Lights, Camera, Action: Romantic Comedies from the Male Perspective

Abstract

Romantic comedies are cited as the highest-viewed film genre of the twenty-first century, yet there is a lack of academic research concerning film consumers� attitudes toward the genre and the plausibility of learning and adopting behavior because of romantic content. This thesis addresses those gaps in the literature. A qualitative interview analysis was conducted with ten male film consumers who reported their ideas, opinions and experiences with the top ten highest-grossing romantic comedies from 2009-2015. As a result, five main themes emerged, which are (a) men cite romantic comedies as setting unrealistic expectations for relationships; (b) men are put off by the predictability of the genre; (c) men do not consume the genre with other men; (d) men use romantic comedies as a learning tool; and, (e) men cite drama in relationships as the most relatable aspect of romantic comedies. The data set was rich and descriptive in nature and the qualitative interview analysis supported the advancement of four theories, including Social Cognitive Theory, Cultivation Theory, Third-person Effect Theory and Spiral of Silence Theory. The romantic comedy genre will continue to illuminate the silver screen for 90-minute stretches and the light-hearted stories will continue to resonate with audiences. This thesis hopes to shed light on why romantic content deserves more than a fleeting glance in academic research