I read the “Modern Love” column in the NY Times today. This week’s writer grew up in a house full of women and was exposed to men primarily through movies. This caused her to think of men according to the main archetypes found in films. For example, the "Mr. Darcy" is a man who seems like a jerk but under the layers is a nice guy. Clearly treating men like stereotypes can lead to relationship problems--can you imagine dating a jerk and waiting and waiting to discover the nice guy underneath? She closes the article saying she still hopes to meet a man who will make a romantic gesture like the iconic scene in “Say Anything” with John Cusack and the boom box. If you want to read the article, you can find it here: http://bit.ly/gtBJPu.
Reading that article made me think of an essay by Chuck Klosterman in his book Sex, Drugs, and Coco Puffs. In the essay, Klosterman claims that he will never truly fall in love and no woman will ever truly fall in love with him because the portrayal of romantic love in movies and pop culture has created an impossible ideal. This is why Klosterman hates John Cusack. For a certain age group, Lloyd Dobler, John Cusack’s character in “Say Anything,” is the archetypical romantic male lead. Women expect Klosterman to be Lloyd Dobler. Its an impossible task. The women end up disappointed. And a generation of women feel shortchanged that their romantic lives don’t live up to what they’ve seen in the movies.
Or read in books. Maybe Jane Austen started all this with her Mr Darcy. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m going through a phase where I’m reading a lot of romance novels. Now I’m starting to wonder if I’m spoiling real romance by reading these overly perfect stories where men make grand gestures and the sex is hot and heavy. To be fair, when I read these books I do scoff at some of the more unrealistic plot points and descriptions. I mean, really, how realistic is it for a woman to climax through vaginal intercourse the first time she has sex? Hah.
But still, ridiculous story lines aside, I find that reading them does plant a seed of hope. While I know not to expect anything on the magnitude of what is written in these romances, I find that I now want something. For someone who considers herself fairly low maintenance this is a new development.
So, do I agree with “Modern Love” and Chuck Klosterman? Have movies and books ruined men and romance for me? I’m going to be an optimist, say “no” for now, cross my fingers and hope for the best.
Mood: Blugha (hungover)
Jeans: Fat jeans
Belt notch: 4th notch in
| Food | Carbs (g) | Fat (g) | Calories | Protein |
| Sausages | 1.4 | 37.2 | 450 | 26.6 |
| Ham | 0.5 | 3.9 | 120 | 21.3 |
| Mature cheddar slices | 0.1 | 34.4 | 384 | 25 |
| Caesar salad | 4 | 21.3 | 272 | 7.9 |
| Bresaola | 0.4 | 5.6 | 146 | 23.3 |
| Chicken in Cajun marinade | 1.3 | 6.5 | 180 | 29.3 |
| Sauteed mushrooms | 1.2 | 1.5 | 39 | 5.4 |
| 30g Mature cheddar | 0 | 10.3 | 123 | 7.5 |
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