Love Series Part III
Let’s talk about Disney, the media, and happily-ever-after. As a secret hopeless romantic I love sappy romantic comedies (the good ones) and fairy-tale stories although they usually don’t come true (I say usually because Meghan Markle fulfilled one this past year so sometimes they do become reality). However, most people’s lives are filled with unpredictability, therefore you never really know how situations may turn out; this applies not only to romantic relationships, but with all relationships.
In the recent years, Disney has tried to improve their image and create more realistic views of love and “happily-ever-after”. More television shows have been created to display the difficulties of all relationships and explore the ugly side of love and romance. I don’t typically watch a lot of regular television but the first few seasons of Once Upon A Time really sucked me in because of the classic storyline between Snow White and Prince Charming, although they’re not your average Disney characters with the original plot line. Another one of my favorite shows that depicts the challenges of relationships is This Is Us which I have featured several character analysis.
Both dramas show the reality of how circumstances and misfortune can negatively influence a person’s decision and how those choices shape one’s life. For example, in Once Upon a Time when a person started to make bad choices their heart would start to become black. In religion that would be considered “hardening your heart” and ignoring wise counsel. In our world because of the amount of evil it may seem easier to chose morally devoid options instead of taking the higher road even if that means we lose out in the end. I can understand how apathy and hatred grows when one feels like you’ve tried to make good choices and in the end you’re still losing. Movies and television often end with happy endings because it gives us a sense of hope.
How should we internalize love in the media? Good question… We don’t receive a class in school about love and relationships. The media is usually how a lot of people formulate their views and actions that can lead to different paths. One thing I do know is that love and giving love are not easy tasks like media often portrays. A great place to start is to learn more about yourself and how you feel/show love. Ask yourself what are your thoughts on how media portrays relationships and what affect does it have on you?