Romance - The Cliches

Every genre has its cliches and conventions which make it distinctly the genre which it aims to be. In this post I shall be assessing some of the cliches associated with the romance genre:

The Guy

- The jock - He's sporty, good-looking, and the most popular guy in school.

- Or he's the unsure, shy guy at the back of class with a hidden talent.

- When the relationship goes sour, it's always his fault.

- Has a variety of cheesy lines at his disposal.

- Has a variety of cheesy dates at his disposal.

- Tends to run down the middle of busy roads, sometimes in the rain, to reach the love of his life.

- An excellent singer.

The Girl

- Unsure of herself.

- Has some sort of hidden talent.

- Protective father.

- Sassy best friend/ sardonic best friend/ quirky best friend.

- Has some form of sob story.

- Just wants to be appreciated.

- Slides down the wall whilst crying.

- Laughs and cries at the same time.

- Shots where her head falls into frame and lands on a pillow.

- Over emotional.

Story

- Guy meets girl, they fall in love, there is a problem, they overcome the problem, they live happily ever after.

- Make-up kiss in bad weather.

- Makeover montage with friends saying whether the new outfit is good or bad.

- Shy girl becomes stunning beauty through a little make-up.

- Singing using random objects as microphones.

- Love montage - always including riding bikes, rowing boats or picnics

- Speech where the guy explains all the small things he loves about the girl.

- Meddlesome parents.

- A romantic set piece, where the guy does something insanely romantic for his girl.

- A particular picture of them both, that is related back to as the film goes on.

- A sex scene.

- Waking up the morning after to find the guy is gone, sometimes leaving a post-it note on the bed.

- Sad or happy ending...doesn't matter which - it's still a cliche.

- Inappropriate comment from an elderly person.

- Guy has a side kick who at one point thinks that the best friend is deserting him for the girl. 

- Guy has a side kick who tries to explain to the girl why it is over.

- Guy has a fat, comedic side kick.

- Cheesy song in soundtrack.

- Constant, over-the-top, cheesy, orchestral soundtrack that crescendos at the kiss.