Tropes are common denominators. Their viewers recognize them, laugh at them or groan at them, but most of us can guess where they're coming from -- specifically, what cultural values are embodied in the trope. Other tropes find it difficult to age gracefully. The world being the dynamic and evolving place that it is, some aspects of the media don't quite manage to keep pace with the time, and become the "Grumpy Old Men" of Tropeland.