“There is no such thing as a new idea,” writer Mark Twain said.
Though this quote may seem negative, it does raise an interesting point about the books, TV shows, movies and other media that we consume. Each follows a set plot that may have been regurgitated from another prior piece of art.
While writers and directors can come up with some differences that set them apart, cracks are shown through tropes that weave their way into these pieces for the sake of the story.
A majority of these tropes focus on romance, and though there may be others that try and branch away from this, they ultimately come back as an aid. Enemies to lovers, a common trope found throughout the media, often features a “bad boy” type of character. With tropes often serving as the primary marketing tactic in a new form of media, they become overused and indistinguishable.
In an effort to break away from the stereotype, writers will often try to subvert these tropes in an effort to shed a different light on characters, ultimately keeping viewer engagement.
The “bad boy,” though still troubled, is now an intellectual, such as Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia) in “Gilmore Girls” — a love interest for bookish main character, Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel).
The “bad girl,” on the other hand, is revealed to be inexperienced, like McKayla Strawberry (Maika Monroe) in “Hot Summer Nights” — the primary love interest for the equally inexperienced Daniel Middleton (Timothée Chalamet).
While these subversions initially cured the problem of overutilization, they eventually grew stale like their predecessor, becoming stereotypes of their own. Mason Thames’ character Miller Adams in the book adaptation of “Regretting You” is a prime example of this.
Though he comes across as a “bad boy” used for the main character to rebel against her mother, in actuality, he is a huge softie. He cares for his grandfather and becomes infatuated with his girlfriend. He doesn’t smoke, and he even chews on lollipops instead of a toothpick like we’d suspect.
The problem with this is that he comes across as inauthentic. We’re introduced to these subversions right off the bat, and have a hard time seeing him as anything else. We hardly have time to build up this idea of him in our head without getting the rug pulled out from under us.
This in turn can cause us to have a hard time sympathizing with the opposing viewpoint that sees him as a threat. While the character is supposed to come across as a rebel, the obvious facade that he’s put up as a shield makes his faux persona cringeworthy.
Another problem that comes with these subversions does not have to do with the characters themselves, but with the viewers. By being introduced to these two-dimensional yet seemingly multifaceted characters, we build up this new trope that we’ve been introduced to, and quickly accustomed to.
Since these characters primarily act as love interests for the main characters, we only see them from a certain point of view, making their complexities stock. The reveal of Jess as a literary enthusiast and McKayla’s reveal as a virgin only act as plot points for Rory and Daniel to like them more. It feels more like something the writers cooked up than something that would actually happen to the characters if they were real people.
This expectation that our crushes fit the idealness we have in our heads is just unrealistic. Though our main characters get lucky by having their perfect significant other set up right in front of them, the writers fail to admit that sometimes people aren’t always perfect.
This writing decision downplays Jess’ trauma by making it seem as if he is already fixed, and it paints McKayla in a negative light when she was portrayed as having had sex.
A more effective way to save these characters and still have them be considered love interests is to have them learn to be better people rather than secretly being one. Jess can win Rory’s heart by taking an interest in her hobbies, though he has no interest in them himself. This can prove he is trying to change, and help him figure out a gateway to express his feelings.
McKayla is portrayed as a sultry character who is still desired by Daniel despite him being portrayed as the opposite. Once she reveals the truth about her experience, it is then when he sees her as less of an enigma, and as someone who is more attainable, fitting right into the male gaze.
Daniel’s growth on finding out she is more pure than he imagined is not needed, especially given that he wanted to be with her in the first place. McKayla’s portrayal as someone who has had sex shouldn’t be portrayed as negative, but rather normal. The writers made this decision purely for the audience, evidenced by how it hardly affected Daniel.
While this subversion of tropes is an attempt to create new ideas, it too has become unoriginal. The implication that people can’t grow or change is unintentionally harmful, as well as the male and female gaze that it feeds into. Though coming up with new ideas is an impressive and admirable feat, we have to make sure they’re not half-baked, and that we are able to build off of them when need be.
