this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2024
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US Authoritarianism
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The trope is named Kick the Dog, and it's really old. Viewers need to hate the villains so that it is satisfying when they become the victims of violence, harassment, or karmic justice. But audiences like compelling, sympathetic villains. A villain who sees themself as the hero gives the storyteller license to challenge conventional thinking and make the counter-argument without alienating people who like the status quo.
And the inverse is Save the Cat, where a character does something that makes the audience like them.
Don't forget about the third trope in this triangle: Boof the Hamster.
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