It's really not worth getting frustrated about, although I can definitely understand where you're coming. It really begs the question: do HOLLYWOOD ROMANCE MOVIES really have a profound effect on society's values and beliefs? . Can we just ignore it, or is it a real issue that needs to be addressed? I mean, sure we have those stupid movies, BUT we also have real men in the world who are seemingly unaffected by this hollywood phenomena.
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First of all: it's not only Hollywood - it's any medium that dictates how life should be (like I said, Cosmo is also a good example of this). In this "ideal picture" men have to be AFCs per se, as single men are seen as pathetic. I don't think this "ideal picture" can be ignored. 100 years ago people read newspapers - and that was about it. Nowadays we watch movies and tv, read magazines and gather information from the internet all the time - you'll have a hard time not to be influenced by that!
Not only the media are to blame for the construction of the "ideal picture". They think they just present "the real world" (as they see it). They do, however, consolidate the picture of that world, and make different interpretations obsolete. For instance, people who are not engaged in relationships are pathetic, because movies and magazines confirm this.
What do you mean by "real man" exactly? I think those are the ones that claim the right to choose - without being concerned whether or not it fits in the "ideal picture".
Oh btw, something funny happened today - a friend has send me a card in which she tells me she felt really, really sorry I had to spend the holidays without a girlfriend. The funny part is: I don't see anything wrong with it myself. I had a great time with my family and friends, and I even got laid. It is just another example of what people think of guys who do not fit in the "ideal picture".