Have you ever watched a rom-com? Rom-coms are one of the most popular types of movies among high school students, especially as Valentine’s Day rolls around once again.
As high schoolers are looking for love, they often look up to rom-com relationships. It is common to hear a peer talk about how much they wish they had the guy in a rom-com because of how sweet they seem. While this is a normal part of being a teenager, some rom-com relationships shouldn’t be idolized.
The Notebook:
Have you ever seen this picture? This picture of Noah from The Notebook is very commonly used among teenagers. Noah is seen as a very respectful and yearning man, which are aspects that teenage girls want in their boyfriends as well, resulting in some high schoolers using this photo as a way to show they are trying to be like Noah. As most know, Noah waited years for the love of his life, Allie, built her dream house, and sent her letters every day for a year, just to get her back. While it’s great that girls are raising their standards to look for a more respectful man, it’s unrealistic to want a man exactly like Noah, because it isn’t likely that a man will do all of that for a girl in high school.
10 Things I Hate About You:
This scene from 10 Things I Hate About You is rather moving to many high school students. The raw emotions shared by Kat and the regret displayed on Patrick’s face create a very intense atmosphere. In the movie, Patrick had accepted a bet from a classmate to take Kat to the prom. Kat’s sister Bianca was not allowed to attend the prom unless Kat was asked out as well. So, Cameron, a new student crushing on Bianca, took it upon himself to set up a bet that Patrick would take out Kat, so he could take out Bianca. This scene happened soon after Kat found out Patrick only liked her because of the bet. A lot of people admire Patrick because he tried his absolute hardest to win Kat back after breaking her heart. Should we admire him? If this were to happen in a high school, should a girl forgive a guy for doing that? Probably not.
To All The Boys I Loved Before:
To All the Boys I Loved Before is one of the most popular teen rom-coms. Peter and Lara Jean’s relationship is very influential to teenagers around the world. Should we look up to this relationship? Peter and Lara Jean had a fake relationship to make Peter’s ex-girlfriend jealous and to convince their classmate Josh that Lara Jean did not have feelings for him. Throughout their fake relationship, they realize they have feelings for each other. Of course, this story is very sweet, but would this be a good thing in the real world? Creating a fake relationship isn’t the best idea, and it shouldn’t be normalized just to find a partner.
How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days:
A common theme among popular rom-coms is placing bets on women, like in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. In this movie, Andie’s boss suggested a bet that she write an article on how to lose a guy in 10 days. Ben’s possible business partner suggested a bet: he would make a random girl fall in love with him, all for a business opportunity. Without either of them knowing of the other person’s bets, they start to spend time with each other. Andie continuously tries to be the most annoying and agitating woman ever, to hopefully lose him in 10 days. During this, Ben did not feel attraction towards Andie; it was all for the bet. Throughout this fake relationship, they slowly start to develop genuine feelings. Once they both figure out about the bets, they split, and after a while, they end up back together. If this were to happen to a teenager, the other person would never be forgiven, so we shouldn’t be looking up to this relationship, as the initial intentions were not genuine.
After:
The relationship between Hardin and Tessa is one of the most romanticized relationships among all teen rom-coms. While their relationship in the After franchise can be relatable to a lot of teens, it shouldn’t be romanticized. Hardin struggles with major anger issues and ended up hurting Tessa, not just once, but multiple times. Tessa struggled with major depression and harmful thoughts because of this. Though he changed in the end, Tessa shouldn’t have stuck around to see the change. Abuse is not right, and she experienced various counts of abuse and manipulation. This shouldn’t be normalized, and especially not throughout high schools.
Even though some rom-coms are truly sweet stories, not all of them should be romanticized. Movies are not real, so we shouldn’t be treating them as such. Be realistic and don’t look up to relationships that wouldn’t be ethical in the real world.
