about the editor:
The Fall of Romance, and How To Fix IT
creds: 27 Dresses
By: Emilie Meiners
How To Editor Romantic comedies have been a beloved genre since the dawn of time, or at least in 1934 with the outstanding and amazing “It Happened One Night” directed by Frank Capra. Although romcoms used to be as great as the 1934 hit film, modern rom coms seem to have lost their charm. Once full of grand gestures and glamorous storytelling, today’s romantic comedies frequently feel disingenuous, like they gave ChatGPT a prompt, or simply lack true human connection that makes classics so unforgettable. The change in characterisation is one problem. Despite being a successful mother and business owner, Anne Hathaway’s character in a newer movie, “The Idea of You,” is presented as insecure and ignorant. In contrast, Nicholas Galitzine, who plays her much younger love interest, is shown as a more emotionally available and mature character. The romance feels forced and out of place because of the reversal of normal dynamics, which seems to be an attempt to balance the 15-year age difference. Another factor is the declining quality of writing in modern rom coms. Recent entries all feel AI generated, such as “Marry me” and “Shotgun Wedding”. They rely on outdated tropes and lack witty, compelling dialogue that defined the earlier rom coms that we all love. Even actors like Kate Hudson, being in 10 rom coms in her career, have pointed out that the scripts just aren’t as good as they used to be. Where films like “When Harry Met Sally” thrived on its cohesive naturalistic script, it made it feel real and authentic. Its raw emotion is what made it as popular as it was. Where newer rom coms often feel like uninspired imitations. Additionally, our changing society and technological advancements have impacted romcom storytelling. The rise of smartphones and social media ultimately removed the serendipity and miscommunication tropes that once fueled all of the good classic romances. This new age also changed the way romance happens in real life, adding people on snapchat, liking people’s stories, etc. As a result, modern rom coms must work harder to create believable conflicts, often leading to overcomplicated or unrealistic plots such as “fake dating” which has been shown in so many movies that I’m starting to prefer the multi-dimensional movies that have been released in the last 10 years. Additionally, applications and online interactions have influenced the dating scene of today. Because of all of this, classic meet-cutes seem archaic, and filmmakers find it difficult to depict real chemistry. Despite these obstacles, romantic comedies are not completely doomed. By fusing romanticism with realism, films like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “The Big Sick” have achieved great success. The future of the genre lies in either fully embracing the campy, over-the-top films like “Mamma Mia!” or grounding love stories in the complexities of modern relationships, shown in the “Silver Linings Playbook.” Romantic Comedies once thrived on sincerity, relatability, and charm, which was lost with social media. If filmmakers can recapture these elements, the genre will once again find its way back into the hearts of audiences in the later generations. Personally, I lost hope once The Kissing Booth 2 came out. How to Fix Romance in Romcoms:
POSTED: 4/15 |
creds: Abby Devin
Here’s a list of some of the best romantic comedies
creds: 27 Dresses
 Emilie Meiners and the love of her life, Jason Lee.
Classic Love Songs That Remind Me of My Love (Jason Lee)
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How to Not Be a Bad Tourist
creds: CNN
BY: Gage Woodbury
Entertainment 2 Editor It’s that time of year, Spring Break: the time to hear about dumb college students in Florida on the news and maybe even go on a trip yourself if you’re lucky. If you’re traveling this year, you should learn how to not be a jerk, because it's the right thing to do, and because places all around the world are passing anti-tourism laws for very understandable reasons (so if you want to keep going on vacation, don’t be dumb). Abide by the local culture. Americans are loud by international standards, so what might be an appropriate conversation volume in America in public might not go over well elsewhere. Additionally, it's important to understand customs with things like eating or talking to strangers. Perhaps most importantly, understand and respect local religious beliefs. Caden Fellows admitted that he had accidently dropped his phone down a sacred well on an Indian Reservation. What’s really bad, though, is when tourists genuinely desecrate sacred sites; one woman visiting Bali desecrated a sacred tree by taking explicit photos next to it, per The Guardian. Abide by local laws. You could get kicked out or worse end up in a foreign prison, maybe even becoming a diplomatic tool. Even if you dislike the law, or your country has different laws, breaking the law in a foreign country is an extremely stupid idea. No explanation needed. Don’t be an obstacle to daily life. Remember that the people living in Kyoto or in Paris are not NPCs, so don’t be an obstacle to their daily lives by doing things such as blocking streets to take pictures or film Tik-Tok dances. To quote signs put up by the government in Japan, where influencers doing this are a major problem, “Japan is not a theme-park.” Try traveling to less frequently visited places. Some places are overcrowded because they receive too many tourists, for example, ski resorts in states like Utah and Colorado frequently get too much tourism. According to DenverDavis.com, traffic times for skiing in January can reach up to 3 hours of waiting. There are plenty of underrated places to travel. Lastly, if you're going to a foreign country, make an attempt to speak their language. You don’t have to be perfect by any means, but locals will be very appreciative of even minor attempts at saying a few phrases, rather than just assuming everyone speaks English. It’ll also make your trip more fun. In all, have fun, but remember that you’re a guest in someone else’s home. POSTED: 4/7 |
creds: Gardens Illustrated
creds: Tourism Australia
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