Love Actually, likely considered by at least one person to be a bizarrely disconnected prequel to The Walking Dead, actually has nothing to do with love at all. In fact, science even says so. In a triumphant move of innovation, someone has finally put together a study that proves mindless romantic comedies of all shapes and sizes are not only undermining the craft of cinema but also inflicting some serious harm on society at large.
"Stalking myths are false or exaggerated beliefs about stalking that minimize its seriousness, which means that someone who more strongly endorses these tends to take stalking less seriously," Julia R Lippman, a gender and sexuality expert at the University of Michigan, tells the Guardian. According to Lippman's report, entitled I Did It Because I Never Stopped Loving You, movies like the aforementioned Love Actually and similarly rom-com-esque fare like Say Anything (et al) actively encourage the widespread acceptance of otherwise dangerous behavior.
"[These movies] can encourage women to discount their instincts," Lippman tells Global News. "This is a problem because research shows that instincts can serve as powerful cues to help keep us safe." The study looked closely at participating women's responses when questioned about films of "differing themes," with the data revealing that those who watched rom-com-esque stuff like There's Something About Mary were more likely to accept stalking myths than those who watched penguin-centered action movies like March of the Penguins. "Love is great," Lippman adds, "but so is respect for other people."
So, as Lippman's work makes quite clear, we now have a scientifically acknowledged reason for opting out of ultra basic and increasingly antiquated romantic comedies forever.
No more excuses.
