With Valentine’s day already here, all I can watch are romantic comedies. Sure, they’re cheesy and cliché, but after a long week, a blooming romance with the surety of a happy ending is just what I need to brighten my mood.
However, not everyone has the same enthusiasm that I do for the heart-warming rom-com genre. As always, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and romcoms aren’t exactly Oscar-worthy. Yet, I find that people who are most outspoken about their dislike disagree for all the wrong reasons. Structurally, romcoms are not that different from other movies. They follow the standard story arc: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. The heroes save the day, the guy gets the girl, and everyone but the villain has a happy ending. So, if they are similar to other movies, I always wondered why they are looked down on. First, since the films are marketed toward women, they are deemed less than in the misogynistic movie industry. Next, is that in film, finding love is not viewed as the noble adventure fans look for. Lastly, romcoms are often held to the standard of other genres and judged for what they are not.
Rom-coms are marketed toward women. They give us butterflies and make us forget about how sad our actual love life is. For me, at least, this works. Because romcoms are catered to women, they represent women realistically. The way romcoms represent women deviates from the norm as women in romcoms often do not adhere to the standards of most other women in film. In modern film, women are often divided into one of two: the girl boss and the damsel in distress. The girl boss is a feminist who does not need a man. The damsel is dumb and dependent. Rom-coms often break these conventions about women, offering complex female characters who don’t fit neatly into either box. They can be successful in a career while also being in love. There are more accurate portrayals of women in romcoms than in action movies. However, amateur critics may not view these characters as serious, as they do not line up with the girl boss or damsel in mainstream movies they value.
Rom-coms are also not valued as much because romantic love is not valued in modern popular film. In many fan favorites such as Star Wars or Marvel movies, the heroes go on a heroic journey to save the universe. Saving the universe is probably one of the coolest and most noble things to do, but that is not the only noble journey someone can go on. Just because the heroine of the Rom-Com is not saving the universe, does not mean her journey is any less important than Luke Skywalkers. It is much more realistic. But why do we value one more than the other? Simple: showing love and emotion is viewed as a feminine trait. Men today have drilled into their brains that love is for women, and love is weak. To be weak is to be feminine. Society is so deeply rooted in misogyny that we view anything made for women as less. Misogynists criticize romcoms because they do not value finding love.
What people often fail to realize is that not every movie is meant to be as critically acclaimed as The Godfather or have as much action as a Marvel movie. Rom-coms are not documentaries, dramas, or action movies. They are romances. They should not be held to the same standards as other genres. The plots are meant to be unrealistic and cheesy. They show how beautiful the simplicity of human interaction can be. They are meant to use struggles, passion, humor, and love to provoke a sense of fulfillment by the end of each story. Rom-coms should be judged based on how well they do these, not by the standards of other genres.
Rom-coms have their problems and are not for everyone. They may be cheesy and cliché, but they bring so many people joy. Before you watch your next rom-com, remember not to view it through a misogynistic lens and to judge it within the parameters of the genre. If you take my advice, don’t be scared when you feel all warm and fuzzy by the end.
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