Yuffie's Writing How-To's

Trailers to Books: Black Widow

If you haven't seen the hilarious skit of the Black Widow movie on SNL, go watch it now. It's up top, and you can Youtube it. This chapter is going to pick apart all the cliches and storytelling blunders satirized in the skit!

So let's play a game. Watch the video and write down every satirical jab you can find. I'm doing the same, so we can compare lists.

I'm going to analyze why these elements of storytelling were satirized (generally you satirize something that's cliche or wrong with the world, exaggerating it in order to highlight it). Obviously,  you can write whatever the hell you want and I won't judge. If you want to write the most cliche romcom in the history of romcoms and that makes you happy, by all means go write it. This chapter is for the people who want to avoid the cliches and bad storytelling.

Let's begin!

1. When a female is the protagonist, there has to be romance.

Why? This implies that a female's life is not complete until she finds a man. She's not a 'hero' or a worthy woman unless she finds love.

*exhasperated sigh*

2. The female protagonist doesn't need to take any initiative to get what she wants.

She lands her dream job by chance. She runs into the man of her dreams by chance. Even when the relationship goes sour, it's not her fault. BW couldn't control Ultron's actions, so we're supposed to pity her. And then the hulk comes into her life—again by chance.

Not one moment in this skit does BW take her own initiative. Everything is just happening TO her. She's not making things happen. Everything gets handed to her on a silver platter.

3. She must have a gay best friend.

The gay guy always the best friend who slaps sense into the silly female protagonist when she's being silly and stupid.

*another exasperated sigh*

Being gay does not inherently make you sassy or a moral conscience.

4. The girl is silly and stupid and that's seen as charming.

The only character without any sense is the female lead. She jumps head-first into a relationship with Ultron. ULTRON. *i'm running out of exasperated sighs*

Females are not inherently stupid (okay, some are, but some guys are too! But don't make the stupidity skew toward females please). Falling in love should not make their IQ drop 50 points.

5. He doesn't know her favorite food.

Remember every romance chapter ever in this guide highlighting that in order to love someone, you need to be best best friends with them first? Well, if not... THEY NEED TO BE BEST BEST FRIENDS BEFORE THEY TRULY LOVE EACH OTHER.

Yes, that also includes knowing their favorite food.

(Her kick to the face was awesome though. :D)

6. What was her goal... like... ever?

Find a job and get a boyfriend. Those are not goals for the love of—

*deep breath*

So there's my list! How does it compare with yours? Did you come up with some more cliches and blunders from SNL's Black Widow Trailer? Share in the comments below!