The Ingenue Trope: Innocent, Naive and On Her Way Out

With her youthful charm and naivete, the ingénue is a long-time Hollywood staple… but in recent years, she seems to be disappearing. So is this trope really on the way out because it no longer works in the modern day, or is it just changing with the times? A French term meaning “an innocent or unsophisticated young woman,” ‘Ingenue’ was historically applied to women in plays or films who were naive, youthful, and pretty much always virgins. Thankfully today, it feels like we’re seeing this ‘ingenue’ trajectory far less often, both on and off screen. Here’s our take on Hollywood’s Ingenue Trope - and why it’s seemingly disappeared, thanks to a wave of outspoken, young actresses, evolving roles for women, and changing societal values.

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CHAPTERS
00:00 The tropes limiting history
02:13 How she evolved over time
06:49 How real women got the label
11:10 How Hollywood kicked the trope

CREDITS
Executive Producers: Debra Minoff & Susannah McCullough
Chief Creative Director: Susannah McCullough
Associate Producer: Tyler Allen
Writer: Mary Rindlesbach
Narrator: Jessica Babineaux
Video Editor: Michael Gawronski