# Cliches you like or don't mind **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 18, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419 "2009-02-18T17:43:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/1 "2009-02-18T17:43:37Z")
However much fantasy I read, I will never grow tired of the kid with amazing powers who grows up to save the world (ancient prophecy optional). I’m even okay with chosen ones, as long as they aren’t actually referred to as Chosen Ones. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/2 "2009-02-18T17:59:55Z")
Man With a Past. Man Brung Low by a Woman - provided you don’t actually bring the same woman back in. She hurt him once, she shouldn’t get another chance. Man Alone Against the World. Hmm. I sense a trend. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/3 "2009-02-18T18:05:33Z")
I’ll never get tired of the “Two people who can’t stand each other being forced to work together for some mutually desirable goal” cliche’. I also like “Test the hero to the point of destruction.” I like my heroes to have to go through hell to reach their goals. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/4 "2009-02-18T19:00:56Z")
Kick ass female characters 🙂 I never get tired of movies where the lead character is female and knows enough martial arts to kick everyone’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/5 "2009-02-18T19:09:15Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > Kick ass female characters 🙂 > > I never get tired of movies where the lead character is female and knows enough martial arts to kick everyone’s ass. Same here. Also, god help me, hilarious misunderstandings in which a character is believed to be gay but isn’t. I blame **Three’s Company**. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/6 "2009-02-18T19:14:19Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > I’ll never get tired of the “Two people who can’t stand each other being forced to work together for some mutually desirable goal” cliche’. Exactly what I came in to post. Always fun, that one. ---
**Author:** ![TheMerchandise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@TheMerchandise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMerchandise)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/7 "2009-02-18T19:17:53Z")
Grumpy person forced to take in a rambunctious animal. Love and companionship ensues. Oh, _Turner and Hooch_, you’re still such a watchable movie. ---
**Author:** ![Arglefraster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@Arglefraster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arglefraster)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/8 "2009-02-18T19:49:59Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > Kick ass female characters 🙂 > > I never get tired of movies where the lead character is female and knows enough martial arts to kick everyone’s ass. Same here, except where it’s a cute, petite girl with a big, bad-ass gun. I watch a lot of anime. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/9 "2009-02-18T20:05:53Z")
> [@Arglefraster](#): > > Same here, except where it’s a cute, petite girl with a big, bad-ass gun. I watch a lot of anime. Guns are a good substitute for martial arts. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/10 "2009-02-18T20:10:57Z")
It makes me roll my eyes and groan, but I like it when the less-pretty but smarter girl lets her hair down, is instantly prettified and gets the hero. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/11 "2009-02-18T20:45:57Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > I’ll never get tired of the “Two people who can’t stand each other being forced to work together for some mutually desirable goal” cliche’. To take it to the ultimate conclusion, the two people who can’t stand each other end up falling in love. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/12 "2009-02-19T02:24:05Z")
I never get tired of the washed-up/burned-out/corrupt guy getting his shit together for one defining act of victory/bravery/decency. ---
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/13 "2009-02-19T05:42:08Z")
In a sports movie, the underdog team must win on a last second shot/catch/leap/kick right in the face of the overconfident/obnoxious/bully favored team. None of this, “we may have lost, but we learned an important lesson/have our pride” BS. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/14 "2009-02-19T05:51:13Z")
The frat boy losing the hot babe to the nerdy guy. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/15 "2009-02-19T06:20:10Z")
I don’t mind cliches, period, so long as they’re handled properly. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that there are no bad cliches, only badly written ones. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Batman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@The\_Batman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Batman)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/16 "2009-02-19T17:54:59Z")
[The Cavalry](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheCavalry) and [The Magnificent Bastard](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagnificentBastard) I always cheer for both in movies/books/all that. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/17 "2009-02-19T18:22:46Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I don’t mind cliches, period, so long as they’re handled properly. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that there are no bad cliches, only badly written ones. I’d say most of us call things we dislike “cliche” or “derivative” but the things we do like are just as cliche and derivative. Let’s face it, after hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years of storytelling, there’s going to be a lot of repetition. It’s just a matter of doing it well. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/18 "2009-02-19T21:18:02Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > Guns are a good substitute for martial arts. That sounds like a bumper sticker you´d see down south. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/19 "2009-02-19T21:50:32Z")
Authoirty Equals Asskicking, where the head villain in charge of everything is always more powerful (in terms of fighting ability) than everyone else. That’s why he’s in charge. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419/20 "2009-02-19T22:11:51Z")
The “Ellery Queen”, when the suspects of a mystery are gathered for the resolution of the movie. So cheesy. So overdone. So awesome. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliches-you-like-or-dont-mind/486419.md?page=2)