[OldIronTits]

Romantic comedies affecting off-screen love lives

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66K4JK20100721

[Gandolph13]

No more than parents who bring their daughters up believing they are a princess, and then they expect constant attention, and to be treated like a queen.
What isn't portrayed in Hollywood that's nothing like real life?
Launching a taxi at a helicopter....sure, done that.
Free fall 15 stories escaping an inferno, land in a rubbish bin and survive....sure, done that (twice).
Fall in love with the demanding princess, who expects to live on a pedestal and be waited on hand and foot, without ever lifting a finger....sure, done that (more than I care to remember.

See the pattern forming?

Hollywood is about entertainment, and people have to be able to distinguish fact from fiction, but I guess when others live their lives through reality crap like big brother, and other soapies, they fall into some unrealistic universe where they think it's all real life.

I know when I look up at the stars I'm not going to see that UFO zoom past followed by Will Smith in the ultra secret fighter jet!

I've never seen a fighter jet over my area!

[WillowSun]

Quote:

One in four Australians said they were now expected to know what their partner was thinking while one in five respondents said it made their partners expect gifts and flowers 'just because'.

"It seems our love of rom-coms is turning us into a nation of "happy-ever-after addicts." Yet the warm and fuzzy feeling they provide can adversely influence our view of real relationships," said Australian relationship counselor, Gabrielle Morrissey.

"Real relationships take work and true love requires more than fireworks."

The interesting thing is how since the 80s, our TV has become dominated by US Rom-Coms (and tv programs per se) not British, and how this has resulted in this phenomenon. Brit rom-coms dont portray relationships like this (eg we also don't 'date' or "go steady" - we just go for it). In fact, we're not really romantic, much like the British. We also dont communicate our emotions to everyone, again much like the British. Hence its no surprise the teen to 20s population band is evidencing the US influence as they've had very different influences to their elder age classes (damn you Friends!).

Another really strong influence here is rap music and basketball. I can recall Aboriginal kids in my home town suddenly looking like African Americans and being 'gangstas' from the early 90s when this music really hit Oz, and was accompanied by the sudden popularity of basketball and its associated fashion (high cut boots and singlets).

Monkey see. Monkey do.