Warning: romantic comedies can be hazardous to your health.
Forget artery-clogging trans-fats, chemically-altered artificial sweeteners, unexpressed anxiety and unprotected sex. New research suggests the latest in the hazardous-to-your-health lineup is… going to the movies. (Surprisingly, this has nothing to do with what you buy or don’t buy at the snack counter.)But relax! According to scientists, it’s still absolutely safe to tuck into a juicy shoot-‘em-up; likewise, a good old fashioned tear-jerker isn’t likely to do much harm. Thankfully, action-adventure and sci-fi films, westerns and war movies, even a three-day marathon of Hitchcock flicks also won’t leave you any worse for the wear. It’s those nefarious romantic comedies—rom-coms, as insiders call the insidious big screen baddies—that are going to bring us down. I am not making this up. Here are some actual, verbatim lines from various sources reporting on the study:
"Rather than being harmless entertainment, romantic comedies give people unrealistic – and potentially unhealthy – expectations about real-life relationships, scientists say."
"Researchers found that those who watched romantic comedies were more likely to believe in predestined love than those who preferred other genres of movie."
"They were also more likely to believe that perfect relationships happen instantly, and were less likely to believe that couples need to work at relationships."
I guess it’s true that you rarely hear of a rash of tragedies after the latest superhero movie comes out. (“Poor bastard thought he could fly!”) And as far as I know, hordes of drones don’t quit their day jobs and start singing karaoke in dive bars after they rent Rent. So why are so many poor slobs being disillusioned by It Could Happen to You?"Researchers found that those who watched romantic comedies were more likely to believe in predestined love than those who preferred other genres of movie."
"They were also more likely to believe that perfect relationships happen instantly, and were less likely to believe that couples need to work at relationships."
It could be the lack of reality. Imagine if “rom-coms” were actually true to life. Forget the happy endings; here’s what you’d have instead:
Pretty Woman: Edward wakes up to the shocking realization that his girlfriend is a hooker and promptly dumps her. Vivian eventually dies a homeless meth addict; Eddie marries his hot secretary Candy who becomes a frumpy housewife practically overnight. A parade of affairs ensues before Candy takes Eddie to the cleaners.
