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Why do the vast majority of romantic comedies depict people who are wealthy? (aussie.zone)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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My wife has been on a rom-com binge over the last year or so and something I’ve noticed when I’m vaguely paying attention or walking past is that almost every single rom-com features people who are, at the very least, middle to upper-middle class. These characters all live in gigantic houses/apartments, have beautifully sparkling brand-new cars, take month-long vacations to their beachfront properties… it’s just so unrealistic and out of line with the life that the vast majority of us lead.

I understand some concepts - large rooms are easier to film in, rich people own nice things that set a beautiful scene, it’s not interesting to discuss financial issues all the time etc. but this seems (from my anecdotal perspective) to almost be a rule of the genre.

Some more food for thought:

https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a867107/rom-coms-diversity-wealth-income/

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

People saying it's escapism inadvertently proving that it's working as intended, because it isn't there for escapism, it's a distraction, a very deliberate choice to do with keeping poor people "aspirational".

It's about reinforcing the lie that is "The American Dream" (or the "trad life"), and the idea that the people watching really are just the temporarily embarrassed millionaires they've been made to believe they are, that are actually just Christian white supremacist patriarchal capitalism doing what it needs to to maintain its control - promote the "perfect" cis-heteronormative nuclear family, living in the house with a white picket fence (now evolved in to a McMansion), with 2 cars in the drive, not only as an ideal, but as the norm.

The idea that a movie can't provide escapism if the people in it aren't rich, again, just goes to show just how well this specific brand of propaganda works.