Storybook Love: A Cultivation Analysis of Romantic Comedy Viewing and the Prevalence of Romantic Beliefs

This study examines the relationship between frequent viewing of romantic comedy films (rom-coms) and romantic beliefs (Sprecher and Metts,1989). To investigate this relationship, I conducted quantitative survey of fans and non-fans of rom-coms alike. Drawing on cultivation theory, the survey tests the hypothesis that heavy viewers of rom- coms will be more likely than light viewers to endorse a series of romantic beliefs, including the expectation that love conquers all, that romantic relationships make individuals feel happier and more secure, and that weddings are the culminating point, or climax, of any given relationship.

Mustachioed sock puppet, Hal, is watching a rom-com

Hal: Oh, wow! Oh, golly! This romantic comedy sure is a lot of fun!

Sock puppet with a tinfoil hat on their head, Pat, rushes onto the scene

Pat: Hal, noooo! Don’t you know that according to George Gerbner’s 1969 Cultivation theory, the more you watch media, the more it will affect how you see the world? If you keep watching that stuff, you’ll start thinking real life is like a rom-com!

Hal: Pat! You frightened me! What’s up with the hat?

Pat: Oh, you like it? It’s new. Anyway! Back to the point! You need to stop watching that, pronto!

Hal: Actually, I don’t.

Pat: What are you talking about? According to cultivation theory—

Hal: Well, romantic comedies are actually proving to be relatively benign. Valerie Larrieu, an undergraduate at George Mason University, did a study on how frequent romantic comedy viewing affects the prevalence of romantic beliefs—which, according to Sprecher and Metts in 1989, are the beliefs in soulmates, love conquering all, idealization of partner, and love lasting forever. She also tested for romantic expectations, which are the more concrete expectations for what will happen in relationships, according to Vannier and O’Sullivan in 2017. But what she found was no correlation! Plus, another study by Hefner and Wilson in 2013 found the same thing except that romantic comedy viewing did lead to increased idealization of partner and idealization of partner only, which is actually proven to be beneficial in romantic relationships! So even if these are affecting me, I’ll still love you all the more, Pat.

Pat: Oh, Hal, that’s such a relief! I was worried these romantic comedies you keep watching would make you think I wasn’t good enough and you would leave me. I’ll still get you a hat like mine, though. Can’t hurt, might help.

Hal: If that’s what you want, Pat, I will wear all the tinfoil hats you want. You are my one true love, my forever, and no matter the obstacles, I will always love you!

Pat: …

Hal: don’t worry, I thought like that before I watched the rom-coms. These beliefs are really pervasive in Western media, and we’ve basically been spoon-fed the idea that love will last forever, conquer all, is fated to be, and that our partners are perfect and flawless from the cradle. A lot of the influences aren’t related to movies at all. Romantic beliefs can come from anywhere!

Pat: Shut up and kiss me, you fool!
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