Scared Straight!: Difference between revisions

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{{Quote|'''Ali:''' We didn't get away with nothing, we're here!! So what makes you think you're gonna get away with it?}}

* [[Berserk Button]]: As part of the scare tactics, the lifers invoke this trope by freaking out on the kids, at the slightest of annoyances. Specifically anyone who smiles at them, looks at them funny or moves in their seat is enough to set them off.

* [[Cluster F-Bomb]]: On top of winning awards, Scared Straight! became one of the first Documentaries to have their swearwords uncensored on national television.

* [[Dare to Be Badass]]: Ali passionately invokes this to the kids, by encouraging them to get jobs and educations that would get them further than what criminal life could ever do.

{{Quote|'''Ali:''' You can have the same kind of jobs!! You can make the same kind of money!!! It's so motherfucking easy it's passing you by!! GO TO SCHOOL!!! Get that education and pistol whip the shit out of it!! A gun ain't gonna tear that 30 foot wall down out there!! A pipe is not gonna tear that 30 foot wall down out there!! But an education may just tear that motherfucker down!!}}

* [[Establishing Character Moment]]: The Lifers first establish themselves when the first one, gives one of the kids their ID cards to pass to the others. To prove that they are convicts. Not counsellors, lawyers, actors, or even cops in disguise. To further show how tough and unpredictable they are, ~~the Lifer~~ smacks the deck of cards out of the ~~kid~~'s hands when he didn't pass them around the way he asked him to. Demanding he hands them out properly.

* [[Establishing Character Moment]]: The Lifers first establish themselves when the first one, Willie, gives one of the kids, Raoul their ID cards to pass to the others. To prove that they are convicts. Not counsellors, lawyers, actors, or even cops in disguise. To further show how tough and unpredictable they are, Willie smacks the deck of cards out of the Raoul's hands when he didn't pass them around the way he asked him to. Demanding he hands them out properly.

* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: The Lifers are comprised of people who have committed the worst of crimes. Murder and Rape, being the top convictions. Yet they don't hold back how disgusted they are when kids are committing crimes that will eventually lead them to the same paths the Lifers themselves took.

* [[Even Evil Has Loved Ones]]: The Lifers invoke some [[Paranoia Fuel]], using this specific trope. See below for how.

* [[Eye Scream]]: Ali makes mention of his right eye being taken out in a fight. Another Lifer threatens to do the same to a kid for not paying attention.

* [[Get Out!]]: Whenever one or more of the kids cross the Lifers one too many times, they stop their speech demanding they leave. The kids do come back later on though.

* [[Heel Face Turn]]: The documentary ends with many of the kids talking about how the program changed their lives and that they'll never commit crime again. The exception being Angelo Speziale who got convicted for rape and murder.

* [[Heel Face Turn]]: The documentary ends with many of the kids talking about how the program changed their lives and that they'll never commit crime again. The exception being Angelo Speziale who got convicted for rape and murder. As well as Qadir who never stopped until he was arrested.

* [[Not So Different]]: The Lifers invoke this trope as a means of relating to the kids. They know that the kids would believe they don't understand what they are going through, simply because the Lifers are adults. However many of them mention, that not only were they kids themselves doing the same things, but also mention that being kids don't matter. Stating when a kid commits an adult crime, they get tried and convicted as an adult.

* [[Paranoia Fuel]]: The Lifers invoke this, telling the kids that every one of them at [[Even Evil Has Loved Ones|least has one or more family members]] and that it's not hard for those kids to steal from one of them. If they do however, [[Laser-Guided Karma|the Lifers will read about it in the newspapers and go after them should they get sent to prison for it]].

* [[Pet the Dog]]: After all the yelling, threatening, insults and other scary behavior the Lifers had to offer, ~~they~~ hand the kids cards with phone numbers. What are the numbers for? Youth Counselling. Showing in the end they do care about their well-being and don't want them to go to jail. Offering every chance they can.

* [[Pet the Dog]]: After all the yelling, threatening, insults and other scary behavior the Lifers had to offer, Lonnie, one of the Lifers; hand the kids cards with phone numbers. What are the numbers for? Youth Counselling. Showing in the end they do care about their well-being and don't want them to go to jail. Offering every chance they can.

* [[Politically Incorrect Villain]]: Many of the Lifers use racial and sexual slurs to better scare the kids and show how serious they are.

* [[Prison Rape]]: Early in the film when they take a tour of the jail cell, the inmates threaten the kids with this. During the session with the Lifers, many of them go into graphic detail on what it's like.

* [[Reality Ensues]]: The ultimate goal of this documentary both within the documentary and outside, is to show the harsh realities of the consequences, these children and children like them would face should they continue down a criminal path.

* [[Secret Test of Character]] One of the Lifers puts a kid through this. He takes the biggest kid of the group and dares him to punch him. The kid says no, calmly explaining that he (~~The Lifer~~) would kill him. So ~~the Lifer~~ offers ~~him~~ protection, in exchange for the kid holding him by his belt. Strutting around and telling the others that this kind of stuff happens every day. He asks ~~the kid~~ if he has cigarettes. ~~The kid~~ says no. So he asks a random Lifer if he has cigarettes. Which the Lifer provides, prompting ~~him~~ to sell ~~the kid~~ for the smokes. He let's ~~the kid~~ know that if he didn't want that happening to him, he should have punched him. Failing the test.

* [[Secret Test of Character]] One of the Lifers, Greg puts a kid through this. He takes the biggest kid of the group, named Roy and dares him to punch him. The kid says no, calmly explaining that he (Greg) would kill him. So Greg offers Roy protection, in exchange for the kid holding him by his belt. Strutting around and telling the others that this kind of stuff happens every day. Greg asks Roy if he has cigarettes. Roy says no. So he asks a random Lifer if he has cigarettes. Which the Lifer provides, prompting Greg to sell Roy for the smokes. Greg let's Roy know that if he didn't want that happening to him, he should have punched him. Failing the test.

* [[Scare'Em Straight]] The Trope Namer.

* [[Sir Swears A Lot]]: Many of the Lifers. Ali especially says his fair share of swears and slurs.

* [[Tranquil Fury]]: While many of them are loud and passionate, special mention goes to one Lifer who upon having the above [[Berserk Button]], pressed calmly and quietly threatens one of the kids into stopping it.

{{Quote|'''Lifer:''' What am I here to amuse you. Did you just smile? Huh? Something's funny? -louder- Something's funny with you!? Huh!? -quiet- Get that smile off your face boy. -quieter- Let me tell you something. I'll bite your fucking nose off your head. And if you think somebody's gonna stop me from doing it, believe me, you're wrong. Because by the time they get here, it'll be too late. It'll be all over with. I got so much time, they can't give me no more. You understand what I'm telling you? So when you sit there, you keep that smile on your face. Because I'm gonna hurt you. Don't make me hurt you. Please? I talked to you nice right?}}

{{Tropelist|Tropes for Scared Straight! 10 Years Later Include:}}

{{Tropelist|Tropes for Scared Straight! 20 Years Later Include:}}

* [[Actor Allusion]]: When Qadir mentions he's been in prison for too long, he claims he's "[[Lethal Weapon|Too old for this.]]" Danny Glover hosts and narrates this documentary.

* [[Badass Preacher]]: Terence, one of the kids in the program, has become a baptist preacher after serving in the Navy. Making him the literal example.

** John has also become a christian preacher and teaches Kung Fu.

* [[Call Back]]: When Ali surprises the kids, regarding his release from prison, he recites his rap sheet word for word.

{{Quote|'''Ali:''' I'm here for murder, kidnapping, robbery, armed robbery, conspiracy, breaking a dude's jaw and breaking his woman's both her arms. Like I said before, I am not your friend. I'm not your enemy. I'm not your mother. I'm not your father. But I'm glad to see all y'all today and I hope you feel the same about me.}}

* [[The Dreaded]]: Played with. The kids all agree that among the inmates they met, Ali scared them the most. However upon reuniting with them after 20 years, after getting over their initial shock, they are just as happy to see him as the other reformed Lifers.

* [[Heel Face Turn]]: While the documentary is more focused on how the kids changed their lives, it also shows how some of the Lifers turned their lives around. In terms of the Lifers Lonnie, the man who handed the kids the youth counselling numbers, works as a rental apartment agent. Willie, who scared Raoul personally, was out on parole since 1995. Working as a truck drive and runs a rug cleaning service. Greg, who demonstrated life in prison with Roy, was released in 1996 and is now a drug rehabilitation counsellor. Malik was the first Lifer to be out on Parole and ironically came back to visit Qadir in prison to see what went wrong. In a unique twist, it's implied Malik got himself arrested so he could keep a closer eye on Qadir. In the most shocking of twists, Ali was released from jail in 1990. He works as a mechanic and volunteers his time helping kids stay out of trouble.