Trope of the Week: Playing With

The last three entries that I discussed a trope explored the different types of tropes TV Tropes had. Now that I gave it a little tour, today’s entry will cover something different.

There are 28 ways to play with a trope. These are all the ways a trope can be played:

• Straight – A trope is played normally.
• Exaggerated – A trope is played at an exceedingly large degree, whether it’s played too much, the numbers are off the chart, or played in an unusual manner.
• Downplayed – A trope is played at a smaller degree, like it almost doesn’t exist.
• Justified – A trope is given a possible in-universe reason.
• Subverted – A trope is set to occur, but ultimately doesn’t happen. It’s a bait-and-switch on a trope.
• Double-Subverted – A subverted trope gets back on track, making the trope played after all.
• Inverted – A trope is played backwards or the opposite of the trope plays.
• Averted – You expect the trope to occur, but the trope is never played at all.
• Untwisted – You expect the trope to be subverted, but it plays straight.
• Zigzagged – A trope is played with a combination of two or more ways to play with a trope.
• Logical Extreme – A trope is exaggerated within reason.
• Implied – A trope isn’t shown, but it still happens.
• Other Variations – A trope is still shown, but not traditionally played.
• Lampshaded – A character acknowledges that a trope is occurring.
• Invoked – A character mentions a trope.
• Discussed – The trope doesn’t happen, but the character discusses it in a relevant situation.
• Exploited – A character makes a trope happen.
• Defied – A character prevents a trope from
• happening.
• Conversed – A character talks about a trope when talking about other media.
• Deconstructed – A trope is taken apart.
• Reconstructed – A trope is rebuilt into something else.
• Parodied – A trope is spoofed.
• Unparodied – The parodying of a trope is subverted, making the trope played straight.
• Played for Laughs – Comedy is the purpose of the trope.
• Played for Drama – Drama is the purpose of the trope.
• Played for Horror – Horror is the purpose of the trope.
• Gender-Inverted – A trope that normally applies to one gender applies to the opposite gender.
• Intended Audience Reaction – A trope is played for the purpose of audience reactions.

I’m not going to cover them all, but of the ones I will cover more, I will share some examples. TV Tropes may have explained them all with the butler being the murderer, glowing weapons, and driving into a glass pane, but I’m going to cover my own.

Degrees of Playing a Trope:

The trope is – Something not done within the last 10 years.

Explanation

Something you regularly did a while ago that you haven’t done within the last 10 years.

Tropes can be played at varying degrees. When played normally, the trope is played straight. If it’s played much more than it should, the trope is exaggerated. If it’s not played as much, the trope is downplayed. Of course, if it’s not played at all, the trope is averted. There’s also the logical extreme, where it’s played excessively, but within reason. And if there is a reason behind the trope, the reason is justified.

Using the trope in question, here’s how it’s played.

• Straight – When you haven’t done something within the last 10 years, it means you haven’t done it at all within the last 10 years. Right now, it is 2026. If you’ve done something quite frequently back in 2015 or earlier, but haven’t even done it once since 2016 started, then the trope is played straight. Examples:
  • You watched a TV show a lot from when you were a kid. But within the last 10 years, you haven’t even done it once.
  • There’s a restaurant you used to go to more frequently as a kid. But within the last 10 years, you don’t go there anymore.
  • Every three to six months, you returned to some museum or an aquarium in the city you lived in. But you haven’t went to either of them within the last 10 years.
• Exaggerated – The trope is played straight if you just haven’t done it within the last 10 years. But if you haven’t done it within a very long time, or you don’t even talk about it at all within the last 10 years (like if you forgot about it completely), the trope is exaggerated. Examples:
  • You haven’t seen a single picture of a TV show you used to watch during the last ten years.
  • You haven’t went to a restaurant you regularly went to within the last 30 years.
  • You forgot that the museum or aquarium existed after not visiting for 10 years.
• Downplayed – The trope is played straight if you haven’t done it within the last 10 years. But if you have done within the last 10 years but very rarely, you haven’t had full experience of it within the last 10 years, or you haven’t done it within the last 5 years or more, the trope is downplayed. Examples:
  • You watched parts of a TV show you used to watch a lot as a kid, but you haven’t seen a full episode within the last 10 years.
  • A restaurant you visit a lot when you were a kid was visited a few times within the last 10 years, but once on a blue moon.
  • It’s been eight years since the last time you went to the museum.
• Averted – If something you did a lot wasn’t done at all within the last 10 years, the trope is played straight. But if you still been doing it within the last 10 years, the trope is averted. Examples:
  • You watched SpongeBob SquarePants a lot when you were a kid. You still have seen it a lot within the last 10 years.
  • You haven’t gone to Red Lobster at all within the last 10 years. But Red Lobster was one restaurant that you never even went to.
  • You moved away from the city that had the museum or aquarium, but you still go there each time you visit the city.
• Logical Extreme – The trope is exaggerated if it’s exaggerated beyond reason. But if it’s exaggerated within reason, it’s played at a logical extreme. Examples:
  • You used to watch a channel that contained the TV shows you regularly watched. You never watched that channel at all within the last 10 years.
  • You haven’t gone to a restaurant you went to very frequently within the last 20 years.
  • You haven’t visited any museum or aquarium within the last 10 years.
• Justified – Sometimes, the trope is given an implied reason to happen. Something you haven’t done within the last 10 years might not exist anymore or isn’t suited for you. Examples:
  • You’re too old for a show you used to watch when you were a kid.
  • The restaurant you frequently went to has gone out of business.
  • You haven’t visited the museum or aquarium because you moved away from the city that hat it.

Subversions of a Trope:

The trope is – you didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas.

Explanation

An item you put on your Christmas wish list was not one of your presents you got for Christmas.

Tropes can be played in weird ways as well. If it’s played normally, it’s played straight. Tropes can also be inverted if the opposite is being played, subverted if they’re played with a bait-and-switch, double-subverted if a subverted trope goes back on track, zigzagged if a combination of weird ways occurs, and played of other variations if they play the trope with something else.

Using the trope in question, here’s how it’s played.

• Straight – the trope is played straight if something on your wish list isn’t one of the Christmas presents and you show disappointment. Example:
  • What you wanted most for Christmas is a Nintendo Switch 2. You did not get it, and you are disappointed.
• Inverted – the trope is inverted if one of the presents you got for Christmas is something you didn’t want and you show disappointment. Example:
  • One thing you didn’t put on your wish list for Christmas is underwear. One of your presents is underwear, and you are disappointed.
• Subverted – the trope is subverted if you didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas, but you eventually got it. Or you got it, but you lost it. Examples:
  • What you wanted most for Christmas is a new bike. You did not get it for Christmas, but you got money for Christmas. You spent that money on a new bike, getting you a bike after all.
  • One thing you wanted for Christmas is a guitar. You do get a guitar for Christmas, but then it breaks.
• Double-Subverted – the trope is double-subverted if you ultimately didn’t get what you want, but you attempted on getting it. Example:
  • One thing you wanted for Christmas is a new laptop. You didn’t get it for Christmas, but you did get money for a new laptop. The laptop then gets stolen before the new year.
• Zigzagged – the trope is zigzagged if you got what you wanted and what you don’t want, while also not getting what you want. Example:
  • You wanted a plasma ball and an optical illusions kit for Christmas. You got the plasma ball, but not the optical illusions kit.
• Other Variations – the trope is played in other variations if it’s not Christmas. Example:
  • What you wanted most for your birthday is a new phone. You did not get a new phone for your birthday.

Trope Acknowledgement:

The trope is – procrastination results in failure.

Explanation

Someone procrastinates on their homework, and then they get a failing grade.

If a trope is played straight, then it means no characters acknowledge that a trope is happening. If they mention a trope name, it’s invoked. If they talk about it and it happens without mentioning the name, it’s lampshaded. If they talk about it and it doesn’t happen, it’s discussed. If they try to make it happen, it’s exploited. And if they to prevent it, it’s defied.

Using the trope in question, here’s how it’s played.

• Straight – the trope is played straight if someone got an F because they procrastinated, but they don’t mention the consequences of procrastination. Example:
  • You didn’t read the book you have to do a book report on until the last minute. This results in several wrong answers and ultimately an F on your report.
• Invoked – the trope is invoked when some says that procrastination is a key to failure. Example:
  • Your mom tells you that homework comes first. She said “procrastination results in failure”.
• Lampshaded – the trope is lampshaded when someone explained that your bad study habits are why you’re getting bad grades. Example:
  • Your mom scolded you for getting a bad grade on your book report. She said “this is what happens if you don’t do your homework until the last minute”.
• Discussed – the trope is discussed if you got a passing grade for passing, but then was told that you would’ve failed if you procrastinated. Example:
  • You got an A on your book report. Your mother was proud of you and said “had you put off your work until the last minute, you wouldn’t have gotten that A.”
• Exploited – the trope is exploited if someone else made you fail because you procrastinated. Example:
  • You didn’t work on your book report until not to long before it’s due. Despite doing it correctly, the teacher was brought attention that you procrastinated on your book report, so she deducts many points despite doing your work correctly.
• Defied – the trope is defied if you have been procrastinating, but you used other means to avoid the bad grade. Example:
  • You didn’t start working on your book report until the last day. Knowing that you would fail for doing that, you decided to cheat by reading a summary online and using what you learned from the summary. You didn’t fail.