Likewise, the study had surveyed 392 married couples and asked them to rate their agreement to the following "Television presents romantic relationships as they really are in life," and "Television helps me understand what I can expect from my romantic relationships."In other words, the study announced from Michigan's Albion College, asked those couples questions to answer about their satisfaction with their current relationship, relationship expectations, commitment, and television habits and beliefs.
Lead researcher, psychologist Dr. Jeremy Osborn, finds that in the US, the more you believe in televised portrayals of romances, the less likely you are to be committed in your own relationship. "Those subjects who had a higher 'belief' in romantic stories on television, as well as those who spent more time watching TV romance, were found to be less committed to their spouses and thought their alternatives to their spouse, including being single, were attractive options. They also felt that their real relationships ‘cost’ them more in terms of personal freedoms and time spent alone -- and they were more aware of their partner's flaws."These 392 couples were also asked their viewing frequency and belief in television portrayals of romantic relationships. Romantic TV shows included: "The Hills," "The Bachelor," "Days of Out Lives," "The Notebook," and "Sleepless in Seattle." (And I am just going to add Disney movies in general. Films such as the "Little Mermaid" and "Cinderella" for example because every one has been told those stories in one form or another.)
The leading researcher, Dr. Jeremy Osborne stated, "We live in a society that perpetually immerses itself in media images from both TV and the Web, but most people have no sense of the ways those images are impacting them. The rate of marriage failure in the US is not dropping, and it is important for people to have a sense of what factors are leading to the failure of so many relationships."
Overall, this article is stating that film may be the main culprit to how your love life turns out. I have to agree to it in a sense. For example, in television, normal is not exactly normal. The actors cast are photogenic and have good looks that you do not really see in everyday life, such as Ryan Gosling, Andrew Garfield, or any other leading man in romantic movies.
You have to think, in this case, is art copying life or is life imitating art? After all divorce rates are going up and such. But that doesn't necessarily mean it is from romantic movies. It can very well be from romance novels or because of our longer life span. With out longer life span it might be that we realize things as we grow older then we want a divorce. Being a student it makes me aware of how many relationships in high school are not going to last and how romantic movies are influencing them. Consumer wise, it makes me want to avoid romantic movies for a while or at least be more aware of how romance works and realize the differences between on screen romance and real life soon.
Is art imitating life or is life imitating art is an interesting concept and as a filmmaker I would have to think about this. Finding this article makes me realize that the romance I place in my movie may have an impact on someone's lives and honestly, it makes me want to create romance in my films more realistic in order to show society that romance does not mean your man has got the whole canon of proportions down and looks like the Kritios Boy or the Doryphoros. Overall, I wonder what the media and industry think of that question, is art copying life or is life imitating art?
I also found this article very interesting because I have never really heard of romantic films impacting a real relationship. I know that when people watch romantic films they tend to dream about their own love life afterwards, but I thought that was it. I didn't think such films actually influenced a relationship so much.
ReplyDeleteAs for your question, I think that life is copying art because art can be anything the artist desires, which is usually beauty and passion. Due to this, everyone wants such wonderful traits in their life which is why films portraying the "perfect love" are constantly being made; they may provide hope, but at the same time, they give false accounts.