Just One Thing

Share this post

#151 The only other time the bar is set so low is when playing limbo

www.justonething.in

Discover more from Just One Thing

A delightfully short email that rescues obscura from the wasteland of the Internet – your daily bit of quirky fun.
Continue reading
Sign in

#151 The only other time the bar is set so low is when playing limbo

Just One Thing
Dec 14, 2022
Share this post

#151 The only other time the bar is set so low is when playing limbo

www.justonething.in
Share

How often have we seen in movies and TV shows a character who is a bit of a social outcast but still seems nice enough? He may even be a girl’s best friend until it becomes clear that she is romantically interested in someone not him. That’s when the facade crumbles, and we see that this “nice guy” is actually an insecure and entitled jerk who can’t understand why the woman he’s into doesn’t feel the same way about him.

Super common, in TV and film, right? This fallacy of the “nice guy“? If not in an in-your-face kinda way, in a oooh that’s an intense undercurrent sorta way. This is a common trope in cinema and TV, known as the “Nice Guy Trope.”  Wondering why am I talking about this today? Because today’s Just One Thing is the cinema and TV’s one of the favourite tropes, or say, syndromes. 

On the surface, these characters may seem different and more considerate towards the women they pursue compared to the “bad boys” or “jocks,” but look close enough, and their behaviour is often manipulative and creepy. Even when they are in a relationship. Especially when they are in a relationship.

This trope is particularly dangerous because it is often portrayed as acceptable or even desirable and replicated in real life. Even in relationships. Often you can tell how awful a “nice guy” is because they dance in and out of the movie or show – a compilation of it all is sure to give you the heebie-jeebies. 

In Indian cinema, the “nice guy” is often the star of the movie. Stalking and harassing his love interest until she gives in. How many “nice guys” came to your mind just reading this? 

Yours,

Nikita

Have a friend who thinks Ross Geller is a “nice guy”? Share Just One thing with them. Grow our tribe.

Share this post

#151 The only other time the bar is set so low is when playing limbo

www.justonething.in
Share
Previous
Next
Comments
Top
New
Community

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Just One Thing
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing