Trope-less Romantic

Some wonderful authors go beyond tropes to write fully three-dimensional characters that tug at your heartstrings. Talia Hibbert does this in Get a Life, Chloe Brown. Amy is embarrassed that this is her first ever purchase of a romance novel by a Black author featuring a Black protagonist. It's a delightful read and a great example for aspiring romance writers everywhere.

Did you know Christian romance is a whole separate genre of romance? Have you ever wondered what kind of tropes the early 1990s version of this genre contains? Well you're in luck, Amy is here to tell you all about A Place Called Home by Lori Wick. The story is . . . well, it's something.

From quarantine, Amy and her husband Brad explore the trope of "nice guys are boring." They also talk about Outer Banks season 1, Veronica Mars, and . . . random stuff. Honestly, this episode is all over the place.

The Super Special heroine, largely found in young adult paranormal romances such as Twilight, is just so perfect and all the boys are in love with her and she's gorgeous and smart . . . but she doesn't think she's special. It takes a Super Special Supernatural boy to help her discover her true powers and self-worth. Amy isn't here for this one either. She breaks down examples in Book 1 of the Twilight series and ponders how the Super Special trope can cause us to play the comparison game.

A "too stupid to live" character is so clueless and annoying that you can't believe the person is able to survive in the world. Via videoconference (for maximum social distancing), Amy sits down with her friend Lesley of Dumpster Dive Film Reviews. The two friends analyze the too-stupid-to-live heroine of Katie MacAlister's romance novel, Improper English. (Sorry, Katie . . . ) This is a heroine who thinks everything is about her, and we are not here for it.Check out Lesley's YouTube channel here!

Amy detours from trope to archetype as she and her husband, Brad, discuss archetypal heroes. They talk about the stages of the Hero's Journey and analyze the "loner hero" as exemplified by Dean Winchester in Supernatural. What do heroes tell us about our societal conception of masculinity? Are there any drawbacks to these portrayals? And most importantly, would Brad ravish, marry, or ghost Dean, Sam, or John Winchester?----To learn more about the stages of the Hero's Journey, see "Christopher Vogler and The Hero’s Journey… The Outline, Archetypes and Mythical Memo" by Chris Jones.https://chrisjonesblog.com/2017/05/christopher-vogler-and-the-heros-journey-the-outline-archetypes-and-mythical-memo.html

Carrie Bradshaw always wondered about things from her laptop. Now, Amy and her friend Erin ponder the appeal of Sex and the City. From Carrie's relationship with Big to the show's distinct lack of diversity, we analyze why the show hasn't aged well. Plus, we play Ravish, Marry, Ghost with some of the show's most iconic male characters.

You've probably heard the story of the ugly duckling who turned into a beautiful swan. Unfortunately, the myth of the ugly duckling has surfaced as a transformation trope in romances. Time and again, the main character transforms their appearance, thus attracting the attention of their love interest. This trope equates beauty with worth and Amy has a serious problem with it.Links:*Follow the fabulous Jamila Mehio (my artist for my new cover art) on Instagram! @jamilamehio*Original "She's All That" scene: https://youtu.be/nimkNFEKUkY*Parody "Not Another Teen Movie" scene: https://youtu.be/ZaqF-7v9BtY*The text of the original Ugly Duckling fairy tale: https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/68/fairy-tales-and-other-traditional-stories/5107/the-ugly-duckling/

Even as young people we quickly learn that in many films, beauty equals worth. Amy talks about her childhood obsession with looking like the character of Jenny Blake in The Rocketeer and explores how the male gaze (as described by Laura Mulvey) has impacted the way we all look at ourselves. Plus, Amy reads from her seventh-grade diary. This is Part 1 of 2 on the impact of beauty standards on self-image. Next week's episode continues this theme.

"Plus One" is a segment where Amy brings her friends on the show to chat about storytelling and relationships. In this inaugural Plus One segment, Amy's friend and fellow Buffy devotee, Valerie, joins her to discuss "Once More with Feeling," Buffy season 6 episode 7. The two of them break down the episode's pivotal relationship moments and play Ravish, Marry, Ghost with Buffy characters.