Romance Lost

I've always clung tightly to romantic comedies (RC). As it seems, no matter how bad it gets, it always gets better in the end. People do fix problems in 94 minutes and people are capable of great change from one gesture.

The RC mission statement: Audience member shall walk into the theater feeling marginally fair and exit with restored sense of loveliness. Hell, even feel prettier, thinner, happier with appearance when checking hair in rearview mirror.

Now, like everything else, most films have stopped trying to romantasize reality. Oh, you can't wrap someone's heart into a little bow and make things infinitely better? Yes, there are amazing stories out there. People can change (when they want to) and gestures can be made, but I've come to believe that any movie that glamorizes the concept was put together by a poor sap who did NOT have the fairy tale ending, and figured they'd change up the finale to make themselves feel better. Selfish bastards.

I've discussed on numerous occasions with a close male friend of mine how movies in the 1940s-1960s musical genre are charming, as they gave the appearance of clean simplicity.

I cannot tell a lie. I really believed growing up that husbands and wives were full of grace. Turns out, our parents are people. it's just that former generations weren't strewing their garbage all over the lawn. I can't decide which I appreciate more. Authenticity or the respect of ones' partner and morals. The ability to relate and know you're not alone or fear of ever extending yourself past the point of loving only at arm's length. All these crap notions people say to make themselves feel better - to relate - really only end up hurting us in the end.

So speaking only from a 27-year-old girl's perspective, who after dating a series of very not-nice men, really does still hope that there has to be some kind of fluke (straight) dude out there that will set some amazing examples (the movies always told me so) -- I've noticed a decline in the ability to "escape" to this mentality in the theater.

Rather than feeling hyped up on a false sense of reality, skip to the straight dose of crap people are holding behind closed doors and I leave feeling:

1. Happy I'm single.

2. Sad that I'm jaded.

3. Confused as to why anyone is even attempting a relationship when people inevitably hurt each other

How messed up is it that all while trying to relate to one another we just end up thinking that it is like this or that and neither ends up looking good.