Since time immemorial, the media has been one of the major entertainment sources widely preferred and sought for. Various international radio and television channels offer several different types of music and movies. In addition, movie theaters and casinos add to the choices of anyone who wants to be entertained. The media in general influences its listeners and viewers. The movies in particular have a greater influence on viewers because of their audio-visual effect. Moves come in a range of types from horror ones, to crime movies, adventure, science fiction, or fantasy movies just to mention but a few. All these movies have a particular effect on the viewers (Derne’ S. 2000 p. 28).
Romantic movies like many other entertainment genres have hit the entertainment market with a bang while others are still in the studios being produced. Movies like Titanic, Love and Basketball, Stardust, and The Lake House, are some but just a few examples of widely viewed and liked romantic movies. Romantic movies in particular are seen to project the vision of how reality should be. What is portrayed in the movies is taken by the viewers and used as a cognitive social and emotional guide (Bryant J. & Rockwell, S.C. 1984 p.185).
Derne’ S writes that, a research done by Tiffany A Boveland of Loyolla University on the effects of a movie clip on change in love concept showed that, romantic movies did affect people’s perceptions and expectations of love. Derne continues to say that viewers of romantic movies undergo an “Episodic romance” while watching the movie clips. Dernes then gives an example of how a romantic movie clip helped Hindi native men to disentangle themselves from traditional ties and beliefs about love and romance and perceived love and romance as more important in a relationship (Derne’ 2000, p. 32). Derne asserts that the romantic movie clip changed the Indian men’s view of love from “secondary to a respectful fear and obedience to parents” to love being very important in a relationship.
Romantic movies, in addition, affect and change the love attitudes of viewers. The loving attitude was defined in terms of passion, commitment, and emotional intimacy. It is recorded that the response of viewers to any of this concept of love changes either positively or negatively after watching a movie clip portraying or emphasizing this particular concept.
Another research done by Bryant and Zillman at the University of Alabama showed that “viewers choose programs and movies which complement or supplement their mood states.” In this case, anyone who is in a relationship may choose to watch a romantic movie because it may directly or indirectly help him/her complement his/her interest and values. The research also showed that the viewers in a romantic movie identify with their best actors and try to emulate their personalities and behavior. This in return, and the long run affects the viewer’s behavior (Bryant J. & Rockwell, S.C. 1984, p. 185).
Bryant J. & Rockwell S.C writes that four out of ten teens (40%) report that they learned ideas on how to talk to a boyfriend or girlfriend about sex directly from the romantic movies. This suggests that romantic movies may give people ideas of how they are required to behave and react towards certain intimate situations. This has been so especially to the young viewers who find it hard to distinguish between what happens in the movie and the reality in real life (Bryant J. & Rockwell, S.C. 1984, p. 191).
In conclusion, it can be argued that romantic movies have a significant effect on people’s ideas and knowledge about family friends, relationships, and general expectations of a romantic situation.
References
- Derne’ S. (2000). Movies, Masculinity and Mordernity.An Ethnography of Men’s Film Going in India Greenwood Press (Pp. 28 -41)
- Bryant J. & Rockwell, S.C. (1984). Effects of Massive Exposure to Sexually Oriented Prime Time Television Programming on Adolescents Moral Judgment. Media children and family, social scientific, psychodynamic and clinical perspective (pp. 183-195) Hillsdale, NS: Lawrence Enbaum