DIRECTOR'S CUT: 10 TROPES We Hate About Rom Coms
We see a lot of repeated tropes in romantic comedies, but do we see any of those same things in real life?
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright walk through ten of their least favorite rom com tropes -- from things that would never happen in real life, to things that would be super creepy if they did, and some that actually happen a lot in real life and what we can learn from that. They break down some of the things that make these onscreen relationships unhealthy, and some of the qualities and actions that make a stable, healthy relationship and how to implement these in our own relationships. And this gives them an excuse to cram in a whole lot of references to their favorite and least favorite rom coms! (Because they don't actually hate rom coms, just some of the tropes that perpetuate unhealthy relationships.)
Comments (7)
Did anyone else notice that Jono said “pup-poo” instead of “poo-poo”?? I was dying 😂😂
I've only known one "enemies" to lovers couple. "Enemies" might be a bit strong, but they didn't like each other. Their best friends were dating and so when they got dragged along by the couple, they ended up doing things together and over time they got to know each other and wound up dating and then getting married. I was in a love triangle briefly. When I found out that she couldn't choose, I bowed out. I don't know how long they were married, but when I met her again years later, they had divorced. I have no idea how we would have done and haven't really contemplated it.
I think the thing that makes miscommunication so maddening is that they don't do the realistic, human miscommunications that happen everyday, they do some big dramatic one that could easily be explained by asking ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION instead of either immediately jumping to conclusions in spite of all evidence, or the other person saying "wait, I can explain/it's not what it looks like". It *really* drives me crazy when in order to make it work, they have the offended character make insinuations that are just close enough to the truth for the other character to get freaked out, but just vague enough that they can't actually realize the person has it wrong, leading them both to assume they know what's going on--the unbelievable part is that neither of them just outright say it. If you think you both have all of the same information, why not say what you mean directly? Why continue to be vague? Ugh. It's a lazy way to keep them from solving the problem.
I was actually in a love triangle for a month, and it was the longest month of my life. I was constantly juggling affections from two different guys and it was freaking exhausting. I was hurting two people at once and then I had to make a big hurt by cutting one off and telling him I couldn't be his friend while he obviously had a crush on me and I was with someone else. That wasn't fun. Love triangles are good drama to the outsider, but it honestly sucks.
THANK YOU FOR CALLING OUT HITCH. That really ruined the movie for me for far too long because it was just so unbelievable. Love triangles can be fun depending on the story. This is War isn't a good movie, yet I really enjoyed the way the story played out. Having been in one in real life, though, I would not want to do that again. I'd rather take the "Why choose?" route, but only if everyone is truly on board with it. I'm happy to be monogamous otherwise.
We need Keanu in a western! Why hasn't this happened yet?! And a good one ... please no Wild, Wild, West or Cowboys and Aliens. He's worthy of The Searchers, Open Range, c'mon! Can someone make this happen?
I once rescued a girl from having a knife thrown at her head by jumping really fast and just barely reaching to swat it out of the air with the tip of my middle finger. Quite heroic and painful but it did not endear her to me at all. Maybe if it had been wolves throwing knives. . .