Why I Love Romantic Comedies

“I simply regard romantic comedies as a subgenre of sci-fi, in which the world created therein has different rules than my regular human world.” 
― Mindy Kaling

Romantic Comedies, or “chick flicks” actually make up a pretty big part of my life. If I’ve had a terrible day, I’m confused about a guy, I’ve started to lose any faith I once had in love or I just want a movie night with the girls, rom coms are my go to. I think it all started because my mother brought me up on movies like Singing In The Rain and Guys And Dolls (both of which are fantastic, I highly recommend them). Classic movies all have this element of larger than life romance. The women were always so glamorous and the men would undoubtedly profess their love in some grand way. Therefore, as I got older, Romantic Comedy was naturally the genre I became attached to.

There seems to be this constant stream of hate towards chick flicks. Some say they are demeaning to women, some think the plots are too unrealistic and some are just cynical about love. I think the confusion is that these people are convinced that the genre I love is meant to be viewed as an actual representation of real relationships. I am well aware that the chances of me being swept off my feet by “Mr. Right” are incredibly low, but you know what, I’m okay with that. Romantic Comedies actually allow for some pretty kick ass female characters, many of which I would be thrilled to be like. These movies show how wonderful relationships can be, but they also show how confusing and painful and terrifying they are. So, to further prove my point, here are the top lessons I have learned from Romantic Comedies.    

1.      You need a kickass best friend. In my humble opinion, a movie is only as good as its supporting roles. You need someone who can make you laugh through the pain and bring you comfort with food no questions asked. The love you have for friends is just as important (if not more so) than the love you have for your significant other, because boyfriends (or girlfriends, you do you) come and go, but good friends are in it for the long haul.                                              
2.       Romance comes in many different forms. Sometimes it’s the love of your life running through the airport in order to proclaim their love to you (and make you miss your flight), but it can also be the way they look at you or remember your favorite things or agree to watch yet another romantic comedy with you because they know how much you love them. Romantic films show us portrayals of big gestures, which granted, are entertaining as hell, but not always accurate. However, these scenes also show women that hypothetically, someone could care about them enough to make a show of it.                                                                                          
3.       Love yourself first. Practically every romantic comedy has a sequence of the main female role being forced to confront her emotions and make peace with some element in her life before she can commit to her guy. I’ve always loved this aspect because, (to quote the fabulous Ru Paul) “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell you gonna love someone else?”                       
4.       The first man you fall for is not always the man you end up with. I think it’s important to remember that even though you may have loved someone, if it doesn’t work out with them, it isn’t the end of the world. Call up that kick ass best friend of yours and get back out there. Or eat ice cream and cry for a while, but you know eventually get back out there!                             
5.       The right person will love you, faults and all. One of the main things that make the men in romantic comedies seem so wonderful is that they love and accept their partner for who they really are. Women are always being told they need to change in order to look, act or dress a certain way and so the thought of someone loving us just the way we are is kind of spectacular.

As of right now, I am happily single, but whenever I want to play make believe I can re-watch my favorite chick flicks and enjoy every second of the sappy lines. I think that’s the main reason so many women enjoy romantic comedies, it’s just another way of playing make believe as an adult (other than the wedding board we all have on Pinterest).

            In case I’ve managed to persuade you to give rom coms a chance, or you’re a fan as well, I’ll include a list (in no particular order) with a few of my personal favorites. Enjoy!

1.     When Harry Met Sally

2.     The Proposal

3.     My Big Fat Greek Wedding

4.     Bridget Jones Diary

5.     Crazy Stupid Love

6.     Date Night

7.     The Notebook

8.     Letters to Juliet

9.     The Holiday

10.  500 Days of Summer

11.  Failure to Launch

12.  Breakfast at Tiffany’s

13.   Love Actually

14.  The Princess Bride

15.  Two Weeks Notice

16.  When in Rome

17.  Little Manhattan

18.  The Wedding Planner

19.  27 Dresses

20.  How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

21.  Notting Hill

22.  Pretty Woman

23.  Ever After: A Cinderella Story

24.  Penelope
25.  My Life in Ruins