Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
placeholder article
placeholder article

Why to Say No to ‘Movie’ Hangouts

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at IUP chapter.

It’s Friday night and they have only just realized that they have no plans to go out with their friends. So, what do they do? They ask you to ‘watch a movie or something’ with them.

First off, this is a cop out. Watching a movie might be the least creative thing to do in the world. How do I know? Because it is what I do when I am bored and have no motivation.

But not only is it minimally creative, it is also incredibly ambiguous. If you say yes, then at some point during the movie (that they probably picked and you’re probably pretending to be interested in), they are going to end up with their arm around you. From there, you will magically end up with your faces smashed together in a pseudo-romantic moment. If you are lucky, you may even be subjected to the clichéd ‘are you ticklish?’ maneuver.

Now, I am not saying that it is necessarily unpleasant but I am saying that this is ridiculously predictable and annoying. As I am positive you have or will figure out from your own experience, when a guy asks you to ‘watch a movie or something,’ he is actually offering to hook up with you and then to pretend that he never saw it coming. Let’s be honest: he knew what was going to happen from the second that he texted you with his lame offer.

The greatest problem with this is that it lacks open intentionality. If he wants to hook up, then he should just find a way to say so. No more second-guessing yourself or his intentions!

However, if a casual hook up was not on his mind, then you should collaborate together to find a better alternative, especially as summer approaches and the pools begin to open. Pinterest alone has a million and one ideas for casual get-togethers as well as first dates.

Ultimately, do what you are comfortable with but do not fall for the movie idea if you are trying to avoid clichés or get to know the other person. 

Victoria Stone is a Freshman at IUP majoring in middle level education with a specialty in social studies. When she is not studying or eating, she enjoys spending her time outdoors, doing yoga, or attempting the impossible crafts on Pinterest. This year, her New Year's resolution is to run a 5K.