History Main / MoodWhiplash

Fiction often has far extremes. They cover the gamut of emotion, from tragedy to comedy. Sometimes, these two will be so close together that they make the viewer's head spin! Done well, the contrast in moods can make each emotion all the more poignant and effective. Done poorly, the contrast can jar the reader/viewer right out of the story, resulting in nice, juicy {{Narm}} instead.

Fiction often has far extremes. They cover the gamut of emotion, from tragedy to comedy. Sometimes, these two will be so close together that they make the viewer's head spin! Done well, the contrast in moods can make each emotion all the more poignant and effective. Done poorly, the contrast can jar the reader/viewer right out of the story.

* MoodWhiplash/{{Other}}

* MoodWhiplash/{{Podcast}}

->''"So let me get this straight, Canada: you start off your dark, disturbing [=PSAs=] as cute and innocent, and start off your cute and innocent [=PSAs=] as dark and disturbing. What are you, Canada?"''

VileVillainSaccharineShow is a very specific subtrope of this, where the main villain is far scarier than the tone of the show would usually warrant. See KnightOfCerebus for when the appearance of a BigBad invokes this trope. MadeMyselfSad is a (usually funny) subtrope. Also see CryLaughing for a way it can be used. GutPunch is a subtrope.

-->-- '''TheNostalgiaCritic'''[='s=] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vit_m5GVsnQ#t=6m20s Canada compilation]]

->So let me get this straight, Canada, you start off your dark, disturbing [=PSAs=] as cute and innocent, and start off your cute and innocent [=PSAs=] as dark and disturbing. What are you, Canada?
-->- TheNostalgiaCritic's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vit_m5GVsnQ#t=6m20s Canada compilation]]

->''"I always loved this sequence. I always thought of it as like being drop-kicked into another movie. I wanted the audience to suddenly feel like they were in a completely different movie..."''
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' director '''Lee Unkrich''' [[note]]on the scene in which Chatter Telephone describes the way Sunnyside is run.[[/note]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/FutureDiary http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/future.png]]]]

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1354258421000820100

[[quoteright:300:[[Disney/TheAdventuresOfIchabodAndMrToad http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sleepyhollow.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Above: [[CatScare It's not a monster]]. Below: [[OhCrap Yes]], ''[[OhCrap it is]]''.]]

[[caption-width-right:300:Above: [[CatScare It's not a monster]]. Below: [[RealAfterAll Yes]], ''[[EyePop it]] [[OhCrap is]]''.]]

This trope often goes hand in hand with OutOfGenreExperience. Short-term mood whiplash may be triggered by effects such as a QuietCryForHelp. Compare MoodDissonance, where two events of contrasting mood play out simultaneously, SoundtrackDissonance, the musical equivalent, and BreadEggsMilkSquick, when the whiplash happens midline. Shows that incorporate the CerebusRollercoaster are very prone to this. See MyGodYouAreSerious for a specific version of Mood Whiplash.

VileVillainSaccharineShow is a very specific subtrope of this, where the main villain is far scarier than the tone of the show would usually warrant. See KnightOfCerebus for when the appearance of a BigBad invokes this trope. MadeMyselfSad is a (usually funny) subtrope. Also see CryLaughing for a way it can be used.

AscendedFridgeHorror can often be a source of this, by glossing over the dire implications of something one moment and then exploring them the next.

[[caption-width-right:300:Above: [[CatScare It's not a monster]]. Below: [[RealAfterAll Yes]], ''[[OhCrap it is]]''.]]

-->-- ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' director '''Lee Unkrich''' [[note]]on [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh2i456ihMU the scene in which Chatter Telephone describes the way Sunnyside is run]].[[/note]]

[[quoteright:300:[[Disney/TheAdventuresOfIchabodAndMrToad http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sleepyhollow_7993.png]]]]

This trope often goes hand in hand with OutOfGenreExperience. Short-term mood whiplash may be triggered by effects such as a QuietCryForHelp. Compare MoodDissonance, where two events of contrasting moods happen simultaneously, SoundtrackDissonance, the musical equivalent, and BreadEggsMilkSquick, when the whiplash happens midline. Shows that incorporate the CerebusRollercoaster are very prone to this. See MyGodYouAreSerious for a specific version of Mood Whiplash.

This trope often goes hand in hand with OutOfGenreExperience. Short-term mood whiplash may be triggered by effects such as a QuietCryForHelp. Compare MoodDissonance, where the contrast is compressed into a single scene, SoundtrackDissonance, the musical equivalent, and BreadEggsMilkSquick, when the whiplash happens midline. Shows that incorporate the CerebusRollercoaster are very prone to this. See MyGodYouAreSerious for a specific version of Mood Whiplash.

This trope often goes hand in hand with OutOfGenreExperience. Compare MoodDissonance, where the contrast is compressed into a single scene, SoundtrackDissonance, the musical equivalent, and BreadEggsMilkSquick, when the whiplash happens midline. Shows that incorporate the CerebusRollercoaster are very prone to this. See MyGodYouAreSerious for a specific version of Mood Whiplash.

** Reactions/{{Homestuck}}

This trope often goes hand in hand with OutOfGenreExperience. Compare MoodDissonance, where the contrast is compressed into a single scene, SoundtrackDissonance, the musical equivalent, and BreadEggsMilkSquick, when the whiplash happens midline. Shows that incorporate the CerebusRollercoaster are very prone to this.

This trope often goes hand in hand with OutOfGenreExperience. Compare MoodDissonance, where the contrast is compressed into a single scene, and SoundtrackDissonance, the musical equivalent. Shows that incorporate the CerebusRollercoaster are very prone to this.

Not to be confused with DastardlyWhiplash. If this is done in quick succession and is PlayedForLaughs, it's {{Bathos}}.

VileVillainSaccharineShow is a very specific subtrope of this, where the main villain is far scarier than the tone of the show would usually warrant. See KnightOfCerebus for when the appearance of a BigBad invokes this trope. MadeMyselfSad is a (usually funny) subtrope.