I doubt there is a GQ answer for this bizarre personal psych quick so I put the OP here.
What is it called when a stereotypical situation seems “fake” somehow, but a non stereotypical situation would feel “real” or authentic?
It might be clearer what you mean if you gave an example (or two).
This is interesting, but yeah, need an example.
do you mean being a jive turkey type of situation?
I speak Jive.
Closest I can think of, if I understand the OP correctly, is cliché.
Recognisable stereotypes are useful in drama but if they’re done incorrectly they can really take you out of the narrative.
My interpretation of the OP: Situations that seem too movie-like don’t sound like real life.
An example (which may or may not be relevant, I’ll let the OP decide):
A small mom-and-pop hardware store sues a big-box store chain. Their lawyer agrees to work for peanuts. In the end the court finds for the mom-and-pop shop and the big-box store has to pay millions and close its hardware aisle. In the meantime the lawyer has fallen in love with Mom and Pop’s son and they marry. Cue violins and end credits.
If a newspaper article described this in real life, we would have some nagging feeling that we haven’t heard everything. We will believe it more if it doesn’t end that well (the lawyer fees will have eaten all the proceeds or the big-box store will have vowed to appeal, etc.).
OP, does this make sense?