This morning I read an article on Buzzfeed titled, “Have All The Single Ladies Moved Beyond Bridget Jones?” by Doree Shafrif. The article questions the decades old format of romantic comedies, a single woman on a quest to find a man in order to fulfill her happiness. We have seen this structure over and over again, making romantic comedies predicable, if not, as the author claims, boring. The author attempts to prove that romantic comedies do not reflect the reality of many women, as just under half are not married. She stresses that a new, fresh romantic comedy would explore singledom and show that you can be a strong woman who doesn’t need a man and that is okay. While I certainly understand Shafrif’s point, women do not need to be married or have a significant other to be whole, I think she forgets an important aspect of why women watch romantic comedies in the first place.

I have never watched with the mindset that this is how life is, or how it is supposed to be. I watch romantic comedies because I know they always need in a marriage or “happily ever after.” While the author takes the standard as boring, I take it as confronting. This is coupled with the fact that most women are watching romantic comedies on dates, or after a rough break up, or when they need a pick me up, illustrates to me that happy ever after is more comforting than reality. These are the women that romantic comedies are marketed to, that is not to say that other types of women do not watch rom-coms, it's just that these are the primary focus points for the movie. I want to watch a rom-com because I know that when everything in my own life is unpredictable and chaotic, the end of the movie is a constant. Or, as my best friend put it “I want to see happy endings when I'm not sure of my own.” I believe that many women watch rom-coms are a quick escape from their own reality. Rom-coms are like Disney movies; we know that princesses and fairytales do not exist but we still get a warm fuzzy feeling while watching.

I do see the author’s point about portraying the single life as a lived, whole reality. It can be argued that rom-coms set up a dichotomy of happy life can only be achieved after children and marriage, while the single life is undesirable and just a “pit stop” along the journey of life. Being single, or raising that child solo can also be the destination. Also the heteronormativity of rom-coms does not reflect the ever changing, progressing society in which we live.

However, we do not need to have traditional or modern, there is space in the market for both. Shafrir’s argument that the current structure is stale and unappealing for the progressive changes happening in modern day society is interesting but I don’t think the world is ready to rid itself of the rom-com. Rom-Coms have always had a special place in women’s hearted that have provided bonding, happiness, and comfort. Do I think this is the end of romantic comedies? Certainly not. I do think it is in Hollywood’s best interest to keep the boring yet comforting structure yet add some more realistic elements along the way.