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Basically, what the title says. What’s something you think is overused, or weird, or just plain dumb in books, movies, shows, etc?
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#1
Not really a trope, but Shaky Cam in action movies (or any movie, but action movies tend to overuse it.) It doesn't add to the action, all it does is make the scene confusing and unwatchable. I'd like to watch a movie without taking dramamine.
Final score:
22points
#2
Anything having to do with a fight scene. Ex: That's not how you punch. That's not what would happen if you got hit there. Why is blood coming out of your mouth no matter where you got stabbed? Why did such a shallow wound leave you on the ground? Why do you talk sooo much to someone you're trying to kill?
Final score:
21points
#3
Forced romance, totally unnecessary.
I also hate the "tall, dark and handsome" trope.
Final score:
19points
#4
I can't stand high school movies where the characters pretty much do everything except go to school. In most of them, the "smart one" of the group is still just a slacker that occasionally studies for a test. Like did any of the people working on the show/movie ever go to school?
Final score:
18points
#5
Useless teen with super-powers overthrows villain's whole system.
The only story who did the "teen hero" thing right was the Hunger Games.
All the interesting guys falling for boring girl with 0 personality. Divergent and the Twilight saga come to mind...Sophie from KOTLS barely avoided this trope.
Dead parents as the backstory.
No, give us villain parents or hurt parents, or even parents that are involved in the plot. You don't need to be alone to have character arc.
Final score:
18points
#6
Well not really a trope, but I watched this one movie where someone instantly dies from being shot in the arm. They didn't bleed out or anything just *gunshot* *character dies*
Final score:
18points
#7
Rebellious female characters written to be uninterested in romance ending up in a heterosexual relationship/crush. Catherine called Birdy and Little Women do this -_-
Final score:
15points
#8
When a character "snaps" or gives up all of their ideals for no apparent reason. If you want a character to slowly go insane, fine. But do your goddamn research to make it accurate, and figure out a logical reason for the insanity, such as a childhood trauma that gets brought back up. Not "omg i just killed someone lets become a complete pyschopath".
Final score:
15points
#9
Movie/tv show news commentators: the female commentator’s job is to ask questions from the male commentator so that he can explain things to her.
M: Breaking news! A moose has been spotted in New York.
F: Did you say a moose?
M: Indeed. [goes on with the story]
F: That’s fantastic! What would we do without [whatever], Frank?
M: Well, Jeanie, [explains options]
and so on.
Final score:
15points
#10
Forced inclusion. I don't mean including characters from marginalized groups, but when the author tries to "fill a quote" of certain representation. This usually means a shallow representation, or based entirely on harmful stereotypes or characters that we only know they're gay or something like that. Humans are much more complex than just being part of the opressed.
Final score:
15points
#11
LOUD MUSIC. talking. LOUD GUNFIRE. whisper. LOUD MUSIC. GUNFIRE. EXPLOSIONS. EXCITEMENT?
Not a trope in a strict plot device way, and thankfully not a problem in books, but damn I hate it.
Final score:
15points
#12
A couple of them.
1. Actor is "playing" an instrument/singing, but it is cringey-fake.
2. Car tires somehow squeal...in the dirt.
3. Character falls from an unreasonable height, gets up and keeps on going.
4. Characters stand around *just long enough* for the relatively small fire to get out of control when snuffing it out with the blanket right next to them would have worked fine.
Tropes to see more of:
1. White slave owners getting obliterated by former slaves/allies.
2. Women pwning their fields of expertise.
Final score:
14points
#13
adult situations, I don't see people doing dishes or paying bills or working their a*s off.
Final score:
14points
#14
When a likeable character unnecessarily reveals something personal about their life -- e.g., they just got engaged, their wife is expecting, they just got accepted at a prestigious school like Juilliard -- you know they are doomed. They will die (probably heroically) before the end of the film.
Final score:
13points
#15
After learning from fashion historians, the whole historic costume designing.
Corsets, particularly, always having to be shown being tight-laced by default, each time, and no chemise or anything between the skin and corset.
A man and woman always having to be attracted to each other just because they meet, no matter the circumstance. (Dante's Peak, The Mountain Between Us (I can't say that with a straight-face XD. There was a "mountain" between them alright )
An unconventional looking girl/boy needs a makeover to be socially acceptable. (Although I do relate to Amelia in The Princess Diaries when her makeover led to more teasing, cos that's what usually happens, and didn't really make her more popular.)
Final score:
13points
#17
Characters do stupid stuff they don’t actually have to do, and the movie could have been resolved in like 20 mins if they just got right to the point. (No specific examples, but I’ve seen this type of thing so many times.)
Final score:
12points
#18
Horror movies where a doll comes to life and kills people. How many movies can possibly be based on this stupid trope? It's a f*****g doll - f*****g step on its head.
Final score:
12points
#19
"Sir you robbed a bank"
"I used to go to church"
"What?"
"My child was bullied!"
"Ok but that doesn't explain why you robbed a bank"
"MY WIFE WAS KILLED IN A HIT AND RUN! BY A DOG!"
"JUST TELL ME WHERE THE MONEY IS"
"It all changed when the fire nation attacked"
"For God's S- Fine. Just keep the damned money"
For context: Bringing in unnecessary plot points to the story that make no sense and do absolutely nothing to explain the motives for actions protrayed by not only the villain but literally the entire cast. Throwing Money at the problem does not solve it. Write your films better
Final score:
12points
#20
Bury Your Gays, the Gay Best Friend, etc
Also autistic characters always as cishet white guys who are obsessed with trains.
Final score:
11points
#22
The main character is a white man. His best friend is a man of color. Best Friend is tortured at length because of some crime situation. Main Character rescues Best Friend, learns something important.
I've seen this one twice recently. I won't watch it again.
Final score:
11points
#23
Action movies where everyone has the ability to outrun fiery explosions.
Final score:
11points
#24
There are no ‘popular mean girl clique’ in a college or high school. We’re all just a bunch of young human beings trying to get through the day without passing out from exhaustion. Also, books where the parents and families of teens are never around. Also, movies where the hero never gets killed/injured with sheer luck, but all the minor characters die by being slapped across the face. So annoying. And why tf canthe villain/hero just kill each other without all the dramatic dialogue
Final score:
9points
#25
Character has:
Dead parent(s)
undiscovered magical powers
Character:
Goes into a magical world (usually by accident)
HP and Land of Stories did it well, but the rest? Ugh
Final score:
8points
#26
How press photographers act, or the amateur cameras they use. Have none of the directors ever seen the news ?
Final score:
8points
#27
1 Shootings with firearms, when by now it is known that they mostly have poor range and accuracy of fire. (Western movies)
2 Car explotions. Really?
3 Too many bullets in the pistols magazine.
4 Jumping through glass, unharmed.
Final score:
8points
#28
not that i hate it, but it's definitely overused. Disney ALWAYS kills off the parents of the main character or if not, childhood trauma, and that forms our inspirational hero.
Final score:
8points
#30
The overly zealous description of some one or something. I’ve read books that took several paragraphs if not pages to fully depict the character or scene. That makes me lose interest in a story quickly.
Final score:
7points
#33
Characters that are autistic being depicted as white, cis males that are socially awkward, only have a special interest in trains, and being shown as a savant at math.
All characters in movies that wear glasses or braces that become instantly beautiful after they are removed (usually in a transformation sequence or montage)
Final score:
5points
#34
Protagonists that can only shine because everybody around them is close to being brain dead or if they are meant to be likeable by displaying everybody around them as absolute worst.
Final score:
5points
#35
the fact that most of us deities are potraied as either good or evil, some of us are netral you know!
Final score:
5points
#36
Everything the Hallmark Channel makes ;p
Final score:
5points
#37
In high school movies:
The smart guy - nerd, glasses, bullied, the whole shebang
The hot guy - an athlete of some sort, not really that smart but has the whole school fawning over him.
The popular social media girl - basically same as the hot guy, minus the athlete and constantly on phone, documenting everything, checking her stats. Bonus points if she's rich.
The popular cheerleader girl - bffs with the social media girl, usually has a fight with her by the end of the movie. Either is in a relationship or has a crush on the hot one.
The ugly girl - glasses, pimples, "bad" hairstyle. Good at studying, so her and nerd become good friends. Also has a crush on hot guy. Ends in one of two ways: either hot guy breaks up with one of the popular girls to choose her or she realizes the nerd is who she loves. Takes of glasses and changes her hair for *instant glow up*
Just once I'd like to see an attractive, athletic guy who can also top the class. And a girl who doesn't need a glow up to be happy.
Final score:
5points
#38
dystopian movies
The Hunger Games was horrible, stupid and made no sense. People let the capitol basically kill their kids for 74 years until someone volunteers for their sister? The president who killed everyone of the victors or their families or sent them into sexual servititude couldn't do the same to katniss? Stupid, stupid, stupid
Final score:
4points
#39
Movies where people are held hostage, tortured and die anyway. Why? and sometimes I feel like it gives someone with warped mind ideas, as in copycat
Final score:
2points
#40
The pronouns that could solve a mystery. Not... him.you know... HIM. No we don't, why don't you use this opportunity to tell the heros, who are established as not being from here. It can usually solve like 20 minutes of movie
Final score:
0points
#41
wings of fire and warrior cats.
im sorry to those who like it.
Final score:
0points
Biana Weatherford 1 year ago
could you say that without the gender term? Ya'll, Folks, People....
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lonely miso 1 year ago
its not like we're furries (not like that's bad) we enjoy reading it. also this is TROPES not just books you dont like!
LeviTheUselessFrog 1 year ago
Younger me decided to stop reading wof, because it was too violent. anddd deciding to read warrior cats. Not much of a difference there hon lol. But even though i disagree, maybe we can find a book series that we both enjoy! What are your favorites?
LeviTheUselessFrog 1 year ago
Heyy! This is completely random but wanted to ask. How would i use the pronouns your using atm? brain isnt working lol. Would it be likee, uh, "Ze went to the market because zer pantry was empty"? sorry if that was confusing
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Michelle K 1 year ago
I like the Warrior Cats books. But then again, I was BORN loving felines...
What do you think ?
Exotic Butters 1 year ago
A monkey. Whenever a monkey is in a movie you know it's going to steal important keys, or someone's toupee, or get lost in the city and cause havoc in the upscale shops. I hate monkeys but I hate monkeys in movies more.
mysterious 1 year ago
Unreliable Narrators, specifically mentally ill unreliable narrators. Unreliable Narrators isn't a bad trope, I just like to know what's going on, and it feels like a cheap way to build suspense, like everything is going wrong, but AHA this was the plan all along. Second, mentally ill unreliable narrators just kinda feels like, "look at this character, they can't even comprehend the world around them properly, isn't it so sad?" And it feels forced and poorly written.
trollingergirl 1 year ago
People in hospitals. After being treated, they get worse while in the hospital and get saved, most of the time. In the real world, you probably get worse when being back at home.
CG 1 year ago
These are more of a pair of specific tropes in zombie movies, but not searching for bite marks after escaping from a horde/being ambushed, or taking way too long to do something about infected/sick people. The only instances this would fly would be in source material where the concept of zombies isn't a thing (like The Walking Dead), the early going of an outbreak where people are still learning about the infection, or sources where a zombie cure exists.
Greennovator 1 year ago (edited)
I've not seen a single insightful comment (above or below) that show even the slightest understanding of the movie industry (why they're made that way and what makes a profit). They've failed to realize what "bread and circuses" truly means, and how many dupes just eat it up and spend vast amounts of money on the entirely predictable and formulaic BS. Do you need another example? ... trumpsters. (Gullible, tribalism, and easy marks for old con-men).
Exotic Butters 1 year ago
A monkey. Whenever a monkey is in a movie you know it's going to steal important keys, or someone's toupee, or get lost in the city and cause havoc in the upscale shops. I hate monkeys but I hate monkeys in movies more.
mysterious 1 year ago
Unreliable Narrators, specifically mentally ill unreliable narrators. Unreliable Narrators isn't a bad trope, I just like to know what's going on, and it feels like a cheap way to build suspense, like everything is going wrong, but AHA this was the plan all along. Second, mentally ill unreliable narrators just kinda feels like, "look at this character, they can't even comprehend the world around them properly, isn't it so sad?" And it feels forced and poorly written.
trollingergirl 1 year ago
People in hospitals. After being treated, they get worse while in the hospital and get saved, most of the time. In the real world, you probably get worse when being back at home.
CG 1 year ago
These are more of a pair of specific tropes in zombie movies, but not searching for bite marks after escaping from a horde/being ambushed, or taking way too long to do something about infected/sick people. The only instances this would fly would be in source material where the concept of zombies isn't a thing (like The Walking Dead), the early going of an outbreak where people are still learning about the infection, or sources where a zombie cure exists.
Greennovator 1 year ago (edited)
I've not seen a single insightful comment (above or below) that show even the slightest understanding of the movie industry (why they're made that way and what makes a profit). They've failed to realize what "bread and circuses" truly means, and how many dupes just eat it up and spend vast amounts of money on the entirely predictable and formulaic BS. Do you need another example? ... trumpsters. (Gullible, tribalism, and easy marks for old con-men).
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