Valentine’s Day is but a few days away, so that means that cable TV is running every romantic comedy ever. In watching 13 going on 30 for the fifth time (don’t ask) I noticed a strange trend in romantic comedies: one of the lead characters is usually a journalist. For some reason, the very same people who want to save democracy and give voice to the voiceless are most prone to falling dramatically in love with a complete stranger.
Naturally, someone had to point out this tired Hollywood plot device that seems to go unnoticed by the general public. Unfortunately for my freelance career, that someone is me. The films:
13 Going on 30
she totally takes a buyout in the sequel
she totally takes a buyout in the sequel
Plot: During her 13th birthday party Jennifer Garner wishes she could be 30 and skip all of that messy teenage stuff.
Journalist sighting: In her 30-year-old life she is a heartless editor of some fashion magazine. In Grinch-like fashion, she corrects her errant ways and relaunches the mag to be a happy, fluffy, go- lucky magazine where everyone in New York City celebrates under a sea of confetti and general good spirits. Oh, and she miraculously remembers the entire thriller dance.
Good or bad for the industry: Good. Garner ends up tbeing responsible for the redesign instead of her ruthless friend who wanted to turn the magazine into some creepy gothic fashion magazine. Garner proves the theory that media representative of its readers will win every time.
27 Dresses
The wedding was typography-themed
Plot: Girl attends 27 weddings. Guy does story on her. They fall in love.
Journalist sighting: Cyclops plays a journalist who begins covering the wedding, but ends up focusing on Miss 27 dresses.
Good or bad for the industry: Bad. Cyclops’ editor goes and publishes the article without consent of his source and makes all journalists look like they only care about the story. Destined love be damned.
Sleepless in Seattle
No really, they were giant sized.
Plot: Guy loses wife and confesses his vulnerability on the radio. Girl hears guy on radio and is obsessed with meeting him.
Journalist sighting: The female lead, Meg Ryan works at the Baltimore Sun and begins doing a story on Tom Hanks. She ends up falling in love and saving the universe from an intergalactic space monkey. Only half of that statement is true.
Good or bad for the industry: Bad. She falls in love with a source. An obvious example of the widowed-dad bias the media has.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
I hope one day to be photoshopped leaning on my future wife, too.
Plot: Goldie Hawn Jr. is a writer at a women’s magazine and sets out to write a clever twist on the “How to please your man” story. And by clever, I mean ironic. And by ironic, I mean bad.
Journalist sighting: The female lead is the journalist once again.
Good or bad for the industry: Bad. Not only does it make reporters look like backstabbing story-hungry robots, she falls in love with the source.
Knocked Up
According to imdb the f-word is said a total of 120 times throughout the film
Plot: Guy and girl have one night stand. Girl gets pregnant. Hilarity and pot jokes ensue.
Journalist Sighting: The girl is a entertainment reporter for E! Television and is struggling to advance her career in the midst of having a baby crises.
Good or bad for the industry: Push. We all know entertainment reporters aren’t real journalists … kidding.
And More…
I have either never seen these movies, or their status as a romantic comedy is questionable. Still, I’m pretty sure someone falls in love and a journalist is involved:
- Bridget Jones Diary
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Sex in the City
- Groundhog Day
- He’s Just Not That into You (Thanks Joe!)
- Van Wilder (Thanks Joe!)
- Never Been Kissed (Thanks Dave!)
12 Comments
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The gumshoe newspaperman is romantic for nostalgia, so that carries over to women’s magazine writer for the fabulously good-looking and love-seeking. P.S.:
“… sets out to write a clever twist on the ‘How to please your man’ story. And by clever, I mean ironic. And by ironic, I mean bad.”
…That is hilarious.
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I just went on my own RomCom tirade after being forced to see He’s Just Not That Into You. 4 of the girls worked for some magazine, though one was in advertising. And if you want to consider Van Wilder a romantic comedy, Tara Reid plays a reporter in that.
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Man, they didn’t tell you? It’s a conspiracy to romanticize the industry and keep the younger generations buying newspapers.
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This phenomenon isn’t limited to movies either. Have you perused the chick-lit section of a bookstore lately (I know how that sounds, but my wife reads em)? You know, the area where all the book covers are some variation of a neon color with shoes, handbags, flowers or another such item on the cover? Well, they’re full of journalist lead characters too — magazine writers, TV producers, etc. Take the soon-to-be-released Confessions of a Shopaholic: magazine journalist. Devil Wears Prada? Magazine intern at Vogue. Both based on chick-lit books.
Any light you can shed upon this fascinating subject is most welcome Mr. Blanda.
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You know, Jennifer Garner’s character in 13 going on 30 was selling stories to a competing magazine to become their editor in chief…before the 13 year old got caught up with her 30 year old life. Looks like you have to change that one to bad too. Haha.
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Oh man…. how could you forget “Never Been Kissed”
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You know, I’ve always wondered this myself. Could that be why I became a journalism major? Subliminal messaging? In any case, the industry is certainly romanticized. Who knows, maybe the authors of the inspiring books/scripts were journalists at some point or desire to be. That’s certainly a possibility, as is the ideal setting of the workplace, which gives reason for the characters to be researching the stories, or whatever it is that drives the plot.
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@Lauren Piro
Good point, but that was bizzaro Jennifer Garner. 13-year-old Jennifer Garner set it straight.
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You know, I never really noticed that but now that you’ve pointed it out, I see that you’re right.
As for what Danny Sanchez said about chick-lit books, he’s absolutely right. I’ll admit that I read them and I do notice a lot of journalists as the heros or heroines and the book covers really are “some variation of a neon color with shoes, handbags, flowers or another such item.”
It always bugs me when they’re portrayed as power-hungry workaholics who will do anything for a story. We’re not all like that! Some of us do have ethics and scruples.
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Don’t forget Serendipity. Cusack’s character was a producer for ESPN, and sidekick Piven wrote obits at the New York Times.
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Richard Gere was a reporter in Runaway Bride. I hate that I know that.
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“He Said, She Said”
“The Ugly Truth”