Are media consumers yearning for love or drama?
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Almost everyone who has indulged in the world of film and literature has come across romantic tropes such as enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, forbidden love, codependency, captor and prisoner, and unrequited yearning. The undebatable success of books and movies where these tropes are present seems pretty standard; however, when you break down the reasoning behind it, it is clear that it goes deeper than entertainment.
For example, the captor and prisoner troupe is a blatantly toxic situation between two characters. This takes place in all sorts of media, including the children’s film, Beauty and the Beast (1991). At the end of the movie, the beast who held Belle prisoner transforms back into a prince. This “hard to love” character eventually morphs into the perfect love interest. His dark and angry personality melts away, because he and Belle fell in love with each other.
This is a heartwarming plot that can be skated over if not analyzed or taken too seriously. However, in a real relationship, Belle would be diagnosed with Stockholm Syndrome, which is a feeling of trust or affection felt in many cases of kidnapping or hostage-taking by a victim toward a captor. Over time, Beauty and the Beast (1991) became a fictional example of how love can fix a person who is, by nature, a selfish or toxic person. This leads many to wonder if the popularity of the movie promoted and popularized the ever-growing “I can fix him” mentality.
Another trope that has been popularized by the media is the belief that men with low emotional capacity and a “nonchalant” attitude towards potential partners are capable of high levels of romantic yearning. Every woman loves feeling desired, but at what point does it become a delusion? In media, dark, brooding men who keep to themselves are an extremely common character type. In Pride and Prejudice (2005), Mr. Darcy is a reserved, arrogant man who we soon find out has been deeply in love with the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, all along. Many fans of the film swoon over a scene in which Mr.Darcy momentarily brushes Elizabeth's hand and clenches his fist in an action of intense repressed attraction. In real life, however, if someone seems to be showing no interest in a romantic relationship, chances are that they truly are not interested. Many people, however, will compare the object of their affection to fictional characters like Mr. Darcy and delude themselves with the idea that they are uninterested because they so intensely desire to be with them.
On the other hand, people will often take after these yearning characters and obsess constantly over a person until they are the only thing on their mind. Yearning is a beautiful thing when requited; however, in real relationships, the yearning stage does not last as long as portrayed in the media because it is quite obvious that both people are interested in each other.
Jeff Buckley’s 1994 song "Lover, You Should've Come Over" charted at No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2026 despite being released over 30 years ago. The song’s sudden popularity was due to the sentiments in the lyrics of the song. “ So I'll wait for you, love. And I'll burn, Will I ever see your sweet return? Oh, will I ever learn? Oh-oh, lover, you should've come over, 'Cause it's not too late.” The intense pining and desire woven into the lyrics have made the song an anthem for those ruminating over lost love, or perhaps love that never truly existed in the first place. “'Cause it’s not too late”: this line in itself provides a feeling of empty hope; in most situations, however, what's done is done, and it is indeed too late.
Media such as this continues to support the oftentimes toxic mentality that yearning for someone’s love and attention is romantic; however, it is detrimental to the lifestyles of individuals, causing them to wonder constantly if their feelings will ever be returned, and feeling as though the world may end if they are not.
At the end of many works of literature and film, this intense pining is rewarded, and the happy couple is seen walking off into the sunset together as the lights fade to black. In reality, more often than not, people’s delusions never come to prosper. Therefore, it is crucial for relationships in media to be looked at from a healthy perspective before being romanticized in the viewer’s mind.