So, I sign onto my computer, someone mentions that yesterday was talk like a pirate day.....and TvTropes.com had updated it's homepage language accordingly- into a disturbing mix of valley girl and gangster. Now, a good 48 hours or, in internet time, over nine thousand links later, I need to come up with a post....and that's just about the only thing that is on my mind. Fortunately, it is uniquely relevant to what has been discussed, so I have few qualms not quenched by the lateness of the hour. [I am also going to attempt to write this without directly going back to TvTropes, or quite frankly I will never finish this....never mind, too late]
Why TvTropes?
Because it doesn't really exist. Honestly. On one hand, we have someone who has read TvTropes. On the other, we have an english major. Try analytically discussing some popular tv show, and I guarantee that the two will have issues communicating. Why?
Because the following paragraph includes phrases and words which don't exist outside of the collective conciousness of those who have read TvTropes, or talked to someone who has. Admittedly, some things are borrowed from reality and are actual phrases, others are fairly obvious and thus inferential (ie: the Magnificent Bastard or Cool Old Guy trope)
The Dumbledore is an apparent contradiction, a sagacious figure who seems eccentric and possibly even foolish, a font of power and respectability who acts like comic relief. Quite possibly, The Dumbledore is too wise and self-assured to care what anyone else thinks. Then again, maybe they're just resting on their laurels. Typically The Dumbledore is an older male character, connected to the back story, who acts as a sort of mentor, protector, or guide. They often feign senility and weakness when it is useful to do so, and rarely take pains to avoid such an appearance if it requires effort. When pushed, The Dumbledore easily demonstrates how they have earned their status. Those who underestimated them are suddenly confronted with heroic badassery, Sherlock Holmes-level insight, moral fortitude in the face of death, or simply being a step ahead of everyone else. Due to their age, wisdom, and conviction, they fear death far less than a loss of integrity. Combines aspects of Cool Old Guy, The Obi-Wan, Old Master (sometimes), Crouching Moron Hidden Badass, Bunny Ears Lawyer, often Cloudcuckoolander, and Zen Survivor into one cranky, tough old biscuit. They may fill any of a number of mentor roles, such as Trickster Mentor or Reasonable Authority Figure, related to their personality and their role in the story. As such, no matter how much power they have, they want the heroes to solve the problem... ...which The Heroes may have to, courtesy of the Mentor Occupational Hazard. Compare with The Wonka."
11 links....and... dear heavens, what exactly is a Bunny Ears Lawyer or a Cloudcuckoolander or a Mentor Occupational Hazard? I'm not sure, but once I click the links I'm sure I'll know
What is a trope?
TvTropes is perfectly fine at providing it's own definition but I'll be happy to copy and past the most vital line
"According to the Codes theory, a Code/Trope is an attempt to "give meaning to what would otherwise be a series of happenings. They are... constructs and patterns of behaviour."
Why did I pick TvTropes?
1) Collective Intelligence - underneath everything, TvTropes is a wiki. Tropes are created by anyone, anytime, anywhere. There is a community in there, and its a bit more obvious, what with the on-page discussions and asides, than say, Wikipedia
2) Links- the key to TvTropes is the links. Every trope contains links to other tropes, to references, to anything anyone considered relevant. And each of those links lead somewhere else....and it is a subtle ensnarement that leads to you look up from your screen hours later and try to remember if you last at lunch or was it possibly breakfast? Tropes live and prosper by the number of links that they generate. More links, more visibility, more life. And all the names of the tropes are used as if the reader inherently understands everything about them, but not to worry, they have links so that you can read all about them...which in turn lead to links...
3) Sheer unadulterated fascination at the mix between an almost-serious sense of scholarship, analyzing all the new media in context with the other media and the different tropes that exist......and the complete lack of any need, desire or movement for references, fact checking or quotations.
Just go to their home page, type in any series you might be following, and read down the tropes for it, and their descriptions. On the whole, the tropes are funny, accurate, and will probably reference something you're interested in, or amused by. Try it, I dare you.
Now, before I leave you for the night, I leave with a link to one of my absolute favorite pages Spanner In The Works and the opening paragraph
- "A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
WAIT! Who.. How did that idiot get in here?! No! Get away from that! NOOOOO!
**BOOM**
no.. NO! IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR! *breaks down sobbing*
For sheer link density, combined with complete incomprehensibility and very well known and common trope, I think this is one of the top tropes.
-Lia
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