History Main / EvolvingTrope

* For some, the SchoolIsForLosers trope has also evolved. Very few people today consider education ''itself'' to be a bad or unnecessary thing. What ''is'' considered a bad or unnecessary thing is the time and money cost for education. Student loan debt (at least in the [[EaglelandOsmosis United]] [[ValuesDissonance States]]) is a major hot-button issue, since going into it is all but required, unless the student or their family is wealthy enough to pay the tuition full, or spend a few years in the armed services. This, along with the fact that many jobs require four or more years of education and possibly hours of unpaid internships or volunteer work, has lead to some young people [[DespairEventHorizon concluding that]] higher education and good grades may not be [[HardWorkHardlyWorks worth the effort]], or the financial risk.

* For some, the SchoolIsForLosers trope has also evolved. Very few people today consider education ''itself'' to be a bad or unnecessary thing. What ''is'' considered a bad or unnecessary thing is the time and money cost for education. Student loan debt (at least in the [[EaglelandOsmosis United]][[ValuesDissonance States]]) is a major hot-button issue, since going into it is all but required, unless the student or their family is wealthy enough to pay the tuition full, or spend a few years in the armed services. This, along with the fact that many jobs require four or more years of education and possibly hours of unpaid internships or volunteer work, has lead to some young people [[DespairEventHorizon concluding that]] higher education and good grades may not be [[HardWorkHardlyWorks worth the effort]], or the financial risk.

* For decades, the portrayal of the [[StandardFiftiesFather mid-late century American dad]] was that of the family man who could do no wrong, often under a nostalgic lens in contrast to [[BumblingDad more absent-minded parents]]. By the 2010s however, a less romanticized view of the past has led to less sympathetic depictions, and a typical post-war dad in fiction is now expected to be a drunken wife-batterer, pretty much the last things you'd expect from someone like Ward Cleaver.

* For some, the SchoolIsForLosers trope has also evolved. Very few people today consider education ''itself'' to be a bad or unnecessary thing. What ''is'' considered a bad or unnecessary thing is the time and money cost for education. As student loan debt (at least in the [[EaglelandOsmosis United States]]) is a major hot-button issue, but going into it almost required unless the student or their family is wealthy enough to pay otherwise or they spend a few years in the armed services. This, along with the fact that many jobs require four or more years of education and possibly hours of unpaid internships or volunteer work, has lead to some young people [[DespairEventHorizon concluding that]] higher education and good grades may not be [[HardWorkHardlyWorks worth the effort]], or the financial risk.

* EnfantTerrible is a trope that has evolved by being exaggerated and subverted from previous inceptions. Before [[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUK both the]] [[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS characters]] known as ''Dennis the Menace'' were created, kids in popular media were usually portrayed as angels. As mild as the US Dennis's mischief was and while the UK Dennis was usually punished, both started playing NaughtyIsGood straight. Later, when creating ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Matt Groening created Bart Simpson as an answer to the US Dennis, in an attempt to show what a bratty kid would ''really'' be like. Bart himself then became tame, despite losing what sense of realism the character had, when compared to [[WesternAnimation/SouthPark Eric Cartman]].[[note]]To illustrate this, Cartman did actually meet a Bart {{expy}} in the ''South Park'' episode [[Recap/SouthParkS10E3CartoonWarsPartOne "Cartoon Wars"]] who claimed he was "pretty bad" because he once [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS1E8TheTelltaleHead vandalized a town statue]], but was clearly horrified when Cartman admitted he had [[Recap/SouthParkS5E4ScottTenormanMustDie murdered another boy's parents and fed their remains to him]].[[/note]] What'll come after Cartman, God only knows.

* In high school settings, from the late 1990s onwards it has become very rare for the most popular girl in school to be portrayed as a BrainlessBeauty. Generally any AlphaBitch or LovableAlphaBitch who does seem ditzy will be ObfuscatingStupidity or at worst a GeniusDitz. Surprisingly the revelation that the pretty, bubbly girl is actually brainy is still usually treated as a stunning reveal in universe.

* As ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' changed the public's perception of ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', the nature of MyLittlePhony would change with it. Whereas older examples of the trope would [[TakeThat mock]] the franchise, more modern ones would depict it in a more positive light as an AffectionateParody. Both examples sometimes poke fun at its [[PeripheryDemographic older audience]], but the former tends to lean in more maliciously while the latter much more affectionately.

* For some, the SchoolIsForLosers trope has also evolved. Very few people today consider education ''itself'' to be a bad or unnecessary thing. What ''is'' considered a bad or unnecessary thing is the time and money cost for education. As student loan debt (at least in the [[EaglelandOsmosis United States]]) is a major hot-button issue, but going into it almost required unless the student or their family is wealthy enough to pay otherwise. This, along with the fact that many jobs require four or more years of education and possibly hours of unpaid internships or volunteer work, has lead to some young people [[DespairEventHorizon concluding that]] higher education and good grades may not be [[HardWorkHardlyWorks worth the effort]], or the financial risk.

* For some, the SchoolIsForLosers trope has also evolved. Very few people today consider education ''itself'' to be a bad or unnecessary thing. What ''is'' considered a bad or unnecessary thing is the time and money cost for education. As student loan debt (at least in the United States) is a major hot-button issue, but going into it almost required unless the student or their family is wealthy enough to pay otherwise. This, along with the fact that many jobs require four or more years of education and possibly hours of unpaid internships or volunteer work, has lead to some young people [[DespairEventHorizon concluding that]] higher education and good grades may not be [[HardWorkHardlyWorks worth the effort]], or the financial risk.

* The SchoolIsForLoser tropes. While very few people today consider education ''itself'' to be a bad or unnecessary thing. What ''is'' considered a bad or unnecessary thing is the time and money cost for education. As student loan debt (at least in the United States) is a major hot-button issue, but going into it almost required unless the student or their family is wealthy enough to pay otherwise. This, along with the fact that many jobs require four or more years of education and possibly hours of unpaid internships or volunteer work, has lead to some young people [[DespairEventHorizon concluding that]] higher education and good grades may not be [[HardWorkHardlyWorks worth the effort]], or the financial risk.

* Immigrants were seen up until the mid-20th century as shiftless lowlifes on their way to ruin any given national culture while creating unnecessary competition in the job market. Nowadays, many consider migrants to be not only enriching of the culture, but that they're also a vital economic asset rather than as a liability or competition.

* As ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' changed the public's perception of ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', the nature of MyLittlePhony would change with it. Whereas older examples of the trope would [[TakeThat mock]] the franchise, more modern ones would depict it in a more positive light as an AffectionateParody, sometimes poking fun at its [[PeripheryDemographic older audience]].

* ADogAteMyHomework is now [[DeadHorseTrope so well-known]] as a INeedToGoIronMyDog excuse for students who didn't do/bring in homework assignments, that ''most'' students wouldn't use it. That, and the fact that this is the computer/printer age, make for the (much more plausible) excuses that a) "my computer crashed" or b) "my printer stopped working". (Using the two together would, however, be laying it on too thick.)

* DirtyOldMonk has been evolving too, sadly. At first, men of the cloth were portrayed as completely saintly, so the trope itself was a ''subversion'' of the traditional ChasteHero. As the influence of organized religion diminished, clergymen were relegated to harmless [[TheVicar friendly vicars]], with perverted priests being played either for black comedy or controversial drama. Of course, now that PedophilePriest is the first thing people think of when a Catholic Church scandal is mentioned, a priest having sex with an adult woman is usually portrayed positively. An example from a long-runner: In ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', Father Maxi was a corrupt villain when the kids found him having sex with a woman in his confession box during "Do the Handicapped Go to Hell?". A decade or so later, he was a hero for attacking all the other priests, who were all pedophiles, during "Red Hot Catholic Love".
** Also, while Catholic priests make an oath of celibacy, there is (usually) none of the sort in Protestant denominations, and married pastors are completely normal. For the longest time the notion of a married clergyman was extremely strange and bizarre especially for people who had lived their entire lives in a predominantly Catholic country, and this notion can be seen to large extents especially in older movies. As knowledge of other cultures has become widespread, the notion of a married Protestant pastor has become less and less of an oddity even in these countries.

* The MinorityShowGhetto and the QueerShowGhetto (concepts that were prominent from TheEighties through The2000s) haven't quite faded away, but are slowly being replaced by WatchedItForTheRepresentation in the latter half of TheNewTens, thanks to increased awareness of intersectional oppression and the need for diversity in media.

* Immigrants were seen up until the mid-20th century as shiftless lowlifes on their way to ruin any given national culture. Nowadays, many consider that migrants do not only enrich culture, but also they are an economic asset rather than a liability.
* In the same lines, diverse ethnic groups have been targeted in the U.S. throughout the years, often linked to migrant waves and wars: In the early 19th century, it was the Dutch and the Nordics, followed by the Germans during the middle of the century, Irishmen during the late 19th century, Jews and Italians during the early 20th century, Asians between WWII and the the Vietnam War, Latinos since the second half of the 20th century, and Arabs/Muslims during the early years of the 21st century.

* EnfantTerrible is a trope that has evolved by being exaggerated and subverted from previous inceptions. Before [[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUK both the]] [[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS characters]] known as ''Dennis the Menace'' were created, kids in popular media were usually portrayed as angels. As mild as the US Dennis's mischief was and while the UK Dennis was usually punished, both started playing NaughtyIsGood straight. Later, when creating ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Matt Groening created Bart Simpson as an answer to the US Dennis, in an attempt to show what a bratty kid would ''really'' be like. Bart himself then became tame, despite losing what sense of realism the character had, when compared to [[WesternAnimation/SouthPark Eric Cartman]].[[note]]To illustrate this, Cartman did actually meet a Bart {{expy}} in the ''South Park'' episode "Cartoon Wars" who claimed he was "pretty bad" because he vandalized a town statue, but was clearly horrified when Cartman admitted he murdered another boy's parents and fed their remains to him.[[/note]] What'll come after Cartman, God only knows.

* EnfantTerrible is a trope that has evolved by being exaggerated and subverted from previous inceptions. Before [[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUK both the]] [[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS characters]] known as ''Dennis the Menace'' were created, kids in popular media were usually portrayed as angels. As mild as the US Dennis's mischief was and while the UK Dennis was usually punished, both started playing NaughtyIsGood straight. Later, when creating ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Matt Groening created Bart Simpson as an answer to the US Dennis, in an attempt to show what a bratty kid would ''really'' be like. Bart himself then became tame, despite losing what sense of realism the character had, when compared to [[WesternAnimation/SouthPark Eric Cartman]]. What'll come after Cartman, God only knows.

** The NaziHunter trope is transforming thanks to the passage of time, as anyone who served in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII gets too long in the tooth to be anything other than a NaziGrandpa. And the generation that would have been old enough to be movers and shakers in the Nazi party would now be centenarians. Finally, the end of the UsefulNotes/ColdWar dramatically expanded the choice of stock villains. However, there are ''Neo-Nazi'' hunters in RealLife, who are dedicated to making life Hell for anyone they suspect of being a Neo-Nazi or sympathizer.

* The FrenchMaid isn't quite on its way out, since the outfit itself continues to be heavily fetishized and is a popular SexyWhateverOutfit of choice for risqué scenes. However, she's very unlikely to be actually French outside of period works or parodies embracing every other French stereotype like the FrenchJerk or GayParee. In American media in particular the French Maid often gets replaced by a SpicyLatina Maid, since much of the EthnicMenialLabor is the U.S. is drawn from the countries to the south of it. The Japanese have long had their own localized version in the {{Meido}}.

* The FrenchMaid isn't quite on its way out, since the outfit itself is still common fodder for a SexyWhateverOutfit, but is often turned into a Latina Maid, especially in media from the United States.

* During the 1990s and 2000s, the notion of big-name film actors engaging in DirectToVideo and MadeForTV films had a stigma [[StarDerailingRole as a low point in their careers]], and such projects were often seen as a [[MoneyDearBoy quick buck for these actors]], largely due to the lower quality of DirectToVideo movies when compared to theatrically-released films. However, the rise of streaming services in the 2010s such as Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/AmazonPrime greatly upended these sentiments, as original programming and films from these services (e.g., ''Series/StrangerThings'' and Creator/MartinScorsese's ''Film/TheIrishman'' on Netflix) would frequently have comparable budgets and quality to theatrically-released movies, and [[DarkhorseCasting would often feature fairly recognizable but less in-demand actors]] such as Creator/WinonaRyder and Creator/DavidHarbour as part of the main cast, [[CareerResurrection often making them relevant again in Hollywood]]. This evolution was further compounded not only by how the "Big Five" studios (Creator/{{Disney}}, Creator/WarnerBros, Creator/{{Paramount}}, Creator/{{Universal}}, and Creator/{{Sony}}) established their own streaming services [[note]]Respectively, Creator/DisneyPlus, Creator/HBOMax, Creator/ParamountPlus, Creator/{{Peacock}}, and TBA[[/note]] to [[FollowTheLeader compete with Netflix]] and release both original series and films with comparable budgets to cinematically-released films (and also nab big-name actors), but by the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic in the 2020s causing many theaters to temporarily close. Such health and safety measures forced both the studios themselves and actors to reconsider these streaming services as a new source of revenue.
* One can make the argument that the TyrannicalTownTycoon trope is undergoing an evolution, in light of changing economic circumstances. Namely, this trope itself came into being during the late 19th and 20th centuries, as the local businesses (e.g., waterworks, real estate, etc.) that such tycoons owned were considered staples of small towns across the United States. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, however, such small businesses (and, by extension, the power and salience that empowered the TyrannicalTownTycoon in the first place) largely disappeared from the map [[AlwaysABiggerFish due to the rise]] of {{MegaCorp}}s (e.g., utility companies, hotel chains, retailers, etc.), who would be owned by more distant executives who may not even live in such small towns. In short, there is still the gist of the "rich person exerting their control over small towns", it's simply evolving with the economy.

* During the 1990s and 2000s, the notion of big-name film actors engaging in DirectToVideo and MadeForTV films had a stigma [[StarDerailingRole as a low point in their careers]], and such projects were often seen as a [[MoneyDearBoy quick buck for these actors]], largely due to the lower quality of DirectToVideo movies when compared to theatrically-released films. However, the rise of streaming services in the 2010s such as Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/AmazonPrime greatly upended these sentiments, as original programming and films from these services (e.g., ''Series/StrangerThings'' and Creator/MartinScorsese's ''Film/TheIrishman'' on Netflix) [[DoingItForTheArt would frequently have comparable budgets and quality to theatrically-released movies]], and [[DarkhorseCasting would often feature fairly recognizable but less in-demand actors]] such as Creator/WinonaRyder and Creator/DavidHarbour as part of the main cast, [[CareerResurrection often making them relevant again in Hollywood]]. This evolution was further compounded not only by how the "Big Five" studios (Creator/{{Disney}}, Creator/WarnerBros, Creator/{{Paramount}}, Creator/{{Universal}}, and Creator/{{Sony}}) established their own streaming services [[note]]Respectively, Creator/DisneyPlus, Creator/HBOMax, Creator/ParamountPlus, Creator/{{Peacock}}, and TBA[[/note]] to [[FollowTheLeader compete with Netflix]] and release both original series and films with comparable budgets to cinematically-released films (and also nab big-name actors), but by the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic in the 2020s causing many theaters to temporarily close. Such health and safety measures forced both the studios themselves and actors to reconsider these streaming services as a new source of revenue.

* Quite apart from ScienceMarchesOn the ''narrative'' role of dinosaurs in films and television has changed over the years. Outside of comedy and cartoons (where friendly dinos can be found since WesternAnimation/{{Gertie|TheDinosaur}}'s day) ReptilesAreAbhorrent was the overwhelming depiction for decades with even non-predatory dinosaurs being shown as ugly, lumbering monsters. ''Film/JurassicPark'' seems to have been the gamechanger where dinosaurs were as much a source of awe and delight as fear and even the T-Rex coming across as a dangerous but majestic beast more than a mere killing and eating machine.

* Folk tales often portrayed wolves as [[SavageWolves evil, rapacious animals that preyed upon innocent livestock and humans]]. As the Industrial Age progressed, the wolves were no longer a threat, the people realized that wolves only kill to survive, and they're now portrayed as [[NobleWolf proud, majestic protectors of nature]] or [[PapaWolf just trying to feed their babies.]] The truth is somewhere in between (wolves aren't as saintly as they tend to be depicted these days, and they ''did'' kill livestock and, at least in Europe and Asia, the odd person). However, the negative association of wolves are still prevalent in Asian cultures, especially in Chinese media.
** The same goes for many other wild animals. [[BearsAreBadNews Bears used to be considered so scary]] that people even [[SpeakOfTheDevil avoided saying their name]]. The word they used to use in place of their name was "bear". The fact that that word has now become the animal's actual name, and that we use it without fear, is a good demonstration of how much the trope has evolved. While bears still tend to be portrayed as ferocious, it's often justified by them being a MamaBear, and anyone trying to kill them is portrayed as the ''real'' villain. And in modern times, bears are often portrayed as the [[BearyFriendly complete]] [[BearyFunny opposite]] of ferocious.

** Similarly, a man wearing a piercing before 1990 would be outed as either a criminal or an homosexual (or a punk in the late 70s-80s).

* One can make the argument that the TyrannicalTownTycoon trope is undergoing an evolution, in light of changing economic circumstances. Namely, this trope itself came into being during the late 19th and 20th centuries, as the local businesses (e.g., waterworks, real estate, etc.) that such tycoons owned were considered staples of small towns across the United States. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, however, such small businesses (and, by extension, the power and salience that empowered the TyrannicalTownTycoon in the first place) largely disappeared from the map [[AlwaysABiggerFish due to the rise]] of MegaCorp{s} (e.g., utility companies, hotel chains, retailers, etc.), who would owned by more distant executives who may not even live in small towns. In short, there is still the gist of the "rich person exerting their control over small towns", it's simply evolving with the economy.

* The usage of {{Kayfabe}} in ProfessionalWrestling has changed significantly over the years. Up until the late 1990s, kayfabe basically centered on "don't let fans know it's fake, because then they'll stop watching". Wrestlers used to stay in character when making public appearances, {{Heel}}s and {{Face}}s had to travel separately, use separate locker rooms and couldn't be seen interacting in a friendly way. There were even a few recorded instances of wrestlers lying under oath in court to keep Kayfabe intact and shooting [[note]]fighting for real[[/note]] on outsiders who would doubt its legitimacy. After technology and common sense prevailed, the big secret became irrefutable and wrestling is openly acknowledged as staged entertainment once the curtain closes. Now Kayfabe refers to the FourthWall separating wrestling from the real world and the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief required to enjoy it. And while the viewership of pro wrestling ''has'' in fact declined since wrestling stopped claiming to be real[[note]]Though whether that's correlation or causation is frequently debated in the fandom[[/note]] it is still watched by a few million people worldwide.

* During the 1990s and 2000s, the notion of big-name film actors engaging in DirectToVideo and MadeForTV films had a stigma [[StarDerailingRole as a low point in their careers]], and such projects were often seen as a [[MoneyDearBoy quick buck for these actors]], largely due to the lower quality of DirectToVideo movies when compared to theatrically-released films. However, the rise of streaming services in the 2010s such as Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/AmazonPrime greatly upended these sentiments, as original programming and films from these services (e.g., ''Series/StrangerThings'' and Creator/MartinScorsese's ''Film/TheIrishman'' on Netflix) [[DoingItForTheArt would frequently have comparable budgets and quality to theatrically-released movies]], and [[DarkhorseCasting would often feature fairly recognizable but less in-demand actors]] such as Creator/WinonaRyder and Creator/DavidHarbour as part of the main cast, [[CareerResurrection often making them relevant again in Hollywood]]. This evolution was further compounded not only by how the "Big Five" studios (Creator/{{Disney}}, Creator/WarnerBros, Creator/{{Paramount}}, Creator/{{Universal}}, and Creator/{{Sony}}) established their own streaming services [[note]]Respectively, Creator/DisneyPlus, Creator/HBOMax, Creator/ParamountPlus, Creator/{{Peacock}}, and TBA[[/note]] to [[FollowTheLeader compete with Netflix]] and release both original series and films with comparable budgets to cinematically-released films (and also nab big-name actors), as well as the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic in the 2020s caused many theaters to temporarily close, forcing both the studios themselves and actors to reconsider these streaming services as a new source of revenue.

* During the 1990s and 2000s, the notion of big-name film actors engaging in DirectToVideo and MadeForTV films had a stigma [[StarDerailingRole as a low point in their careers]], and such projects were often seen as a [[MoneyDearBoy quick buck for these actors]], largely due to the lower quality of DirectToVideo movies when compared to theatrically-released films. However, the rise of streaming services in the 2010s such as Creator/{{Netflix}} greatly upended these sentiments, as original programming from these services (e.g., ''Series/StrangerThings'' on Netflix) would tend to feature fairly recognizable but less in-demand actors such as Creator/WinonaRyder and Creator/DavidHarbour part of the main cast, [[CareerResurrection often making them relevant again in Hollywood]]. This was further compounded not only by how the "Big Five" studios (Creator/{{Disney}}, Creator/WarnerBros, Creator/{{Paramount}}, Creator/{{Sony}}, and Creator/{{Universal}}) began to establish their own streaming services, as well as the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic caused many theatres to temporarily close, forcing both the studios themselves and actors to use streaming services as a new source of revenue.

* The MinorityShowGhetto and the QueerShowGhetto (concepts that were prominent from TheEighties through The2000s) haven't quite faded away, but are slowly being replaced by WatchedItForTheRepresentation in the latter half of TheNewTens, thanks to increased awareness of intersectional oppression and the need for diversity in media