Movies’ portrayal of romance flawed
If you’re a single woman and have watched the movie or read the book, “He’s Just Not That Into You,” you’ve experienced that moment of embarrassment when you realized you’re guilty of at least one “relationship crime.” If you haven’t watched the movie or read the book, I strongly suggest that you buy a pint of ice cream and do so now.
The story can be somewhat blunt; there’s an instant realization that men are not complicated. Women make men complicated. As a woman, I have officially gone against an unspoken code taken at birth by saying that, but we all know it’s true. Mothers tell young girls that when a boy is mean to you, it’s because he likes you; a statement that will plant itself in young girls’ brains and marks a downward spiral of terrible relationship advice. As we use the only advice we’ve heard multiple times throughout our youth; we then apply it to potential partners in adulthood. After all, it’s not like our beloved mothers would lie to us, right? (*cough* The Easter Bunny *cough*).
Ladies, let’s face it, if a guy likes you, he’ll do anything to be with you. If he doesn’t call, it’s not because “he’s intimidated by your success,” or “he’s really busy,” it’s because he’s just not that into you.
Not only do we lie to ourselves about why “he” isn’t returning our calls, women lie to other women as to why they are experiencing the “cold shoulder,” which is also a sign of being a terrible friend. Accept the fact that he’s not calling because he doesn’t want to call you, and you’ve formulated an “okay date” to be an “exceptional date” in your mind. Remember: men are simple, women make men complicated. Relationships can be broken down into two categories: the rule, and the exception.
The rule, as stated before, is “if a guy likes you he’ll do anything to be with you.” The exception, however, is what you see in the movies. We all hope this will happen to us, but very rarely does. Regrettably, I haven’t had a man knock on my door to declare his love for me while standing in the rain. As unfortunate as that is, the expectation of being the exception will only lead to disappointment. Unless it actually happens, then marry the guy and never come to your friends or me with love complaints for the rest of your movie-based-relationship life.
Although the story is humorous, embarrassing, and quite frankly a tear-jerker, we all know the girl desperate for love finds her dream guy in an unexpected place, the moral is what left a lasting impression on me. The main character narrates,
“Girls are taught a lot of stuff growing up. If a guy punches you, he likes you. Never try to trim your own bangs, and someday you will meet a wonderful guy and get your very own happy ending.” Although true, she continues to explain, “the path to happiness is not through finding another person, but through finding yourself.”
So, I advise all women to do what they love and someday, when it’s right, someone somewhere will love you, for you. Until then, enjoy your youth, have stupid jokes with your friends, speak in terrible accents, and find your passion for life. It is when you least expect love that love expects you.