooby and Shaggy from Scooby-Doo.

Subtrope of Failed a Spot Check, which is about failing to notice something important even when actively looking for it. Contrast Backing Away Slowly, which is about backing away from an awkward or crazy situation. See also Behind the Black, which is when objects or people outside of the camera's view are assumed to be completely absent, even when they would logically still be nearby.

Edited by HeavyMetalHermitCrab on Jul 27th 2021 at 3:45:10 AM

Berrenta Bejeweled (she/her) (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Bejeweled (she/her)
#24: Jul 27th 2021 at 6:46:55 AM

Looks like it's unanimous.

Will make the move to Backing into Danger in a moment.

Edit: The video game example will be omitted as it's a general example. Using the description rewrite; if it needs to be adjusted, we can make the adjustments on the page.

Edited by Berrenta on Jul 27th 2021 at 9:04:01 AM

GastonRabbit C'est la vie. (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
C'est la vie. (he/him)
#25: Jul 27th 2021 at 8:13:40 AM

I checked the Related page just now and saw that the wicks have already been moved (the only one left is on the wick check sandbox), so is the description rewrite all that's left?

I got a rock for Halloween.

SingleProposition: WalkingBackwards
23rd Jul '21 4:12:41 AM

Crown Description:

Rename Walking Backwards to Backing Into Danger?

Total posts: 30
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