Have you ever sat down and compared how you would never pursue such a love interest if you were to be in the movie you are watching? Or how your real love life and demands may greatly differ from what is shown on TV or in film?
These movies tend to exaggerate the crazy love feeling, of course for the benefit of entertainment, but also regardless lets many ideas of respect, boundaries, and other issues loose.
Many crime genre films and shows are now set around love, not taking revenge or a love triangle, but a crime to express the great heights of possessiveness or jealousy. Many
famous examples include You, Gone Girl, etc. This is feeding into viewers' brains that toxic obsession, social media stalking, and 'removing obstacles' are justified in the name of love. And while I agree that lately, many movies speak about issues like domestic violence like "Thappad", many of them don't get as much hype as the problematic ones.
Other issues like reinforcing gender norms, stereotypes about masculinity and femininity, the concept of marriage and freedom and how it differs for each gender, the evil in-laws, etc are prevalent in almost all romance.
Even when we do not relate to the movie e.g. Kissing Booth, it was trending on Netflix for a long time. Movies like Kabir Singh and Animal that have received great backlash were both blockbusters. So do viewers like some level of toxicity or unrelatableness to be able to enjoy a film?
Would we love to be kidnapped and forced to fall in love with someone, or does it satisfy some sort of hidden pleasures of people that 365 Days became one of the most-watched movies in Pakistan? Perhaps it is due to the late average age of marriage and
the religious and cultural environment in Pakistan that such raunchy movies never flop, but any movie like 'Joyland' is quick to be termed as "fahashi" or the influence of
the West. Therefore, highlighting the clear bias between heterosexual romance and intimacy vs any homosexual tendencies.
Even though social media platforms are raising awareness of toxic behaviors and 'red flags' in a relationship, the media depiction of these issues is failing to catch up. Perhaps because we as an audience do not want to watch them, and this is a profit-seeking industry after all.
The blog post acuurately looks at how movies and TV shows often show love and relationships in unrealistic and harmful ways, making it hard to tell the difference between fiction and reality. These exaggerated portrayals can ignore important aspects of healthy relationships, like respect and boundaries. It mentions how some shows, like "You" and movies like "Gone Girl," mix crime with love, showing possessiveness and jealousy in a dramatic way that might make viewers think stalking and obsession are normal. The blog also points out that many films reinforce old-fashioned ideas about gender roles, affecting how people see men and women, marriage, and freedom. Despite being controversial, movies like "Kabir Singh" and "365 Days" are popular, suggesting that viewers might…
This post hit hard! It's interesting how movies and shows can blur the lines between acceptable and toxic behavior. Take the telefilm "Roohposh," for instance. It was trending on YouTube for so long, and the hero, who was clearly a red flag, ended up being admired by many. Similarly, Danish Taimoor's character in the drama "Dewangi" harassed and crossed boundaries of the female protagonist, yet the drama was a super hit.
This brings to light an important point: toxic masculinity isn't just a male issue. Many females also admire such characters, which influences their real-life experiences and makes them more likely to fall for such men. The media plays a powerful role in shaping our perspectives on who is a…
I really like how your blog post provides valuable insight regarding how media provide particular frame when it comes to the concept of Love. As you mentioned, there are many movies highlighting toxic behaviors that are justified in war of love, but we still neglect to look at particular audiences these movies are targeting. Movies like 365 days or Kabir Singh are targeting young adults perhaps in age 20s or 30s who are delved into controversial romantic relationships and support it. These movies also reflect the cultural context of their designed country. Kabir Singh reflects Indian societal norms where we see such relations previaling a lot while 365 Days highlights European tradition with some thriller element. I think it is…
Your blog is very insightful and talks about some very important topics that deserve more attention. The fact that movies and shows that romantic toxic love and misogyny is deeply concerning. What makes this worse is the lack of critical media literacy that exists in Pakistan and how reactions to media are more protectionist than preparatory. These movies can be seen by those who are too young to watch them and because of the lack of CML, this creates unhealthy perceptions of love not only for girls but also men who watch them. They think this toxic behavior is what it means to show love which is very problematic and can become very scary. The contrast you draw between films…
Your blog raises essential questions about the media’s role in shaping our understanding of love and relationships. You raise some interesting and thought-provoking concerns - questioning whether viewers enjoy toxicity and current representations in the media. Your incorporation of Pakistan's cultural background has also effectively added to what you've expressed. The contrast between how films like "365 Days" and "Joyland" were received in our country provides a nuanced view of how societal attitudes and cultural conventions influence media consumption and romantic perspectives. It makes me wonder first who the target audience for movies like "365 Days" and "Kabir Singh" is - is it the men? but so many of the viewers are women, and so moving on to my second question - why do women find the men in…