Movie tropes can be useful. They are twists in reality that we learn to accept because they make sense in the context of the movie. They help the movie along. Some movie tropes are acceptable. And some movie tropes are so ridiculous and weird it’s a wonder that we aren’t rioting in the streets every day about how dumb they are. These silly tropes are the one that people are mocking on Twitter via the most pop culture-y universal meme in recent history.
Each tweet is from the perspective of something that is portrayed in movies in a specific, clichéd, and unrealistic way. Movies that use many of these tropes are totally lazy. It’s bad storytelling! But it also happens a lot. I swear, by the time you get to the end of this list, you’re going to be so aware of movie tropes that you won’t be able to watch a movie in peace again.
Professor
It all started with this hilarious viral tweet about movie professors from a real-life professor. Soon, thousands of people joined in and made this tweet a meme!
Alien
To be fair, the U.S. would be the easiest to overtake because it’s a real mess over here. I hope no real aliens are reading this…
Housewife
This! Is! The! Most! Infuriating! Trope! Ever! Why do we insist on this in movies? It’s so far from reality it’s not even funny.
Person using a phone
I watched a British TV show recently, and the characters said goodbye when they hung up the phone, and it was the most revolutionary thing I’ve ever seen.
Writer
This is so true. Movies make being a writer seem glamorous when really I am sitting on my old couch in my pajamas with an empty take-out container of pad thai on the coffee table.
Police tech
This sounds about right. I have no knowledge of police techs, but from the tone of this tweet I’m surmising that this is not exactly realistic.
Bar patron
This always kills me in movies! Who do you think you’re fooling when you do this? Maybe toddlers. Maybe.
Date
This is also infuriating! Sometimes, he doesn’t even have her number. And they’re usually in a huge city where they’d never find each other again.
Lab scientist
I mean, lab scientists have to be hot. That’s the law of movies. Sorry.
Disabled person
This is too true. We must do better about representation of disabled people in pop culture.
Bathtub
Bathtubs 100 percent set unrealistic expectations for me about what my tub situation would be like in my adult life. I’m still waiting for the luxurious bathroom.
Dad
Dads in movies need so much help figuring out what really matters that I’m always like, if it took you that long, do you even deserve to be happy now?
‘Nerdy’ girl
This trope is so frustrating because I always wear glasses and they can certainly be sexy.
Older woman of color
This trope needs to die so hard! Give older women of color juicy, important roles!
Microphone
This happens in every single movie where someone steps up to a microphone. Why? What is the purpose?
Chubby black woman
Another trope that needs to go! Put black women of all shapes and sizes front and center in movies. We will all benefit from this sort of representation!
Answering machine
Movies are already too long. We don’t need to make them longer by adding empty phones ringing for whole minutes. This trope stays.
German
This sounds about right. And I don’t know how he did it but he managed to write this tweet in a terrible German accent!
Soldier
Oh, how sad! How tragic! How totally predictable!
Sleeping person
To be fair, I do this is real life. If you sleep next to someone for a long time, you can tell when they’re not there!
Chef
This just described every single movie with a fancy chef in it, animated or not!
Taxi users
This is crazy to me too! Although, now, in the age of Lyft and Uber, this is more acceptable.
Loyal office employee
Ah yes, the loyal office employee. The one that you’re screaming, “Go! Leave! Get out! Save yourself!” at the whole time.
Computer geek
Hackers in movies make hacking look like the easiest, coolest thing in the world when I have the sneaking suspicion that it is neither.
Eiffel Tower
What, that’s not the case? Paris is larger than a few square blocks? Who knew?
Trans woman
Again, this is a trope that should not fly anymore. Trans representation on screen is so important, and that means trans characters should be played by trans people!
Grocery bag
One time I went to CVS and they tried to give me a brown paper bag with no handles and I looked around for cameras because I thought I had to be in a movie.
Wacky next door neighbor
Wacky next door neighbors are really good for telling you when to tune in to the news. You’re too busy for that, obviously.
Sitcom mom
Just one of the many double standards at work for women and men who appear on screen. There’s so much patriarchy and toxicity behind this trope. It must go.
55-year-old woman
That better change soon!
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