{"id":8116,"date":"2013-02-26T17:23:32","date_gmt":"2013-02-27T00:23:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/?p=8116"},"modified":"2013-02-26T17:23:32","modified_gmt":"2013-02-27T00:23:32","slug":"trope-tuesday-mexican-standoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/trope-tuesday-mexican-standoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Trope Tuesday: Mexican Standoff"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"rsz_standoff_9776\"<\/a>In a typical standoff, such as a hostage situation<\/a>, two characters face off without immediately shooting at each other.\u00a0 One or both of them may be using a human shield<\/a>, or be reluctant to shoot first for fear that the other will take them with him<\/a>.\u00a0 A Mexican standoff<\/a>, however, takes that up to a whole new level<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the best explanation is the one from Wikipedia<\/a>:<\/p>\n

A Mexican standoff<\/b> is most precisely a confrontation among three opponents. The tactics for such a confrontation are substantially different than for a duel<\/a>, where the first to shoot has the advantage. In a confrontation among three mutually hostile participants, the first to shoot is at a tactical disadvantage. If opponent A shoots opponent B, then while so occupied, opponent C can shoot A, thus winning the conflict. Since it is the second opponent to shoot that has the advantage, no one wants to go first.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Basically, it’s Mutually Assured Destruction<\/a> (MAD<\/a>) on the level of individuals rather than nations.\u00a0 The classic example is the finale from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.\u00a0 Clint Eastwood’s character rigged it, though, so the outcome was never really in dispute.\u00a0 Elsewhere, things rarely end so cleanly.<\/p>\n