"They Dropped a Bridge on Him"

[laura_seabrook]

More serendipity. I was reading a friend's post when I saw a reference to Too Good to Last (they were talking about Firefly).  Turns out, it's all part of the TV TROPES WIKI, which talks about techniques and clichés writers use in Anime, Comics, Video games, Literate, Film, and New Media.

Funniest reference I found was Northern Exposure providing examples of Dropped a Bridge on Him. As in "When a character is permanently written out of a show, especially killed off, in a way that is particularly awkward, anti-climactic, mean-spirited or dictated by producer's fiat, they Dropped a Bridge on Him." In the first season of Northern Exposure, some dies when a satellite crashes into him! And of course it's called this because:

Named for the death of Captain Kirk in Star Trek: Generations, which should have been a key, climactic event putting an exclamation point to 30 years of adventuring. Instead, they, literally, Dropped A Bridge On Him. (And that's the improved version, mind you. Originally, and in the novelization, the plan was for the Big Bad to shoot him in the back, but for some reason test audiences didn't like it -- hence the improvement.)

Ha ha ha - well that was about the only way they could do it!

Other neat terms include Better On DVD, Lamp Shade Hanging, Spikeification, Clue From Ed, Freud Was Right, Too Dumb To Live, Nothing Exciting Ever Happens Here and Anti Poop Socking. There's obviously much to explore at this site.

Comments

[futabachan.livejournal.com]

I'm a regular contributor there, actually, it's a lot of fun, although I think it's wandered into the weeds a little in recent months.

Oh, and it looks like the big fight in Palenville is over, and we can get back to being a community again, at least those of us who haven't walked away permanently.

[curi-oz-wolf.livejournal.com]

That is just so ... *sniggers* wrong.

I always end up finding interesting links when I read your journal. Thanks - now I have more 'weird' things to drop into casual conversation around the lunch table at work!

*chuckles at self - because I just can't resist those weird or wacky phrases*

fascinate'

[rashelleym.livejournal.com]

I like how all those formats are tied together. I was reading this at Bookslut, indicating hard sf/space opera 21st century stahl is making a comeback, and this "steampunk" thing (garnered from your link) is right alongside that. Popcult itself makes my brain sticky: 'druther read about it than experience it.