Rewrite to non-self demonstrating / non-first-person: Lex Luthor

This was mentioned in another thread, but I thought it should have its own thread so a trope repair notice appears on top of its page.

Why is Lex Luthor written in first person? It seems to be a mindless copy of Doctor Doom and The Joker; but Lex Luthor doesn't have a unique voice, so the joke (such as it is) is lost. All it does is make the page harder to read. That joke was funny the first time, in any case; there's no real advantage to copying it from place to place.

Therefore, I suggest that Lex Luthor be rewritten to third person, like most other articles. Save the Doctor Doom first person joke for Doctor Doom; the whole joke, originally, was that he talks in third person, so it's easy to miss and doesn't break the article flow. Somehow people who didn't get it ended up copying it into other articles.

Speaking as an intellectual elitist bastard, that reads like someone merely trying to act like an intellectual elitist bastard. Vote rewrite.

I agree. Re-write, but in first person.

Why in first-person? Is there something about Luthor's way of speaking that is immediately identifiable with him? If not, there's no reason for it to be first-person.

Meant rewrite as a regular article (not first-person).

@Madrugada (que lindo nick ):

Because MOST character articles are made in first-person. Siniestro doesn't have a particular way of speaking either, and he is first person. If that's the way we do things about here, why not change every character page to third person? Like the one from Deadpool or The Joker.

edited 23rd Dec '10 8:25:54 PM by NerdAtComputer

Because MOST character articles are made in first-person.

As discussed in this thread, even if true, it's not something that should be encouraged.

@Sue: You might be right, but reading articles in first person is also entertaining...

How about having a "First Person" page for characters? (similar of how series have "moments of awesome" or "moments of fun").   ^*

Something like: FirstPerson/LexLuthor or SelfDescription/LexLuthor??

Just saying.

edited 23rd Dec '10 8:46:48 PM by NerdAtComputer

I agree with this. If the argument to lose the SDA pages is "it's not first person (whatever that is)", then we should keep the interesting ones somewhere. I don't see why a "completely unmistakable unique identifiable style" is needed, nor why suc style has to go in speech — the character name is in the FRIGGIN PAGE TITLE ALREADY. Characters for whom I'd see this working being Lex Luthor, G La DOS, maybe Mojo Jojo if he gets his own page.

All it does is make the page harder to read.

What happened to reading carefully?

If you people want to rewrite, just move it to what the troper above me suggested.

(I know I've already said it, but I want to make my position here more clear. )

As the Glados page says: It's "JustForFun"; thing I believed TV Tropes understood.

In case you people want to get rid of them, how about giving them some special place?

FirstPersonArticle/LexLuthor , FirstPerson/LexLuthor or SelfDescription/LexLuthor .

This would also be very interesting for other characters, like The Hulk, which could have their own FirstPersonArticle .

edited 23rd Dec '10 9:34:05 PM by NerdAtComputer

...because that's retarded? Heehee. But seriously, what's the benefit? It is sometimes fun. But it is usually distracting. The primary focus of this website is cataloging a certain kind of idea.

For some reason, even I though "because it's retarded" was fun.

It's pretty much like the Just Bugs Me or WMG pages. They don't make sense, they are not useful, but they are interesting to watch.

edited 23rd Dec '10 11:24:51 PM by NerdAtComputer

Yes, it is exactly like that. Is that okay? "Use the Characters namespace" has been an option the whole time.

I can understand the characters who transcend a consistent characterization and live as basically base elements and concepts that permeate through the multitude of mediums they appear in (i.e. the comic books villains) and I don't mind the article style (mostly becuase they're hilarious), but why in the name of the lord's prayer does G La DOS have a self-demonstrating page? She's a the antagonist of one game! One!

Two games. And the G La DOS page is to accomodate those who forget to cancel out the Wiki Word that is her name.

I didn't know the sequel was out. Oh well, my point still stands, but your justification makes sense.

I like reading like that it is like their talking to you so please let it stay.

I agree, first person is more fun on character type trope pages. If it's really THAT distracting, add a /First Person variant of the page for those who like it. I don't see what the problem is.

I think the only way to get away with this would be to put it under Just for Fun. We do need some levity injected back into the wiki now that it's gotten much more Serious Business, and, as long as it's not the main page, it doesn't hurt anything.

Well I like the idea of making to page's one for both of us.

edited 30th Mar '11 8:17:19 AM by luff

Put it in SelfDemonstrating.Lex Luthor. That's the the namespace is for.

Personally? I enjoy reading First Person articles, if done right. Like, when I read The Joker's article, I could TOTALLY imagine either the DCAU or Nolanverse Joker's voice actually saying that stuff. When I read the Luthor one just a few minutes ago, I totally imagined Luthor's DCAU incarnation talking.

I think, if the character in question could actually be seen as saying that sort of stuff— like, if you imagine it in your head and it fits— then their articles could be written in first-person. Obviously people are gonna punches holes in that idea of mine, but oh well. It's just a thought, just... throwin' it out there, y'know.

Got a question. I can't remember the specific page, think it might be Evilly Affable, but anyway, someone wrote the Deadpool entry on the page in the same first person style as the Deadpool page is written. Can I/should I change that? I think it's kind of confusing to use the first person style anywhere other the character's page.

Hmm... Good question, Spoon. I would assume that perhaps you should, seeing as how tropes that a singular character like Deadpool can "say" apply to them on their page only really counts on their page.