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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 10, 2017 1:24:05 GMT -5
25 Great Tropes TV, film, video games... they always seem to follow the same patterns when you boil it down. Sometimes it a character archetype, others its a plot device. Sometimes intentional, other times accidental. Join me as we take a tour of 25 of the best tropes out there. This list is not presented in any particular order; just highlighting some of the best tropes out there.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 10, 2017 1:27:55 GMT -5
25) Why not just shoot him?
Beginning this list, we look at a trope that drives us crazy in many a move and tv show. The villain is trying to kill the hero, and is coming up with an elaborate plan to stop him. Sometimes, you just gotta stop and ask- why go through all this trouble? Why not just shoot the person in question?
Often times, the answer is rather convoluted. Perhaps the villain wants the hero to suffer or "it wouldn't be satisfying" or something along those lines. But in reality, we know the truth- if the hero was just shot, the story would end in five seconds. That, and you really can't show guns on kids shows these days.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 10, 2017 1:32:38 GMT -5
24) Stating the Simple SolutionA common conundrum in many stories; why go through the effort to create such an elaborate plan, only for there to be a much simpler solution to sole the problem. Sometimes you just gotta wonder- why go through the effort to solve a problem in so many steps when you can do it in one easy step? And yes, this is a close cousin to Why not just shoot him?
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 10, 2017 1:37:41 GMT -5
23) Stormtrooper Effect
Oh no! The hero is surrounded by countless bad guys, and there's no way out. Looks like he'll have to fight his way out. No worries though; generic grunts can never harm the hero, so no matter how many there are and how often they shoot, they will never harm the hero. And yes, the trope name does come from Star Wars; named after the highly trained super soldiers who for some reason can't hit anything in battle.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 11, 2017 0:35:00 GMT -5
22) Bond Villain Stupidity
We've seen it in way too many a movie... the hero is cornered by the villain, he is near death, trapped, incapacitated, and yet... the villain fails to kill our hero for whatever strange reason. So instead, they put the hero into a situation that involves an overly complicated, easily escape-able death trap... only for the hero to escape and come back later, and take down the villain.
Made popular by the many Bond villains who put 007 into all sorts of death traps... only for him to escape and come back and defeat them.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 17, 2017 23:17:34 GMT -5
21) Jumping the Shark
On September 20, 1977 Happy Days character Fonzie made television history when he jumped over a shark while water skiing. Since then, "jumping the shark" has become an idiom that refers to when a tv show reaches the peak of its creative development, and subsequently begins a decline in quality from which it cannot recover. Usually, this decline in quality is marked by a change in style or presentation of the show.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 17, 2017 23:27:52 GMT -5
20) Growing the BeardOn the other end of the spectrum, Growing the Beard refers to when a tv show begins a noticeable increase in quality. Named for Star Trek The Next Generation's Commander Riker; when the show's increase in quality coincided with him growing a beard. The increase in quality can be any one of many factors, but the most common are a new writer coming on board and a show finally realizing "what works"
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 18, 2017 22:16:18 GMT -5
19) The QuibbleUh oh, stuck in an agreement with a bad party? Don't worry, just look at the wording of the agreement in question. Find a way to fulfill the wording of the agreement without going for the intended meaning, and you'll pull one over on them. Be careful though, it works both ways- sometimes a quibble can be used to pull one over on you and force you into an unintended situation.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 18, 2017 22:28:13 GMT -5
18) Limited WardrobeWhy DO cartoon characters wear the same thing every day? Well, kinda hard to say. Sometimes there are in a situation where its just the way things are, like if they are in the army or wear a school uniform. Other times... well, there's some sort of explanation usually...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 18, 2017 22:37:07 GMT -5
17) Even Evil has StandardsTurns out, there are lines even the bad guys won't cross. Perhaps there is a level of evil they find repulsive, or even the fact that a new villain is being introduced, and the writer wants to show just how bad they are compared to the old one.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 15, 2017 12:44:54 GMT -5
16) Totem Poll TrenchA classic gag of many cartoons- too young to get into the movies? Trying to pass off as an adult? Two children simply stand on top of each other, put on a trench coat and suddenly, poof! Now there's one adult. Occasionally a fedora and beard are thrown in for good measure.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 15, 2017 12:52:15 GMT -5
15) TechnobabbleUsually found in Sci-fi, Technobabble is a term used to refer to scientific sounding jargon that is ultimately nonsense. Usually used in reference to a scientific sounding instrument that makes sense in the context of the show, but in real life is meaningless.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 15, 2017 12:55:48 GMT -5
14) The AhnoldPerhaps a tribute to Arnold Schwarzenegger and other action movie stars of the 1980s, the Ahnold represents any character who fits the mold set by these live action stars. Usually large, muscular men, with an accent that parodies Schwarzenegger himself
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 15, 2017 12:59:54 GMT -5
13) Heroic MimeThose main characters in video games don't talk much, do they? For whatever reason, in many video games the protagonist always seems to not have much to say. Though one theory may be...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 15, 2017 13:03:14 GMT -5
12) Suddenly Voiced
Often played for laughs, when a usually silent character finally speaks, it's usually taken with surprise.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 15, 2017 13:08:14 GMT -5
11) Bare your MidriffWhy does it always seem that when it comes to lead female characters in certain media, the outfit always seems to not cover the entire body? Perhaps it makes sense given what the climate of where the story is, perhaps it's whatever the wearer feels confident in. Whatever the reason, outfits that reveal the midriff are apparently quite popular when it comes to costume designs... especially for females, and when it is fan-service.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 15, 2017 13:19:14 GMT -5
10) Insane Troll LogicBasically, somebody argues something so ridiculous that any attempt to reason with them will only make it even more illogical.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Nov 13, 2017 1:51:16 GMT -5
9) Armor is UselessWhy does it always seem that there's always that enemy that seems heavily armored... and yet gets taken down really easily by the protagonist no matter what weapon he or she has...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Nov 13, 2017 1:54:49 GMT -5
8) Chainmail BikiniWhy does female armor always seem so... lacking? While one school of thought argues that female armor is meant for for flexibility and agility versus outright protection, a the same time it does seem rather odd that female armor is almost always so... not practical. Hence, the "chainmail bikini" cliche of RPGs and other medieval fantasy stuff.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Nov 13, 2017 2:01:51 GMT -5
7) Sex SellsPerhaps this is the reason for number 8... after all, design your lead characters to be very attractive, and you're bound to have a following. And no... you don't get a picture for this one, so get your mind out of the gutter
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