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The Problem with Chick Flicks.


I really, really, really enjoy a select few movies that I willingly watch over and over again. Pride and Prejudice is one of them. You see, Elizabeth's defense of her family, her sense of self respect, her ability to admit that she was wrong and to appreciate Darcy despite all his quirks, and quizzical brow-ness... it's marvelous.

My husband doesn't share the sentiment, could you tell? ... and that's okay.

There's rare a chick flick I enjoy near as much as I enjoy Pride and Prejudice or A Walk To Remember, and I wanted to explain why. You see, there's more than just a few problems with (many, not all) chick flicks:
 (and if you have a chick flick that escapes many of these pitfalls then please oh please leave it's title in the comment section!)
  • The heroine (or suitor) is less than honorable. I have a hard time rooting for a girl to get a gentleman when she's spending her time being scandalously loose with other men (#thenotebook). And vice versa. While there's some funny quotes in You've Got Mail, I find it revolting that they enjoy their correspondence so much while simultaneously living with another partner.
  • The two usually fall in love based off of some facade they've created or after a stream of lies. Have you seen How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days or Failure to Launch ? While I openly admit that Matthew Mcconaughey is a tremendously talented actor, and while many elements of both of these movies were quite comedic, it made me squirm that the love interests lied to each other for 95% of the film and then still ended up together. No offense, but I don't think a lack of honesty ever makes a girl (or guy) feel special or feel stable in a relationship in the end.
  • An overwhelmingly imbalanced focus on appearances and wealth and not enough esteem of morals and character (and hey, I concede, I realize that Pride and Prejudice puts a little too much focus on Darcy's wealth). 
  • I've yet to find a chick flick that focuses on continual courtship in a marital relationship and I sure as heck am hungry for one. Love is not just about falling in love. There's so much more beyond that which is sweeter.

So yep. There you have it. Secret's out. To be honest I get more of a thrill watching Aragorn's love for Arwen in LOTR than I do in most girl-geared movies, because he's so freaking loyal to her. I melt every time I watch The Amazing Spider Man because Gwen and Peter are so wonderfully awkward together, and they team up in their own nerdy and mutant ways to fight evil. 

You may disagree, and I fully acknowledge that and openly appreciate that you have a different opinion. But this is mine. 

Comments

  1. RachelleAugust 21, 2018 at 6:35 PM

    And there's almost always a "scene". That's my least favorite part of chick flicks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownAugust 22, 2018 at 10:31 AM

    Oh my goodness! I am in the middle of a month long rant about the problems with chick-flicks, and I love that it seems you are too! I have my own blog post on the topic in the works! My issue is mostly about the advertisement of what men want in a chic-flick. A different way of saying the same thing you are. I think too many girls watch (re: me) these with the idea that they're learning about how they should act in order to catch a guy (or lose a guy), rather than seeing that the flicks are just feminine fantasies. They're make-believe of either the most romantic, most comedic, most dramatic, most heartbreaking, or sexiest situations imaginable. The day-to-day love and service wouldn't be nearly so sell-worthy, but it's the most important part of a real relationship that movies just can't capture. College Basketball, or whatever the hubs is watching, is my new chic-flick...for better or for worse. haha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mikayla JohnsonAugust 22, 2018 at 8:21 PM

      Kasey please message me when you finish writing your post, I'm glad I'm not the only one bothered with this issue! I totally agree, lots of these movies set up a false expectation of how guys and girls should act in order to make romance happen. I hope some talented writer can bring day-to-day love and service into a beautiful story someday!

      Delete
  3. SaraAugust 22, 2018 at 9:36 PM

    Have you tried the other Jane Austen movies? Like Sense and Sensiblity? I think it's hilarious. Jessica would not agree.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mikayla JohnsonAugust 23, 2018 at 9:00 AM

      I love Sense & Sensibility, not as much as Elizabeth Bennett's story, but still good :)

      Delete
    2. J H PettitOctober 31, 2018 at 2:43 PM

      Sara: Bo-ring! I'll just watch LOTR with you and Mikayla and call it good. ;)

      Delete
    3. Mikayla JohnsonNovember 1, 2018 at 5:30 PM

      <3 I miss both of you!!!

      Delete
  4. SarahAugust 23, 2018 at 6:21 AM

    the new guernsey literary and potato peel pie society is awesome. ps. i'd love to hear your thoughts on princess movies sometime

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mikayla JohnsonAugust 23, 2018 at 9:00 AM

      Wow I've never heard of that series! I'll have to check it out! Thanks

      Delete

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