Anyone else think that a bunch of examples here are really unnecessary? The way I read this trope is that a major couple is happily married despite the alarmingly common need for relationship angst in various media. Basically, subverting the expectation that a (insert genre) story would have said angst.
It seems that a bunch of people just crammed in examples of random married people from whatever they could think of in whatever they felt like.
Examples I read as being valid, and why:
Who Framed Roger Rabbit example: Eddie Valiant actually expresses surprise at the fact, mirroring audience expecations
the Song of Ice & Fire example: while I haven't actually read the books, the example makes clear that the marriage works out unusually well in the context.
Examples I don't, and why they and similar examples should be removed:
Batman's parents: background characters with very little screen time and very little reason for us to expect angst from them. Basically People Sit In Chairs for any fictional marriage without angst.
Ron and Hermione: "X and Y eventually become this at the end." Seriously, isn't that basically what Happily Ever After is for instead?
Edited by errorladen Hide / Show Replies
Definitely agreed re. Ron and Hermione. The problem too with couples like Ron and Hermione is that we don't know whether they fit the trope just because we see them get together, and then we see in 19 years time they turn up at Kings Cross as a still married couple. That doesn't mean much. They could have had drama coming out the wazoo for those 19 years. Their entire relationship basically happened 'off page', so we don't know. The same logic applies to background characters.
I was surprised to see couples like Jin and Sun from Lost given as an example. They end up happily married in the end, but for much of the series they're dealing with some pretty serious marital issues. Another example is Mike and Susan from Desperate Housewives - they had long periods of separation. And as for Pete and Trudy Campbell from Mad Men, their happily married period was very short lived. The rest of the time, they've been a train-wreck.
I think a lot of examples of this trope should probably be removed, so as not to broaden the definition of it to the extent it becomes meaningless
None needed, they're plentiful.
Speaking of which, I maintain that the secret to being Happily Married is to make sure you marry a hottie.
Previous Trope Repair Shop thread: Needs Help
, started by MagBas on Jan 1st 2015 at 5:13:36 PM
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