Remember when Patrick Dempsey couldn’t get a date so he blackmailed a
popular girl (Amanda Peterson) into pretending to go out with him (Can’t Buy Me Love). What about when Nick
desperately asked Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes after his ex turned
up unexpectedly (Nick and Norah’s
Infinite Playlist). Or even when Easy A’s Brandon was so desperate to stay
in the closet that he begged Olive to fake a sexual encounter... That, ladies
and gentlemen is the fake/pretend relationship trope. There are a million other
examples I could give but all that would do is reveal the absolutely ridiculous
amount of knowledge I have about romantic comedy’s and romance novels besdies I
think you get the gist.
This trope is excessively common in the romance genre but strangely
enough it’s also found in the crime and spy genres. While it’s pretty cliché
and often exceedingly obvious it can actually be a useful trope when employed
well… if I’m honest though, I love this trope whether or not it’s done well. Come
on there’s just something incredibly satisfying about watching two people be so
oblivious to what we the viewers are well aware of – there is absolutely nothing
fake about their relationship. Of course they don’t always end up together, if
the trope is found in the spy or crime genres then things are just as likely to
end in tragedy.
Basically what usually happens is that two people – that barely
tolerate each other – are forced to pretend to be in a romantic relationship
for some ridiculous reason or another. Maybe they’re undercover trying to catch
criminals or one of them desperately needs a date to their ex’s wedding
whatever the reason these two people that would never ever date (at least
that’s what they tell themselves) are placed into a situation where they must
act as though they are intimately attached. As you can imagine, hilarity
ensues.
Over the time they spend together the fake couple learn more about
each other, realizing that maybe they don’t hate each other as much as they
once thought. At some stage they will be forced to kiss. The kiss will start
out chased but then deepen passionately in a way that makes them both rethink
their life choices. But the course of true love never did run smooth, because
even after they have the “love epiphany” both parties are always sure that the
other is still faking the whole thing. Eventually (hopefully just in time) they
realize that no one can pretend that well, they kiss and live happily ever
after… unless it’s a spy/crime in which case one of them will be evil and/or
die (and let’s not even talk about the ones that involve actually prostitutes
because I’m pretty sure that’s only ever worked out well once – Pretty Woman).
Of course it doesn’t always have to be romantic, sometimes the fake
relationship is used to force the real romantic interest into action (nothing
motivates a ‘love epiphany’ like jealousy). At other times they are covering
for another relationship. Then there is the time honoured tradition of The Beard for
all those guys and girls that are not yet ready to be outed – as seen in the
example from Easy A mentioned above. Or
maybe they are legitimately undercover law enforcement officers and not just a
tired will/they won’t/they partnership. Whatever the cause or the outcome the
premise is the same – two people are forced into a fake romantic relationship
with someone they would probably not want to date (as far as they know anyway).
I’ve already admitted that I have a soft spot for this particular
trope but that doesn’t mean it’s without fault. Although tropes can be fun, and
they can be done well, it’s important to remember that most audiences are genre
savvy enough to pick up on exactly what’s going on. That’s okay of course, we
all love to watch or read predicable stories sometimes, it fills our insides
with warm and fuzzies and makes us feel superior and safe… it’s a good thing –
just not all the time. Of course you can also play with peoples expectations
(that can be fun too).
Right so there are places I want to find this trope but others where
it just doesn’t belong. For instance I’ll never say no to a rom com that
employs this trope and it can be fun in cop/detective dramas (if used
sparingly) and of course you can write me as many fan fictions as possible using
this trope (seriously write it for me, it’s like crack). On the other hand this
trope can be overused to the point where it’s just super annoying – I’m talking
about things like those procedural cop shows that are built around the sexual
tension between the two leads, where this trope is usually employed at least
one a season.
The worst is when the powers-that-be use this trope to queerbait (or
just to get a sweeps kiss if it’s two girls). Those fangirls sure do like those
two cis white guys let’s have them pretend to be a couple only to have them
scream NO HOMO at the end of the episode. They will only kiss if a same-sex
pairing is both female and the kiss will be used to titillate one of the male
cast members… which, as much as I love to watch the ladies kissing, is just not
cool.
Then there are the implications of prostitution that are almost
always laughed off as a joke if the one pimping themselves out is a male but if
it’s a girl the implications are either ignored or have negative consequences
(usually a reputation – I mean what kind of girl would degrade herself in that
way). It’s these assumptions that mean that any girl who is offering her
services as a fake date is clearly in need of rescuing (either that or she
needs to realize that she actually wanted the ‘nice
guy’ all along).
Also the reasons for faking a relationship differ depending on
whether it’s a guy or a girl in need (there are exceptions of course). A girl
almost always needs a fake date in order to save face because she’s still in
love with her ex, (except not any more). Guys on the other hand generally have
to have more practical reasons… it’s bad but it’s hardly any worse that all the
other inconsistencies between the ways that the sexes are depicted in popular
media. The good thing about this trope is that you don’t have to be sexist to
employ it; there are plenty of stupid reasons for people to pretend to date
that don’t degrade either gender. Let’s see more of that please.
I think I’ll leave you with one of my favourite examples of this
trope. Before Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and the much anticipated The
World’s End, Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost teamed up for a
little television show called Spaced.
Spaced
was writted by co-stars Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson and directed by
Wright. The premise is simple, Tim (Pegg) and Daisy (Stevenson) both need a
place to live but the only flat that seems remotely livable is advertised as
for couples only. Despite the fact that they barely know each other the pair
decides to pose as a couple to secure the apartment. Naturally hilarity ensues.
While the entire series does not revolve around their fake relationship it is
the catalyst for their friendship and the threat of being found out is a
constant (at least through the first series anyway). Spaced is a perfect example of how to use a cliché trope well. Sure
it’s been done but it’s still funny you just shouldn’t rely on it as the sole
reason for the couples interaction.
Well kids, that’s all for another bit of tropey fun. Do you like this
trope or not? Do you have any examples (good or bad) of this trope? Let me know
in the comments or on the Facebook
page.
