The Manic Pixie Dream Girl Trope, Explained

[@thetake]

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[@rachelpeat6452]

The Take please look at the girly girl trope!! X

[@trinaq]

Please tackle the Sassy Black Woman/Scary Black Guy tropes! 🖤

[@Underpants678]

Please do “The Relatable Woman” aka the drunken, clumsy, middle class-but-pretends-to-be-poor romcom protagonist who is supposed to be ugly because she’s not stick thin and has badly done hair.

[@Alwayshere5031]

i was just watching you "nice guy" trope!

[@Thatonegirl989]

Are we still getting that orange is the new black video?

[@rivertatem]

Leonardo Dicaprio in Titanic is a Manic Pixie Dream Boy

[@LalinDissanayaka]

Never thought of that, this needs more likes

[@laughingmimictavern5698]

totally agree.

[@mmmhhh2k]

Damn yes.

[@DS-pd5ov]

You're right.

[@goodvibes8923]

right??? Rose brought NOTHING to the table

[@sarahabbott8013]

Summer isn’t a mpdg but Tom interprets her as being such, he doesn’t realize she has her own agenda. That’s the whole point of the movie; mpdg don’t exist they’re a male fantasy, and since this movie was seen through Tom’s eyes we see Summer as a mpdg, even though she is far from such.

[@clayjack9969]

Sarah Abbott yeah, Summer, Ramona Flowers and Clementine are the holy trinity of mislabeled MPDGs.

[@remytherat2929]

thank you!!

[@paradoxacres1063]

@@clayjack9969 Just curious, but who's Clementine again..?

[@clayjack9969]

Paradox Acres she was in enteral sunshine of the spotless mind.

[@paradoxacres1063]

@@clayjack9969 OK, thanks! 🙂

[@lodeddiperfan635]

i love how 500 days of summer criticizes something that a lot of people (including myself) fall into, idealizing people. if you put a person in a pedestal one day they're gonna fall down and you're gonna realize that they are nothing more than human

[@smokyquartz5817]

So, time to mature your relationships then??

[@lodeddiperfan635]

@@smokyquartz5817 yup

[@monabohamad2242]

@@lodeddiperfan635 so it's a reality check sort of thing I guess

[@sarasilviabarreto8316]

That crap thing called expectation. Never works.

[@stevielambert2552]

Same, that film came out exactly when I was suffering from that kind of thing, idealising people and hoping they'll change my life and ultimately being disappointed by them... It was one of the first steps in helping me deconstructe this habit and make more genuine connections with real people. I remember going to see it alone at the cinema whilst I was experiencing my relationship fall apart and it spoke way too deeply to me

[@annika4262]

So basically it’s not wrong that they’re unique it’s wrong that their entire sense of uniqueness and self is defined by a mans story

[@jacobodom8401]

Annika no it’s that they’re rescuing the male/MC and solving their problems. It’s the exact same issue in RomComs but the reason MPDG are not popular is because men are expected to be proactive in their own lives. A passive man is a childish man. He’s not a leader in his life which is completely unattractive. That’s why MPDG are so unrealistic, no woman would be attracted to that kind of man.

[@seamushawks2190]

Annika yes, that, and the occasional, “I’m not like other girls,” pretentious persona. But otherwise, yes I agree.

[@seamushawks2190]

Jacob Odom yeah that’s fair too.

[@ambriaashley3383]

@brushfyr the reaction of men and women to strangers' desire is different. Men may not cry over Twilight or Justin Bieber, but they will go on about how much they hate it or how bad it sucks. Because (some) women like it soo much, men push the other way and react with anger or annoyance, which is rooted in jealousy

[@RomanZolanski123]

brushfyr but it seems like majority of the people who hate like hot supermodels or conventionally attractive celebrities in general are incel men, not women? I’ve seen way more men lash out at a beautiful woman for showing skin and being sexy out of bitterness, where women are way more supportive.

[@LynetteTheMadScientist]

The problem with the MPDG trope isn’t the trope itself, it’s the male leads. The men in these stories just soak up what the girl has to offer like a sponge. They don’t bring anything to the table. I have no problem with romantic fantasy tropes, but if you want me to get emotionally invested in the relationship then it can’t just be one-way. If the female lead is the male lead’s fantasy, then give me a reason to believe that he’s also her fantasy.

[@TurquoiseAbyss1440]

1000%

[@yeetghostrat]

The saddest part is that girls who fit the real 'manic pixie' base are suffering some kind of severe depression. Bipolar Disorder's original name is literally 'Manic-Depression' for the way sufferers go from episodes of euphoric mania to crushing and irrational depression. In other situations, the MPD level of mania always precludes a mental break down, or is just a sign of something more like schizophrenia. Mania is not a good indicator of a woman who is supportive, it's an indicator of a woman who needs intense support.

[@mrinchantube]

LOOT THE RICH Sarah you don't see it on screen but those "lame" guys are the ones who get this and give that support, they calm and ground us when we need it most and thats whats so attractive about them, the fact that every little thing doesn't make them lose their shit like the "bad boy" trope

[@yeetghostrat]

@@mrinchantube luckymrin My reply to you keeps disappearing. Summery, if these movies were by men who gave a shit about a girl with severe mental illness, and who had the maturity to handle her, then they wouldn't be Manic Pixie Dream Girls. Boys who fetishise the mania are the reason I have androphobia and am lesbian (I used to be bisexual), I was pretty popular for my happy bounciness as a teenager- but my fucked up shit was hidden outside of school, boys ran the moment they got a hint that I was actually human. There are a lot of amazing men who can handle it, they are a blessing to the world. Man children in MPDG movies are not those. They're trash to me.

[@Thaydontcry]

I think the difference between them is the thing you know? Lol

[@Essfffssfff]

My ex thought I was a manic pixie dream girl just because I have coloured hair and act a bit out of the box. He was disappointed when he found out that I'm just depressed and anxious. Edit: I have been diagnosed with ADHD (at the age of 20)

[@becky3093]

my biggest nightmare

[@katkatkatkat463]

lol yes

[@FayeThijssen041302]

Rt

[@hollysprite3096]

yup been there

[@martinasurr]

THIS IS LITERALLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME AHAHA

[@esmeraldaloschuetz9120]

If you're hot, your quirkiness is perceived as endearing and interesting. If you're not, you're labeled as just weird and off-putting. Even more so if you refuse to act cute all the time. Women / girls who have their own baggage / problems, especially when they're artists themselves, are, despite or because of their quirks, portrayed / perceived as difficult, hard to bear, bitchy, narcissistic, etc. (Especially in biopics.)

[@MostHighDwelling]

esmeralda loschuetz You hit the nail right in the head!

[@QarthCEO]

This is not a gender specific issue.

[@jamesbizs]

I’m sorry. How is this woman specific?

[@rainpooper7088]

Xaro Xhoan Daxos True, good-looking people always have it easier than plain or ugly people, but for women, the niche of adoration is even smaller than it is for men, which, don’t get me wrong, is already way smaller than it should be. Just look at Hollywood. While obviously the handsome male actors are the most beloved and well-paid, there are places for men of nearly all ages, shapes and sizes there as well. The women though all look young and pretty and have to or else people apparently won’t want to see them anymore. It’s considered a big deal when a female lead doesn’t conform to those standards to the point where it’s used as a cheap marketing ploy. I agree that it’s a general issue since humans can see better than they can think unless they’re blind, but I don’t blame the OP for singling out women here.

[@azure7687]

Xaro Xhoan Daxos yeah but it can be very specific especially when many of our standards for beauty and gender stem from an old archaic system of thought. So yeah it can quite easily be overwhelming for women even more so then men. However that doesn’t mean men don’t experience the same thing. It’s just that women have less options to rely on.

[@heyryanisonx3141]

I think Maria from the Sound of Music is a good example of the quirky, free-spirited, and endearing female character without falling into the MPDG trope. Even though she brings light back into the gloomy male lead's life, she still has her own flaws, interests, and goals independent of him.

[@lisah8438]

I feel like she gave back to the whole family.

[@katherinemorelle7115]

And in real life was a horrendous bitch. Probably got nothing to do with whether the character was an MPDG, though.

[@dulcimerrafi]

According to TV Tropes, Captain Von Trapp is a rare example of a Defrosting Ice King.

[@lampshade1304]

Maria is clearly undiagnosed ADHD (which makes sense since it wasn't a diagnosis at that time). Many women with ADHD find themselves viewed like real life MPDG. Quirky (due to neuroatypicality), flighty, impulsive and having had to come to terms with and accept not being able to live up to social norms (a lesson they can pass on to some guy). The issue is that the guy eventually realised that their "hyper pixie dream girl's" quirks aren't optional. She needs actual support and help instead of having someone to admire her all starry eyed.

[@entertain7us148]

that is so true! I'd never even thought of her as a MPDG because the story is all told from her perspective so she's really a human being, not just a haphazard list of qualities that are perfectly positioned for a man's personal development.

[@rebeccafreeman9883]

Sometimes the manic pixie dream girl doesn't rescue the boy, he just drowns her.

[@Cornerstanding]

Truth!!!

[@sheyouli8972]

@Arthur Frayn let me rephrase that for you, "what does this say about society"

[@cold_static]

That would be a movie I'd like to watch, where the guy doesn't turn his life around and instead drags the girl down with him.

[@sheyouli8972]

@Arthur Frayn a story i like? elizabethtown.

[@javencummins1426]

@@cold_static Hmm, looks like I'll have to write it.

[@l7weenie273]

Sounds like a twist of the "cool girl". The love child of the "cool girl" and the "weird girl"

[@siobhan9604]

L7 Weenie LITERALLY thinking it sounded like a cool girl lol

[@ECL28E]

the MPDG is the cool-girl, but they drink Starbucks instead of beer.

[@mac9733]

And girl next door

[@ChloeIsAShopaholic]

Touché

[@andrewcheng2113]

Weird is cool, in a way :D

[@MrVinB]

There has to be an indie rock band out there called Manic Pixie Dream Girl. I just know it.

[@tuidde]

And they are called MPDG by their fans

[@MostHighDwelling]

Athenäs haha

[@rosecoloredbby]

Athenäs perfect sound for the name

[@phoebexxlouise]

I'm in a band called the Panic Dixie Gream Mirls

[@yxw6528]

GRLwood has the mpdg vibe and i love it

[@fernandah8083]

"they are in a great mood even if they are dying" LMAOOO

[@HiBuddyyyyyy]

That just sounds like being good at hiding depression.

[@PataPtichou]

"GOOD VIBES ONLY 😜😜😜😜"

[@i.am.10vely]

I think what bugs me about these movies is that the girl is so interested in these boring and lame dudes. A real life girl like the manic pixie dream girl would be having so much fun with her own life and looking for interesting people and things, she would never be interested in a man like that

[@studiostyx7075]

I always thought that too, and hated how writers excused that glaring fact with some weak "she has to save said boring, lame dude" trope. Like any real MPDG would waste her eccentric time trying to save a sad sack.

[@SR77736]

Sometimes those guys are grounded and practical. The opposition of personalities may be a point of attraction.

[@janicky1891]

Perhaps why they are called “dream girls” because they are basically fantasies and women wouldn’t be so interested in a despondent sad sack.

[@Delilahjewel]

Shin'nai Thats exactly what I was thinking. It creates balance. While a MPDG may want someone who can keep up with their antics, they may also want someone who doesn’t have any of their own because it could become overbearing. It’s not always for the sake of saving the boring (man), sometimes it’s saving themselves (the trouble of dealing with someone too much like themselves).

[@josefk7437]

I think the Manic Pixie Dream Girl would work better if she was a hallucination, spirit guide, or imaginary friend that only the boring lame dude can see. That would explain why she is interested in him. If you imagine that only the loser dude can see or hear the MPDG and everyone else only sees thin air, and the storyline would work just as well, then you have a correctly labelled MPDG and a reasonable explanation for why she would be interested in him.

[@Chris-hx6tr]

Ruby Sparks is such a great and an underrated movie. It really shows how the trope reveals a kind of male vulnerability and a lack of genuine interest in women. The lonely, immature main character dreams up the ideal girlfriend, but he isn't really interested in who she is as a person. He treats her like a toy he can play with when he wants to, while also expecting her to stay still and not have any career pursuits, interests, or friends of her own while he's off doing something else. That's pretty much the deal with MPDG trope: she doesn't seem like the type of character who would continue to exist on her own if the male lead wasn't looking.

[@Zimuahaha]

Yes, I love this movie.

[@trinaq]

It really is, and should be more well known than it is. It condemns the use of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl Trope, since Calvin literally dreamt up Ruby, and also calls him out on treating her like his property, and how damaging this is to expect a woman to fix all of your problems. 😍

[@sandradermark8463]

STRAIGHT male vulnerability / STRAIGHT male lead. Thanx.

[@lindseycassella3015]

I did enjoy this movie

[@atinysoftbean1645]

And honestly, even if someone was a real life MPDG, she probably wouldn't be interested in staying with a guy that doesn't appreciate her. It's similar to the "cool girl" where you watch a movie and go "Why does this cool, *confident*, capable woman settle for a guy like THAT??" (Not that women don't settle for less than they should in real life, but these kinds of movies romantize "settling for less" to a point where it's fully unrealistic.)

[@PrincessRamsha999]

Luna Lovegood is a fantastic example of how the trope can be used in non-romantic settings. I find her very curious, creative and interesting, not merely in service of a male fantasy, and I suspect a lot of that is down to the fact that she was authored by a woman.

[@johnthehumanist2333]

SO MALES CAN'T WRITE FEMALES?🥲

[@dis_appointed8626]

So true... That's why JK Rowling female characters are so brilliant

[@sallylovests]

LIVE LAUGH LOVE LUNA

[@Francisco-bu9ew]

My favorite HP charachter I think it was one of the characters with most depth in the movies

[@tinakarner5938]

But would she survive and thrive in today's muggle world?

[@thekaleidoscope2630]

As a girl, I find this nonverbal claim of "I'm not like other girl" extremely annoying.

[@Alana8480]

Same.

[@luthientinuviel101]

I agree, its just getting so annoying to read stories or watch movies with these kinds of "quirky and relatable" "I'm not like other girls" types

[@juliamerlin7778]

me too! saying "u are not like other girls" means the other girls are all the same? i think its internalized misogynie that women think they have to be different than others to be special to men

[@fizzycat3506]

Ikr? You're "not like other girls". You're just different and even girls who are like "other girls" can even do the same thing "not like other girls" can do. Honestly, I'm just fucking baffling

[@mirabayraktar3602]

Yes!! No one girl is the same. We’re all different in our own ways!!!

[@Frosting1000]

Stargirl, the book, was also supposed to be a deconstruction of the trope. Stargirl is a MPDG who is bullied and shunned by the whole school and neighborhood she moves into. Even the boring guy love interest ends up distancing himself for fear of being shunned too. It was about how a REAL super quirky and weird girl wouldn’t actually be accepted by her high school peers. It was about how high school is a time where ppl tend to shun and bully those who don’t conform.

[@luthientinuviel101]

yeah...when it was made into a movie I cringed at the trailer. Though the book was kind of quirky too tbh

[@akinmytua4680]

I loved the book. I’m wary of the adaptation

[@fatimaachnine1318]

omg i love that book! It really changed my life when I read it.

[@mars-ip1zg]

yess i loved stargirl the book and i grew up with it and now i refuse to watch the movie and it ruin the book for me because i'm sure they got everything wrong :(

[@dremsjsues2122]

@@mars-ip1zg dont watch it! My sister forced me to watch it even though she knows how much I love the book and I couldnt get past 10 minutes of it because it was so ruined and "disneyfied"

[@sofiamolinaro6555]

"Too many guys think I'm a concept, or I complete them, or I'm gonna make them alive. But I'm just a fucked-up girl who's lookin' for my own peace of mind; don't assign me yours." - Clementine from eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

[@bridgettepierce7144]

one of my fav movies!

[@luca57882]

Love this

[@markarmage3776]

And exactly what's the point of that? If you just avoid people based on that then it means you want somebody who doesn't think you complete them, who thinks you make them feel dead inside. I don't know about you but that seems pretty sad.

[@sofiamolinaro6555]

@@markarmage3776 If you depend on other people to not feel dead inside that's a you problem. It's not up to someone else to ensure your happiness, you find that on your own.

[@markarmage3776]

@@sofiamolinaro6555 Again, that doesn't make any sense, pal. Humans are pack creatures, we depend on each other, nobody can live a totally isolated life as much nobody can live a totally dependent life. Keep it real, homie. Finding your own happiness by yourself is actually the equivalent of filling your lives up with superficial things. Human emotions always depend on incoming variables of life, of people around you. A person living in total isolation can never find "happiness". This has been tested quite extensively with astronauts in space isolation. Show some respect. Go learn some math, pal, you'll see it's quite meaningless what you're saying. You may think you're finding happiness by yourself but you're absolutely not. Your happiness, if it exists at all, is the contribution of countless factors, that you might not know how lucky you are to have them. Keep it real, homie.

[@jamesnann9943]

Hot take: Augustus waters is a manic pixie dream girl

[@elleyeah746]

I support this

[@alisaperez3716]

Oh heck yeah

[@umnia4316]

100% agree

[@umnia4316]

Hotter take: Alaska Young was not a manic pixie dream girl

[@melanierose5077]

100000%

[@magzdilluh]

Someone once told me "Be your own manic pixie dream girl, make your own life magical" and I never forgot it

[@wholesomepiss4459]

@strontiumXnitrate or, you can stop being so pressed over a harmless comment.

[@pyroshayniac1090]

@@wholesomepiss4459 Wholesome indeed.

[@sarajoachim2186]

@@wholesomepiss4459 Wow, that guy spent a whole lot of time trying to pick fights with people in all the comments. I know we're all losing our minds in quarantine, but yikes, this is why having a hobby and getting outside are so important right now.

[@inferiorinferno8859]

@@wholesomepiss4459 This strontium guy is being salty in nearly every comment section. I'm pretty convinced at this point he's an incel.

[@darkdream1469]

@@sarajoachim2186 they need a mpdg in their life.

[@shelbyyoung4315]

You know you've grown up when you watch 500 days of summer and understand how selfish Tom was. Love a movie that you can see from a different perspective once you aren't a literal child

[@leahcarrier5545]

Tom isn't necessarily selfish, he's just immature and is still stuck on childish ideals on romance. One of the movie's main points is that he matures throughout the movie and drops his previous views on love and women for something more realistic. I'm not condoning Tom's actions at all, it's just that some folks are too quick to judge him.

[@Ratchet2431]

After I saw the movie for the first time when I was in high school I thought: "Why did everyone tell me I was going to hate Summer? It wasn't her fault that the relationship didn't work out." Still I can't say I was mature for my age because I made the same mistakes as Tom one year later.

[@aniturcli7]

I think both of them were the villian and victim of theirselves. Tom's mistake was to idealize someone and decive himself that he could change the way of the realionship was and someone's real personalite, not loving Summer for who she really is but for the ideia of her. Summer's mistake was that she didn't breakup with Tom sooner she felt that he wanted to be more than friends with her, but at the same time I forgive her, because she was lonely and, deep in down, she wanted to give a chance to love, but to someone that real understands her for who she really is. Someone who really accepts her true self and won't leave her like her parents leave each other

[@bbudimanalqodri]

I don't remember the movie, but what I remember is one day after many beautiful moment they have, out of the blue Summer dump him.... Like, wtf?

[@liliesofthefield5310]

He wasn't selfish he was unrealistically hopeful, and she led him on.. over and over again

[@salamander8301]

"Even if theyre dyyying" I laughed out loud

[@trinaq]

Haha, that's the literal case of "Sweet November", where Charlize Theron is a Manic Pixie Dream Girl for a living BECAUSE she's dying!

[@zucchinigreen]

Same!

[@jeremyud]

Ansel Elgort in The Fault in Our Stars is the Manic Pixie Dream Boy.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

So, the MPDG is the female version of Jack from Titanic. A free spirited sexy life coach.

[@CCLOSPINA]

Yes, Jack is a Maniac Pixie dream Boy.

[@l.celest9208]

I actually kind of agree. I want them to do an episode on the opposite of this trope. Because there are stories where there are men who are made just to bring excitement and such to a female character who is boring or has given up on love or something else. I think what makes a MPDG is if she uses her quirky traits just for the benefit of the main character and there being no sign of her truly having a life of her own outside of fixing someone else's life or helping/inspiring others outside of the main character

[@ellaenchanted8407]

The guy from pitch perfect too

[@MostHighDwelling]

Haha exactly

[@MyssBlewm]

Charming Badass Dream Boy

[@Rose-hh7mk]

I like how Ruby Sparks and 500 Days of Summer treated this trope. In the end, they showed that you can't use a woman to fix your problems and that she has dreams of her own and interests of her own. If you aren't one of her dreams, let her go.

[@salamander8301]

Or learn to allow people in your life who don't just exist to serve you and your own growth.

[@juliall255]

@@salamander8301 to be fair the term ''allow'' is a bit self-serving. These bastards also need to learn to give just as much as they take. People should help EACH OTHER. Treat people how you want to be treated. You want someone to help you with your problems then you have to be willing to help people with their problems. Recognize that you're a human being and that there's other human beings in this world. It's not actually all about you, you selfish self-absorbed trash can.

[@matesafranka6110]

Unfortunately I don't recall the name of the artist, but there was once this four-panel comic about "mythical creatures of modern times"; three of them were cryptids and such, and the fourth one was "The Beautiful, Strong-Willed Young Woman Who Instantly Falls In Love With The Miserable Nerd Yeah That's Right It's Never Gonna Happen You Loser".

[@CoyoteGuru]

Let's add "The multi-billionaire who falls in love at first sight with an average girl".

[@santiagobauza4257]

@@CoyoteGuru Films starring Julia Roberts in a nutshell

[@diadsalies]

@@CoyoteGuru LOL Watch more K-dramas, friend, that's totally off the mark. More like, Multi-billionaire asshole who treats 'average-looking girl (played by a top actress)' like garbage for multiple seasons but eventually falls for her while probably still treating her like garbage half the time, but still secretly has a heart of gold Actually (also either mommy, daddy, or mommy-and-daddy issues).' Don't forget the rich, talented, hot ex-girlfriend/B love interest that he'll eventually reject for the sake of his True Love!

[@user-qv2qf1jk5o]

@@diadsalies Basically 50 Shades of Gray, just with more overt abuse

[@mlagv4045]

strontiumXnitrate I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and let you know that my comment was a mixture of sarcasm and satire. However, even though the artist clearly also used satire and sarcasm with their comic, the hard truth is that these extraordinary people (whether it be the MPDG that is extremely attractive or this multi-billionaire guy that is model-level handsome) won't in reality instantly fall in love with ’average’ people. It's a nice fantasy to have, but it's still only a fantasy. (Plus, a lot of the time these ’relationships’ aren't the healthiest, like the one comment on this thread explained) That is what the artist tried to showcase with their comic, their humour is just a bit more dark/harsh. I'm sorry that you couldn't clearly see that.

[@rachele___]

The thing for me is thinking: does it feel like the girl is only in the male protagonist’s head? Could it be that at the end of the movie it was all his fantasy? If the answer is “yes, she could very well be a figment of his imagination” then she probably is a manic pixie dream girl.

[@pLanetstarBerry]

I want this to be a plot twist in a movie. Like a Tyler Durden of rom com love interests.

[@awfulwoman]

pLanetstarBerry that’s basically the plot of 500 days of summer

[@mirjanbouma]

I think that's an excellent way to describe the MPDG.

[@stitchedwithcolor]

I think that fits pretty well. Another way to say it that works for me is that the MPDG is a leading character in the film and yet she has no story arc, no character development or growth over the course of the film, no needs or inconvenient desires, very little background except when it serves to advance the story of her love interest counterparts. If the character in question exists solely to fix the life of her (or, VERY rarely, his) love interest, it's a manic pixie dream child. I'm honestly a little sad the video doesn't come right out and say what defines the MPDG instead of listing her secondary traits and alluding to her defining qualities; that definition makes it much easier to distinguish between MPDGs and quirky protagonists.

[@rachele___]

Just a thought Yes, that’s pretty much the same process I use because if it’s all in the protagonist’s head it’s unlikely that he would give her any kind of background or depth. It’s just a bland character, there for his use, not a true part of the story. When it’s that monodimensional, it starts feeling fake, like the protagonist is making her up (and just adding to the character what he needs or wants from her)

[@pupasarus]

In real life the man puts the woman on a pedestal, calls her a muse and as soon as he sees her for a real person, sees that she has flaws and is human, he disappears from her life. It is really the man forcing an impossible reality on a real life girl. And the girl is usually the one standing there wondering what happened.

[@lunarhail3559]

Once a woman shows him her flaws it depends on if he can handle being with her dealing with them (before he changes his mind)

[@autummmn.e]

Most of my relationships lol

[@glimmerrrgirl5288]

Literally my last relationship lol

[@ashlieprussey5426]

Facts!!!

[@jayantiraphael8655]

I love when women attempt to explain the way that men see them. Lmao.. you guys have absolutely no idea what you're talking about

[@TheLunablackheart]

My personal opinion is, like other female trope characters, the manic pixie girl exists to stroke the male ego. Wow look at this kooky, weird, whimsical, energetic, and over everything HAPPY girl! And wow, look at this undeserving male protagonist who is egocentric, cynical and unable to help himself as if he's an infant on a bad day. And out of all the wonderful people in the world, this one of a kind (I say that because it's always made into a massive point how UNIQUE this woman is) girl has chosen this guy! And she will not stop until he is living a happier better life + points if they end up together to really consolidate his fragile masculinity. She becomes like an object - a one of a kind gemstone - and he's got her all to herself despite not deserving her in the slightest. It's a narrative that casts its ugly shadow over every female trope character: despite how bad, boring, ugly, and rude of a person you are you still deserve to have a girl fall over herself to be with you. When the female character transcends the male and moves on to better things THAT SHE DESERVES is when she transcends this trope.

[@danid7972]

Perfectly said. Pretty sure these tropes are part of what fuels incel mentality.

[@ellieb8627]

I really don’t think I’m this girl, but my friends have always told me I’m “quirky” and that they see me ending up with guys just like these guys from these movies. I’ve always been like “no!! I’d be so bored I don’t want to do all the talking no offense”. This comment is so true!! Thanks for writing it!! No good woman, no matter their personality, should settle!!

[@teejay5432]

Would you say Aerith from Final Fantasy 7 is a MPDG?

[@TheLunablackheart]

a HERO that doesn’t know what protect means Bella isn’t a mpdg tf lol?

[@TheLunablackheart]

a HERO that doesn’t know what protect means literally neither Bella or Edward remotely resemble a mpdg and if you think that you don’t understand the character archetype.

[@dignature123]

I’m so glad you guys included that guy who coined it, is annoyed by how much it’s been misused.

[@dignature123]

Manophere. com not being rude but is English your first language? I’m not following this train of thought, here.

[@mirjanbouma]

@Manophere. com try to learn some English before going on a rant against women please.

[@declaracionespolemicas]

@Manophere. com I'm sorry, but your rant it's out of place. Your comment not only doesn't have anything to do with the context of this particular thread to start talking about Toy Story 4, it's also incomprehensible, it seems to be lacking key words to make sense of what you're trying to convey (grammar could be improved also). Re-read your first comment here, you didn't even wrote "Toy Story 4" or "Bopeep" anywhere, how would anyone guess what the hell are you talking about? Maybe proof-reading wouldn't be a bad idea if you want to be understood, and I'm saying this trying to be as nice as possible.

[@mirjanbouma]

@Manophere. com not that it's any of your business, but you're dead wrong in your baseless assumption. Get some English classes before you embarrass yourself even further. Your incoherent ranting is incomprehensible. Oh sorry, let me dumb that down for you: your writing is so bad nobody gets what you are talking about.

[@karinarvaez97]

I think Phoebe (from Friends) is the developed Manic Pixie the world needed, and the writers married her with a loose happy musician like her, instead of the lonely sad scientist 🙌🏼

[@ishitabansal6495]

I dont think Phoebe is a manic pixie dream girl. She is weird and quirky, FOR HERSELF. Its who she is by herself and in front of her friends. Her quirkiness is funny not attractive. I think Mike finds Phoebe attractive as well as funny, and he notices the mistakes she makes(kissing david), or her being weird in a non attractive way too.

[@danika9411]

Phoebe is an ENFP. And honestly being an ENFP myself, Manic Pixie Dream Girls are just us in slightly exaggerated. There are more ENFP in Movies, just type in ENFP in Film. I can't link, I'm on the phone. Sorry Sorry for mistakes English isn't my first language.

[@ishitabansal6495]

@@danika9411 Well yes, Phoebe is an ENFP. But I disagree that ENFPs are manic pixie dream girls, these are just stereotypes. Maybe enfp characters appear to be so, however, we know that these "manic pixie dream girls" dont exist irl anyway. But enfps do exist irl, and Ne Fi Te Si ≠ quirky adorable manic pixie dream girl all the time.

[@danika9411]

@@ishitabansal6495 Of course we're not that manic. It's very exaggerated. Ne can make you quirky and look chaotic to others, because it's open, like brainstorming. Fi is what the MPDG are probably lacking a bit. Our Fi can make us retreat and overanalyze stuff a lot. Also we're more serious and think deeper than the MPDG. Te for us is like:"if you do this this happens" or "if this is done this will be the outcome". Si....yeah let's not talk about that 😂 makes us chaotic and not like planning too much. ( Sorry for my english ) I think the MPDG is an exaggeration but has many overlaps with ENFP. One huge difference though, we're very independent and don't exist to just please the man. But since most of us genuinly love people and want others happy, we can shower our partner with lots of affection! And are their cheerleader 😂 We also tend to adopt introverts 🤷‍♀️ I haven't seen these movies mentioned here, but they reminded me of ENFP.

[@chunkystains8950]

I want a movie about a manic pixie "saving" a sad woman.

[@Alana8480]

Desperately Seeking Susan

[@luthientinuviel101]

@@Alana8480 YES! Sounds like a lesbian romance lmao for the saps

[@ssga7081]

My Sassy Girl. The original one

[@michemicalromance]

@@ssga7081 there is All The Bright Places from netflix but it's not exactly rom com

[@RizqahPangestu]

Tully

[@CeliMe007]

Do the sassy black friend trope!

[@almostclintnewton8478]

Followed by the Magical Negro™

[@CeliMe007]

@@almostclintnewton8478 I never heard of that one. What is it?

[@kylieberk6220]

That trope is almost always my favorite character, but I agree that it’s overdone! I think it also reinforces the negative premise that black characters are only side kicks and such.

[@justsumteennn6778]

​@@CeliMe007 black man that uses witchcraft or contacts the unknown to help white protagonist

[@tamirahgrant2959]

YES

[@moonchild-vp7qr]

Hot take: the problem with MPDG is the men.

[@usul573]

Maybe most of the time the guys don't really do anything wrong, but she exists a bit too much as a fantasy in the writers mind and not a full fledged person. Quirky, weird, silly, cute, none of that is a problem per say I think.

[@CRIMSONBAMBOO-g6f]

I think the most important problem is the unrealistic simplicity of the relationship. And them not having their underdeveloped story that only exists as a part of someone else's story

[@liaml.e.5964]

Basically, yes, specially for how dull and one-dimensional they are usually written. They are not just regular boring dudes, they are designed to be boring.

[@dixiereynolds9909]

Pro tip for writing: write the male and females characters and not cardboard cutouts I’m fine with tropes as long as the execution is good and that characters change and have depth, and subverting expectations also works

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

That's not a hot take. That's the videos take and it's the take of everyone who follows this channel.

[@KingHiki]

Could Marriage Story be seen as what happens years after the brooding man marries his Manic Pixie Dream Girl and the girl gets tired if living to be a prop in someone else's life.

[@spanglishwords5623]

I neeeed this on the take

[@fairoadiary]

Quavon Blume interesting take

[@ぼじん-o5r]

Omg I hadn't thought of it that way

[@meikoblock]

Wow I didn’t see it until you said it

[@jaimicottrill2831]

Wow, amazing take on it. 😃

[@Willpowaa]

Clementine from Eternal Sunshine is more of a deconstruction of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope. She’s quirky and fun on the surface, but very real and full of her own baggage and issues. Which is part of why their relationship fell apart. She’s not just a plot device to help the male main character. She exists independently of him.

[@marvel096]

Yes. They literally said that she was a deconstruction in the video 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@vanaa2130]

Same with summer from 500 days of summer

[@HAL-vm3wn]

@strontiumXnitrate well, she IS responsible for the relationship falling

[@eddymannylow8216]

caught the one who didn't watch the video til the end. Shame on you!

[@DreamItCraftIt]

The "you like the Smiths?" bit in 500 days of summer was really cringy to watch. It's not some obscure band or anything.. its th fkn Smiths Lol

[@isi_hpt]

But i think thats the point - from summers perspective she was just nice to a guy that worked at the same place, but he thought „omgggg she is the one“

[@lucy.vonahlften]

You don’t know how boring the writers are ... maybe for them it’s qūîrkÿ

[@Sophie-zm6mw]

As the first reply stated; that’s literally the point

[@agceballagceball2079]

Why are The Smiths always the “quirky, obscure” band.. they didn’t ask for this lmao

[@Silvercentipede]

Bit off topic but I look quite young I'm 26 and get mistaken for a teenager and this older guy at work who used to be a roadie for concerts was like "oh yeah and there was this one time at a gig, I don't know if you've heard of a band called..."The Smiths"? I was like "are you kidding me?" 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ I don't know if it was because I look young or just because I'm female actually... Another time I was bartending and "Smooth Criminal" but the Alien Ant Farm version came, and I made a comment about Micheal Jackson and this guy was like "To be fair im even impressed you know this is origanally by Micheal Jackson" or "You're probably the only girl here who knows this is by Micheal Jackson" 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ I don't remember the exact words but the fact I was a girl was definitely in there! I was like are you kidding?! Micheal Jackson?!?!?? One of the most successful popstars that ever lived?!! Another time I was buying whisky, and it was just a cheap scotch and I was like "haha I know it sort of takes the cool factor of when it's not Jack Daniels" and he was like "to be fair, a girl drinking whisky at all is pretty cool" 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ Really l?!? Whisky?! A ridiculously popular and vastly sold drink?!? Guys are always all impressed when I drink whisky its quite funny 😂 This isn't even a feminist rant or anything, I don't actually really care I've got bigger things to worry about and it's not really that important, it's just really fucking funny more than anything 😂😂😅

[@bethanyskinner4030]

Can you do a video analysing the "womaniser" trope and how they are viewed now?

[@fockingreat1125]

Ooh, good one.

[@lindenpeters2601]

Yup, hopefully they call the trope a victim and blame women for it, the way they blame men for the Femme Fatale trope.

[@lolavedette7566]

@@lindenpeters2601 lol very doubtful. In their defence they do give good examples of well written male leads... just not as often. Blame the writers? :D

[@yYSilverFoxYy]

Linden Peters It’s more likely that they’ll blame men for that too. Something like “It’s a male fantasy to be like that”.🙄

[@everythingisawesome2903]

@@lindenpeters2601 Their trope videos provides good insight but as much as I like this channel, I would be lying if I say it's doesn't really hold any bias. For a change, I would love to see diversity of thoughts from male's perspective.

[@downes8621]

I was talking about this with my husband and we surmised perhaps the MPDG & Protagonist are a role reversal of the classic damsel in distress! In these stories it's the man who needs saving and the woman comes to his rescue. Instead of combating an external physical threat, it is an internal emotional threat from which he needs saving. Whereas the Hero must put to good use his uniquely masculine characteristics which are well suited in opposition to the physical threat in order to save the Damsel, The MPDG's uniquely feminine characteristics are well suited to combat the emotional threats present in the protagonist.

[@CloudslnMyCoffee]

This is insightful and accurate

[@xx-ze2zt]

Wow, a good theory 😀

[@quico522]

both the mpdg and damsel in distress tropes are male-centric narratives where female characters exist solely for the purpose of the male character arc. the damsel in distress will automatically reward the protagonist who completes the quest through violent means. she's often the trophy in a competition between men with no real depth or agency

[@paradoxacres1063]

@@quico522 _"both the mpdg and damsel in distress tropes are male-centric narratives"_ Well, yes..the story with a Male Protagonist..written by Male Writers..is _probably_ going to be "male-centric" regardless of what the Female Characters are like 😒🤷‍♂️

[@quico522]

@@paradoxacres1063 well that's what these videos are about, people are fed up! if writers can't write beyond these short-sighted gender stereotypes then they should PROBABLY change jobs

[@NWednesdayQuansah]

I have this weird feeling of dissonance where I'm frustrated with the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope but also mad that women of color don't get to be Manic Pixie Dream Girls.

[@isla-greenburg]

same. It's at a point where i want more representation of my race in a lead role, and i'd take anyone, even these stock & toxic tropes.

[@Jazilou]

Plot twist: manic pixie dream woc is quirky and fun and unapolagetically herself and as the story goes on is shown to be legitimately layered and full of character, with bad days and grief and anger, and the main male lead (after being pulled from his depressed and disillusioned state) then gets to be there for her and remind her that the world is a beautiful place even when she's too depressed to see it. And they live happily ever after, embracing the fact that not every day is Sparkly and Pretty and Full of Promise, but deliberately making little moments in which they remind each other and themselves that there is stuff to be happy about anyway. That there is always beauty somewhere, even if you have to search it out. Maybe the narrator starts off being the guy, but ends up being the girl, or both of them telling a story together. (I want a scene where the male lead helps her de-tangle her hair and like, looks up hair tutorials so he can help put her hair in twists, and then she looks in the mirror and he tells her that she doesn't have to do everything by herself. If she isn't strong enough to be happy today, he can do it for her. She just has to lean on him, and it will be okay). But! That's my White Woman take. It'd have to be written and directed by a woc in order to not accidentally fall into a bunch of racist stereotypes, because lbr, no amount of research on "how to not be racist" is gonna beat the lived experiences of a woman of color. But tbh I would so love a movie like that, if it was done thoughtfully and realistically.

[@mimexion]

So your mad poc like us aren't represented as something you hate????....what type of logic is that

[@biancagalhardo7044]

yes i was thinking the same. all of those steriotypes are performed by white skinny woman

[@Annabel-ew5nx]

@@mimexion shes just mad that they're no representation or variety in poc in general

[@petertromp8786]

Well, Kirsten Dunst at least got her revenge by playing one of the most disturbing, least "sunny" characters of the 2010s in Melancholia - in one of the best performances of the decade.

[@Zimuahaha]

Love that movie!

[@Charuid]

One of von Trier's best

[@haddiiv.4563]

Omg I love your profile pic

[@lore_nza]

her eyes were literally empty in that movie

[@petertromp8786]

@@haddiiv.4563 Greendale Human Beings for life!

[@oOlaLeydelDeseoOo]

"somehow they remain in a great mood, even IF THEY'RE DYING" lol I love the aggressiveness

[@carlathedestructor2454]

That line made me laugh so hard. It's so cringey when movies do that to characters. "My horrible death from cancer will be all worth it if you, the male protagonist, goes out and lives life to the fullest!" (smiles like she's not in excruciating pain and terrified of dying)

[@marymohr2799]

This video really hit home. For years as a child, I dreamed of being a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Of being so wonderful and different, I'd be able to help a boring guy see the wonder in life. And do I want to help people in general find beauty in life? Yes, but my entire existence shouldn't be based around getting a romantic partner I've deemed to boring to "live".

[@llywelyngruffydd8474]

As if you aren't boring.

[@zuzu9190]

​@@llywelyngruffydd8474 Bros mad

[@publiusvelocitor4668]

MPDG is a more dangerous myth to young men than young women. Guys: a figure like this isn't going to complete you or broaden you; you've got to do that yourself.

[@jacobodom8401]

Manophere. com the femme fatale is a narrative that dates back to the earliest story of Gilgamesh. She’s beautiful but her personality leaves much to be desired. Lies, steals, cheats, and even kills.

[@caoisekamay1175]

That’s true. This channel doesn’t talk enough about how these tropes affect men even when it’s clearly more harmful to them (like the bad boy trope). I get that this is a female oriented channel, and as a woman I appreciate that, but it’d be more interesting imo to look at these things from all perspectives.

[@mikelaw9317]

@brushfyr what is the story called. About womon who lives with 4 husbands

[@mikelaw9317]

@brushfyr i think the major difference is historical context. 1 guy and for sister wives. Seen as gross because it subject they are treated like objects. Then as only a cook,cleaner, sex tool and eventually baby carrier and caretaker. I personally yet to hear the other way around tho other then snow white. She did all the cooking and cleaning for the 7 dwarfs while she is a Princess

[@danebirbhaha7520]

@jay you Are Joking right?

[@allisonfitzmaurice6948]

A lot of those sad sack guys looked like Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, I wonder how The Take would analyze the Sad Boy trope

[@gs427]

I know! And the need of women to "fix them"

[@Feliciatanktop]

White, “average-looking”, with dark hair and dark eyes

[@jasminecrawford42]

See Ferris was his MPDG and he was absolutely the sad sack lead 😂.

[@nightmaster5593]

haha! I wanna see a breakdown of the "sadboy" trope - like High Fidelity

[@brunaiglesias5542]

"These men are typically lonely, depressed, tortured [...] "... and white

[@AmandaFromWisconsin]

Just like the Manic Pixie Dream Girl.

[@orquito7710]

its a white fantasy✨🧚🏼‍♀️✨

[@tomw3452]

I think this has more to do with the unrelenting white casting of main parts in Hollywood movies, rather than this specific trope being an intrinsically racist one as you seem to be suggesting.

[@brunaiglesias5542]

@@tomw3452 sure it is whitecasting. I think it would be nice to read the comment for what it is not for what you think is behind it. I havent implied anything that isn't written : people put as the examples are white. And I think white casting has some structurally racist practices and that could be a discussion.

[@brunaiglesias5542]

@A M i havent implied anything besides de fact that they're white from the example. Honestly you seem to be triggered by my comment instead of the other way around cause I'm pretty chill

[@catrionamount279]

I actually see Penny Lane in Almost Famous as being a direct takedown of the MPDG. When Will (and the audience) meets her, she seems like a textbook example of the trope. But we quickly learn that this is, in large part, an act. Although she insists that Band-Aids are there for the music (which is obviously deeply important to Penny), the idea that they're not also there for the rock stars is proven ridiculous. When she makes Will come to a hotel party with her shortly after they meet, it seems like a spontaneous decision to drag Will out of his comfort zone. But when she goes off with Russell, another groupie confides in Will that she only brought him there to give her an excuse to see Russell without looking desperate. Penny is constantly trying to be Russell's 'Cool Girl', a 70s rocker's dream: free-spirited, not clingy, young and exciting with an encyclopaedic knowledge of indie music. But in the end, the band see her as just another groupie, a fun distraction while their wives wait at home. Cracks in her persona begin to show when she makes the delusional decision to follow Russell and his wife to a restaurant after he has essentially sold her to another band. When it becomes clear that Russell doesn't want her there whilst his wife is around, she realises that even being the 'perfect woman' will never be enough for him. She tries to kill herself, shattering her carefree facade once and for all. Her decision to leave the men in her life behind and go to Morocco is the first thing she does for herself in this movie. Ultimately, her imitation of the MPDG or Cool Girl trope was detrimental to her own happiness; when she decides to stop being a male fantasy and start seeking her own adventure, it's the perfect happy ending for this character.

[@chodori2041]

I don't think Penny address the concept except in a retroactively applied sense. A MPDG depends as much on her relationship to the male protagonist as her characteristics. She would have to be the catalyst for a depressed, apathetic Will to rediscover the joys of life or some other sentimental claptrap. It's clear Russell doesn't care about her as more than a booty call, not to mention she doesn't give Will the time of day in terms of a potential romance. The movie indicts her as much as the hedonistic lifestyle and backstabbing that disillusions Will of his rock idealism. It's critical to remember Penny is an _endemic_ groupie. Her affair with Russell is the latest in a succession of heartbreaks, yet she still deludes herself into believing the next band leader will reward her loyalty while bringing her onto a never-ending ride of stimulation and partying. The Morocco trip is an extension of this fantasy; it's just another type of exciting road trip that will eventually end with her stuck in the same spot as before. She's meant to be a foil to Will, who's badly burned by Stillwater and takes the resulting lessons to heart. Clementine from _Endless Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_ is the pinnacle of anti-MPDG sentiment.

[@trinaq]

"Margo was not a miracle, she was not an adventure, she was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl". I love how more writers are deconstructing the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl", namely John Green. Alaska Young and Margo Roth Spiegelman are the most prominent examples of this. Part of the protagonist Q's growth is realising that Margo isn't responsible for him, and has her own demons, and let's her, and his dream of her, go. 💖

[@Luciphell]

The manic pixie girl is the dream girl of a certain subset of guys. Deconstructing and changing the ideal is tantamount to ruining the dream. Once that is done, the dream is dead and nobody will want the pixie girl anymore. Since the audience won't be there, the studios will stop making that character. Then women will be standing around confusedly wondering "Why don't movie studios use the Pixie Girl in movies anymore?" That's why, since the character was made specifically to appeal to men, not women. Just a FYI to look forward too. (BTW Pixie Girl isn't my type, just an observation of others)

[@Life_moreabundantly]

Just Had To Go Through That Same Grieving Process Of Emotional Acceptance This Weekend. Damn. Thanks For Your Analysis!

[@bedtimeat8]

I never saw Paper Towns the movie but the book made it so clear that Q never really knew her and was strangely obsessed with her.

[@jeremyud]

@@bedtimeat8 The movie still goes with that but they soften the blow for Q by making Margo much nicer to him at the end than she was in the book. They also added a "friendship yay!" Scene at the end where Q manages to make it back just in time to dance with his friends at prom.

[@bedtimeat8]

@@jeremyud Thank you. Maybe that softening is why some people are confused about the message.

[@yaelfeder9042]

Growing up with ADHD and being a woman, my behavior was similar except getting the man. Honestly, being “not like the other girls” was hard. My brain was on autopilot and I wanted it to stop. Everyone thought me to be a pain in the ass without thinking that I was sick of being this way! I’ve been doing better but the stupidity of others never ceases to floor me, smh.

[@samp3622]

It’s like have an interesting “quirky” girlfriend makes him interesting by proxy because he views her as a possession.

[@fluffywhitemanju]

the thing I hate the most about this trope is how many men have bought into it and expect their flaws to be "fixed" by their partner. work on yourselves y'all.

[@llywelyngruffydd8474]

Stop posting inane garbage on the internet. Thanks.

[@applescruff1969]

As a lonely, introverted man who's never even been on a date in his life, I concur!

[@onemandubs713]

‘Your lie in april’ had a pretty cool twist on the MPDG It starts off as as any generic boy meets girl romcom, but it rapidly changes as you learn the sad secret of why the girl’s putting on the facade of being a manic pixie dream girl And ultimately both the girl and boy help each other in achieving what they wanted (well kind of I guess)

[@shreyaadahall]

Well.. she still doesn't get anything.. gets used as a plot fodder for the protagonist's character development and he goes back to his girl next door after his manic pixie girl dies. It does have the perspective of manic pixie dream girl which is great but at the end it still comes back to manic pixie trope. I still admire that the perspective of the girl was taken into account unlike other love triangle Harem animes.

[@spookyandwithdrawn20]

I feel like Your Lie in April fails at applying a twist to the MPDG since the the story for the most part is from the male protagonist’s perspective. And because of that we barely get to see main girls perspective which just leaves us little to see. It doesn't matter if main girl had any problems because those problems only serve to complete the main boys arc.

[@lotusrain4102]

@@spookyandwithdrawn20 i think ppl r reading too much into things😂 I only see it as a slightly cliche but well written tragic love story between two young musicians. And Kousei probably ending up with his childhood friend next door after her death gave it a realistic conclusion to that story, given that they were fourteen year olds who met over one spring. And i kind of enjoyed the way they portrayed Kaori's personality. She's outgoing & free spirited, but doesn't give off 'i'm not like other girls' vibes at all. She has a lot of stereotypically female characteristics which she showed without hesitation, like caring abt her appearance & dolling herself up in pretty clothes all the time, using pink & cute things to decorate her violin case, enjoying things like shopping, etc. etc.

[@lincolny2220]

April anime is still a played-straight example of a MPDG imo

[@Wealllovekaira]

It’s a PERFECT MPDG. one girl discards any sense of self respect for the broken guy, one girl DIES after repairing him through her happy bs persona lol. This is exactly what they’re talking about. It’s not a twist at all.

[@amphalure]

I think the keyword to manic pixie dream girls is shallow, yes, they tend to be quirky, dreamlike, cool/weird girl that makes the dude's life better, but they're shallow, their character arc is close to non existing, they're only a step to be stepped on the man's growth path. Bad writing causes that.

[@christopherbrown2706]

@Manophere. com really is, lowkey

[@lindenpeters2601]

True, but I found this to be one of their least mysandric videos!

[@RomanZolanski123]

... how

[@rickydrizzle9150]

...you mean just like a flipped equivalent, a spitting image of every male character in every Jane Austen book? Or like every male love interest in Bridget Jones? Yeah, somehow I don't hear the criticism of that. Hurr durr male fantasy baad! Droolingly beautiful women? Sexist! Cool girls - Unrealistic! Bombshells - Objectifying! Quirky girls - Emotionally exploited! There is a one way explanation to everything in fiction once you get hung on a bit of feminist pop-theory and your side of the gender stick.

[@Delirium24]

@@rickydrizzle9150 ... Have you read any Jane Austen books or watched Bridget Jones recently? Most female-written romances, focused from the female perspective, flesh out the male romantic lead much more than those written by men generally do for the female lead. I'm not saying that it makes them better or more realistic, necessarily, but at least the guys tend to be people with real inner lives and thoughts and personalities and character arcs. Like Mark Darcy, who you point out, who had a whole character arc of overcoming his pride, coming out of his shell, getting over his past heartbreak, and going for what he wants rather than doing what he thinks he should. Of course there are lots of exceptions to what I said, and there are a lot of beautiful romance novels, movies, etc written by men. But a lot of the ones that don't hit the mark are that way because they, ultimately, don't write female characters as actual people. A lot of men just don't know how to write women, and don't try to actually understand them. It's a valid critique for women to have, especially after men have mocked women's interest in "unrealistic" love stories for decades. There's no reason to be so upset about it.

[@legoqueen2445]

The girlfriend in second series of "You". Even more so because her manic pixie dream girlness is really what the serial killer is projecting onto her rather than seeing her as her own person equally as messed up as him.

[@andrealouise4655]

Love was a greater MPDG for Joe in the book Hidden Bodies. She had pink hair, was bold and spontaneous and her entire world revolved around being a good girlfriend to Joe and therefore making him a "better person" according to Love's and Joe's perspective. You should give it a read.

[@dinaekalle822]

Oh my God I had never seen it that way ! YOU ARE SOOOOO RIGHT !

[@legoqueen2445]

@@andrealouise4655 cool thx, I didn't realize there are books.

[@legoqueen2445]

@@dinaekalle822 it's tricky coz the narrative is all from Joe's perspective, but the way he sees the girls and the way they really are don't match. In Series 1 he described the girl (I think her name was Beck) as this amazing, brilliant writer and intriguing personality but Beck was such a basic person, pretty dull until she got together with him and then he sort of pushed her to stretch outside her basic comfort zone. It's all projection, at least in the tv series. Will be great to see what Series 3 is like.

[@legoqueen2445]

@TheRealTomSelleck sorry, I'm so mesmerized by your rugged handsomeness Tom Selleck that everything has gone blank! ... I haven't watched season 3, is it good? I think I got fed up with it all have season 2.

[@judeannethecandorchannel2153]

"Her" also was freakin' brilliant~* Brilliantly written, brilliantly directed, brilliantly acted...

[@Jack_nnn_]

That movies so amazing

[@Promthanius]

And the new version is the “psycho” girl. Everyone thinks they want a Harley Quinn now

[@sutyinszkializ9115]

That's so weird and unhealthy. I don't understand why young couples compare themselves to Harley Quinn and Joker, like they are example of a really abusive, manipulative relationship and this should not be a role model. I understand they are crazy or different than traditional relationship tyoes but a toxic relationship should never be romanticized .

[@Ratchet2431]

@@sutyinszkializ9115 What's worse is that most teen movies portray toxic relationships as something romantic.

[@jibekmechler139]

Manic pixie nightmare girl

[@elliecleary6062]

There's a singer, Peach PRC. She tried so hard to associate herself with Harley Quinn. She even wore roller skates to her first therapy session and recorded it. Whyyy tho

[@darksideofevil13]

I blame Suicide Squad, for getting rid of all toxic aspects.

[@tatianagoncalves944]

Jack Dawson in Titanic is the maniac pixie dream boy! Lol

[@CCLOSPINA]

And Aang of Avatar.

[@89lovelife06]

@@CCLOSPINA Interesting take...how so?

[@melodyclark1944]

@@CCLOSPINA Aang's life revolves around a girl?

[@magnusprime962]

Cristian Lopez Except Aang is very much a person with his own needs and goals independent from helping Katara. The fact that he’s the main protagonist of the show also helps a lot. Really, none of the main characters of Avatar fit any of the archetypes The Take has done, and probably never will. They were complex, three-dimensional beings who all had their own strengths, weaknesses, and quirks.

[@hollywoodshopaholic]

Lol but actually though

[@holymoly5253]

Every guy I’ve gone out with has told me that I’m “not like most girls” and perceived me as the manic pixie dream girl, then wound up being disappointed 3months later to realize I didn’t live up to their stupid fantasy lol It’s so dumb! Every woman is unique and different in her own way!

[@llywelyngruffydd8474]

And yet this the same garbage comment half the women in this comment section has already posted.

[@Abyzz_Knight]

@@llywelyngruffydd8474 your comments aren't all that original either buddy. Maybe not the best way to measure uniqueness.

[@saami9606]

"Usually somehow in a great mood... EVEN IF THEY'RE DYING" Damn that's actually funny!

[@wuraolaolagunju]

I remember asking for this in the comments!! I'm glad The Take actually listen to their viewers!!!!

[@trinaq]

Yay, congratulations on having your idea be turned into a video! 🎊💡

[@qine6559]

Nice request. I didnt know I wanted this video! Thankx!

[@taltzi]

imagine being perceiced as the manic pixie dream girl, its all good until he/she ghosts you when you show any signs of being an actual person and not a movie character..... and on this episode of why the manic pixie dream girl is a terrible trope-

[@kelvinize]

Not realistic thus Terrible. How d you even watch movies?

[@taltzi]

@@kelvinize tbh i overdid it when i said "terrible", also i made this comment 2 years ago when i was in what i call my "politics and psychology obsessed" phase :')

[@llywelyngruffydd8474]

Literally every single girl on Tinder or whatever dystopian shitty app you use has a long list of guys doing all the social heavy lifting that she can select like she's choosing items off a menu while only 10% of guys on the site can say the same thing. So when you complain about being ghosted, almost every guy who has had the experience of using one of these apps knows that this would only happen if you, like every other girl on the site, were actively choosing the men least likely to want or value your attention. Therefore there is no reason to care if you got ghosted. Most men are used to being ghosted, rejected, or worse, yet we're supposed to save the damsels in distress and go full feminist revolutionary mode when it happens to you because you're attracted to utterly gross traits that appeal to your arrested 13 year old girl daddy issues. Never post anything on the internet ever again. Thank you and have a wonderful day.

[@yoongimiau93]

@@llywelyngruffydd8474 and that's why you get no bitches

[@gothnerd887]

What if the girl turns out to be imaginary/a hallucination/an AI feigning sentience?

[@ThatFairyBoy]

The essence of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl lies in her purpose as a character in the story; if she only exists for the benefit of the male protagonist and doesn't stand alone as her own character.. well that's what makes her a *Dream* girl, as in not realistic. Unfortunately the lowest common denominator of viewers only recognize the aesthetic of the trope rather than the narrative implications

[@katkatkatkat463]

so true

[@NelsonGuedes]

I think part of the problem too is that the movies seem centered on the male character. It would be good to fit both sides in the movie, even if it makes it a bit longer.

[@YaleStewartArt]

"...if you have, and YOU'RE A LONELY, SAD-SACK DUDE IN A MOVIE..." had me DYING, lol. I wasn't quite ready for those shots fired. lmao

[@bonbon2225]

Manophere. com why are you spamming every single comment on here? If you don’t like this channel then don’t watch their videos

[@tonichan89]

@Manophere. com You write REALLY weird. Whats wwith the random spacing, what is happening, are you writing on an alien device, do you need help??

[@Jonathonson]

I kinda wanna see a story of a manic pixie dream girl where we she’s the protagonists and she’s dying, and she seems really joyous on the outside but really she’s fucking miserable about dying… like how everyone’s miserable about dying. And the lonely weirdo is a conventionally attractive person who’s just like shy.

[@minaveselinovic7176]

Anime your lie in april kinda fits into that description, not exactly but it's close if you're open to animated shows I would recommend it

[@eyexha]

A Walk to Remember, Ek Villain (bollywood)

[@kelvinize]

This doesnt even make sense..... if this was the plot she wouldn't be a MPDG at all

[@dumpsterhag]

I personally didn't like the Stargirl movie because in my opinion, it changed the character of Stargirl from individuality embodied to a manic pixie dream girl. In the book, she falls in love with Leo, yes, but she exists for herself and for the entire student body (and by extension, the reader). To me, it felt like the movie took a lot of the complexity out of the character, and I didn't like the casting of Grace VanderWaal, who is a great singer, but not really an actress. Stargirl isn't a singer, she's starstuff. I don't even think she's meant to be a real character - that's why she disappears at the end, and no one can seem to understand her. The movie took that and turned it into just another quirky girl. Of course, that's all just my interpretation, and I mean no disrespect to Grace VanderWaal. I just don't think that part was right for her, and I didn't like the movie. Edit: I appreciate those of you who have reminded me of the second book, where Stargirl is definitely a real character. I loved that book, and it only adds to the point of her not being a MPDG - after she leaves the male lead's life for good, she continues to have purpose and depth. When I originally said I didn't think she was meant to be a real character, I more intended that she isn't meant to be comprehendible or ordinary. She is simultaneously inhuman and more human than most people.

[@TheFairyGoblin]

Samantha Young I heard of the movie and loved the book growing up. Thank you for sharing your review ✌🏼 it seems like they were just searching for a cash grab instead of telling the story of Stargirl 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@Ryan-pg1tw]

you should express yourself more respectful i think

[@fairoadiary]

Ryan who so triggered?? She did express herself respectfully it’s her opinion u should respect it

[@ambernotaro3241]

I agree. I remember liking the book when i read it years ago but I couldn't make it past 20 min into the movie. It was so awkward and uncomfortable to watch.

[@Pinkladyisv]

Samantha Young As a 13 year old I adored that book and it did really inspire me to be myself and express my individuality. I was excited they made it into a movie but from what you guys are saying I’ll skip it.

[@emilyg.1967]

For me, it's always felt so performative to watch manic pixie dream girls on screen. That's how I discern who is and who isn't-- based on which characters are written to project the traits they're supposed to have vs the characters who simply have those traits. Easily identified by the character telling and not showing (saying "I'm weird" instead of just being weird). You can also tell by how much they show the character by themselves or interacting with anyone other than the love interest. If the character exists only as the embodiment of an inciting incident for a protagonist, it's usually safe to say that it's a manic pixie dream girl and not a well fleshed out "unconventional" female character.

[@armando1611]

I feel like the manic pixie dream girl is like the response to the “masculine” perfect guy that set impossible standards for normal guys in Nicholas sparks esque movies, here we have the opposite where the girl is supposed to be this almost impossible “dream” for guys who don’t see themselves as this masculine figure and need someone to make their life better but don’t really provide much for the relationship.

[@Silvercentipede]

Can we all just acknowledge that Summer saying “penis” in a park was the most unfunny, cringeworthy thing ever

[@Rachelmarie413]

I’d like this but you’re at 69 likes right now and I don’t want to ruin that.

[@allyestrada4438]

My least favorite part of the movie

[@beepbopboop7727]

Exactly. Its not as scandalous as the screenwriter thought it was.

[@buranopeach5245]

It was very skanky of her

[@Sacrificallamba]

and still tom thinks its cute.

[@jojqw]

Can y’all unpack Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s??? She is so fascinating beyond what's presented on surface level!

[@dulcimerrafi]

I was also hoping that they would address Fran Kubelik from The Apartment. I never thought of her as being an MPDG, but some apparently consider her to be one. Even though The Apartment is a movie I really like, I am aware that it has recently faced a backlash by more jaded critics who view it is a shameless "nice guy" male fantasy, and I guess I can see where they're coming from.

[@laisfrederick5470]

@@dulcimerrafi Fran is anything but MPDG. I can't believe people actually think so. The Apartment is about Both people help each other.

[@bef9612]

Did you know the movie character is completely different from the book character?

[@drebugsita]

Being the child of an alcoholic has me realizing how I've inadvertently adopted the need to fix or help others, making me fit all the more into the MPG trope given my ADHD aka traits of quirkiness, etc. Plus its so romanticized/seen as altruistic to be seen as improving or having a healing effect on your SO. I've had exes and their friends tell me that I've done that as if it were a compliment. In recent years I've come to recognize it as BS but still...sigh...trying to reprogram myself

[@mukundayadav108]

I can’t be your manic pixie dream girl. I can’t be the girl who teaches you how to open your heart and embrace life and all that bullshit, because I’m trying to figure out how to do that myself. I need a manic pixie dream boy of my own. Leah Raeder, Unteachable

[@Bamgeutcutiepie]

Kirsten’s first many roles were complete manic pixie girls !! Haha. ESPECIALLY Elizabethtown. OH BOY that character were completely created as a door for Orlando’s own awakening. Lol I used to love these characters when I was young. And they are so dangerous I think. Because they influence your young mind in such a subtle way. Because you didn’t know there was such a trope. That it was even a thing. And so you start to believe that you need to be this type of girl who’s larger than life and special and quirky and just EVERYTHING all at once for the mans pleasure and set yourself aside. I small ways this is how you’re Influenced as a women through these movies. I still watch them now and I don’t mind. But I am aware now what is going on. So it doesn’t bother me.

[@Ryan-pg1tw]

Do you meant for the character of orlando?

[@MyssBlewm]

Yes! And I would feel like I was "doing it wrong" when a guy wasn't interested in me. I wasn't enough of a MPDG. It took me years to realize that I should start living for me, not wait around for a guy to discover that I'm his MPDG.

[@JenandTonic95]

But kristen's first role as Claudia in interview with the vampire is the farthest thing I can imagine from a manic pixie dream girl so that kind of balances it out 😂

[@Bamgeutcutiepie]

Ryan yes of course

[@propogandalf]

I can't think of any other role she's had that falls into this category

[@marimarcalbero7435]

Manic Pixie dream girls also exist in animes like "Your lie in april"

[@andyyymari]

I was looking for someone to comment this! I always preferred Tsubaki over Kaori lol

[@graceanderson7933]

I was thinking the exact same thing

[@karlaruiz8685]

Lol on point

[@ancientgamer694]

Daaamn you're right... I never thought of her that way...

[@spookyandwithdrawn20]

This explains why I never liked her character enough to feel bad when she died.

[@tariqthomas9090]

One of the quickest ways to tell if a character is a “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” is if they use the *god awful* sentence “I’m not like other girls”. 🙄 What a pretentious, self-hating and cheap thing to have a character say.

[@user-qv2qf1jk5o]

Tariq Thomas that’s not really true, though, because the entire basis of the trope is being a fantasy. Most women have probably said, or believed that, at one point in their lives, so a character isn’t necessarily unrealistic or shallow for saying it.

[@slothbaby2104]

"I'm not like the other _______" is the worst thing to say no matter what

[@mynameisuju]

@@user-qv2qf1jk5o they didnt call it unrealistic, they called it pretentious, self hating and cheap. Which it is, even when we've all done it, it always just implies "I think being a typical woman is weak so I'm going to be different but exactly what you, the man, wants"

[@agnessofiacastrocarvalho1826]

'

[@trinaq]

Ugh, that sentence makes me, and likely ever other person on the planet, ESPECIALLY women, cringe! 🤦🏾‍♀️I hope that no more writers or screenwriters include this dialogue in their work, unless they're deliberately poking fun of this clichéd line! 😍😊

[@blissclair9743]

This was your best video yet! The best part was when you talked about how people started using the term to dismiss all female characters with idiosyncratic behaviors. Your channel is the best!

[@danebirbhaha7520]

@strontiumXnitrate and When the same happens to men its Okay, right? .

[@blissclair9743]

@strontiumXnitrate fun fact: I don't care what you think :)

[@katrinamareen]

Im a manic pixie dream girl... but thats just a facade of my depression.

[@user-tb5fc6yr7o]

I used to be when I was young. It was masking severe mental illness at the time.

[@CosminPerisan]

@Brazilian Goddess most of the time this is hapening due to a background with divorced parents and a lot of emotional baggage. Later on in life this develops in borderline and bipolar disorders and encourages the individual to behave like this fantasy character that we are talking about, the MPDG.

[@blvckemo_]

what a real comment

[@Ssweis23]

The girl from Bridge to Terabithia is a preteen middle school version of the MPDG

[@kawtharbakhach5848]

heck yes

[@CCLOSPINA]

Yeah, but died.

[@raquelflorence235]

The guy in that movie had personality and they both needed each other cause they were both very lonely. They both brought something to the table and not just the girl

[@forensikarie]

This is the first time I've realized that, you definitely have a good point! However, I think in Bridge of Terabithia, it was the same as in 100 Days of Summer: She was only a MPDG in his eyes, and she came off as one because we see the movie from his perspective. That's why reality hit him (and the viewer) so hard when she died and he realized she had just been a human being

[@beansontoast1759]

omg yeah she is !!! and she died which happens quite a lot with mpdg characters

[@MsWhimsy22]

Manic Pixie Dream girls never seem to need bras...how whimsical lol🤣

[@shoujokadyan5502]

I'M TOO QUIRKY FOR BOOB SUPPORT - some MPDG somewhere

[@artisticagi]

Ms Davis lmfaooo

[@craz4jaymz]

@strontiumXnitrate not wearing a bra means they are sluts? Got it...

[@elleyeah746]

@@craz4jaymz lol he's been fluttering around the comment section being sexist. ignore him.

[@SP-pl9kg]

I do need one most of the time 😂

[@marcopervo]

This is actually a common pairing of attachment styles in real life: dismissive avoidant male + anxious avoidant/spice of life female.

[@alfalfa2155]

This trope always reminds me of the Mary-Sue concept - also a term that was originally intended to call out certain kinds of female characters, on the basis of them being badly written author fantasies, but ended up being way overused as a catch-all for any female character that shared even a few of the same qualities, even if she was also well-written and fleshed-out three dimensional character.

[@jessyjulie5506]

I just realized so few famous movies are written by women, compared to those written by men. Crazy.

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

I think it has to do with men being slightly more willing to take chances. The Film industry is a huge risk after all.

[@JM-bg2ts]

I feel like zooey Deschanel is the ultimate MPDG in nearly every role she plays.

[@raccac00nie]

In films yeah, but not in new girl

[@kimtaehyungshandsomeface5958]

Say that in The Happening lol jk

[@cassierxse]

no, i don't think so. Summer from 500 Days of Summer was literally made to destroy the thought that all sweet, quirky girls were made for men. and Jess from New Girl doesn't always paint being weird in a "wow everyone loves me" kind of way, and she has way more to her. Jess shows that girls can be feminine and girly and still be smart and strong. those are her main two roles i feel, but idk many others, so maybe she does play them in other films. but Zooey's even said herself, just because a girl is weird and girly and feminine doesn't mean she can't be a feminist icon who wasn't created for a man.

[@elijahstark3663]

@@raccac00nie the first season of new girl she was a mpdg

[@redfordreddington8834]

@@elijahstark3663 she was never that. She had her own life for every season

[@Luboman411]

I can think of two manic pixie dream boys--Steve from "Sex in the City" and Jack from "Titanic." Both men are cute as buttons, are very individualistic with their quirks and passions, rudely intrude on the lives of the women they fall in love with--Miranda and Rose--and immediately become supportive partners able to help the women out of their ruts. Steve makes Miranda less materialistic and career-driven, and finally softens her up to be a more well-rounded woman. Jack changes Rose's life radically for the better, allowing her to escape her suffocating, depressing upper-class trajectory. Steve and Jack fit the analysis here very well.

[@jamesbizs]

"Buddy" in Elf. Ironically, to Zoey, the life long pixie dream girl

[@melodyclark1944]

I see Titanic as being the opposite of Elizabethtown. Both main characters were suicidal, but the manic pixie dream character in one knows and cares. That is a MPD done right.

[@mishthemaverick8607]

And everyone loves Steve

[@angelikabatwoman]

i think in 500 days of summer they both are kinda at fault. he ignores what she says, she stays so close to someone she doesnt really like that much. if you dont want a relationship, don't act like you're in one. and if you want one, like tom does, find someone who does, too and don't try to convince someone. i guess it's a story about two people learning the lesson they needed.

[@mundododrama2856]

Exactly, I don't like when people blame all in Tom or people who blame all in Summer. Both were at fault. Summer didn't had an emotional responsibility with Tom.

[@smartbunny]

Summer had fault just as much as Tom did. He was blind but she also led him on.

[@alyssapinon9670]

ExpressYoSelf I wanted to reach through the screen, grab both of them by the shoulders and yell “stop!” But not in an angry way but like a mom telling their kid “I’m yelling at you because I love you”. Because even though people clown on Tom or despise Summer, neither of them deserve it. They’re both good people who just needed to work through their emotional issues.

[@lindenpeters2601]

I agree, I haven't seen the whole movie, but from what clips I've seen in analysis videos, she seems equally unaware of how men think, and continues to lead him on, whether it's intentional or not.

[@gaesimp__]

Same

[@plotoyadnaya_rossiyanka]

I am this “manic pixie dream girl” type, the only difference is - i’m actually having fun by myself and I don’t save boring nerds from their boring nerdy lives. I think this trope is perfectly fine as long as this type of characters don’t exist only to entertain male main hero.

[@danika9411]

I think it is the ENFP personality type to be honest. I'm an ENFP and a MPDG too!

[@afifahilyana88]

Me an an infp...even my infj bestie said to me that I'm quirky 😂

[@misaamane2850]

I used to be MPDG-ish, but then I grew up.

[@sinfulSeif]

Why is it not fine to entertain main hero? Misandristic much?

[@mentally_neglectful]

@@sinfulSeif it's fine for them to entertain the male protagonist. Op pointed out that the problem is when the ONLY purpose of their existence is to entertain the male protagonist. This problem applies to manic pixie dream boys too, but most of the time they're the protagonist so it doesn't happen alot.

[@brandontinguely5437]

summer being labeled as a conventional manic pixie dream girl type has always annoyed me. the whole point is that she's only that in tom's eyes and he has to get over his view of her so he can move on.

[@RaverHates]

I always thought that the only important feature of a mpdg was that they didn't have their own motivations and existed solely to improve a male character's life. Then people started calling every girl who liked cupcakes a mpdg and labelling real people as mpdg and I was like FUCK OFF!!!!

[@katkatkatkat463]

i know right, it's amazing how quickly misogynists appropriate labels intended to dismantle sexism in order to perpetuate it. as a young woman i was guilty of this too because of internalised misogyny. i think it could be true that some women subconsciously adopt aspects of this trope as part of their public persona in order to appear cool or appeal to men, but unless you know a person intimately or are their psychologist then you couldn't possibly know that

[@sangamithramk8531]

"I'm not like the other girls" - that's the female equivalent of a male saying "You are not like the other girls"

[@monabohamad2242]

That's what happens when somebody or 2 are in love I guess

[@amphalure]

Is it weird that, even tho i keep up with this channel, i always had a feeling that they already made this video? lol

[@acdc14terrace]

Same! Is this a re-upload?

[@heyryanisonx3141]

I think its because they mentioned it in another trope analysis video (maybe Cool Girl?)

[@RachelPun]

maybe because this is already a widely discussed trope among people so it seems they should have done this lol

[@alondracoronado3352]

I feel like I’ve already watched this a long time ago too so weird

[@KaylaNoelle1]

This is why I never wanted to tell boys about my interests in high school, they expect you to only like stereotypical hyper-feminine things... not a variety of things. But then they’d just say “wow you are so mysterious.”

[@ReplyGuy22345]

I like Pancakes haha

[@moustachetuesdays]

Omg yes! I think it's not always a boys fault as an individual, more societal stereotypes forced down our throats! I think we as girls do the same. Although I remember when a boy in uni was shocked I knew who RATM were!

[@missdoobs]

I hate labels. All PEOPLE are manic, quiet, colourful, quirky, serious, depressed, anxious, frightended, crazy fucked up dreamers. We are all differerent, and we are all the same. No one is special yet everyone is special. I sound like a MPDG now. I guess there are worse things to be. lol

[@izzymartino6319]

It physically hurt watching these movies. The relationships seemed so unrealistic. smh

[@izzymartino6319]

@Manophere. com I mean...I didn't say anything dismissing that bro I just said I agree with these tropes and I don't like unrealistic portrayals of relationships. But I'd totally watch a steven universe video too.

[@ArturGlass.C]

500 Days of Summer is really good tho, it deconstructs this. It shows that guy and his insane portrayal and expectation and shows the reality of it. We're lead to believe everything is cute and perfect and then there's the breakup and he starts actually see that in the best moments they had in their relationship (for him), Summer actually looked annoyed and/or pretty sad and miserable, indicating this relationship was actually very one sided but he was too focused on himself and his idealization of her and of their relationship to realize the reality of it. I mean they even have an "exception vs reality" scene.

[@MELLMAO]

If their whole charm relies on being "not-like-other-girls" and they have no dimension besides being a romantic interest (no friends, flaws, bad emotions) then it's a pixie dream girl

[@bennyton2560]

good point!

[@zainmudassir2964]

Kaori from Your lie in April perfectly fits this trope. A cheerful and impulsive girl who helps the mopey,depressed main guy regain his love for music and then dies. RIP

[@darksideofevil13]

Well thanks for spoiling the ending....

[@Piface2099]

One of the best entertainment commentary channels I've seen. Deeply insightful yet very level-headed and w/ perspective, not too common on this site these days - good laughs too

[@dominicconner800]

Can yall do a take on community since you did the offfice and parks and rec.

[@moonie3866]

The Annie of it all would definitely be an interesting take to see, considering that almost no other show would have the self restraint to not put person x and y together.

[@tatehildyard5332]

They'r probably not going to do this, but I'd love to see a piece on how Britta's interiority and nuance as a character correlated with her sexual availability. She started out as a kind hearted, but ultimately directionless rebel without a clue. Once she and Jeff broke up in season 3, that was when the "Britta-ing" jokes started popping up and the writers began taking the piss out of her and just making her the butt of everyone else's joke. She still had that noble and defiant sense of self in seasons 3 & 4 and there was that arc of her playing amateur therapist, but that was also where the show contemplated pairing her up with Troy. By the 2nd half of season 5 where Troy left and it became clear her and Jeff were NEVER going to happen, Britta's character was deflated to the point where "Britta-ing" became her only real trait. By season 6, the only thing Britta was ever on screen for was to be pointed and laughed at her for being an incompetent mess.

[@janinalouisecatap6613]

I agree! i need like a 40 minute explanation video for my fave, Abed.

[@maltie123]

Yaaaaas! Community is the best!

[@woodstain]

I tried to be a M.P.D.G and it drained me. I had a guy friend that was the embodiment of the depressed, loner nerd and it genuinely drained me. i just wanted to help and maybe cheer him up but it got toxic way too fast. i had to be happy, quirky and whimsical all the time and our friends would push us together because " I was good for him". so I kinda dated him because peer pressure and I'm was sure I would get my happy ending with this guy because I saw it the movies that they were happy and all that. I was wrong all the pressure to make him happy, to always be there, to inspire him and to always be happy for him made me sad. i couldn't be this perfect happy girl because I struggle with body dysmorphia, an eating disorder and the pressure of becoming the rich successful girl in the family that graduated college. i felt so guilty for not being happy all the time and not thinking about him that it made so so sad. so I broke it off. and he would fucking threaten me with suicide. he said he would kill himself if I left I stopped talking to him. this wasn't the first or last time he did this. i told my parents and friends this time and they told me i was being emotionally blackmailed. i still feel guilty about him. i still feel responsible for his happiness and I'm still friends with him. we don't talk anymore but he was my friend and i love him as my friend. so yeah this trope struck a cord with me.

[@erickkisreal9398]

look at v=-N3oV0l9hkA at the 0:46 mark. This is what you should say to that guy

[@amphalure]

Calling a real person "manic pixie dream girl" sounds so hurtful, you're dismissing that person's personality and their own reality, what the hell

[@heyryanisonx3141]

exactly! it sounds so dehumanizing and cruel

[@angelface333]

people usually mean it as a quirky girl in general though. usually not taking into account that a large part of what a mpg is male fantasy. i doubt anyone means it as a real insult though

[@catherineevelyn6540]

I’ve been called a manic pixie dream girl before, it was meant as a compliment but I couldn’t help but feel like it means I’m too childish or ditzy.

[@beccag2758]

Calling anyone a trope is probably not a good idea, "paragon" or "cool girl" could be given as compliments but I don't think anyone would want to be told that😐

[@marip9537]

Yeah zooey was really unlucky I remember tons of blogs insulting her at the time , obviously she has a very specific 50s style that doesn't make her any less human than everyone else

[@alliedelossantos6198]

Oh. Wow. You actually did this. I've been reading the comments on your other videos and I have seen people commenting about you discussing this trope and here it is. Thank you for doing this. I've always loved watching your videos. Keep up the good work!

[@borisjihnson]

i will never forget the one time a guy referred to me as “manic pixie dream girl”. i didn’t even realize what it was at the time, and i ended up dating him. not a good time, let me tell u that.