Seeing a movie is the most popular thing to do on a date. This is probably because it allows you to sit in the dark with someone of the opposite sex without actually having to talk to them. At least, you shouldn't be talking to them. If you are talking, then, you know, shut up.
Because of this, we have a genre of movies called "date movies." Now, when we say "date movie," of course we mean "a movie women like." Most date activities are centered around whether the woman will enjoy herself, with little regard for whether the man has any fun. I would like to think this is out of chivalry, but I suspect it's more because men don't care what happens on the date, as long as there's some action at the end of it. A man would gladly endure a date that consisted of going to flower shows and reading magazines in a gynecologist's waiting room if he thought there were a chance of even a peck on the cheek at the end of it.
Date movies are films that have very little profanity or nudity, no strong violence, and not a single original thought in them. They are made from templates by factory workers.
A date movie is usually about a smart, pretty career woman with short hair who is successful in life but unlucky in love. She really wants a man -- but not in a pathetic, "I need to be validated" kind of way. She could totally do without a man altogether because she is self-sufficient, but she happens to WANT one, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Then, there's a guy who is kind of a womanizing jerk, but in a cute way. The woman hates him because he's a womanizing jerk, but then she starts to see his tender side because he's cute. By the end of the movie, they are together. It doesn't matter what happens in the middle, as long as they have sex (discreet, nudity-free sex) and as long as one or both of them walks in the rain at some point. A soundtrack featuring a love ballad by a popular rock band wouldn't hurt, either.
Date movies cannot contain any violence. The only exception is if the cute womanizing jerk has to punch a non-cute womanizing jerk in the face in defense of the career woman with short hair.
So what separates date movies, which couples allegedly enjoy together but which are actually only enjoyed by women, from full-blown "chick flicks," which men actively despise? Here's what:
• In a date movie, the couple winds up together at the end. In a chick flick, one of them dies.
• A date-movie protagonist should have one wacky friend who offers sardonic advice and is not prettier than the protagonist. (This friend may be a gay man instead.) The male lead may also have friends, but they should not be better-looking than the lead (though they may be funnier) (but not more charming). A chick-flick protagonist can have an entire beauty parlor full of advice-giving friends.
• Date-movie protagonists may be male or female, but there must be at least one (1) of each in order to make the requisite couple. A chick flick, on the other hand, might have no more testosterone than what's in Bette Midler.
• In a date movie, both the male and female leads must be attractive (e.g., Tom Cruise movies). In a chick flick, everyone can be ugly (e.g., Richard Gere movies).
• The worst thing that happens to a date-movie character is that he or she might get an adorable cold or have a cute allergy. In a chick flick, someone will have cancer.
Until next time, I'll see you at the movies! I'll be the one cuddling with a woman during the brain-eating scene in "Hannibal."
As a male who regularly gets into trouble for being oblivious, I cannot figure out where the anger is coming from either. Can these seemingly harmless generalizations about the kind of movies women like and the tongue-in-cheek observation that men often do not care for them really generate such anger? Do any of you women readers have more insight (excuse the implied generalization that women are more insightful)?
I personally love Ann's comment on the visit to the gynecologyst and urologist. There ought to be some kind of award for that one.
There is only one possible solution to this kind of absurd craziness and ineloquent, illogical, angry ranting from a woman:
She was pregnant when she wrote it.
My guess is either midway in the first trimester or very close to the end of the third trimester. She may have even written it in labor from a hospital. Yup, that must be it.
This comment is extreme enough I would think it could be a multiple pregnancy, on bedrest...and possibly on legal drugs...either that or she's just plain irrational and 19...
Wow..wow wow.. usually I can at least vaguely understand the opinions of the angry letter authors. Usually it's just
a.) people who completely miss the point,
b.)people who have sticks or other foreign objects lodged in their posteriors,
or
c.) racist individuals who hide their racist biasis by jumping on any word breathed by anyone about race in any way, and scold the utterer profusely for being such a racist.
This lady was just angry, blindly groping for anyone to feel the wrath of her anger apparently.. man..I wonder if she'd go out with me :-)
I've also thought the phrase "'might have no more testosterone than what's in Bette Midler' was a bit awkward, but it's never caused me fits of rage.
I wonder if anyone's written to her at that P.O. Box address... (Of course, the P.O. in her case means Pissed Off, but I digress...) All in all, though, I thought the article (and the letter in response) was a fun read!
Maybe it was Bette Midler?
Apparently it seems like her anger is not just directed at Eric, but at Utah Valley in general. I'm thinking that she lives in Provo but absolutely hates every aspect of Provo. She doesn't like that people report honor code violations at BYU. She sees some kind of stereotype that has "engulfed Utah Valley." I'll bet she was really upset about something totally unrelated (like, maybe she was doing something honor code unfriendly and someone reported her) and then read this column which made her more angry because she's an unreasonable humorless person. So she decided to rant against Eric because she's mad at Provo.
Copyright © Eric D. Snider.
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Comments & Reaction:
This began as a review of "Someone Like You," which is a date movie. It was while writing it that I had my epiphany about the difference between date movies and chick flicks. I decided to break it off into its own column.
And there are two different categories here. Many things we dismiss as chick flicks are actually just date movies. Chick flicks include "Steel Magnolias" (the quintessential chick flick, in my opinion), "Titanic," "Anne of Green Gables" and all Jane Austen movies. Date movies include "What Women Want," "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Jerry Maguire." Note that each of these has a man as its main character, which automatically disqualifies it from being a chick flick.
By the way, I have no actual evidence to back up the claim I make in the first sentence of this column. It sounds like I'm quoting a study or something, but I'm not. I'm just quoting me.
This column prompted an angry letter -- and I do mean a letter, not an e-mail or a phone call. A good old-fashioned letter sent through the U.S. mail. This was so the writer could remain anonymous, however, and not through any Ludditism. The return address said P.O. Box 50567, Provo, Utah, 84605, in case you want to write back to her. As you read her letter, try to figure out what she's actually angry about. If you figure it out, let me know, because I'm baffled.
Did you spot what she was angry about? Trick question! It's not there! It would seem that she was upset by my generalizations about what kind of movies women like, but that couldn't possibly inspire such hatred, could it? I suspect that when you get down to it, Ann is just a humorless bastard.