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Wangst: Difference between revisions
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[[Angst]] can create [[Emotional Torque|compelling drama]], [[Character Development]], and interesting psychology when done well; [[True Art Is Angsty|many acclaimed works of art use it to a degree]] and the appeal of [[The Woobie]] is based on it.
[[Tropes Are Not Good|But like all other good things, angst can be overdone or clumsily handled.]] Wangst, a [[Portmanteau]] of "whiny" and "angst," (or maybe "wimpy" and "angst"—or quite possibly "wanky" and "angst"; also Whangst if you pronounce the H) is essentially angst gone wrong. The intended [[The Woobie|Woobie]] becomes a [[Emo Teen|pathetically whiny character]] who insists on crying (often loudly and repeatedly) about a [[Dark and Troubled Past]] or event instead of, you know, trying to solve the problem and stop being depressed all the time. Especially if said "trauma" doesn't come across as nearly tragic as the character thinks it is, [[Misery Poker|compared to other people trying to endure out there]], making his lamentations seem [[Narm|way out of proportion.]]
'''Note:''' Though Wangst is most frequently associated with characters whining over petty "tragedies," the trope is not merely sadness or angst; it is poorly written sadness or angst that comes off as unjustified due to poor writing, lack of an explanation, or exaggeration. It's not necessarily the scale of the tragedy that the character is reacting to that's the problem, but the way it's handled.
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Wangst is a favorite of [[Emo Teen]]s, [[Sympathetic Sue]]s and characters [[Cursed with Awesome]]. Any kind of [[Despair Speech]] (especially by [[Nietzsche Wannabe|nihilists]]) is also often considered as this. Often pointed out by playing the [[Worlds Smallest Violin]]. See also [[Emo]], [[Narm]], [[Angst Dissonance]]. To deal with the wangsty kind, people will usually say "[[Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!]]!"
The "wangst" equivalent for entire stories is when [[Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy]] is caused by too much [[True Art Is Angsty]]. [[Silly Rabbit, Cynicism Is for Losers]] is the philosophical equivalent. Compare [[Deus Angst Machina]], which is about having too many ''sources'' of angst for [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]] rather than too much ''response'' to sources of angst. For both in-universe ''and'' meta-examples, see [[Muse Abuse]], a frequent [[Real Life]] and in-universe cause of '''Wangst'''. Contrast [[Angst? What Angst?]], and [[Stoic Woobie]].
[[I Thought It Meant|Not to be confused with]] [[You Need to Get Laid|angst resulting from a lack of sexual relationship.]]
Subtrope of [[Bathos]], and may be called that in literary circles.
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Truth in Television]]
[[Category:Sadness Tropes]]
[[Category:
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