Tropescilloscope: Ripped from the Headlines

A recent or ongoing news story is the basis for the plot. (read more at tvtropes.org)

More Tropes Dies Wide Open Deliberately Monochrome Colour-Coded for Your Convenience aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience Final Girl Sir Swears-a-Lot N-Word Privileges After the End Major Injury Underreaction Ship Tease Manly Tears He Who Fights Monsters Eye Scream Bottomless Magazines Daddy's Girl Corrupt Corporate Executive Japanese Films Unreliable Narrator Suspiciously Similar Substitute From Bad to Worse Bloodier and Gorier Auto Erotica Break the Cutie Batman Gambit Ghost Fiction Reality Is Unrealistic Only One Name Fate Worse than Death Evil-Detecting Dog Manipulative Bastard Tranquil Fury Zombie Stories Earn Your Happy Ending It's Personal Adorkable Country Matters Five-Man Band Villain Protagonist Never Trust a Trailer The Bad Guy Wins Death by Irony Adaptational Heroism The Lancer Hero of Another Story Eyepatch of Power German Films Imagine Spot Destination Defenestration Villain Ball Pre-Mortem One-Liner Catch-Phrase Kick the Son of a Bitch Bunny-Ears Lawyer Horror Comedy Properly Paranoid Failed a Spot Check Cool Old Lady Wicked Cultured The Hero The '70s Hollywood Darkness One-Word Title Canon Foreigner Call-Back Whole Plot Reference Redemption Equals Death The Stoner Dark Action Girl Monumental Damage Actor Allusion Kubrick Stare Rule of Funny Ironic Echo Friend to All Children Scary Black Man Early Installment Weirdness Punctuated! For! Emphasis! Bavarian Fire Drill Refuge in Audacity Martial Arts Movie Cat Fight Dressing as the Enemy Very Loosely Based on a True Story Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass Catapult Nightmare Parental Abandonment Mistaken for Gay Getting Crap Past the Radar Red Right Hand Film Noir Mood Whiplash Heel–Face Turn Last-Name Basis Taking the Bullet Brainless Beauty Alpha Bitch An Aesop Ambiguous Disorder Disproportionate Retribution Even Evil Has Standards Air-Vent Passageway Smug Snake Roaring Rampage of Revenge Cloudcuckoolander Evil Is Petty Disappeared Dad Dramatic Irony Nice Job Fixing It, Villain! You Have Failed Me Pragmatic Villainy Spiteful Spit Adaptational Badass Dirty Old Man Creator Cameo Gender Flip Scenery Gorn My Greatest Failure Artistic License – Biology Fish out of Water Does Not Like Shoes The Ghost Blood Knight Cat Scare Book-Ends Meet Cute This Is Gonna Suck Serial Killer Toilet Humour aka: Toilet Humor Reality Has No Subtitles Ungrateful Bastard Parental Substitute The Cameo War Is Hell Domestic Abuse Only a Flesh Wound Dark and Troubled Past Humiliation Conga Deal with the Devil The Load Lampshade Hanging Sole Survivor Sadistic Choice Karmic Death Would Hurt a Child And Starring Bilingual Bonus Unresolved Sexual Tension For Want of a Nail Badass Normal Neck Lift Only in It for the Money The Musical Badass in a Nice Suit Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas Big Eater My God, What Have I Done? Freeze-Frame Bonus Curse Cut Short Totally Radical Cold-Blooded Torture Would Hit a Girl Even Evil Has Loved Ones Vitriolic Best Buds Alliterative Name Obviously Evil Psychological Thriller Sequel Escalation Madness Mantra Outrun the Fireball The Vamp The Stoic Disguised in Drag Decoy Protagonist Those Two Guys Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane All Men Are Perverts Heel Realization Off with His Head! Evil Is Hammy All Just a Dream Red Herring Running Gag Composite Character For the Evulz Smoking Is Cool The Great Depression Take a Third Option Intergenerational Friendship Male Frontal Nudity The Sociopath Fire-Forged Friends An Axe to Grind Apocalypse How Cool Shades Wham Line Humans Are Bastards Same Language Dub Ass Shove Not So Different Pay Evil unto Evil Parental Incest What You Are in the Dark Bloody Hilarious Works Set in World War II Fantasy Films Animal Title Index Death Glare "Well Done, Son!" Guy The '80s Aside Glance Russian Films And I Must Scream Exactly What It Says on the Tin Vomit Indiscretion Shot Anti-Villain Ambiguous Ending Dramatic Gun Cock Genre Throwback No Antagonist Blatant Lies Framing Device Evil Sounds Deep In Medias Res Fingore Yandere Camp Gay B-Movie Kick the Dog A.I. Is a Crapshoot Exact Words Gilligan Cut Sanity Slippage The Stinger The '60s Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy Christmas Movies Index Race Against the Clock Slashed Throat Crucified Hero Shot Rape as Drama Wretched Hive Not So Above It All Soft Glass Trailers Always Spoil True Companions Funny Foreigner Fatal Flaw Anachronism Stew Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday Almost Kiss The Place Alas, Poor Villain Pretty in Mink Brutal Honesty Beta Couple Recycled IN SPACE! Love at First Sight Brother–Sister Incest Historical-Domain Character It's All About Me Wrong Genre Savvy Adaptation Dye-Job Bond One-Liner Bar Brawl Mighty Whitey Horror Films Screw the Money, I Have Rules! Word of God Improbable Infant Survival aka: Infant Immortality Arc Words Crazy Jealous Guy Hollywood Law Say My Name Heroic Sacrifice As Himself Spared by the Adaptation Kids Are Cruel Evil Cannot Comprehend Good Awesome, but Impractical As You Know Faux Affably Evil The Voiceless Naked People Are Funny Mexican Standoff Novelization Henpecked Husband "Awesome McCool" Name Disney Villain Death I Want My Beloved to Be Happy Combat Pragmatist Card-Carrying Villain A God Am I Market-Based Title Big Damn Heroes Parental Neglect Jerk Jock Married to the Job Intrepid Reporter Dissonant Serenity Video Credits Fanservice Grievous Bottley Harm Costume Porn Scare Chord Made of Explodium Laser-Guided Karma Vacation Films Death Seeker In Name Only Rewatch Bonus The Power of Love Sequel Hook Berserk Button Mooks La Résistance Suddenly SHOUTING! Bound and Gagged I Have Your Wife Really Gets Around Paper-Thin Disguise Conspicuous CG What Happened to the Mouse? Fantastic Racism Needs Wiki Magic Love Funny Background Event Genre Savvy Unwitting Instigator of Doom Offscreen Moment of Awesome Leaning on the Fourth Wall Screw the Rules, I Have Money! Deconstruction Storming the Castle Stepford Smiler Drugs Are Bad Break the Haughty Psycho for Hire Crazy-Prepared Breaking the Fourth Wall Reasonable Authority Figure Meaningful Background Event The Casanova Victoria's Secret Compartment Interrupted Suicide Men Are the Expendable Gender Naïve Newcomer Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other Badass Longcoat Artistic License – Physics Took a Level in Badass Bullying a Dragon Chekhov's Gunman Dull Surprise Maybe Ever After Advertised Extra Double Entendre Missing Mom Agony of the Feet Black Best Friend Bury Your Gays Butt-Monkey Hypocrite Determinator aka: The Determinator Vampire Fiction Handicapped Badass You Have Outlived Your Usefulness Tagline Does This Remind You of Anything? Amusing Injuries Children Are Innocent Green-Eyed Monster Killed Mid-Sentence Twist Ending "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique The Faceless Fourth Date Marriage Historical In-Joke Ms. Fanservice Race Lift Authority Equals Asskicking The Un-Reveal Beard of Evil Here We Go Again! Sacrificial Lion Leitmotif Attempted Rape Nice Guy Arranged Marriage Get Out! The Mafia Riddle for the Ages Every Car Is a Pinto Affably Evil Shell-Shocked Veteran The Mole Ambiguously Gay Make It Look Like an Accident Ugly Guy, Hot Wife Names to Run Away from Really Fast There Is No Kill Like Overkill Screw This, I'm Outta Here! Covers Always Lie Dual Wielding Never My Fault Retirony Lighter and Softer In the Back Mystery and Detective Films Spell My Name with an "S" An Arm and a Leg A Minor Kidroduction Broken Pedestal Easily Forgiven Red Shirt Death by Sex No-Holds-Barred Beatdown Hong Kong Films Eiffel Tower Effect Black Comedy Rape Fat Bastard Creative Closing Credits Armor-Piercing Question Italian Films Stock Footage Frame-Up Cool Old Guy Knife Nut Adults Are Useless Four-Temperament Ensemble Early-Bird Cameo It Will Never Catch On Bare Your Midriff Abusive Parents Man on Fire Bait-and-Switch Chuck Cunningham Syndrome And the Adventure Continues Science Fiction Films Face–Heel Turn Visual Pun Jerkass Famous Last Words Department of Redundancy Department Evil Counterpart Leave the Camera Running The Smurfette Principle Big Applesauce One Steve Limit No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Dramedy Mama Bear Knight Templar '80s Hair Setting Update Roger Ebert: Great Movies List Adult Fear Manic Pixie Dream Girl Left the Background Music On Girl-on-Girl Is Hot Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? Hope Spot Revenge Eldritch Abomination folderlabel Reality Ensues The End... Or Is It? Neck Snap The Brute Only Known by Their Nickname O.O.C. Is Serious Business Precision F-Strike Contrived Coincidence Biopic Put on a Bus BFG Drill Sergeant Nasty Badass Boast Mercy Kill Spanner in the Works Beware the Nice Ones Anachronic Order Silence Is Golden Moment Killer Fanservice Extra "Shaggy Dog" Story Improbable Aiming Skills More Dakka Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! Camera Abuse Death of a Child Establishing Character Moment Diabolus ex Machina Corpsing Dirty Coward Bad Boss Black Comedy Dying Moment of Awesome Superhero Serious Business Cool Guns Defiant to the End All for Nothing Cluster F-Bomb Not Even Bothering with the Accent Shown Their Work Red Eyes, Take Warning Jerk with a Heart of Gold The Alleged Car Not Quite Dead Music Stories Body Horror Oh, Crap! Betty and Veronica Off-into-the-Distance Ending Happily Married Expy The Chessmaster Kill 'em All Death by Adaptation Take That! Artistic License – Gun Safety Eureka Moment Romantic Comedy Belligerent Sexual Tension Thriller Eagleland Disney Death Canadian Movies Laughing Mad Malevolent Masked Men Arch-Enemy Groin Attack The Atoner Bowdlerise Obstructive Bureaucrat Recap / RiffTrax aka: Riff Trax Movies Pragmatic Adaptation Big-Bad Ensemble Antagonist Title Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping Award-Bait Song Big "NO!" I'm a Humanitarian Ragtag Bunch of Misfits Undying Loyalty The Hero Dies Artistic License – Military Reckless Gun Usage Bloodless Carnage Sealed Evil in a Can Drives Like Crazy I Just Shot Marvin in the Face Mad Scientist Daylight Horror Freudian Excuse Chase Scene Ax-Crazy Chekhov's Skill Comically Missing the Point Together in Death Sinister Minister Never Found the Body Rule of Three Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism Animated Credits Opening Improvised Weapon Woman in White Red Oni, Blue Oni Black and Gray Morality Irony Gory Discretion Shot Extreme Doormat No-Sell Lock and Load Montage Pun aka: Incredibly Lame Pun Token Minority Rasputinian Death Adaptational Villainy Shirtless Scene Enemy Mine Extremely Short Timespan Retcon Light Is Not Good timeperiod Action Girl Stuff Blowing Up The Quiet One Time Skip Pet the Dog Evil Brit Celebrity Paradox Anti-Hero Stealth Hi/Bye Line-of-Sight Name Made of Iron It Can Think Bi the Way Casting Gag May–December Romance Punny Name Central Theme Fiery Redhead Psychopathic Manchild Truth in Television Fan Disservice Mind Screw Not Using the "Z" Word Mythology Gag The Cavalry Idiot Ball Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! Artistic License – Geography Took a Level in Jerkass Author Appeal Chewing the Scenery Age Lift Shipper on Deck The Bully Tap on the Head Papa Wolf As Long as It Sounds Foreign Unspoken Plan Guarantee Curb-Stomp Battle Instant Death Bullet A Date with Rosie Palms No Ending NO INDOOR VOICE Politically Incorrect Villain Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds Pyrrhic Victory Those Wacky Nazis Drowning My Sorrows Dark Reprise Super Strength Cain and Abel Big Bad Duumvirate Soundtrack Dissonance Despair Event Horizon Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome Boom, Headshot! Deliberate Values Dissonance Training Montage Blood from the Mouth The Reveal Dogged Nice Guy Retired Badass Not What It Looks Like Hair-Trigger Temper Adaptation Distillation Gold Digger Shower Scene Foil Stealth Pun Fake Shemp Our Zombies Are Different Slasher Movie You Have Got to Be Kidding Me! Unusual Euphemism Heroes Want Redheads Ripped from the Headlines Redshirt Army Important Haircut Abhorrent Admirer Evil Plan All There in the Manual The Ditz Adaptation Name Change Chekhov's Gun Police are Useless Too Dumb to Live No OSHA Compliance Ominous Latin Chanting Hero Antagonist Accidental Misnaming Your Cheating Heart Adaptation Expansion Foreshadowing Bolivian Army Ending British Films Back from the Dead Kill It with Fire Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil Darker and Edgier Deus ex Machina Jump Scare Evil Laugh Poor Communication Kills The Smart Guy Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" Danny Peary Cult Movies List Bring My Brown Pants Depraved Bisexual Animal Motifs As the Good Book Says... Nothing Is Scarier Big Brother Instinct Product Placement From Nobody to Nightmare Femme Fatale Insistent Terminology Action Prologue Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene Military and Warfare Films Gratuitous English She Cleans Up Nicely Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer Becoming the Mask Annoying Younger Sibling Worthy Opponent Re-Cut Author Avatar Television Movie Index Nice Hat Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking Narrator Fun with Acronyms Obfuscating Stupidity Asshole Victim Jerkass Has a Point Film Noir Index Cool Car Punch-Clock Villain Captain Obvious Jitter Cam Call-Forward Villain Opening Scene The Starscream Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold Grey and Gray Morality The Ace Posthumous Character MacGuffin Action Survivor Improbable Weapon User Cruel and Unusual Death Small Name, Big Ego Sci-Fi Horror Gorn Villain Song Unusually Uninteresting Sight Peek-a-Boo Corpse Bald of Evil The Big Guy Big Bad Double-Meaning Title The Oner Captain Ersatz Half the Man He Used to Be He Knows Too Much Historical Villain Upgrade The Dog Bites Back Demoted to Extra Stalker with a Crush Shoot the Shaggy Dog The '50s Anyone Can Die I Did What I Had to Do Dark Is Not Evil Wounded Gazelle Gambit Based on a True Story Stylistic Suck Real Life Writes the Plot Manchild Loophole Abuse Hypocritical Humor Pretty Little Headshots Informed Ability Well-Intentioned Extremist Everyone Has Standards Hidden Depths Sports Stories Vomit Discretion Shot Pimped-Out Dress Damsel in Distress You Killed My Father Real Life Genre Shift Insult Backfire Skewed Priorities Morality Pet Face Death with Dignity Police Brutality Australian Movies Toplessness from the Back Large Ham Let's Get Dangerous! Bitch in Sheep's Clothing Villain with Good Publicity Only Sane Man Rousing Speech Continuity Nod Distracted by the Sexy All There in the Script Be Careful What You Wish For Rule of Symbolism Credits Gag Artistic License – Law Dutch Angle Blonde, Brunette, Redhead Driven to Suicide Black Dude Dies First Meaningful Name Tempting Fate Shout-Out Mugging the Monster Fatal Family Photo Taking You with Me Historical Hero Upgrade Crapsack World Car Fu Greater-Scope Villain Demonic Possession Hooker with a Heart of Gold Random Events Plot Blackmail Amoral Attorney Slasher Smile Our Vampires Are Different Due to the Dead Dirty Cop Up to Eleven Overly Long Gag World of Ham "The Reason You Suck" Speech Match Cut Immune to Bullets Bittersweet Ending Coming-of-Age Story Star-Crossed Lovers My Beloved Smother Plot Hole Male Gaze Gainax Ending The Remake French Films Guns Akimbo Expository Hairstyle Change Anguished Declaration of Love What the Hell, Hero? Pre-Asskicking One-Liner The Film of the Book Offscreen Teleportation 20 Minutes into the Future Evil vs. Evil Non-Indicative Name Badass Grandpa Not So Stoic The Chick Creepy Child Throwing Your Sword Always Works Character Development Dumb Blonde She's Got Legs All Girls Want Bad Boys Determinator Deadpan Snarker I Need a Freaking Drink Spiritual Successor Broken Bird Empathic Environment No Celebrities Were Harmed Cowboy Cop Beauty Is Never Tarnished Public Domain Feature Films Epic Fail Heroic BSoD Rule of Cool One-Man Army Plucky Comic Relief Bond Villain Stupidity Darkest Hour Aluminum Christmas Trees Older Than They Look No Name Given Bland-Name Product The Alcoholic Gone Horribly Right Babies Ever After Artistic License – History Affectionate Parody Love Triangle Overprotective Dad The Un-Favourite aka: The Un Favorite Honor Before Reason Fainting Sexy Discretion Shot Translation Convention Broken Aesop Adaptational Attractiveness Facial Horror Did Not Get the Girl Flashback Straight Gay Self-Deprecation Faking the Dead Mr. Fanservice Woman Scorned Why Don't You Just Shoot Him? Epic Movie Suspiciously Specific Denial Wham Shot The X of Y Motor Mouth Mundane Made Awesome Downer Ending Homage Implacable Man Big Fancy House Sassy Black Woman Good Is Not Nice Ascended Extra Cassandra Truth Chiaroscuro Protagonist Title Hate Sink Hoist by His Own Petard The Dreaded Developing Doomed Characters Accidental Murder Meaningful Echo Silent Movie Have a Gay Old Time Slap-Slap-Kiss Loads and Loads of Characters Room Full of Crazy Your Head A-Splode Logo Joke The Dragon Flipping the Bird Heterosexual Life-Partners The '90s Show Within a Show Film Series Title Drop Actually Pretty Funny Karma Houdini Playing Gertrude A Father to His Men Documentary Once More, with Clarity! Index of Film Westerns Better to Die than Be Killed Impaled with Extreme Prejudice Dropped a Bridge on Him Insane Troll Logic Those Two Bad Guys Mr. Exposition Action Genre Rich Bitch The Lost Lenore Bad "Bad Acting" Guile Hero Adapted Out Never Trust a Trailer aka: Trailers Always Lie Villainous Breakdown Rated M for Manly Closed Circle Brick Joke Didn't Think This Through Calling the Old Man Out Defrosting Ice Queen Dwindling Party Scenery Porn Romantic False Lead Foregone Conclusion Badass Bookworm Hell Is That Noise Shut Up, Hannibal! Noodle Incident How We Got Here