Opinion | The greatest tropes & cliches in media

Have you ever been lying in bed, kicking your feet in the air while rooting for the characters of the book you are currently reading? Or giggling to yourself as the characters exchange longing glances or finally defeat the big, bad evil on the television screen? There are plenty of reasons we read books, watch movies and engage with art. As we search for interesting plots and stories to fulfill our fantasies and leave the real world for a little bit, it’s easy to pare the options down by looking for a particular trope or cliche. 

Are we in the mood for a titillating arranged marriage and spicy there’s-only-one-bed scene? Or perhaps a cozy found family and captivating redemption arc? Here are some tropes TPN opinions writers are constantly seeking in their next book or movie.

Friends to Lovers // Julianna Steach, Staff Columnist

I can’t seem to ever get enough of the friends to lovers trope. Most of my favorite sitcom couples — Monica and Chandler in “Friends,” Nick and Jess in “New Girl” and Amy and Jake in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” — start with a completely platonic pair who become unbearably obsessed with each other by the end of the series. This trope is to blame for my compulsion to rewatch these sitcoms at least once a year. 

The story tends to start with the discovery of an overlooked attraction to each other, then trying and failing to keep the relationship a secret from all of their closest friends. They may split up for a minute, but wait! They don’t want to go on without their best friend by their side!

Of course, this cliche involves a heartbreaking slow burn. Watching or reading a friends-to-lovers trope usually involves screaming into the abyss, “Just get together already!” If not, it’s just not worth the time. 

All of the mentioned examples follow this, along with more frustrating stories like those in the movies “When Harry Met Sally” and “Love, Rosie,” or the life-altering series “One Day” and “Normal People,” which I don’t recommend watching unless you can spare two weeks to feel emotionally unstable and existential. 

Despite jealous exes and frequent commitment issues, these friends inevitably realize they were meant to be together all along. All I can say is that whoever is the screenwriter of my life needs to get on incorporating this trope into my storyline right now. 

Love Triangle with a Twist // Irene Moran, Senior Staff Columnist

There are many movies and books that include a love triangle, some of my favorites being “The Notebook,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and “Pretty In Pink.” In these films, it’s either two guys going for a girl or a girl being confused about who she truly wants to be with. With love triangle tropes, I find it fun trying to guess who the main character is going to end up with — it’s always a fun game for me. Love triangle movies and books are some of my favorites out there, and I always love finding more to watch and read. 

Though love triangle movies are some of my favorites, they tend to get a little repetitive at times. This does not stop me from watching them, but it’s nice to add some extra elements and spice to them. At the beginning of 2024, “Challengers” was released, and it gave me a love triangle that I had never seen before. 

In “Challengers,” the two guys go for the girl, but tension exists between the men as well. There is the iconic hotel room scene that really starts things off — I won’t go into too much detail about that, just see for yourself! There is also a scene where Mike Faist’s character, Art, and Josh O’Connor’s character, Patrick, are celebrating a win and it seems like the tension is very much there between them. 

As I watched this movie a few times, I have been able to analyze and interpret specific scenes more and more. This isn’t your typical love triangle. I encourage everyone to watch this movie not only once, but maybe twice or more to really look at the tension between Art and Patrick. The whole trope in “Challengers” is so different compared to other movies that I’ve watched. As a fan of love triangles in movies, “Challengers” really brought on a whole new angle to love triangles, and I would love to see it be used more in other movies.

Forbidden Love // Raquel Padin-Nicholas, Staff Columnist

From the star-crossed Romeo and Juliet to the scandalous world of Olivia Pope and President Grant, forbidden love is a trope that withstands the test of time. It has shown up in all forms of entertainment and it always serves as the setup for some of the steamiest, most tension-filled media you will ever consume. 

The key force that drives this trope is the absolute suspense that runs through the story until the very end. Will the characters get caught? Will they make it to the end with each other against all odds? Often, it’s the tragic ending that makes this trope all the more classically beautiful. 

Jack and Rose subvert societal expectations only to be forever torn apart. Tony and Maria, while deeply in love with each other, cannot escape the violence that surrounds them. 

While I absolutely adore this trope, I often find myself emotionally drained when finishing a book with this cliche. The heartbreak for both the audience and characters alike is a side effect that can cause people to want to digest this trope in small doses as the endings are usually pure anguish. I will admit that I have not been the same since I finished “The Song of Achilles” last year. 

If there was ever a trope that needs as much slow burn as possible, this is the one. The longer it is, the more time we get with the characters. When interacting with this trope, you have to cherish every single moment that you will get with the characters, because a happily ever after is not always guaranteed. 

Enemies to Lovers // Delaney Rauscher Adams, Senior Staff Columnist

While highly controversial, enemies-to-lovers is a trope that works every single time. What makes it the most satisfying is the tension it creates and how the audience is forced to root for the characters’ inevitable union more intensely than with any other trope. 

Additionally, there’s something so rewarding about watching two characters grow and mature into realizing their feelings. The payoff in an enemies-to-lovers story is so extraordinary because you have to get through an often frustrating and substantial portion of the plot. The best stories with this trope must establish real conflict and distaste before advancing the romantic plot to ensure that.

From the classic enemies-to-lovers story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice to one of my new favorites in the second season of Bridgerton with Kate and Anthony, I will eat this trope up every single time. I also can’t help but mention the tremendous love story between Rory and Paris in Gilmore Girls. While the writers weren’t brave enough to make them fall in love, the enemies-to-best-friends arc rivals that of any other romantic subplot in the show and adds in the splash of academic competition. 

Ultimately, a slow burn enemies-to-lovers story with a good buildup beats any other trope in my eyes. You get to invest early into the couple and get taken on the roller coaster ride with them, which is what makes it so, so good. 

Forced Proximity // Brynn Murawski, Staff Columnist

Any trope with the word “forced” in it should probably raise red flags among the rational, safety-oriented of us. But hey, if the universe perfectly aligns to trap the heroine in an elevator with her coworker slash rival, forcing them to finally have a real conversation where they realize they’re not too different after all, who am I to complain?

Forced proximity essentially refers to the characters finding themselves in a situation that they cannot leave, forcing them to address unresolved tension. I love this trope because it can be applied to so many situations, including platonic ones. Ex-best friends get stuck in their school because of a blizzard and must discuss why they stopped talking. The fake-dating couple discovers they accidentally booked a single hotel room and can’t avoid sharing a bed. Fae enemies from warring factions get trapped in the armory during the winter’s ball and realize they share a common foe. 

This trope is also so helpful when crafting stories of your own, because it’s an easy way to create a catalyst for conversation. It’s far more unrealistic that characters would just spontaneously start talking about their hidden desires or fears, especially if they outwardly dislike each other or are burying their feelings far too deep. 

Honestly, forced proximity is more of a plot device than a trope, but I eat it up every single time. Whether it forces the characters to finally confess what they’ve been hiding or works as a near miss of intimacy — like the characters sharing a bed waking up tangled in each other’s arms and then jolting apart — every time I’m watching a movie or reading a book and realize the door locked behind them or the thunderstorm outside worsened, I get a rush of excitement for the drama to follow.