“You’re the most amazingly
astounding, wonderful girl.” The Manic Pixie Dream Girl
has become a stock character we’re able to spot from a mile away,
but what about her male equivalent, the Manic Pixie Dream Boy? The MPDB is a paradox —
he’s youthful and innocent but also holds sage-like wisdom. “I intend to live an extraordinary life,
to be remembered, so I’d say if I have any fears
it would be to not do that” He’s got it all figured out —
the manic pixie dream boy has a deeper insight into
how the universe works. Thanks to his unique outlook, he often
takes on the role of a life coach, helping to reorient someone
who’s at a crossroads — often a female protagonist, “There’s no such thing as normal,
just being a human being is hard.” but it can also be a friend,
family member, or larger groups “A doctor's mission should be
not just to prevent death, but also to improve the quality of life.” He is non-threatening,
upbeat and possesses an innocence that puts him
at odds with the more cut-throat supposedly “realistic,” adult world. “It is a crappy cup of coffee.” “No, it's the world’s
best cup of coffee!” And he’s temporary. “He exists now only in my memory.” For one reason or another,
he tends to be gone by the end of the story,
leaving only his lessons behind. “No matter what people tell you,
words and ideas can change the world.” and he can even feel like
a magical spirit or figment of
someone’s imagination. Some have argued that the MPDB is
just as toxic as his female equivalent, “I’m busy, you're weird, goodbye.” and that if you object to one
you should reject both. But it’s important to consider
societal context when the genders are reversed
in a trope like this. While the manic pixie dream girl
reinforces a lot of things women are already pushed to be —
always agreeable and fun, focused on her man’s happiness
and only there to support him — “You gotta hear this one song,
it’ll change your life I swear.” the manic pixie dream boy challenges
the gender status quo by representing a desire for men
to be things they’re traditionally not: openly communicative, sacrificing
and supportive of a woman’s independent fulfillment. “I love how independent my wife is.” While the MPDB can be more
or less a simplified fantasy of a perfect boyfriend,
at his best he’s a mentor and therapist to us all —
offering timeless insight into dealing with the crushing pressures of
adulthood and the so-called real world. “Isms in my opinion are not good.
A person should not believe in an ism, he should believe in himself.” Here’s our take on the
manic pixie dream boy — the man who’ll swoop in
when you least expect it, but when you need him the most. “Come with me where you’ll never,
never have to worry about grown up things again.” One common denominator of
the manic pixie dream boy is youth — even when the character himself
isn’t young, he’s young at heart. “Clown salute! Very good. Wide face!” The manic pixie dream boy is
essentially a modern-day Peter Pan — the only child who never grows up. “For all children grow up…
except one.” Just as Peter teaches Wendy
and her brothers to fly, the goal of the manic pixie dream boy
is to inspire those around him to harness their inner child. As a line in J.M.Barrie’s novel
puts it about flying, “When people grow up
they forget the way.”
Like Peter, the MPDB abhors
the upside-down values of “grown-ups” who don’t understand
the importance of play, or who spend their lives feeling
they have to outrun a ticking clock. “I planned out our whole day.
First we’ll make snow angels for two hours and then,
to finish, we’ll snuggle.” In fact, accessing your inner child
has real-life benefits; Dr. Stephen Diamond writes that a
“lack of conscious relatedness to our own inner child is precisely
where so many behavioural, emotional, and relationship
difficulties stem from.” In Elf, Buddy shows how embracing
your inner child and finding joy in life are important parts of self-actualizing
and connecting with people. When he first meets his love-interest,
Jovie, she is a holiday cynic and loner. “Please stop talking to me.” However, Buddy’s genuine enthusiasm
and exuberance cracks her rough exterior until she’s willing to overcome her
stage fright to spread Christmas cheer. “The best way to spread Christmas cheer
is singing loud for all to hear.” Buddy also influences his father,
Walter, to recalibrate his life and transform from an
emotionally distant workaholic “I’m going to eat in the bedroom, ok,
I’ve got a bunch of stuff to go over.” to a man who will risk his
career for his family. “If you wanna keep your job Hobbs,
you will pitch me this book right now.” “Up yours.” “Yeah! Up yours!” This leads us to a key difference between
the manic pixie dream girl and boy. The whole problem with the
manic pixie dream girl is that she’s always a love interest,
a character who’s just there to support the male protagonist with whom
she has romantic chemistry. “What do you get out of it?” “I get to help you!” However the manic pixie dream boy
can be the protagonist, or he can influence all kinds of people —
fathers, friends, students and patients — “Hi.” basically anyone around him who
needs to rediscover the magic of being alive. A great example of this is John Keating
in Dead Poets Society who, despite being much older
than his students, can see that these serious pupils
in their high-pressure environment are desperately lacking
in youthful rebellion. “I’d like you to give us a
demonstration of a barbaric yawp” The manic pixie dream boy
as an embodiment of youth and rebellion is also sometimes placed
in opposition to other children. In Scottish indie film Beats,
Spanner takes on the role of the manic pixie dream boy
to the meek, anxious Johnno. “He’s actually really f****** brave, and
I’m really just a coward next to him.” Despite Spanner’s reckless
behavior leading to trouble, Johnno envies his friend’s wild
qualities and ultimately learns from his carefree attitude. Ferris Bueller fulfills a
similar role with Cameron, pushing his mopey best friend
to go on a series of fun, rebellious adventures that,
the movie reminds us, are what life is really all about. “Life moves pretty fast.
You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” By the end of the film,
Ferris has helped Cameron move past his fear of breaking the rules,
which allows Cameron to be honest with himself
and those around him for the first time. “My old man pushes me around.
l never say anything!” “When Morris comes home
he and I’ll just have a little chat.” In examples like Ferris and Spanner, we
can interpret the manic pixie dream boy as representing an inner self that
characters who are stuck need to let take the wheel. This concept of the inner self relates
to psychologist Carl Jung’s theories of the anima and animus. This (admittedly binaried
and heteronormative) theory asserts that the anima is
the unconscious feminine side of men and the animus is the unconscious
masculine side of women, and in order to be whole we must tap into
these hidden aspects of our personalities. “Teach me to ride like a man.” “And chew tobacco like a man.” “And spit like a man.” We can view the
manic pixie dream boy trope through this lens when it comes to
female characters who grow after absorbing the lessons
of manic pixie dream boys. “Having something to say and a way
to say it so people listen to it that’ a whole other bag, and unless
you get out there and you try to do it, you’ll never know.” So you have a character like
Tom in Last Christmas, who swoops in to encourage Kate
to be more present, more family-oriented, and to live a more charitable life, "You're built of everything you do.” or you have Jack in Titanic
who encourages Rose to be assertive, independent, and to make
decisions for herself. Kate and Rose are pushed in very
different directions by Tom and Jack — one toward independence,
the other toward family — but both manic pixie dream boys
embody something that was already inside these heroines,
and that just needed to come out. “It's not up to you to save me, Jack.” “You're right...
only you can do that.” This inner animus theory becomes literal
in the case of Last Christmas when it is revealed that —
spoiler alert — Tom is an illusion,
he died the year before, and Kate received his
heart in a transplant. “Why can I feel you?” “Because I’m a part of you.” There’s even a potential reading
of Titanic that posits Jack’s not real “We never found anything on Jack.
There's no record of him at all.” Like Peter Pan, the MPDB sometimes
feels almost supernatural, a character made of magic
or a piece of the psyche who inspires characters to rediscover
their zest for life and stand up for their individuality, but can’t
permanently survive in the real world. “He was looking at the one joy
from which he must be forever barred.” “To live would be an
awfully big adventure.” Once that agency is unlocked
in the person he’s helping, the manic pixie dream boy
tends to disappear. “Success is not about
the wins and losses, it’s about helping these young fellas
be the best versions of themselves.” The manic pixie dream boy
often feels like a life coach. As characters learn to view
the world the way he sees it, they gain perspective,
re-evaluate their priorities, and establish a new set
of rules to live by. “You know what the happiest
animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish.” “Got a ten second memory.
Be a goldfish Sam.” At the extreme end of this scale,
he can veer close to martyrdom. In the most recent iteration
of A Star Is Born, Jackson Maine helps his love Ally
fulfill her potential as an artist and become a star, “You don't worry about why
they're listening or how long they're gonna be listening,
you just tell 'em what you wanna say.” but when he can’t escape his own personal
problems he decides to make sure he’s not around to hold her back —
and by the end of the movie, he lives on only through her. In The Fault In Our Stars,
both Gus and Hazel are dealing with
life-threatening diseases, but while Hazel is depressed,
MPDB Gus confronts his own mortality, and doesn’t let his
diagnosis hold him back "You put the thing that does the
killing thing right between your teeth, but you never give it
the power to kill you. A metaphor." His influence makes her see
that even though life has challenges, there’s a lot to live for. "It's a good life Hazel Grace" A similar conceit plays out
in Five Feet Apart, in which central couple Will and Stella
also bond over mutual medical issues, but Will tries not
to let this define him. “You need to lighten up.
It’s just life, it’ll be over before you know it.” And, underlining the MPDB's
transient nature, he ultimately removes himself
from the equation so that she can carry on living. “I need you to be safe, from me.” Both Gus and Will illustrate how
the manic pixie dream boy supports his love interest’s independence
and ability to move on without him. The effervescent, unbridled positivity
of Ted Lasso also puts him in the manic pixie dream boy camp,
and what’s interesting is that his philosophies on life and coaching
actually come at the expense of his team’s athletic performances. “We’re middle of the table,
we’ve lost three of four, and you wanna know if the snacks
in the locker room are tasty enough?” “Are they?” At no point does he seem
like a competent soccer coach, instead spending his time encouraging
the star striker, Jamie Tartt, to become more of a team player, “Jaime, I think that you might be so
sure you’re one in a million, that sometimes you forget that
out there you’re just one of eleven.” giving a new sense of purpose
to the fading star Roy Kent, “It’s the story of a young girl’s
struggle with the burden of leadership.” “Am I supposed to be the little girl?” “I’d like you to be.” and supporting the owner Rebecca even
when she’s actively undermining him. “I think that if you care about someone
and you got a little love in your heart, there ain't nothin you can't
get through together.” He comes in with ideas that are completely
anathema to the world of soccer, but eventually, his focus on the
bigger picture beyond sporting success wins people over,
and so while he fails in the league, it may just be better for
the overall team in the long, long game. “You don’t know what you’re doing,
but doesn’t that mean you see the game in a different way than any
other football manager?” Still, there can be a
naivety to this attitude — and for all of Lasso’s charm
on our TV screens, it’s hard to imagine real life fans who
would want him as their team’s manager. The dark side of the MPDB’s
willful naivety is explored through Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man,
a profile on the late Timothy Treadwell, who spent 13 summers camping among
grizzly bears in Alaska, before eventually being killed
by a grizzly bear. The film utilizes a lot of
Treadwell’s own footage, and his own narration, which often shows
him as loving, carefree, and child-like in nature, “Now let the expedition continue
it’s off to Timmy the fox, we’ve gotta find Banjo, he’s missing!” but Herzog’s role in the film undercuts this. He challenges Treadwell’s manic pixie
dream boy leanings, and openly disagrees with
his view of the world. “In all the faces of all the bears
that Treadwell ever filmed, I discovered no kinship,
no understanding, no mercy.” It’s an interesting inversion
of the trope, showing that while in the movies the manic pixie dream boy
can be a powerful agent for change, in the real world, his philosophies are
hard (and even dangerous) to live by. “There are many times that I feel
death is the best option, my work would be
much more seriously looked at.” “I was just wandering around everywhere,
just looking for you.” There’s also a version of the
manic pixie dream boy who’s just that — a dream of a boyfriend. A perfect man: sweet, supportive,
kind, handsome, and most crucially, willing to shape his life
around that of his partner. “I love you, I wanna move
into your apartment.” “Your happiness is worth way more
than winning some stupid bet.” In this aspect, he’s similar to
the manic pixie dream girl — an impossibly quirky partner,
who’s more than willing to fit into the protagonist’s life
and not ask too much of him. “I’m completely cool with anything
you wanna say, or not say.” “I can change.” “Eh, don't bother. You can get mad
at dumb stuff. That's your thing. I'll get over it. That's my thing.
It's kind of perfect.” Still, there’s something refreshing
about the way that the MPDB offers an alternative to the old-school male hero —
encouraging female independence and proposing a template for a
healthy modern day relationship, founded not only on equality,
but also on men lifting women up.
Maybe the most iconic
manic pixie dream boy of the modern age is Peter Kavinsky —
and by extension, Noah Centineo’s real life persona. “You were never second best.” Peter Kavinsky is the quintessential
All American Boy: athletic, handsome, and popular, but historically this
archetype has had an iffy, sometimes misogynistic,
relationship with women. “Haven’t you ever heard
of the women’s movement?” “Well sure, put on something cute
and move it into the kitchen.” But Peter appreciates
and validates Lara-Jean, and at the end of the series,
sacrifices his own desire for them to go to college together
to support her dream. “Of course you should go to New York, you
should do all the things you wanna do” This same level of support is offered
by two of 2010 sitcoms’ dream boys: Parks and Recreation’s Ben Wyatt
and 30 Rock’s Criss Cross “A tiny little part of me that
I hate wants to be a princess.” “Liz, it's okay to be a human woman.” Both Ben and Criss are with ambitious,
independent, and career driven women, “Winning is every girl’s dream.
But it’s my destiny.” and they embrace their partners’ success
as well as their world’s progress in making huge strides
toward equality. “Let’s see what Mrs. Wyatt
has baked up for us shall we?” “It’s actually Ms. Knope.” This contrasts with how similar
characters have acted in the past — like when Sex and the City’s Steve
feels threatened by Miranda’s success “There’s always going to be
things out of my reach.” “So I’m being punished
for being successful.”
A clear draw to the manic pixie dream boy is his emotional intelligence
and ability to express himself. “The moon never beams without bringing
me dreams of beautiful Lara Jean.” In romantic situations, the MPDB often
challenges typical gender roles by being the pursued,
not the pursuer. “We should have sex… if you want.” In The Holiday, MPDB Graham admits
to being intimidated by the fact that Amanda owns her own business, “I’m still a little intimidated.” “Well a little is way
ahead of the curve.” but he never feels emasculated by the
power imbalance between them, and has no problem showcasing his more
feminine and nurturing side. “She has more marshmallows than me.” “No she doesn't, you each have five. In the end, it’s precisely this
part of him that makes him such an ideal match for Amanda. “I have the girls New Year’s Eve.” “Sounds perfect.” The manic pixie dream boy is
all about gaining perspective. He offers a template for how
to live a fulfilling adult life — which depends most of all on staying
in touch with your inner child. He reminds us that our time is limited,
but that just means we must make the most of it. “Each and every one of us in this room
is one day going to stop breathing.” “Seize the day boys.” He also suggests that you maintain a
sense of independence within a relationship,
and not let yourself become defined by personal challenges or hardship. If the old-fashioned notion
of a dream boy was about finding someone to take care of you,
then the manic pixie dream boy enables you to take care of yourself. “Be good to yourself, because nobody
else, has the power to make you happy.”
