The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Romantic comedies are often an overlooked film genre. They are seen as boring, cliché or cheesy, and mocked because women are the target audience. Those criticisms aside, romantic comedies have given us some of the most entertaining and unique films of all time, many of which still have a huge impact on culture today.
So why don’t published rom-coms hit the same way?
The 80s, 90s and 2000s spawned many bold and enjoyable romantic comedies – love in fact, 10 things I hate about you, 13 and 30 and so many others – that are still very popular and constantly talked about. These films have provided us with iconic fashion that is extremely fun to copy. Halloween never lacks a cute pink power costume to reflect Revenge of a Blondethe main character of Elle Woods or the classic plaid two-piece in honor of Cher and Dionne in clueless. They also gave us so many original replicas that the limit does not exist how many things we can mention (See what we did there?).
But when you look at the movies we’ve seen recently, they don’t have the same shine. Fashion today is a hodgepodge of different things from other decades, so the looks don’t stand out because we’re used to seeing them so often. Movies aren’t quotable because it feels like the writers try too hard to sound funny and relatable, or they don’t try hard enough, so it all falls flat completely.
Of course, another reason they don’t feel the same way is that times are right. different. The jokes people made then don’t land the same way now, and things that were popular in recent years obviously don’t have the same meaning today. Producers and directors want to keep up with recent pop culture and hot topics, but as we mentioned earlier, they tend to do so in a way that feels overdone or downright lazy. The overuse of slang and social media is very nasty, and it feels like your parents are trying to keep up with our generation, and in this new era of social justice, writers are trying a little bit too hard to look “woke” and educated, that it seems a bit superficial and awkward.
It’s also safe to say that filmmakers have turned to making award-winning films rather than making films just for fun and entertainment. There was a time when we got rom-coms left and right, but now the movie market is currently dominated by superhero movies, biopics, remakes, and thought pieces that you have to watch multiple times to to understand. And don’t get me wrong, we like to sit down and enjoy a good Marvel movie or A24 once in a while, but it seems rom-coms haven’t been as much of a priority for Hollywood as they used to be.
We’re also missing the same star-studded cast we had before. movies like Valentine’s day and new year’s eve had some of the most exciting, albeit random, cast of actors – no other movie genre has given us Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner playing high school sweethearts (seriously, go watch Valentine’s day if you haven’t already!). Today’s movie castings are always full of huge A-list actors, but for some reason the buzz just isn’t the same.
And we’re not bashing the new romantic comedies that have been released. In fact, the past few years have provided us with some real gems. To all the boys I’ve loved Before, One moreand boobies rich asian are excellent examples of new-age romantic comedies that hit the mark perfectly. But many of these recent films lack that sparkle. The internet talks about it for a while and then everyone moves on. Films just don’t stick. Older Movies Were So Iconic Ariana Grande Inspired Her Award-Winning Record thank you, next video clip after several of them. Not only that, but the movies are also getting cool makeup lines, board games, and other novelty items.
It might just be nostalgia, but a lot of these new movies don’t live up to what we’ve seen in the past. However, at the end of the day, the romantic comedy genre still remains one of the best. No feeling is the same as snuggling under blankets with your friends at a slumber party, getting ready to laugh and pass out at whatever grand gesture the male protagonist makes to woo the girl. . They’re great for cheering you up after a heartbreak when you’re sitting in front of the TV with an ice cream, and they’re great fuel for dreaming and romanticizing your future. Hollywood is just going to have to get back on track and bring the genre back to where it was.