Films such as “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” “Fight Club” and “Garden State” have one frustrating thing in common. The lead female embodies one of the most annoying and prevalent female TV tropes: the manic pixie dream girl.

The term manic pixie dream girl was coined by Nathan Rabin, a writer from A.V Club, an entertainment website published by The Onion. Rabin writes that a manic pixie dream girl exists “solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life.”

Basically, he says that manic pixie dream girls are created by directors and writers to make introverted male characters more extroverted.

These female roles tend to lack a character arch and simply serve to bolster the male character. They are typically a love interest of the male without any hobbies outside of being around him.

Looking at some of the following examples, it is impossible to disagree:

Ramona Flowers, from “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” is an interesting and exciting female character in the graphic novels, but due to time constraints, the film version leaves much to be desired.

Ramona pulls Scott out of his mundane life and introduces him to a world of boss battles and excitement. Granted, Ramona is a bit complex. But her complexity, too, stems from experiences with ex-boyfriends.

This portrayal of women is frustrating, at best. The quirky nature of these women makes them look fun and carefree. But as the film progresses, the audience realizes that the woman does nothing for herself. The woman becomes a springboard for the man’s personal growth.

In an episode of “30 Rock,” guest actress Jennifer Aniston portrays a character that parodies this trope. She has very eccentric quirks, from making hats to breaking into homes, and uses them to entrap the love of a very powerful man. Other women around her do not tolerate her behavior, demonstrating female frustration with the chracterization of a manic pixie dream girl.

These one-dimensional female characters have no other purpose but to show a man what a life outside of the mundane can be. Limiting a human to serving as an escape from reality teaches that a person doesn’t have to have an identity of his or her own.

Sure, being eccentric and fun is great. Being able to escape from reality is, too. But a love interest should be more than a constant escape from reality. Real love is complicated and multi dimensional.

Having a woman serve as a shallow representation of desired, carefree love limits the growth of the character. The female role has no character arch. A woman is much more than that.