Romantic or Creepy? Don't let Hollywood Decide!

We’ve all seen it; boy looks across the room, sees the girl of his dreams, falls in love, or girl has a crush on the popular jock, takes off her glasses, wins boys’ heart. While these story lines may make for great entertainment, the expectations these kinds of scenes create are completely unrealistic and can be harmful for those viewers who may be new to the dating game. 

If we break down the cycle of violence, we see that most unhealthy relationships start very quickly and move fast. There’s rarely conversation about expectations for each partner, and no discussion about personal boundaries. This leads to miscommunication, misunderstanding, and eventually conflict. 

That doesn’t sound like a box office hit to me. Instead, Hollywood shows scenes of partners (typically white, heterosexual, able-bodied, attractive partners) effortlessly falling for one another, resolving any conflict with sex, and living happily ever after. 

It’s not that we’re advocating to end production for these kinds of films, but we do believe it’s important for viewers to understand the difference between realistic and fictional relationships. Heart is partnering with LOV-Dane for a screening of Twilight, on August 24th. We will break into discussion groups after watching the film to talk about the differences between relationships in movies and in real life. If you are interested in learning more or registering, click here.
We hope to see you there!

-Jordann Mason, Community Outreach Director