#ExpressLove - #SexIs - The Media and Expressions of Love

Contributor: Ansley Ansley


In his article this week, Roland discussed Mad Men and the way it shapes our perception of love.

Mad Men is a brilliant show to bring up when it comes to discussing the concept of “expressions of love.”

Because the lead character – the suave and charming Don Draper – is a man totally unable to give an adequate expression of love. That’s why his marriage to the frosty Betty fractured, and why he leaves a trail of broken women behind him like wilted rose petals. There’s no little irony to the concept of a man who makes his living selling people on what they (think they) want, when he clearly has no idea himself.

There’s equal irony in the fact that most modern men don’t view Don Draper through the same cynical spectacles as I do. Instead of looking at him as a deeply broken man, unable to express his true feelings, he’s hailed as an archetypal male hero – a return to the “man’s man” that many think modern society is missing.

And he’s not alone. Just look at the similarly masculine icons he stands beside – fictional characters like James Bond, and real ones like John F. Kennedy. All are hailed as role models for men; yet each is as equally broken as the other when it comes to their relationships with women.

That’s perhaps why we live in such a broken age.

Media plays a very important role in almost all of our lives, either through advertising or trying to sell us a new twist on an old concept of behavior. While Mad Men is just one example of the media twisting our minds into what's most beneficial for their ratings, there are many many more examples out there within a stone's throw.

And so now we ask you, fellow Edenites...
Answers (public voting - your screen name will appear in the results):
Do you think movies, tv shows and commercials depict expressions of love in a positive way?
alayamae
1
.
alayamae
1
Yes, I love the storybook romance movies and they inspire me to treat my partner to something nice.
Peaches2000 , Badass
2
No, you shouldn't be expected to give gifts, vacations or do really romantic things all of the time and the movies make me feel like I have to.
gothchick986
1
I don't pay attention to what the media tells me I should. I do what I want, when I want.
GONE! , Master DarkWolf , unfulfilled , mistressg , Kindred , HusbandandWife , BabyL0ve , ily , jokerzwild , ellejay , SJ88 , Incendiaire , PeaceToTheMiddleEast , f@n+@$Y+r@v313r
14
..
Have you ever attempted to emulate an expression of love that you've seen in a movie or tv show?
...
Yes and it didn't go so well. The movies make it look easy.
Peaches2000
1
Yes and it was brilliant! I'll tell you about it in the comments!
No, and I've never thought about it.
Master DarkWolf , unfulfilled , Kindred , ily , Valentinka
5
No, but I have thought about it. I just didn't have what I needed to pull it off.
GONE! , HusbandandWife , jokerzwild , ellejay , Badass
5
....
In general, I feel the media has made...
.....
A large impact on decisions I make in all areas of my life, not just my love life.
A middle of the road impact on decisions I make in all areas of my life, not just my love life.
Peaches2000 , Valentinka , Badass
3
A little bit of an impact on the decisions I make in all areas of my life, not just my love life.
GONE! , HusbandandWife , ily , jokerzwild , ellejay
5
No impact on me at all.
Master DarkWolf , unfulfilled , Kindred
3
Total votes: 41 (19 voters)
Poll is closed
04/06/2012
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Contributor: Peaches2000 Peaches2000
I think it is wonderful to be a romantic and movies or tv shows enhance romance in ones life...all the better!!
04/06/2012
Contributor: Master DarkWolf Master DarkWolf
Media really doesn't effect my decisions, I do what I find to be good to do, and things always seem to work out fine...
04/06/2012
Contributor: unfulfilled unfulfilled
My husband is not a romantic and if he tried to carry off something like what's depicted in the movies I'd probably fall over dead from a heart attack because that's just not going to happen. I don't pay attention to what media does.
04/07/2012
Contributor: alayamae alayamae
I try not to bring the media into my decisions
04/08/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Do any of you think that doing stereotypical "movie/tv show" things in a relationship is the norm or do you think everyone does what they want and only a few select people in the world really hold onto the "fantasy" of scripted love?
04/09/2012
Contributor: Valentinka Valentinka
I cannot recall a time in our relationship when we intentionally tried to emulate something from a certain romantic movie. Neither can I remember a couple known for that.

On the other hand, some things are stereotypical by their nature (like gift-giving, flowers, lighting a hundred of candles, rose petals and so on) and their use is cultivated by both media and culture on the whole. And I can't deny that these things are actually nice But completely scripted love is... boring?
04/10/2012
Contributor: Geogeo Geogeo
Mad Men in particular is just purposely outdated in its negative perspective of marriage and love.
04/10/2012
Contributor: Badass Badass
I do love my fairy tale romances, and love to live em.
04/10/2012
Contributor: TarnishedHalo TarnishedHalo
I feel that the media portrays love as only one thing, a man and a woman fall in love, commonly in a very rapid manner. There are a few hiccups along the way, and then the man and the woman live happily ever after. "Love" as it's shown in Mad Men isn't so much love as it is lust. I believe that the media has begun to both destroy the traditional definitions of love along with the modern changes of many different types of relationships. Romantic comedies make love look easy and suggest everyone look for "The One". Even movies that show people having many partners, show the protagonist eventually falling in love with "The One" s/he wasn't ever supposed to love.
04/11/2012