Hello! In our previous lesson, we explored the nuances of word choice, focusing on how connotation and register help you select the most effective synonym. Today, we'll address the other side of that coin: words and phrases to actively avoid.
Your learning outcome for this lesson is to identify and avoid clichés and jargon commonly found in entertainment journalism. Mastering this is a crucial step in elevating your writing from good to great. Clichés can make your prose feel predictable and uninspired, while jargon can alienate readers who aren't "in the know." By stripping them from your work, you develop a fresher, more authoritative, and engaging voice—a key differentiator in the competitive field of entertainment journalism.
This lesson should take you about 30-40 minutes.
1. What Are Clichés and Why Do They Weaken Writing?
A cliché is a phrase or opinion that is so overused it has lost its original force and novelty. Think of it as a pre-packaged thought that saves the writer effort but offers the reader nothing new. As someone with a background in linguistics, you'll appreciate that this is a case of semantic bleaching, where a phrase's meaning becomes diluted through excessive repetition.
Why does this matter? Fresh, specific language stimulates the reader's imagination. Clichés do the opposite; they signal to the brain that no new information is being presented, which can lead to disengagement.
Let's see a quick, powerful example of this principle in action.
How to write descriptively - Nalo Hopkinson
This short clip from a TED-Ed talk by author Nalo Hopkinson beautifully illustrates how avoiding cliché engages a reader's mind.
Watch the segment from avoiding clichés. Notice the difference in mental effort and engagement required between "red as a rose" and "stewed-cherry dress."
So, if clichés are so ineffective, why are they so common? Often, they are our first instinct. They're the phrases we've absorbed from everything we've read and watched. A professional writer learns to recognize and question that first instinct.
This video, "How to avoid writing clichés," offers an excellent strategy for breaking the habit of using them. While it focuses on fiction, the core principle is universal.
Watch the first three sections, paying close attention to these ideas: The problem with clichés: They make your writing predictable and less memorable. The core technique: The simple but powerful habit of "second-guessing" your first instinct. Path of least resistance: Understand that your first idea will often be a cliché because it's mentally easier. The solution is to iterate and push for something fresher.
2. A Field Guide to Entertainment Journalism Clichés
Now let's narrow our focus to your specific field. Entertainment journalism is riddled with its own set of tired phrases, many of which are born in press releases and amplified by writers on a deadline. A good journalist translates PR-speak, they don't repeat it.
This image shows just how frequently a seemingly positive term like "award-winning" can be used in press materials, rendering it almost meaningless.
This screenshot of press release headlines demonstrates how the phrase "award-winning" is so common that it loses its impact.
To build your ability to spot these, we'll turn to an article written by a music editor who compiled a list of phrases she banned from her publication. While focused on music, you'll find most of these are common across film, TV, and celebrity journalism as well.
Music Writing Clichés You Must Never, Ever Use | by Mel Campbell
In this witty and practical article, music editor Mel Campbell provides a list of specific clichés and explains exactly why they are problematic. Think of this as a field guide to lazy writing.
Read the introduction to understand the author's motivation, then browse through the alphabetized list of clichés. As you read, don't try to memorize every entry. Instead, focus on recognizing the types of phrases that are flagged: Empty superlatives: "a modern classic," "tour de force" Lazy shorthand: "critically acclaimed," "highly anticipated" Awkward phrasings: "hailing from," "penned the song" PR-speak: "causing a stir," "infectious grooves" Pay attention to the author's reasoning and suggested alternatives. This is the thought process of a professional editor.
3. Identifying Industry Jargon
A close cousin to the cliché is jargon: the specialized language of a particular industry. In entertainment, this is sometimes called "slanguage." While using some industry terms is necessary to show expertise, relying on them too heavily can make your writing inaccessible and exclusionary to a general audience.
Variety, the legacy trade publication, is famous for its historical use of slanguage. Recognizing this jargon is the first step to deciding when—and if—it's appropriate to use.
Slanguage Dictionary - Variety
This resource from Variety provides a glossary of its famous industry-specific terms.
First, read the introduction (the first few paragraphs before the A-Z list) to understand why this "slanguage" was created—for fitting headlines and creating a "clubby feel." Then, skim the A-Z list. You don't need to learn these terms, but get a feel for them. Notice words like: ankle (to quit or be fired) boffo (outstanding, as in box office) helm (to direct) skein (a TV series) telepic (a TV movie)
For a general readership, it's almost always better to use the plain English equivalent: "directed" instead of "helmed," or "TV series" instead of "skein."
4. Practice: Rewriting Clichéd Sentences
Let's put this into practice. Below are sentences packed with common entertainment journalism clichés and jargon. Your task is to rewrite them to be clearer, more specific, and more original.
Exercise:
- Original: The director's highly anticipated sophomore film, a true tour de force, was critically acclaimed after it bowed at the festival and is expected to have legs at the box office.
- Original: Hailing from Canada, the pop superstar is set to drop a new album, and her powerhouse vocals are on full display in the lead single.
- Original: The helmer's new action-packed blockbuster is a modern classic, and he took time out of his busy schedule to discuss the pic with us.
View suggested revisions and analysis
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Analysis: "Highly anticipated," "sophomore film," "tour de force," "critically acclaimed," "bowed," and "legs" are all clichés or jargon.
Possible Rewrite: "After its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the director's second film earned widespread praise from critics. The compelling drama is expected to attract audiences for weeks to come."
(This version is more direct and replaces vague praise with concrete information.) -
Analysis: "Hailing from," "drop a new album," and "powerhouse vocals" are tired phrases.
Possible Rewrite: "The Canadian pop star will release her next album on Friday. In the lead single, her singing is commanding and emotionally resonant, with a range that..."
(This version is more professional and pushes for more specific description beyond "powerhouse.") -
Analysis: "Helmer," "action-packed," "blockbuster," "modern classic," "took time out of his busy schedule," and "pic" are all jargon or cliché.
Possible Rewrite: "We spoke with the director about his new, large-scale action movie. He claims he's made a film that will stand the test of time."
(This version uses plain English and attributes the hyperbolic claim—"modern classic"—to the source, rather than stating it as fact.)
Conclusion
Today's lesson was about subtraction—removing the weak, overused, and obscure phrases that can clutter your writing. By doing so, you make space for sharper, more vivid, and more credible prose.
Key Takeaways:
- Clichés are the enemy of engagement. They signal to the reader that you're taking a mental shortcut.
- Second-guess your first instinct. Your initial idea for a phrase is often a cliché. Take a moment to find a more original way to say it.
- Translate PR and industry jargon. Don't just repeat the language from press releases or trade publications. Your job is to make the subject accessible to your audience.
- Be specific. The best antidote to a cliché like "powerhouse vocals" is to describe what makes the vocals powerful: Is it the volume, the range, the emotional texture?
In our next lesson, we will begin a new module, "Handling Sources and Quotations." We'll start by learning to distinguish between direct quotes, indirect quotes, and paraphrasing, and how to select the best option for any given context. This is a perfect transition from focusing on your own words to skillfully integrating the words of others.