IN THE

By: Maria Marwedel

FHS 2450

LOVE IN THE MEDIA

Love in the media portrays instant romance, instant connection, and instant gratification. Not to burst anyone’s bubble however love is not instantaneous. Love takes time, growth, pain and desire to get to know someone that you will potentially end up loving in the end.

Love is glamorized in the media whether it be television, film, or ads. America’s society wants to see love in the way that they wish their relationships love is.

LOVE IN THE MEDIA

“A real relationship is one where you take out the

garbage, pay the bills and talk about your kids. A lot

of it is really boring. What people don’t realize,

though, is that the best day of their lives includes all

that boring stuff…..” (Kircher, 2011)

Reid Daitzman Ph.D., practicing clinical psychologist and CEO of Foursight Game Systems stated:

LOVE IN THE MEDIA

“You can’t trust the “connection” that two people have on

screen because you know that they are just acting.” –Lauren

(friend)

“Love is not real on TV.” –Cindy (mother)

“It seems like they have to hire real couples to show “real love”

in films.” –Lindsey (co-worker)

I asked some friends and family to tell me what they thought of love portrayal in the media and this is what they said….

LOVE IN THE MEDIA

Clip from Sleepless in Seattle:

Meeting for the first time. http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeY1mk

XqKgk This clip shows Annie and Same meeting for the very

first time. When they look into each other's eyes there is

an immediate sense that they already love each other.

Love is not instantaneous it is like a flower that needs to

be nurtured and fed to grow. I don’t think that love is

portrayed correctly based on reality.

LOVE IN THE MEDIA

Clip from While

You Where

Sleeping: End http://

www.youtube.com/w

atch?v=s_1M-4lIfnA

After heartache from

telling the family the

truth about her lies.

Jack seems to still love

her and admits that he

wants to be with her.

After her lying…

everyone still loves

her?! Love is not

portrayed towards real

life because how can

you base your love on

lies?

LOVE IN THE MEDIA

Clip from The Notebook: Where Noah asks Alli to go out with him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eACebMOtv8

Noah risks his safety and ego to ask Alli to go

on a date with him, let alone she is on a date

with a different man while he asks her. No man

would put his ego on the line and then go in

front of another guy and disrespect him by

asking his girl on a date. I can see a man going

above and beyond for a woman he maybe

interested but if she initially says no the first

time then she still means no the second time.

LOVE IN THE MEDIA

Clip from The Notebook: Where Noah and Alli die

together. http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ielkiD8w-M8 As much as we want to be with our

significant other forever there is a point

and time where we must pass on. In the

portrayal of this clip the percentage is

very low when a couple dies together

however dying close in a timespan is

more believable.

LOVE IN THE MEDIA

Clip from He Is Just Not That Into You. http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym1HWuHJQTE

This clip portrays honesty. It is about two people that love

each other however are wanting different things in life that

are important to them and so they address it to one another

and re-evaluate if being with each other is right.

LOVE IN THE MEDIA

Q: In the medium you viewed and recorded, are the portrayals

mostly companionate love or passionate love or some

combination of the two?

A: I believe that all of the films except for He Is Just Not That

Into You are all passionate love because they are all absorbed

into one another and there is nothing else in this world but you. I

believe that people can have these feelings for another person

however the passionate love lasts during the first stage of

dating.

LOVE IN THE MEDIA

Q: Do you think your selected medium “clips”

portray a realistic view of love and partnership? Why

or why not?

A: All of them show some sort of reality dealing

with love where they have a connection and common

interest with one another however the way that

media addresses how love can always be some

glamorous and whimsical is not realistic it is a

fantasy. Love can be an amazing part of life however

the simplicity of love is more realistic.

LOVE IN THE MEDIA

Q: What are the dangers of relying on media definitions of

love and relationships?

A: I think the dangers can be that expectations are going to

be so high and comparing your relationship to a media one

can really ruin a real relationship that you can have. Media

shows the fantasy of what everyone wants in love or a

relationship but with out own love story isn’t that enough to

live for without comparing ourselves to the media definitions?

WORKS CITED

Kircher, J. a. (2011, April 12). Does Media Distort Love? Retrieved

December 04, 2013, from Relevant: http://

www.relevantmagazine.com/life/relationship/features/25275-distortin

g-love

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