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''[[https://www.youtube.com/c/BetterWithBob Better With Bob?]]'' (yes the question mark is intentional) is a [=YouTube=] channel run by actor and writer Creator/BobbyCalloway.
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''[[https://www.youtube.com/c/BetterWithBob Better With Bob?]]'' (yes the (the question mark is intentional) is a [=YouTube=] channel run by actor and writer Creator/BobbyCalloway.
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He has a strong emphasis on positivity, and discussing why a particular work is good or what it meant for its time. He's also a massive horror fan and has done videos discussing the artistic merits of the horror genre, including a lengthy series comparing the characters in each adaptation of ''{{Literature/Carrie}}''. In 2022, he began almost exclusively discussing ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}''.
The channel name is a reference to a now defunct trope on Website/ThisVeryWiki ('Everything's Better With Bob' if you're curious).
The channel name is a reference to a now defunct trope on Website/ThisVeryWiki ('Everything's Better With Bob' if you're curious).
to:
He has a strong emphasis on positivity, and discussing why a particular work is good or what it meant for its time. He's also a massive horror fan and has done videos discussing the artistic merits of the horror genre, including a lengthy series comparing the characters in each adaptation of ''{{Literature/Carrie}}''. In 2022, he began almost exclusively discussing ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}''.
''Series/Charmed1998''.
The channel name is a reference to a now defunct trope onWebsite/ThisVeryWiki this very Wiki ('Everything's Better With Bob' if you're curious).
curious).
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The channel name is a reference to a now defunct trope on
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trope about IU colorism
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* ButNotTooBlack:
** Noted that Suzie Wong is more Anglo looking than her Chinese friends and is the protagonist.
** And that most of the actresses who played 'tragic mulattos' were white. Susan Kohner (Sarah Jane in ''Imitation of Life'') was borderline; she was part Mexican.
** Noted that Suzie Wong is more Anglo looking than her Chinese friends and is the protagonist.
** And that most of the actresses who played 'tragic mulattos' were white. Susan Kohner (Sarah Jane in ''Imitation of Life'') was borderline; she was part Mexican.
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* DudeWheresMyRespect: His videos in 2022 ended up calling attention to shows that deserved more appreciation, such as ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'', ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' and ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand''.
* DueToTheDead: His video on ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'' includes a small tribute to the late Andy Whitfield at the end.
* DueToTheDead: His video on ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'' includes a small tribute to the late Andy Whitfield at the end.
to:
* DudeWheresMyRespect: DudeWheresMyRespect:
** His videos in 2022 ended up calling attention to shows that deserved more appreciation, such as ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'', ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' and ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand''.
** A video on the ''Charmed'' episode "Sense & Sense Ability" has a segment in which he states that Alyssa Milano deserves far more credit for her contributions to the show, and specifically her gift for comic timing that he feels she doesn't get enough of because [[SoBeautifulItsACurse of her sexier image]] and the Comedy Ghetto.
*DueToTheDead: DueToTheDead:
** His video on ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'' includes a small tribute to the late Andy Whitfield at theend.end.
** When he comes across a ''Charmed'' episode featuring Elise Rothman, he pays tribute to her actress Rebecca Balding, who had only recently passed away.
** His videos in 2022 ended up calling attention to shows that deserved more appreciation, such as ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'', ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' and ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand''.
** A video on the ''Charmed'' episode "Sense & Sense Ability" has a segment in which he states that Alyssa Milano deserves far more credit for her contributions to the show, and specifically her gift for comic timing that he feels she doesn't get enough of because [[SoBeautifulItsACurse of her sexier image]] and the Comedy Ghetto.
*
** His video on ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'' includes a small tribute to the late Andy Whitfield at the
** When he comes across a ''Charmed'' episode featuring Elise Rothman, he pays tribute to her actress Rebecca Balding, who had only recently passed away.
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He has a strong emphasis on positivity, and discussing why a particular work is good or what it meant for its time. He's also a massive horror fan and has done videos discussing the artistic merits of the horror genre, including a lengthy series comparing the characters in each adaptation of ''{{Literature/Carrie}}''.
to:
He has a strong emphasis on positivity, and discussing why a particular work is good or what it meant for its time. He's also a massive horror fan and has done videos discussing the artistic merits of the horror genre, including a lengthy series comparing the characters in each adaptation of ''{{Literature/Carrie}}''.
''{{Literature/Carrie}}''. In 2022, he began almost exclusively discussing ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}''.
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** Happily calls ''Series/{{Charmed 1998}}'' one of his favourite TV shows of all time, and actually prefers the 'Paige Era' of Seasons 4 to 8. And the widely disliked Billie Jenkins is a character he loves!
to:
** Happily calls ''Series/{{Charmed 1998}}'' one of his favourite TV shows of all time, and actually prefers the 'Paige Era' of Seasons 4 to 8. And the widely disliked Billie Jenkins is a character he loves!loves, eventually getting a whole video defending her as a character.
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* EatingTheEyeCandy: Makes a joke about how Bloom's sexy blue dress in ''Series/FateTheWinxSaga'' provides some female eye candy to balance out all the {{Shirtless Scene}}s.
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* EatingTheEyeCandy: Makes a joke about how Bloom's sexy blue dress in ''Series/FateTheWinxSaga'' provides some female eye candy to balance out all the {{Shirtless Scene}}s. He also notes that the Evil Enchantress from ''Charmed'' "A Knight to Remember" has quite the "generous bust line".
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** Admits to enjoying ''Series/FateTheWinxSaga'', even knowing and agreeing with some of the criticisms of the first season.
* EatingTheEyeCandy: Makes a joke about how Bloom's sexy blue dress in ''Series/FateTheWinxSaga'' provides some female eye candy to balance out all the {{Shirtless Scene}}s.
** He notes how many Black characters in children's and young adult media from the 90s onwards are are often put into this to dodge criticisms of bad representation. But then when discussing Aisha from ''Series/FateTheWinxSaga'', he notes that the show helps to justify some of it by revealing she's under a lot of pressure to succeed and thus is inexperienced when it comes to romance.
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* TokenBlackFriend: Acknowledges that Chloe in ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'' has elements of this, but he praises the series for giving her importance as Sabrina's SecretKeeper, getting to have adventures with the rest of the protagonists and even saving the day. He then jokes that "at least they gave her the best lines".
to:
* TokenBlackFriend: TokenBlackFriend:
** Acknowledges that Chloe in ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'' has elements of this, but he praises the series for giving her importance as Sabrina's SecretKeeper, getting to have adventures with the rest of the protagonists and even saving the day. He then jokes that "at least they gave her the best lines".
** Discusses how Aisha of ''Series/FateTheWinxSaga'' began as this, despite her potential as a character; existing just to be needed by the others and rarely getting focus outside of her friendships with them. He then praises Season 2 for correcting this by: a) giving her a romance subplot that's "entirely for herself", b) having scenes where she is the driving focus and the others are there to support her, c) revealing more of her life and backstory.
** Acknowledges that Chloe in ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'' has elements of this, but he praises the series for giving her importance as Sabrina's SecretKeeper, getting to have adventures with the rest of the protagonists and even saving the day. He then jokes that "at least they gave her the best lines".
** Discusses how Aisha of ''Series/FateTheWinxSaga'' began as this, despite her potential as a character; existing just to be needed by the others and rarely getting focus outside of her friendships with them. He then praises Season 2 for correcting this by: a) giving her a romance subplot that's "entirely for herself", b) having scenes where she is the driving focus and the others are there to support her, c) revealing more of her life and backstory.
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Wiki/ namespace cleaning.
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The channel name is a reference to a now defunct trope on Wiki/ThisVeryWiki ('Everything's Better With Bob' if you're curious).
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The channel name is a reference to a now defunct trope on Wiki/ThisVeryWiki Website/ThisVeryWiki ('Everything's Better With Bob' if you're curious).
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* ContractualPurity: Touches on this in the ''Film/DarlingLili'' video and examines how it ties into the MadonnaWhoreComplex. Julie Andrews, Emma Watson, Deborah Kerr, Christina Aguilera and Lindsay Lohan were among those who had such squeaky-clean images.
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* ContractualPurity: ContractualPurity:[[invoked]] Touches on this in the ''Film/DarlingLili'' video and examines how it ties into the MadonnaWhoreComplex. Julie Andrews, Emma Watson, Deborah Kerr, Christina Aguilera and Lindsay Lohan were among those who had such squeaky-clean images.images.
* CousinOliver: Discussed in the second ''Charmed'' video to point out just how successfully the show pulled it off with its introduction of Paige; the show already had an established relationship (Patty and Sam) that could have plausibly resulted in a baby, with justified reasons for her existence to be kept secret until now.
* CousinOliver: Discussed in the second ''Charmed'' video to point out just how successfully the show pulled it off with its introduction of Paige; the show already had an established relationship (Patty and Sam) that could have plausibly resulted in a baby, with justified reasons for her existence to be kept secret until now.
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** Thinks ''Film/PowerRangers2017'' is a great, and announced a video about it titled 'The Power Rangers Movie We Deserved'.
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** Thinks ''Film/PowerRangers2017'' is a great, and announced a video about it titled 'The Power Rangers Movie We Deserved'.
** Like many others, he considers Helen Shivers of ''Film/IKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer'' to be a superior character to Julie James - the movie's ostensible lead.
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* FlawlessToken: Is not a fan of this with regards to female characters. He's praised [[Film/TheMummy1999 Evy Carnahan]] and [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Elizabeth Swann]] as examples of heroines who could be flawed and yet still competent.
to:
* FlawlessToken: FlawlessToken:
** Is not a fan of this with regards to female characters. He's praised [[Film/TheMummy1999 Evy Carnahan]] and [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Elizabeth Swann]] as examples of heroines who could be flawed and yet still competent. He frequently mentions the title character of ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' as a bad example of this.
** Feels that Prue from ''Series/{{Charmed 1998}}'' is rather close to this, feeling more like "a focus group result" than actual character - whereas Piper, Phoebe and eventually Paige felt more well-rounded.
* GenreRoulette: He's covered everything from classic melodramas, horror movies, teen comedies, YA fantasy, gritty indies, Disney musicals and even Shakespeare adaptations!
** Is not a fan of this with regards to female characters. He's praised [[Film/TheMummy1999 Evy Carnahan]] and [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Elizabeth Swann]] as examples of heroines who could be flawed and yet still competent. He frequently mentions the title character of ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' as a bad example of this.
** Feels that Prue from ''Series/{{Charmed 1998}}'' is rather close to this, feeling more like "a focus group result" than actual character - whereas Piper, Phoebe and eventually Paige felt more well-rounded.
* GenreRoulette: He's covered everything from classic melodramas, horror movies, teen comedies, YA fantasy, gritty indies, Disney musicals and even Shakespeare adaptations!
** Talks about how ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'' is often talked about in these terms, because of its violence and nudity - when in his opinion, the show was "both style and substance" and was up front about being explicit, but that was to its favour.
* OscarBait: A major talking point in a video on ''Film/TheImitationGame'', in how the film's adherence to this formula was to its own downfall.
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* SpiritualAntithesis: ''Film/NowVoyager'' is this to ''Literature/JaneEyre''. In the latter, the MadwomanInTheAttic is an obstacle to a mentally well couple being together. In the former, the 'madwoman' is the protagonist, and the abled wife is the obstacle to her happiness.
to:
* SpiritualAntithesis: SpiritualAntithesis:
** ''Film/NowVoyager'' is this to ''Literature/JaneEyre''. In the latter, the MadwomanInTheAttic is an obstacle to a mentally well couple being together. In the former, the 'madwoman' is the protagonist, and the abled wife is the obstacle to herhappiness.happiness.
** ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'' is this to ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' (both started airing in the same year). The latter has a RoseTintedNarrative of the days of the aristocracy, with a cast of SpoiledSweet characters and servants who [[HappinessInSlavery were happy to serve]]. The former was an unflinchingly brutal look at the nuances of slavery, how innocents could be exploited for the whims of their masters, and reinforces the theme that freedom is a basic human right.
** ''Film/NowVoyager'' is this to ''Literature/JaneEyre''. In the latter, the MadwomanInTheAttic is an obstacle to a mentally well couple being together. In the former, the 'madwoman' is the protagonist, and the abled wife is the obstacle to her
** ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'' is this to ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' (both started airing in the same year). The latter has a RoseTintedNarrative of the days of the aristocracy, with a cast of SpoiledSweet characters and servants who [[HappinessInSlavery were happy to serve]]. The former was an unflinchingly brutal look at the nuances of slavery, how innocents could be exploited for the whims of their masters, and reinforces the theme that freedom is a basic human right.
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** Discussed in ''Film/DarlingLili'' when it comes to actresses trying to break out of their typecasting by either going HotterAndSexier - Emma Watson in ''Film/TheBlingRing'', Deborah Kerr in ''Film/FromHereToEternity'' - or going from sexy to modest - Jessica Biel in ''Film/TheIllusionist'', Blake Lively in ''Film/TheAgeOfAdaline''.
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** Discussed in ''Film/DarlingLili'' when it comes to actresses trying to break out of their typecasting by either going HotterAndSexier - Emma Watson in ''Film/TheBlingRing'', Deborah Kerr in ''Film/FromHereToEternity'' - or going from sexy to modest - Jessica Biel in ''Film/TheIllusionist'', ''Film/TheIllusionist2006'', Blake Lively in ''Film/TheAgeOfAdaline''.
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** He prefaced his video on ''Film/TheImitationGame'' by warning people that he was going to get "very salty".
** He also views ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'' as a meta commentary on ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew'', in that the moral is not that a tempestuous girl like Kat needs to be tortured into bending to a superior man's will - but that such a girl needs to be understood, and in doing so, one can identify ''why'' she's like that and encourage her to get better.
* {{Applicability}}:[[invoked]] Devoted a video to this trope with regards to how often mermaid characters are relatable to autistic viewers - highlighting another [=YouTuber=] Anna Moomin detailing how she related to Madison from ''{{Film/Splash}}'', and how he himself relates to Ariel from ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989''. He also discusses ''{{Film/Aquamarine}}'' and how the mermaid there is applicable to the condition as well. He notes that Applicability is distinct from an allegory in that it's done unintentionally and relies on audience interpretation.
* {{Applicability}}:[[invoked]] Devoted a video to this trope with regards to how often mermaid characters are relatable to autistic viewers - highlighting another [=YouTuber=] Anna Moomin detailing how she related to Madison from ''{{Film/Splash}}'', and how he himself relates to Ariel from ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989''. He also discusses ''{{Film/Aquamarine}}'' and how the mermaid there is applicable to the condition as well. He notes that Applicability is distinct from an allegory in that it's done unintentionally and relies on audience interpretation.
** Unashamedly says he used to love ''Divergent'', and thinks Tris is an extremely underrated heroine.
** He doesn't go into detail but mentions in a video how he was defending ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' quite passionately when it came out.
** He doesn't go into detail but mentions in a video how he was defending ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' quite passionately when it came out.
* EscapistCharacter:[[invoked]] Praises both ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' and ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'' for their portrayals of the eponymous heroine - saying they found "the right balance between escapism and relatability".
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* GuiltyPleasure:[[invoked]] Says he's not a fan of the term, feeling that any enjoyment or value someone gets out of a work should be validated; especially if it's shunned by the mainstream. [[HypocriticalHumor Then he admits he often uses the term]] to describe his enjoyment of ''{{Film/Aquamarine}}''.
to:
* GuiltyPleasure:[[invoked]] FlawlessToken: Is not a fan of this with regards to female characters. He's praised [[Film/TheMummy1999 Evy Carnahan]] and [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Elizabeth Swann]] as examples of heroines who could be flawed and yet still competent.
* GuiltyPleasure:[[invoked]]
** Says he's not a fan of the term, feeling that any enjoyment or value someone gets out of a work should be validated; especially if it's shunned by the mainstream. [[HypocriticalHumor Then he admits he often uses the term]] to describe his enjoyment of ''{{Film/Aquamarine}}''.
** He jokes that he might lose credibility for admitting he was a ''{{Literature/Divergent}}'' geek "back in the day".
* GuiltyPleasure:[[invoked]]
** Says he's not a fan of the term, feeling that any enjoyment or value someone gets out of a work should be validated; especially if it's shunned by the mainstream. [[HypocriticalHumor Then he admits he often uses the term]] to describe his enjoyment of ''{{Film/Aquamarine}}''.
** He jokes that he might lose credibility for admitting he was a ''{{Literature/Divergent}}'' geek "back in the day".
* HollywoodAutism: He's autistic himself and has discussed autistic representation in a few videos.
** When talking about ''Film/TheCraft'', he mentions that autistic people often see themselves more in characters who weren't intended to be coded that way; far more than actual representations because of this trope. He himself finds Sarah struggling with her natural magic to be quite relatable.
** He tears into ''Film/TheImitationGame'' for using this trope in a biopic, especially since the real Alan Turing didn't exhibit the cliches the movie depicts; theorising that they're in the movie specifically to make it more {{Oscar Bait}}y.
** In two separate videos, he laughs at the fact that ''Film/PowerRangers2017'' has better autistic representation than ''The Imitation Game'', which won an Oscar for its screenplay. He praises that movie for its well-researched, incidental depiction that also shows an autistic teenager getting to be a superhero too.
** When talking about ''Film/TheCraft'', he mentions that autistic people often see themselves more in characters who weren't intended to be coded that way; far more than actual representations because of this trope. He himself finds Sarah struggling with her natural magic to be quite relatable.
** He tears into ''Film/TheImitationGame'' for using this trope in a biopic, especially since the real Alan Turing didn't exhibit the cliches the movie depicts; theorising that they're in the movie specifically to make it more {{Oscar Bait}}y.
** In two separate videos, he laughs at the fact that ''Film/PowerRangers2017'' has better autistic representation than ''The Imitation Game'', which won an Oscar for its screenplay. He praises that movie for its well-researched, incidental depiction that also shows an autistic teenager getting to be a superhero too.
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* LighterAndSofter: He started off covering pretty hardcore topics, such as whether ''Film/PrettyBaby'' or ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'' were really exploitative, or how older films tackled racial issues. Most videos in the 2020s are about analysing how great he finds certain works.
to:
* LighterAndSofter: LighterAndSofter:
** He started off covering pretty hardcore topics, such as whether ''Film/PrettyBaby'' or ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'' were really exploitative, or how older films tackled racial issues. Most videos in the 2020s are about analysing how great he finds certainworks.works.
** He discusses this trope in the second ''Charmed'' video, and comes up with an in-universe justification for it in the fifth season; the Halliwells had now defeated the Source of All Evil and wiped out most of the upper-level demons in vanquishing the Seer and the unborn heir, meaning there were no major threats to face. And with the underworld now being more chaotic without an evil overlord, lesser demons were now trying to seize power and going after creatures such as woodnymphs, who had not been in danger before, explaining why they wouldn't have been mentioned already.
** He started off covering pretty hardcore topics, such as whether ''Film/PrettyBaby'' or ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'' were really exploitative, or how older films tackled racial issues. Most videos in the 2020s are about analysing how great he finds certain
** He discusses this trope in the second ''Charmed'' video, and comes up with an in-universe justification for it in the fifth season; the Halliwells had now defeated the Source of All Evil and wiped out most of the upper-level demons in vanquishing the Seer and the unborn heir, meaning there were no major threats to face. And with the underworld now being more chaotic without an evil overlord, lesser demons were now trying to seize power and going after creatures such as woodnymphs, who had not been in danger before, explaining why they wouldn't have been mentioned already.
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* TokenBlackFriend: Acknowledges that Chloe in ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'' has elements of this, but he praises the series for giving her importance as Sabrina's SecretKeeper, getting to have adventures with the rest of the protagonists and even saving the day. He then jokes that "at least they gave her the best lines".
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* GuiltyPleasure:[[invoked]] Says he's not a fan of the term, feeling that any enjoyment or value someone gets out of a work should be validated; especially if it's shunned by the mainstream. [[HypocriticalHumor Then he admits he often uses the term]] to describe his enjoyment of ''{{Film/Aquamarine}}''.
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* RealWomenDontWearDresses: "Stop Slut Shaming Ariel" examines this re: the 'feminist critique' of Ariel in ''The Little Mermaid''. Despite her rounded personality, her clear goals and interests and realistic character flaws - the main reason she's criticised is simply because she expresses a desire for love. He compares this to similar backlash towards Ginny of ''Literature/HarryPotter'' and Phoebe of ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'' - because said characters pursued their love interests.
to:
* RealWomenDontWearDresses: RealWomenDontWearDresses:
** "Stop Slut Shaming Ariel" examines this re: the 'feminist critique' of Ariel in ''The Little Mermaid''. Despite her rounded personality, her clear goals and interests and realistic character flaws - the main reason she's criticised is simply because she expresses a desire for love. He compares this to similar backlash towards Ginny of ''Literature/HarryPotter'' and Phoebe of ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'' - because said characters pursued their loveinterests.interests.
** He also praises films that don't demonise female characters for their femininity, such as Bianca from ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou''.
** "Stop Slut Shaming Ariel" examines this re: the 'feminist critique' of Ariel in ''The Little Mermaid''. Despite her rounded personality, her clear goals and interests and realistic character flaws - the main reason she's criticised is simply because she expresses a desire for love. He compares this to similar backlash towards Ginny of ''Literature/HarryPotter'' and Phoebe of ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'' - because said characters pursued their love
** He also praises films that don't demonise female characters for their femininity, such as Bianca from ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou''.
* SophisticatedAsHell: In the middle of discussing autism parallels in mermaid characters, particularly in ''{{Film/Aquamarine}}'', he says "yes at that age we can be thirsty AF too".
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** He took a shot at Anita Sarkeesian in his ''Film/SuckerPunch'' video, inferring he finds her videos problematic in their own right. Another video contains a clip of her over a line "as 2010s pop feminism gets even cringier".
to:
** He took a shot at Anita Sarkeesian in his ''Film/SuckerPunch'' video, inferring he finds her videos problematic in their own right. Another video contains a clip of her over a line "as 2010s pop feminism gets even cringier". The ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'' video uses her as an example of people who misunderstand "Baby It's Cold Outside".
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/46174509_825253094473171_1373297406141005824_n_2.png]]
''[[https://www.youtube.com/c/BetterWithBob Better With Bob?]]'' (yes the question mark is intentional) is a [=YouTube=] channel run by actor and writer Creator/BobbyCalloway.
Initially starting in 2018 with a focus on contextualising films from UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, he soon expanded into more recent films and discussed contemporary television. His first video was on the lesser known Rogers & Hammerstein musical ''Literature/FlowerDrumSong'' but he has since made it unlisted over dissatisfaction with the audio quality.
He has a strong emphasis on positivity, and discussing why a particular work is good or what it meant for its time. He's also a massive horror fan and has done videos discussing the artistic merits of the horror genre, including a lengthy series comparing the characters in each adaptation of ''{{Literature/Carrie}}''.
The channel name is a reference to a now defunct trope on Wiki/ThisVeryWiki ('Everything's Better With Bob' if you're curious).
!!Better With Bob? videos provide and discuss examples of...:
* AccentuateTheNegative:
** Defied. He's turned down offers to review films that he won't be able to say anything positive about. Notably he gets quite negative in ''Film/DarlingLili'' but offers suggestions on how the film should have ended rather than just calling it bad.
** He bluntly says that Amy Irving is easily the weakest part of ''{{Film/Carrie 1976}}''. He does mention most of her scenes being cut and Brian De Palma not understanding the character but says "the choice of actress" is a contributing factor.
** When it comes to ''Film/BlackChristmas2019'', he calls it "a trainwreck from start to finish". He does praise Imogen Poots for trying to commit to the material however. Still, he reviews the films starting with 2019, then going to 2006 and finishing at 1974 so as to get more positive as the video goes on.
** When slamming the adaptations of ''[[Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan Cirque du Freak]]'' and ''Film/TheSeeker'', he notes a couple of cast members who were trying.
* ActionMom: Notes that the horror genre was allowing women to play these roles long before it was mainstream.
* AlternateAesopInterpretation:[[invoked]]
** He views the true lesson of ''Imitation of Life'' to not be just 'racism=bad' but that the younger generations with more opportunities should not look down on the older generations who worked hard whatever ways they could to get them those opportunities - in-universe Annie working as a maid and housekeeper o send Sarah Jane to college, and real life Hattie [=McDaniel=] playing maids and {{Mammy}} to get African-Americans some representation on the big screen.
** He views ''Pocahontas'' as a way of reversing the symbol that Pocahontas herself had previously been used for - namely white supremacy and the importance of assimilation - and giving the symbol back to the Native American people as someone who promotes harmony between cultures.
* AsianHookerStereotype: In his view, ''Film/TheWorldOfSuzieWong'' subverts this. Suzie has a complicated backstory, rejects any man she does not want, challenges racism and does not need to be 'saved' by a wealthy white man (she even briefly supports Robert financially). Likewise Gwennie Lee is only a prostitute because she wants to earn enough money to open her own knitting shop.
* AsianSpeekeeEngrish: Cringes when he sees this in ''Film/TheWorldOfSuzieWong'' - pointing out that the prostitutes would probably speak perfect English due to all the British sailors they meet.
* AtLeastIAdmitIt:
** Admits that his views on ''Pocahontas'' are shamelessly biased because it was the first Disney film he ever saw.
** And that the ''Cirque du Freak'' film is coming last on his 2000s fantasy list "purely because of nerd rage." And ''Film/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'' coming first is because of the opposite.
* AuthorAppeal:
** A big fan of Creator/AnnaMayWong, he's discussed two films she was in - ''Film/ShanghaiExpress'' and ''Film/DaughterOfShanghai'' (which turns into a mini biography of her) - and references her in the ''Imitation of Life'' video.
** Ariel is his favourite Disney Princess, so he did a whole video defending her as a character. And later another video in which she's discussed as a good parallel to autism.
** When discussing ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'', he notes that, after talking about ''Film/TheCraft'' and ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'' his viewers can notice that witches "kind of have an appeal" for him.
* BaitAndSwitchComparison:
** His video on FolkHorror has him announcing he's about to discuss the beloved classic starring Christopher Lee, having referenced ''Film/TheWickerMan1973'' before. Turns out he means ''Film/TheDevilRidesOut'' instead.
** In ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'', he refers to it as Heath Ledger's "second most iconic role". The screen fades out, implying he'll show a clip from ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', and then he shows ''Film/AKnightsTale''.
* BreatherEpisode: After doing a lot of videos on horror films, particularly something as brutal as ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'', he did one on 2000s fantasy films to focus on something lighter. Although because of the length of said video - and needing to watch eleven films to prepare - it was quite a long process.
* BrokenAesop: Mildly. He feels that having Brooke Shields nude in ''Film/PrettyBaby'' undermines the film's message about child exploitation a little.
* ButNotTooBlack:
** Noted that Suzie Wong is more Anglo looking than her Chinese friends and is the protagonist.
** And that most of the actresses who played 'tragic mulattos' were white. Susan Kohner (Sarah Jane in ''Imitation of Life'') was borderline; she was part Mexican.
* ButtMonkey: ''Film/TheMaskOfFuManchu'' is mocked in his videos on ''Flower Drum Song'', ''Shanghai Express'' and ''Daughter of Shanghai''.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: When he first watched ''Film/HouseOfWax2005'', he had no idea who Paris Hilton was and "was one of the two people hoping she'd make it."
* CompassionateCritic: Prefers to praise or talk positively about things and, if he is negative, he tries to do so in a constructive way.
* ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch:[[invoked]]
** Notes that a lot of criticism of ''Film/TheWorldOfSuzieWong'' and ''{{WesternAnimation/Pocahontas}}'' came from people who hadn't seen the film but just heard about the controversy. In both videos he cites two people who ended up watching the film and changing their views.
** When he lists ''Film/RomeoAndJuliet1968'' as his favourite Shakespeare film, he says "you don't get to judge unless you've actually seen it."
** And again, the backlash to ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'' largely came from people who hadn't seen it and merely heard about how exploitative it is.
* ContractualPurity: Touches on this in the ''Film/DarlingLili'' video and examines how it ties into the MadonnaWhoreComplex. Julie Andrews, Emma Watson, Deborah Kerr, Christina Aguilera and Lindsay Lohan were among those who had such squeaky-clean images.
* CriticalDissonance:[[invoked]] He's stepped out of line with the popular consensus.
** Doesn't think ''Film/TheWorldOfSuzieWong'' is just FairForItsDay; but a genuinely resonant film that holds up very well, and is important in Asian representation.
** ''Pocahontas'' is his favourite Disney film, and he prefers it to ''The Lion King''.
** Thinks ''Film/SuckerPunch'' is an unfairly villified feminist masterpiece.
** ''Film/TheBloodOnSatansClaw'' is an inferior rip-off of ''Film/WitchfinderGeneral''.
** His favourite ''Carrie'' adaptation is the 2002 TV remake rather than the 1976 version. He admits to enjoying all three on their own merits.
** Considers Francesca Annis in ''{{Film/Macbeth 1971}}'' to be his favourite LadyMacbeth.
** Praises ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'' as a "lost feminist classic" and thinks it's more poignant than ''Film/TheAccused''.
** Happily calls ''Series/{{Charmed 1998}}'' one of his favourite TV shows of all time, and actually prefers the 'Paige Era' of Seasons 4 to 8. And the widely disliked Billie Jenkins is a character he loves!
** Thinks ''Film/PowerRangers2017'' is a great, and announced a video about it titled 'The Power Rangers Movie We Deserved'.
* DeadArtistsAreBetter: Discussed this re: ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'', feeling that some of it is due to NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead, but a premature death can also create a "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" perspective towards a performer. He lists Creator/JamesDean, {{Music/Aaliyah}} and of course Creator/AndyWhitfield as people who had genuine talent and sadly couldn't show more of it.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: His videos in 2022 ended up calling attention to shows that deserved more appreciation, such as ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'', ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' and ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand''.
* DueToTheDead: His video on ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'' includes a small tribute to the late Andy Whitfield at the end.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: His initial videos from 2018 until about 2020 were crudely filmed vlogs, speaking to camera in a somewhat CausticCritic tone, discussing exclusively older films. Starting in the 2020s, he switched almost exclusively to voiceover and started covering more contemporary films and television.
* EnsembleDarkhorse:[[invoked]]
** Says that Julie Harris steals a lot of spotlight from James Dean with her powerful performance in ''Film/EastOfEden''.
** Cites Chelan Simmons's portrayal of Helen Shyres as a real highlight of ''{{Film/Carrie 2002}}''.
** Agrees with the statements that Anna May Wong steals Marlene Dietrich's thunder in ''Film/ShanghaiExpress''.
** When discussing ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'', he notes that Naevia's CharacterDevelopment is the most significant after the title character himself.
* EthnicScrappy:[[invoked]] Shudders when a picture of Mickey Rooney in ''Film/BreakfastAtTiffanys'' comes up. And does likewise when the caricature waiter pops up at the end of ''Film/TheMaskOfFuManchu''.
* FaceHeelTurn: 'The Problem of Morgana' discusses the problematic execution of this trope in relation to Morgana of ''{{Series/Merlin 2008}}'', also highlighting WWE's attempts to force Wrestling/BeckyLynch as a heel and the badly received direction of Daenerys in ''Series/GameOfThrones''.
* FairForItsDay:[[invoked]] A talking point for many of his videos.
** ''Film/TheWorldOfSuzieWong'' challenged racism and depicted an interracial romance positively.
** ''Film/EastOfEden'' deconstructed the idea of putting women on pedestals.
** ''Imitation Of Life'' (both versions) examined colourism and the {{Mammy}} stereotype.
** ''Film/ShanghaiExpress'' has some good points about female sexuality and legitimate Asian representation.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'' revolved around a princess who got to save her man's life and have agency in her own story.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'' was about a Native American woman's journey and educates viewers about their culture.
** ''Film/TheWitches1966'' deconstructs feminine hysteria and has some well-rounded female characters for a studio that was best known for {{Distressed Damsel}}s and {{Ms Fanservice}}s.
* FanDisservice: Points out that ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'''s deliberate use of this with regards to the rape scene forces the viewer to identify with Jennifer.
* {{Fanservice}}:
** When discussing ''Film/CityOfTheDead'' he includes the shot of Nan in lingerie.
** Features the striptease from ''Film/DarlingLili'' in full.
** Mentions that ''Film/HouseOfWax2005'' was his gateway to the slasher genre, and then includes a clip of Paris Hilton's striptease (and then a clip of Blake's ShirtlessScene to keep it balanced).
* FinalGirl: He notes that the Final Girl was a feminist character trope overall, considering this allowed women to defeat the villain and save themselves.
* HalloweenEpisode:
** For 2019, he set aside the month discussing two videos on FolkHorror.
** For 2020, he released 'Does Horror Have a Women Problem?' analysing the role of female characters in horror.
** In 2021, he discussed ''Film/TheInnocents'', ''Film/TheFog'' and ''Film/DogSoldiers''.
* {{Irony}}: Finds two meta ironies in ''Film/BlackChristmas2019'':
** Riley's "we're not inspiring people, we're pissing people off" is prophetic of how the film's attempt at an empowering feminist message failed because of how badly people responded to the quality of the material.
** The "Up in the Frathouse" sequence delivers a message while entertaining the audience, which "is how a film with a message should operate". But because the film put "message before plot", the sequence just serves as an example of why it fails.
* JailBaitWait: Discussed in ''Film/PrettyBaby'', about how teenagers are sexualised the closer they get to legal age.
* LighterAndSofter: He started off covering pretty hardcore topics, such as whether ''Film/PrettyBaby'' or ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'' were really exploitative, or how older films tackled racial issues. Most videos in the 2020s are about analysing how great he finds certain works.
* MadonnaWhoreComplex:
** Discussed in ''Film/DarlingLili'' when it comes to actresses trying to break out of their typecasting by either going HotterAndSexier - Emma Watson in ''Film/TheBlingRing'', Deborah Kerr in ''Film/FromHereToEternity'' - or going from sexy to modest - Jessica Biel in ''Film/TheIllusionist'', Blake Lively in ''Film/TheAgeOfAdaline''.
** Also in ''Film/EastOfEden'', where Abra and Cate were pigeonholed into the roles of Madonna - giving them impossible standards to live up to.
** ''Film/EyeOfTheDevil'' plays this up too with Catherine filling a Madonna role and Odile the Whore one. And then ''Film/WitchfinderGeneral'' subverted it by showing Sara as a sexual character who is also heroic and virtuous.
** Praises ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'' for subverting this. Jennifer Hills the protagonist gets nude scenes and wears a bikini, with the film not feeling the need to present her as a "good girl" - since it illustrates that providing {{Fanservice}} does not justify the gang rape she suffered.
** Briefly mentions how ''Film/CatPeople'' plays around with it; Irena appears to be the Whore to Alice's Madonna, but Irena actually is rather chaste and afraid of her own sexuality, and that leads to her marriage falling apart. Ollie falls for Alice, who is more sexually forward, despite seeming like the all American GirlNextDoor.
** Notes that the some criticisms of ''Charmed'' going HotterAndSexier has elements of this, pointing out that the costume change was mostly organic from a character point of view and represented their powers and confidence growing.
* MundaneMadeAwesome:
** ''Film/DaughterOfShanghai'' puts two Asians in the role of TheHero who both get to have agency in the plot, noting it would be "generic" if white characters filled those roles.
** ''Film/BlackChristmas1974'' merely has an unconventional set of female protagonists in a slasher movie setting, but the great characterization and direction ends up making the film memorable.
* OneSceneWonder:[[invoked]] Lynne Griffin from ''Film/BlackChristmas1974'' gets some praise for "doing a lot with the part" and making the audience care about her getting killed off so soon.
* ParentService: Notes that the Disney heroines of the 90s being more sexual was there to appeal to the parents of the day. And that pandering to the trope led to some unfortunate exoticization of Pocahontas - which is touchy territory considering the stories that claimed the real Pocahontas was raped while she was in captivity.
* RealWomenDontWearDresses: "Stop Slut Shaming Ariel" examines this re: the 'feminist critique' of Ariel in ''The Little Mermaid''. Despite her rounded personality, her clear goals and interests and realistic character flaws - the main reason she's criticised is simply because she expresses a desire for love. He compares this to similar backlash towards Ginny of ''Literature/HarryPotter'' and Phoebe of ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'' - because said characters pursued their love interests.
* RightForTheWrongReasons:
** Criticism of Ariel is valid for one reason - that she doesn't appear to learn anything from what happened. Of course people just focus on criticising her for wanting a man.
** Likewise with Pocahontas - the criticisms of historical accuracy or toned down racism pale in comparison to blatant exoticisation of the title character or how few developed Powhatans there are compared to the English.
* ShallowParody:[[invoked]] Considers ''Film/DarlingLili'' to be this - subverting only the family friendly Julie Andrews image without offering an alternative. The parody character Lili Schmitz is in fact a weaker and more passive damsel than Mary Poppins or Maria von Trapp.
* SpiritualAntithesis: ''Film/NowVoyager'' is this to ''Literature/JaneEyre''. In the latter, the MadwomanInTheAttic is an obstacle to a mentally well couple being together. In the former, the 'madwoman' is the protagonist, and the abled wife is the obstacle to her happiness.
* SlutShaming: Discussed in ''Stop Slut Shaming Ariel'' - where he finds that a lot of criticism lobbied at Ariel seems to be about the fact that she wants a relationship at all, especially in comparison to Aladdin, Quasimodo and Tarzan.
* TakeAThirdOption: When looking at ''Film/PrettyBaby'', he defends the film from criticisms that it was child exploitation and says that the nude scene did have an in-story significance. However he says that having a twelve-year-old actress nude still wasn't right.
* TakeThat:
** He's taken shots at ''Film/BlackChristmas2019'' a couple of times outside his video discussing it.
** He took a shot at Anita Sarkeesian in his ''Film/SuckerPunch'' video, inferring he finds her videos problematic in their own right. Another video contains a clip of her over a line "as 2010s pop feminism gets even cringier".
** He's indicated that he dislikes ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' (and specifically the character herself) more than once.
* TechnicianVersusPerformer: Compares Shakespeare films with this dichotomy. The 1948 version of ''{{Theatre/Hamlet}}'' in his view is technically proficient and well acted by British performers giving essentially a filmed stage version, whereas the 1935 version of ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream'' feels more like a film and translates the comedy better to the screen. He also supports Franco Zeffirelli cutting out large amounts of dialogue in ''Film/RomeoAndJuliet1968'' to better convey the passion.
* TookTheBadFilmSeriously:[[invoked]]
** Says "bless you, Kay Walsh" for attempting to make the ridiculous orgy in ''Film/TheWitches1966'' work.
** Finds that Creator/KatieMcGrath did so in ''{{Series/Merlin 2008}}'' - trying to work with terrible writing. And when she was unable to, she just [[LargeHam had fun]].
** Praises Imogen Poots as the only one who gives a good performance in ''Film/BlackChristmas2019''.
** He also praises the actresses in ''Film/BlackChristmas2006'' for making their characters likable.
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic:[[invoked]] In ''Film/ShanghaiExpress'' he notes that it's conspicuous that Creator/AnnaMayWong (a real Asian) murders Warner Oland (a Swedish man in {{Yellowface}}) with the former as the hero and the latter as the villain.
* WhiteMaleLead: Discusses the 'Galbrush Paradox' in relation to Tiana vs Rapunzel. Rapunzel is allowed to be more flawed because she's white. And Simba vs Ariel, where Simba is praised for his flaws because he's male - while Ariel gets criticised for hers.
''[[https://www.youtube.com/c/BetterWithBob Better With Bob?]]'' (yes the question mark is intentional) is a [=YouTube=] channel run by actor and writer Creator/BobbyCalloway.
Initially starting in 2018 with a focus on contextualising films from UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, he soon expanded into more recent films and discussed contemporary television. His first video was on the lesser known Rogers & Hammerstein musical ''Literature/FlowerDrumSong'' but he has since made it unlisted over dissatisfaction with the audio quality.
He has a strong emphasis on positivity, and discussing why a particular work is good or what it meant for its time. He's also a massive horror fan and has done videos discussing the artistic merits of the horror genre, including a lengthy series comparing the characters in each adaptation of ''{{Literature/Carrie}}''.
The channel name is a reference to a now defunct trope on Wiki/ThisVeryWiki ('Everything's Better With Bob' if you're curious).
!!Better With Bob? videos provide and discuss examples of...:
* AccentuateTheNegative:
** Defied. He's turned down offers to review films that he won't be able to say anything positive about. Notably he gets quite negative in ''Film/DarlingLili'' but offers suggestions on how the film should have ended rather than just calling it bad.
** He bluntly says that Amy Irving is easily the weakest part of ''{{Film/Carrie 1976}}''. He does mention most of her scenes being cut and Brian De Palma not understanding the character but says "the choice of actress" is a contributing factor.
** When it comes to ''Film/BlackChristmas2019'', he calls it "a trainwreck from start to finish". He does praise Imogen Poots for trying to commit to the material however. Still, he reviews the films starting with 2019, then going to 2006 and finishing at 1974 so as to get more positive as the video goes on.
** When slamming the adaptations of ''[[Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan Cirque du Freak]]'' and ''Film/TheSeeker'', he notes a couple of cast members who were trying.
* ActionMom: Notes that the horror genre was allowing women to play these roles long before it was mainstream.
* AlternateAesopInterpretation:[[invoked]]
** He views the true lesson of ''Imitation of Life'' to not be just 'racism=bad' but that the younger generations with more opportunities should not look down on the older generations who worked hard whatever ways they could to get them those opportunities - in-universe Annie working as a maid and housekeeper o send Sarah Jane to college, and real life Hattie [=McDaniel=] playing maids and {{Mammy}} to get African-Americans some representation on the big screen.
** He views ''Pocahontas'' as a way of reversing the symbol that Pocahontas herself had previously been used for - namely white supremacy and the importance of assimilation - and giving the symbol back to the Native American people as someone who promotes harmony between cultures.
* AsianHookerStereotype: In his view, ''Film/TheWorldOfSuzieWong'' subverts this. Suzie has a complicated backstory, rejects any man she does not want, challenges racism and does not need to be 'saved' by a wealthy white man (she even briefly supports Robert financially). Likewise Gwennie Lee is only a prostitute because she wants to earn enough money to open her own knitting shop.
* AsianSpeekeeEngrish: Cringes when he sees this in ''Film/TheWorldOfSuzieWong'' - pointing out that the prostitutes would probably speak perfect English due to all the British sailors they meet.
* AtLeastIAdmitIt:
** Admits that his views on ''Pocahontas'' are shamelessly biased because it was the first Disney film he ever saw.
** And that the ''Cirque du Freak'' film is coming last on his 2000s fantasy list "purely because of nerd rage." And ''Film/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'' coming first is because of the opposite.
* AuthorAppeal:
** A big fan of Creator/AnnaMayWong, he's discussed two films she was in - ''Film/ShanghaiExpress'' and ''Film/DaughterOfShanghai'' (which turns into a mini biography of her) - and references her in the ''Imitation of Life'' video.
** Ariel is his favourite Disney Princess, so he did a whole video defending her as a character. And later another video in which she's discussed as a good parallel to autism.
** When discussing ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'', he notes that, after talking about ''Film/TheCraft'' and ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'' his viewers can notice that witches "kind of have an appeal" for him.
* BaitAndSwitchComparison:
** His video on FolkHorror has him announcing he's about to discuss the beloved classic starring Christopher Lee, having referenced ''Film/TheWickerMan1973'' before. Turns out he means ''Film/TheDevilRidesOut'' instead.
** In ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou'', he refers to it as Heath Ledger's "second most iconic role". The screen fades out, implying he'll show a clip from ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', and then he shows ''Film/AKnightsTale''.
* BreatherEpisode: After doing a lot of videos on horror films, particularly something as brutal as ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'', he did one on 2000s fantasy films to focus on something lighter. Although because of the length of said video - and needing to watch eleven films to prepare - it was quite a long process.
* BrokenAesop: Mildly. He feels that having Brooke Shields nude in ''Film/PrettyBaby'' undermines the film's message about child exploitation a little.
* ButNotTooBlack:
** Noted that Suzie Wong is more Anglo looking than her Chinese friends and is the protagonist.
** And that most of the actresses who played 'tragic mulattos' were white. Susan Kohner (Sarah Jane in ''Imitation of Life'') was borderline; she was part Mexican.
* ButtMonkey: ''Film/TheMaskOfFuManchu'' is mocked in his videos on ''Flower Drum Song'', ''Shanghai Express'' and ''Daughter of Shanghai''.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: When he first watched ''Film/HouseOfWax2005'', he had no idea who Paris Hilton was and "was one of the two people hoping she'd make it."
* CompassionateCritic: Prefers to praise or talk positively about things and, if he is negative, he tries to do so in a constructive way.
* ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch:[[invoked]]
** Notes that a lot of criticism of ''Film/TheWorldOfSuzieWong'' and ''{{WesternAnimation/Pocahontas}}'' came from people who hadn't seen the film but just heard about the controversy. In both videos he cites two people who ended up watching the film and changing their views.
** When he lists ''Film/RomeoAndJuliet1968'' as his favourite Shakespeare film, he says "you don't get to judge unless you've actually seen it."
** And again, the backlash to ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'' largely came from people who hadn't seen it and merely heard about how exploitative it is.
* ContractualPurity: Touches on this in the ''Film/DarlingLili'' video and examines how it ties into the MadonnaWhoreComplex. Julie Andrews, Emma Watson, Deborah Kerr, Christina Aguilera and Lindsay Lohan were among those who had such squeaky-clean images.
* CriticalDissonance:[[invoked]] He's stepped out of line with the popular consensus.
** Doesn't think ''Film/TheWorldOfSuzieWong'' is just FairForItsDay; but a genuinely resonant film that holds up very well, and is important in Asian representation.
** ''Pocahontas'' is his favourite Disney film, and he prefers it to ''The Lion King''.
** Thinks ''Film/SuckerPunch'' is an unfairly villified feminist masterpiece.
** ''Film/TheBloodOnSatansClaw'' is an inferior rip-off of ''Film/WitchfinderGeneral''.
** His favourite ''Carrie'' adaptation is the 2002 TV remake rather than the 1976 version. He admits to enjoying all three on their own merits.
** Considers Francesca Annis in ''{{Film/Macbeth 1971}}'' to be his favourite LadyMacbeth.
** Praises ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'' as a "lost feminist classic" and thinks it's more poignant than ''Film/TheAccused''.
** Happily calls ''Series/{{Charmed 1998}}'' one of his favourite TV shows of all time, and actually prefers the 'Paige Era' of Seasons 4 to 8. And the widely disliked Billie Jenkins is a character he loves!
** Thinks ''Film/PowerRangers2017'' is a great, and announced a video about it titled 'The Power Rangers Movie We Deserved'.
* DeadArtistsAreBetter: Discussed this re: ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'', feeling that some of it is due to NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead, but a premature death can also create a "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" perspective towards a performer. He lists Creator/JamesDean, {{Music/Aaliyah}} and of course Creator/AndyWhitfield as people who had genuine talent and sadly couldn't show more of it.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: His videos in 2022 ended up calling attention to shows that deserved more appreciation, such as ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'', ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' and ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand''.
* DueToTheDead: His video on ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'' includes a small tribute to the late Andy Whitfield at the end.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: His initial videos from 2018 until about 2020 were crudely filmed vlogs, speaking to camera in a somewhat CausticCritic tone, discussing exclusively older films. Starting in the 2020s, he switched almost exclusively to voiceover and started covering more contemporary films and television.
* EnsembleDarkhorse:[[invoked]]
** Says that Julie Harris steals a lot of spotlight from James Dean with her powerful performance in ''Film/EastOfEden''.
** Cites Chelan Simmons's portrayal of Helen Shyres as a real highlight of ''{{Film/Carrie 2002}}''.
** Agrees with the statements that Anna May Wong steals Marlene Dietrich's thunder in ''Film/ShanghaiExpress''.
** When discussing ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'', he notes that Naevia's CharacterDevelopment is the most significant after the title character himself.
* EthnicScrappy:[[invoked]] Shudders when a picture of Mickey Rooney in ''Film/BreakfastAtTiffanys'' comes up. And does likewise when the caricature waiter pops up at the end of ''Film/TheMaskOfFuManchu''.
* FaceHeelTurn: 'The Problem of Morgana' discusses the problematic execution of this trope in relation to Morgana of ''{{Series/Merlin 2008}}'', also highlighting WWE's attempts to force Wrestling/BeckyLynch as a heel and the badly received direction of Daenerys in ''Series/GameOfThrones''.
* FairForItsDay:[[invoked]] A talking point for many of his videos.
** ''Film/TheWorldOfSuzieWong'' challenged racism and depicted an interracial romance positively.
** ''Film/EastOfEden'' deconstructed the idea of putting women on pedestals.
** ''Imitation Of Life'' (both versions) examined colourism and the {{Mammy}} stereotype.
** ''Film/ShanghaiExpress'' has some good points about female sexuality and legitimate Asian representation.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'' revolved around a princess who got to save her man's life and have agency in her own story.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'' was about a Native American woman's journey and educates viewers about their culture.
** ''Film/TheWitches1966'' deconstructs feminine hysteria and has some well-rounded female characters for a studio that was best known for {{Distressed Damsel}}s and {{Ms Fanservice}}s.
* FanDisservice: Points out that ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'''s deliberate use of this with regards to the rape scene forces the viewer to identify with Jennifer.
* {{Fanservice}}:
** When discussing ''Film/CityOfTheDead'' he includes the shot of Nan in lingerie.
** Features the striptease from ''Film/DarlingLili'' in full.
** Mentions that ''Film/HouseOfWax2005'' was his gateway to the slasher genre, and then includes a clip of Paris Hilton's striptease (and then a clip of Blake's ShirtlessScene to keep it balanced).
* FinalGirl: He notes that the Final Girl was a feminist character trope overall, considering this allowed women to defeat the villain and save themselves.
* HalloweenEpisode:
** For 2019, he set aside the month discussing two videos on FolkHorror.
** For 2020, he released 'Does Horror Have a Women Problem?' analysing the role of female characters in horror.
** In 2021, he discussed ''Film/TheInnocents'', ''Film/TheFog'' and ''Film/DogSoldiers''.
* {{Irony}}: Finds two meta ironies in ''Film/BlackChristmas2019'':
** Riley's "we're not inspiring people, we're pissing people off" is prophetic of how the film's attempt at an empowering feminist message failed because of how badly people responded to the quality of the material.
** The "Up in the Frathouse" sequence delivers a message while entertaining the audience, which "is how a film with a message should operate". But because the film put "message before plot", the sequence just serves as an example of why it fails.
* JailBaitWait: Discussed in ''Film/PrettyBaby'', about how teenagers are sexualised the closer they get to legal age.
* LighterAndSofter: He started off covering pretty hardcore topics, such as whether ''Film/PrettyBaby'' or ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'' were really exploitative, or how older films tackled racial issues. Most videos in the 2020s are about analysing how great he finds certain works.
* MadonnaWhoreComplex:
** Discussed in ''Film/DarlingLili'' when it comes to actresses trying to break out of their typecasting by either going HotterAndSexier - Emma Watson in ''Film/TheBlingRing'', Deborah Kerr in ''Film/FromHereToEternity'' - or going from sexy to modest - Jessica Biel in ''Film/TheIllusionist'', Blake Lively in ''Film/TheAgeOfAdaline''.
** Also in ''Film/EastOfEden'', where Abra and Cate were pigeonholed into the roles of Madonna - giving them impossible standards to live up to.
** ''Film/EyeOfTheDevil'' plays this up too with Catherine filling a Madonna role and Odile the Whore one. And then ''Film/WitchfinderGeneral'' subverted it by showing Sara as a sexual character who is also heroic and virtuous.
** Praises ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave'' for subverting this. Jennifer Hills the protagonist gets nude scenes and wears a bikini, with the film not feeling the need to present her as a "good girl" - since it illustrates that providing {{Fanservice}} does not justify the gang rape she suffered.
** Briefly mentions how ''Film/CatPeople'' plays around with it; Irena appears to be the Whore to Alice's Madonna, but Irena actually is rather chaste and afraid of her own sexuality, and that leads to her marriage falling apart. Ollie falls for Alice, who is more sexually forward, despite seeming like the all American GirlNextDoor.
** Notes that the some criticisms of ''Charmed'' going HotterAndSexier has elements of this, pointing out that the costume change was mostly organic from a character point of view and represented their powers and confidence growing.
* MundaneMadeAwesome:
** ''Film/DaughterOfShanghai'' puts two Asians in the role of TheHero who both get to have agency in the plot, noting it would be "generic" if white characters filled those roles.
** ''Film/BlackChristmas1974'' merely has an unconventional set of female protagonists in a slasher movie setting, but the great characterization and direction ends up making the film memorable.
* OneSceneWonder:[[invoked]] Lynne Griffin from ''Film/BlackChristmas1974'' gets some praise for "doing a lot with the part" and making the audience care about her getting killed off so soon.
* ParentService: Notes that the Disney heroines of the 90s being more sexual was there to appeal to the parents of the day. And that pandering to the trope led to some unfortunate exoticization of Pocahontas - which is touchy territory considering the stories that claimed the real Pocahontas was raped while she was in captivity.
* RealWomenDontWearDresses: "Stop Slut Shaming Ariel" examines this re: the 'feminist critique' of Ariel in ''The Little Mermaid''. Despite her rounded personality, her clear goals and interests and realistic character flaws - the main reason she's criticised is simply because she expresses a desire for love. He compares this to similar backlash towards Ginny of ''Literature/HarryPotter'' and Phoebe of ''{{Series/Charmed 1998}}'' - because said characters pursued their love interests.
* RightForTheWrongReasons:
** Criticism of Ariel is valid for one reason - that she doesn't appear to learn anything from what happened. Of course people just focus on criticising her for wanting a man.
** Likewise with Pocahontas - the criticisms of historical accuracy or toned down racism pale in comparison to blatant exoticisation of the title character or how few developed Powhatans there are compared to the English.
* ShallowParody:[[invoked]] Considers ''Film/DarlingLili'' to be this - subverting only the family friendly Julie Andrews image without offering an alternative. The parody character Lili Schmitz is in fact a weaker and more passive damsel than Mary Poppins or Maria von Trapp.
* SpiritualAntithesis: ''Film/NowVoyager'' is this to ''Literature/JaneEyre''. In the latter, the MadwomanInTheAttic is an obstacle to a mentally well couple being together. In the former, the 'madwoman' is the protagonist, and the abled wife is the obstacle to her happiness.
* SlutShaming: Discussed in ''Stop Slut Shaming Ariel'' - where he finds that a lot of criticism lobbied at Ariel seems to be about the fact that she wants a relationship at all, especially in comparison to Aladdin, Quasimodo and Tarzan.
* TakeAThirdOption: When looking at ''Film/PrettyBaby'', he defends the film from criticisms that it was child exploitation and says that the nude scene did have an in-story significance. However he says that having a twelve-year-old actress nude still wasn't right.
* TakeThat:
** He's taken shots at ''Film/BlackChristmas2019'' a couple of times outside his video discussing it.
** He took a shot at Anita Sarkeesian in his ''Film/SuckerPunch'' video, inferring he finds her videos problematic in their own right. Another video contains a clip of her over a line "as 2010s pop feminism gets even cringier".
** He's indicated that he dislikes ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' (and specifically the character herself) more than once.
* TechnicianVersusPerformer: Compares Shakespeare films with this dichotomy. The 1948 version of ''{{Theatre/Hamlet}}'' in his view is technically proficient and well acted by British performers giving essentially a filmed stage version, whereas the 1935 version of ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream'' feels more like a film and translates the comedy better to the screen. He also supports Franco Zeffirelli cutting out large amounts of dialogue in ''Film/RomeoAndJuliet1968'' to better convey the passion.
* TookTheBadFilmSeriously:[[invoked]]
** Says "bless you, Kay Walsh" for attempting to make the ridiculous orgy in ''Film/TheWitches1966'' work.
** Finds that Creator/KatieMcGrath did so in ''{{Series/Merlin 2008}}'' - trying to work with terrible writing. And when she was unable to, she just [[LargeHam had fun]].
** Praises Imogen Poots as the only one who gives a good performance in ''Film/BlackChristmas2019''.
** He also praises the actresses in ''Film/BlackChristmas2006'' for making their characters likable.
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic:[[invoked]] In ''Film/ShanghaiExpress'' he notes that it's conspicuous that Creator/AnnaMayWong (a real Asian) murders Warner Oland (a Swedish man in {{Yellowface}}) with the former as the hero and the latter as the villain.
* WhiteMaleLead: Discusses the 'Galbrush Paradox' in relation to Tiana vs Rapunzel. Rapunzel is allowed to be more flawed because she's white. And Simba vs Ariel, where Simba is praised for his flaws because he's male - while Ariel gets criticised for hers.
