To-do list
- Cry Cute has been disambiguated between Humanizing Tears, O.O.C. Is Serious Business, Tender Tears, Tsundere and Moe. Move examples to existing tropes when applicable and delete Zero Context Examples and entries that don't fit anywhere else.
I initially noted in this Trope Talk thread
that several on-page examples of Cry Cute did not show that the tears make an unsympathetic character endearing.
Further digging showed that Cry Cute's description seems to have changed over the years to reflect this. In the earliest Internet Archive snapshot there was a heavier emphasis on the crying character being a jerk. However, further changes to the description deemphasized the character's unlikability, and the current description was largely in place by 2014.
As a result, the trope has undergone serious Trope Decay. I hypothesized that the vague name (I would also think this would be "a character looks cute when they cry") and image of a character crying contributed to the decay. I initially suspected that the majority of usage would be "character looks cute when they cry", but my Cry Cute Wick Check showed the problem is even worse: the majority of usage is just "character cries" and zero context examples..
Results: 60/60
- Character is tough/abrasive/unpleasant then is endearing when they cry OR crying is otherwise surprising for the character: 10/60 or 16.67%
- Character looks cute/endearing when they cry: 15/60 or 25%
- Acknowledged in-universe: 7/15
- Read like audience reaction: 8/15
- Character cries: 19/60 or 31.67%
- Other ZCE/other usage: 16/50 or 26.67%
Out of curiosity for how much of this trope is objective, I further subdivided the "looks endearing" part into cuteness acknowledged in-universe and cuteness that read like an audience gush, and it's almost a 50/50 split between the two.
I think "an asshole cries and it softens their character" is totally tropeworthy (not even YMMV), but Cry Cute at the very least needs a new name. Perhaps rename Cry Cute, then disambiguate the page for O.O.C. Is Serious Business, Tender Tears, Tsundere (jerk cries, aww), Moe (character cries, so cute!), and potentially other tropes.
Edited by MacronNotes on Aug 6th 2022 at 12:00:28 PM
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
Sigh... I'm starting to think that the page function doesn't work for opening posts, because this is the second time a page in an opening post I made didn't go through.
Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
the Retromancer
It just occurred to me that I've recently misused it when an example would fit Tender Tears better.
Yeah, reinforce the original definition of "Breaking down in tears as a redeeming quality" under a new name and disambiguate "Cry Cute".
Edited by Amonimus on Jul 24th 2022 at 12:16:02 PM
TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
I agree with renaming and turning the old name into a disambiguation page.
Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
Filthy casual
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
That sounds good to me.
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
(she/her)
Pings won't work if there's punctuation or text next to them.
Anyways, I am good with renaming and turning the old name into a disambiguation.
Edited by MacronNotes on Jul 24th 2022 at 10:04:33 AM
Macron's notes
Just stoic wisdom.
Sounds good to me!
Vehicle-Based Characterization | Grief-Induced Split | Locker Mail
Big Catch, Sparkle Edition
Aye aye!
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
The Man Outside Reality
I've never understood how the hell someone can look "cute" while crying. It feels like you'd have to be a really weird person if you see that kind of quality in someone when they're having a tear-shedding moment.
So yeah, changing the name and/or disambiguating makes sense I suppose.
Trust no one.
Big Catch, Sparkle Edition
To be fair, part of why we cry is to make people emphasize with us more, so it can make characters seem more appealing. But you're right that it is weird to say it's "cute".
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
Berserk Button: misusing Berserk Button
Trust me, there’s an outright fetish for crying. Then again, there’s a fetish for everything…
![[tup]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Thumbs_up_emoticon_3268.png "[thumb up]"){kind=small}
change name and possibly disambiguate old name.
Edited by MasterN on Jul 24th 2022 at 2:23:24 AM
One of these days, all of you will accept me as your supreme overlord.
I've definitely seen "character is a cute/pretty crier" (eg. Annie from Community who has what the other characters call a "Disney face" when she starts tearing up, Lana Del Rey has a whole song about being pretty even when she's crying); I think it's TLP-able as an IUEO contrast to Inelegant Blubbering (which incidentally says 'contrast Cry Cute' lol).
I'll just reiterate my original proposal of renaming Cry Cute (Humanizing Tears? Tears Soften A Jerkass?) and disambiguating the original page.
the Retromancer
Not all crying is supposed to be depressing, Tear Tropes already has a few.
TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
Angry babby
- 1 to disambiguate and move to a new name. I like Humanizing Tears. It might be used for non-human characters crying, though, but that could still count if it makes them seem human.
Not sure if the "character is cute when crying" thing is tropable, or at least it'll probably attract the same misuse.
I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
It'd probably just get misused to include "a cute character that cries"
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
I prefer Humanizing Tears, but what about Sympathetic Tears or Sympathetic Crying?
Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
the Retromancer
Humanizing Tears is good. Other two could be options, but these sound like they could be used for characters who were sympathetic to begin with. And I prefer something with "ing" like Defrosting the Ice Queen with verb focus.
TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
Should we hook a crowner since it's been 3 days? Options include:
- Rename the trope
- If renaming, disambiguate the original name
(she/her)
Crowner hooked.
Macron's notes
Added a TRS banner to Cry Cute.
She / Her
"Humanizing Tears" sounds good imo.
(she/her)
Calling in favor of renaming Cry Cute + disambiguating the old name.
Macron's notes
(she/her)
Rename crowner hooked
Macron's notes
I started a TLP for "characters cry prettily in-universe" just to see where it goes, as it might catch some of the misuse.
Crown Description:
What should we rename Cry Cute to?
To-do list
I initially noted in this Trope Talk thread
that several on-page examples of Cry Cute did not show that the tears make an unsympathetic character endearing.
Further digging showed that Cry Cute's description seems to have changed over the years to reflect this. In the earliest Internet Archive snapshot
there was a heavier emphasis on the crying character being a jerk. However, further changes to the description deemphasized the character's unlikability, and the current description was largely in place by 2014.
As a result, the trope has undergone serious Trope Decay. I hypothesized that the vague name (I would also think this would be "a character looks cute when they cry") and image of a character crying contributed to the decay. I initially suspected that the majority of usage would be "character looks cute when they cry", but my Cry Cute Wick Check showed the problem is even worse: the majority of usage is just "character cries" and zero context examples..
Results: 60/60
Out of curiosity for how much of this trope is objective, I further subdivided the "looks endearing" part into cuteness acknowledged in-universe and cuteness that read like an audience gush, and it's almost a 50/50 split between the two.
I think "an asshole cries and it softens their character" is totally tropeworthy (not even YMMV), but Cry Cute at the very least needs a new name. Perhaps rename Cry Cute, then disambiguate the page for O.O.C. Is Serious Business, Tender Tears, Tsundere (jerk cries, aww), Moe (character cries, so cute!), and potentially other tropes.
Edited by MacronNotes on Aug 6th 2022 at 12:00:28 PM
Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.