tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post2557930060624362622..comments2023-10-15T04:48:05.528-04:00Comments on Free the Princess: Lampshading of TroperyMatthew Delmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11452378192874048547noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-91210592976980197552010-01-13T20:51:30.906-05:002010-01-13T20:51:30.906-05:00I can't think of any examples of lampshading t...I can't think of any examples of lampshading that aren't done for humorous purposes. Is it done?<br /><br />Pratchett sort of makes his career off it. One of my favorite examples (also from <i>Guards! Guards!</i>) is when Colon and Nobbs are trying to shoot a dragon with an arrow. They know it's practically impossible, but they figure if they can make it just hard enough--such that one of them might say, "That's a million to one shot!"--then it's a sure thing. (Because, of course, whenever a protagonist tries something that has <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MillionToOneChance" rel="nofollow">a million to one chance</a> of working, it always works).<br /><br />The end result was one of them blindfolded, hopping on one leg, and smoking a cigarette. They figured the odds of him hitting the dragon had to be a million to one.Adam Heinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02225813532455467868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-58181528137547287312010-01-13T14:44:22.613-05:002010-01-13T14:44:22.613-05:00I've never heard of lampshading. I suppose I ...I've never heard of lampshading. I suppose I will be watching for it from now on, though.Susan R. Millshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09578747592345750650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-16964012016840996302010-01-13T13:54:20.741-05:002010-01-13T13:54:20.741-05:00Otherwise known as a variety of "breaking the...Otherwise known as a variety of "breaking the fourth wall". And YAY tropes!L. T. Hosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12448176940211118898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-81333727945168709132010-01-13T13:51:14.854-05:002010-01-13T13:51:14.854-05:00I've never heard of lampshading. Interesting!...I've never heard of lampshading. Interesting!Stephanie Thorntonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17437077559099315853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-45115662813471387512010-01-13T13:44:54.730-05:002010-01-13T13:44:54.730-05:00Okay, so the character is AWARE of the lampshading...Okay, so the character is AWARE of the lampshading. I think I get it now.<br /><br />Thanks!Susan Kaye Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07348197999397141067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-91425681599961709182010-01-13T13:33:55.359-05:002010-01-13T13:33:55.359-05:00Susan --
It's not all that difficult to have ...Susan --<br /><br />It's not all that difficult to have a first-person or close third-person POV refer to them. Merely have the person comment on it.<br /><br />Example from TVTropes.org:<br /><br />In Night Watch there is a really nice example of lampshading. In the second act, the main character, Anton Gorodietsky has been framed for the unlawful killings of a series of Dark magicians. At a certain point, he is running away, being hunted relentlessly by his enemies, when suddenly a car stops, the door opens so he can climb inside, and then drives away at speed. Anton thinks: "Things like this just don't happen! Heroes only get rescued by passing cars in cheap action movies."Matthew Delmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452378192874048547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-47338848414095610592010-01-13T13:28:26.763-05:002010-01-13T13:28:26.763-05:00I think maybe after I write 10 books, I can be tha...I think maybe after I write 10 books, I can be that clever.<br /><br />Also: using lampshades would engender a certain distance, don't you think? Which could be very effective, depending on the story, but would be difficult, I think, in a first or close third person POV.Susan Kaye Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07348197999397141067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-67410265149278919282010-01-13T12:47:55.805-05:002010-01-13T12:47:55.805-05:00Natalie --
An Anti-Hero is an example of a trope....Natalie --<br /><br />An Anti-Hero is an example of a trope. When you see an anti-hero (Dirty Harry Callahan, for example), you can immediately pinpoint the characteristics that make him an anti-hero. <br /><br />Another example is the Hard-Boiled Private Eye in mystery stories. If you read enough of those stories, you can find similarities among those characters. <br /><br />Hopefully that's a better explanation.Matthew Delmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452378192874048547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-86172454927883984032010-01-13T12:41:13.988-05:002010-01-13T12:41:13.988-05:00I think I'm must be a little slow today. I st...I think I'm must be a little slow today. I still don't really get it. Is it like satire?Nataliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00861022355718378425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-28527711299500828342010-01-13T12:30:22.942-05:002010-01-13T12:30:22.942-05:00Davin --
Every writer works with tropes on some l...Davin --<br /><br />Every writer works with tropes on some level, whether consciously or unconsciously. If you were to troll through tvtropes.org, I bet you'd be able to pick out an example or two from your own writing of stuff you've used. Tropes are like money. They're not good or bad. They just are.Matthew Delmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452378192874048547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-28954373629691918522010-01-13T11:46:14.148-05:002010-01-13T11:46:14.148-05:00This is very interesting, Matthew. I've never ...This is very interesting, Matthew. I've never worked with tropes, or at least not consciously. I think it requires a lot of research to get good at it and to use these sorts of devices. I admire people who can do it well.Davin Malasarnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09385823575081492949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-74133041485098080422010-01-13T10:57:57.768-05:002010-01-13T10:57:57.768-05:00I'm not sure about others, but I tend to disli...I'm not sure about others, but I tend to dislike such things unless they're beyond my perception, in which case, I don't know about them, so they're fine :)Joshua McCunehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17367262185912463258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-54847256484971767232010-01-13T10:19:25.234-05:002010-01-13T10:19:25.234-05:00I've yet to find any reason why it became call...I've yet to find any reason why it became called "lampshading," but several other names the practice is known by are "hanging a lantern on it" and "putting a red flag on it."Matthew Delmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452378192874048547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5927870683677181756.post-71144551088100090042010-01-13T09:37:32.244-05:002010-01-13T09:37:32.244-05:00Have you any idea how lampshading got its name? It...Have you any idea how lampshading got its name? It mystifies me.fairyhedgehoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14141089706966852951noreply@blogger.com