Linking to a past Trope Repair Shop thread that dealt with this page: Clean up
, started by Ironeye on Mar 24th 2011 at 4:18:51 AM
Would Harry Dresden's gambit to defeat Nicodemus Archleone in Skin Game count as one? Nicodemus knows Harry's going to try to screw him out of the Grail, but he's also aware of the limitations that Mab has placed on Harry in order for her to fulfill her debt to Nicodemus, which he thinks guarantees him the first blow. However, by taunting him about sacrificing his daughter in order to open the Gate of Blood (which could be a Shuffle itself) Harry goads him into ordering Harry killed, which broke Nicodemus' pact with Mab and gave Harry free reign to knock heads.
Edited by The_Hankerchief
Removed; entry as described does not adhere to Kansas City Shuffle rules (the marks do not seem to be aware of any con taking place, did not involve mark identifying incorrect con). Entry may be more suited to Batman Gambit.
- In Runaway Jury: The hero, Nicholas Easter, pulls his own Kansas City Shuffle on a smug gun industry employee. He tries his hardest to look like he wants absolutely nothing to do with jury duty for a trial against the gun industry, thereby ensuring him a spot as Juror #9. In reality, he wants revenge on the gun industry for a shooting at his school and the death of his girlfriend's sister. His girlfriend pulls a similar trick by convincing the gun employee to pay her off in hopes of winning the jury.
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X Just X pulled.
- House of Games uses it.
Dunkies addict
As I was about to post this, I worried it might be a bit controversial, so I was wondering if anyone could help me vet it. It's not universally believed, but it's such a strong example, you see it everywhere, and it's really not all that uncommon a theory in certain circles, I don't think.
- The conspiracy by the psychiatric establishment of literally founding a millions-strong mystery cult (which will, of course, here go unnamed), making a point of gaining as many adherents in the spotlight as possible to give said religion a reputation as foaming at the mouth, and engaging in gigantic conspiracies for the express purpose of making said religion seem Machiavellian. This done, they purposefully infiltrated anti-psychiatry groups across the nation, and leaked a number of the absurd mysteries, and giving them a reputation for litigiousness to shut down anyone who exposes them, because, of course, that links them to "hated" psychiatrists. As people marvel and laugh at this religion's intricate but soon-exposed conspiracies, the psychiatric community basks in the result that any criticism of their pronouncements is ignored as the ravings of believers in the most absurd elements of their mysteries, an idea similar to the fundamentalist smear that all atheists are Marxists, but believed by the mainstream, so thoroughly entrenched that their pronouncements simply cannot be questioned anymore, elevating them to a status above religion, a component of all religions, even "true" atheism (in that if you do not believe, you will be considered not to be an atheist, but secretly in a certain mystery cult), on the basis of terrible science and often outright mysticism, to an extent that even creationist loons and global warming denialists, who attack much, much better-grounded theories, are mainstream by comparison.
By 'certain circles', you mean 'deranged conspiracy-theorists', right?
No, no, and hell no.
What's precedent ever done for us?
I probably shouldn't have used the word "conspiracy." Let's try it this way:
- A certain millions-strong mystery cult that will here go unnamed has made a point of gaining as many adherents in the spotlight as possible, giving itself a reputation as foaming at the mouth, and engaged in giant conspiracies that got huge press when they were exposed, making them almost synonymous with "Machiavellian." They also made very public their disdain for psychiatric treatment and infiltrated dozens of secular anti-psychiatry groups, and set up a reputation as litigious to discourage anyone from associating with "hated" psychiatry. As people marvel and laugh at this religion's intricate but soon-exposed conspiracies, the psychiatric community basks in the result that any criticism of their pronouncements is ignored as the ravings of crypto-believers in the most absurd elements of their mysteries, like the fundamentalist smear that all atheists are Marxists; thanks to the exposed machinations of this cult, this idea is so thoroughly entrenched that their pronouncements simply cannot be questioned anymore, since no one questioning them will be believed if claiming to be anything but a member of that cult, on the basis of terrible science and often outright mysticism, to an extent that even creationist loons and global warming denialists, who attack much, much better-grounded theories, are mainstream by comparison.
Hubbard was on meds the day he died! [1] How can you believe he wasn't playing a double game? If it was as simple as money, why go after psychiatrists? Why infiltrate the government? And their success at their covert endeavors means one of two things: thetans are real, or they're taking ideas from research psychology (which does have merit, even if it's made a metaphorical Faustian bargain of late). If it's the latter, it can only mean that their public persona, which literally considers it to be the source of all evil, is a façade.
The key to debunking most conspiracy theories is "cui bono?" In this case, it's obvious - look around you. Psychiatrists essentially rule the Western world, with the ability to lock you up and have you doped to the gills with a word, as they have the mainstream eating out of their hands. But who benefits from the alternative conspiracies, the massive conspiracies after Hubbard's death to "promote" Scientology that have done more damage to its reputation than the space opera doctrine ever could? That sounds like the ranting of a conspiracy theorist to me. It's for the same reason I don't think bin Laden (or anyone else you've heard of, other than the hijackers, Moussaoui, KSM, etc.) was behind 9/11; more powerful people have more to gain from one falsehood as opposed to the other (bin Laden's denials, etc.), compared to the relatively little deception needed.
My posts make considerably more sense read in the voice of John Ratzenberger.
Orr... it was a cult started as an explicit moneymaking operation by a paranoid crank who was on just about every legal, semilegal, and not-sure-if-legal drug in existence. We already know Hubbard was a hypocrite, a fantasist, and a con man with delusions of grandeur. Why go beyond that?
One thing I particularly dislike about grand conspiracy theories - that they neglect to factor in Hanlon's Razor. Also, my mother is a psychiatrist. I should at least have gotten a guest pass to the Cabal of Domination's clubroom by now, right?
What's precedent ever done for us?
I'm sorry, I'm not getting how psychiatrists benefit from the existence of Scientology. At least, I think that's what you're suggesting... all the refusing-to-outright-state-what-you're-suggesting may have gotten in the way.
Both Scientology and the psychiatric "establishment" to the extent that one exists make millions from exactly the agendas they openly admit to (namely (a) teaching fairy stories to rich idiots, and (b) either listening to neurotic people talking for hours or selling them expensive drugs). The practicalities of doing so aside, what's the point of running a worldwide conspiracy as well?
The Reveal of the white text is meant to be a bit like that old joke about the wheelbarrow smuggler and several people have expressed joy at it. I worry Candlejack will get dated though.
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But 1) it is still completely unrelated to this trope, and 2) Candlejack is already dated. Put it on a trope page that has something to do with hidden information; I won't object to it there. This page is about fooling the mark into doing what you do want him to do by making him believe that he's getting the better of you by doing what you don't want him to do.
Edited by Madrugada ...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.
I have to admit, I did spend a few minutes trying to work out what I was missing because I was paying attention to the white text. Maybe it's there and the Shuffle is too good for me :D
I have no clue what this has to do with Candle Jack. I'm for losing this.
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Deleted this example, since as it's written right now, there's nothing to indicate it's a Shuffle, rather than a simple misdirection. The parts of a shuffle that are missing are:
1) Who wrongly thinks that they've identified the scam?
2) What do they do to try to beat the scam they think they're dealing with?
3) How does that allow the real scam to succeed?
Please don't restore it without adding that information, and if all three aspects aren't present, don't re-add it at all; it's not a Kansas City Shuffle.
- In American Gods, everyone thinks Loki's plan is to work with the New Gods to take out the Old Gods. However he is actually working with Mr Wednesday to play both sides against each other so that there will be a massacre of Gods from which they can draw power, making them more powerful than ever before.
I can't find a version of Bennie Moten's song that has the lyrics attributed to it on the main page. Those lyrics only seem to appear in the song by J. Ralph featured in Lucky Number Slevin. Should we change that?
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Yes, we should. I found the lyrics to Bennie Moten's version here, and I think they'd make a better page quote.
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Deleted this example, pending an explanation of exactly what the Shuffle Cartman uses is. Please don't put it back without that. Right now, it's just a very long X Just X non-helpful example.
- South Park featured this in one of the best acclaimed episodes, "Scott Tenorman Must Die". After he is conned by a 9th grader called Scot Tenorman, Cartman tries unsuccessfully the whole episode to get back at him only to end up, time and time again, in further defeat. The revenge Eric manages to pull off at the end using The Shuffle is "harsh enough" to compensate for the humiliation endured throughout the episode.
This Troper remembers a time when he was watching a magic show. The magician was pulling a fairly unimpressive trick that he said was "popular with the little ones", where he would change the color of a wooden picture of a white rabbit in a small wooden "house" with a door on each side. After sliding the picture of the rabbit into the "house" and opening the door to show us him, the magician asked the audience to yell "BOO!" and scare the rabbit from white to black. As we shouted, he would flip the "house" around, and then open up the back door, showing a black rabbit. After a few repetitions of the process, where we scared the rabbit from white to black, This Troper was getting pretty tired of the obvious trick. He asked his parents if it was alright to question the workings of the trick; his parents said no. He asked anyway:
- This Troper: Hey, could you turn the house around?Magician: What do you mean? Like this? <Turns the "house" upside-down>.
- This Troper (after a few more failed attempts): No, no, like, turn it around like this <gestures to show how to turn the house>.Magician: Oh, like this.
Largest city in Missouri
If you only count the incorporated part of the city, the July 2009 population of Kansas City is 482,299, making it the largest in Missouri (with St. Louis second at 356,587). However, if you count the whole metro area, St. Louis comes in first with a population of 2,828,990 while Kansas City is second with a population of 2,067,585 (note that these numbers include both sides of the river in each city, meaning people outside Missouri are included). As a St. Louisan, I have added a note to the article that Kansas City may only be second-largest. It is likely that the same two cities would come up on top if the land area of their metropolitan area were used as the basis for determining size.
Linking to a past Trope Repair Shop thread that dealt with this page: Possible clarification and/or rename:
, started by MajorTom on Oct 7th 2010 at 6:17:32 PM
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman