Romantic films: Hollywood's actuality, NOT reality

For those who know me quite well, they can tell you that I am not your average girl. I was never into Barbies, always preferring playing in the dirt and with warms instead; I prefer throwing on a pair of my favorite Chucks, a warm and familiar sweatshirt, and jeans, to heels and a dress; I don’t wear make up every day, sometimes only wearing it on special occasions; I prefer staying in and watching the game, to shopping and I absolutely DETEST romantic films, preferring horror, thriller, action, and comedy (Will Farrell comedy to be exact) instead. Why do I DESPISE romantic films? Because the scenarios presented in these films are not things that happen back on Earth in the REAL world, but more in the world created by Hollywood. Before I go on, let me that that I am not bitter about a break up or anything of the sort, and I have been in a relationship for almost two years now and I absolutely love my boyfriend.

Now, in romantic films presented by Hollywood, the same ridiculous nonsense typically happens: Scenario 1: Boy meets girl (or vice versa). Boy loses girl. Boy goes through unbelievable feat to find girl. Boy finds girl. Boy and girl fall madly in love. Boy and girl have the perfect, happy life, and have nooooo problems. **rolls eyes. Scenario 2: Girl meets boy. Girl falls for boy and vice versa. Girl finds out boy already has a companion. Girl gets upset and depressed. Boy realizes girl he met is girl of his dreams and leaves companion for the girl he met. Girl and boy reunite, get together, and live happily ever after. **Blank stare. Scenario 3: Girl meets boy. Boy realizes he’s met girl in alternate life but by that time, girl is gone. Boy tracks girl down and feels as though he has known her all his life. Girl feels as though she has met her soul mate. Something tragic happens (either one dies and the other vows to never love again or they lose contact for a long period of time and rejoin one another years later). I could go on and on with these scenarios but I won’t because just thinking and writing about them, is making me sick.

I’m sorry but I don’t think that these scenarios are real! I mean, think about it… how many times have you met a couple that has told you that some crazy scenario or chain of events, occurred between them, before they got together? How many times have you met a couple that has had the “perfect, white picket fence house, with the world’s most perfect children” life? If you have met a couple that has had a quote on quote “perfect life,” then they’re either lying to you or lying to themselves. I think that arguments (up to a certain level, not physically or verbally) and the way in which couples are able to handle arguments and work through them, are signs of a healthy relationship and one that is strong without a doubt but hey, that’s just my opinion. I also think couples that claim to have the “perfect life” with absolutely no arguments or problems are living in an alternative universe and furthermore, one or both of the people in that relationship is hiding his/her feelings from their significant other. NEWSFLASH-There’s no such thing as “perfection” or as “star crossed lovers” and as for “prince charming?” he’s definitely NOT always charming.

To me, Hollywood knows how to prey on people’s minds and emotions (specifically die hard romantics who constantly wish that their lives were like those of Ryan Gosselin’s in the Notebook or of Kate Winslet’s in Titanic) and manipulate those people in such a way that the lines between reality and fantasy get confounded. I know so many people who really do want their lives to be just like the movies and are hoping to find a soul mate (something else I don’t agree with nor really believe in but that’s a story for another time lol) and get upset when their romance isn’t quite like the fantasy they had hoped for. Though those people should take responsibility for their own actions and thoughts, with all the subliminal messages in today’s media, I can see why someone could become a victim to Hollywood’s garbage and Hollywood’s definition of “romance,” “soul mates,” “true love,” etc. etc. Romantic films give people false hope and false realities and not to mention over the top drama and sap and for those reasons and many MANY more, I cannot STAND romantic films!!!

So tell me, where does your definition of romance, true love, soul mate, what have you, come from? If it comes from a book or from Disney or some romantic film that has stuck to your very core, you now know that you have become a victim of the media and Hollywood’s garbage.