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