In her blog post, Megan mentioned that clichés, although somewhat bland, can connect people on the basis of shared experience. I completely agree with her argument, and it really got me thinking: why else do we use clichés?
For many people, familiarity equals comfort, and comfort equals happiness. I’ve been in my best friend's basement probably over 500 times over the years, so I’m familiar with the surroundings. Thus, I feel comfortable when I walk in- I know where everything is and I’m prepared for her cat to pop out from behind the couch any minute. Due to this strong sense of security, I’m happy when I’m there.
In my opinion, watching and reading romantic comedies processes in the mind in a similar manner. These types of texts have long been criticized for being giant clichés- the characters, the plot, and even the setting seem almost exactly the same in each one, compared with others made around the same time. Many Americans (men especially) ridicule these works, calling them “dumb,” “boring,” etc.
But why, then, are these books and movies so popular in America? Why did almost every girl at my summer camp in sixth grade say that 27 Dresses was her favorite movie? Why did my friends and I describe the young adult fiction novels we picked up at Borders as “the best book, like, ever?” Here’s my best answer: they’re familiar. We’ve been exposed to those cliché plots, characters, and settings so many times that they become permanently familiar to us. Then, exactly like stepping into your best friend’s basement the 478th time, we begin to feel comfortable with what we’re watching. We’ll know exactly what to expect and we can pretty much predict the ending within the first five minutes of the movie or five pages of the book. Thus, we’re happy while watching it or reading it- we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the dullness dancing in front of our faces, knowing that we’re not in for any surprises.
My guess is that filmmakers and authors know that our brains tend to work this way, and that’s why they continue to make so many darn movies and books that are laughably similar. They know making something familiar will make them money.
$$$$$$$
Feel free to disagree with me if you’d like, but it’s just my opinion. Also, I’m sorry if I insulted anyone’s taste in books or movies.
I agree 100%. I think we're somewhat simple-minded when it comes to feeling comfortable. We know a few narratives, and their reinforcement makes us feel good because it reassures us that we have a firm grasp on the world around us.
ReplyDeleteI think you made a really good point especially that we become adjusted to things that are familiar to us and that might be one of the many reasons that we are so hesitant to try something new or change something in our everyday schedule.
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