The Romantic Comedy

I must admit, the Romcom is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. I don't know why it has to
be guilty though, because after reading this chapter it confirmed the fact that it follows the
formula just as much as other genres. So why are romcoms given a hard time? I suppose
maybe it is because it is kinda cheesy? And maybe because everyone knows that the love-
story will most likely not happen to them. Which brings me to my next point.
McDonald asks the question, on page 14, are romantic comedies benign, supplying an on-
screen fantasy of perpetual bliss usually lacking in real life? Or do they negatively promote
daydreams, making audiences long for a perfection which can, realistically, never be
accomplished, leaving people dissatisfied with themselves and the relationships they do
have? After actually reading it on the page, I realized that what he is saying is totally true. I
watch these romcoms in hopes that one day a similar story will happen to me, but when the
movie is over I do analyze my own life negatively because it has not.
Nevertheless, romcoms are a structured genre. Just because its content and ideology aren't
as deep as maybe a western or gangster film, doesn't mean it is cliche rather than a trope.
Haters.