The hot mess: she’s a young, outspoken woman who might be a little impulsive and chaotic (okay, maybe more than just a little…)
There’s plenty that’s radical about the hot mess, from her slapstick comedy to the way her stories illuminate issues around sex, trauma and mental health from a female perspective.
And, even if we’d most likely not make the choices she makes, the hot mess’ mixture of charisma and self-deprecation makes her relatable. Plus, the hot mess is often the narrator of her own story, making us see everything through her eyes.
Still, while these iconic heroines will be in our hearts forever, it may be time to move on from her as the main representation of young-ish female protagonists onscreen. Not all stories of young adult women figuring themselves out have to involve erratic changes in mood, public outbursts, and dating a string of jerks. So what comes next?
Now we’re seeing less individualistic, less romance-focused characters - “messy” younger characters whose problems aren’t played as aspirational or cute, and aren’t magically resolved in rom-com happy endings. We’re excited to see where the updated version of the hot mess trope ends up!