As the description says, a character can't be both these tropes at the same time, but they can alternate between them. So with sufficient context, yeah.
I think we should make this a subtrope of Bait-and-Switch Compassion. What do you think?
Would it be possible to call this trope "Jerk with a Heart of Cold"? They show jerks that are cold-hearted and it rhymes with "gold".
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Eh, I don't think so. Being cold hearted and being a jerk are not the same thing.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Personally, I think we should rename it to "Jerk with a Heart of Coal". Not only does "Coal" kinda rhyme with "Gold" and allow for some clever wordplay, but coal and gold offer a very effective contrast that would better differentiate the two tropes (gold is a very valuable and beautiful yellow metal, while coal is an ugly black rock that leaves behind poisonous residue when burned).
Be kind.
"Being cold hearted and being a jerk are not the same thing."
Why not?
Honestly, i swear that whoever added that example regarding Malfoy must really hate Malfoy.
It's like he never read the epilogue where Malfoy seems to have become a far nicer guy then what he was back at school.
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That's a good point. I guess they just didn't see Malfoys 'little moments' as big enough signs that he has a "heart of gold" underneath.
I'm honestly still on the fence with Draco's goodness. Did he even feel bad about bullying Neville. Something tells me the answer is 'no.'
What's the difference between this trope and Bait the Dog?
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Bait the Dog happens to ambiguous characters when a good/fair action (or simply "not evil" sustained demeanor) is ultimately followed by bad one(s), killing the ambiguity. This here trope compounds the two deeds; it turns out that the nice thing was done for selfish, evil reasons.
There's some misuse because it's used as "jerk all along", when it's more specific regarding the motivations of the good actions.
Edited by 96.44.189.101
They seem similar enough to be merged into one trope. Or if not, the article should at least explain the difference between the two.
That'd be Trope Repair Shop discussion. Also, as I've said in Bait The Dog Discussion I don't think they are mergeable.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
why does a straightforward subversion of Jerk With a Heart of Gold get its own page?
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Yeah, I was gonna ask that too. I have no idea how this got launched, but someone messed up.
Leave your dignity at the door.
- Peanuts has Lucy Van Pelt, who's only rarely shown to have any heart at all (such as when Schroeder hurts her feelings, when Linus is at camp and she misses him, and the arc where Charlie Brown's in the hospital and she's worried he'll die.) Charles Schulz once commented that, deep down, there's something tender in Lucy...but then, if you go even deeper, you might find out that she's worse than you thought in the first place.
I believe that this is not 100% true. Any questions?
Is it allowed to use this and Jerk with a Heart of Gold on the same character subpage?
Object show fan since 2017. Hide / Show Replies