Exciting! Another new series: Trope of the Week.
What is a trope? A trope is a device, motif, recurring theme, or even a cliche used in storytelling. It can be a character type, a specific line or style of dialogue, a plot device, even a type of location or set.
A trope itself is neither good nor bad. In fact, used appropriately it can be an effective tool. In storytelling, whether in literature or film or other media, a lot of information needs to be communicated to the audience without bogging down the pace with lots of backstory or exposition. A trope can be a kind of shorthand that the creator and audience have agreed on and recognize so the audience knows what to expect and can concentrate on more important parts of the plot.
When overused it can make the storytelling lazy or one dimensional. It then becomes a cliche and distracts from the story.
One of my favorite trope sources is the website tvtropes.org. It is a massive user-run collection of all tropes film, tv, literary, anime, video game, ad nauseum. I’m a bit of an addict.
This week’s trope is currently a popular one; the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. The Manic Pixie Dream Girl is, obviously, a female character type. She is pretty, spontaneous, non-conformist, and above all else, quirky. Cute and quirky are pretty much the two key ingredients for Manic Pixie Dream Girl. She is not usually the protaganist but is often used to rescue the male protaganist from his dull emotionless existence. She is full of the wonder of life and marvels at the delight that each moment holds.
The phrase was first used to describe Kirsten Dunst’s character in 2005′s Elizabethtown but the archetype has been around a lot longer than that, going all the way to Katherine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby and back. Other Manic Pixie Dream Girls include Barbara Streisand in What’s Up Doc?, Sarah Jessica Parker in L.A. Story, Charlize Theron in Sweet November (with a twist of tragedy) and Natalie Portman in Garden State.
But the current reigning monarch of all Manic Pixie Dream Girls is Zooey Deschanel. Almost every role she plays, from (500) Days of Summer to Yes Man is some form of this type. Her new TV show New Girl (quite funny by the way) is almost entirely based on her embodiment of this archetype. On the flipside, a writer on this trope’s page points out that in Elf her character is pretty jaded and that Will Ferrell is actually the Manic Pixie Dream Guy.
Edit:(4/29/12) OK, this is what happens when I’m excited and I want to post an article. I post and then think about it and have more to say or correct. In regards to Zooey, she actually started out as the snarky best friend in movies like Abandon or Failure to Launch. In fact, her character was one of the few bright points in Failure. She only moved to Manic Pixie Dream Girl after movies mentioned above.
What Manic Pixie Dream Girls have you picked up on?
And now for your viewing pleasure, a couple of videos. First up, Zooey makes fun of her own reputation on SNL
And even better, the need to care for all these Manic Pixie Dream Girls roaming the streets has finally led to a home being set up for them. Enjoy.







A An Overview Of How Much Caffeine In A Costa Latte From Start
To Finish 221878.xyz
10 Things Competitors Teach You About Pragmatic Slots Experience 프라그마틱
무료체험 메타; Staci,
Regards. Ample write ups!
casumo online casino test casino free games online ap33 online casino
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Mobility Scooters comfortable Electric scooters
Is Technology Making Wall Mounted Electric Fires Better Or
Worse? electric fireplaces on The wall
Who Is Toto Korea Prize And Why You Should Consider
Toto Korea Prize 토토사이트 (Ronny)
Can Wall-Mounted Fireplace Be The Next Supreme Ruler Of The
World? white fireplace
Ten Three Wheel Pushchairs That Really Improve Your Life
three wheel Pushchairs
20 Rising Stars To Watch In The Leather Couch
L Shaped Industry sleeper l shaped sofa (Nelle)
7 Simple Tips To Totally Rocking Your ADHD Otc Medication most
common adhd medications – Patti,
15 Terms Everybody Working In The Toto Industry
Should Know 먹튀검증 커뮤니티 (Myra)
The Reasons You’re Not Successing At 3 Wheeled Travel System 3 wheel travel system
10 Meetups On Frost Free Fridge Freezer 50 50 You Should Attend extra tall fridge freezer 50 50, Hubert,
Ten Startups That Are Set To Change The Wall Fireplace Industry For The Better white electric fireplace wall mount (Leonora)
10 Undeniable Reasons People Hate Sports Toto Korea 첫가입 꽁머니 (Siobhan)
5 Must-Know Porsche Key Replacement Cost Practices For 2023 porsche boxster keys [Stormy]
The 10 Scariest Things About L Shaped Couch Small l shaped couch small (Leonor)
See What Long-Range Mobility Scooters Tricks The
Celebs Are Using long-range mobility scooters – Gena,
You’ll Be Unable To Guess Three Wheel Pushchair’s Tricks three
wheel pushchair; Maisie,
20 Reasons Why Realistic Sexual Dolls Will Never Be Forgotten realistic sex doll prices
10 Misleading Answers To Common Sofas L Shape Questions Do You Know The Right Ones?
l shaped couch leather
10 Meetups About Private Psychiatrist Assessment Near Me You Should Attend
private psychiatrist leicester cost (Branden)
Don’t Believe In These “Trends” Concerning Freezer Integrated Fridge largest
integrated fridge freezer (Lou)
You Will Meet Your Fellow Toto Site Enthusiasts. Steve Jobs Of The Toto Site Industry 첫가입 꽁머니
15 Best Backlink Building Software Bloggers You Should
Follow best backlink building software (Renato)
Are You Getting The Most Of Your Jaguar Replacement Key Fob?
jaguar X type key replacement cost (webin.Co.kr)
10 Tell-Tale Signs You Need To Know Before You Buy Private Psychiatric Assessment Glasgow Psychiatric assessment services; macpherson-kryger.technetbloggers.de,
Are You Responsible For An L Shaped Leather Sofas Budget?
12 Ways To Spend Your Money Inexpensive L Shaped Couch
Why Do So Many People Want To Know About Glass Window Repair?
home glass repair; Crystle,
10 Inspirational Graphics About Sports Toto Official Website 메이저사이트
What’s The Current Job Market For Key For Mercedes Professionals Like?
Key For Mercedes; Muscleman.Co.Kr,
The Ultimate Glossary Of Terms For Pragmatic Site 프라그마틱 정품확인방법
How To Become A Prosperous Camping Espresso Maker If You’re Not Business-Savvy 822547 (822547.xyz)
11 Ways To Completely Redesign Your Attorneys For Asbestos
Exposure Asbestos Lawyers
14 Businesses Are Doing A Fantastic Job At Upvc Window Repairs upvc window repairs near me (kim-rooney-2.Technetbloggers.de)
10 Things You Learned From Kindergarden They’ll Help You Understand Upvc Front Doors Supplied And
Fitted Near Me Replacing Upvc Door Locks, Kingranks.Com,
5 Laws To Help The Mesothelioma Asbestos Claim Industry Mesothelioma Lawyer (Theme.Sir.Kr)
You’ll Be Unable To Guess Asbestos Attorney’s
Tricks asbestos attorney – Athena -
10 Things That Your Family Taught You About Replacement Key
For Peugeot Partner Van replacement
The 10 Most Scariest Things About Mobility Scooter Automatic
Folding mobility scooter automatic folding (Ernesto)
Why We Why We Double Glazing Windows Repairs (And You Should Too!) double glazed windows repairs; Leatha,
The 12 Most Popular Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawyers Accounts To Follow On Twitter asbestos lawsuit (Evelyn)
A Step-By’-Step Guide For Spare Car Key Maker 99811760
The 15 Things Your Boss Would Like You To Know You Knew About Asbestos Mesothelioma Mesothelioma lawsuits
You’ll Be Unable To Guess Situstoto Slot’s Benefits situstoto slot (Elke)
10 Things You Learned In Kindergarden They’ll Help You Understand 3
Wheel Double Stroller 3 wheel pushchair sale – Bradford -
The Unspoken Secrets Of Sports Toto History 토지노 사이트 (Cristine)
The No. One Question That Everyone Working In Coffee Machine Beans Needs
To Know How To Answer bean to cup offers (Harriett)
What Is Treehouse Canopy And Why Is Everyone Speakin’ About It?
bunk bed with tree house (Ona)
See What Composite Door Repair Tricks The Celebs Are Using Composite Door Repair