We all know the typical romantic movie, TV show, or book…
The geeky guy suddenly becomes hot and gets the captain of the cheerleading squad or the quiet and shy girl that no one knows gets the all star football player boyfriend and in like a week they fall in tear jerking, can’t be without each other, I love you with all my heart and soul true love…
This is absolutely unrealistic.
Movies, books, and TV shows all give off this unrealistic view on finding “true love.”
Take any 80’s movie from “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Breakfast Club,” “Pretty in Pink,” or “Sixteen Candles.” Each of these movies ends with two completely different people ( from geeky and popular to a jock and a nobody) falling in deep passionate love. In “Sixteen Candles” a nobody sophomore named Samantha is in love with the most popular senior, Jake Ryan. As you can guess (because it’s a typical unrealistic teenage love movie), Jake realizes he loves this girl who he doesn’t know at all. So Jake, being the lover he is, sweeps Samantha off her feet in his red sleek convertible and they live happily ever after.
I’m not saying that two people who are complete opposites can’t fall in love but movies give off this false impression that in high school your going to find this earth-moving, body-shaking, fireworks-going-off love.
Then we have the modern day triangle love affairs between vampires, werewolves, and humans…aka Twilight. The Twilight Series, other than being about vampire and werewolf fights, is all about Bella and Edward’s unconditional love for each other. In the first book and movie, Bella states after about a month (and on the first day her and Edward become official), “About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was part of him — and I didn’t know how potent that part might be — that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”
So in the Romeo and Juliet Shakespearean love way (falling in love in three days), this movie and book yet again give off the impression that your true love may just be your biology partner (oh, and a vampire)…
It’s not like love doesn’t exist, it does.
But the movies such as “Twilight” and “Sixteen Candles” portray it unrealistically for the average person.
Maybe you will make out with your boyfriend in the pouring rain passionately, or maybe a girl you thought never would have an interest in you does, but don’t watch “The Notebook” or read a Sarah Dessen book and expect to find Prince Charming or the one true love of your life right now.
Watch those movies or read those books so you can take a break from reality and enjoy the fairytale and sappy story, but once you’re done, come back to the real world and don’t get caught up in the unrealistic portrayal of finding true love.