# Cliches you'd like to see subverted **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339 "2017-01-04T22:41:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/41 "2017-01-05T21:23:12Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > The bomb detonates with the digital clock still reading time left as 2:43. > > And all the wires in the bomb are the same color when the bomb squad opens it up. In the pilot to the 2016 reboot of MacGyver, this happens. He saves the day anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/42 "2017-01-05T21:27:54Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > The bomb detonates with the digital clock still reading time left as 2:43. Or, better yet, forget the whole “countdown” thing: [QUOTE=Kim Possible, “Rappin’ Drakken”] **Dr. Drakken:** While Shego keeps you busy, I shall launch my Hypertronic Devastator Drone! _(pushes the button)_ **Kim:** Wait, no countdown? **Shego:** No, no, he’s actually _learning_. **Dr. Drakken:** During the time it takes the computer voice to count backwards from ten, you always manage to defeat me. Not anymore! [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > And all the wires in the bomb are the same color when the bomb squad opens it up. There was a version of that in _Batman: Assault on Arkham_ – when Batman opened up the Joker’s dirty bomb, it had a note “Cut The Red Wire” and a tangle of all-red wires. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/43 "2017-01-05T21:30:25Z")
A criminal who does not tell the good guy his entire life of crime before he attempts and fails to kill him. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/44 "2017-01-05T21:31:33Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > The hero is holding a Mook at gunpoint, but can’t have the guy give the alarm. So he hits him on the back of the head to knock him out. And the Mook collapses on the floor…screaming in agony and thrashing like a guy who just got a very painful injury. Later the hero sees the mook in the hospital where he is suffering from severe permanent neurological damage and will spend the rest of his life in an assisted living group home. In _Morons from Outer Space,_ the aliens are trying to escape from an army base. One of them sneaks up behind a sentry, and conks him on the head with a blunt instrument. The guard drops to his knees . . . and starts screaming, “Ow! What did you do that for?” Not a good movie, but that scene made me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/45 "2017-01-05T21:49:36Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > Peter Burke, the main FBI agent in [White Collar](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1), was portrayed as happily married (to Tiffani Thiessen, no less!) and never, ever had any personal drama. Not really notable - he’s a Watson character. He’s the sidekick. Sidekicks are usually normal for the times they live in. I don’t know what Jennshark intended, but for me it would be the main character, the person who could not be written out. Otherwise you have a wealth of secondary characters who have nice family lives but could, if it came to it, not be a part of the show. Marple and Columbo come close but in the former she is not an everywoman and the latter his family are hidden. > [@psychonaut](#): > > Already subverted in the fourth-season _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ episode “Remember Me”. People on the ship start mysteriously disappearing—as in, being completely erased from existence, including from the memories of other crew members—and Dr. Crusher is the only one who notices. She reports the problem to Captain Picard, who, while skeptical, does not outright disbelieve her, and orders an investigation. He continues to support Crusher’s theory even though, to all outward appearances, she is delusional. > > This cliché subversion was notable enough that it recently got written up in an feminist essay by Mirah Curzer: [Star Trek’s Feminist Statement: Believe Women](https://medium.com/athena-talks/the-radical-feminism-of-believing-women-fd02496e1df). I watched that episode just a couple of weeks ago. I never noticed anything feminist about it - that it was a woman noticing the disappearances and a man believing her - but that’s a point in its favour, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/46 "2017-01-05T22:13:55Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > The motorcycle rider who leads the cops on a long chase should take off his helmet at the end and be revealed to be a man. A similar scene happened in the short-lived and cancelled mini-series Drive. It turned to be a senior citizen with a beard under the black helmet with the tinted visor. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/47 "2017-01-05T22:20:34Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > In _Morons from Outer Space,_ the aliens are trying to escape from an army base. One of them sneaks up behind a sentry, and conks him on the head with a blunt instrument. The guard drops to his knees . . . and starts screaming, “Ow! What did you do that for?” > > Not a good movie, but that scene made me laugh. Was that the only one? I always liked the part where [Bernard sneezes in his space suit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMWDPJymksI). Anyway, that entire movie basically subverts the cliché of superintelligent aliens visiting the Earth. There aren’t many stupid aliens in sci-fi—the only other exception that comes to mind is the Pakleds from _Star Trek: The Next Generation_. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/48 "2017-01-05T22:23:11Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > I watched that episode just a couple of weeks ago. I never noticed anything feminist about it - that it was a woman noticing the disappearances and a man believing her - but that’s a point in its favour, IMO. My thoughts exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/49 "2017-01-05T22:33:00Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > In a typical action movie foot-chase scene, neither the pursued nor the pursuer is ever even the slighted bit out of breath when it is over. I’d like to see Jason Bourne on his knees puking his guts out after his next big chase. This happened in _Repo Man_. The hero ran as hard as he could (chasing a car on foot); he ends up on his knees, puking. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/50 "2017-01-05T22:34:28Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Hero’s sidekick: “[Hero], don’t kill [defeated bad guy]! You’ll be just as bad as he is!” > > Hero goes ahead and kills bad guy, suffers no lasting psychological damage or loss of moral center. Deadpool. Also sort of on Firefly: Mal: Sure. It would be humiliating. Having to lie there while the better man refuses to spill your blood. Mercy is the mark of a great man. _stab_ Mal: Guess I’m just a good man. _stab_ Mal: Well, I’m all right. > [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > And all the wires in the bomb are the same color when the bomb squad opens it up. Did it on Family Guy. I think this might be the most subverted trope. > [@ftg](#): > > I’d like to see a sitcom that has as a running gag sitcom-trope subversions. E.g., > > Early in the episode the low end worker tells the boss his mom is coming to town and he’s been telling her that he’s really the boss. Could the boss switch positions with him when his mother visits? The boss agrees. > > When the mom shows up the boss says: “You’re kid’s been lying to you the whole time, he’s just the janitor.” and walks away. > > Throw something like that in every now and then. Hopefully this would force the writers to never, ever, reuse one of these hackneyed old plots for real. > > If the show is successful, it would raise audience awareness of this nonsense and other shows would stop reusing this stuff. This is another one that I can’t imagine being a trope. Any examples of this one? ---
**Author:** ![Unpronounceable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@Unpronounceable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unpronounceable)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/51 "2017-01-05T22:44:20Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Prime Directive violated, everyone admits it was violated (As opposed to The Apple) and…things turn out for the better instead of the most immediate thing that could go possibly go wrong does. There was an early episode in TNG where they stopped a pre-warp planet from going Krypton due to Data’s violation of the PD. [Tucker & Dale vs. Evil](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1465522/?ref_=nv_sr_1) was notable for being pretty much the only movie, ever, where the slightly creepy redneck _wasn’t_ the serial killer. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/52 "2017-01-05T22:47:23Z")
[duplicate post] ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/53 "2017-01-05T23:09:04Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > This is another one that I can’t imagine being a trope. Any examples of this one? I know I’ve seen this several times, but my memory for episodes and movies is pretty shoddy. The general trope is a family member/friend is visiting, usually unexpectedly, and the protagonist needs to put forward a successful version of life (or live up to a lie he’s told his friends and family) with the cooperation of supporting characters. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this as “oh, I told mom I have a serious girlfriend, can you pretend to be mine” or something of that sort, as well as of the type “I’m a bigshot here where I am now” when they’re just a regular Joe Schmoe. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2017, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/54 "2017-01-05T23:33:03Z")
> [@Unpronounceable](#): > > There was an early episode in TNG where they stopped a pre-warp planet from going Krypton due to Data’s violation of the PD. > [Tucker & Dale vs. Evil](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1465522/?ref_=nv_sr_1) was notable for > > being pretty much the only movie, ever, where the slightly creepy redneck _wasn’t_ the serial killer. Tucker & Dales versus evil is brilliant because it turns a lot of horror movie tropes on their head. It is also a genuinely good movie for those that haven’t seen it. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/55 "2017-01-06T03:35:27Z")
A married couple are having sex, their kid tries to open their door, but it turns out it’s locked. Same deal when the kid’s masturbating & a parent (or younger sibling) tries to open his door. Or the bathroom door. It’s like door locks don’t exist in sitcoms. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/56 "2017-01-06T05:19:11Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > In a typical action movie foot-chase scene, neither the pursued nor the pursuer is ever even the slighted bit out of breath when it is over. I’d like to see Jason Bourne on his knees puking his guts out after his next big chase. In an episode of the detective series _ **Cannon** _, the morbidly obese title character (played by William Conrad) chases on foot after a bad guy who’s hijacked a bus. He manages to catch up before it really gets going and pull himself in through the back door, but once on board he’s so whacked out all he can do is collapse onto one of the seats, gasping for breath. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/57 "2017-01-06T06:53:01Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > A married couple are having sex, their kid tries to open their door, but it turns out it’s locked. Same deal when the kid’s masturbating & a parent (or younger sibling) tries to open his door. Or the bathroom door. It’s like door locks don’t exist in sitcoms. Talking about doors in general, one trope that is present in a lot of comedies is to have a swinging door between the kitchen and living room. The Dick van Dyke Show All in the Family Maude I know I’ve seen more, but that’s all I can remember right now. I have never seen a house in real life that had such a door. There’s usually no door at all. Another one that I really hate is that whenever a cast has 4 or 5 main characters, one of them will be REALLY stupid. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/58 "2017-01-06T07:07:04Z")
Just for once could the petite “martial artist” get their ass handed to them by the hulking guard. Combat sports are segregated by weight. There is a reason Mayweather never fought Danny Williams. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/59 "2017-01-06T07:40:00Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > Talking about doors in general, one trope that is present in a lot of comedies is to have a swinging door between the kitchen and living room. > The Dick van Dyke Show > All in the Family > Maude > > I know I’ve seen more, but that’s all I can remember right now. I have never seen a house in real life that had such a door. There’s usually no door at all. The house I grew up in had no locks on any of the doors other than front and back entrance. Also we had a swinging door between kitchen and dining room. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339/60 "2017-01-06T07:44:36Z")
Hey! Our house has a swinging door between the kitchen and living room, too! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-youd-like-to-see-subverted/776339.md?page=4)