In every college across America, you can find the exact same people. The rich girl, the nice guy, the funny fat kid, that guy who seems like he wants to help you but really wants to help himself-- they’re all there. As if we haven’t seen them enough, Hollywood is relentless in shoving these cliches in our face time and time again. The year 2012 was no different as Jason Moore’s comedy Pitch Perfect hit the theaters, saturating us with yet another dose of overdone teen drama and antics.
Pitch Perfect is nothing we haven’t seen before, a bunch of girls who are all different overcome their conflicting characteristics to accomplish a common goal. While each of the characters have very different and dynamic personalities, they all fulfill a different stereotype. Our “school diva” is found in Aubrey Posen (played byAnna Camp), the rich spoiled girl who constantly reiterates to the others, “It’s my way or the highway,” and forces the others to support her in her selfish quest for stardom. We’ve seen this character countless times before, such as Sharpay Evans from Disney’s High School Musical. Her persistent nagging and overuse of “Barden Classics” makes you want to only follow her in doing one thing, vomiting. I think we’ve all met Aubrey in high school already, what’s done is done.
Another well known personality to the movie screen is everybody’s favorite, fat, funny guy. Right? Rebel Wilson fills this role as “Fat Amy” and does all she can to remind you of the fact she’s a bit heavier than the rest of the gang with fun lines like “I’m gonna finish him like a cheesecake!” or “Even though some of you are pretty thin, you all have fat hearts, and that’s what matters.” It’s great that she’s put on some extra pounds but it doesn’t mean we have to endure two hours of her persistently pestering us with her protests. Do I really want to keep watching obese people slam themselves year after year with every new comedy that comes out on film? Fat chance.
Pitch Perfect continues to fill it’s cast with all the other fun cliche kids we’ve always seen before. The lesbian (Ester Dean), the sex addict (Alexis Knapp), the weird Asian girl (Hana Mae Lee), the down to earth rebel who rejects those around her (Anna Kendrick), and the young adorable heart throb who just happens to posses every trait any girl would love (Skylar Astin). The list goes on and on (and on) and helps us to see that America is obviously full of idiotic, half baked numskulls who are just trying to push your buttons and prove that they’re different by being exactly the same.
This barrage of stereotypical behavior is not only a nuisance to those who view it, but even causes a negative impact on the rising American generation. Scientific studies have proven that teens who watch films that glorify sex, beauty, and alcohol use are more likely to have issues with their self-confidence, and even encourage them to engage in those activities. This simply results in a flood of corruption filled with drowning teens wishing they were someone else. Not everyone is supposed to test the waters.
True, it can be said that Pitch Perfect is just a fun, carefree comedy that means no harm. The film itself did well with audiences across America, making over $100 million from the time of its release and causing an outpouring of YouTube videos with fans performing the famous “Cup Song.” The film has many fun and entertaining musical performances, taking many of our days hit songs and turning them into a smooth reality of any a cappella boy’s dreams. But is it really worth it? Is it worth the onslaught of cliches? Is it worth sitting and watching the same story we’ve seen a million times play itself out for no doubt not the last time? Is it worth lowering our moral standards to watch something that will just make us feel bad? No. We don’t have to throw ourselves into a downward spiral of idiocy to find a good slice of entertainment.
It’s time to think outside of the box and move away from the trite cliches of our time. They’re just like a thorn in our sides that makes for a painful viewing experience. I know that we’ve all cracked a joke or two about those stereotypical people we’ve run into throughout the years, but isn’t it time we gave it a rest? Film is much more dignified than the teeny bop fantasyland we’ve thrown ourself into. Don’t you think we can do better? Well you know what they always say, times are a changing-- let’s change for the better this time.
No comments:
Post a Comment