The Coconut Effect

[deckardcanine]

You see a man on horseback as he rides across the screen.
The land beneath is desert, but the sound—what does it mean?
The trotting should be muffled, so the clopping’s incorrect.
The explanation’s simple: It’s the coconut effect.

That term began in reference to sounding like a horse
By clacking halves of coconuts together. Now, of course,
We use the term more broadly: When a sound that most expect
Is truly unrealistic, that’s the coconut effect.

For instance, when a sword unsheathed from leather makes a zing,
Or when a larger bird makes lots of noise when taking wing,
Or when a fistfight’s loud before a fighter’s even decked,
We know the sound’s been added for the coconut effect.

In fact, the term can be applied to visuals as well
As various events to let the writers show, not tell.
For them, it’s not a flaw; it helps the audience detect
What’s going on. Let’s hear it for the coconut effect!