Love them or hate them, you can’t deny that chick flicks take up a huge portion of the movie universe. While movies aren’t exactly accurate portrayals of real life, you have to wonder why they assume that every 20-something’s existence revolves around love, looks and little misunderstandings. Here are some other ways rom-coms have got you all wrong.
1. Most of your time is spent stressing over finances, not stressing over love.
Having a SO isn’t going to fulfill you like a steady paycheck will.
2. And when someone does catch your eye, it takes more than good looks to fall in “like” with them.
Forget attractive people—the only thing your stomach flips for is pizza.
3. Seriously, you care about other things besides romance.
Even though you often fantasize about someone wanting you as much as you want abs.
4. If someone does like you, they’re not going to tell you through some grand romantic gesture.
Expect heart emojis in your inbox versus a boom box at your window.
5. But whatever, because you’re perfectly fine being single.
How can you be sad knowing that there’s a whole world of prospects that you haven’t been rejected by yet?
6. Actually, regardless of your relationships status, your world doesn’t revolve around having a SO.
If it does, there’s this super fun thing called independence—you should try it some time!
7. You also don’t have a group of nasty girls or “rivals” that you constantly butt heads with.
Because this is not middle school and we women have to stick together, damn it.
8. There’s way more diversity in your social circle/university/town than what’s depicted on-screen.
Or at the very least, you know that not everyone in this world is strictly white, straight, financially stable and able-bodied.
9. And your friendships aren’t side plots—they play a huge role in your life.
Literally the only relationships that count are the ones that will encourage you to eat peanut butter from the jar while PMSing.
10. However, every friendship you have right now isn’t necessarily built to last.
Things get in the way—and not just a school bus inciting murder rumors, a la Mean Girls’ Cady and Regina.
11. Especially since you’ll fight over lots of things—you know, instead of fighting over, say, the same person.
Love interests come and go, but that expensive top you let them borrow was brand new, so they better return it ASAP.
12. No one will encourage you to undergo a major makeover.
As it is, you can’t even afford a new brush set, let alone for a whole team to glamify you like Agent Hart in Miss Congeniality.
13. Because come on, you have better things to do than to obsess about your appearance.
No shade Princess Diaries, but Mia Thermopolis would’ve become the queen of Genovia with or without frizzy hair, thank you very much.
14. The movies don't acknowledge all the struggles you experience, especially when it comes to your mental health.
As if you’ve made it this far in adulthood without coming to terms with factors that affect your emotional and mental well-being.
15. They oftentimes fail to address—or completely glaze over—racism, sexism, misogyny, xenophobia…
The list, and your annoyance, goes on and on.
16. Yet every single melodramatic problem that arises ends up getting resolved.
Whereas for you, new problems pop up and grow like bad pimples every day!
17. Some “issues” are so far-fetched, like being loved by two people at once.
Meanwhile you can’t even get your cat to look at you most days.
18. You're also less likely to get caught stalking a crush IRL than you are through social media.
Thanks to Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram you can track their whereabouts and gaze at their face without ever leaving your house!
19. Kissing isn't always a perfect affair; it can get super awkward and sloppy.
Meanwhile you kiss people that treat your mouth like it’s an oxygen tank and they’re running out of air.
20. When it comes to sex, it rarely ends in mutual relief and pleasure.
Meanwhile the only things that can successfully arouse and satisfy you are chicken nuggets.
21. Not every person you kiss or have sex with is going to want to date you, and vice versa.
22. And no one, at any point in time, randomly breaks out in song for no reason.
Unless Beyoncé’s lastest hit comes on in a store, because when it comes to Queen Bey, you can’t not jam out in public.
23. On that note, sad music won't play when you feel like crap.
Otherwise it would just be on a constant loop, especially when winter break ends.
24. It takes more than the length of a single pop song to clean your room.
This is by far the most unrealistic thing of all.
25. And there’s no way in hell you’d ever leave an elaborate meal untouched.
How do these fictional characters have the audacity to eat only a few bites of a pancake, when they could eat the entire stack?
26. Let’s be real: your life is more like a horror movie than a romantic comedy.
Cue the screams and gasps instead of the “heartwarming” laughs.
27. But even if it isn’t as pleasant, romantic or dramatic—at least it’s never boring.
And you’ve got friends and family to watch you grow and help you through it all, every step of the way.