From the Files of TV Tropes #2

I did an entry like this back in November where I basically looked at specific entries from the TV Tropes site that I really enjoyed, and it was a feature that was long overdue for a revisit.

So here are another few entries from that site which appealed to me.

Rated M for Manly: Basically, the simplest short hand for this one is something created for men by men. Pure testosterone. In gaming, almost the entire shooter/beat em up genres are based on this trope (and God Hand is indeed rated M for Manly). Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee are the personification of this rule. To quote a particular movie listing on that page: "Fun Fact: 300 was not filmed or edited at all; instead, 3 hours worth of 35mm film was dipped into a large vat containing a concoction of pure testosterone, shredded footballs, and pureed porn mags & first edition Conan books, left to sit overnight. When the film was pulled out the next morning, they had the master reel for 300, ready for projection." Even the recent Old Spice ads featuring Terry Crews fall under this category. When I think of this trope, I think of Ash/Bruce Campbell and Hobo with a Shotgun/Machete and the epicness of The Venture Brothers' Brock Samson.

Cerebus Syndrome: Basically this means that something that began light and comedically, like the namesake comic or a television show, descends into ever greater drama, and may or may not take the whole thing down with that turn. We've all seen this happen. The entry is missing an essential example under live action tv. I am of course talking about Roseanne. That was a show that started off as a great comedy and then slowly turned into a less than impressive drama. Discworld and Harry Potter moved that way, and I remember Ctrl Alt Del going in that direction too. Sometimes comedy needs to stay comedy. I don't mind drama... I just don't want everything to become it.

And Zoidberg: This is one of those ones I really love, and put in the same category as the word again. Basically it is excluding someone from a group by using the word 'and' then their name. Observe. "Magnolia has a cast of wonderful actors and Tom Cruise". Or "I am trying to save humanity... and Lady Gaga." It doesn't have to be the word and mind you, but it has to be clear in the joke that the speaker is clearly singling someone out. "Friends, colleagues, Dwight" or this gem from The Simpsons: "No Homer, God didn't burn your house down, but he was working in the hearts of your friends be they Christian, Jew, or... miscellaneous." This trope is especially humorous when someone does it to themselves. Let's say someone was to say "Don't forget about me." in response to a "Ladies and Gentlemen," implying they are neither of those two things.

Now, I should cut this short because some of you are hating me for reminding you or telling you about TV Tropes.

Tags: tv tropes, rated m for manly, god hand, chuck norris, bruce lee, 300, spartans, old spice, terry crews, ash, bruce campbell, machete, brock samson, hobo with a shotgun, venture brothers, roseanne, ctrl alt del, discworld, harry potter, cerebus syndrome, zoidberg, futurama, matt groening, lovejoy, dwight, magnolia, tom cruise, lady gaga, the simpsons