Are Romantic Comedies Bad for Real-Life Romance?
Posted on December 17, 2008 at 8:00 am
Do romantic comedies create and foster impossible expectations? Are women doomed to disappointment when no man can possibly measure up to Lloyd Dobbler (Say Anything
Researchers at the Family and Personal Relationships Laboratory at Heriot Watt University in Scotland have concluded that may be the problem. In a new paper about the influence of romantic movies on people’s expectations about relationships, the researchers studied 40 films released between 1995 and 2005 and found that they conveyed to those in the audience a sense that the best relationships achieved a level of understanding that did not require the kind of communication that is necessary for real-life relationships.
Dr. Bjarne Holmes, who led the research, said: “We are not being killjoys – we are not saying that people shouldn’t watch these movies. But we are saying that it would be helpful if people were more aware and more critical of the messages in these films. The problem is that while most of us know that the idea of a perfect relationship is unrealistic, some of us are still more influenced by media portrayals than we realize.”
There are related studies on romance novels and one by Holmes on couple-oriented sitcoms (“In search of my “one-and-only”: Romance-oriented media and beliefs in romantic relationship destiny”). And Holmes is now asking for participants for an online follow-up study.
I do not believe anyone takes or should take these studies any more seriously than they take relationship advice from Julia Roberts movies. In other words, both are fun and sometimes provocative and can even offer genuine insights that can help illuminate relationship issues — finding the courage to take a risk, making love the top priority of your life, valuing yourself enough to value others — but by definition, movies have to take short-cuts to indicate important passages in a relationship or we’d be there for weeks. That’s what a montage is all about — we see the couple splashing each other on the beach and marveling over the goodies at an outdoor market while some sprightly pop song plays on the soundtrack and we accept that they are in love; that doesn’t mean we expect that in our own lives. This goes back way before movies. Even Shakespeare had to save time by having his lovers fall for each other at first sight, though he at least had them describe it beautifully.
I would guess that there’s something of a chicken and egg problem here. Those audience members who are attracted to romantic comedies (especially some of the second-rate ones in this study) are likely to have more of a tendency to, well, romanticize. But if they are really paying attention, they will see that one of the most important messages in any romantic film is that the best way to see those movies is while sharing popcorn with someone you love — and that the best part is talking to that person about it afterward.
If you are careful in observing the lessons from movies and other great stories about love in books, plays, operas, songs, and even paintings, you can find a true soulmate who makes all of the relationship ups and downs into life’s greatest adventure, someone who laughs with you, listens to you, and inspires you, and still holds hands when you go to the movies after more than 30 years. I’ve been lucky enough to find someone who is all of that and more.
Romantic comedies are no worse than Christmas movies. Both foster high expectations and unlikley resolutions to complicated situations. But they are fun, they offer some sort of hope, and lighten the mood. This is why they are entertainment and not documentaries. Are they really any worse than sports films for the non-athletic, martial arts films for nerds, or military films for the arm-chair generals? Any inspiration can go a long way in some people’s lives.
I enjoy Romantic comedies, though, with the exception of a very few modern movies (and Woody Allen’s movies) such as “When Harry Met Sally” I think the best Romantic comedies were the “Screwball comedies” of the 1930’s. I also enjoyed Doris Day movies. Perhaps the formula was a bit fresher back then, or maybe the actors were better at pretending.
Romantic comedies surely give us a heightened, more wonderful version of reality. I know I’ll never have to chose between two suitors who are played by Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart (The Philadelphia Story) or Cary Grant and Ronald Colman (The Talk of the Town) but I can dream.
Alicia, my favorite movie ever is “The Philadelphia Story.” I love those old screwball comedies. I highly recommend a wonderful book by Stanley Cavell called “The Pursuit of Happiness,” which has wonderfully thoughtful essays on the “comedies of remarriage” like “The Philadelphia Story,” “My Favorite Wife,” and “His Girl Friday” (the book is dedicated to Cary Grant). I think one of the big differences between those films and today’s is the dialogue, which used to be much more literate and witty. Ever since movies began making more of their money overseas than in the US, the benefits of clever lines began to disappear. Another difference is that in those days so much had to be implied rather than shown, giving those movies a tantalizing spiciness that today’s more explicit era lacks.
Keep watching and keep dreaming!