Romantic Comedies- promoting unrealistic expectations and clinical depression in women and gay men everywhere

All week this week I have been seeing Rom Coms on tv. On repeat. Every day. Every channel (That reminds me I have to watch Bachelorette tonight). Well maybe I’m just a little bitter because my current relationship situation has a lot to be desired, but I still couldn’t help but look at these God awful movies from an analytical perspective.

They all have the same theme, the same objective, the same plot really. Somebody has a good job, the other party does not. Somebody is in some kind of relationship, the other party not so much. Usually the one with the good job also has the relationship and therefor the other party is always the one that ends up lying for or helping support the relationship of the other. Even though they are secretly in love with each other. Next comes an almost kiss, a fight that leads to a fall out, and then the person in the other relationship realizes what a fucktard he’s been (It’s usually the guy in the movie) and comes rushing back in like a hero, swooping her off her feet, and declaring undying love.

Because this is completely plausible people. That’s just bad writing. It was bad writing the first time much less countless times later. Yet they still continue to make them because that’s where the money is. Why is that?

Is it because women are so starved for that kind of attention that they feed into it like sheep on crack? When you find yourself wanting to be Jennifer Lopez in “Maid in Manhattan” there’s a problem. (Not me. I’m just sayin)

My point is women grow up expecting this sort of thing to some degree. We grow up as little girls being told we’re a princess. We read romance novels from age 13 until forever and we watch these stupid movies. We grow up being misled. (Hello 50 Shades of Crap)

If we’re smart then we recognize that while Ms. Lopez is gorgeous and successful, her love life in real life is complete crap. We realize that we don’t actually want to be a hooker just so Richard Gere can come rescue us from our hell. We understand that Aladdin lied to Jasmine the entire fucking movie!!! And was completely out for the title and money the entire time anyway! 

But what if you’re not? Smart I mean. What if you wait for that rescue? What if you wait for that kind of perfect connection that can push through lies, fear, and indecision, infidelity, baby mamas, and cocaine (I think that might be a different movie actually) that we grow up seeing all day every day?

Truly I think the problem is that these things keep girls from being themselves. They are taught not to be. They wait to be rescued.  They are taught to be damsels in distress and to go chase any and everything they want all at the same time because somebody will always catch them if they fall. Unfortunately this isn’t reality.

In reality we mess up. We get scared and we fuck it all up to hell and back. We settle when we shouldn’t and we don’t fight when we should. We’re scared to fight. It’s always the guy that has to in the movies.

So how do we fix this? I know that I haven’t watched my last romantic comedy or even read my last trashy romance novel. I know that I ate up Twilight like a 12 year old Twi-hard, and I still wish Edward would come bite me. I also know though that sometimes we have to rescue ourselves or even the other person. Sometimes we do have to fight.

So grab your swords ladies. Go slay your own dragons, and yell a battle cry on your way down!