Disney Channel and romantic tropes

[meganbmoore]

My DVD player has died and I've been compensating by watching Disney Channel shows.  Do not ask.  I think I've mostly thinking about how they'd be so cool if I were 12.  All the supposedly charming or cool or cute guys need a ounch in the face.  The goody girls who I'm supposed to like are snooty and superior, all other girls are supposed to be annoying, materialistic comedic relief, but are more entertaining.  The smart boys are supposed annoying twats and the "cool" boys are annoying brats who could do with being grounded for years.  I think the only character I like is the hyper competitive and academic sister in some show that's a Brady Bunch knockoff that's named after her irritating stepbrother.  I despair over her taste in boys, though.  (The only show whose title I know is The Suite Life of Zach and Cody.  That one is entertaining, though I keep wondering why the adults haven't murdered all the kids.)

Make me stop watching them.

ANYWAY!

Over at Dear Author, they have a poll about favorite and least favorite romantic tropes.  Since this is a type of topic I never tire of (people's likes and dislikes) give me some of yours.

Comments

[annwyd.livejournal.com]

Least favorite:
--I see they have something called "the big misunderstanding" there. I'm not sure exactly what that refers to, but I can guarantee you that if a romance gets dragged out because the characters are constantly misunderstanding each other in ways that would be fixed if they'd just freaking talk to each other, I'm going to want to throw something at the characters.
--Anything where one character (especially the woman, because it's usually the woman) has to adhere more to stereotypical gender traits in order to be acceptable to the other.
--Anything where one character (especially the man, because it's usually the man) "protects" the other character by preventing them from doing things.

Favorite:
--I really like when two characters have some unusual previous connection (something less typical than a childhood marriage promise, although if done well I guess I could go for that too) and this later develops into a romance.

I'm kind of headdesking over this at the moment, actually, because one of the anime I follow just resolved a romantic plotline that I'd been very interested in (read as, in fandom terms: canoned my OTP!) in such a way as to contain both least favorite and favorite tropes. AUGH.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

--Anything where one character (especially the woman, because it's usually the woman) has to adhere more to stereotypical gender traits in order to be acceptable to the other.

Men who don't adhere to gender stereotypes are sensitive and learning. Women are unwomanly. Women who want men to adhere to gender stereotypes are pushy or worse, men who want women to adhere to gender stereotypes are looking for a good woman. Unless they're abusive.

--Anything where one character (especially the man, because it's usually the man) "protects" the other character by preventing them from doing things.

This can work if the person being stopped genuinely doesn't understand the danger. But normally, it's "you'll get in the way/can't handle it/etc."

>em>I'm kind of headdesking over this at the moment, actually, because one of the anime I follow just resolved a romantic plotline that I'd been very interested in (read as, in fandom terms: canoned my OTP!) in such a way as to contain both least favorite and favorite tropes. AUGH.

Don't you hate it when they go "Let me cater to your kinks in ways that will make you mad!" (I have this problem with shoujo a lot.)