Story by Lucy Coffey and Maja Ravlic
What draws us to romantic comedies? Maybe it’s the idea that these situations, while exaggerated, feel more possible than an action movie or a horror film. Is it the predictable endings and simplicity of love unfolding right in front of our eyes? Or is it that the things in these movies rarely happen in real life and that is just comforting?
Let’s be real, no one is getting randomly serenaded during band practice, and if someone is throwing rocks at your window, it’s probably an intruder, not your soulmate. Whether or not these things have happened to you, here are a few romantic comedy gestures you should never try in real life.
1. “You’ve Got Mail” by Nora Ephron
Don’t emotionally cheat on your partner, even if it’s “only” online.
According to IMDb, “You’ve Got Mail” is a semi-modern retelling of the 1940 rom-com “The Shop Around the Corner.” It tells the story of Kathleen Kelly, an independent bookseller who has formed a serious connection with a stranger in an online chat room while already having a pre-existing partner. Little does she know, she’s corresponding with the partial owner of the corporate company Fox Books, Joe Fox, who also has a partner.
Freshman Maggie Salajka from Memphis, Tennessee said that when she watched the movie, the whole situation felt “icky.”
“They’re both already living with their partners, so it’s still considered emotional cheating,” Salajka said.
Fox Books has succeeded in shutting down countless independent bookstores and Kathleen’s is next on the list. Eventually, Kathleen and Joe figure out who each other are and they fall in love.
While the movie has a cute concept, great cinematography, and a wonderful soundtrack, it’s hard to ignore one of the glaring red flags within the two main characters. While they both find each other online and form a deep connection, Kathleen and Joe are already dating other people. Kathleen is living with her boyfriend, Frank, while Joe is living with his girlfriend, Patricia. That being said, if you’re living with your partner, don’t entertain the idea of a deep connection with someone online.
2. “While You Were Sleeping” by Jon Turteltaub
Don’t lie about who you are to get closer to your crush.
Film director Jon Turteltuab’s “While You Were Sleeping” is about a young woman who gets herself into a mix-up with a man she doesn’t know, according to IMDb. Lucy Moderatz works as a transit worker at a train station and has a crush on a handsome stranger who takes the train every morning. One day, the stranger is mugged and pushed into the train tracks. Lucy saves him and rides over to the hospital with him. The stranger, now known as Peter, is in a coma. Due to a misplaced comma, Lucy is mistaken as Peter’s fiance by Peter’s family and is immediately taken into their home.
Junior Hannah Escue from Lebanon, Tennessee, said that the whole situation in the movie was horrible and that she should have never lied.
“She should have immediately told the truth and clarified it,” Escue said.
Eventually, Peter’s brother, Jack, has some suspicions about Lucy’s true intentions. At the end of the movie, Lucy’s reveals her identity. Peter wakes up from his coma and Lucy and Jack fall in love.
It’s true: We’ve all had a crush that we yearned to grow closer to. Most of the time, there is a lack of opportunities for us to grow closer to our crush, and the feelings are never confessed. While Lucy had this opportunity to interact with her crush, she made one dreadful mistake of lying about who she was when she met Peter’s family. Sure, it might have been an honest mistake on her part, but that doesn’t erase the fact that she lied to this man’s family and entered their home.
In the event that you have the opportunity to interact with your crush or your incapacitated crush’s family members, you shouldn’t lie about who you are. It’s not the way to win over your potential beloved’s heart. Instead, it’ll only show your crush that you’re willing to lie your way to their attention. Even though Lucy still has a happy ending in the movie, don’t do it.
3. “She’s All That” by Robert Iscove
Don’t try to change your partner, instead, embrace them for who they are.
Funnily enough, “She’s All That” is also a semi-modern retelling of a classic story, according to IMDb. “She’s All That” retells the story of the play “Pygmalion” and the movie “My Fair Lady,” this time in a high school setting instead of Edwardian-era England. Zack Siler accepts a bet to turn an unpopular girl at school into the next prom queen after he is dumped by his ex-girlfriend, Taylor. Zack attempts to befriend the token unpopular girl, Laney, but has a hard time earning her affection. He teaches her how to be popular and eventually, she is prom queen.
After Zack is forced to confess to Laney about the bet, she refuses to speak to him and agrees to go to prom with Zack’s friend, Dean. After hearing about Dean’s sickening ulterior motives to seduce Laney, Zack goes to save her but finds that she’s fended him off herself. As expected, they both confess their feelings for one another and share their first kiss.
I will admit, I love the story of “My Fair Lady,” so I like “She’s All That”. However, one thing that I don’t like is Zack’s initial plan to change Laney to be someone totally different for his own gain. It’s important to embrace your partner for who they are. You should at the very least value their interests and hobbies –that’s what makes them unique.
Salajka said that she didn’t understand these types of plotlines in rom-coms.
“Don’t try to change other people,” Salajka said. “If you really liked her, you wouldn’t want to change her.”
Unlike Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady,” Laney had no idea that Zack was trying to change her for his own personal gain. As far as she knows for the first part of the movie, this random boy shows an interest in her. It’s a selfish and manipulative way to treat a person, and you shouldn’t do it.
4. “10 Things I Hate About You” by Gil Junger
Save the grand gesture for a more private time.
According to IMDb, “10 Things I Hate About You features Bianca. Due to her father’s rules, she cannot date unless her antisocial older sister, Kat, has a boyfriend. This leads to Cameron, who has interest in Bianca, to scheme a way to set Kat up with someone. Cameron ends up paying a boy, Patrick Verona, a bad boy with a mysterious reputation, to charm Kat, a senior who loves indie rock feminist prose and hates conformity. Eventually, both their stubborn hearts soften for each other despite unwanted romantic tropes that came along the way.
Let’s be real; no one is getting a random serenade during soccer practice. If someone’s paying you to hijack the public address system or round up a band to crash practice, the consequences are definitely going to cost more than the five bucks you just pocketed for lunch. As a former athlete, I can say with confidence that the last thing I’d want is for my partner to see me all sweaty and exhausted while belting out their love for me. Save the grand gesture and the cringe serenade for after practice!
Junior Jess Bacon from Louisville said that paying someone to charm someone else is a selfless way to say you love somebody.
“The first time I saw it, I cringed about how embarrassed I would be if someone did that for me,” Bacon said.
5. “Love & Basketball” by Gina Prince-Bythewood
Don’t choose your passion over love, when you CAN have both!
“Love & Basketball” shows how the two main characters, Quincy McCall and Monica Wright, grew up in the same neighborhood. According to IMDb, as they continue into adulthood, they fall in love, but they also share another all-consuming passion: basketball. In the end, they eventually follow separate career paths through high school and college basketball. By the end of the movie, both characters end up finding each other back on the court where they first met, finally realizing their love for each other was meant to be.
In rom-coms involving sports, we see athletes so consumed by their careers that they end up shutting out love. Yes, it’s crucial to stay focused on your goals, but it’s just as important to have love and support by your side. Balancing dreams with relationships isn’t easy, but it’s possible and could be worth it.
Junior Janyiah Lewis from Louisville said that she thinks you should lean on your partner while also achieving your goals.
“I think you should be able to have your dream and have love,” Lewis said.
Healthy boundaries and clear communication are key. Set expectations and be honest about how you feel toward each other. You don’t want to chase your dreams only to find the one you love isn’t there with you. It’s OK to have both and you don’t have to choose one over the other. Don’t be stubborn about it. Embrace the balance.
6. “Love, Rosie” by Christian Ditter
Don’t hold your feelings in, tell them how you feel!
“Love, Rosie” follows two best friends, Rosie and Alex, who have spent the majority of their childhood together. According to IMDb, as years pass they get older and circumstances shift them separate ways. They both continue to hide their feelings for each other. Despite the time passing between the two, they eventually come to each other with their true feelings.
Many of us struggle with expressing our true feelings, whether it’s admitting our love for a best friend or embracing a passion we’re afraid others won’t understand. We should never hold back from being true to who we are. Love should be freeing and honest, not something we keep locked away out of fear. One of the biggest mistakes in rom-coms and real life is avoiding our feelings instead of expressing them. “Love, Rosie” perfectly demonstrates this.
Rosie and Alex spend years dancing around their emotions. They are missing out on love and happiness because neither dared to speak up. While the ending is beautiful and hopeful, imagine how much more love they could have shared if they had been honest from the start. We can’t control who we love, but we can control whether we choose to speak our truth. Holding back only leads to regret, and life is too short for that!
Overall, rom-coms serve as a nice way to escape reality. From the outlandish plotlines to the sweet soundtracks, it’s nice to cozy up and watch an unrealistic plot about love. We must notice the red flags and toxic behaviors that are often expressed in these movies. Even more importantly, we mustn’t repeat these behaviors in real life.
