I pretty much joined this site because I stumbled across it and was hooked. I knew that I wanted to add to it, so I joined. To sum it up without using tropes (I saved that for the section below), I'm a 20-something college graduate, an aspiring writer/artist, a vegan, an animal rights supporter, a feminist, an anarchist, a geek, and various other labels.
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Some tropes that apply to me
- Absent-Minded Professor - with a touch of Ditzy Genius. I've mostly had good grades in school, and love all manner of brainy and geeky activities, but I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached (I had a head injury in 2007 that has made this only slightly worse). My mother has suspected that I might have Asperger Syndrome.
- Acceptable Lifestyle Targets - Geek? Check. Plus-sized? Check. Living with my folks? Check. Hippie-like tendencies? Check. Studied liberal arts? Check. Vegan? Check. Abstain from alcohol? Check. A crusader for any progressive cause? Double check. Needless to say, I wind up being the Butt-Monkey quite often. Which brings me to:
- All of the Other Reindeer -I was never popular in school, for being shy, bizarre, geeky (I kept my most geeky traits hidden through grade school for that reason), and emotionally sensitive (although I wonder if that trait was at least in some part due to the teasing). I've worried about even even my parents thinking I'm a total lost cause (even though, according to my mom, all of my bizarre traits come from my dad). Now that I'm an adult, I can sort of look back on it and laugh; for one, grade school wasn't even the majority of my life, so popularity there wasn't important, but also I realize that it's not about being accepted by the other reindeer, but rather finding a place where you are accepted for who you are (your own Island of Misfit Toys, if you will). Still, I'd be lying if I said being this trope for years hasn't caused me to resent the trope namer. A LOT (the fact that the Trope Namer and its TV special have Unfortunate Implications up the wazoo doesn't help).
- Ambiguously Brown - to some people. It's because I'm kind of light-skinned (for the record, I identify as black, but have African, English, Scottish, and indigenous [Blackfoot and Cherokee] descent, so I have kind of an ambiguous look). I've started doing my hair braided, to decrease the ambiguity.
- Basement-Dweller -I do work, though. I just finished school, and am trying to find a full-time job so I can start saving for my own place. That, and I technically don't live in my parents' basement. By the way, the fact that people seem to think that jobs and places to live just fall out of the sky once you graduate, and the only reason not to have either is laziness, annoys me (I mean, do these guys not know what the economy is like now?).
- Berserk Button -I have something of a Hair-Trigger Temper, so I have a few:
- Don't ask me about my veganism in relation to my weight. Just don't. Unless you live close to a hospital (and because, you know, it's rude). Also, don't try to tell me "you're not fat" when I say i am, because I'm just being honest. People who reply with that may think they're being nice, but it's annoying.
- I never want to be reminded of PETA (I have a history with them, and the less I say about it, the better).
- Also, making fun of my family especially my little brothers
- Making cracks about animal rights (and if you think you know an original one, you don't. I've heard so many of them I could make a drinking game).
- DON'T TOUCH MY HAIR. YOU WILL PULL BACK A NUB. My less-than-small breasts cause me some gripes, too (back pain, not finding tops that fit right, summertime....sweat), so it drives me nuts how people ask how I can complain about them...
- Hypocrisy (especially geekdom hypocrisy)
- Bi The Way
- Big Beautiful Woman- on the extremely rare occasions when I get dolled up.
- Big Eater
- Big Sister Bear -toward my little brothers, usually protecting them from each other.
- Black and Nerdy - Proud of it, babe.
- Bomb-Throwing Anarchists -Averted. I am an anarchist, but I believe in education and organizing over violence, although I think violence does have its place (only as a last resort).
- Bookworm- I learned to read when I was three (in fact, I'm often told stories about how I would sit looking at books before I could read), and my current bookshelf consists of well over 50 books (I recently got a Kindle Fire, so now I have space for more books!). This is part of why I studied English in school (that, and I'm just fascinated with words, and always have been).
- Broken Bird - I was this, but I'm getting better.
- Buffy Speak -I use this a lot despite being a big word nerd; more in talking face-to-face than writing, though (in keeping with my being Not Good With People).
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer -I like to think that I'm quite efficient at jobs that require it (whether it's my job, activism, or taking care of housework, kids, or pets), but as the rest of this list may or may not suggest, I'm a somewhat odd individual otherwise.
- Catchphrase:
- "That sentence could have used some work..."
- "Being normal is overrated."
- My sign-off on a lot of my emails is "Peace and love."
- (When people suggest that I act "ladylike"): "Dude, have you ever met me?"
- "Sorry" (in keeping with my history as a Shrinking Violet).
- Chubby Chaser -sort of. I tend to be attracted to men and women who are larger.
- Cloudcuckoolander -in my more imaginative moments.
- Cool Big Sis -to my three little brothers (well, I try. Sometimes being the oldest of my five siblings who still lives there means having to be the "bad guy").
- Daddy's Girl -I have four brothers and no sisters, so I'm definitely this. It helps that my dad and I have nearly identical personalities.
- Does Not Like Shoes - Wouldn't wear them if they weren't required...
- Don't You Dare Pity Me! -for my weight, my introversion, or anything. In fact, that's more or less the reason I don't go into too much detail about my depression in this space (that, and some Jerkass people accuse people of trying to solicit pity just by talking about their mental health (because one can't simply be candid and honest about something without an ulterior motive, apparently)). None of it warrants pity; it's just who I am.
- Fandom Berserk Button - I'm a fan of The Muppets, and it annoys me when people (especially on the news) call puppeteers "voice actors" (they're not the same thing). I also have a seething hatred for the "Fake Geek Girl" meme. Those who agree with it are positively primeval.
- Feminine Women Can Cook -Inverted, because I'm a grown-up tomboy who knows her way around the kitchen, especially when it comes to baked goods. Being the only vegan in my household, and a Big Eater, this has been necessary.
- Five-Man Band -My four brothers and I sort of form one:
- The Leader -My older brother, the firstborn;
- The Lancer -My second-youngest brother, the second-most level-headed one of us;
- The Smart Guy -er, girl. That would be me (growing up, I tended to have better grades, and more of an interest in brainy or intellectual pursuits than my brothers do);
- The Big Guy -my oldest younger brother; the one into physical fitness, and more of a Big Eater than I could be;
- The Chick -the youngest, who is a total Drama Queen (despite being a boy).
- Freaky Fashion, Mild Mind -Downplayed. My fashion sense is Perky Goth meets Tomboy meets Granola Girl, I'm partial to Fingerless Gloves, and I don't smile a lot, which some people I know in Real Life find a bit off-putting, but I'm actually pretty friendly and laid-back (to those I care to open up to).
- Friend to All Living Things
- Gamer Chick -Have been since I was playing the original NES when I was three.
- Go-Getter Girl -A trait that's followed me from childhood into adulthood, and has understandably led to many of these traits I've listed, for better and for worse.
- The Perfectionist and Control Freak -To be fair, I do have a kind of Freudian Excuse for both traits (it's rubbed off on me from my dad mostly; my mom is more laid-back and easy-going). I do know that not everything needs to be just one set way; it doesn't mean I've accepted it in practice.
- Grammar Nazi -I'm an English major, so it comes with the territory. One of my catchphrases is "that sentence could have used some work..."
- Granola Girl - and how. Let's run down the list: Vegan, Buddhist (and very interested in nature religions, like Wicca and neoshamanism), hate shoes, love the great outdoors and all the wonderful critters who call it home. Somewhat downplayed in that I can be very cynical, I'm only a Technical Pacifist, and am very much into beautiful, beautiful geekdom.
- Bourgeois Bohemian -although the "bourgeois" side of it is in no way by choice (I was raised in an upper-middle class suburb). When I have the funds and other means to do so, I've moving far away from the city and Suburbia.
- Hair Decorations -I wear a lot of decorative bandannas in my hair.
- Hot-Blooded - My being The Quiet One would suggest the opposite, but trust me on this...
- Jade-Colored Glasses - What's more, I believe that to an extent, cynicism isn't a bad trait to have (a healthy amount, in my opinion, makes people more cautious and aware of things that are wrong, or could go wrong). But, then again:
- The Anti-Nihilist - Although I know the world can be crappy, and people can be mean, I always try to be nice to others and make the world a better place. Oh, and that "healthy amount of cynicism" I referred to above? I see that taken way too far by many people, which is why I think the world seems to be in such cruddy shape.
- Kuudere (Type 2)
- Like Father, Like Daughter- Just ask my mom. Almost every trait I have (being a Control Freak and absolute perfectionist, nitpicking everything, being grouchy) comes from my dad (we also both clean our ears with our glasses). Although when it comes to my sarcasm and somewhat confrontational personality, it's Like Mother Like Daughter.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy -My youngest brother and I, to an extent. Our parents are also this (Mom being more laid-back and sarcastic, while Dad is more uptight and neat).
- Meganekko
- Ms. Imagination
- Ms. Swears A Lot
- Nightmare Fetishist -My parents consider me this, due to my interest in Wicca, the paranormal, sci-fi, and fantasy, the fact that Halloween is my favorite holiday, and the amount of skulls on my clothes and other effects, but I'm more of the Freaky Is Cool variety.
- No Sense of Humor -according to my parents. Truthfully, they consider my sense of humor an acquired taste (see my favorite tropes.
- Not a Morning Person - If I have the choice, I'll sleep right through my alarm clock.
- Odd Name Out -my name, Ashleigh, was a super-trendy name for girls in the '80s and '90s (even though formerly a boys' name), while my brothers all got fairly classic names.
- Older Than They Look- I'm in my twenties, but people think I'm still a teenager when they first see me (mostly due to my casual fashion sense and makeup-less face).
- Old Shame - PETA, my middle-school-era Muppet fanfiction, old blogs I've started, and my high school splatter paintings.
- One of the Boys -I'm usually a loner, but when I do hang out with others, I'd rather it was guys than other chicks. This most likely comes from having all brothers (one older and three younger).
- Otaku Surrogate
- Perpetual Frowner -Well, Perpetual Non-Smiler.
- Stepford Smiler -mostly at work. Off the clock, when I do smile, it's genuine (and I'm told, looks quite nice on me).
- Perverse Sexual Lust -Even though I haven't seen the movie all the way through, I have one for the villains of Atlantis The Lost Empire. Both of them (mostly for their looks and voices; I admit they're both horrible people, in an effort to not partake in a certain pet peeve trope of mine(I've seen the female half of the duo get some of that, unfortunately. Just for the record, removing any remaining sympathy from Rourke doesn't mean any goes back to Helga (and neither does the fact that she's hot; she's still just as bad as he is).
- Plucky Girl -to an extent, which is probably a big part of what helps me get through tough days with my depression (in that it makes me more willing to try to work through problems then sit in bed and avoid them). It's tied into my being The Anti-Nihilist; I don't think that my being teased by my peers as a kid and having felt like a disappointment to my family in the past are reasons why I shouldn't keep moving forward, and keep on keeping on.
- The Quiet One -Usually, though I'm more talkative with friends and family members. A good way to tell that I feel comfortable with you is if I start talking a lot. In addition, I'm quite outspoken on social media.
- Quirky Curls -since I've started going natural...
- Samus Is a Girl -It surprises me how few people in various Internet forums I frequent know I'm female (especially those on which I have a gendered user name with a word like "chick" in it!).
- Shrinking Violet- More so as a little girl, though. Getting involved with theater in high school helped me to come out of my shell a little. Even though I still prefer being alone and don't have many friends (although the ones I do have are very close), I have an easier time talking and warming up to people than I used to (and I will be pretty loud at animal rights, environmental, and political demos).
- Sibling Yin-Yang -I'll just save some time and say that the brother I have the most in common with is my youngest (the fact that I'm so different from my other brothers has made me feel like The Unfavorite to our parents, but I've gotten better as an adult (it's also made my youngest brother and I very close, despite our 14-year age difference).
- Skunk Stripe -I've had graying hair since I was 13 (it runs in the family).
- Soapbox Sadie -no apologies for it. If anything gets changed in this world, it's because someone cared enough to not shut up about it.
- The Snark Knight -I guess that's what you get when Deadpan Snarker meets The Quiet One.
- Straight Edge
- Straw Vegan - again, to some (my meat eating family sees me as this). But much like Soapbox Sadie and Green Aesop, I believe that veganism is something that one should NEVER keep quiet about.
- Technical Pacifist -As mentioned above, I believe violence IS sometimes justified, but only as a last resort. Using your words can often be effective, and most people aren't outright callous to the point that violence is the only thing that will get their attention.
- Tomboy- Since I was about 8 (I showed some signs before that, being a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan, but I loved pink and wearing dresses, stuffed animals, and cute furry things, and have never had much use for organized sports). This is likely due to having four brothers and no sisters;
- The Lad-ette - now (except I don't drink). I don't own a dress, I tend to have more male than female friends, I love dirty, vulgar humor, as well as belching contests, and I tend to be somewhat hygienically-challenged, although I maintain my love of cute little animals and wear more feminine clothes nowadays.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl - My mom and I (and yes, in that order) were this when I was little. She says she used to wonder how she got a kid who only wanted to wear dresses. I'm more the Tomboy to my little princess-loving niece's girly girl now.
- Tomboyish Name -my first name (Ashleigh) was once a guy's name, and sometimes still is (yes, with this spelling; among those who share it is male British cartoonist Ashleigh Brilliant). In addition, I used to go by "Ash," but for reasons that don't warrant explaining, I no longer do.
- Trademark Favorite Food: The following is all vegan versions:
- Messy nachos (chips topped with vegan chili, vegan cheese, and avocado)
- Bananas, mangoes, papayas (tropical fruit, in general)
- Italian- and Asian-inspired homemade food (I try to avoid takeout nowadays)
- Baked goods (cookies, brownies, cake/cupcakes, etc.)
- Tsundere (Type B) -see my lengthy Berserk Button list.
- Twofer Token Minority- Bisexual African American woman.
- "Well Done, Daughter" Girl and The Unfavorite -As mentioned above, I've had times when I've thought of myself as this, (I won't go too much into it) but I've gotten over it as I've gotten older (starting to understand my parents being imperfect human beings, just like everyone else, as well as having a lot on their plates themselves has helped).
- Why Did It Have to be Spiders? -but, in keeping with other traits of mine, they won't be hurt on my watch (just escorted outside).
- Woman Child - It's downplayed, though. I do act like an adult when it comes to my job, helping out around the house, taking care of my dog, and concern for the future (both for me personally and for the world we live in), but I still enjoy cartoons, video and computer games, comic books, cheesy movies, and vegan junk food.
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Some of My Favorite Shows, and other Stuff I like
- American Dad -At least before they stopped making it awesome political satire and started (over)using Roger. Definitely underwent Seasonal Rot.
- Buddhism -I practice it because I feel mindfulness and right thinking help me day-to-day with stress, and especially with my depression.
- Beavis And Butthead -I agree with Patrick Stewart when he said that both very smart and very stupid people enjoy this show, for different reasons.
- Calvin And Hobbes
- Celebrity Deathmatch
- Comic Books -mostly independent stuff and MAD magazine.
- The Daily Show
- Daria -This only recently caught my attention, in reruns.
- Disney Animated Canon -Well, not all of it. I mostly like the villains (even some movies that I don't find all that stellar otherwise can have semi-cool villains to make up for it). Some of the movies I like in it are:
- The Rescuers Down Under - chances are, I have this movie to thank for turning me into the animal rights activist that I am.
- Beauty And The Beast
- Aladdin -this was my favorite Disney movie when I was a kid, though I will admit I like it less now.
- Feminism
- The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air
- Full House - yeah, it's cheesy, but that's part of the fun.
- Law and Order Special Victims Unit
- Looney Tunes -come on, who doesn't love these guys?
- The Muppets
- The Mysterious Mr. Enter
- The '90s
- The Nostalgia Critic
- The Other Rainforest -I swear I'll get there, someday...
- The Penguins Of Madagascar -as of now, the only decent show on Nickelodeon. Too bad it seems to be on hiatus, at best.
- Punk Rock
- Regular Show
- Science Fiction in general- I was disappointed not to have read a single sci-fi novel in my entire English program. It's sad; speculative fiction is the Butt-Monkey of the literary world.
- The Simpsons
- Star Trek The Next Generation
- Whale Wars - And yes, I do support Sea Shepherd; got a problem with that? Good.
- Wicca
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Cool Shows and Movies I grew up with
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Favorite Tropes
- Green Aesop -I can understand that people have (for lack of a better term) fatigue from hearing these, but I see nothing wrong with pro-environmental messages. (Though hearing a pro-vegan one once in a while would be nice)
- Platonic Life-Partners - who don't feel the need to say "s/he's not my boyfriend/girlfriend" (because that's always a sure sign that they're going to get together eventually). Seriously, I'd like to see more of this trope without the Relationship Upgrade (personally, I imagine kissing one of my close guy friends might feel like kissing my brother).
- Heterosexual Life-Partners
- Action Girl
- True Companions
- Tomboy -as long as the character isn't written that way just to give her an excuse to be a bitch (I'm looking at you, Recess and I Carly). It does annoy me that some of these characters (even the non-bitch ones) have a major case of the Real Women Never Wear Dresses mentality, but at least they're kids (it's adults who have this mentality that annoy me).
- Badass Bookworm
- Mama Bear and Papa Wolf
- The Snark Knight
- Knight in Sour Armor
- A Father to His Men -I'd actually like to see more villainous examples of this.
- Officer and a Gentleman
- May–December Romance - As long as the romance is between two consenting adults, I'm good.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits
- In Touch with His Feminine Side, Camp Straight, and The Lad-ette -Hooray for subverting stereotypical gender roles!
- Tomboy and Girly Girl and Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy - likely because I tend to be attracted to more feminine or delicate-looking people, whether they're male or female (although I do find Bifauxnen women attractive, too).
- Genki Girl -I think if my dog were human, she would be this.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech -only if a character deserves it, of course.
- Perky Goth, Black and Nerdy, and Freaky Fashion, Mild Mind -if there's one thing I love, it's a character that turns people's expectations on their heads (the media does need to show more Black and Nerdy girls and women, though).
- Determinator and Plucky Girl
- What You Are in the Dark -this is one of many tropes of which Real Life examples make me believe, even when things seem bad, that people really are good at heart.
- Family-Unfriendly Death -well, let me make it clear. I just think these death scenes are more creative than the villain just falling to his/her death.
- Big Beautiful Woman and Big Beautiful Man - for reasons mentioned in my "About Me" section.
- Coming of Age Story -it helps that I'm going through a bit of one of my own (having just finished college and starting to find my place in the world).
- Give Geeks a Chance -although seeing more traditionally attractive men give geeky and/or Hollywood Homely women a chance (without them needing to get a makeover to become "beautiful")? (More same-sex examples of this wouldn't hurt, either)
- Rooting for the Empire -only when the hero isn't likable, yet they're always meant to be in the right (I talk more about this in the next section).
- Shut Up, Hannibal! -these are often very satisfying...
- Good Is Not Nice -this can be a pet peeve trope, too, depending on how well such characters are written. When written well, they can be heroes who are heroic, and you do want to see come out okay in the end, even if they are sarcastic, or snobby, or even a little douchey at times. When written poorly, they veer into Designated Hero territory, in which you wonder "why am I supposed to root for this person again?"
- This Is for Emphasis, Bitch! -I partake in this often on social media (all in good fun, though).
- Agent Peacock, Lady of War, Girly Bruiser -don't ever let anyone tell you that feminine can never equal Badass.
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Pet Peeve Tropes
- [Disclaimer]: None of these tropes necessarily make a work or fandom bad, by default (most of my favorite works and fandoms of which I'm a part use one or more of them, since many of them are so widely-used). They just grind my gears, and/or can be done differently.
- Abuse Is Okay When It’s Female on Male and The Unfair Sex -I see that women in Real Life and even fiction don't have it easy in any sense of the word, but ganging up on guys isn't the way to change that (it's especially bad because it often leads to another two least favorite tropes of mine).
- Appeal to Worse Problems -probably my most hated logical fallacy. Because people will use it to deflect from legitimate problems (animal rights, the environment, women's issues, etc.) by saying "OMG, First-World Problems!" The thing is, though, there's not much most people in the industrialized world can directly do to address problems in other countries who have it worse, but problems like the three I mentioned can be helped by us directly, so it's not right to shame people who do try to help. Also, it's really not cool that this fallacy is used to shame people with mental illness, because it makes them less willing to seek help, even if they really need it (I can unfortunately say that from experience).
- Aren't You Going to Ravish Me? - How exactly is being raped or sexually harassed a compliment?
- Bumbling Dad and Henpecked Husband -because characters like these are just tools to make their wives and the kid/s more sympathetic by comparison (it's particularly egregious on shows where the latter characters are hardly paragons themselves, because that leads to a dynamic of Informed Wrongness toward the dad). It's not needed; just let the characters' actions speak for themselves.
- Butt-Monkey - The Mysterious Mr. Enter was right when he called this trope "an admission of laziness." If you write a character, they should have some personality and role outside of just being there to be abused.
- The Chew Toy -I'm sorry, I just don't find a character's suffering to be funny (the only time this or the Butt-Monkey is amusing to me is if they deserve it).
- Straw Loser -To be a Butt-Monkey is bad enough, but this type of character's only reason to exist is to be used to make a protagonist who is unlikable look better by comparison. Is just writing decent characters out of the question? Characters whose actions speak for themselves?
- Comedic Sociopath, Designated Hero, Jerk Sue, Karma Houdini, Protagonist-Centered Morality, -or any other trope that invokes a protagonist or protagonists being able to do whatever they want, just because they're the "hero(es)." I don't like heroes without any flaws at all, or who are perfect in every way, but I like to watch heroes I actually want to see come on top at the end (really, what's wrong with flawed, but still sympathetic heroes?). Heroes who fall under one or more of these categories almost make me want to root for the bad guys instead (hey, at least villains, no matter how depraved their actions, aren't made out to be anything else).
- Complaining About People Not Liking the Show -I wish a good number of people would get over the mentality that everyone in the world is obligated to share their tastes in media, or genre, or form of humor. Provided that they aren't Moral Guardians trying to get the thing banned or canceled (which most people who dislike popular shows are not), let people like and dislike whatever they want.
- Contractual Purity -people put child stars and kids' entertainers on such a pedestal that when they reveal flaws, mistakes, and demons (as all humans have), we tear then down, and then wonder why so many of them become so screwed up as adults).
- Dark and Troubled Past and Freudian Excuse -Not because I think they're inherently bad (they can be good for character development). What annoys me is when writers slap these things onto a Jerkass or a villain, as an attempt to make them more sympathetic, because once it's revealed, rarely does anything change (granted, there are exceptions, but those are more rare). It just sucks out any sympathy they'd want you to have for the character (not to mention leads to another hated trope of mine). What's wrong with a character actually DOING something to gain audience sympathy?
- Draco in Leather Pants and Ron the Death Eater - To be clear, I have nothing against finding a villain attractive (as I said, I do at times, so who am I to judge?). Nor do I have a problem with disliking a main character. What I have a problem with is trying to turn characters into something they're not, because you like them or find them interesting, or dislike them (both of these tropes tend to run on Insane Troll Logic, such as a Jerkass or villain being sympathetic just because they have a sad backstory, or put on a friendly facade, or a protagonist being a horrible Complete Monster just because they're kind of annoying, or do some bad things once in a while). Turning characters into something they're not (especially if it means overlooking or ignoring why they're such great characters in the first place) is not my idea of "celebrating fiction."
- Faux Action Girl -I'm not a person who subscribes to the idea that there's something inherently wrong with the Damsel in Distress trope (when the character in the role isn't totally useless otherwise), but if a character is meant to be an Action Girl, actually let her be one.
- The Glasses Gotta Go -nope.
- Hollywood Homely and Hollywood Pudgy -Sadly, these predominately are only applied to girls and women. But even without that, I hate it because it's an example of why writers need to show things instead of just telling the audience.
- Ship-to-Ship Combat and Die for Our Ship - This nonsense makes me happy to not get involved in shipping. Seriously people, just chill out and enjoy the show.
- Straw Feminist - But not for the reason you might think. No, what annoys me the most is that a lot of times, these characters often bring up legitimate points (women getting underrepresented in pop culture and girls comparatively getting the short end of the stick in high school sports, for instance), but since they're straw characters, everything they say, no matter how true or logical, is looked at as extreme and insane (and any "middle ground" basically glosses over legitimate concerns about inequality).
- The Smurfette Principle -This trope should have died off after the '90s.
- World of Snark - A little snark, or a couple of wisecracking characters is fine, but too much just comes off as forced.
- Real Women Never Wear Dresses -Saying that femininity is weakness is just as misogynistic as telling all women to Stay in the Kitchen (not to mention has the unfortunate effect of making otherwise awesome tomboy and Action Girl characters seem like self-hating girls/women). Feminine girls and women can be just as smart, strong, brave, and tough as masculine girls and women.
- What Measure Is a Non-Badass? - The closest thing to a Spear Counterpart to the above trope. A character should be allowed to be Badass while still being allowed to have more to him or her than just that. Seriously, who wants to live up to being all badass, all the time? Seems like a lot to live up to...
- Status Quo Is God - Sometimes, this can work, such as on The Simpsons (at least in the earlier seasons). Other times, it's just like the Butt-Monkey trope; just comes off as lazy. It's especially annoying in long-running series.
- Sadist Show -Some are okay (when they're at least having fun, and it's not just nasty bitterness, and doesn't come off as trying too hard), but most of them are just plain unpleasant. The world is a nasty enough place as it is...
- Sassy Black Woman and Uncle Tom Foolery -shouldn't we be past the point of having characters of color whose ethnicity is their entire character?
- Black Dude Dies First -...which I think is related to the aforementioned problem.
- Magical Negro and Positive Discrimination -having a Token Minority there to just be right is still having a Token Minority (other "wise ethnic" person tropes are just as bad, too).
- No Bisexuals -Of course.
- Ho Yay, Les Yay, and Ambiguously Gay -Again, not these tropes themselves, per se. Some things about these tropes bug me, though:
- They get pointed out frequently in media in which sexual and romantic interests are not all that relevant. I mean, does it really make a difference if King Julien or Rainbow Dash are gay or bi within the context of their respective narratives?
- Fans frequently suggest this of male characters just because they're feminine or female characters just because they're masculine (it seems that a lot of people still live in a vacuum where feminine guys or masculine chicks who are heterosexual don't exist; ditto for Manly Gay guys or femme lesbians, except for purposes of fanservice; I'll get to that).
- They lead to the odd assumption that two people are a couple just because they're just close friends who are the same sex (to be fair, that mindset might be due, in part, to Platonic Life-Partners constantly being shipped or becoming a canon couple so often).
- Loving Bully -No, it's not okay to treat someone like crap just because you "love" them. You know who thinks that way? Domestic abusers (the fact that it's considered more "okay" since it's mostly girls who treat boys they "love" that way makes it all the more disgusting). Seriously, what's wrong with the idea of treating a person you have a crush on decently, even without revealing it? That seems reasonable to me.
- Girl on Girl Is Hot -again, not judging what others like; whatever floats your boat. It does bug me, though, that a lot of media feeds into the mindset that queer women only exist as fetishes. It's also annoying because it leads to lesbian, bisexual, or otherwise queer female characters being used as just a sweeps-week stunt, or as Fetish Fuel, while gay, bi, or queer men are more likely to actually be characters rather than props or publicity stunts. It's great that LGBTQ characters are becoming more mainstream, but fetishizing such characters isn't productive.
- The Friend Nobody Likes -because it's usually just an excuse to use the ever-lazy Butt-Monkey (and/or Straw Loser) trope. And really, who would hang out with someone they didn't like? Life's too short...
- Animation Age Ghetto and Comedy Ghetto -Animation and comedy have both made valuable contributions to art (and society, in general), and don't deserve the short end of the stick they get (also, it seems that the existence of these mindsets are a big part of the reason why it seems that certain people who create and work on animated and comedy films or TV shows just seem to have stopped trying). I think both (the former, especially) could be broken if we had more animated and comedy shows and films that were more "adult," but still well-written and smart.
- Girl-Show Ghetto -I'm happy to see this getting sort of broken by My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, but there's still a long way to go.
- Wouldn't Hit a Girl -the intention is noble enough, but it comes off as more condescending than noble in practice (of course, this is from a Tomboy with four brothers, and yes, each of them, at one point or another, has felt perfectly comfortable hitting me; I always hit back, though). The point is that this trope can be taken as assuming an Action Girl can't hold her own, or that a guy should automatically be ashamed of being "beaten by a girl," no matter how evenly matched they are (or even if she is a more experienced fighter).
- Love Martyr -There's nothing wrong with overlooking the flaws of a lover or loved one (nobody's perfect, after all), but no one should put up with a Jerkass out of love, especially if that person is abusing them (physically or emotionally). Anyone who isn't treating you well (even if they are related to you), you're better off without (better to find a family-by-choice).
- Ensemble Dark Horse -Not so much this trope on its own. A lot of these characters, however, come to annoy me, because their creators often use their popularity as an excuse to overexpose them to the point that they become annoying.
- You're Just Jealous -It's just a lazy defense of perfectly legitimate criticisms, more often than not.
- Insufferable Genius -I firmly believe Good Is Not Dumb, so the fact that this trope describes a fairly good number of smart characters annoys me.
- Women Are Wiser -I actually consider this trope to not only affect men negatively, but women, as well. It presupposes that women can never be silly, goofy, make big mistakes, etc. In other words, that we're not allowed to be human. That's just as bad as the fact that it presupposes that all men are morons who need women to take care of them. It's unfair to everyone.
- Liar Revealed and Third-Act Misunderstanding -Because both just waste time with pointless anger and moping. Also, they could easily be avoided most of the time (you know, if the characters actually talked to each other, and listened).
- Tsundere -It annoys me, because it tends to be a girl with a crush being mean and nasty to her crush (almost never the other way around), as if no girl is mean to a guy just because she's a mean person (or some other reason that has nothing to do with her being romantically attracted to him). I think I'd tolerate this trope more if it actually did happen more in real life, but it really doesn't.
