To continue the thought from my last post there are a set of six Hollywood tropes that I’m quite tired of seeing. And no, they are not the usual complaints seen so much on YouTube and in other blogs. I think just about everyone has heard the complaints of Mary Sues and the breaking of physical laws in modern movies. No, my complaint is from trends which predate this problem, and no one seems to take note of them.
The first is everyone in movies and television calling on the Universe. You’ll hear such statements as “the Universe has a sense of humor,” or “the Universe will show you the way.” I know the writers and film makers are trying to be unoffensive and all inclusive, but they are failing because they are offending me and excluding me. Why is the impersonal universe substituted for the personal God. Why not just say God. Worse still they will have characters who are supposed to be devote substituting “the Universe” for God. For example, the character Sam in the show Ted Lasso was constantly hinted at being a Muslim which suggested his family was also Muslim, and yet in a scene where his father is advising him, his father said that the Universe would show Sam the way. To me it would have been truer and more believable if he has said God or even Allah would show Sam the way.
I know I mentioned this on my last post but it still bothers me. Why is it that if a character is intelligent, thoughtful, or sophisticated they are always atheist, while anyone with any type of religious belief is always some stupid rube incapable of forming a coherent thought? The show runners refuse to recognize there are just as many people of faith in the STEM fields are there are atheist. But still, it is rare to show a character that has faith with any dignity or respect. They are willing to show how trauma can be a motivating factor for a character but never faith except for a villain. Hear anyone quote the Bible in a show and you know he is the murderer in the mystery or the evil antagonist, and that is without fail.
The third thing that upsets me is that when they do have a Christian who isn’t a villain or a joke, they show them as being just like everyone else when it comes to sin. In fact, they have them revel in sin, particularly in sexual sin. They don’t see these “Christians” striving to have their faith transform them. No, they are shown hopping in bed with anyone without a second thought, and then bragging about it to their friends. At the very least they should show these “Christians” as having at least some shame for their less than moral behavior.
I’m tired of seeing the incompetent, clueless, loser, and unnecessary father. This may have started as a joke with The Simpsons, but now it is seen as given. Most men and all fathers are now in the shows as comic relief. They’re almost never shown as being able to bestow wisdom from their experience or being there to save the family. I will admit it’s not all bad. There are exceptions to this rule, such as the father in the movie A Quiet Place or Mr. Horn-rimmed glasses in the TV show Heros, but the Homer’s outnumber them by a long shot.
I’m tired of watching the most unbelievable series of improbable events being hailed as “reality” as long as there are scenes of someone sitting on a toilet, some gratuitous sex, and a conversation liberally springled with f-bombs. Could we please have the story without these needless additions of vulgarity that add nothing to the plot or characterizations.
Finally, I’m tired of the macho/bully coward. This is probably the longest standing trope you’ll find in cinema. It’s been around at least since the 1950’s. I get the feeling that most writers were nerds in high school and were bullied. This trope is their way of getting even with the bullies and putting salve on their wounded egos. By thinking all such people are physical cowards, they can feel morally superior for not participating in sports or testing physical capabilities, but it’s just wishful thinking and seeking justification. The truth is that many such macho men and bullies may be men of low character, but they are not physical cowards. They are willing to expose themselves to danger and will continue the fight even when injured or when all hope of victory is gone. They may sulk when they fail to get the recognition, they feel they deserve, and they won’t take a stand on principle if there’s a chance of public ridicule. But put them in a fight or challenge them and they will shine. Benidict Arnold was just such a case. He was wounded in the battle of Saratoga leading the troops to victory, but then betrayed the revolution when he failed to get the promotion he deserved. These macho men while physically brave may also have the morals of tom cat. During my time in the armed forces, I met several men I would trust with my life, but I would never trust them with my wife or my money. I remember hearing one man tell a story about the bravest man he ever knew. We were regaled about this man’s feats on the battlefield, and then he added, “But as a human being he was worthless.”
Thank you for letting me rant.
#TiredTropes