Basic Trope: Dangerously smothering something with affection.
- Straight: Bob hugs Alice and breaks her back by accident.
- Exaggerated: Bob hugs Alice so hard he makes her burst like a water balloon filled with blood and viscera. (Yikes!)
- Downplayed: Bob's hug hurts Alice, but it doesn't cause serious damage.
- Justified: Bob has recently gained Super-Strength and literally Does Not Know His Own Strength.
- Inverted:
- Bob injures Alice by beating her.
- Bob never shows Alice any affection, and that hurts her.
- Bob heals Alice by angrily shouting at her.
- Subverted: Bob hugs Alice and she goes limp... But it turns out she was only tired and relaxing in Bob's embrace.
- Double Subverted: But then Bob squeezes a bit harder and she stops breathing.
- Parodied: When Bob just puts an arm around Alice, she collapses.
- Zig Zagged: Bob hugs Alice and she screams, but it turns out she was only stuck with a safety pin. Then he hugs her harder and she collapses. However, Bob discovers that she was poisoned by a sac concealed in her clothing. When he confronts Emperor Evulz, though, Evulz states that it never would have burst if Bob hadn't hugged her.
- Averted: Bob never hurts anyone by displaying affection.
- Enforced: The executives want an excuse for why Bob has so much Angst and never gets involved in relationships; they decide he unintentionally killed his loved ones with a hug.
- Lampshaded: "Bob! I told you she couldn't take one of your Bear Hugs!"
- Invoked: Killer Bear Hug
- Exploited: Alice needs to die in an absurdly specific way for her Thanatos Gambit to pay off. She asks Bob to give her a hug.
- Defied:
- Bob is extremely careful when he gives hugs.
- Alice absolutely refuses to be hugged by Bob. Oftentimes, it takes giving him a very loud and angry Big "NO!" Sometimes, it involves more violent measures.
- Discussed: "Now, Bob, not too hard or you'll crush someone one of these days."
- Conversed: "Do you think a person like Bob could actually hug someone without hurting them?"
- Implied: Bob goes into Alice's room to tell her some good news. Charlie, hearing a scream, comes to investigate and finds a traumatized Bob hugging the unconscious Alice.
- Played For Laughs: After Bob hugs Alice too hard, her eyes comically bug out for a second.
- Played For Drama: Bob is excited when he hugs Alice and forgets to be gentle. When he sees the consequences, he is horrified. For years thereafter, he isolates himself to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else.
- Untwisted: Bob hugs Alice, but instead of causing harm, it actually brings her comfort and happiness.
- Deconstructed: Bob's excessive hugs become a source of discomfort and anxiety for Alice, leading to strained relationships and her feeling smothered. It explores the negative consequences of overly affectionate behavior.
- Reconstructed: After realizing the impact of his excessive hugs on Alice, Bob learns to respect her personal space and boundaries. He finds a healthier balance between showing affection and giving her the space she needs, resulting in a stronger and more mutually fulfilling relationship.
- Intended Audience Reaction: The audience is meant to feel a mix of amusement and concern as they witness Bob's overzealous hugs. It aims to elicit both laughter at the exaggerated nature of the situation and a sense of worry for the potential harm caused by Bob's affectionate behavior.
Back to And Call Him "George" — but be gentle!
