The Trouble with Rom-Com’s

Oh the quintessential romantic comedy, the most original movie plot to ever hit the big screen. Here’s how it normally breaks down: girl meets boy and they originally hate each other, then something magical happens and they start to fall in love (BUT WAIT) some terrible misunderstanding occurs and postpones their happy ending for a brief 20 minutes until they finally realize they can’t live without each other…and CUT.  That’s a wrap ladies and gents! Girl meets boy, they fall in love and DONE! What happens afterwards? Well we usually never find out unless a boring and equally useless sequel is released shortly after. This is my biggest issue with the romance plot for girls; it sends the message to a young female audience that their greatest life achievement is to fall in love with the perfect man. 

While most young male bildungsroman stories consist of young men going on a journey to find their identity, women are only left with journeys of finding the perfect guy.  Regardless if the genre is horror, mystery, comedy, or coming-of-age, the plot normally consists of a young man saving humanity, and the hot girl, while simultaneously finding his identity. This sends an implicit message to young female viewers that their true quest in life is not to find their identity or cultivate their individuality, but to find the perfect man. Their great adventure does not consist of a perilous and exciting journey, but an active quest to find a perfect guy so they can settle for the rest of their life.  Growing up, I loved rom coms and thought that there was nothing better in life than finding that hot and funny guy. It wasn’t until I started reading more books with diverse female leads (such as Hunger Games) that I realized women could save the world, find their identity, and fall in love too!

There is a great need for a change in Hollywood. Romantic comedies, or other genres, should feature young women kicking ass and taking names (bonus points if she’s not scantily clad in a skintight outfit), or embarking on a perilous adventure; without having a huge romance plot in the middle of it. Young women need to know that their life’s journey does not solely consist of finding the perfect guy. It is imperative that young women learn that romance is just a subset of life, and not the only happy ending available.