It's no secret that TV and movies can be pretty unrealistic. But when they start painting negative things in a positive light, it becomes a problem.
Well, Reddit user u/BeardedPogona recently posed the question, "What's something movies should stop romanticizing?"
And so many people pointed out problematic tropes in both TV and film! Here are some of the best responses:
1. "Trying to pursue someone who's already in a relationship."
2. "Having children. Seems like every movie pushes the idea that having kids is great and will change your life."
"The woman who doesn't want kids gets pregnant and decides to keep it, and suddenly her life is all sunshine and rainbows. She was a 'sad, pathetic loser' until she had kids."
3. "The word 'no.' It means, 'I don't want you,' not, 'Try harder.'"
"Trying to convince other people that they should give you a chance, that you are the love of their life. That shit is toxic as fuck. If they say no, move on with your life."
4. "My father, who was an asshole until the last 10 minutes of this film, finally approves of me! Reconciliation, yay!"
"Why not more characters who learn that their father's approval means jack shit if the father isn't worth respecting in the first place?"
5. "Stop romanticizing doctors doing everything. Nurses do a lot of the work like asking questions, moving patients to different rooms, starting IVs, putting in catheters, and monitoring patients."
"Grey's Anatomy, I'm lookin' at you."
6. "The hero gets the girl. Because of this trope, a lot of guys, who are the hero of their own story, assume that they deserve a girl. And when some of these dudes don't get one, they get really pissed."
7. "Violence as a very common first means of intervention in conflict management."
8. "Relationships that blossom from shared trauma. You have a hostage crisis, or two random people team up to escape or defuse a bomb that will blow up the whole building...and they fall in love!"
"Often, they are total opposites and start off hating each other, but by then end, those two realize how perfect they are together! Shared trauma is not always the healthiest foundation for a relationship between people whose lifestyles are clearly (or already proven to be) incompatible."
9. "The stalker thing. 'Oh my god, he followed me home and stood outside my house in the rain for five hours. He really does love me.' Like, no Brittney, he's fuckin' creepy."
10. "A man and a woman arguing, and the arguing is resolved or put to a halt by him kissing her. She just leans into it and accepts it, and all is well."
"This is very unrealistic; a woman is not usually in the mood for romance/sex during a fight. Also, it teaches viewers that you can get your partner to shut up just by forcing a 'moment.' There’s no effort, no trying to make amends, no trying to hear the other person out. Just a cheap way to clear the air."
11. "The idea that people who are the tops in their field are allowed to be massive assholes because they're always right. Manners don't stop being a thing because you studied."
12. "That first-time sex is always spectacular."
13. "The 'good cop' doing bad things (and literally breaking the law) for the 'right reasons.'"
14. "Cheating. I hate movies with cheaters; shit's disgusting."
15. "People taking off their glasses and then suddenly looking amazing."
16. "If boys verbally abuse girls, it’s because they secretly like you."
17. And finally, "Teacher/student relationships."
"In Pretty Little Liars, one of the characters was having an affair with an English teacher. She was 16; he was 26. It was totally romanticized and disgusting."
What do you think should stop being romanticized in TV and movies? LMK in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.