Rom-Com Love vs. Real Love: Let’s Be Honest for a Second
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a good rom-com just as much as the next person. But are they having a negative effect on our real-life relationships? Honestly… I think they might be.
The airport chases. The rain-soaked confessions. The steamy scenes that could melt an entire ice hockey arena (if you know, you know). They make you wonder why doesn’t love feel like this in real life?
The simple answer is entertainment versus expectation. They’re not the same thing. One is designed to thrill us, the other is designed to last. And while real love may not always look like the movies, it is real, and that matters more than we give it credit for.
That said, the build-up to the “I love you” in a good rom-com? Absolute peak girlhood.
Sitting around with the gals and the gays, screaming at the TV while Conrad kisses Belly by the river in Paris - honestly, one of the highlights of my 2025. And that’s the magic of rom-coms, how they connect us. They give us those shared, scream-into-a-pillow moments with our friends, and I love them for that.
But here’s the problem.
Rom-coms can give us a false sense of reality, not because love like that never exists, but because it’s not the whole picture. That doesn’t mean we should stop watching them or stop dreaming. It just means we need to remember they aren’t a blueprint for real relationships.
We shouldn’t compare our love lives to a two-hour fantasy, or walk into dating expecting grand gestures and constant intensity. That’s not to say fairytale relationships don’t exist because they do, and you absolutely deserve one. Go get what you deserve and never settle for less.
Just remember: at some point, you’ll also be cleaning their boxers. Or picking up their smelly socks. And that’s still love.
It is a rom-com, just not the version we see on screen.
Real love is quiet mornings, grocery runs, inside jokes, and choosing each other even when it’s not cinematic. It’s something we need to remind ourselves of more often, or we risk chasing perfection and ending up alone forever. And if that’s what you want, truly, then go you. I support it wholeheartedly.
But personally? I want to grow old with someone. I want a person who feels like home.
The more we watch rom-coms, the more we absorb the characters, the chemistry, the fantasy, and the more we want that for ourselves. But no relationship is perfect the way movies make them seem. Still, they can come very close if we approach love with a little realism and a lot of intention.
So here’s how we find that balance:
Enjoy rom-coms for what they are: Escapism, not education.
Stop comparing real people to fictional characters written by a team of writers.
Look for consistency, safety, and kindness, not just sparks and drama.
Remember that love is built, not scripted.
And most importantly, choose someone who shows up even when the music isn’t swelling in the background.
Because real love may not always look like the movies…
But it lasts longer than the final scene. 💛
Ciao for now…
S x
