Most people hear February and think of hearts, chocolates, and that special someone in their lives. The Clarion is no exception, with practically every member of the team looking forward to the deluge of romantic comedies flooding their screens as Valentine’s Day rolls around. Which got the brain trust at our offices thinking: what are some of the best and worst tropes we’ll be looking out for? The answers, as you’ll see below, may surprise you.
Naglaa Mohamed, Intern: “I prefer rom-coms where the protagonists meet by chance and gradually get to know each other. The trope of frequent misunderstandings hampering their relationship can be highly entertaining even when repetitive. That being said, I find movies where one side bullies the other and both end up together at the end unrealistic and dull.”
Faith Harrell: “I usually like friends-to-lovers or long lost loves reconnecting. The enemies-to-lovers trope can be amazing but normally flop. Personally, I dislike forced romances and have even noticed how cheating has recently been into the romance genre. Both are hard ‘nos’ for me.
Zulhafidz, Intern: “I really enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope but am not a big fan of the whole ‘miscommunication causing drama’ sort of thing.”
Ismael David Mujahid, Executive Editor: “I’m a sucker for rom-coms where someone returns to their hometown after being away for years and rekindles old relationships, rivalries, etc. The clash of old vs new, cultures, and even viewpoints is typically hilarious. By sharp contrast, I find any rom-com that features kidnapping or any form of assault as inappropriate and in extremely bad taste. These kinds of movies nearly always try to sanitize the male character’s behavior by portraying him as ‘misunderstood’ and a ‘good guy at heart’. Unfortunately, it remains a common trope in the genre.
Our staff’s opinions aside, we’d like to turn things over to you, our wonderful readers. What do you think are the best and worst romantic comedy tropes? Let us know on social media.
(Featured Image from Canva)