Soph #3 journal---The Stock Character
POST BEFORE TUESDAY MORNING, NOV. 29A stock character is a character type, often a stereotyped character, used repeatedly in genre fiction (like horror, sci-fi, moral tales) and of course, movies and television shows that like to use these character types. Examples include the mad scientist, the blond airhead, the femme fatale (sure, look it up if you don't know what this means), the rags-to-riches hero, and the conniving villain.
In The Devil and Tom Walker, Tom Walker exemplifies the stock character known as The Miser, one who would value money over everything. You should know the Greek tale of King Midas, a miser who learned, as many do, that wealth isn't everything. Go to this link to read the Midas tale. Tom Walker's wife is the stock shrew, the nagging wife who browbeats her husband.
You've read enough (and seen enough tv and movies) to recognize stock characters, so tell me ...who is your favorite "stock" character?
Define the stock character type you choose and then give me some details about your specific character that proves that he or she is, indeed, stock. Of course, tell me why you enjoy your character. Choose a character from books, movies, short stories, and television shows.
I've provided an example for you, namely Ebenezer Scrooge.
Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly misanthrope (he's a miser--all about money--and he's a misanthrope--a "hater of mankind") in the Charles Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol. His love of money and disdain for Christmas characterizes the original Scrooge. Note that the word "scrooge" to denote characters like him is now regularly used in our vernacular. Scrooge overworks and underpays his loyal employee, Mr. Bob Cratchit. Cratchit, a good and holy family man, has bills to pay and a crippled son (Tiny Tim) to take care of, but he faces his trying responsibilities with Christian fortitude. He even refuses to admit to his poor family that Mr. Scrooge is a bad man. You might say that Cratchit is a stock character himself, the "poor but happy" fatherly figure whose diligence and Christian piety keep his family in food and clothes.
Back to Mr. Scrooge, who grudgingly allows poor Bob to stay home on Christmas Day, but orders him to arrive earlier the next. He greets holiday well wishers, like his kind nephew, with a "Bah, humbug" that of course, is now universally recognized as the reply of the Christmas Scrooge. Suddenly, however, his world is turned inside-out when he is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley, his former business partner and a scrooge like himself. The forlorn ghost, who now does penance by walking the earth in heavy chains, money boxes, and keys, warns Scrooge to mend his ways, lest he suffer the same fate.
Scrooge is shaken, but falls asleep. During the rest of the well-known story, he is visited by three Christmas ghosts. He then undergoes a miraculous change. The new Christmas-loving Scrooge sends a huge turkey to the Cratchit home, raises Bob's salary, and becomes a surrogate grandfather to Tiny Tim.
This Christmas tale is a story of faith, redemption, and the goodness that lies within us all. These qualities were once buried in Ebenezer Scrooge, but were unearthed in the joyful end of the novel.
If you need some more help with stock characters, see the Schoolsville post entitled, Sophs--Breakfast, Anyone? More Stock Characters!
posted by JTF @ 11:39 AM
46 comments
46 Comments:
My favorite stock character would have to be the "crazy neighbor". This stereotypical character is in many comedy shows and movies. They are usually a person that has a major idiosyncrasy that makes them stand out from other characters. Cosmo Kramer, for example, is the famous neighbor in the comedy Seinfield. His main trait is how he acts in such a strange way all the time. He often bursts into rooms like he is in a hurry, when he is not, and he has strange fears such as the word "mouse" and clowns. Another example of a crazy neighbor is the Flanders in the Simpsons. This bible-hugging family are obnoxiously nice to everyone, which is why most of the characters in that show hate them. The father, Ned Flanders, is the most notable character in the family. He is extremely religious, takes the bible literally, and often corrects Homer Simpson over religious morality. Those two characters are designed to be humorous, but the other type of crazy neighbor is truly crazy. An example of a truly crazy neighbor is Abel Turner from the movie Lakeview Terrace. Although not a very well known character, he terrorizes his neighbors due to his racism. Another example of a truly insane neighbor is Robert Turner from the thriller Disturbia. In this movie, he is a serial killer that acts completely innocent around the neighborhood, but the main character is the only one who realizes what he really is. Many films have characters such as these, and these are just a few. Other movies have characters like these, such as the TV show Wilfred and the movie What About Bob?. The crazy neighbor, as you can see, is widely used in entertainment.
One of my favorite stock characters has to be the ‘oh-so-cool’ guy who falls for the ‘not-so-cool’ girl. It’s classic. Why would Mr. Cool ever fall in love with the girl on the math team, or the preacher’s daughter, or the Goth chick? But to everyone’s surprise, it always happens. Take, for example, the movie High School Musical. Zac Efron plays Troy Bolton, captain of the basketball team who rules the school. He knew exactly how his life would play out and he was satisfied with where he was. Then along came Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens), who changed all of Troy’s plans. Gabriella was the new transfer who is into math and science. How could the captain of the basketball team be into the math nerd? Throughout the movie Gabriella convinces Troy to do the musical with her. Who would have guessed? The story comes to a happy ending with very unsuspecting characters as a couple. The next example would have to be the movie A Walk To Remember, starring Mandy Moore as Jamie Sullivan and Shane West as Landon Carter. To keep Landon from being expelled he must participate in after-school activities, one of which is the play. Popular and rebellious Landon Carter would never be expected to be in a play with quiet and studious Jamie Sullivan. Yet, since this is Landon’s punishment, he must do it. Landon asks Jamie for help with his lines and she agrees under one condition: he can’t fall in love with her. Although he smirks and tells her that it won’t be a problem, what happens? He falls for her. My last example, although I could go on for days with a stock character like this, is the movie The Last Song. Liam Hemsworth plays Will Blakelee and Miley Cyrus plays Ronnie Miller. Ronnie is a somewhat troubled teenager who goes to stay with her dad for the summer. She has a sort of Goth look and has a personality that not most girls have. Then there’s Will. He’s the extremely attractive, wealthy, all around cool guy. His and Ronnie’s relationship starts out with him spilling her milkshake on her. He and Ronnie have a special bond, not easily understood considering their opposing lifestyles. They make it work though. Once again the ‘cool’ guy always falls for the unsuspected ‘weird’ girl. The reason I’d say this was my favorite type of stock character is because it’s nice to know that you don’t have to be ‘Opera-rich’ or ‘Megan Fox-gorgeous’ to get the guy.
“It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No! It’s Superman!” How many times have you read that in a comic book or heard it in a movie? It’s boring, it’s plain, and it’s extremely overused. Thankfully one man is working tirelessly to change that smile into a frown, Lex Luthor, the man who perfectly embodies the super villain stock character. He isn’t your normal villain who mugs innocent bystanders, robs banks, and holds a bank hostage. No sir! This man uses his powers in elaborate schemes for the greater evil. He plots to take over the world, kidnap the super hero, and hold the mayor hostage. But not all super villains need powers, Lex Luthor certainly doesn’t. With a few elaborate schemes and some futuristic weapons and armor he can put Superman and the entire world into his hands. But while he always knew the hero’s weakness, his was a bit less obvious. Whether it’s his loss of focus or his underestimation of the hero, he always seems to have his weakness exploited, causing him to fail in his plot. But that’s never the end of a true super villain, Lex Luthor always returned to do his duty to the world and make sure that no one would have to hear to hear: “It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No! It’s Superman!” again. For that we have to thank not only Lex Luthor, but also the entire family of stock villains whose tireless work-ethic when plotting, resourcefulness, and inability to be kept down for long has made them one of the only reasons to watch a superhero movie or read a comic book.
Some might ask, “Why do you like the villain?” To that I would say, “Why wouldn’t I like them? They’re not lame super hero who only beats up the villain for the common good. They kidnap the mayor or the hero’s girlfriend, they take over the world, and they actually use some amount of creativity while doing it. Even after their plan ultimately fails, the super villain will get back up and start over again in a whole new way, something I can’t help but enjoy.” Lex Luthor exemplifies this perfectly with his ability to breakout of jail and hatch a scheme to take over the world that will ultimately fail. That is why I chose Lex Luthor, the villain to the most iconic Superhero to represent this stock character.
John Hughes’s films are as well-liked today as they were twenty years ago because they contain stock characters with whom teenagers can easily identify. In his film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Cameron Frye is the loyal best friend to the title character. He is the type of guy who helps his friend, even if he does not agree with what he is doing. He has always been there for his friend, and he always will be.
The main premise of the movie is that easy-going Ferris convinces the uptight Cameron that the two should take the day off from school. However, Cameron is undecided on whether or not he should go. He gets in his car to go to Ferris’s house, exits the car after much rumination, and then gets back in the car to finally leave. It appears that he hates himself for doing whatever Ferris wants him to do, yet for very reason that Ferris wants him to do something, he will do it. Cameron also takes a risk to help get Ferris’s girlfriend out of class so that she can join them on their joyride through Chicago. He prank calls the school principal pretending to be the girl’s father and demands that she be let out of school early. At the end of the movie, their choice of transportation for the day, Cameron’s father’s beloved Ferrari, crashes through the back of his house and lands in a ravine. Ferris says that he will take due responsibility, as he was the one who had insisted that they take the sports car. Cameron contends that he could have stopped him if he had tried, and he freely accepts the blame. All of these scenes show that Cameron will do anything to help his friend, even if it costs him.
I like Cameron Frye because he is the “underdog” of the movie. He does not have tons of friends or a girlfriend or even an idea of what he wants to do with his life. Unlike Ferris, he does not feel confident or in control. The teenage audience may look up to Ferris, but most can relate to Cameron.
My favorite stock character is the mean girl. In movies, the mean girl is always portrayed as a ditsy, blond, and popular girl who gets what she wants, including the boyfriend who is “captain of the football team.” The obvious example is the movie, “Mean Girls.” In this movie there is a group, named by their peers, “the plastics” because of their fake appearance and fake personality. The leader of the group, whom everyone (well almost, everyone) adores and wants to be like is a girl named Regina. She is stock because she is the blond-haired drama queen who will do anything to get attention, especially if it means hurting other people’s feelings. In “Mean Girls”, Regina has two sidekicks, Gretchen and Karen, who act like her friends and do what Regina says, just to build up their reputation. The mean girl is my favorite stock character because she is humorous in movies when she tries to sound smart and mean. I also like the mean girl the best because in real life the mean/popular isn’t like that. In real life, a mean girl wouldn’t be liked well enough to be popular. The thing that does agree in real life is the fact that the popular girls do tend to be ditsy and have fake blond or other dyed hair and try way too hard to be liked. Even though someone may not like the ditsy and popular mean girl because of her attitude, this stock character makes any movie enjoyable and realistic.
My favorite stock character would have to be the goofy scientist. The best examples of this type of stock character that I can think of are Doctor Brown from Back to the Future and Professor Farnsworth from Futurama. This character is always regarded as weird or a little a little crazy by the other characters in the movie or show. He or she always seems to know something about every situation that can happen and has a tool or can easily make a tool to solve the problem. I like this character because it is usually the one everyone forgets about when the day is saved by the main hero. Without their knowledge and tools, the hero wouldn’t even have a slight chance to succeed. The other main reason I like this stock character is that they are very uncoordinated and sometimes sneak in some unique humor. What I mean is that they may make an inside joke that only people in the scientific or computer fields might understand. But the biggest reason I like this stock character is that I love to see what crazy invention they will come up with next. I have always wanted to invent something cool and seeing what they make always makes my imagination run wild and think of new inventions that are as awesome as theirs.
When it comes to stock characters there is a certain cheerleader on the television show, Glee, who is the absolute epitome of a dumb blonde. This character is of course, Brittany S. Pierce. Brittany represents almost every aspect of the light haired stereotype and does it with humor and sense of innocence that has allowed her to become a fan favorite over the years. Brittany can easily be described as a flirtatious cheerleader with great looks, a love for fun, and a low aptitude for school. Sound typical? That’s because it is. Yet, the writers of the show still make Brittany unique and lovable, which makes her ridiculous antics and undeniable charm so much more captivating. From the very beginning of the series, Brittany was known for her hilarious one-liners, which are never intentionally funny on her part. For example, in a recent episode, Brittany answered a teacher who had asked what the capital of Ohio is, by saying “O.” Brittany thought that she was asking for the capitol letter in Ohio. This moment had me laughing for quite some time while only endearing me more to Brittany’s oblivious nature. These unaware comments also provide a great sense of comic relief during some of Glee’s more heavy subjects. Although she may not be sharpest tool in the shed, this blonde would definitely win the award for congeniality and that quality truly makes her wonderful.
When I ask myself who my favorite stock character is, the first thing I think of is my favorite television show, the UK edition of Skins. Skins takes place in the small British port town of Bristol as a group of teens go upon their dangerous and raunchy adventures. Since it is a show in which all the characters are teens and it is directed toward teens, there are many stock characters. My favorite stock character portrayed in Skins is Tony Stonem. Tony is the popular ladies-man who everyone looks up to. Like always, the guys look up to Tony because of his easiness to get girls, while the girls, and mostly his on and off again girlfriend Michelle, morbidly detest his loose moral values. Tony follows the trend that this stock character always does: he repeatedly makes bad and carless decisions until the consequence of one of them drastically outweighs the minor gain. He has a mid-season epiphany and changes his ways. The guys still look up to Tony, but now the girls do as well. Though, the significance of this change is that Tony is now finally happy with who he is and what he has. Tony is not only my favorite stock character, but my favorite character of all time. Though, it is not for the reason that I wish to be like him. He actually outlines everything I aspire not to be. He is cocky, stupid, and makes decisions that are gains in the moment, but are major losses in the long run. So, I guess it is pretty unethical for me to say that I hate the self-absorbed ladies-man Tony Stonem so much, that he is, in fact, my favorite character of all time.
A myriad of well developed stock characters undoubtedly make movies, TV shows, books, and short stories what they are. My personal favorite type of stock character would have to be the underdog. Whether it involves winning over the girl’s heart that is already taken or raising a group of people to overthrow an entire empire, this stock character type of underdog can be expressed in many ways. However, my specifically favorite use of the underdog stock type is in Rocky and Rocky II. Rocky Balboa was just an up and coming fighter - a no one in the fighting world. Each and every day he trained and prepared for each and every opponent he had to box. His next rival was the undisputed world champion Apollo Creed. Rocky fought his heart out, but Apollo won in a controversial split decision victory. In the next movie, Rocky trained even harder. He put all of his energy into his efforts, with the hope of taking Apollo out in a rematch. The men fought once more. The odds still stacked against Rocky, as he attempted to topple the undefeated champ. In the end, by the count of nine, Rocky is able to get up, and give Apollo his first career loss. Rocky does not only win the fight, but with his valor, courage, and heart, he wins over the love of Adrian, his soon to be wife. This is my favorite example of the underdog character because it expresses the optimistic finale of pursuing one’s goals, no matter how bad the hand you were dealt is. Rocky trained with utmost intensity to reach the top, and he never gave up. He pushed himself all the way and in the end he was rewarded manifold. The tale of Rocky is one of inspiration and optimism. It reassures us that no matter how high the wall that we must climb is or how intimidating the challenge up ahead is we need to take risks and push our limits. We need to remember that with determination, perseverance, and sheer power of will, one shall never be left with the feeling of defeat. As Rocky shows us, you just get up and keep going.
Stock characters are found in all types of media. Some types of stock are relatable while others can just be ridiculous. However, when you have different types of stock characters, it helps create a humorous, entertaining show, movie, or book. My favorite type of stock character would have to be the know-nothing know-it-all. An example of this stock character is Michael Kelso from That ‘70s Show. Kelso is the typical good-looking teenage airhead who has lost all aspirations of school but still thinks he is the genius. He is referred to as the “Head Dummy” and claims to be “The King” of all things. Kelso hates if his friends try to top or do better than him with jobs or girls and enjoys playing pranks on his friends. Kelso is extremely cocky and self-centered but it only adds to his stupidity as a character. An example of Kelso believing he is a genius was the episode where the subject of Harry Truman was brought up. Fez, the foreign exchange student, asked who Harry Truman was and Kelso responded: “He invented electricity dumb***.” Even though Kelso is a prankster, he is also known to be extremely clumsy when put under pressure. His friends always know that he is going to be the one to get caught in trouble and just wait for him to mess up. When in a bad situation, he thinks his smart remarks will get him out of trouble but always seem to get him caught. Kelso is the type of stock character that knows a little bit about everything and a whole lot about nothing.
In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen plays the role of an extremely independent young woman. At the age of eleven, she had to take over as head of her family after her father was killed in a mining accident and her mother fell into a deep depression. She was forced to venture into the forbidden land outside of her district to hunt illegally to keep her family alive. Katniss also risks going to the Hob, the black market, to sell and trade her game from the forest for food and other things her family needs. After surviving the desperate days during which she and her sister nearly died of starvation, Katniss became extraordinarily independent. Katniss is too stubborn to ask for help and doesn’t like socializing with people she doesn’t completely trust. The only person she is very close to is her younger sister, Prim, who she spent months caring for and nurturing when their mother was ill from depression. When Prim’s name is called to enter into the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death that is nationally televised, Katniss steps up to take her place. Knowing she has almost no chance of surviving, she becomes even more independent and distant. Before she is stripped away from her home, her loved ones get a chance to say good-bye to her, but Katniss tries her hardest to not become any more attached. Once in the Hunger Games, Katniss avoids the other children competing until there is a rule change that allows two victors to come home. Only then, after knowing for certain that she won’t have to be disappointed by losing the other tribute from her district, does she team up with and become dependent on someone else. Katniss is the stereotypical independent woman who, to avoid being hurt and disappointed again, becomes solely self-reliant.
I would say that one of my favorite stock characters is Van from the TV show “Reba.” He is the stereotypical jock; he is the starting quarterback for the high school football team and he is dating a cheerleader. Van is not very smart. He gets confused a lot and makes a lot of really dumb comments. In the show, Van is dating the daughter (Cheyenne) of the main character, Reba. When Cheyenne becomes pregnant, Van proposes to her. The two live in Reba’s house because they are only in high school. Meanwhile, Reba and her husband Brock divorce, and Brock marries his secretary, Barbara Jean. Reba hates Barbara Jean, for good reason. The basic plot line is about the trials that this unconventional family goes through, and how they solve their problems.
Van is a hilarious character who significantly grows up throughout the many episodes of this show. In the beginning he can barely spell his name, but he eventually becomes a real estate agent and founds his own real estate company. Becoming a father really forces Van to grow up. In taking care of his daughter, Van learns more about himself and about life. Although he was extremely a stereotypical “dumb jock” at first, Van turns out to be an exceptional husband, father, and business man. He still retains some of his “dumb jock” character though, and his hilarious comments and remarks make him my favorite stock character.
My personal favorite stock character is the "cute little boy/girl" in every movie that appears innocent and either shy or very outgoing, but in actuality causes most of the mishaps in the movie. He or she diligently preoccupies the other characters in the story with their constant need for attention and perceives of the rest of the characters with obvious facts about themselves, and also creates the insane mayhem that makes the movie. The side characters in the movies also usually fall for how adorable this character is, and give in to the kid's needs which help him/her get to their progression in the story. One of my favorite movie's to watch any day, but mainly the holidays is "Home Alone." In the movie and the ones that follow it, the main character, Kevin McCallister is often overlooked by the rest of the family, and forgotten in the mess of things, and is left "home alone." This leads to him doing whatever he really wants to do, but in the end he realizes how much he needs and misses his family. I mainly enjoy this character because he's usually misunderstood, and later finds his way by the end of the movie. This stock character also catches the most attention, and makes the movie funny.
The movie Legally Blonde’s main character can definitely be considered a stock character, and is one of my favorites. The lead role is of a blonde ditsy girl named Elle Woods, played by Reese Witherspoon. Because of her manner, personality, and appearance, she is taken as unintelligent and scatterbrained by others, and is stereotyped. It is because of this reputation she is given that others, including family and friends, laugh at her desire to go to law school. However, she proves herself when she sets her mind to getting accepted at Harvard, and does so through hard work and determination. When Elle arrives at school, her classmates, at first impression, take her as a blonde airhead with no business being at such a prestigious school. They take her attending Harvard as a joke, and doubt that she will prosper there. Again, Elle wanted to show everyone that this stereotype that has been given to her is far from accurate. She proudly stands up for herself and rises to the challenge she originally wanted. Not only does she graduate, but also solves a mystery in one complex and arduous case that no other student could. I enjoy this particular stock character because of what she stands for and what she is willing to do to prove that she is so much smarter and stronger than the world gives her credit for being. I like how she surprises everyone around her, including whoever is watching, in positive way. Although Elle Woods may seem like just an absentminded blonde, she is really so much more.
My favorite stock character is the mad scientist. Slightly on the crazy side, they attempt things that other people won’t—oftentimes with poor results. They are generally not well-respected by others, or if they were, once their experiments come to light, they quickly fall out of good public opinion. Their experiments range from attempting to create life (Dr. Frankenstein) to attempting to harness the power of the gods (Dr. Zola and Johann Schmitt from the movie Captain America). If they attempt to “play God”—and not all of them do—it comes back around. One of my favorite mad scientists is Doc from Back to the Future. Maybe he isn’t crazy enough to create a monster, but he does create a car that can go back in time. Marty, a teenager who is friends with Doc, is told not to hang around with him, because according to the principal, he’s a dangerous nutcase. He kind of is, to a degree, as Marty finds out. Doc invented a time traveling DeLorean. The car can time travel because of the flux capacitor, an invention he imagined after an accident in his bathroom where he hit his head. As Doc explains to Marty how the car works, he reveals it doesn’t run on gasoline, but on plutonium, since a nuclear reaction is necessary to power the flux capacitor. Marty asks Doc where he got the plutonium, and Doc tells him he hired Libyan terrorists to steal it for him. In exchange for the plutonium, he built them a bomb, but instead of explosives, he filled it with shiny pinball parts. This is one example of Doc’s apparent madness throughout the movie. In addition to having the mindset of a mad scientist, he also has the appearance of one. He wears a white lab coat at least once in the movie and he has the frizzy white hair of a mad scientist. I enjoy the mad scientist character because they add a crazy element to a story, sometimes along with comic relief.
In high school you find a lot of stereotypes. You have your jocks, your artists, your musicians and your “nerds”. The nerd is intelligent but socially and physically awkward. They typically appear either to lack confidence or to be indifferent or oblivious to the negative perceptions held of them by others. They are frequent objects of scorn, ridicule, bullying and social isolation. In high school the nerd isn’t so easy to pick out as in a movie or TV show. One nerd I know for sure who is stereotyped right as he comes on the screen is Artie Abrams from Glee. Artie wears glasses, V-neck sweaters, button down cardigans, and his pants up high and carries all his books. Without the volume on you know he is the “nerd” of the bunch. Yes, Artie is so smart, he can beat anyone in a math contest and knows every brick of the periodic table. Every person that is a fan of Glee each though and is a consistent watcher of Glee knows one key thing about Artie. Artie isn’t just that “nerd” that all the football players pick on. Artie has a voice like an angel. Artie is apart of the “Glee Club” because it’s his way of escapism. Stereotypically nerds are thought to be socially inclined but Artie isn’t at all when he sings. He sings his feelings. Artie honestly doesn’t care what others think of him. Sadly in high school, like ours unfortunately there is that “nerd” that walks the halls getting made fun of by the stereotypical jocks and pre Madonnas every day. Artie is that nerd. What most people don’t realize though is that underneath that absolute intelligence and poor fashion sense that person is unique and has talent. Artie is a “nerd” to most people because he’s in the jazz ensemble, the A.V. club and on the Academic Decathlon team. Artie though has that talent of being an amazing singer. The lesson here is simple, something I am sure most of us have heard since an early age, “never judge a book by its cover.” You can never look right at someone and know exactly who they are. Someone may present themself like a “nerd” but deep down they could be a star athlete or in Artie’s case the superb singer.
My favorite stock character comes from one of my favorite movies, Mean Girls. Regina George is the classic teen queen; blond, beautiful, in the words of fellow student Damian, " She always looks fierce...She's fabulous but evil." And that she is. See the reason I love Regina is because unlike most of your stereotypical dumb blond super popular girls who rule high school, she's smart, extremely smart. Sure she uses her cunning for evil but think of what could be accomplished if she used these master powers of manipulation, and uncanny ability to read people for good. This girl would have a bright future in politics! Throughout the film we see Regina get meaner and meaner while she's slowly being upstaged Cady, the new-coming "popular"; however at the end she does have a change of heart and turn 'good'. While her senior superlative will never be 'most likely to brighten your day' this mean girl has dimension. Like the cast of The Breakfast Club there are many sides to her which we don't see at first because we are so costumed with the image at face value. surely art imitates life and these movies which display the various sides other than just the typical one perceived thus there are these many sides in our high school life as well !
The mad scientist, a stock character that would be a perfect antagonist for any film. A mad scientist usually formulates a devious scheme to take over the world or attempt to break the barriers of science with a weird contraption or machine. A notable concept of the mad scientist is his hideout. The scientist usually performs his experiments in a fancy castle high above the hills or on a mountaintop secluded from the rest of civilization. Dr. Forrester from the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 is the mad scientist that is featured in the show. Dr. Forrester is a scientist determined to take over the world by forcing the human race to watch cheesy, B-list movies from the 50s. For now, he has his test subject, Michael J. Nelson, watch movie after movie with the intention of driving him insane. With the help of Mike’s robot friends, Crow and Tom Servo, they thwart Forrester’s plan for domination by telling witty jokes during the movie. Dr. Forrester is an example of the mad scientist because he has an evil hideout along with his evil scheme. Dr. Forrester operates deep under the Earth’s crust in Deep 13, a laboratory that sends movies to where he has Mike and the robots trapped in the Satellite of Love. Unlike most people who enjoy the hero of the story, I am the sucker who always falls for the bad guy. Out of the most villains that I like, Dr. Forrester ranks up in my top five because of his sharp humor and convoluted scheme. The doctor’s cracks at his test subjects are what keep them in line and set the mood for a good show. His brand of comedy is what gets me to like Mystery Science Theater 3000 a little bit more.
Every Disney movie always touches our heart in someway or another. One of my favorites, though, is Aladdin. Aladdin is a street rat who doesn’t have a true home, but rather sleeps in a makeshift bed at night, and travels the streets for food everyday. He barely has enough food to survive, and he always has his trusted monkey, Abu, by his side helping him get, or steal food. One day, while in the streets, he meets this girl. He is swept off his feet by her, but he has no idea that she’s the Sultan’s daughter. She had escaped from the palace to get away from all the men who have come to ask for her hand in marriage. However, Jafar, one of the Sultan’s consultants, had been trying to find a magic lamp. He got Aladdin to retrieve it and give it to him, but somehow it ended up in Aladdin’s hands. Aladdin rubbed the magic lamp and magically a Genie appeared. He was granted three wishes. His first wish was used to make Jasmine, the Sultan’s daughter, fall in love with him. However, love was something the Genie couldn’t grant, so instead he made Aladdin the greatest Prince ever to impress her. Jasmine was at first disgusted with Aladdin because he came in with a huge ego, not even respecting Jasmine. She knew, though, that it was the boy she met in the streets. After Aladdin took her on a “magic carpet ride”, they were both in love. Jafar, however, did everything in his power to prevent them from marrying, because he knew that Aladdin wasn’t a Prince. He almost destroyed their bond, but it was too strong. After Jafar had been gotten rid of, the Sultan got rid of the law stating that the princess had to marry a prince, but instead she could choose the one who made her happy. The movie ends with the two of them back on the magic carpet after they had gotten married. This movie shows a true “rag to riches” stock character.
My favorite stock character is Peter Parker from the movie Spider Man. Peter, better known as Spider Man, is the typical superhero stock character. Like all the other superhero characters he gained his powers through a freak accident. In this case Peter was bitten by a mysterious spider. Another superhero cliché that Spider Man provides is the hidden identity and the superhero costume. In the movie Peter Parker was on a field trip at the exhibit of rare spiders. There he found a special spider that gave him spider-like super powers through its bite. Since the accident Peter had super strength, could stick to walls, and shoot webs out of his hands. He named himself Spider Man because of his spider abilities and stopped crime all throughout New York City. Spider Man is my favorite superhero because of his unique powers and gripping action movies. Besides the thrilling action of Spider Man, he is also a good example of forgiveness. Peter’s first priority once he received his powers was to avenge his grandfather who was murdered by a thief for his car. After he finally hunted down and confronted his grandfather’s killer he decided to forgive him and give him a second chance. After that he devoted his life and his powers to saving others in New York.
A classic stock character is the super spy. He is a cool, calm, collected man even when bullets are flying. He always has the coolest gadgets, always gets the girl, and never, ever runs out of bullets. He can always fly or drive just about anything and if he can't, he mysteriously learns how to do so in a manner of minutes, usually while making a daring escape, surrounded by evil henchmen. At the end of a story, he makes a daring assault, against all odds (and sometimes against orders), against the antagonist's lair, beats the antagonist's right hand man in a fist fight, stops the evil plot, rescues the girl, and then just misses the bad guy who gets away for the sequel.
A perfect example of this kind of character is the one and only James Bond. He was created by Ian Fleming (himself being a former British Naval Intelligence officer, just like Bond). Loosely based on Fleming's brother Peter, a British commando during the Second World War, Bond is an agent of the British Secret Service and is equipped with a "License to Kill" (which he exercises on more than one occasion). He is a dashing British Naval Commander, carries a gun with him, even when relaxing while playing golf or winning big in a casino (something super spies also always do... win). Usually he is accompanied by a beautiful girl, now commonly known as "Bond girls."
Each Bond book and movie is essentially the cliche of being a super spy. It starts out with a minor evil plot starting. This gets Bond on a mission, who is first equipped by "Q" Branch with plenty of gadgets. Along the way, he meets a minor ally (who is usually killed by the end of the movie), his girl, and there is a car chase, a gunfight that he always wins, and then the realization of what evil plot is taking place. He then goes on his daring assault, blows up the evil lair, and he and the girl disappear to some far away tropical beach to be with each other.
Now, the James Bond series is a major example of the super spy stock character. Other examples include The Man from U.N.C.L.E., the Jack Ryan series, and for your amusing parody, Get Smart. Truth be told, the super spy fits in as a sub-genre of the action hero, but do to its uniqueness is deserves its own category.
In reality, the super spy is the epitome of action hero and is really every man's dream when it comes to fiction. What more could you ask for? Being a handsome, dashing, secret agent who always saves the day with the help of amazing gadgets, gets the girl, and doesn't even break a sweat doing so doesn't sound so bad after all.
The “dumb blonde” is a very common stock character or stereotype. In the movie House Bunny, Anna Faris stars as Shelley. Shelley is completely stupid, not only revolving intellectual things, but also in common sense. She lacks the instincts that most people have naturally. Dumb blondes are stereotypically attractive in addition to being ditsy or dumb. Shelley perfectly fits the role for this stock character.
Shelley is a playboy bunny at Hugh Heffner’s Playboy Mansion. She is loved and adored by everyone at the mansion, until one unfortunate day when she is kicked out. She is forced to fend for herself in Beverly Hills. She finds her way to a sorority called Zeta Alpha Zeta. This sorority is filled with a bunch of misfit girls. When the girls first meet her, they immediately see her as the dumb, gorgeous blonde. They do not take her seriously with anything she says. She is a dumb blonde, why would they take her seriously? Despite their disregard towards her, Shelley sees beauty behind their defensive personas and uses her feminine knowledge to turn them into the hottest things around town. For being a dumb blonde, she ended up teaching them valuable skills that she knew. While helping to turn these misfit girls into real women, Shelley ended up falling for a smart guy. Shelley ended doing some silly and sometimes stupid things to try to impress him. In the end, the girls from the sorority and Shelley both learned a lot from each other.
One of my favorite things about Shelley is her ability to shrug things off, or her ability to brush things off her shoulders easily. This may be because of her inability to realize people are making fun of her, or maybe that’s her personality, but either way I am jealous that this quality comes so naturally to her. I love her character because dumb blondes always bring laughter to the movie.
My personal favorite type of stock character would be described bluntly and simply as the classic nerd. He's the one sitting in the front of the classroom who has his hand up for every question. The teacher's pet. A nerd's obnoxious expanse of knowledge annoys the average student but (normally) never fails to impress the teacher. This stock character is often involved in minimal extracurricular activities such as theater, band, choir, chess club, math league, science olympiad, reading, designing computer software, etc. You can find other common stock characters, like bullies and jocks, picking on the nerd. I love the nerd stock character. Why? Well, I think it's because I'm often just like that stock character. I love to read, am in plenty of the typical "nerd" extracurricular activities, love to sit in the front and answer all the questions, and frankly, I'm quite the teacher's pet. This stock character is nurturing to me, because of the many things we tend to have in common. My favorite fictional nerd stock character would have to be Hermione Granger, from the Harry Potter Series. She is, in my eyes, the best example of a nerd stock character. Hermione starts off at the beginning of the series as the typical nerd, apparently full of confidence in her sheer knowledge. She has almost every fact memorized, and if she doesn't, off the the library she went to figure it out. If a question is asked, her hand shoots up immediately. But as the series continues, the reader starts to see the thoughts and emotions behind this normally flat and unimportant stock character. You see her flaws, her actual lack of self-confidence, and the real person hidden behind the stereotype. The development of her character proves to the reader that all stereotypes are just stereotypes, so they don't determine who the person is. J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter Series, showcased plenty of typical stock characters, but expanded upon them to show that you can never judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a person on how much they study.
A “stock” character is a certain character type that is often used in fiction. It is a general stereotype that describes countless characters. One of my favorite stock characters is the stereotypical miser. A miser is a person whose desire for wealth borders on complete obsession. They will often go to great lengths to achieve their wealth, not caring if others are hurt in the process. However, this specific stock character has a greater range of use than others. Miser’s in literature have shared a wide range of fates. Ebenezer Scrooge, from A Christmas Carol, managed to overcome his greed and started to embrace generosity. The people of the community started to like him better, and he became a much happier man. However, the miser Tom Walker, from the short story “The Devil and Tom Walker”, sold his soul to the devil for wealth and was unable to escape from the conditions of the bargain. The stereotypical miser is my favorite stock character because it allows for a great range of variety in character development. My favorite miser is King Midas, from Greek mythology.
King Midas was a Greek king that desperately craved gold, so much that he wished for the ability to turn objects into gold by touching them. He received this power from Dionysus. King Midas is my favorite miser because his story best illustrates how a person’s greed can lead to their downfall. King Midas’s wish had unexpected consequences. He accidentally transformed his own daughter into gold by touching her. He was unable to eat or drink, as whatever food he touched would turn to gold. He prayed to Dionysus to save his from starvation, and he was told to bathe in the river Pactolus in order to get rid of the curse. However, he was still unable to save his daughter. The story of King Midas is a perfect example of how characters may suffer ironic consequences due to their greed. He is the quintessential miser, and his story ends in redemption and repentance, just like Ebenezer Scrooge. Unlike most stock characters, misers can easily be used as protagonists and often undergo significant character development. That is why the stereotypical miser is my favorite stock character.
My favorite stock character is the evil stepmother. Usually in fairy tales, the evil stepmother is wicked and cruel to a younger female character. Some examples of this stock character are the evil queen/stepmother in Snow White who decides to get rid of her stepdaughter because Snow White is declared more beautiful than her by the Magic Mirror. The evil stepmother in Cinderella is constantly cruel to her stepdaughter Cinderella, making her do chores and not letting her do the same activities as her own daughters, Cinderella’s evil stepsisters. There is also a evil stepmother in the more recent movies based off Cinderella such as A Cinderella Story and Another Cinderella Story. The witch in Hansel and Gretel is also depicted as the evil stepmother of a story. In Rapunzel, there is an evil stepmother who refuses to let Rapunzel out of the tower. In the more recent movie Enchanted, the evil stepmother is also included. Also in the movie Nanny McPhee, there is a lady that might marry the children’s father and become a truly mean evil stepmother but fortunately the wedding is stopped. The evil stepmother is definetly a stock character because even today people still judge by whether you are a stepmother or not. The children of divorced parents end up hating their dad's new girlfriend or their new stepmom. Growing up in a society that judges by this is proven: when me and my sister were around four and six years old our brand new stepgrandma took us out to eat and apparently we asked her if she was going to be an evil stepmother. We can't believe we actually asked her that now but those were the first thoughts we had when we were told we had a new grandma. We learned this from all those disney movies and fairy tales that little girls learn about. I enjoy all of these characters because throughout the story or movie they cause you to get so mad at them and you find yourself wishing good luck for the poor characters that have to deal with them. They are also my favorite stock character because in the end, the evil stepmother always gets what she deserves.
In the T.V. show Scrubs, you have many stock characters that fit right in with many stereotypes.We have the hot, blonde doctor, Elliot Reid, who is known for being "easy" and "gets around a lot". You have the old, greedy head doctor, the boss, Doctor Kelso, who only cares about himself and money. You have the egotistical jerk doctor, Doctor Cox, who of course is really buff and masculine. But in my opinion, the most stock character is the surgeon, Chris Turk. Turk is a muscular, young black doctor who is phenomenal at basketball, raps, uses slang in every other sentence, and is loud and obnoxious. Is he what some racist or stereotypical people would call, the "Average Black Man"? is it borderline racist? i don't think so. i just think that they really want to show what character he is. That he is athletic, has terrible grammar, etc. Now think about it: when you think about basketball players, especially in the NBA, who do you think of? LeBron James? Kobe Bryant? Michael Jordan? All of which are black. So, stereotypically, the one black doctor happens to be the best at basketball in the hospital. A large percent of black people in this country are on the less-wealthy side of things, struggling to make a living. They have great population in the city, and have a greater population of uneducated persons. So, of course, the black doctor has a lot of slang when he speaks, giving us the impression that he is either uneducated or just from an inner city home. There are many stock characters in the TV show Scrubs, non of which that stereotypical than Chris Turk, the black, athletic, poor-grammar surgeon.
The stock character that I think is seen in many movies, and is sort of an icon now, is the English Butler. He seemingly represents wealth and a very upper class way of living. He is seen in movies such as Batman and James bond, and nearly always has a thick British accent. He always helps his employer and is more than just a butler, but offers advice and sometimes speaks as the conscience of someone. This stock character is also seen on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, showing how the family lives a posh and wealthy lifestyle in their huge mansion. I've always found the English Butler to be amusing considering there aren't too many people who actually have a butler, but everyone knows what he represents in a movie or television show.
Yoda is a classic old master. In the Star Wars Movies he is the oldest, wisest, and most powerful Jedi Knight and teaches all of the other Jedi how to use the force. The Empire Strikes Back, the fifth movie in sequential order, but the second in chronological order, is when Yoda makes his first appearance in the series. When Luke goes to Dagobah in search of Master Yoda, he comes across a little green creature that looks sort of like an elf. This little green elf is eventually found out to be Yoda, but before Luke knows this information Yoda displays the characteristics of a different type of character. Yoda acts like an ignorant, curious, little annoyance that Luke cannot stand being around. When Luke finally reaches the conclusion that the green elf that he is in the presence of is Master Yoda, the training begins. Yoda trains Luke and for the first time, viewers are able to see what a wise and powerful master that Yoda truly is. The most prominent example of his power and mastery over the force while he is training Luke is when he is able to use the force to lift the huge jet out of the swamp after Luke is unable to do so. During the new trilogy about the old Republic, it is shown that Yoda is not just a wise old master that taught Luke, but when there were many Jedi he was in charge of teaching all the younglings in the Jedi Temple and was a leading member of the Jedi Council. Yoda was only a puppet in the older films, and was therefore unable to show his mastery over the light saber as well as the force. This all changes when the computer generated Yoda comes out in the newer films and viewers are able to see what a powerful master he is when he duals with the Sith. Overall throughout the Star Wars series, Yoda displays many characteristics of the classic stock character of an old master that is as wise as he is powerful.
The stock character that I chose to write about is from the movies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I believe that all the children that go to visit Mr. Wonka are stock characters; in fact, Mr. Wonka himself is even a stock character. There is Charlie- the timid, normal one. Charlie is also the main character and he is poor. Veruca is the spoiled brat, Agustus is the rude, plump child, Violet, the one that wants to be the winner of everything and on top, and Mike Tevee, the geek, nerd, video gamer. Mr. Wonka is the crazy, eccentric character. Mr. Wonka exposes many of his somewhat creepy quirks throughout the movie. I favor the most recent version of this classic tale because it especially displays just how eccentric Willy Wonka is. Wonka expresses and suggests the idea of cannibalism, but quickly covers it up by stating that it would be frowned upon, however, he does not ever express if he specifically frowned upon it. This is just one of the millions of examples of Wonka’s odd ways of acting. Wonka also displays strange behavior and ideas when talking to and about the oopma loompas. No one has ever heard of anything Willy Wonka is talking about when explaining how he obtained the strange creatures, thus leading all the visitors to conclude that Wonka is simply crazy.
My favorite stock character is the headstrong girl who can fight her own battles. An example is Katniss Everdeen from Suzanne Collins’s "The Hunger Games". Throughout the series, Katniss has to endure some tough times. She has to care for her broken family and fight grueling battles to the death to protect them when she takes her sister’s place in the twisted ‘games’ set up by a futuristic government. Throughout her life she has to endure too many physical injuries to count and also emotional issues like the loss of her father, the depression of her mother, the crippling poverty that’s stricken her family, the greedy and violent world she lives in, the thoughts of suicide, and the paranoia that comes from a life of deception. With all of this pushing on her to make her break, Katniss stays strong and fights for what’s right, not allowing others to fight all of her battles and doing things for the greater good of the world. She’s not perfect, because no one is, and that only strengthens her and makes her character more believable. To me, with all of her strength, Katniss embodies best the headstrong girl who can fight her own battles.
I think that my favorite stock character is Michael Oher, an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens. His stock is that he is a rags to riches person. He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and he was raised almost without parents. His father was frequently in prison, and his mother was addicted to cocaine and was an alcoholic. He went to eleven different schools in nine years and repeated both first and second grade. Eventually, he was put in foster care and then he became homeless for a while. Finally, he applied to Briarcrest Christian School after a man’s (who he was staying with) son applied there. At this school, Michael met a boy who’s parents, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, took him in and eventually adopted him. He then was able, through a tutor and many online classes, to bring his grades up and meet a requirement needed to attend a division I school. He then accepted a scholarship from the University of Mississippi, the school his adoptive parents attended. After playing football all four years, he was drafted in the first round (23rd pick overall) in 2009 by the Baltimore Ravens. He was given the number 74, and played the whole season and was the runner up for the Rookie of the Year award. He now starts at right tackle and started every game of the 2010 season. He is currently in the second year of the five year, $13.8 million dollar contract he signed when he was drafted. This is truly a rags to riches story, and it is such a good story a book was based on it and later a movie. The movie, called The Blind Side, was nominated for two academy awards, and Sandra Bullock, who played Leigh Anne Tuohy, won an Oscar. Michael Oher’s story of going from homeless to a starting professional football player is a story that is very inspiring, courageous, and the epitome of rags to riches.
My favorite stock character would have to be the grumpy old man who secretly has a big heart. I see this character used in all genres of film, books, and television. Usually, the man is introduced, often widowed, in a very dull life. He hates the idea of change and the way society is moving so fast in recent times. In many examples of this stock character, they seem to despise kids and teenagers, saying all they do is cause trouble. Throughout the plot, the man’s harsh exterior begins to break by an unlikely friend. My favorite example is actually in a children’s animated movie called Up. The old man, Carl Fredricksen is a widower who had always dreamed of taking a trip to Paradise Falls with his wife. As time went on, all he had left was his house, which builders were also trying to buy off of him. One day, an energetic wilderness explorer (similar to a cub scout) named Russell comes to his house to earn his “helping the elderly” badge, but Carl tells him to go away. That same day, Carl makes his house take flight with balloons, and somehow Russell remained still on the front porch, waiting for a second chance to get his badge. As they make their way to Paradise Falls, Carl learns to love the once annoying Russell and becomes a father figure to him. The reason I love this character may very well be its predictability and simplicity. The idea that someone can change a person for the better and make their life a little happier is really promising. I like that Carl really was a good guy, he just needed someone to bring back his vitality. Stories with a happy ending are always the kind I favor, and this stock character is pretty much set up for that to happen.
My choice for my stock character is Steven Hyde (Hyde) from the TV series “That 70’s Show.” He is the typical behind the scenes man. You would never guess from the way he acts how he truly is. He comes across as a guy who doesn’t care at all about anything. But when people really need help he is always there for them. He will become the sweetest person if you ask for help or if a girl starts to cry in front of him. He will also help out without being realized. He will secretly, or behind the scenes, do a good deed. He also is extremely smart, but he never shows it to his friends. The only time he told them was when they were telling each other their SAT scores and his was one of the highest in the group. He hides all this by always doing drugs and vandalism of many kinds and never telling people how he does in school. He also protests a lot and never looks like he really cares too much about what is going on. He shows a carefree attitude except to Jackie, when she finally becomes his girlfriend. He also always uses sarcasm and is almost never serious. He does lots and lots of pranks throughout his life. He plays it off cool when someone gets hurt, but you can tell he really feel bad when we are shown the look on his face when he is alone. Hyde is the sweetest man with a huge heart, but he covers it up with a rebel attitude.
Sadly, in high school, it’s easy to look at a person and classify them among a specific group of people based on their appearance and actions. It’s easy to say, “Oh, she looks like a nerd,” or, “He’s seems like a jock who is obsessed with sports.” Most of these ideas for classifying people come from the common characterizations seen on TV. Perhaps one of the most common stock characters is the nerdy girl. This character is often portrayed as non-athletic and focused on school. She is shown as having few friends and always falls for the most popular guy in school. Often times she embarrasses herself in front of the popular girl. However, the nerdy girl always rises up and challenges the ‘popular girl’ for her control over the school, her individual identity, or, in some cases, the popular guy. For these reasons, the nerdy girl is my favorite stock character. Although at first she is unconfident in herself, she discovers who she really is and learns to express herself, despite what the popular girl may think.
In A Cinderella Story, Sam Montgomery, the nerdy girl, has only one friend in school and they both stay as far away from the popular group as possible. Sam has an online pen pal called “Nomad” and they both share the same dream of attending Princeton University. Both Sam and “Nomad” desperately want to meet one another, until Sam discovers that “Nomad” is really Austin, the popular guy at her high school. Afraid that he will not like her once he learns who she really is, Sam refuses to meet Austin, especially since he has just broken up with the most popular girl in school. The popular girl finds out that Austin has been talking to Sam all along and exploits their secret relationship to the entire school. Sam finds that, even after the popular girl’s harassment, Austin sees her for who she really is, and looks farther than skin deep. Sam learns that she never was a “loser” - she just let the popular people stand in the way of showing everyone who she really was.
Similarly, in The Princess Diaries, Mia Thermopolis, a nerdy, unpopular girl, struggles to try and fit in at school. She wears glasses and no make-up and has very frizzy hair, which she doesn’t style everyday like the popular girls. According to the popular group, she is the exact definition of a nerd. Mia is visited by her grandmother, whom she has never met, and informed that her father, before his passing, was crown prince in a small country called Genovia and now she will become the princess. Mia undergoes dramatic changes to her appearance and takes etiquette classes in order to fit the role of princess. Mia does not, however, tell anyone about this news. When the popular girl reveals to the entire community that Mia will be taking the throne in Genovia, Mia is swarmed with unwanted media attention and constant whispering by her peers. After realizing that the popular girls only envy what she has been given, Mia comes to accept the fact that she is now princess of Genovia and the opinions of so-called “cool girls” don’t mean anything anymore.
Both examples prove that the stock character of the nerdy girl comes in conflict with herself and the popular crowd. In the end, the nerdy girl comes to find acceptance of herself despite the critical opinions of her peers. The nerdy girl proves to the popular crowd that they don’t have control over the school, and can’t manipulate others into looking down upon themselves. She shows the popular girl that a pretty face means nothing if you don’t have personality.
Sadly, in high school, it’s easy to look at a person and classify them among a specific group of people based on their appearance and actions. It’s easy to say, “Oh, she looks like a nerd,” or, “He’s seems like a jock who is obsessed with sports.” Most of these ideas for classifying people come from the common characterizations seen on TV. Perhaps one of the most common stock characters is the nerdy girl. This character is often portrayed as non-athletic and focused on school. She is shown as having few friends and always falls for the most popular guy in school. Often times she embarrasses herself in front of the popular girl. However, the nerdy girl always rises up and challenges the ‘popular girl’ for her control over the school, her individual identity, or, in some cases, the popular guy. For these reasons, the nerdy girl is my favorite stock character. Although at first she is unconfident in herself, she discovers who she really is and learns to express herself, despite what the popular girl may think.
In A Cinderella Story, Sam Montgomery, the nerdy girl, has only one friend in school and they both stay as far away from the popular group as possible. Sam has an online pen pal called “Nomad” and they both share the same dream of attending Princeton University. Both Sam and “Nomad” desperately want to meet one another, until Sam discovers that “Nomad” is really Austin, the popular guy at her high school. Afraid that he will not like her once he learns who she really is, Sam refuses to meet Austin, especially since he has just broken up with the most popular girl in school. The popular girl finds out that Austin has been talking to Sam all along and exploits their secret relationship to the entire school. Sam finds that, even after the popular girl’s harassment, Austin sees her for who she really is, and looks farther than skin deep. Sam learns that she never was a “loser” - she just let the popular people stand in the way of showing everyone who she really was.
Similarly, in The Princess Diaries, Mia Thermopolis, a nerdy, unpopular girl, struggles to try and fit in at school. She wears glasses and no make-up and has very frizzy hair, which she doesn’t style everyday like the popular girls. According to the popular group, she is the exact definition of a nerd. Mia is visited by her grandmother, whom she has never met, and informed that her father, before his passing, was crown prince in a small country called Genovia and now she will become the princess. Mia undergoes dramatic changes to her appearance and takes etiquette classes in order to fit the role of princess. Mia does not, however, tell anyone about this news. When the popular girl reveals to the entire community that Mia will be taking the throne in Genovia, Mia is swarmed with unwanted media attention and constant whispering by her peers. After realizing that the popular girls only envy what she has been given, Mia comes to accept the fact that she is now princess of Genovia and the opinions of so-called “cool girls” don’t mean anything anymore.
Both examples prove that the stock character of the nerdy girl comes in conflict with herself and the popular crowd. In the end, the nerdy girl comes to find acceptance of herself despite the critical opinions of her peers. The nerdy girl proves to the popular crowd that they don’t have control over the school, and can’t manipulate others into looking down upon themselves. She shows the popular girl that a pretty face means nothing if you don’t have personality.
My favorite stock character is the rags-to-riches hero, and my favorite movie centers on this type of hero: Disney’s Aladdin. Aladdin is a poor beggar boy who lives on the streets of Agrabah. He dreams of one day living in the Palace in the middle of the city. Due to a shocking turn of events, Aladdin finds himself in the Cave of Wonders where he finds a lamp that holds a magical genie. The genie promises to grant Aladdin any three wishes he desires. Aladdin uses his wish to become a prince so he can woo Princess Jasmine. So literally, Aladdin goes from rags to riches in one fell swoop. He then tries to be someone he’s not to win Jasmine’s heart. He soon finds that if he is just himself, he stands a much better chance of being with Jasmine. Although they face hardships, in the end, Aladdin comes out as a hero and he and Jasmine defy the odds and are able to be with each other. Even though they came from completely different backgrounds, Aladdin and Jasmine lived happily ever after. So, Aladdin went from being a street rat with a good heart, to a heroic and respectable prince, all the while staying true to his pure heart. I like this stock character because of the fact that the underdog gets to be the hero by the end. I like the hope it can give to people that yes, even you can be someone great. There’s something to be said for a character that can defy the odds like that time and time again. It’s a character that can be recreated multiple times and never lose that heart-warming, optimistic appeal.
There are many various forms of the stock character type, many of which are present in television shows or movies that portray the lives of high school students. There are so many examples of stock characters associated with high school that it is difficult to count, such as the nerd, the cheerleader, or the goth. However, my favorite prime example of a high school stereotype/stock character would have to be the jock. A jock is someone who particularly exceeds at sports and is usually the captain of his team, but also does particularly bad in school and has trouble in class. One of my favorite “jock” characters would have to be A.C. Slater, played by Mario Lopez, from the television series “Saved by the Bell”. He starts out as a transfer student but quickly becomes a star athlete and is the quarterback for the football team. Slater is the typical good-looking jock who is much better on the field than in the classroom, but there are two flaws in his character in the fact that he doesn’t date a cheerleader or go out of his way to pick on nerds. He also has a group of friends from almost every high school stereotype: Zack (the ladies man), Screech (the nerd), Jessie (the class president), and many others. Many “jock” characters in other series are portrayed to be very dumb, ignorant, and egotistical. Slater is different because although he isn’t exactly book smart, he is actually quite likeable and an all-around good person.
Stock characters are often identifiable right away. They can be easily recognized by their clothing, demeanor, or even just their basic appearance. The rebel can be spied because of his flannel shirt, and the dim-witted person can be recognized by her heavily styled blond hair. My favorite stock character can be spotted by the obvious mix of confusion and amazement on his face. It seems to me that the foreign kid in books, movies, and on television always adds an extra something to the plot, and usually that extra something happens to be comedic relief. The perfect example of the trademark foreign adolescent is Fez from That 70’s Show. Always in the middle of some trouble, he is constantly making jokes about Americans in his thick accent. Fez wanders around Point Place mispronouncing everything, hitting on girls in his off-kilter way, and generally making a fool out of himself, all while still remaining everyone’s favorite friend. This stock character almost always stays the same, but sometimes at the end he or she will learn the ways of America. Fez never truly does, but that makes him no less lovable and unique. Without him, the rest of the “gang” wouldn’t know who to make fun of or who to blame their problems on.
One of my favorite stock characters is the Joker from the movie The Dark Knight. He is one of my favorite movie characters in general too. The Joker is one of Batman's archenemies (he is his main one) from the movies and comics. The Joker is a conniving villain type stock character. He antagonizes Batman and does horribly evil things to the innocent people of Gotham City. The Joker is one of the most famous and popular villains in the media. Batman comics have been around since the 1940s, and so has the main villain of the series.
There are a few different versions of the Joker. One image of him is an “eccentric prankster”, which was commonly used in the original comics. The other version shows the Joker as a highly intelligent psychopath with a warped and cruel sense of humor. In the recent movie, he is the psychopath version. I find him interesting in the movie because of this and enjoyable to watch. It helped that the actor, Heath Ledger, played this part so well. He has green hair, white skin, and red lips. Sometimes it is makeup that makes him look like this, while other times this is how he looks from an accident involving chemical waste. The Joker is responsible for more than one serious tragedy in Batman's life. As the villain, he is evil. He kills people, he steals, and he tricks people. He enjoys it, and because of his sadistic sense of humor finds it funny. In one scene he slams a pencil through somebody's head and then laughs. In the movie, the Joker is responsible for the death of the girl that Batman loved. He is also responsible for the creation of the villain Harvey Two-Face, who used to be a respected district attorney and a friend of Batman.
The stock character of the villain is included in most stories. This character can be anything from an annoying teenage “enemy” of the main character to a psychopathic murderer. The villain is often considered to be evil and they do bad things that affect the “hero” character negatively. Some villains are funny and may be liked by watchers, such as Doofenshmirtz from the TV show Phineas and Ferb. Others are extremely evil and disliked, such as Sauron from The Lord of the Rings movies. I personally like the Joker, even though he is very evil, and love the movie The Dark Knight because of him.
The stock character that is my all-time favorite is the underdog of underdogs, the Italian Stallion Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone. The underdog of underdogs is a typical genre of stock characters because the underdog almost always wins. They can never lose. Rocky is my favorite stock character because in every “Rocky” movie, he fights with his all no matter what the odds are or what his doubters say. He is dedicated and committed and never backs down from a fight. He always has the natural will to win and to never give up and quit. Also, Rocky could be considered a stock character because he is the hero of his hometown. He gives them something to believe in. In the first Rocky, Rocky Balboa is a struggling boxer trying to make it big. When heavy weight champion Apollo Creed visits Philadelphia, his managers wanted to set up an exhibition match between Creed and a struggling boxer. This was a chance for a “nobody” to become a “somebody”. This in itself could be a stock character genre. A “nobody” rising up and becoming a”somebody”. The match was supposed to be won easily be Creed, but the underdog saw his shot at filling out his dream.
My favorite stock character has to be the cowardly sidekick. The cowardly sidekick is an essential role in any movie because they provide a strong contrast to the actual hero, and give much comedic relief. There are many examples of this role such as Chuckie from 'Rugrats', or Ron and Roofus from 'Kim Possible'. However my favorite is taken from a classic, and in my opinion the best cowardly sidekicks are Shaggy and Scooby Doo. These guys take characters to a whole new level because they're not just cowardly sidekicks but they're extremely lovable too! They eat constantly, are terrified of everything, and when every word Scooby says begins with an R such as 'Ronster', I mean come on that's just cute. Shaggy and Scooby always seem to get into trouble one way or another. Although avoiding the mystery altogether, Scooby and Shaggy somehow end up meeting face to face with the monster. Shaggy and Scooby surely are opposites from Velma and Fred. Velma has the brains to get to the bottom of the hoax, and Fred has the leadership qualities that make for the plan to catch the monster. But Shaggy and Scooby Doo lack brains and leadership. Shaggy replaces Velma's 'Jinkies' with a 'Zoinks!' and instead of formulating a trap for the villain, they're assigned as bait. Even though Scooby Doo and Shaggy don't play an essential role in the plans, they always end up being crucial in catching the monster and revealing it's identity. Scooby Doo and Shaggy are the best kind of characters because they're goofy, hilarious, fearful, but in the end somewhat heroic.
Milhouse Van Houten from The Simpsons is a good example of two stock characters: the unpopular and slightly oblivious middle-school kid, and "the sidekick."
Throughout the series, he proves nobody likes him through his desperate (and usually ignored) attention-seeking stunts. As well, he tags alongside Bart basically constantly, doing whatever he's told.
I enjoy this character because he's such a neat exaggeration of a lot of different traits, and a nice contrast to the other characters. Plus, who doesn't love comic relief, you know?
When I think of the perfect example of a stock hero, I think of the super hero character. One super hero that everyone is familiar with, is Batman. Batman is the ultimate super hero stereotype. He even has his own sidekick Robin. It's always the hero and the sidekick, so having Robin by his side is the perfect sign of him being a hero. He has the generic super hero costume, cape and mask with his bat symbol on his clothing to show he is a hero. In all of the Batman comics, the Bat Symbol is flashed when someone is in need of help, and Bat Man comes to the rescue and saves everyone. At the end of the day, Batman always defeats the other stock character, the villian. Having this villian as an enemy also provides proof to Batman being this super hero stock character. Even though I am a girl, and girls typically aren't really into super heroes, I really do like the character of Batman. I like this superhero because when I was growing up, my cousins, who were boys,were always reading the comics and talked about it. I started looking them over and as the movies cam out I watched them too, and I just took this interest in him. I like the heroic character of a situation, so of course I like Batman. I also like him because he is one of the only well known heroes to have a sidekick, which I always thought was amusing. Batman is the ultimate example of the heroic stock character in my opinion.
Stock characters are seen throughout many stories in Literature and in movies. There is the always the grumpy Scrooge or the wicked witch of the west, but my favorite stock character of all time is Regina George and the rest of her friends from the movie, “Mean Girls”. Regina George, played by the famous Rachel McAdams, is the typical popular girl at her high school. She has blonde hair and is very pretty. She has a specific group of girls she hangs out with who are all rich and stuck up. She dates a senior who is captain of the school’s football team and is used to getting everything that she wants. Regina and her friends walk around the school like they own the place and are rude to everyone that tries to talk to them. As another character says, “They're teen royalty. If North Shore was Us Weekly, they would always be on the cover. “ When a new girl comes to the school, everyone is giving her attention. Since she feels threatened by the new girl, she befriends her. Regina tells her the rules of being her friend and she explains to her how she must dress and look. By dong this, they think that they will become even more popular than they already are. Eventually, this just leads to more girl fights and drama, which portrays the perfect stereotype of any high school girl. I liked watching this film and seeing these characters mainly because of the stereotype they were given. Its funny to see how well the “high school popular clique” is portrayed.
I have to say that my favorite stock character type is the villain who’s out for revenge. Of course, the main function of a villain in any sort of situation is to add more action into the plot, which, in doing so, brings out the better qualities of the good guys. The villain usually comes up with some hair-brained scheme to hold people hostage or steal some money that happens to catch the good guy’s attention. After the villain escapes and realizes that the hero has been watching him (or if he/she already knew that the hero was keeping guard of the city or whatever), the bad guy gets his minions together and plots the hero’s downfall. This is just one of the scenarios for this stock character type. One of my favorite characters in this group is the Joker from The Dark Knight. The Joker is the terribly brilliant and all-around bad man who tends to be quite a clown. Once the Joker realizes that Batman is back in Gotham City, he conducts a little test to see if the hero is real and soon plots his demise (though everyone knows that the Joker will have to fail). The Joker is on the top of my list of favorite villains because he comes up with outrageous schemes that fail miserably and always seems to make the audience laugh.
My favorite stock character has to be the boy genius. They are my favorite because they are a mix between the nerd and the mad scientist. The show that shows this perfectly is one of my old favorites Dexter’s Laboratory. When I first watched this as a kid I really wanted to be exactly like Dexter. He is the perfect example of a boy genius because he has his own lab that is hidden from his parents. He also invents many things that can and usually do back fire on him. Even though Dexter is extremely intelligent he occasionally does not use common sense. On the side of the mad scientist he does usually get beaten by his older sister Dee Dee in comical situations. Even though he is a genius he isn’t perfect which is why he is a good example of a boy genius. The boy genius also always has to overcome some problem. And that problem is that no one really believes them and their intelligence. Most people think that they just stolen the things that they have accomplished and created. None the less boy geniuses always overcome these doubts and that’s why they are my favorite stock character.
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