It’s peak romantic comedy season. Several stations have this genre in heavy rotation as the time leading up to the holidays and through Valentine’s Day is the period in which a new meet-cute romance hits our screens almost every weekend. These movies are easily digestible, fun to watch, and often provide us with feel good experience. People may also be drawn to them as they often depict an idealized version of a relationship where anything, in both the partnership and life itself, is possible.

There are many reasons why viewers choose to watch these movies. Some may identify with the characters and watch them to in order to reinforce their own identity, whereas others may want to learn and expand their knowledge about relationships. Some may watch solely for entertainment purposes (Hefner, 2016).

It is important not to assume that all viewers consistently separate the information absorbed from the movie from their perceptions and expectations of relationships. In fact, research has demonstrated that people who watch rom-coms in order to learn about relationship demonstrate stronger endorsements of romantic ideal beliefs than those who did not watch to learn (Hefner & Wilson, 2012). While often enjoyable, what might we be learning from watching rom-coms?

Romantic comedies often follow a protagonist who goes through a series of steps (sometimes challenging) to meet their soulmate. Along the way, hijinks ensue, and the protagonist may even get thrown off from their goal by another suitor. But, by the end of the........

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