On movies and romance and humour (or the lack thereof)

Watched a bunch of movies recently, and something struck me.

In movies, being “Alone” (caps fully intended) is (nearly) always positioned as both a temporary thing and a Bad Thing.

It’s presented that everyone actually just wants some loving relationship (tm)*, and no matter how ugly/weird/nerdy/strange/etc they are, the Right One is out there for them. And not only is this Significant Other (who is almost always the opposite (binary)gender to them) out there, but they will meet and fall in Love (tm) and, after a few mishaps, they will live in happy bliss for eternity/until they both cark it together in bed surrounded by adoring grandchildren.

You know who doesn’t get loved? Who doesn’t have a True Love (tm) with whom they’ll spend the rest of their days in happily romantic bliss? Villains. They don’t get happy endings, which usually include falling in love with their Significant Other and having their love returned**.

Admittedly, there are movies where the main character doesn’t get a True Love (tm), but usually in those sorts of movies the main character in question is either an animal, a child, or both. The most recent character I identified with(in regards to romantic attraction, at least) was Remy, from  Ratatouille. And Remy is a rat. (thus, the movie makers don’t ‘need’ to give him a love interest the same way they ‘need’ to give  Linguini one.)

There’s also a part in the plot where  Linguini and a fellow chef develop a romantic relationship and Remy is shown to be left out. This has been one of the few movies I’ve seen that didn’t (to me, at least) try to do the whole “Look, this/these characters are left out, but it’s ok, because THEY ARE SECONDARY RELATIONSHIPS/IT’S IMMATURE TO NOT WANT THINGS TO CHANGE/THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS***”. Instead, it shows how the deterioration of the bond between Remy and Linguini is actually a bad thing, and the movie ends happily**** after Remy and Linguini repair said bond.

This shouldn’t be such a rare thing in movies that friendship is prized, not under a romantic relationship, but as much as, and it’s not played for humour***.

I don't value my romantic relationships far above my friendships (not having any), and I'm lucky that some of my close friends don't seem to either (so far. It's early days yet for several of them). And it hurts when, over and over again, I'm told that I should, that I should accept that, if I'm not going to have a Relationship (tm)*, I'm going to be an after thought to everyone I will ever know. 

</rambling rant>

*Love(tm) and Relationship(tm) being a romantic relationship which is "acceptable" (i.e., heterosexual, monogamous, between two fully able (probably white) people/characters of the same species 

**As someone who plans to be “Alone” for the rest of my life, I’m sure you can guess how I feel about that.

***I’m looking at you, Lion King. “Can you feel the love tonight” indeed.

****Ish.