Fiction Isn't Fair: Difference between revisions

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In works of fiction, characters tend to behave in a way that is largely exaggerated. However, sometimes the behavior of antagonists can fail to take into account laws, rules, and social conventions that exist in real life to prevent said ~~behavior -- as~~ well as simple logic. This is usually done to [[Rule of Drama|drive the story]], and won't always be [[Truth in Television|unheard of in real life]] (see also [[Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped]] and [[Reality Is Unrealistic]]), but the viewer is still left wondering why anyone would put up with this kind of nonsense, rather than going straight to the police and/or their lawyer (or, less idealistically, [[Talk to the Fist|just popping the offender in the mouth]]).

In works of fiction, characters tend to behave in a way that is largely exaggerated. However, sometimes the behavior of antagonists can fail to take into account laws, rules, and social conventions that exist in real life to prevent said behavior—as well as simple logic. This is usually done to [[Rule of Drama|drive the story]], and won't always be [[Truth in Television|unheard of in real life]] (see also [[Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped]] and [[Reality Is Unrealistic]]), but the viewer is still left wondering why anyone would put up with this kind of nonsense, rather than going straight to the police and/or their lawyer (or, less idealistically, [[Talk to the Fist|just popping the offender in the mouth]]).

While some teachers clearly do get away with [[Sadist Teacher|victimizing students and using abusive language]], there are many instances in fiction in which said teachers would be treading on very thin ice at a lot of schools, particularly those in fear of litigation.

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Compare [[Refuge in Audacity]], in which the reason the characters are able to get away with such blatantly outrageous behaviour is because, simply, their behaviour is ''too'' outrageous for anyone to believe. Compare also [[No Delays for the Wicked]], and [[Never My Fault]].

[[Super-Trope]] to the [[Bunny Ears Lawyer]] ~~-- the~~ accomplished and competent character whose behavior would be too eccentric to tolerate if s/he weren't ''so'' very good at what s/he does.

[[Super-Trope]] to the [[Bunny Ears Lawyer]]—the accomplished and competent character whose behavior would be too eccentric to tolerate if s/he weren't ''so'' very good at what s/he does.

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== Literature ==

* One plot point of C. S. Lewis' ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia|The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe]]'' that's always been plenty annoying for readers is that Edmund Pevensie is allocated the demeaning role of the "traitor" who has to perform a [[Heel Face Turn]], with many allegorical readings even going so far as to compare him to [[The Bible|Judas Iscariot]]. In fact, a careful reading of the book makes clear that while, yes, Edmund's actions did amount to a betrayal of Aslan, outside of the context of the story Edmund never did anything wrong. Indeed, he's [[The Woobie|one of the more sympathetic and put-upon characters in the story]], being treated as ''persona non grata'' by his older brother and sister simply for being the youngest of the siblings (and, to their credit, they eventually do admit that they were cruel to him), of course the White Witch would seem a kindly figure to him! Why should he suspect that the White Witch is villainous when he's never been to Narnia, and how can anyone accuse him of betraying Aslan when he had never even met Aslan?

** Not to mention, he was practically [[Mind Control~~|Mind Controlled~~]] by turkish delight.

** Not to mention, he was practically [[Mind Control]]led by turkish delight.

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== Western Animation ==

* ''[[Angela Anaconda]]'' might be the worst offender here: the teacher regularly gives the class pet straight A's, even when she doesn't do what the assignment asks for (she once brought a tea set when she was supposed to make a volcano) and constantly gives everyone F's and D's. For some reason despite that fact that 99% of her class is, you know, FAILING she never loses her job or even gets called on it...except when it involved a school play; even then, the only reason Mrs. Brinks let Angela get what she deserved (in a good way) was because she was surrounded by parents and couldn't be seen to be hypocritical.

* On ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ''[[Malcolm in the Middle]]'', rarely, if ever, do any school faculty or parents make any attempt to deal with the ubiquitous bullying in school, even when students are commonly sent to the hospital (yup, [[What the Hell, Hero?|the parents don't help either]]). Nobody cares about the scale of the bullying, even though in the real world this would cause a serious public relations ~~problem--if~~ the teachers and administrators don't care about the kids, they might care about the potential effect on their careers. (Granted, ''The Simpsons'' doesn't need to be realistic.)

* On ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ''[[Malcolm in the Middle]]'', rarely, if ever, do any school faculty or parents make any attempt to deal with the ubiquitous bullying in school, even when students are commonly sent to the hospital (yup, [[What the Hell, Hero?|the parents don't help either]]). Nobody cares about the scale of the bullying, even though in the real world this would cause a serious public relations problem—if the teachers and administrators don't care about the kids, they might care about the potential effect on their careers. (Granted, ''The Simpsons'' doesn't need to be realistic.)

** ''Malcolm'' even turns this into a [[Spoof Aesop]] during an episode where Reese decides to stop bullying and the entire student body falls into anarchy as [[Evil Power Vacuum|the lesser bullies attempt to fill the power vacuum]] left by his absence. When Reese [[Status Quo Is God|returns to his tyrannical ways]], everyone cheers.

** At least one episode had the ACLU come in after finding out the school literary journal was censored. Which, while a subversion of the trope, is just as unlikely as anything on this page; school publications are privately funded and don't count as "the press". Therefore, the school may censor whatever they like.

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*** Certain government agencies tend to frown on it, though.

** On the other hand, there didn't seem to be anyone obstructing the giant public gay orgy used to protest the future immigrants. Those guys must have been violating at least a couple of indecency laws.

* So why hasn't Mr. Crocker of ''[[The Fairly Odd Parents]]'' been fired? Literally everyone in his class (except for AJ) is failing, he's thought to be mentally insane by pretty much everyone that doesn't have fairies (and even those that do still think he has issues), and he's known to be out right abusive to his students (when March ~~15th~~, the anniversary of the worst day of his life, rolls around you run). Also despite all of this, it's implied that he's got the highest salary he can get (it was used as a bit of a [[Hand Wave]] to explain why he could afford his fairy hunting gear, but still!).

* So why hasn't Mr. Crocker of ''[[The Fairly Odd Parents]]'' been fired? Literally everyone in his class (except for AJ) is failing, he's thought to be mentally insane by pretty much everyone that doesn't have fairies (and even those that do still think he has issues), and he's known to be out right abusive to his students (when March 15, the anniversary of the worst day of his life, rolls around you run). Also despite all of this, it's implied that he's got the highest salary he can get (it was used as a bit of a [[Hand Wave]] to explain why he could afford his fairy hunting gear, but still!).

** Wait, [[Julius Caesar|March 15?]]

** This was handwaved in one episode in which he mentioned in passing that he had tenure. This was his justification for going on with an experiment that would kill a human subject, to prove that Timmy's "parents" were fairies.