Shout-Outs Index - TV Tropes

References to other works, including legends and religious texts, are present in all media under many forms. These are collectively known as "Shout-Outs".

See also Crossover and its subtropes when two works interacting creates an entire plotline.

Types of references

References by work

Shout-Out
Referenced by…

Sub-categories

Actor Allusion: The work references one of the actor's other roles or the actor's personal life.
Casting Gag: An actor appears to be deliberately cast as a character similar to another character they have played.
Character Name Alias: A character uses the name of a fictional character as an alias.
City Shout-Outs: A live performer appeals to the audience by saluting their city.
Company Cross-References: Work has an allusion to another work made under the same company.
Creator Cross-References: A work's creator adds in references to their previous works, which may or may not be produced by the same company.
- Creator's Show Within a Show: A work of fiction exists as an in-universe work in another work by the same author.
Corrupted Character Copy: A pastiche of a pre-existing character who is notably a worse person than the character they are based on.
Cultural Cross-Reference: Making a reference to something popular in another country.
Expy: An unambiguous and deliberate copy of another, older character.
Fairytale Motifs: Motifs and symbolism based around characters and aspects from fairy tales.
Halloween Cosplay: Rather than just making a generic costume, a character cosplays on Halloween.
Homage: A typically drawn-out Shout-Out that is born out of love for the source material.
Homage Shot: A shot-for-ahot allusion done out of love for the source material.
I'm Mr. [Future Pop Culture Reference]: A time-traveler uses the name of a character from a future work of fiction as an alias while in the past.
Knocking the Knockoff: A character derides a copy of themselves from a different work.
Lampshaded the Obscure Reference: The work addresses that not many people will be familiar with what they are referencing.
Landmark of Lore: Fictional public domain locations.
Literary Allusion Title: A work's title is a, sometimes rephrased, quote from another work.
Literary Work of Magic: A real life fictional work has an agenda in the universe of another.
Mythical Motifs: Characters are associated with figures or creatures from mythology.
Mythology Gag: A reference to another work from the same franchise set in a different continuity.
Parody: A mockery of some other artistic work, sometimes affectionate.
Parody Episode: A show takes a break from its usual format to parody something else.
Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: May be a work that's part of pop culture that's referenced.
Production Foreshadowing: A work is referenced in an earlier work by the same creator(s) before its release.
Production Throwback: A work is referenced in a later work by the same creator(s).
Product Placement: A company pays to have its products featured in a work.
Public Domain Artifact: Items commonly used in legend and fiction, often exhibiting different powers and properties depending on the source.
The Public Domain Channel: Real life public domain works are shown on TV.
Public Domain Character: A character is in the public domain, so any work can use the character without having to worry about copyright infringement lawsuits or paying royalties.
Public Domain Soundtrack: A work uses music that is in the public domain.
Quote-to-Quote Combat: Countering one quote with another.
Real Song Theme Tune: The theme song wasn't written for the show and had actually existed prior to the work entering production.
Re-creating Musical Shout-Outs: Recreating an iconic music scene from another work.
Reference Overdosed: A work loaded with Shout-Outs and homages.
Sampling: Using part of someone else's music in your own.
Sitcom Homage Episode: An episode of a series that is meant to be a homage to Sitcoms.
Short-Lived, Big Impact: A person or thing that has only been around for a short time, but its impact can still be felt in modern life today.
Shout-Out Theme Naming: A work's characters are named after another, older work's characters.
- Religious and Mythological Theme Naming: Characters/locations are named after religious/mythological figures.
Significant Monogram: The characters' initials have a symbolic meaning.
Speaks in Shout-Outs: Most of a character's lines are references, shout-outs, or quotes from other works.
Spoiling Shout-Out: A Shout-Out that makes references to a spoiler from what it's referencing.
Standard Snippet: Pieces of a musical work that play primarily when a particular scene is shown.
Suspiciously Similar Song: A song or piece of music that sounds like a copyright-friendly version of another song or piece of music.
Take That!: A work insults another work or someone or something the creator dislikes.
Titled After the Song: A work that is named after a song not originally written for it.
Tribute to Fido: A character who's based on a Real Life pet.
Trope Codifier: A work that defines how a trope is used.
Tuckerization: Characters are named after real-life people involved with the production.
Unusual Pop Culture Name: A character was named with an obvious pop culture reference (e.g. a fictional character) by their parents.
Virtuous Character Copy: A pastiche of a pre-existing character who is notably a more noble person than the character they are based on.
Waxing Lyrical: Lines in a work that references at least one real-life song.
Whole-Costume Reference: A character is wearing the wardrobe of another famous figure, but no one in-universe is aware of that.
Whole-Plot Reference: A story whose entire plot is a complete reference or homage to another work.

Specific references

Blood Bath: Almost always used to reference the Trope Maker, Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and characters taking such a bath are usually also named after her.
Borrowin' Samedi: Character channeling Baron Samedi, a loa of magic and death in Haitian Voudoun.
Hockey Mask and Chainsaw: A homage to slasher films that does not come from any specific work, but fuses iconic elements of Friday the 13th and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Iwo Jima Pose: The flag planting during the Battle of Iwo Jima◊ during World War II.
Kubrick Stare: An expression seen in some movies directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Looks Like Cesare: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, although, due to Parody Displacement, people may tell you otherwise.
Looks Like Orlok: Nosferatu, which in turn was loosely based on old folklore accounts.
Monty Hall Problem: A puzzle based on Let's Make a Deal.
Rooftop Concert: Typically done in Homage to The Beatles' final live performance.
Scandalgate: Watergate
Theatre Phantom: The Phantom of the Opera.
Thinker Pose: The Thinker, a sculpture by Auguste Rodin.

Music

Also sprach Zarathustra: "Also Sprach Zarathustra", aka "that tune from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Amazing Freaking Grace: "Amazing Grace".
Happy Birthday to You!: The birthday song.
Jeopardy! Thinking Music: Jeopardy!
Michael Jackson's Thriller Parody: A spoof of the music video to Michael Jackson's Thriller.
Moonwalk Dance
"Ode to Joy": From Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
"Ride of the Valkyries": The music from the beginning of the third act of Die Walküre (which is a part of the cycle The Ring of the Nibelung), an opera by Richard Wagner.
Sgt. Pepper's Shout-Out: A nod to the album cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles.

Names and titles

Adam and/or Eve: The Bible.
The Joy of X: A work's title is an allusion to another work's title.
Name of Cain: The Bible.
A Saint Named Mary: The Bible.
Tannhäuser Gate: A quote by Blade Runner's Roy Batty (which itself was inspired by a legend about the German poet Tannhäuser).
The Trope Formerly Known as X: The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, A Fan Nickname for Prince, a singer who changed his name to an unpronounceable love symbol.