Hollywood’s (Awful) Dating Advice: The Important Tips You Got All Wrong

Hollywood’s romantic comedies are often known for cheesy happy-endings and over-the-top romantic gestures, but are these movies sending the right message? The answer is no. Most of the time, these films not giving great advice in the love department. In fact, most of the events that occur in movies are unrealistic. After all, it is Hollywood. Many have even become some of the most beloved romantic films of all time in spite of their terrible relationship pointers.

Some of the awful advice is more obvious in some movies than in others. “Grease” makes changing who you are the ‘cool thing’ to do, and instead of mature communication, “Failure to Launch” promotes no use of communication at all. Perhaps it’s a good thing these Hollywood blockbusters contain such unrealistic success, they serve as perfect examples of what not to do when trying to win over the guy or girl who has your heart.

Here is dating advice from 7 Hollywood movies that should be avoided, if not ignored entirely.

If you want to be with the one you love, change yourself.
Change yourself completely.

Although “Grease” is arguably one of the best romantic movies of all time, let’s take Sandy and Danny for example. She went from being an innocent and conservative young lady to a cigarette-smoking, seemingly-irresistible, babe in a unitard. He comically attempts to change his bad-boy greaser attitude and become the jock he believes Sandy wants. The “just be yourself” mantra, and the number #1 rule of dating, is completely destroyed. Danny and Sandy liked each other the way they were when they met at the beach, but peer pressure and high school drama made them think they had to be other people in order to be together. As the brilliant Steve Jobs once said: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

Stalking is totally okay.
In fact, you should do it all the time.

Hollywood suggests that creepily watching from a distance just because your “protecting” the one you love like Edward Cullen does in “Twilight” is the norm. Yes, please sneak into my bedroom without me knowing and watch me sleep. You’re welcome anytime, especially when we’re not even dating. Uh, no. I’d say this is a bit extreme. What’s worse? Bella is totally fine with it because she becomes so dependent on the glittering vampire who pays her every cent of his attention. She gives up college and growing old for a guy who changes his mind like Katy Perry changes the color of her hair. Plus, by the time Bella is 18-years-old, she’s already pregnant with a human-vampire baby that the Volturi wants to kill before dinner. Ixknay ethay alkingstay oodsuckerblay.

 

If you want to end things, don’t tell them.
Just drive your partner away at any cost.

Matthew McConaughey uses the fact that he still lives with his parents at age 35 as a dumping method in “Failure to Launch.” He drives women away after getting what he wants with them because he doesn’t want a long-term commitment. All hell breaks loose when he can’t shake Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker) off his tail, a woman his parents hired to get him out of their house. Really? Are you going to listen to this guy? Communication is one of the most important things in a relationship. This movie has none.  If you want to break up with someone, don’t be a coward. Take it from Nike: Just do it.

 

Date your boss. If you two break up, maybe you’ll get that promotion you’ve been working toward.

Who wouldn’t be hopelessly devoted to the hottie with a big office and a lot of power? It happened to Renée Zellweger in “Bridget Jones’ Diary.” That is until she found him with another woman and consequently decided to start a new career. First of all, Hugh Grant makes it seem like dating is okay and you won’t get caught. WRONG. Zellweger, on the other hand, learns that dating your superiors in the work place is not a good idea for your mental state of mind or your professional future. What if you break up like they did? Unless the decision to end the romantic relationship is mutual, you’ll either transfer, lose your job, or hate your job and want to quit. Cricket.

 

Date the same person your friend is seeing. After all, sharing is caring.

Thankfully this movie bombed, or people might actually consider sharing potential significant others to be fun. Chris Pine and Tom Hardy both compete for the heart of Reese Witherspoon in “This Means War.” It isn’t until they start using their surveillance skills to hinder one another’s efforts that things really start to get hairy. Two people knowingly dating the same person is not a good idea for anyone involved, and it certainly isn’t worth losing the friendship the two have. How would you feel if you met a wonderful guy or girl, and your best friend decided that he or she wanted him or her too? Definitely not a good situation to put yourself in. Not to mention dating two people at once just because you can’t decide between the two — Witherspoon isn’t innocent here either.

 

Give the game all you’ve got.
That ‘tude will get you places.

Will Smith is too busy perfecting the art of wooing women and believing his own stunt in “Hitch” to realize that simply being himself will get him the girl of his dreams. He eventually realizes that the confidence he instills in his clients is what helps them win in the end. Playing the game is okay, but in small doses. There is nothing wrong with acting a little hard to get. Be confident, but don’t be obnoxious. If you try to outsmart everyone else, it will only make people avoid getting to know the real you. You will die. Alone. Just kidding, but still… don’t be annoying. Just be yourself, and the person you’re supposed to be with will find his or her way to you.

 

Cheat.
You’ll get your happy ever after.

“Titanic” is, and probably always will be, one of the most iconic love stories in the world. But, think about it: Rose cheated, and all she got for it was a dead new boyfriend. Her fiancée may have been a douchebag, but that doesn’t make what she did any less wrong. Plus, she lives! She cheated on her fiancée and she gets rescued! Since when does cheating on your significant other deserve a reward? If everyone were to start cheating with some random person they met on vacation like Rose did, the number of breakups afterwards would be the least of our worries. *Cough* STDs and unwanted pregnancies.

 

The tips you SHOULD take away from these Hollywood blockbusters

 

These 7 films may do a pretty good job at entertaining their audience, but you should think twice before applying any of the characters actions to your personal life. Although some sort of passion and affection are present in most of Hollywood’s romantic comedies, many of them offer only questionable advice to the audience. Hollywood has played a major role in how people think and how people act for years, but don’t expect to substitute relationship counseling with this week’s blockbuster anytime soon.