The meet cute is the quintessential part of a romantic comedy where two people meet for the first time under comedic circumstances and, long story short, sparks fly. Think My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Hitch and Notting Hill, classic boy-meets-girl-and-they-fall-in-love movies.
But it’s not that simple in real life.
Unlike Hugh Grant’s character in Notting Hill, if I were to spill orange juice on someone and invite them to my place so they can change, what are the chances that I’d end up with orange juice in my face, or better yet, a restraining order?
It’s no secret that movies, TV shows and books create an unrealistic formulaic approach to how a romantic attraction between two people will play out. The structure of a romantic comedy can be broken down into four acts: the meet cute, the honeymoon phase, the third act breakup, and the apology. Everything is tied up with a nice, neat ribbon. In real life, while it may be unfair to say that these things don’t happen (they do), it’s safe to say that a meet cute doesn’t guarantee a romantic journey.
In fact, it could very well turn into something that resembles a thriller, in which case, run for the hills.
TV shows like You, and movies akin to Fresh and Fear are great examples of what happens when two people meet, fall in love, and one of them ends up being a stalker (or worse). But this isn’t realistic either, is it? How often are we browsing the produce aisle in a grocery store and running into serial killers? Stories like these make for great entertainment, sure, but they’re not exactly representative of real-life romantic struggles.
Regardless of the two vastly different possibilities for how a relationship can progress—a happily ever after or not—the main takeaway from fictional romances is to heed with caution and use your head wherever your emotions are at stake.
Mindless entertainment can be mindless, but more often than not, the media we consume does influence how we perceive our surroundings. Yes, not everyone I encounter in the Walmart checkout line is plotting my demise, but that doesn’t mean I should trust everyone who holds the door open for me with my life. Being aware and being paranoid are not synonymous.
At the end of the day, the meet cute is just a trope used in fiction to move the story between two people forward. It doesn’t guarantee a happy ending, nor does it promise heartbreak. What the meet cute does is it provides a gateway for possibilities of what a relationship can turn into, which has to be the most realistic part of the concept altogether.