A First Attempt at a Blog: Love, the Movies and Other Problematic Things

Before I say/type anything, I'd just like to draw attention to the fact that this is my first blog which contain any sort of substantial thoughts and/or feelings. So please go easy on me as you read whatever words follow this declaration. Thank you very much for stopping by.

So the down side of summer vacation, for me personally, is that fact that it gives you all this time to think. Thinking has always been sort of problematic for me because my mind seems to perpetually wander back to things past/painful events etc. One of which would be the feeling or allusive concept of love. I'm beginning to think that perhaps the television/movie industry has attributed to my feelings towards what love is, and belief that it exists.

Now, I should say that I do believe that love exists for people. My parents have been married for something like 25 years and despite their nagging banter, I know that no one else could put up with either of them the way they have put up with each other. But lately, I find myself watching certain television shows and/or films that leave me feeling slightly bitter or with an ere of ridicule. That not only are these characters undeniably in love but that you are some sort of freak for:

a) not wanting to get married and live happily ever after
b) not going to great lengths and obstacles in order to find love
c) the delusion that some sort of perpetual state of bliss actually exists

Now I know you're supposed to "suspend your disbelief" when watching movies but certain films seem stretch this idea reasonably thin. Allow me to provide some examples.



1. Pretty Woman - Richard Gere pays Julia Roberts to be his date/sexual play thing. They have sex on a hotel piano and somehow end up living happily ever after when Julia Roberts decides to give up a life of slutting it up and do the infamous "go back to school."

Somehow, millionaire Gere finds the prostitute endearing enough to fall for even though the movie gives the allusion that he could basically have any woman he wants. But instead of choosing a nice society woman, he chooses the prostitute with the prospective sexual diseases.

Now, call me bitter if you will but allow me to ask this question: Is this supposed to be some sort of representation of reality? I don't know about other parts of the world but I don't find any rich men looking to find love in the lives of prostitutes in Hamilton.

More importantly, if these two unlikely characters can find love together, what is wrong with you, the movie goer if you're in a less compromising predicament but still find yourself alone?

2. A Lot Like Love - Amanda Peet and Ashton Kutcher have a random sexual encounter on an airplane after eyeing each other in the airport before boarding. The story of these two character spans over roughly ten years (I believe). Because obviously if you meet someone on a plane you are going to see them again multiple times throughout your lifetime. Don't be ridiculous in thinking otherwise. They meet up the second time on a random city street in LA (even though neither of them actually LIVE there, but that’s of course irrelevant) and exchange phone numbers to prove that Kutcher's character will be rich and famous according to his "life plan." Peet's character randomly calls him up years later for a New Years Eve date (as she has recently been dumped. Note: being dumped is actually realistic). When she finds the receipt for the restaurant because of COURSE! She still has it! And wouldn't you know it? He's free for New Year's too!

The story goes on like this, Kutcher moves and so does she but they meet up a few more times and sleep together before that inevitable moment of realization that they will spontaneously combust if they don't get together forever (even though this was never a concern to either of them before said moment of enlightenment). Peet's character stalks him down in a rush against time (a possible looming wedding for him, no less) to that moment with the kiss and they feel the same way about each other and no notice that she stalked him down to his parent’s house and entered without invitation and the fact that she's slightly crazy.

So in short here's the recipe: meeting on a plane + living in different cities + seeing each other only a few random times in life = true love forever!

All I can think after viewing these two films and countless others is that, if it takes this kind of hoop jumping to find someone, and the women are beautiful like Julia Roberts, what hope to normal people have? And if you think about it in terms of reality, even she had to marry Lyle Lovett first.