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Clean up the Troper Tales:: Jerkass

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OMalley This I'll defend. from Massachusetts Since: May, 2009
This I'll defend.
#1: Nov 9th 2010 at 2:42:59 PM

A few days ago I brought up this same issue with the Moral Event Horizon trope page: The troper tales page for Jerkass is out of control. We even say on the main page, "No real life examples." What are troper tales but real life examples from a first-person view? It seems like many of the T Ts are tropers trying to seem cool and edgy (by calling themselves a Jerkass) or talking about other forum-goers, names removed. It's bile, plain and simple, and contributes absolutely nothing to the wiki. This is why we deleted Complain About Shows You Don't Like. This, for lack of a better phrase, is Complain about People You Don't Like.

Some examples taken directly from the page:

  • I can certainly think of a few insufferable jerkasses I've ran into on this very wiki...
  • This Troper
  • This troper before 7th grade. I was annoying, obnoxious, short-tempered, reclusive, insulting, hostile, and pretentious. And yet I honestly thought I was the best person in the class and that other people disregarded me because I was a nerd. Of course, upon realizing what a horrible person I was I promptly changed my behavior, but still, it just goes to show, nerds can be assholes too.
  • This troper's own FATHER. He either insults some other member of the family, mocks him/her, makes mean comments about him/her or laughs at him/her. Frankly, this troper is pretty sick of all of this.
    • Are you this troper's sibling? Her father is very much the same way.

  • This troper used to be friends with someone and due to several events that occurred, I did not want to be his friend anymore. Unfortunately, he was too clingy and could not take no for an answer. At least every half year, he would call up trying to be my friend again, which pissed me off because I was quite clear about my stance the first time. I then had to resort in being an absolute jerk to him the next time I saw him just to get him off my back. Sure, he saw me as an asshole, but better off for him thinking of me as a dick to not speak to me again.
    • There's a thing called "ignoring". Try it.
  • There was this immature, psychopathic douchebag, who I'll call Tony. He was about 14 at the time and I was 7. My brother and one of my friends were at the playground where my dad played softball and he threw rocks at us. Later I went down the slide and he attacks me for no reason and strangles me. I had done nothing to him, you'd have to be pretty fucked up in the head to strangle a 7 year old. I told my dad about him and he got a stern talking to. From what I heard these days he isn't any better. He's into meth, often gets into fights at bars and is currently in jail.
  • This troper had a friend who for some odd reason became a total jerkass around 5th grade, which came to a head in 7th grade. He was always insulting me and trying to put me down; I learned later that he had some issues.
    • What kind of issues, if it's not too personal to ask about?
  • When this troper was in school, I was one of those kids that people either liked or hated. Out of all those in the school who knew me, they either never bothered me or deliberately kept trying to push my Berserk Button. Ignoring the latter type rarely, if ever, worked; they just kept right on at it and usually succeeded in ticking me off. And, more often than not, they tended to be the most immature kids of the bunch. One of them, thankfully, got his comeuppance; he was expelled from school for threatening to kill someone.
  • I know way too many Jerkasses for my own good. Unfortunately, a few of them are a friend of a friend.
    • I can relate. Some of mine are relatives.

Blah, blah, blah. There's no need to continue! You see what I mean, right? Natter and bile and some serious negative feelings, none of which belong on this wiki.

What do you guys think?

A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Wulf Gotta trope, dood! from Louisiana Since: Jan, 2001
Gotta trope, dood!
#2: Nov 9th 2010 at 3:26:33 PM

They're in Troper Tales because they don't belong on the main page. Not exactly sure what policy is on cleaning out TT is, but I'd rather have it there than on the main page.

They lost me. Forgot me. Made you from parts of me. If you're the One, my father's son, what am I supposed to be?
Twilightdusk Since: Jan, 2001
#3: Nov 9th 2010 at 3:38:40 PM

As I recall, the only Troper Tales we ever took issue with was Incest Is Relative for...reasons. In general, Troper Tales is a place for tropers to give This Troper, first person experiences.

OMalley This I'll defend. from Massachusetts Since: May, 2009
This I'll defend.
#4: Nov 9th 2010 at 6:04:42 PM

We also took a chainsaw to Moral Event Horizon and Complete Monster Troper Tales. I'm not saying that Jerkass tales are the same as Complete Monster tales, but it's still the same problem of describing yourself as evil or an asshole in a lame attempt to seem cool or edgy. For that reason I think we should at least prune the ones like "This troper considers himself a jerkass. *insert descriptions of cruelty to others.*" It's not cool and it shouldn't belong here.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Ramenth Since: May, 2009
#5: Nov 21st 2010 at 6:48:21 PM

I don't have a problem with getting rid of the "I'm a jerkass" ones, but I do think getting rid of the Tales section is bad, for the same reason I think getting rid of the Tales section for Complete Monster might have been bad.

Troper Tales for negative Tropes are like a weird form of group therapy. You have a bunch of people talking about how awful things in their lives are. It serves a useful therapeutic purpose besides inducing casual readers into bouts of incredible depression.

neoYTPism Since: May, 2010
#6: Nov 21st 2010 at 7:07:49 PM

"I do think getting rid of the Tales section is bad, for the same reason I think getting rid of the Tales section for Complete Monster might have been bad." - Ramenth

Seeing as how the Complete Monster trope is one that rules against real life examples, and seeing as how, Rule Of Cautious Editing Judgment aside, the notion of it even applying to real life is questionable for a variety of reasons... that might be a case of Analogy Backfire.

However, I agree with your overall point that even for a trope like Jerkass the troper tales section doesn't necessarily have to be scrapped...

JackMackerel from SOME OBSCURE MEDIA Since: Jul, 2010
#7: Nov 22nd 2010 at 4:45:04 PM

Just cut out the lame attention whoring ones, keep the rest. Troper Tales are less vulnerable to flame wars, in my experience, even though everything else should say to the contrary.

Half-Life: Dual Nature, a crossover story of reasonably sized proportions.
Martello Hammer of the Pervs from Black River, NY Since: Jan, 2001
Hammer of the Pervs
#8: Nov 22nd 2010 at 9:22:05 PM

It's a bunch of whiny, attention-whore crud. Burn it.

"Did anybody invent this stuff on purpose?" - Phillip Marlowe on tequila, Finger Man by Raymond Chandler.
ExpiryBot Since: Dec, 1969
#9: Jan 12th 2011 at 11:04:11 AM

This thread expired after 60 days of inactivity.

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