Cliché: Understanding an Overused Expression

Imagine this: a director tells you your filmmaking style is "derivative" or calls your big finale “predictable.” It’s cliché, they say. Stings a bit, doesn't it?

In filmmaking, "cliché" is that brutal note that makes you question your creative choices. Clichés are the industry's participation trophies—the love triangles, the wise mentors who die, the training montages, the misunderstood artists. They're the cinematic equivalent of a ticking time bomb with a convenient digital display.

They’re often groan-inducing, yet somehow appear in script after script.

That’s why we are going to dive into the world of clichés—not to condemn them entirely, but to understand why these hand-me-downs persist.

What is a Cliché?

A cliché is a worn-out phrase, expression, idea, or element of artistic work that has been overused to the point of losing its distinctiveness in terms of its original meaning or impact and becoming predictable, unoriginal, and often ineffective.

Derived from the French word meaning “to stereotype,” a cliche represents a thought or statement that has become trite through excessive repetition.

Why Do Clichés Happen?

Clichés exist because certain communication elements are overused to the point where they lose their original impact and meaning. However, the reasons why these elements are overused are the same (or rather primary) reasons why clichés happen.

1. Familiarity and Convenience:

Clichés are easy to use because they are widely understood. People gravitate toward familiar expressions and storytelling tropes since they don’t require much thought or explanation.

2. Emotional Impact (At First):

Many clichés were once fresh and, thus, powerful ideas. They conveyed deep emotions and strong messages so effectively that people repeated them until they lost their impact.

3. Lack of Creativity or Time Constraints:

People often use clichés when they don’t have the time or energy to craft something new. Writers, speakers, and everyday communicators might default to familiar phrases instead of inventing fresh ways to express themselves.

4. Cultural Reinforcement:

Society, media, and literature continuously reinforce certain ideas, phrases, and storytelling structures. When people see clichés everywhere—in books, movies, TV shows, and speeches—they naturally adopt them in their own communication.

5. Instant Recognition and Relatability:

Clichés provide a shortcut to meaning. Whether in a conversation or a story, they quickly convey an idea without requiring deep thinking from the audience.

6. Tradition and Nostaligia:

Some clichés persist because they have historical or sentimental value. Phrases like “Home is where the heart is” or “True love always finds a way” endure because they evoke strong feelings of nostalgia.

7. Commercial Success:

Many clichés remain in circulation because they work. Hollywood, advertisers, and mainstream media use familiar tropes and phrases because the audience responds well to them.

8. Influence of Language Evolution:

Languages naturally evolve, and once original expressions become common over time. A fresh phrase can turn into a cliché simply through repeated use across generations.

9. Exaggeration and Hyperbole:

People tend to overuse dramatic expressions for emphasis. Saying, ”I literally died laughing,” started as an amusing exaggeration but became so common that it lost its original effect.

10. Social and Peer Influence:

People mimic what they hear from others, especially in casual conversation. Trends in a language, such as slang, catchphrases, and internet jargon, can quickly turn into clichés due to widespread use.

Clichés are so rife that they are everywhere—in communication, in behavior, in thinking, in society, in culture, in optics, and many more. So let’s explore them.

Types of Clichés with Examples

1. Phrasal Clichés:

These are common expressions or sayings that have been used so often that they have lost their impact.

• “Think outside the box.”
• “Better late than never.”
• “Actions speak louder than words.”

2. Character Clichés:

These are predictable and overused character tropes in literature, films, and storytelling.

• The “damsel in distress” who needs rescuing.
• The “chosen one” destined to save the world.
• The “wise old mentor” who guides the hero.

3. Situational Clichés:

These are common situations or events that feel overly familiar.

• The montage of getting ready for a big event
• Couples running into each other’s arms in the rain
• A character wakes up to an alarm clock and rushes to work

4. Plot Clichés:

These are predictable and repetitive plot devices or story arcs.

• Love at first sight
• The protagonist discovers he has a secret power
• The underdog who wins against all odds

5. Thematic/Moral Clichés:

Stories that are built upon overused thematic or moral messages have this type of cliché..

• “Love conquers all.”
• “Follow your heart.”
• “Good always defeats evil.”

6. Descriptive Clichés:

These are tired or unoriginal ways of describing people, places, or things.

• It was a dark and stormy night.
• The silence was deafening
• This is the calm before the storm!

7. Dialogue Clichés:

These are lines of dialogue that feel overly familiar or predictable

• “I have got a bad feeling about this.”
• “You just don't get it, do you?”
• “What the hell were you thinking?”

8. Genre-Specific Clichés:

These are some clichés that are specific to certain genres.

• Romance: They lived happily ever after.
• Horror: The phone lines go dead during a storm.
• Action: The hero walks away (in slow motion) from an explosion without looking back.

9. Cultural Clichés:

These are ideas or references that have become overly familiar within a culture or society.

• The American dream
• The rebellious teenager
• The mad scientist

10. Visual Clichés:

These are images or visual tropes that have become predictable or unoriginal.

• A depressed/sad man in the shower, looking down with one hand on the wall
• A slow-motion run through a battlefield
• A couple sharing a kiss with fireworks going off in the background

11. Romantic Clichés:

These are overused expressions and scenarios in love stories.

• “You complete me.”
• Falling in love with your best friend
• The dramatic airport/wedding interruption to confess love

12. Thought Terminating Clichés:

Some clichés put a halt to a productive discussion by providing an answer that is both irrefutable and yet meaningless.

• “It's all part of God’s plan.”
• “We have always done it this way.”
• “You are being too sensitive.”

Conclusion

Clichés can be useful for quick communication or comedic effect, but they often lack originality and depth. To craft more engaging and impactful content, writers and speakers should aim to recognize and minimize their use. However, when used deliberately—whether for satire, parody, or to establish a sense of familiarity with an audience—clichés can serve a purpose. The key lies in using them intentionally and in moderation.