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Not sure about this.: Impossibly Mundane Explanation

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DragonQuestZ The Other Troper from Somewhere in California Since: Jan, 2001
The Other Troper
#26: Nov 13th 2010 at 2:35:29 PM


This post was thumped by the Stick of Post Thumping

I'm on the internet. My arguments are invalid.
Yongary Since: Jul, 2009
#27: Nov 14th 2010 at 6:41:03 PM

Am I the only one who doesn't have a problem with this title? It's an explanation for some (presumably non-mundane) phenomenon that's impossibly mundane. For instance, if someone said that they saw a spaceship land, little green men get out, get back in, and then fly off into space shooting rainbow colored laser beams, and the explanation was "swamp gas", then that explanation would be impossibly mundane.

I agree that Implausably Mundane Explanation would be a good redirect, though.

rodneyAnonymous Sophisticated as Hell from empty space Since: Aug, 2010
#28: Nov 14th 2010 at 6:49:10 PM

"...it's an explanation for some phenomenon that's impossibly mundane..."

I am picking up what you are putting down. But the trope says it's about a plausible explanation being rejected in favor of an implausible one. (I think. It is... unclear.) The title is misleading at best and totally retarded at worst.

edited 14th Nov '10 6:51:03 PM by rodneyAnonymous

Becky: Who are you? The Mysterious Stranger: An angel. Huck: What's your name? The Mysterious Stranger: Satan.
MetaFour AXTE INCAL AXTUCE MUN from A Place (Old Master)
AXTE INCAL AXTUCE MUN
#29: Nov 14th 2010 at 7:40:34 PM

Am I the only one who doesn't have a problem with this title? It's an explanation for some (presumably non-mundane) phenomenon that's impossibly mundane. For instance, if someone said that they saw a spaceship land, little green men get out, get back in, and then fly off into space shooting rainbow colored laser beams, and the explanation was "swamp gas", then that explanation would be impossibly mundane.
No, that just goes to show why this trope needs to be renamed, because the example you give is not what this trope is about.

This trope is more along the lines of: "I think the children were replaced with alien doppelgängers—they're doing their homework without being told to!" "Maybe they want to do their homework?" "Don't be ridiculous."

troacctid (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#30: Nov 14th 2010 at 9:33:37 PM

Screw Occams Razor

Or I don't know, but it definitely needs a reference to Occam's Razor.

edited 14th Nov '10 9:38:05 PM by troacctid

DragonQuestZ The Other Troper from Somewhere in California Since: Jan, 2001
The Other Troper
#31: Nov 14th 2010 at 11:22:42 PM

Mundane But Out Of Character? It's the point of the trope is as few words as I can think of.

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NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#32: Nov 15th 2010 at 8:36:39 AM

I think the current title's fine, but if someone can think of a better one then I'd be down for a rename.

The trope is a mundane explanation being rejected in favor of an outlandish one. The explanation is being rejected because it's "impossibly mundane".

The description needs some work, though. It current says that the explanation has to be because of a character trait, which seems overly narrow to me. I'd say expand it to include any example where the mundane explanation is rejected because it's mundane.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Stratadrake Dragon Writer Since: Oct, 2009
Dragon Writer
#33: Nov 15th 2010 at 9:05:40 AM

Ah, this one. I remember being the one to propose that name partly because the original title, "Maybe He Read Your Report", was an example-named title.

Few to no other alternate titles were proposed during the YKTTW.

edited 15th Nov '10 9:06:25 AM by Stratadrake

An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.
DragonQuestZ The Other Troper from Somewhere in California Since: Jan, 2001
The Other Troper
#34: Nov 15th 2010 at 11:54:39 AM

"The explanation is being rejected because it's "impossibly mundane"."

Wrong. It's rejected because it's out of character. Being mundane is its state, not the reason for rejection. That's why the name is bad.

I'm on the internet. My arguments are invalid.
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#35: Nov 15th 2010 at 12:04:09 PM

...I know, that's why I suggested a change to the trope, but not the name. (Because I don't think that "explanation about odd behavoir rejected because it's out of character for the character behaving oddly" even makes sense, much less is tropable.)

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
DragonQuestZ The Other Troper from Somewhere in California Since: Jan, 2001
The Other Troper
#36: Nov 15th 2010 at 1:35:07 PM

Just because you don't get it does not mean it's not a trope.

I'm on the internet. My arguments are invalid.
TripleElation Diagonalizing The Matrix from Haifa, Isarel Since: Jan, 2001
Diagonalizing The Matrix
#37: Nov 15th 2010 at 1:48:14 PM

Occam Was Wrong? (For avoiding a Ptitle)

Pretentious quote || In-joke from fandom you've never heard of || Shameless self-promotion || Something weird you'll habituate to
DragonQuestZ The Other Troper from Somewhere in California Since: Jan, 2001
The Other Troper
#38: Nov 15th 2010 at 2:55:15 PM

Some of the examples show simple explanations for the fantastic ones (simplicity is not the same a possibility or likelyhood).

How about Flying Pigs Razor? "When an event has two nearly impossible explanations, the least unlikely is to be preferred."

Take the Stargate SG1 example. O'Neill knows the contents of the briefing before he is told. Either he is stuck in a time loop, or he read the briefing report beforehand. Both are simple, but the latter is unlikely. SG-1 has seen aliens (including one on their team), uses an artificial wormhole machine, and seen things that warp time (like linking the gate to a black hole). But they have never seen O'Neill read a briefing report, which means the latter is mundane, but Cue the Flying Pigs.

BTW, do we have a trope for when a mundane explanation is more ridiculous than the fantastic, instead of just Out of Character? Like the "reflected the light from Venus" line from Men In Black? That would be a Sister Trope to this.

edited 15th Nov '10 2:57:44 PM by DragonQuestZ

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MetaFour AXTE INCAL AXTUCE MUN from A Place (Old Master)
AXTE INCAL AXTUCE MUN
#39: Nov 15th 2010 at 7:31:36 PM

I was wondering that myself; I don't think we do. Would that only involve ridiculous cover stories, or could it also include situation where an arbitrary skeptic is reaching for some mundane explanation to avoid admitting the existence of the paranormal?

mmysqueeant I'm A Dirty Cowboy from Essairrrrcks Since: Oct, 2010
I'm A Dirty Cowboy
#40: Nov 15th 2010 at 7:33:12 PM

I like Flying Pig's Razor, in part because it accompanied a description that finally clarified the issue for me, but also because the name itself helped clarify the issue.

/2cents

MetaFour AXTE INCAL AXTUCE MUN from A Place (Old Master)
GiantSpaceChinchilla Since: Oct, 2009
#42: Nov 15th 2010 at 8:23:26 PM

I think we could do a better rename than combining Flying Pigs with an inverse of Occam's Razor, assuming we change the name.

Stratadrake Dragon Writer Since: Oct, 2009
Dragon Writer
#43: Nov 15th 2010 at 10:39:47 PM

Flying Pigs + Occam's Razor = Ock Hams Razor.

(Sorry.)

An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.
DragonQuestZ The Other Troper from Somewhere in California Since: Jan, 2001
The Other Troper
#44: Nov 15th 2010 at 11:28:00 PM

It's not an inverse. Again, mundane is not the same as simple.

I'm on the internet. My arguments are invalid.
GiantSpaceChinchilla Since: Oct, 2009
#45: Nov 16th 2010 at 12:19:42 AM

Occam's Razor is used differently in fiction  *

.

the title is still flying pigs + Occam's Razor, I think we could do better.

DragonQuestZ The Other Troper from Somewhere in California Since: Jan, 2001
The Other Troper
#46: Nov 16th 2010 at 1:15:05 AM

No, "Razor" in that context means a type of deduction. Heard of Hanlon's Razor?

I'm on the internet. My arguments are invalid.
rodneyAnonymous Sophisticated as Hell from empty space Since: Aug, 2010
#47: Nov 16th 2010 at 1:48:44 AM

[up] I think that, while some people will correctly interpret Flying Pigs Razor to be about a type of deduction involving flying pigs, some other people will mistake it for a play on Occam's Razor and interpret the intended meaning wrong.

Becky: Who are you? The Mysterious Stranger: An angel. Huck: What's your name? The Mysterious Stranger: Satan.
DragonQuestZ The Other Troper from Somewhere in California Since: Jan, 2001
The Other Troper
#49: Nov 16th 2010 at 2:35:53 AM

Because I was replying to two different posts.

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MetaFour AXTE INCAL AXTUCE MUN from A Place (Old Master)
AXTE INCAL AXTUCE MUN
#50: Nov 16th 2010 at 8:32:41 PM

some other people will mistake it for a play on Occam's Razor and interpret the intended meaning wrong.

But how is the play on Occam's Razor and/or Hanlon's Razor not reflective of the trope? Cue the Flying Pigs is a very hyperbolic way of declaring "X would never happen!"; and "Bob would never do that!" is a notable subset of things that would never happen.

This trope is basically "Bob would never do that, therefore fairy magic is a much more plausible explanation!"


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