Discussion Main / BecomingTheMask

Do we have a trope for "actor is convinced they are actually the character they're playing", or does this apply? Like in the Kim Possible episode with the Adam West parody who thought he really was a superhero, or Judge Doom's backstory from Roger Rabbit

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The "Real Life" section says that "If a person fakes a smile (or a frown) their mood will be affected accordingly." This example should be removed because it is false. Faking a smile does not improve mood.

1. A couple years ago, 17 independent studies attempted to replicate the "classic" Strack study which claimed to show that making people smile makes them happy. Every one of the 17 found that smiling does nothing.

2. Even the Strack study did not claim that *fake* smiles can help, only that Duchenne smiles can – and Duchenne smiles cannot be forced intentionally, since they are caused by the (involuntary) orbicularis oculi muscle.

3. Another recent study found that if you believe smiles will improve your mood, then forcing a smile will make the opposite happen.

4. Another recent study found that inauthentic smiles worsened bus drivers' moods.

References:

1. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745691616674458

2. businessinsider.com/why-you-cant-fake-a-smile-2014-8

3. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103114000286

4. nytimes.com/2011/02/22/health/22really.html

Edited by Technophile

• Happens in Ever17 with Kaburaki "The Kid" Ryougo impersonating Kuranari Takeshi in Kid's (Hokuto's) routes. It's done so well that half of the plot hinges on it, but Kaburaki gets a little bit too intimate with his fake personality. A given, since he's been practicing non-stop since 2017.

Not really sure about this. We know that he put out the role very convincingly but that's either The Power of Acting or Consummate Liar. We barely see him when he's NOT acting out, except for the flashback, when he's MUCH younger, so that's hardly a reference point and i don't think that i've seen any evidence that his fake persona became a part of him.

Would a character that creates a false identity, but NOT for espionage purposes also fall under this trope? I mean a character that's solely reinvented themselves, either to get away from their past life or because they detested the person they were or their upbringing and wanted to mentally retcon their past to achieve peace of mind.

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Hello, just-about-former-lurker here. Could do with some advice. I'd like to add an entry under this page detailing an example from the Anime TV series and Visual Novel "Steins;Gate"; but I'm unsure what use of the trope it is (played straight, subversion, etc.), or even if I'd be putting it under the correct trope. Warning, I'm about to describe spoilers for the series. Here it is: The character in question is Okabe Rintarou. He claims to be a mad scientist named Hououin Kyouma who fights an evil orginisation and it's conspiracies. It's just an act to make life more exciting for his friend who suffers with depression. Later, he actually does end up fighting an evil orginsation, helps invent the world's first time-travel device (and thus, a scientist) and starts losing his mind from repeatedly trying to save his friend and watching her die over and over again. In this way he does become the mask, but not intentionally.

Any thoughts?

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Example that doesn't sound like this trope, but is confusingly written enough that perhaps it is there, if someone who knows about this could clarify if it is an example, and clean it up if it is one, that would be great:

• Tales Of MU has Suzune "Sooni" Hoshinotama, who appears to be this in addition to the local Yandere. She sees herself as the lead character in a manga, and expects the world to naturally follow the "rules" of manga plot lines — and then goes into a towering, violent rage whenever the universe doesn't play along. If there's anything behind the mask, it's a very young, very isolated little girl.

Transformers Shattered Glass had Punch, an "evil Autobot" investigative reporter for "Around Cyberton," for the Autobot Broadcasting Network (ABN). His "good Decepticon" alter-ego was Counterpunch. While working "undercover," Punch attracts the attention of Decepticon Broadcasting Network's (DBN) Esmeral and Monstructor. They make him an offer, which he accepts. While Esmeral's with Punch, he transforms into Counterpunch and tells the Audience "I'll see you all on DBN!" to Rook's chagrin. (It helped Monstructor was a nicer boss to work for than "that crusted crankshaft, Countdown.")

Chopped natter:

• Lord Voldemort in The Harry Potter series.
  • True, but only in the sense that he's born evil, pretends to be good and never even flirts with this trope in any way at all, being completely and utterly evil the entire time. Which is to say, not really true at all. If anything, he's the textbook antithesis of this trope.
    • However, it could be said that he does create a mask for himself when he tells people to start calling himself Voldemort. He only ever kept the persona around to manipulate people around him who didn't support his views until he gained enough power.

Don't ask me, I just fix wicks.

I think we need to change or remove the current image picture. (The Riddler from Batman.) It demonstrates That Man Is Dead a lot more than it does Becoming the Mask.