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Basic Trope: A character tries to forcibly create and spread a new fad.

  • Straight: Spencer says "That's so blank!" in response to anything he finds boring or uninteresting. He tries to get his friends to use "blank" as a synonym, too, but it doesn't catch on.
  • Exaggerated: Spencer repeatedly hammers the point home: "Of all the blank things I've seen, this is super blank, you know? So blank it's practically nonexistent!"
  • Downplayed: "Blank" is Spencer's personal Catchphrase, and he sometimes wonders why others don't say it as well.
  • Justified: Spencer has No Social Skills and he doesn't know how to catch the public's eyes up further than just saying random weird words.
  • Inverted: Every word out of Spencer's mouth becomes a meme without effort.
  • Subverted: After Spencer and his friends watch a boring performance, they all turn to him to see what he says. He begins "That's so blaaa..." but then finishes his sentence with "bland".
  • Double Subverted: He follows it up with, "So bland it's ultra blank!"
  • Zig-Zagged: Spencer has a variety of weird sayings. Some are well-known, some aren't, and whether or not they catch on varies.
  • Averted: Spencer either doesn't try to turn his catchphrase into a fad, or it naturally becomes one.
  • Enforced: Network executives want to get some viral marketing for their show, so they try to make a meme that'll spread and get people to watch it.
  • Lampshaded: "Hey! You guys should start saying 'that's so blank', too!"
  • Invoked: Spencer's friend tells him that he could try to start a trend to become more popular.
  • Exploited: Spencer's always called "the guy who always says 'blank'" due to his attempts to force it. He's okay with this, since it means he's known for something.
  • Defied:
    • Spencer waits for memes to spread naturally before he begins quoting them.
    • Mary begs for Spencer to shut the fuck up and stop saying the word "blank" because It Will Never Catch On.
    Mary: Spencer, PLEASE, just shut the fuck up! I can't take it anymore, I'm begging you to just. STOP! "Blank" isn't real, "Blank" will never be real, and you won't be credited for its popularization when the day that "Blank" actually does become a meme!
  • Discussed: "For the last time, I'm not saying 'blank'!"
  • Conversed: "I think the writers of this show want people in real life to start saying 'blank', too."
  • Implied: One of Spencer's friends, Kyle, looks tired after having spent the day with him. Kyle says, "Spencer kept saying 'blank' all day! Is he trying to make it catch on?"
  • Played for Laughs: Spencer is at a serious situation where he's meant to be quiet and respectful, like a church service or funeral. He screams "ISN'T THIS SO BLAAANK, GUYS!?" at the top of his lungs.
  • Played for Drama: Spencer used to be popular with his friends, but became more of a loser as the years went by. His attempt to force lame catchphrases shows just how out-of-touch and desperate for approval he's become.

Return to the totally not blank unabridged version HERE.

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