| abstract | - This is when a very serious Aesop is undermined because it's presented by a show that just cannot handle it well. This is especially common in children's shows. There are many, many cases where a well-meaning show for children tries to explain a newsworthy issue. Sadly, the characters just usually end up way out of their comfort zone and the message often goes way over the poor kids' heads, often because it's so different from the normal tone of the show. Not that this is always the fault of the writers. Any attempt to tackle serious subject matter honestly is problematic when the Moral Guardians are watching. This is often due to the fact that many attempts to deal with such serious subject matter will usually have said Guardians responding with outrage at its mere inclusion! Yes, even if you are explicitly attempting to discourage it. And so you often end up with children being warned about something dangerous -- but exactly why that something is dangerous is often never explained (which is why this trope can be a rich well of Paranoia Fuel). It's hard to tell kids "don't play with power tools because you might get killed" when you can't say die (so expect to hear something like "very, very badly hurt"). Likewise, gun safety is an improbable issue to address when everyone packs a laser gun or something. Most infamously, drug abuse isn't easy to deal with when you can't quantify why you shouldn't use drugsor when you can't even acknowledge that drugs exist. Not to be confused with a Broken Aesop. While there can be some crossover, Broken Aesops are lessons undermined by the action within the show (e.g., "Be nice to people who are different from you. Now, let's go back to fighting monsters!") Don't confuse this with a Family-Unfriendly Aesop either, because while again there can be some crossover, Clueless Aesops are acceptable lessons -- at least, they start out that way. It's just that the lesson is handled in such a compressed time, in a manner that is so laughable (or even offensive), or is presented in such an out-there or age-inappropriate show that it ultimately ends up warped. The typical reaction is Don't Shoot the Message. Also do not confuse with any Aesop delivered by Cher Horowitz. Compare Space Whale Aesop, as there is an awful lot of crossover. See also some examples of And Knowing Is Half the Battle, Very Special Episode, Do Not Do This Cool Thing, and You Can Panic Now. Drugs Are Bad and Too Smart for Strangers are especially prone to this. Examples of Clueless Aesop include:
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