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DiscussionQuestioning popular romantic media
It's been a while since I've seen these so I could have completely gotten some things wrong but some stories that I'm not sure about are:
Fleabag: There's a power imbalance between the priest and the main character. There's the famous "kneel" scene where she confesses her problems about her life and then he tells her to kneel and he kisses her?
When Harry Met Sally: If I remember correctly, Harry keeps pestering Sally even though she's not interested. There's also a pivotal scene where Sally is crying and vulnerable and Harry kisses her and they have sex.
Waitress: I've only seen the musical so I don't know how it compares to the movie but the main character is pregnant and in an abusive relationship and has an affair with her male gynecologist. There's a power imbalance and the fact that the gynecologist is male makes me feel uneasy.
Benson and Stabler in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: I haven't seen the entire show but from what I know, Elliot abandons Olivia for a decade and they had chemistry in the show but Elliot stays with his wife even though he's not really there for her due to his work. I feel bad for his wife and there's a lot of Benson/Stabler fans who are misogynistic towards her. So many people in the fandom spaces I'm in want those two to be together and I feel like I'm the odd one out.
What romances are you critical about? I know not all romance stories have to be completely healthy and you can still enjoy it or find it interesting. I did enjoy some of the stories above when I'd watched them.