I Knew It–Romantic Comedies are Bad for You!
I’ve titled this post with tongue planted somewhat in cheek–but only somewhat. As a practicing Buddhist committed to at least trying to understand things as they are and meet the present moment on its own terms, I find that certain kinds of escapist fare don’t sit very well with me–in particular, romantic comedies. As a result, I tend to avoid them. Well, it turns out that that avoidance might be good common sense. The BBC reports today that Ediburgh’s Heriot Watt University has produced a study which suggests that romantic comedies can contribute to relationship problems.
- They found fans of films such as Runaway Bride and Notting Hill often fail to communicate with their partner.
Many held the view if someone is meant to be with you, then they should know what you want without you telling them.
Psychologists at the family and personal relationships laboratory at the university studied 40 top box office hits between 1995 and 2005, and identified common themes which they believed were unrealistic.
The movies included
You’ve Got Mail, Maid In Manhattan, The Wedding Planner and While You Were Sleeping.The university’s Dr. Bjarne Holmes said: “Marriage counsellors often see couples who believe that sex should always be perfect, and if someone is meant to be with you then they will know what you want without you needing to communicate it.
“We now have some emerging evidence that suggests popular media play a role in perpetuating these ideas in people’s minds.
“The problem is that while most of us know that the idea of a perfect relationship is unrealistic, some of us are still more influenced by media portrayals than we realise.”
