History Main / Defictionalization

* ''ComicStrip/BroomHilda'': Grelber appeared as a command in older UsefulNotes/{{UNIX}} systems. Typing in the command "Grelber" would have the computer insult the user.

*** Somebody took the game Fix-It Felix Jr. and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzsmhnHtCKE made it into a homebrewed video game for the Sega Genesis.]] There is also a UsefulNotes/Commodore64 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRotw7NaHGk version]] complete with voice clips and SID chip reinterpretations of the music.

* In ''Webcomic/UserFriendly'', the Vigor Assistant for the UsefulNotes/{{Unix}} VI text editor is a clone of Clippy for Microsoft Word. Like Clippy, Vigor is a talking paper clip who gives [[AnnoyingVideoGameHelper too many annoying hints]] to the user. Some random hacker made a [[http://vigor.sourceforge.net/ real Vigor assistant]]. This is an unusual example because Vigor is just a download and does not create a revenue stream (because no one would want to buy Vigor).

* In ''Film/OsmosisJones'' Bill Murray's character mentions a "National Chicken Wing Festival" in Buffalo, New York. While the festival did not exist during the filming of the movie, this mention caused organizers to create an annual festival in Buffalo.

* On Website/TikTok, a video surfaced that repurposed another user's ballad dedicated to Remy from ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'' into a Broadway musical number. This later resulted in other videos showing up featuring people making their own songs, choreography and even makeup for a hypothetical ''Ratatouille'' Broadway musical. It eventually became a reality, [[https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/638968/disney-pixar-ratatouille-tiktok-musical-todaytix with [=TodayTix=] streaming their own version of said musical]] on New Year's Day 2021.

A SubTrope of LifeImitatesArt. Related to TheRedStapler which is when fiction (further) popularizes an already existing thing. May overlap with OfficialCosplayGear. Differs from FakeRealTurn in that the fictional element was never (mis)represented as real. Is often a result of a program that is MerchandiseDriven.

* Some eateries offer a DagwoodSandwich (originating from ''ComicStrip/{{Blondie}}''), though real-life versions tend to be smaller.

* In Season 2 of ''LetsPlay/EmpiresSMP'', Joel starts selling unauthorized toys based on Jimmy. Eventually, Jimmy himself would end up [[https://www.makeship.com/products/the-sheriff producing]] plush toys based on his character, meaning that you can get Joel's "unauthorized" toys in real life.

* Kind of defictionalization: [[WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick Team Nostalgia Chick]] did [[http://t.co/5mbkBLh a live-action reenactment]] of a Website/ThatGuyWithTheGlasses fanfic.

* This one fits in Western Animation, Anime and Manga, Live Action TV and Movies all at once. Apple Watch and the Samsung Galaxy Gear are real life versions of the wrist mounted communicators seen in ''Franchise/StarTrek'', ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'', ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', ''[[Manga/GiantRobo Johnny Sokko And His Flying Robot]]'', ''Film/{{Predator}}'', ''ComicStrip/DickTracy'', ''Series/KnightRider'', ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Centurions}}''.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Norwich Radio Norwich]] used to be a spoof radio station which employed [[Series/ImAlanPartridge Alan Partridge]]. In 2006, a real commercial station named 99.9 Radio Norwich was launched (and still exists as of 2012).

** The over-the-top subject of his parody song "Franks2000InchTV" was defictionalized in 2009 when the Dallas Cowboys installed a ''pair'' of 2150 inch TV s in their new stadium.

[[folder: Theatre]]
* ''Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof'': So Anatevka is a fictional shtetl in [[{{UsefulNotes/Ukraine}} Ukraine]], close to Kyiv. But come Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014, and it became [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatevka_(village) a real settlement for Jewish and Gentile internally displaced people]] organized by Jewish diaspora - near Kyiv, of course.

** The song "Billy Joe [=McGuffery=]", which is said to be perfomed by Twippo in-universe, had two full versions recorded: one by Chris Rice and the other by a kid chorus for a ''Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie''-themed sing-along CD.

* ''WesternAnimation/JonahAVeggieTalesMovie'': Khalil's Jonah plush toy was defictionalized for the movie's merchandise line. However, the plush looks different than the one in the movie, as it wears a duck-shaped inner tube and has an open mouth instead of a smiling mouth.

** The Bob-stacle Course from "Being Bob Dog" was defictionalized at the "Donkey Hodie: A Hee-Hawesome Adventure" event, but InNameOnly.

* On the Creator/PBSKids parents site for ''Series/DonkeyHodie'', there's a recipe for Flying Flapjacks, as well as instructions to make Donkey's beach bongos and a tutorial on how to hoof dance.

** In-universe, [[CaptainSpaceDefenderOfEarth Buzz Lightyear]] is based on the lead character of the cartoon ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'', itself based on the film ''WesternAnimation/{{Lightyear}}''. The cartoon later got turned into a real series in 2000, while the film later became an actual film that is set to be released in 2022. Buzz also got his own actual action figure that, as implied in the ''Toy Story'' films, was highly sought-after and impossible to lay your hands on until mass production took over. This event was ported back ''into'' the movie world: in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'', Tour Guide {{Franchise/Barbie}} makes reference to it. Pull back to reveal an ''entire aisle'' of [[CaptainSpaceDefenderOfEarth Buzz Lightyears]].

** The video game that Rex plays at the beginning of ''Toy Story 2'' was later made into a level for the tie-in video game for ''Toy Story 3''.

* ''WebVideo/ManAtArms'' is a [=YouTube=] series starring a professional blacksmith who, in addition to making prop weapons for movies, takes weapons from various media and creates battle ready real life versions.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRuNxHqwazs Powerthirst]] is now [[http://www.powerthirst.ca real]], as well.

* ''WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows'':
** Cross of this and video games: Krin, the title card artist for Todd, decided to defictionalize the "[[http://thebutterfly.deviantart.com/#/d3datkc Die Scumbag]]" cake seen in a LetsPlay Todd [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/bt/pushinguproses/lets-play-shortys/30518-lets-play-shortys-fatty-bears-birthday-surprise-pt2 recorded with]] WebVideo/PushingUpRoses.
** And before, Krin [[http://thebutterfly.deviantart.com/art/Todd-In-The-Shadows-179883302 drew a comic where Todd reviewed "Like a G6"]]. This attracted his attention to both the artist (who got hired to do his title cards) and the song, which then got a proper review.
** Later, she did [[http://thebutterfly.deviantart.com/art/S-and-M-203211080 a title card for]] {{Music/Rihanna}}'s "S&M" as an AprilFools joke. Almost 2 months later, Todd reviewed the song, prompting her to say "[[http://thebutterfly.deviantart.com/#/d3hd2ao MY ART IS PROPHETIC]] \n/ Hmm... maybe I should draw Creator/DougWalker giving me a big check! ^_~".
* Kind of defictionalization: [[WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick Team Nostalgia Chick]] did [[http://t.co/5mbkBLh a live-action reenactment]] of a Website/ThatGuyWithTheGlasses fanfic.
* ''WebVideo/DrHorriblesSingAlongBlog'': Unsurprisingly, [[http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e689/ Captain Hammer's shirt is available]]. Also unsurprisingly, Wonderflonium is not.

* The web series ''[[https://www.youtube.com/user/feastoffiction Feast of Fiction]]'' focuses on making fictional foods into actual recipes.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3g4s4Q2uulee1MZYv0S9wA DATSATOILET]], a joke originally started by LetsPlay/{{VanossGaming}} and his friends, is now an actual channel.
* The premise of ''WebVideo/BingingWithBabish'' is to accurately recreate recipes from films and TV shows, and some of the dishes that are tackled are completely fictitious to start off.
* As the name suggests, ''Make It Real'' is all about this. Its owner, ''Hacksmith Industries,'' started out when engineer and ''ComicBook/IronMan'' fan James Hobson set out to make both a suit of PoweredArmor and [[JetPack a forearm-mounted jetpack]]. He has since branched out into defictionalizing the guns from ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' (basically a NERF dart mod that shoots superheated flint bombs), [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor's Hammer Mjolnir]] (some capacitors and a brick of lead), and some guns from ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' (a laser tube and a tesla coil in 3-D printed casings).
* ''WebVideo/{{Petscop}}'' is a fictional LetsPlay series about the titular FictionalVideoGame. Naturally, there is a reproduction, Giftscop, downloadable [[https://giftscop.com/ here]].

* On [=TikTok=], a video surfaced that repurposed another user's ballad dedicated to Remy from ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'' into a Broadway musical number. This later resulted in other videos showing up featuring people making their own songs, choreography and even makeup for a hypothetical ''Ratatouille'' Broadway musical. It eventually became a reality, [[https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/638968/disney-pixar-ratatouille-tiktok-musical-todaytix with [=TodayTix=] streaming their own version of said musical]] on New Year's Day 2021.

* In Season 2 of ''LetsPlay/EmpiresSMP'', Joel starts selling unauthorized toys based on Jimmy. Eventually, Jimmy himself would end up [[https://www.makeship.com/products/the-sheriff producing]] plush toys based on his character, meaning that you can get Joel's "unauthorized" toys in real life.

* In season 2 of ''LetsPlay/EmpiresSMP'', Joel starts selling unauthorized toys based on Jimmy. Eventually, Jimmy himself would end up [[https://www.makeship.com/products/the-sheriff producing]] plush toys based on his character, meaning that you can get Joel's "unauthorized" toys in real life.

* In season 2 of ''LetsPlay/EmpiresSMP'', Joel starts selling unauthorized toys based on Jimmy. Eventually, Jimmy himself would end up [[https://www.makeship.com/products/the-sheriff producing]] plush toys based on his character, meaning that you can get Joel's "unauthorized" toys in real life.

* Like many retailers, Think Geek celebrates April Fools Day by advertising bogus, and often bizarre, products. Some of them have subsequently been made into real products at their customers' insistence, the most recent being the fully licensed by [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Lucasfilm]] [[http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/plush/bb2e/ Tauntaun Sleeping Bag]] (although many would argue that the real version isn't as cool as the April Fools Day one).

* Website/Vat19 has started a [[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vat19/the-not-a-cat-cat-the-worlds-first-cat-that-isnt kickstarter]] to produce the Not-A-Cat Cat, which is a RunningGag in [=Vat19's=] advertisements.
* An ad for UsefulNotes/McDonalds Fillet-O-Fish in 2009 featured a singing fish similar to Big Mouth Billy Bass named Frankie singing "Give me back that Fillet-O-Fish! Give me that fish!" Shortly after the ad aired they released [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f071AfSf9rE A real life version of Frankie.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'':