This Group Calls Out The Cringiest Examples Of Edgy People Who Wanted To Stand Out From ‘The Norm’ But Ended Up Embarrassing Themselves (New Pics)

A subset of the “not like other girls” trope is the manic pixie dream girl. Another common character in popular films, this archetype is featured in Garden State, 500 Days of Summer, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and countless other films. The manic pixie dream girl’s main function is to “give new meaning to the male hero's life”. She’s inexplicably spontaneous, quirky and energetic, and she will change the male protagonist for the better by teaching him how to feel emotions or love. She dresses eccentrically and may have creatively dyed hair, but she often lacks character development. She exists for the growth of her male counterpart, but she’s usually not provided desires or ambitions of her own.

A great example of a novel (and subsequently a film) calling out the “not like other girls” trope is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. The main character Amy goes on a rant about the “cool girl” subset of this trope. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the monologue: 

“Cool Girls are above all hot… Cool Girls never get angry and let their men do whatever they want… Men actually think this girl exists. Maybe they’re fooled because so many women are willing to pretend to be this girl… I used to see men giddy over these awful pretender women, and I’d want to sit these men down and calmly say: You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men… Oh, and if you’re not a Cool Girl, I beg you not to believe that your man doesn’t want the Cool Girl. It may be a slightly different version – maybe he’s a vegetarian, so Cool Girl loves seitan and is great with dogs... There are variations to the window dressing, but believe me, he wants Cool Girl, who is basically the girl who likes every f*cking thing he likes and doesn’t ever complain.”

Women are awesome. I would love to be “like other girls” because that means powerful, intelligent, perceptive and brave. The idea that complex women are not the norm is just absurd. One dimensional portrayals of women in the media should not let us feel we have to imitate those characters in real life. As long as you avoid bragging about how unique you are to distance yourself from other women, I support you embracing your feminine and masculine sides however you like.

The notion of being 'not like the other girls' challenges traditional gender roles by suggesting that certain traits typically associated with masculinity—like being sporty or preferring burgers over salads—are more appealing and unique. However, this overlooks the reality that both masculinity and femininity have their distinct and valuable traits.

Anyone can enjoy elements from both ends of the spectrum, as explored in the article on individuals who stand out by trying to be different from the norm.