High School Movies & Teen Dramas Clichés Tropes

MadTv - Pretty White Kids with Problems


Madtv - S07E05 - Devon's Creek

@pedrofelipepamplona1944
“I’m so glad that slavery is over” Mad TV was a great show ! They were never afraid to push the envelope with their jokes and make fun of things that most comedians would turn their noses at

Top 10 High School Movie Clichés

22.01.2017
The best years of your life are supposedly in high school right? Well that’s what the movies will have us believe. There are so many hilarious cliches about high school in movies that we made a countdown of them! These cliches appear in various movies about high school, including the importance of cafeteria seating arrangements, the sacred bathroom, the mysterious new kid in town, the big party, the important of losing your virginity, that one cool teacher, the transformation of nerdy girls, no parents in sight at big parties and of course senior year is the end all be all year. Life begins and ends in high school, duh.

Top 10 Unrealistic Expectations We Got from Teen Movies

17.11.2019
Unrealistic expectations from teen movies set us all up for disappointment going into high school. We’re looking at all of the things that happen in teen movies that don’t reflect how things actually are. Watching these movies will NOT teach you much about the real world. MsMojo ranks the most unrealistic expectations in teen movies. What do you think is the most unrealistic expectation from teen movies

Top 20 Teen Movie Tropes That Gave Us Unrealistic Expectations of High School

08.04.2023 #HighSchool #Teens #Movies
High school isn't anything like these teen movies promised. For this list, we’ll be looking at the high school movie cliches that we anticipated and maybe even dreamed of heading into freshman year, only to be hit with reality. Our countdown includes spike in popularity, larger than life jerks, new kid in town, and more! Which trope have YOU unrealistic expectations?

Heathers: High School is a Black Comedy

20.05.2018
Nearly 30 years after it came out, Winona Ryder's Heathers remains an edgy cult classic, fearless in its portrayal of high school -- and our society at large -- as a twisted black comedy.

Not Another Teen Movie | 20 Years Later
13.09.2021

@pandamon514
it's beyond tragic to see modern netflix teen movies fall into the exact same annoying tropes and cliches that NATM made fun of 20 years agoThe Biggest Problem With High School (According to Movies)

The Biggest Problem With High School (According to Movies)

18.06.2012
Never fall in love with a high school student. That's good advice, even if you aren't over the age of 25. We explain why.
@johnsjoholm
Somehow, it feels like it should have ended with the teacher turning out to be a high school student pretending to be an adult and a teacher.

Heathers, Jawbreaker & The Timelessness of Killer Cliques

25.12.2020
https://www.snap4freedom.org/home
https://letterboxd.com/menzayd/
@FairyBogFather
While there were cliques at my 5000+ person high school, there wasn't one "mean girl" clique that I know of. There was, however, several rapey boy cliques, and I wish THIS was talked about more.

How Self-Aware Teen Movies Almost Killed the Genre | Time Capsule

12.05.2021
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, movies about teenagers were everywhere. Teen movies like She’s All That, Ten Things I Hate About You, American Pie, Bring It On, and Varsity Blues created an instant familiarity with their audience by tapping into known plot points and tropes, like the pressures of prom, the cruelty of popular mean girls, the sensitivity of social outcasts, angst about cliques, and a strange number of secret bets and financial arrangements. Between 1998 and 2002, there was a sudden boom in a genre that studios (and audiences) shunned for most of the ‘90s. But in these few short years, filmmakers pushed the teen-movie genre to such a self-aware, formulaic place that they nearly killed off the teen movie entirely. Ultimately, this genre’s self-reflective frenzy and near-death in the early 2000s helped pave the way for more original and less trope-based versions of the teen story. Here’s our Take on how this era showed that comic self-awareness isn’t the same as actual critique, and how the turn-of-the-millennium teen formula indirectly led to more nuanced teen comedies today.

Teen Tropes of Today - How TikTok Changed High School

07.08.2021
The classic high school hierarchy of jocks, cheerleaders, and nerds that dominated teen movies for decades is officially dead. Instead, the new high school cafeteria is populated by E-Girls, Soft Boys, Gym Bros and VSCO Gals. Social media platforms like TikTok make it easier for young people to find communities of compatible peers as well as bigger issues to engage with, thus breaking down the social boundaries that long defined the rigid, outdated high-school hierarchy. Classic ideas of "popularity" are being replaced as members of previously marginalized cliques can now enjoy the power and influence that was once reserved only for the cool kids. These new, TikTok-inspired tropes integrate memes and social media aesthetics with film and TV influences, while reflecting real-life trends and personalities.

Teen stories onscreen are all so risqué. How true are they?

05.07.2022
Teens on screens big and small are having some wild times. These depictions of out-of-control, risk-taking teens often fall into two categories: one type is almost aspirational, a glamorous dream of the sexy teenage life we wish we had. The other is a cautionary tale, often moralizing about how the younger generation have been corrupted and signal a world that’s falling apart. Is the risque teen trope an accurate depiction of what teenage life is like (now or ever)? Or is it an adult’s imagination of what kids today are up to?

Archetypes & Stereotypes - The Breakfast Club | Renegade Cut

15.02.2019
In film and literature, what is the difference between an archetype and a stereotype? Perhaps John Hughes' 1985 classic The Breakfast Club can help us out.

do revenge is the teen movie i've been waiting for

21.09.2022
the teen movie has fallen quite far since its glory days in the 80s and 90s and with films like he's all that, the craft legacy, and the kissing booth, i'd almost given up hope on the genre entirely. so imagine my surprise when i sat down to watch netflix's do revenge and found myself actively enjoying it. starring camila mendes from riverdale and maya hawke from stranger things, the dark comedy is a love letter to the teen films that came before it. what did you think of do revenge?
@mysunflowereyes
I REALLY liked that Drea knew immediately that Max leaked the video and there was no ambiguity introduced by her losing her phone or something. To me, that felt much much more true to life—you know what happened, there’s really only one possibility, and no one believes you anyway.
@easypeasy9762
I cannot get over the fact that she hit Drea with a car and they still end up being friends ???
@segamai
I actually really liked that the hetero and gay leads were portrayed as so platonically intimate without ending up together. I personally think it’s one of those things we maybe don’t see enough of? Especially in how wlw are written, Eleanor is smitten with Drea without actually falling for her, and so often these relationships are portrayed unfavorably where the wlw ends up rejected/cast out/ridiculed for flying too close to the sun (or whateva). Or the opposite happens where the straight girl realizes she’s been gay all along, which is fine as a trope but I think it’s a bit played out by now. So their friendship was really refreshing to me.

Riverdale - How to make every Teen Drama

14.07.2017
So, just like everyone else, I fell down the rabbit hole watching Riverdale on Netflix. I actually liked it more than I thought I would, but let's be honest... it's really cliche.
Every possible trope you could think of is here in this show. The character archetypes, the plot twists, the melodrama. Ahh.. to be 16 again amirite?
So I thought I would compare it to other shows and find exactly what it is that makes something a "teen drama".
1: Hot guy who has a totally benign secret and is totally stoic around everyone except for YOU
2: A bunch of girls who act cartoonishly 2D
3: Someone has a long lost sibling. Not sure why, but this is a thing for some reason. Although, I did really enjoy the 1940s/50s aesthetic. Definitely made it stand out from the rest.
Anyway, I wanted to try using that 1950s style for the graphics. I know Archie Comics came out in the 1940s, but 1950s graphic design is MUCH more interesting. At least to me.

the problem with teen dramas

18.07.2021
Selected Sources:
The changing portrayal of adolescents in the media since 1950 by Patrick E. Jamieson & Daniel Romer
https://slate.com/technology/2017/12/...
https://southblueprint.com/15150/opin...
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/probl...
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/...
https://www.indiewire.com/2019/08/eup...
http://www.thebatt.com/opinion/the-se...
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019...
@aldanaalbadr8050
All these shows being extremely sexualized though honestly influenced me a lot into thinking i had a 'boring' life and i was expected to do more things as a teenager and experiment more.
@noorelmasri9803
I’ve never understood why teens (especially high schoolers) were never studying and always out doing illegal stuff or having fun every day in the shows. Like honestly no one ever talks about the kids that are constantly studying and worrying about what college to get into, especially because it’s necessary for them to do so…

The Remake That Couldn't: Skins "U.S."

05.06.2019

@Yharazayd
gotta address these things, probably :
1. there are seven seasons of skins but i say there's six here because i keep forgetting that the fire/pure/airbender season exists, my bad
2. at one point in the video, i say chris' mom leaves him a thousand /dollars/ but, in my defense, it was a little slip up because the next time i refer to the same scene, i do say 'pounds.' don't take me to the guillotine just yet.
3. when i say the office u.s. and shameless u.s. improved upon elements of the original versions, what i mean is that those remakes ADDED to their takes on the shows instead of just being flat remakes with no -- how do you say -- *flavor*. anyway just so it's clear i do like both uk and u.s. versions of those shows . i felt i had to make that clear since i noticed a few people's feelings were hurt because they thought i hated the u.k versions.
my bad um...so yeah

The Third Generation: A Skins Retrospective

04.06.2021
all that said, i actually like the third generation.
@ardenrenee3439
I think the magic of the first generation is that they all already started out being friends, so we didn't need to question why this group of people who obviously didn't like eachother would all be hanging out like in the next two generations. They all were just genuinely already a friend group and if there was conflict that was normal because teens who are friends tend to stay friends whether they want to or not.

EVERYTHING WRONG WITH 13 REASONS WHY

30.03.2018
Sadly, this Netflix original fails for many more than 13 reasons.
@amorrow271
The problem with the book and series ultimately is it's trying to force the people in a person life who's committed suicide to see their perspective after the fact. But the mechanism they use to do so (recording 13 tapes blaming everyone in her life) is inherently unrealistic and downright selfish, manipulative, sociopathic, etc. From a storytelling standpoint I understand what the tapes are meant to do, but because of the medium they chose and the content of them they fail miserably. Thirteen cassettes is "fun" and "retro" (oh Hannah she really was one of kind), but it doesn't make sense. This story could have been an insightful portrayal of someone with mental illness and their descent before committing suicide. What if Clay was reading her journal and experiencing this descent, or if they were really married to the cassette idea, have her recording her thoughts on a day to day basis. That at least makes some sort of sense. Instead, Hannah is portrayed as an attractive girl who makes friends easily and even when she experiences something negative she moves on relatively quickly, then her rape is the breaking point. Meanwhile, the other teenagers in the show are horrible caricatures. Nothing they do is grounded in any sort of reality, even when all of them are facing real problems that could be relatable and make their characters well-rounded and human. Everything centers around how they're all just mean and it's their fault Hannah killed herself. It's a dangerous message, it doesn't address mental illness and the very end of the show is the worst because when Hannah finally did try speaking to a counselor he brushed her off. This just tells people, especially teens, who are struggling with mental illness and suicidal thoughts that there's no point trying to seek help because nobody will listen anyways.

EVERYTHING WRONG WITH 13 REASONS WHY SEASON 2

04.06.2018
The same garbage as before, but with an added layer of smug self-righteousness about its own importance. (But enough about my videos, let's talk about 13 Reasons Why...)
@jendoesnotcare
I really wish you'd mention the way they portrayed rape in the show :/// one thing that really bothered me is in the last episode (i believe?) when Jessica is testifying, they have all these women on the stand saying how ALL women they know have been sexually harassed/abused, which I think is a pretty problematic sweeping generalization. In a way, it undermines what actual harassment/abuse victims actually go by taking an "all women get raped, you're not special" type of approach to it. It also adds a bit of a fear element to people (like myself) who having been taken advantage of that way, making it seem as though "if it hasn't happened yet, it will happen soon" whichhhhh- to my friend who is already pretty fearful of men- is a problematic portrayal of men and the occurrence of harassment/abuse. If they wanted to add a real life commentary like this in the show, I definitely think it would have been stronger if they used an actual statistic of how many women this affects, rather than a blatant generalization. Tl;dr- 13 Reasons Why had unrealistic and problematic portrayals of sexual harassment and abuse.

Elite: Almost, Not Quite

chapters
0:00 Intro
0:46 Meet the Elite
3:28 Season Summaries
27:57 Character Writing
49:00 Themes: More Harm Than Good
57:38 Conclusion
@Yharazayh
in an ideal elite world: lu would have properly apologized to nadia and they would be girlfriends. ander and omar would have broken up since all they do is hurt each other. and samuel wouldn't exist
@finenpinen
As a muslim girl my expections when it comes to muslim representation is so incredibly low that i feel kind of silly saying this, but I'd love a show where the hijab or "omg i like this boy but we can't be together because religion and evil dad sob sob" wasn't the ONLY thing that defined a girl's relationship to her religion. Like imagine a show where they'd explore the dynamics between culture and religion and how alot of the expressions that muslim girl's face when it comes to "being a good muslim girl" is actually just a cultural thing? Or how guys are allowed to mess up way more than girls even tho there's nothing in the religion that supports that? Or idk a girl wanting to enter a field that is stigmatized within the muslim community? Like there is sooooo much more to muslim girl's that the hijab, boys and evil dad's (for real tho I'm so sick of the evil dad trope). Also how about a story line that isn't center around her religion "holding her back"

Have We Grown Out of Gossip Girl?

16.01.2021
bAbez, we need to talk... about class politics in Gossip Girl.
Berman article: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertain...
Hans article: https://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/...
Kendall book: https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&l...
Metz article: https://www.chicagotribune.com/entert...
Ryan article: http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/...
@candybunny2462
The only series where fans excuse sexual assault but draws the line at posting anonymous tips on a gossip site.
@islandrebelmakeup4653
Unpopular opinion: Jenny is a victim that went from a naive child who wanted to be friends with the popular girls to being villainized for for just living her life and pursuing her goals. She didn’t do what the rich kids wanted her to do so she was a problem child.
@denissm.2967
I always say this and always will: Chuck is a horrible character. He is toxic, manipulative and never change. People needs to stop idealizing him. “NO MORE MAKING EXCUSES FOR RAPIST, SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE A HAMLET COMPLEX”

The Inevitable Downfall of Pretty Little Liars

13.03.2021
Timestamps
0:00 Intro 2:28 The Story & The Creator 5:47 Chapter 1: The Characters 6:26 Aria Montgomery
12:11 Emily Fields 13:57 Alison DiLaurentis 19:49 Hanna Marin 21:27 Spencer Hastings
24:33 Chapter 2: So Many Plot Holes 36:32 Chapter 3: CeCe Drake & The Broken Timeline
42:32 Chapter 4: The Final Season 46:03 Conclusion
@joseribamarjr5164
Aria was a teenager girl going to bars during the day, drinking and hooking up with her teacher in the bathroom. Sooooo relatable
@shay494
I feel like Ezra being the main villian in the end would been good plot twist. That he secretly controlling Aria, which explains why she was so shady all the time/why she also being torture alone with the other girls. When they hinted he might have been A, I really hoped they followed through with it, but nah they threw that away.

Sex Education 4: A Frustrating Mess

Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:33 Negative Reception
6:24 Sponsor
8:45 Breakdown
10:44 The Good Stuff
31:34 The Neutral Stuff
39:15 The Bad Stuff
1:20:28 The Ending
@alwayslilianx
Can we also talk about how these teenagers with no training are consistently referred to as “therapists” and O is placed on the same plane as Jean who is a professional with years of experience and a PhD? Like in what world???? Giving advice and peer-to-peer support is great, but framing them as “therapists” is really dangerous IMO
@allegraalberoni9780
for me the worst part was how unrealistic everything became. Before it felt like i was watching real people, with real problems and a real life. now it's just drama in a super bright and colored setting with storylines that i can't imagine hardly anyone relating to. who cares about O and Otis??? I missed when these characters had real, genuine struggle that anyone could see themselves into
@novembergold4144
Something that really bothered me and that wasn't really mentioned in this video, is how Jakob leaving Jean and completely disappearing from their lifes basically negates EVERYTHING they went through in the last season. All the effort and struggles they put into building a family, Jakob addressing his trust issues in therapy, only to find out that the kid he lovingly built a tree house for isn't his and promptly leaving his kind-of-partner who almost died... Ola naming the baby after the discussion she had with her dad about how their lifes were about to change... Jakob telling Otis he'd be there for him no matter what... In the end, all of this just didn't matter AT ALL, as if it had never happened. We don't even know how Ola and Jakob dealt with the situation. I was pretty invested in their patchwork-family-dynamics in season 3, I was rooting for them to at least have closure and a satisfying end, but they just completely brushed it off this season.
@humancyn
Concerning the Cavendish and its new cast: as a queer woman myself the school felt like a parody. Everything is shiny, bright, colourful, positive and open minded. At the start of the season I firmly believed that the show was trying to go back to the roots and construct stereotypes just to break them down and show that there is much more to the characters or the environment they are in. Just something which would show: oh, so not everything is sparkle rainbow in the lgbt+ community? Tell me more! It is not like there are no topics to discuss. Instead the characters just stayed flat and the Cavendish was just a new scenery not a new environment with a whole new social circle, which it was supposed to be in my opinion. I could not see myself in it although it was meant to represent a part of me.

Euphoria and the Art of Navel Gazing

22.03.2022
SOURCES:
Sadie Bell, “Breaking Down the Hellish New Year's Eve Party in the 'Euphoria' Season 2 Premiere” Thrillist (2022)
Ellie Harrison, “Sydney Sweeney: ‘I’m very proud of my work on Euphoria – but no one talks about it because I got naked’” Independent (2022).
Jim Hemphill, “‘Euphoria’ Season 2 Cinematographer Marcell Rév Tells Us What It’s Like to Shoot from the Gut” Indie Wire (2022).
Evan Ross Katz, “The Women Make Euphoria The cast on playing teens forever on the brink of disaster.” The Cut (2022)
Soraya Nadia McDonald, “Who’s afraid of ‘Malcolm & Marie’? Certainly not Edward Albee.” Andscape (2021). Olivia Ovenden, “Sam Levinson on Taking Criticism, Art in Isolation and 'Malcolm & Marie;” Esquire (2021). Cheyenne Roundtree, “‘Euphoria’ Season 2 Crew and Background Actors Speak Out Against Sam Levinson’s ‘Toxic’ Production” Daily Beast (2022).
Cheyenne Roundtree, “Inside ‘Euphoria’ Season 2’s Messy Behind-the-Scenes Drama, From Sam Levinson to Barbie Ferreira Storming Off” The Daily Beast (2022)
Matt Zoller Seitz, “Why Euphoria Feels So Real, Even When It Isn’t Realistic” Vulture (2019)
Tim Stack, “Euphoria breakout Hunter Schafer on daring show: 'There's a lot of stuff that hasn't been on TV before'” Entertainment Weekly (2019).

EUPHORIA: Sam Levinson’s Unfulfilled Fantasy

30.04.2022
special thanks to zhariya smith, film fatales, black femininity TV, khadija mbowe, and costanza polastri for contributing their voices to this video!! goats fr. and thank you to everyone who submitted their survey responses to T.O.E's Euphoria newsletter. your contribution was vital!! - Ah, Euphoria. Sam Levinson has created something truly dissectible with this show. And there's nothing I love doing more than showing how utterly insufferable I am on the internet. Enter stage left: Euphoria The Video. Now with 2 hours of silly, censored content.

Life Doesn’t End in Your 20s: The Myth of the Teenage Dream

17.09.2022
Olivia Rodrigo's Brutal, Katy Perry's Teenage Dream, and a debilitating belief that the best years of your life are already behind you walk into a bar...Who makes it out alive?
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