Where do you go to read the latest about new tropes?
What about old tropes with new names?
How can you find the best but least linked tropes out there?
Worry no more: Trope Report is here.
What about old tropes with new names?
How can you find the best but least linked tropes out there?
Worry no more: Trope Report is here.
Trope Report is a monthly newsletter that intends to showcase works and tropes from all corners of this website. It also aims to keep the troper hivemind updated with pertinent trope changes and discussions.
September's here, and with it comes the last days of summer and the first days of fall, so we at Trope Report hope you got your rest and relaxation in. With the latter usually comes school, and since Most Tropers Are Young Nerds, hopefully our dear readers aren't sacrificing too much of their responsibilities on this site...unless it's to check out all the pages we write about here. (We kid.)
As always, we hope you enjoy what we've put together this month, and that the newsletter finds a topic, trope, or project that you are interested in. Happy troping!
~Synchronicity, Chief Trope Report Officer
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Tropes and Works
Trope Spotlight
Obscure Tropes
This section highlights older tropes that need a boost.- A crime has occurred, and everybody's looking for the perpetrator. The authorities are looking at about a dozen suspects, and the only one on the list who isn't white is tall, burly, and inscrutable, and he's saying he didn't do it. He's the Scary Minority Suspect. He likely didn't do it, but he's going to have a lot of suspicion put on him until the responsible party is revealed. In English-language detective fiction before 1930, the Scary Minority would be East Asian (and was derided as clichéd already), but the trope is not quite discredited. The equivalent nowadays would be the Scary Black Man or Middle Eastern Terrorist.
New Tropes
This section brings attention to recently-launched tropes that could use a little help to really get rolling.- We all know by now the multiple ways in which media creators can fudge the facts for the sake of a good story, but an often overlooked aspect of fudged animal life is all that's found under the sea. After all, SpongeBob doesn't look like a real sea sponge, much less act like one! Artistic License – Marine Biology, launched on August 4th as a sub-trope to Artistic License – Biology, is designed to catalogue these underwater mistakes, not only allowing us to know the difference between real and fictional sponges, but also to potentially learn quite a few things about sea life along the way.
- Ambiguous Disorder, despite being an incredibly common trope on this site with over 4000 wicks, is often mistaken for something that it is not: a chance for users to armchair diagnose characters who happen to share some behavioral patterns with a real life disorder. However, there are a few cases where a creator will actually step in to confirm these theories, confirming that the character is meant to represent a real-life disorder. Thus is the Diagnosis of God, launched on August 25th, in which a creator confirms a character suffers from a real-life disorder. Whether or not said depiction turns out to be accurate is an entirely different story, however.
- When you hear the word "post-apocalypse", it's only natural that a very specific image beams straight into your head - that of a barren wasteland, where humans are scarce, resources are even scarcer, and perhaps some monsters are roaming the Earth in their place. This is the Standard Post-Apocalyptic Setting, launched on August 25th. The setting in question is designed to evoke fear and paranoia as to just what human society can take After the End before it collapses completely, showing us the worst that humanity has to offer as people quickly turn on each other for the sake of their survival. The world will never quite go back to what it once was, and no one is ever truly safe.
Work Spotlight
New Work Page Spotlight
This section covers newer work pages that could use a little help.- Interested in wacky graphic novels like Dog Man? You may like InvestiGators, a graphic novel series with a punny name. It stars two anthropomorphic alligators, Mango and Brash, who solve crimes for an undercover agency and fight monsters like "the Crackerdile." The series began in 2020, but already has three books out, with a fourth releasing on September 18th and a fifth release in 2022. The work page was created on August 12th of this year and still could use some beefing up. If you're familiar with the series, sink your teeth into its pages.
- While Incredibles 2 and its work page have been around for a few years, the page for its tie-in short, Auntie Edna, has only existed since August 1st of this year. The short focuses on Edna Mode as she babysits for the powerful baby Jack-Jack. Being two of the most iconic characters from the franchise, such a premise is bound to attract Incredibles fans. Why not watch the short and add a few more tropes yourself, dahling?
Older/Obscure Work Spotlight
This section is intended to highlight works that may no longer be in the zeitgeist — but that doesn't mean they're any less tropable.- Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings is a Care Bears special aired in 1983 that marked their first animated appearance. The story revolves around a young boy named Kevin who quarrels with his sister Donna, as their parents intend to move and he refuses to go with them. He gets so mad he runs away from home, ending up in the Land Without Feelings, where he meets the c-c-creepy, c-c-crafty, c-c-cunning, c-c-clever Professor Coldheart, who turns him into one of his slaves. It's up to the Care Bears to save him. It manages to be darker than its otherwise saccharine source material and likely more worthwhile for older viewers.
- Computer Critters is an animated Public Service Announcement series produced by Buzzco Productions and shown by ABC that aired in 1984. It teaches how computers are used in daily life and about several things related to them, including input devices (like light pens and touch screen monitors, which are not commonplace for computers in 2021), databases, and word processors. The main characters are Hacker, a raccoon who is particularly knowledgable about them, and Tabby, his sister who wants to become a star, as well as a couple secondary characters. While there were only four episodes, it's still a commendable effort in showing children and adults that yes, computers are coming their way, and how they can use them proficiently.
- Life and Death is a Simulation Game by The Software Toolworks released in 1988. In it, you have to treat patients, diagnosing them based on symptoms and choosing between observing, medicating, operating, or a referral. The game's meat comes from operations, where there are lots of tools to use, the ultimate goal being a successful appendectomy and aorta replacement. However, deviating from procedure is likely to result in you getting kicked to medical school and even the patient's demise. It received a sequel in 1990 called Life and Death II: The Brain where you have to perform brain surgeries instead. While medicine has advanced and the game is not ultimately intended for education, it's worth checking out whether you're a devout follower of the Hippocratic Oath or someone who wants to experiment with fictional people without repercussions.
Works That Need a Page
This section takes a page from the List of Shows That Need Summary. It is intended to spotlight works that people have been talking about enough to link around the site, but don't have a page yet. If the work page link turns blue after this, then we know we've done our job!- Most mathematicians don't produce many tropeworthy works... but there are exceptions. Matt Parker is a recreational mathematician who has made many efforts to make math a more appreciated subject in the public eye. He has a YouTube channel, Stand Up Maths, that has amassed over 800,000 subscribers. He also has published two books: Things To Make And Do In The Fourth Dimension, a book that looks to analyze math in an interesting way, and Humble Pi, which shows math's real-world applications by showing when they go wrong. Finally, he has participated in many other math-related projects, such as fellow math-themed channel Numberphile. Despite this, neither he nor his works have a page.
Non-English Work Spotlight
The wiki may be in English, but that doesn't mean non-English media are any less important! This section focuses on works that may have a language barrier to deal with — but are worth it if you do.- 400 Years is an Adobe Flash game by the Polish developer Scriptwelder. It has you control a stone being that has to stop a calamity, but only has 400 years to do so. His mobility is horrible as he walks super slowly and can't jump, but he makes up for it by being able to wait until something happens, like a lake freezing during winter or a tree growing high enough to climb after a few years. The hero also encounters people who are afraid of him, but he intends no harm and even makes grain grow for them. The gameplay style is original and the presentation's fantastic, so don't wait for a calamity before you play it yourself.
- Dash Kappei is a manga series adapted into a 65-episode anime. Kappei Sakamoto, a diminutive but incredibly athletic high school student, joins the basketball club. While he meets lots of different players and has to overcome challenges with skill and craftiness, he proves to be a star player and earns the admiration of his love interest Akane. While some may object to the source of his power (panties of girls, preferably white), it's a hilarious parody of sports anime with a protagonist who manages to be mischievous, yet worth rooting for. It is also quite popular in Europe, where it's known as Gigi la Trottola in Italy, Chicho Terremoto in Spain, and simply Gigi in Poland, with the former two receiving well-liked dubs and the latter having a narrator read the dialogue.
- Infinitode 2 is a Tower Defense game by Ukrainian developer Prineside. You place towers that shoot at enemies, with each tower having a different multiplier for each enemy type, like Basic towers that deal well with Regular enemies, or Sniper towers that deal with Strong ones. There are also modifiers that improve nearby towers and miners who get resources. However, since a session doesn't have a definite end, you can keep going as long as the enemies don't overwhelm your defenses. There are 40+ levels, with dozens of quests for each to complete, a robust research tree to fill up, and a map editor with all sorts of tiles to use. It not only manages to supersede the original almost completely, but it's a darn competent game on its own with compelling gameplay, pleasing graphics, and cool math/programming references.
Creator Page Spotlight
Works would be nothing without the people who make them. This section highlights authors, artists, actors, musicians, and everyone else responsible for trope creation and proliferation.- If you have any sort of interest in fantasy art and illustration, you've probably heard of Boris Vallejo. If you haven't, you probably still recognize the Frazetta-esque style that graces merchandise of Tarzan and Conan the Barbarian, and films like National Lampoon's Vacation. Along with his wife Julie Bell, he frequently illustrates for advertisements as well, with their patrons including Nike
◊ and Toyota◊. - Cinephiles probably know composer Wendy Carlos from the iconic soundtracks to A Clockwork Orange, The Shining and TRON. But she's also known for Genre Mashing Electronic Music and Classical Music in a way that was groundbreaking at the time, starting with her debut album Switched-On Bach and continuing for four more albums. Also notable for being one of the prominent transgender creators of the 20th century, having come out in 1979. And she's collaborated with "Weird Al" Yankovic on a take on Peter and the Wolf.
Image/Image Caption of the Month
This section brings you the best of the recent selections from Image Pickin.
This issue's featured image comes from Asterios Polyp, and illustrates Art-Style Clash.
"What if reality (as perceived) were simply an extension of the self? Wouldn't that color the way each individual experiences the world?"
Such is the question posed by Ignazio, narrator of David Mazzuchelli's 2009 masterwork Asterios Polyp. This graphic novel is best known for its lovely visuals. At several points in the story, the reader is presented with how each character sees themselves and the universe around them, leading to multiple contrasting art styles. In this scene, we see characters Asterios Polyp, an architect, and Hana Sonnenschein, an artist. His view of the world is rather rigid, while hers is more passionate.
In addition, it's also worth noting the usage of different styles in conjunction. When characters are getting along, their mismatched styles will mix together beautifully◊, but when they disagree, the two styles will clash jarringly instead. Add a witty geometry joke as the caption, and you get a gorgeous pic that nails the concept of "multiple, contrasting artstyles" to a T, making it the clear winner for this issue's Image of the Month section.
This issue's featured image comes from Asterios Polyp, and illustrates Art-Style Clash.
"Well my dear, I do have the most right angles."
"What if reality (as perceived) were simply an extension of the self? Wouldn't that color the way each individual experiences the world?"
Such is the question posed by Ignazio, narrator of David Mazzuchelli's 2009 masterwork Asterios Polyp. This graphic novel is best known for its lovely visuals. At several points in the story, the reader is presented with how each character sees themselves and the universe around them, leading to multiple contrasting art styles. In this scene, we see characters Asterios Polyp, an architect, and Hana Sonnenschein, an artist. His view of the world is rather rigid, while hers is more passionate.
In addition, it's also worth noting the usage of different styles in conjunction. When characters are getting along, their mismatched styles will mix together beautifully
◊, but when they disagree, the two styles will clash jarringly instead. Add a witty geometry joke as the caption, and you get a gorgeous pic that nails the concept of "multiple, contrasting artstyles" to a T, making it the clear winner for this issue's Image of the Month section.Projects and Discussions
Forumwatch
Hey guys! Welcome back to Forumwatch! In this section, we'll be telling you about what's going on in the forums — interesting discussions that may be going on in Wiki Talk, some fun forum games, or lively debates going on in On-Topic Conversations, you name it!
- The Long-Term/Perpetual Projects are some of the most important threads that we have on the site. These threads serve to keep an eye on tropes with consistent misuse, sometimes voting up potential examples while at other times examining and/or deleting poor usage. Related are the Short-Term Projects, which, while not lasting as long, are no less important. Because of concerns in how some of these threads are run (deleting examples with minimal discussion or not making an effort to make fixes), the Project Thread Community Issues has been created. Currently, they are working on creating an index for tropes and works with Project threads in order to attract more attention to them. Come help us find out if/how we should manage our Projects!
- You all should hopefully be aware of the crisis in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have seized its capital, Kabul, with the withdrawal of the U.S. military. Although there are currently operations to bring over as many refugees as possible, many are still in shock at what has happened, and many of you might have strong negative feelings about these current events. If you want to share your thoughts and hear the thoughts of others, visit the Taliban in control of Kabul thread. Please keep the conversations civil, and remember to be respectful.
- For Want Of A Nail is when massive events happen because of one tiny event. In an Alternate Universe, a tiny change can alter the entire fate of the world. And in Marvel's new animated series, What If…? (2021), based on the comic book series of the same name, we can see how the Marvel Cinematic Universe can change based on tiny alterations in history. If you want to discuss your opinions on these episodes as well as your predictions, check out the Marvel's What If? thread. Talk about how the universe either spirals out of control or gets better somehow, because there is a multiverse of possibilities!
- Do you ever just think of something incredibly random and want to share it without getting yelled at for getting a thread off-topic or your friends making fun of you for your non sequitur? Then the Post your random thoughts thread is right for you! Anything that randomly pops in your head while you shower (if you shower) can be shown off here!
Trope/Article Changelog
This section covers renames, removals, redefinitions, hard-splits, merges, and wick cleaning. We'll try to keep you alerted to any major changes to the site, including perpetual projects and Wiki Talk decisions that you may have missed, but if you want to be a part of the process that affects so much of our wiki, then head over to the Trope Repair Shop on the left-hand side of the forum.
- Artistic License - Astronomy and Space Does Not Work That Way, being two indices covering pretty much the same tropes, have been merged as Artistic License – Space, per TRS.
- Bubbly Clouds has been made a disambiguation between Level in the Clouds, which covers the original meaning, and Solid Clouds. TRS thread here.
- Designated Hero no longer requires that a character be disliked to qualify, amongst other changes. These were done to reduce complaining. Full TRS thread here.
- Dumb Dodo Bird has been renamed Doofy Dodo due to misuse. TRS thread here.
- Everythings Better With Monkeys is being renamed to Silly Simian due to misuse. TRS thread here.
- Franchise Original Sin no longer requires that a "sin" be used more correctly in the past, so as to cut down on complaining and misuse. TRS thread here.
- Ignorance Is Bliss has been redefined to "somebody preferring to not know the truth" per the updated Laconic, as the trope was misused to what it was redefined as. TRS thread here.
- Some of the Logical Fallacies have been cut and merged back into the index due to low wick counts and activity. TRS thread here.
- Notable Quotables has been cut. TRS thread here.
- Redshirt Reporter has been merged into Deadline News due to misuse. TRS thread here.
- Society Marches On is being renamed to Future Society, Present Values due to misuse. TRS thread here.
- Wimpification is being renamed to Ukefication. Ukefication was its original name but was changed almost a decade ago during an effort to eliminate trope names that used Gratuitous Japanese. Due to the misuse and ambiguous name, however, the TRS discussion determined that the original title was clearer and better than any other option.
Pages Needing Help
This section highlights articles indexed on the Pages Needing Wiki Magic policy page and sub-pages. Such articles are, at best, under-performing and below wiki standards. At worst, these pages are in violation of the wiki's rules against stubs. If you're an editor, try checking out some of these under-performing trope and work articles to see what improvements you can make to the page.
- September's birthday is Ms Frizzle! ...because Lily Tomlin's article has only a two-sentence description, a chronological listing of television roles (that are mislabeled as "notable for"), and zero trope examples. While it is reasonable that the character tropes of the eccentric teacher (excuse me, professor now) are kept to the work pages, Ernestine and Edith Ann are specifically mentioned as being on unrelated sketch comedy shows, which means those tropes show up across several of her works. That's not to mention her stand-up performances, which include Lucille W. the rubber freak. While she hasn't been going to any nightclubs for stand-up comedy due to recent global events, she had been actively touring in the years prior, giving us a wealth of joke-narratives to mine for content here.
- For editors who are entering middle school this year, you'll be able to relate to Oswaldo, a 12-year-old penguin who is entering sixth grade. Alright, maybe you wouldn't relate to a penguin who loves pizza, video games, and the internet, but our article on this school-themed children's story is outdated (only mentions three of the four seasons), has only 12 wicks, and less than ten examples. Surely there's a few more School Tropes and Animal Anthropomorphism Tropes that apply to a four-season cartoon about middle school.
- What's your opinion on school uniforms? Are you for or against? Anti-School Uniforms Plot, our article on students resisting the new dress code, is over two years old but under 29 wicks, making it just shy of a healthy trope. Rather than letting it stagnate, the page should be taken to Image Pickin' and someone can use the Folderizer to remove the All Caps markup. Maybe some of this audience knows a few more works that have shown students engaging in activism about school uniforms and can add in more examples while they're busy Crosswicking.
Project Spotlight
Looking for a project to dedicate some time to, but not comfortable jumping into large threads? Here are some smaller projects, or more recent discussions, in need of a few more hands.
- Cliché Storm is a trope that attracts a variety of problems, such as complaining, gushing, and zero-context examples. If you'd like to help clean it up, check out the new cleanup thread.
- The Sandbox/ namespace is intended to be for temporary pages or personal drafting spaces. A large number of sandboxes get abandoned after usage, rather than get cutlisted. The Abandoned Sandbox Cleanup exists to root out and clean up these unneeded pages.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer is famous for being the origin of This Very Wiki. Unfortunately, the pages for it are emblematic of all the issues common in older trope pages, and the length of them makes cleanup a hassle. If you'd like to help make this historic treasure shine, stop by this cleanup thread today!
- The Getting Crap Past the Radar trope is prone to persistent misuse. If you would like to help with the cleanup, please stop by the cleanup thread!
Know the Contributors
- Synchronicity writes Creator Page Spotlight and oversees this whole shebang. Likes tropes and works about comedy, slice of life, and sci-fi/fantasy. For some reason, also enjoys keeping the wiki tidy.
- Piterpicher is the head honcho of Older/Obscure Work Spotlight and Non-English Work Spotlight. Those are the kinds of works he's interested in, but he's primarily a gamer. When it comes to wiki philosophy, the priorities are making it fun for readers, encompassing, and well-performing in terms of SEO. (Editor's note: he also made our snazzy new logo!)
- crazysamaritan writes for the Pages Needing Help section, keeping an eye out for stubs and crosswicking.
- Kappaclystica writes for the Image of the Month. Hates unillustrative images.
- FernandoLemon writes for the Image of the Month, and sometimes on Work Spotlight. You can most commonly find him in the Image Pickin' forums, and occasionally at the Trope Repair Shop.
- Satoshi Bakura writes for Forumwatch. Their passive nature and busy college schedule often leaves them watching pages and forums without actually participating unless their interest has been sufficiently piqued.
- MacronNotes writes for the Changelog section. She spends most of her time on TRS, Long/Short term projects, and TLP. She is also the herald of the Wiki Talk section on the forums.
- Mighty Mewtron writes for the New Work Page spotlight. She probably hasn't seen these works before coming across their pages, but she likes to be involved in the growth of the wiki. Beyond the Trope Report, she's most active in the forums, TLP, and the pages for whatever work she's obsessed with this month.
- War Jay 77 writes for the Project Spotlight section. She is also the Herald of Projects: Long Term/Perpetual, and spends much of her time refreshing on the forums, ATT and TLP for new things to respond to.
- gjjones writes for the Project Spotlight section. He also frequently spends his time working on projects whenever they are necessary, cleaning up wiki entries and participating in the ATT and Trope Repair Shop threads.
- 𝕋𝕒𝕓𝕤 writes for the Obscure Trope Spotlight and Changelog sections.
- ccorb writes for Works That Need a Page, and spends a lot of her time on Image Pickin', Trope Repair Shop, Trope Launch Pad, and the Projects forums, and also Wiki Walks, searching for works and tropes they find interesting. She credits this very wiki for introducing them to anime and manga they had never heard of before but now watch/read (or would like to), such as My Hero Academia, A Silent Voice and especially Hunter × Hunter.
- STARCRUSHER99 writes for the New Tropes spotlight, taking advantage of his time lurking in the TLP. Outside of Trope Report, he enjoys participating in the CM/MB threads, lurking on ATT and TLP, and editing whichever piece of fiction that he happens to be obsessed with that day, official or fan-made.
- Twiddler makes sure our grammar is in order.
- The Mayor of Simpleton writes for the Changelog. He mostly participates in Projects and TRS, and occasionally Image Pickin'.
- naturalironist sometimes writes for the Obscure Trope Spotlight sections. They can be found editing the wiki and on the Trope Launch Pad and Repair Shop.
- plakythebirb is a guest contributor for this month. When not trying and failing to fit Parker Square jokes into an entry, she is mainly passive, looking for entries to bring up in the Project threads.
This edition of Trope Report is brought to you by Hope's Peak Academy, the prestigious high school in which the best of the best are nurtured in their talents. Nothing tragic happens there, or at least, nothing we know of.
Interested in becoming a contributor, or have suggestions for works or tropes to feature? Pop by the the thread and let us know! We don't bite. (Much.)
and let us know! We don't bite. (Much.)