Never Live It Down/Literature: Difference between revisions

* ''[[Don Quixote]]'' is well-known for being an idealistic fool in a cold grey world, a laughingstock and [[Butt Monkey]]. As a result, there's a huge [[Misaimed Fandom]] that sees him as an ideal to strive for even if he can't win. The original Quixote ''was'' an idealistic fool, but it wasn't his entire character. Both the [[Misaimed Fandom]] and the people who laugh at him forget that he was also an unsympathetic snob, who used his "knighthood" as an excuse to not pay for things and to bully his social inferiors, especially Sancho. Part of why he isn't remembered this way is the ''[[Man of La Mancha]]'', which emphasized his foolish idealism a lot more. ("Dream...the impossible dream...")

** Not exactly. In the first part of the novel, [[Don Quixote]] characterization is [[Lord Error-Prone]]. [[Misaimed Fandom]] insisted to see him as the [[Mad Dreamer]]. So Cervantes explore [[Unbuilt Trope|all the ramifications of the trope showing how everyone wants to be with the]] [[Mad Dreamer]]… [[Humans Are Bastards|to mock him mercilessly]]. At his death, Don Quixote becomes [[Bored with Insanity]] and laments that he is going to being remembered as a mad fool. [[Man of La Mancha]] is a mere [[Derivative Work]] that [[Lost in Imitation|completely misses the point of the original work’s conclusion, but reproduces the Misconception of Romantic times applied to Don Quixote]].

{{quote|"No, senor, that's not true," said Sancho, "for I am more cleanly than greedy, and my master Don Quixote here knows well that we two are used to live for a week on a handful of acorns or nuts. To be sure, if it so happens that they offer me a heifer, I run with a halter; I mean, I eat what I'm given, and make use of opportunities as I find them; but whoever says that I'm an out-of-the-way eater or not cleanly, let me tell him that he is wrong; and I'd put it in a different way if I did not respect the honourable beards that are at the table."}}

* Ginny Weasley of the ''[[Harry Potter]]'' series has a reputation in the fandom for being a little tart who can't keep her knickers on. In the canon, she dated three guys (no, not at once) over a period of four years before marrying the last one. Interestingly, Hermione has also dated exactly three people, one for [[Operation: Jealousy|rather petty reasons]], and no one accuses ''her'' of being a slut. <ref>Note that some people claim that nobody (or hardly anybody) actually ''believes'' Ginny is a slut, and that anyone calling her a slut is merely doing so to piss off Ginny fans.</ref>

** [[Fan Hater|Fan Haters]] now have the [[Ho Yay]] between Edward and Jacob.

* In ''[[Nursery Crime]]: The Big Over Easy'' by Jasper Fforde, Chief Inspector Spratt is constantly having to defend himself against a reputation for killing giants ("Technically, only ''one'' of them was a giant; the others were just tall.") Of course, his full name is ''Jack'' Spratt. As in 'Jack the Giant Killer', which might have something to do with it.

* While [[Sherlock Holmes]] used cocaine in a more than a couple of stories, he was an addict, not of that drug, but of mental exercise. His brain had to be constantly working or else it would "rebel." When on a case or any other activity that he would consider mentally challenging, he would stop using for as long as his brain was entertained. If one only knew Holmes from fanfics and pastiches (professionally published fanfics), he turns into a drug-addicted genius who needs a constant high to function. In such stories, his drug of choice is usually changed to opium for whatever reason, even when it was specifically stated in the canon that he doesn't do opium. This is also carried over to more official adaptations.

** Playing on the [[I Love You Because I Can't Control You|only-woman-to-outsmart-Sherlock-Holmes]] angle, all adaptations portray Irene Adler as a notorious [[Dating Catwoman|Catwoman-like]] criminal mastermind, despite her only "crime" in [[One-Scene Wonder|the one story she appears in]] being possessing a photograph that someone fears she could use to blackmail him... which she ultimately never does. Perhaps it's just easier to put Holmes' [[Worthy Opponent]] on the opposing side of the law.

** Arguably also the [[Breakout Villain]] Moriarty, who encountered Holmes once in person and also sent him a letter once, but is only ''ever'' remembered as 'Holmes's [[Arch Enemy]]'.

* In universe example in [[Black Company|The Black Company]] series. In the first novel, Croaker writes romantic fiction about the [[Big Bad]] who is employing them. Almost two decades later, people are ''still'' bringing it up. {{spoiler|This turns into a [[Crowning Moment of Funny]] in the third book when the same people find out that the person they thought was his girlfriend is the [[Big Bad|Lady]] incognito}}.

* In the first [[Sweet Valley Twins]] book, Jessica shows up for ballet class decked out in sparkles and ribbons. The teacher proceeds to publicly humiliate her, blasting her for this, and for several months afterwards, acts completely oblivious to the fact that Jessica is the best dancer in the class, instead, blatantly favoring the less skilled Elizabeth.