ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Flanderization

Well, kiddo, flanderization is when a character in a TV show or movie is no longer as complex as they were in the beginning, and instead they become a caricature of themselves.

It's like when you draw a picture of your friend and you make their nose really big and their hair really crazy, even though they don't really look like that in real life.

The same thing happens with characters on TV shows - writers start to exaggerate certain parts of their personality or behavior until that's all they are known for.

For example, if a character in a show was originally a bit clumsy, the writers might start making them fall over every time they appear on screen, until they are only known for being clumsy.

This can be funny sometimes, but it can also make the character less interesting and sometimes even annoying to watch.
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