Subvert a Genre

How to Subvert a Genre

Storyteller OS users: Clip this video into your Knowledge Base and categorize it under Genre + Tone

The superhero genre of cinema has had a long run that spans decades. There have been different phases of it, but the influx of superhero movies from the 2000s and 2010s has made some people tired of it. The movie, Logan, is one shining example of how subverting the superhero genre is needed in order for it to lead to more creative storytelling and for the genre to survive.

Takeaways

There are four forms a genre can change into when the audience grows tired of it and demands something new: Burlesque, Nostalgia, Demythologization, and Reaffirming the Myth
The Burlesque form of a genre is where you make fun of it for what it is, making tropes look ridiculous by undercutting the fantasy with reality.
The Nostalgia form of a genre romanticizes the past but updates tried-and-true storylines with contemporary elements. It makes the audience aware of the relationship between the past and present.
The Demythologization form of a genre subjects popular myths and conventions to a reality that undercuts and exposes them as inadequate or even harmful.
The Reaffirmation of Myth form of a genre subverts the genre but reaffirms the myth not as something that's real but as something we need to believe.

How to Subvert a Genre

Takeaways

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