Tropes

> *"It's like a huge laboratory." - Shaggy, Transformers*
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**Tropes** are the term for storytelling concepts and ideas that are used very often in fiction. Most are easy to recognize, simple to understand and are so common that, even when they are used in so many different stories, the audience is not distracted or bored. This is different from cliches, which are seen as lazy and uncreative rather than enhancements of the story.

As with any story, all versions of The Potions Scene include a trope of some kind, especially since all come from a live action adaptation of a cartoon (which itself is a trope). The names of these tropes used on this page were coined by employees and contributors of TVTropes, a website about cataloging tropes in media.

## Transformers

This is the list of tropes used in the Transformers scene.

* Abandoned Laboratory: Jonathan Jacobo's Lab appears to be in disrepair, as if it's been abandoned.
* Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: Scooby drinks a potion that gives him Einstein Hair and glasses (because Smart People Wear Glasses).
* Artificial Script: The text around the door to the Monster Hive is written in a fictional language that Velma describes "an obsolete Celtic text."
* A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: While searching for an antidote, Shaggy spills a potion on his hand. He knows that the potion may be dangerous to consume, because Scooby already drank one and transformed into Monster Scooby, but rather than wipe the liquid off, he licks it off and winds up transforming as well.
* Balloon Belly: Scooby drinks a potion that causes him to transform into a monster with a big, protruding belly, which noticeably jiggles as he lets out a Burp of Finality.
* Be Yourself: The film has a subplot of Scooby and Shaggy trying to be more like Fred, Daphne, and Velma in hopes that doing so will enable them to solve the mystery on purpose for a change. Velma eventually explains to the two that they don't need to change and are a vital part of the team just the way they are. This is thematically relevant in Transformers, a scene in which the two change, but then return to their normal forms.
* Bicep Kiss: Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular, and in admiration of his new form, he kisses himself on his right bicep.
* Big Eater: Shaggy and Scooby eat and discuss various foods and drinks throughout the film, including mysterious potions and sentient cotton candy.
* Big "NO!": Scooby attempts to create an antidote using two potions. Shaggy throws one of the potions across the room and Scooby shouts, "Nooo!"
* Bit-by-Bit Transformation: Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular, starting with each individual arm and working its way down his body.
* Bizarre Alien Limbs: Scooby drinks a potion that causes him to transform into a monster with stubby arms and six tentacles in place of his hind legs.
* Blind Shoulder Toss: While searching for an antidote, Shaggy looks at a potion and then, deciding it isn't the right one, tosses it over his shoulder. After drinking the following potion, he does the same thing with its container.
* Brains and Brawn: Scooby and Shaggy drink various chemicals/potions that cause them to transform in various ways. In their final forms, before taking the antidote, Scooby becomes ludicrously intelligent and Shaggy becomes abnormally muscular, making the duo fit this trope to a T.
* The Cameo: Scooby drank a potion that turns him into the Tasmanian Devil.
* Captain Obvious: Throughout the scene, for each transformation, Shaggy and/or Scooby describes how they've transformed.
* Cat/Dog Dichotomy: Scooby drinks a potion that makes him ludicrously intelligent, which leads him to list things he misses about being a dumb dog. One of these things is "chasing cats."
* Celebrity Resemblance: Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular, and Scooby calls him a "Schwarzeneggian oaf," referencing Arnold Schwarzenegger.
* Change the Uncomfortable Subject: After watching Shaggy and Scooby recover from absurd and presumably impossible transformations, Daphne and Fred start reprimanding the two for sneaking out while Velma goes to investigate a clue, rather than asking if the two are OK or anything about what just happened. They act like the transformations never occurred and move along.
* Chemistry Can Do Anything: Scooby and Shaggy drink various chemicals/potions that cause them to transform in various ways.
* Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: While searching for an antidote, Shaggy consistently selects potions that are blue- or close to blue- and rejects potions of other colors. In Color Theory, the color blue is closely associated with health, which is why many healthcare logos are blue, and Shaggy likely makes this connection subconsciously, hence, "It looks medicinal." The antidote turns out be a similar color, so he happened to be right.
* Continuity Nod: In "Scooby-Doo and a Mummy, Too!" which is Season 1, Episode 12 of "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" Shaggy has his back turned while Scooby drinks a yellow chemical and transforms, just like in this scene.
* Digital Head Swap: Shaggy drinks a potion that gives him a "Chick's body," but has no effect on his head. This was achieved by compositing Matthew Lillard's head onto Nazanin Afshin-Jam's body.
* Distracted by My Own Sexy: Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular and becomes enamored with his new form.
* Dogs Are Dumb: In general, Scooby isn't very smart, and he demonstrates this low intelligence throughout the film, with only one notable exception: Scooby drinks a potion that makes him ludicrously intelligent, which radically changes his demeanor.
* Does This Remind You of Anything?: While in Jonathan Jacobo's underground laboratory, Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular. Because Muscles Are Meaningful, images of this form were used for the "Ultra Instinct Shaggy" meme, a meme in which Shaggy has superhuman, Goku-like powers. This adds an extra layer of comedy to the original scene.
* Don't Celebrate Just Yet: Shaggy drinks a potion. He checks a nearby mirror to see if he's transformed, and in celebration, he exclaims, "I'm OK, Scoob!" thinking the potion was benign, but right after he says that, his body makes a Stock Sound Effect and the effects of the potion become apparent, causing a Mirror Reveal.
* Dramatic Shattering: While searching for an antidote, Shaggy looks at a potion and then, deciding it isn't the right one, does a Blind Shoulder Toss. Despite presumably flying across the room, the sound of the glass bottle shattering is loud and clear, emphasizing his desperation. After drinking the following potion, he does the same thing with its container.
* Drunk with Power: Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular. When Scooby attempts to create an antidote, Shaggy shouts, "I'm gonna stay this way forever!" and attempts to sabotage Scooby's efforts.
* Dumb Muscle: Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular, but also lowers his intelligence significantly.
* Easy Sex Change: Shaggy drinks a potion that gives him a "Chick's body," but has no effect on his head, making it a Partial Transformation, and making this form a Butter Face.
* Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Shaggy drinks a potion that gives him a "Chick's body," and his Magic Pants clothing changes to match. Along with his new clothes, he gets a belt that says, "SHAGGY" on the back, identifying him by name.
* Find the Cure!: Scooby drinks a potion that causes him to transform into a monster. While searching for an antidote, Shaggy accidentally transforms as well and must find a cure for both of them.
* Food Slap: After the Explosive Results of Shaggy's actions, the two argue and Scooby, in anger and disgust, splashes the antidote into Shaggy's face.
* Forced Transformation: Scooby and Shaggy toss potions at each other, attempting to force a transformation. Shaggy tosses a potion at Scooby in his Tasmanian Devil form, and Scooby tosses a potion at Shaggy in his abnormally muscular form.
* The Freakshow: Shaggy's transformations are both reminiscent of common freakshow acts, specifically Girls with Moustaches and The Strongman.
* Gag Boobs: Shaggy drinks a potion that gives him a "Chick's body," featuring considerable breasts that are near the center of the frame for every shot of him in this form. During his transformation, two popping noises and an Eye Take imply that these breasts are springing out from his chest. Shortly after his transformation, he points toward them with both hands. While in this form, he often stands with his shoulders back, making them even more prominent. When he checks the fridge in this form, he leans farther down than he did in his original form, giving the camera a direct shot down his shirt that reveals his jostling cleavage.
* Genius Serum: Over the course of some potion hijinks that occurs, one of the potions Scooby ends up consuming over the course of undoing a potion that turns him into a monster turns him into a genius smart enough to subsequently brew up a potion capable of turning both himself and Shaggy (who at this point has ended up consuming a potion that has made him far more muscular than normal) back to normal.
* Glamour Failure: While in Jonathan Jacobo's underground laboratory, Scooby drinks a potion that causes him to transform into a monster. Despite his dramatically altered appearance, Shaggy quickly recognizes him. This may be a result of Scooby's Iconic Item dog tag or because Voices Are Mental, but it is left ambiguous.
* Gratuitous Laboratory Flasks: Jonathan Jacobo's Lab has tons and tons of flasks and beakers filled with bubbling colored liquids.
* Growing Muscles Sequence: Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular through one of these.
* Iconic Item: Scooby is always wearing some version of his collar throughout the film, even when in disguise at the Faux Ghost, with only one exception: Scooby transforms into the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes and has no collar.
* Ignore the Fanservice: Shaggy drinks a potion that gives him a "Chick's body," but rather than pulling a Man, I Feel Like a Woman and exploring his anatomy- like Fred does while in Daphne's body in "Scooby-Doo" (2002)- Shaggy verbally acknowledges his new form while pointing to his Gag Boobs and then just continues searching for an antidote.
* Imminent Danger Clue: Despite being in Jonathan Jacobo's Lab, covered in warning stickers, and primarily full of liquids, Scooby mistakes the refrigerator full of potions for a regular refrigerator containing food, and consequently, mistakes a yellow potion/chemical for lemonade. He doesn't realize his mistake until after his Oblivious Transformation, when Shaggy points out that he's transformed.
* Inappropriate Hunger: Scooby drinks a potion that causes him to transform into a monster. Despite the dire effects of these potions, he still wants to drink them; when Shaggy takes a potion away from him, he whines and tries to take it back, and when Shaggy goes to hand him a new potion, he claps, jumps up and down excitedly, and wiggles his fingers.
* Instantly Proven Wrong: Shaggy drinks a potion. He checks a nearby mirror to see if he's transformed, and in celebration, he exclaims, "I'm OK, Scoob!" thinking the potion was benign, but right after he says that, his body makes a Stock Sound Effect and the effects of the potion become apparent, causing a Mirror Reveal.
* Karmic Transformation: Scooby drinks a potion that causes him to transform into a monster, which is ironic because he's deeply afraid of monsters. This could be interpreted as punishment for Scooby's gluttony, as it's a direct result of him eating first and asking questions later. This is further supported by the design of his monstrous form, which features big, raised, Eye on a Stalk eyes for spotting food at a distance, six Bizarre Alien Limbs for grabbing several foods at a time, and a Balloon Belly for storing large quantities of food.
* Kinky Spanking: Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular, and in admiration of his new form, he smacks his own butt.
* Large Ham Announcer: Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular, and a non-diegetic, Real Life wrestling announcer, Michael Buffer, shouts his Catchphrase, "Let's get ready to rumble!"
* Mad Scientist Laboratory: Jonathan Jacobo's Lab and the Monster Hive both strongly resemble the archetypal Mad Scientist Laboratory.
* Magic Pants: Scooby and Shaggy drink various chemicals/potions that cause them to transform in various ways. Aside from when Scooby transforms into the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes, these transformations always include form-fitting clothing, with Scooby keeping his collar and Shaggy keeping a green top and brown bottoms. Notably, when Shaggy has a "Chick's body," he gets a belt that says, "SHAGGY" on the back.
* Male Gaze: Shaggy drinks a potion that gives him a "Chick's body," which involves having Curves in All the Right Places. In addition to his body, both his clothing and the filmmaking lean into several Always Female tropes. This includes Gendered Outfit, Bare Your Midriff, and Form-Fitting Wardrobe for Shaggy's new clothes, as well as Boobs-and-Butt Pose, Women Are Delicate, and Girly Run for Shaggy's choreography and blocking while in this form.
* Morphic Resonance: Scooby and Shaggy drink various chemicals/potions that cause them to transform in various ways. Aside from when Scooby transforms into the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes, these transformations always resemble their original form.
* Mutagenic Goo: Scooby and Shaggy find potions/chemicals that cause them to transform.
* Needle in a Stack of Needles: While searching for an antidote, Shaggy has no reliable way of identifying which potion(s) he needs to transform Scooby (and himself) back to normal. When selecting a potion, he comments that, "It looks medicinal," but there are similar potions throughout the laboratory.
* Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Scooby drinks a potion that causes him to transform into a monster. Shaggy tries to find an antidote, but winds up accidentally transforming himself as well.
* Non-Fatal Explosions: Shaggy throws a potion across the room, which has Explosive Results, blasting a hole in one wall and pinning Shaggy and Scooby against the opposite wall.
* One Dose Fits All: Scooby and Shaggy drink various chemicals/potions that cause them to transform, and notably, a single antidote that causes both of them to return to their normal forms, but the amount of liquid they consume seems to be a non-factor.
* Orgasmically Delicious: Shaggy drinks a potion that causes him to violently writhe around. At the end of his writhing, there's a ding sound effect and Shaggy lets out a gentle, pleased "Hoo" sound while slightly rolling his shoulders, implying he felt something akin to an orgasm. This is further supported by the sexual nature of his transformation.
* Painful Transformation: Scooby and Shaggy drink various chemicals/potions that cause them to transform. During some of these transformation sequences, they writhe as though in pain.
* Pec Flex: Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular, he then proceeds to flex and shouts, "Check out my pecs, little man!"
* Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: In Transformers, Scooby and Shaggy are literal transformers, as they drink various chemicals/potions that cause them to transform in various ways, but this name is also the name of a popular franchise about shapeshifting mecha robots.
* Power Makes Your Voice Deep: Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular, and while in this form, his voice is deeper than usual.
* Reluctant Monster: Scooby drinks a potion that causes him to transform into a monster. Scooby doesn't realize that he's undergone an Oblivious Transformation until Shaggy (in shock and horror) points it out to him, at which point he panics.
* Science Hero: Scooby and Shaggy drink various chemicals/potions that cause them to transform in various ways. When Scooby drinks a potion that makes him ludicrously intelligent, he becomes a Science Hero, developing a cure for both of them by mixing two potions together.
* Secret Room: Shaggy and Scooby find a hidden elevator that leads to Jonathan Jacobo's Lab. A piece of mining equipment serves as a lever to open the elevator doors.
* Sexophone: When Shaggy is revealed to have a "Chick's body," the score transitions into a seductive saxophone melody which strongly resembles the beginning of "Jessica's Theme" by Alan Silvestri.
* Shapeshifting Sound: While in Jonathan Jacobo's underground laboratory, Scooby and Shaggy drink various chemicals/potions that cause them to transform in various ways, and various sounds can be heard as they transform.
* Signature Move: When Tasmanian Devil Scooby transforms into Scooby Brainiac, he performs the Tasmanian Devil's Tornado Spin.
* Smart People Speak the Queen's English: Scooby drinks a potion that makes him ludicrously intelligent, and consequently gives him a British accent.
* Squeaky Eyes: Scooby drinks a potion that causes him to transform into a monster with Eye on a Stalk eyes that squeak when he looks around and blinks.
* Stunned Silence: When Fred, Daphne, and Velma find an abnormally muscular Shaggy and ludicrously intelligent Scooby, they're left speechless.
* Tastes Better Than It Looks: Shaggy drinks a potion and comments that it, despite being a mysterious concoction, "Tastes like straw— strawberries!"
* Temporary Bulk Change: The potions often cause Shaggy and Scooby to change mass considerably, but because each potion cancels out the effects of the previous potion, this change in mass is only temporary.
* Theme Music Power-Up: Shaggy drinks a potion that makes him abnormally muscular and the song "Get Ready For This" by 2 Unlimited plays.
* These Are Things Man Was Not Meant to Know: Scooby drinks a potion that makes him ludicrously intelligent, and immediately after acknowledging this, he complains, "It's awful! Oh, I long for the blissful ignorance of my former self!" because he feels cursed by his newfound knowledge.
* Thinking Out Loud: Scooby drinks a potion that makes him ludicrously intelligent. He also becomes much more talkative, monologuing about his feelings and plans.
* Too Hungry to Be Polite: Desperate to cure himself of his "Chick's body," Shaggy tilts his head all the way back, such that his mouth faces the ceiling, and pours a potion straight down into his throat, swallowing all of the remaining liquid in one gulp.
* Transformation Discretion Shot: Scooby drinks a potion and begins to experience a Bit-by-Bit Transformation; however, the camera then cuts to Shaggy, who turns around and sees a fully transformed monster version of Scooby.
* Unintentional Backup Plan: While trying to give Scooby an antidote, Shaggy unwittingly gives Scooby a potion that makes him ludicrously intelligent, allowing him to act as a Science Hero and develop an antidote for both of them.
* Voices Are Mental: Scooby drinks a potion that transforms him into the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes, but this physical change has no impact on his voice.
* Men Are Strong, Women Are Pretty: For the most part, this is the case throughout the film, with the only exception being Daphne, who is both conventionally attractive (in accordance with Hollywood Beauty Standards) and strong. Shaggy's transformations in Jonathan Jacobo's Lab overtly reflect this dichotomy, with his feminine form being slim and conventionally attractive (in accordance with Hollywood Beauty Standards), with Curves in All the Right Places, and his masculine form being abnormally muscular.
* Wrong Assumption: While searching for an antidote in Jonathan Jacobo's Lab, Shaggy desperately exclaims, "Now there's got to be an antidote in here somewhere," and grabs a single potion, expecting to find a ready-made Panacea, but when Scooby eventually develops a cure for them, he does so by mixing two potions together.

## May 26th 2003 Script Draft

This is the list of tropes used in James Gunn's original script, but not in Transformers.

* The Cameo: Scooby turns into a clone of Yao Ming.
* Clone by Conversion: Instead of transforming into a Tasmanian Devil, Scooby turns into a clone of Yao Ming.

## Chapter 11 (Shaggy)

This is the list of tropes used in the 11th chapter of the Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Novelization, but not in Transformers.

* Acronym Confusion: Shaggy assumes that "A" stands for "antidote."
* Adapted Out: Monster Scooby, Tasmanian Devil Scooby are absent from this adaptation.
* The Cameo: Scooby turns into a clone of Yao Ming.
* Chroma Key: Shaggy uses a green screen to simulate standing in front of iconic locations.
* Clone by Conversion: Instead of transforming into a Tasmanian Devil, Scooby turns into a clone of Yao Ming.
* My Brain Is Big: Scooby Brainiac has a noticeably large brain growing out of his head.
* Set Behind The Scenes: There's a camera and green screen set up in Jonathan Jacobo's Lab .
* Too Dumb To Live: While in a strange lab, Shaggy sees Scooby eat some of a glowing chemical, but instead of immediately addressing a potentially fatal situation, he starts playing with the green screen setup.
* Wrong Assumption: Shaggy assumes that "A" stands for "antidote," and while its true meaning is never revealed, the potions marked "A" were not antidotes.

## Mutate Madness

This is the list of tropes used in the 10th mini-game in the Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed PC game, but not in Transformers.

* Adapted Out: Tasmanian Devil Scooby, Shaggy Chick, and Buff Shaggy are all absent from this adaptation.
* Comedic Underwear Exposure: One of Scooby's transformations is Underwear Scooby, who appears to be Scooby Brainiac in a pair of boxers.
* Composite Character: Instead of Buff Shaggy, this adaptation features Buff Scooby, a combination of Buff Shaggy and Scooby.
* Item Crafting: The player must mix potions together to create an antidote.

## Other Media

This is the list of tropes used in other media, but not in Transformers.

* Abridged for Children: In Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (Scholastic Reader), Scooby-Doo 2 Movie Storybook, and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (Ladybird), the whole scene has been shortened significantly, with several of the transformations being completely removed and the rest only being mentioned briefly.
* Adapted Out: In Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (Scholastic Reader), Tasmanian Devil Scooby and Shaggy Chick are absent, and in Scooby-Doo 2 Movie Storybook and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (Ladybird), Tasmanian Devil Scooby, Shaggy Chick, and Buff Shaggy are absent.
* Adaptational Modesty: In Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (Scholastic Reader), Buff Shaggy keeps Shaggy's white undershirt, covering his arms and upper chest.
* Adaptational Location Change: In Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Mad Libs, the refrigerator and potions are found in an abandoned mansion.
* Adaptation Name Change: In Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Mad Libs, Shaggy find a clue that he connects to "Heather Jasper Jones," but in the film, this character was named "Heather Jasper Howe."
* Affectionate Parody: In the Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Again) Music Video, the members of Big Brovaz drink potions and transform in reference to The Potions Scene.
* Ambiguous Situation: As with all Mad Libs books, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Mad Libs is missing several important words, leaving blanks for the reader to fill in. The ambiguity is all part of the fun.
* What Does This Button Do?: In Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Mad Libs, while in the lab, Scooby and Shaggy flip a mysterious switch.

## See Also

* Jokes
* Special Effects