Confusing messages about love & romance which the mass media send us

Media present us a certain point of view on how the relationships “usually” function. We, as the media consumers, should be aware of this fact, because the repeated “truth” really becomes the truth after some time, or in other words, it becomes a generally accepted way of functioning.

Let’s concentrate on the genre of romantic comedies. Such movies are said to be widely appreciated by women of all ages. The question is: does it leave any impact on the viewers in terms of relationships and romance? The answer is: yes, definitely.

Now, let’s examine some unrealistic messages the media send us.

1. Love at first sight

There is no love at first sight. There might be an attraction, no doubt about it, but not love. Love takes time to develop.  A good example of this “myth” is the recent Twilight series – when Bella first sees Edward, she instantly falls in love with him. As mentioned earlier, in real life, Bella would be attracted to Edward, might think he is hot and sexy, but not fall in love with him.


2. Total opposites

There is a phrase which says: “the opposites attract each other.” In relationship, it might work for a certain (short) period of time, but such relationships don’t usually last long. People having opposite ideas, goals and backgrounds can’t share a life together. An example is the movie Pretty Woman.  Can you imagine Vivian acting in such inappropriate way and still make the Edward fall in love with her? Doesn't work that way…

3. The real love ‘completes’ you

No, it doesn’t. It is often portrayed in fairy tales and Disney movies for children. The princess (for example Cinderella) has to wait for her prince, to rescue her and make all her dreams come true. In reality, a person should complete himself or herself. Take their life to their hands and deal with it.

Here is another interesting video about the so called "Cinderella Syndrome" which basically means that Cinderella is waiting for her prince to come, which gives the idea that girls should wait for their prince. However, in reality, they could be waiting at home for ever, and no one would probably come at all. :)

The article is based on information from Dr. Mary-Lou Galician from Arizona State University. She also shared her ultimate advice: “Get real!”

Are you still interested how to get real? Follow this link: http://www.realisticromance.com/PDFs/QuizRxWeb.pdf

Do you have any personal experience with the three previous points? Do you think they are true? Please share your opinions and experiences with us in comments.

Resources:
Dugas, T. (n.d.). Popular culture and mass media myths. Retrieved from http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/tdugas/ids3301/acrobat/romanticlove.pdf