Predictability/Clichés in Entertainment

[Shradow]

When it comes to forms of entertainment, be it video games or tv series or books or whatever, a fairly common complaint I see is that something is too predictable, too clichéd. That always feels weird to me, as I don't think I've ever lodged that complain at any series I've dealt with.

 

I'm an adult who's been doing stuff for awhile, and I feel like I'm pretty savvy when it comes to most forms of entertainment due to familiarity. As a result, it's not that rare for me to make guesses and predictions about short-term outcomes or even major plot points in something that end up being correct. But I don't consider that a fault of the series just because I can do that. I feel like it would take something even more formulaic than Scooby-Doo cartoons to the point that it's boring for me to complain about that, and I can't say there's that many things that would be like that (correct me if I'm wrong).

 

With clichés, I figure something is clichéd for a reason. It most likely wouldn't be overused if it didn't work and people didn't like it, to some extent. I've never seen some commonly done thing and groaned at the cliché.

 

What do you think?

[.Rai]

I dunno, most of the time I hear complaints about cliché, it's usually rightfully lodged. A cliché is different to a trope. Tropes are fine, clichés are not.

 

You'd really have to some list some examples of noted clichés in media that you think aren't that bad.

[Shradow]

Maybe trope is the word I was looking for then. But I'm pretty sure I've heard them used interchangeably with regards to complaints, though.

[a bad post]

https://onsizzle.com/i/every-dystopian-ya-novel-my-name-is-wicker-basket-and-1926043

 

This. I know it says YA Novels but it applies to TV movies as well. I mean really you probably apply this to basically any show/book whatever targeted at a YA audience and it has a female lead. Doesn't even have to be a love triangle and novel/show that uses the main character's romance as a constant source of angst and conflict annoys me.

 

Also LGBT+ stereotypes. Like Gay Bestfriend™, the Depraved Bisexual™, the sexy lesbian sex scene that is very obviously there only for male viewers to get off to rather than for a portrayal of a healthy relationship between women. Oh, and then there's my favorite the man dressed in drag that's supposed by a trans person, yeah that's cute.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Also LGBT+ stereotypes. Like Gay Bestfriend™, the Depraved Bisexual™, the sexy lesbian sex scene that is very obviously there only for male viewers to get off to rather than for a portrayal of a healthy relationship between women. Oh, and then there's my favorite the man dressed in drag that's supposed by a trans person, yeah that's cute.

Even worse for me is the fact that a ton of movies and such with a gay romance ends with the death of one/both of the gay characters. Fun fun fun.

 

Anyway. The fun of cliches is using them as a basis, and then throwing other things into them. A good writer/character can make even cliches fun by way of a few things.

Interesting plot points.

Fun interactions with other, less cliche, characters. Alternatively two cliches coming together in ways not often seen.

A surprising trait that adds to a character beyond the cliche

Just Good Writing

Humor is a good way of using cliches in a way that still is entertaining

[Susie]

If youre able to make a cliche entertaining then thats cool and all but for me its still a cliche and it can be easily bothersome even at times when theyre done in an entertaining way. Trying to do interesting things with cliches is a really great thing but at times can be hard to do right, just take a look at how many modern Horror films have failed such as The Lazarus Effect, which relied so heavily on the whole "OOOOH SHES POSSESSED, DEMONIC POSSESSION BLAAAAH" kind of deal but even with the aspect and angle that it was going for being unique. Just remember if youre going to do something with cliches make sure you actually think of creative ways to utilize them instead of just relying strictly on the idea of your piece of work in general holding up everything because youre mostly destined to fail that way.

[Just Crouton]

All dads are abusive drunks that end up motivating their sons to become cops/detectives/federal agents. Except Blue Bloods and NCIS.

[The Nyx Avatar]

Would jumpscares in horror (movies, games, and shows; if such shows exist) count?

[Just Crouton]

Would jumpscares in horror (movies, games, and shows; if such shows exist) count?

 

More the long buildup to them, followed by the "oh, there's nothing here. Whew! I'll just turn aroun-OH sheet!"

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Horror sadly is prone to the most predictability and cliches. And it's also the worst place for them to exist. Completely takes me out of it. Nowadays most horror is more fun to make fun of than to be scared.

[mitchermitcher]

Sometimes the predictability that comes with the cliche can be used to great and exciting effect and god I love those moments. Other times(sadly more often than not) it's immersion-breaking and a poor sign on the author's ability to think and write and having to resort to something easy and often-used.

 

It's really just like any other trope. Used right, cliches are amazing and if used wrong, not so. They're just harder to properly write.

[Susie]

Horror sadly is prone to the most predictability and cliches. And it's also the worst place for them to exist. Completely takes me out of it. Nowadays most horror is more fun to make fun of than to be scared.

 

Most of the Horror flicks that I watch now are foreign because theres actually good stuff going on with them. America really funked up Horror despite being home to Eraserhead, The Thing, The Shining, The Silence of the Lambs, and plenty of other films that are staples of Horror.

[Trebuchet MS]

I'd like to clarify whether the topic is discussing Troperiffic or Cliche Storm.

[Shradow]

I'd like to clarify whether the topic is discussing Troperiffic or Cliche Storm.

Bit of both, really, but maybe not to the extent of those scenarios. The first reply to the thread brought up the whole trope/cliche thing already.

[Trebuchet MS]

I do not mind a bit of predictability in what I watch/read/play. It depends on how the trope gets played out within its setting or with the characters involved. It feels like how I handle spoilers. I may know how it might turn out, but how it plays out and the preceding events add to or subtract from the enjoyment.

 

But when characters fall squarely into stereotypes or plots end up looking cut-and-paste with little variation in how characters react or how the plot itself interacts with the setting, I respond with a tired sigh.