The Chick Flick Stigma

Image made by Sierra, courtesy of IMDB for movie poster images

It's common knowledge that films, when being written and directed, either have a target audience in mind or naturally evolve one during the creative process. One of the most popular, and supposedly "embarrassing" categories of films are known as "chick flicks." 

Some prime examples that I came across of these types of movies are 27 Dresses, The Notebook, Pride & Prejudice, Legally Blonde, Under the Tuscan Sun, and Sleepless in Seattle.

A chick flick is a movie usually focused on romance, with occasional comedy, tend to have female leads, and have a handsome love interest for our heroine. The label suggest that they are considered for all women and only women to enjoy.  Because movies such as these are automatically labelled as such, men and women alike tend to automatically avoid them.

Why are people so ashamed to like these kinds of movies?

Some say they're "predictable" and follow the same formula. Though many have similar themes and plot lines, that doesn't automatically make it as a bad movie. Originality is difficult, anyone who writes fiction (or creates any other medium of art) knows this firsthand. It's not a bad thing to take similar ideas from other movies and model them after that. It will eventually evolve into something of its own. In a good film, there will be facets that stand out and make it great.

The term "chick flick" has a connotation of being of horrible, predictable, and lovey-dovey.

But these films have value. For example, Legally Blonde is about a college girl that follows her bonehead boyfriend to Harvard Law School in order to win him back, but soon she finds her passion in helping others and studying to become a lawyer herself. Elle Woods (played by Reese Witherspoon) is an intelligent, confident woman who doesn't compromise her own values and style to conform to her colleagues, and kicks lawyer ass while doing it. Her relationship with her new boyfriend (a huge improvement over the last) at the end is only a footnote. I think more people should watch movies like Legally Blonde, because it features a confident, bubbly, smart female lead that can hold her own in the cutthroat lawyer world without sacrificing her femininity. 

Reese Witherspoon looking fabulous as leading lady Elle Woods, image c/o Rotten Tomatoes

For those who claim these movies aren't intelligent enough, guess again. Some of these films are based off classic literary works by William Shakespeare and Jane Austen, such as Clueless (Emma by Jane Austen), She's The Man (Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare), and 10 Things I Hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare). Pride & Prejudice, the novel and direct film adaptation of Austen's novel, is severely criticized at first glance because "it's all about romance", despite it being wildly popular among women. This is said like it's a bad thing. Austen's characters are complex and tell a masterfully, wittily crafted commentary on her society's ridiculous pomp and circumstance. She challenges these ideas through a romantic story, and uses Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship to make a statement.

Many of these romantic/romantic-comedic films make their own kind of statements, whether it's being true to yourself, believing in love, despite the circumstances; not judging someone without getting to know them, or finding that what you want has been right in front of you all along.

Yes, more often than not these movies get a bad rap right off the bat. "They're not realistic" they say. "They're too romantic" they complain. And my response to that is this: so what? These movies are touching, emotional, and often downright hilarious, if you give them the chance.

It's okay to have preferences, of course. Maybe romance isn't your style and you prefer action and adventure movies. That's totally okay. However, action and adventure movies could also be considered "chick flicks" as well, based on the fact that A LOT OF WOMEN LIKE THEM.

See the problem here?

People would even say that inspiring movies such as A League Of Their Own, a movie about women's baseball and breaking down traditional gender roles, as a "chick flick" because it's mainly starring women and focuses on the relationship of two sisters.

Really? Are you serious right now?

Riddle me this: why do we belittle movies with emotional elements labeled as "chick flicks" automatically? Is it because we think that having faith in love is silly? 

Or is it because women like them and women are the main characters, and whatever women like must be inferior? I know many guys that won't even look at a certain film twice because "it's for chicks", or are embarrassed to admit that they genuinely enjoy films like Love, Actually or Dirty Dancing. This includes other women who don't "want to be like other women". That's a downright shame, for people that think that way.

It's part of the classic stereotype that women are mainly emotional and men are more action-oriented and logic-based. This is a gross misrepresentation, since human emotions and logical decisions are all basic human qualities despite gender.

The term "chick flick" should be removed from our vocabulary. Everyone is entitled to liking any movie they wish, despite it being a "girl movie" or a "boy movie" (both ridiculous labels with sexist criteria). Romantic comedies can have male leads, and action/adventure movies can have (and should have more) female leads.

Not every romantic comedy will be a winner, but there are definitely more diamonds in the rough than many of us are giving credit to, buried under the stigma of the "chick flick" label. 

Let's start getting past that and enjoy a movie for what it is, despite what the main demographic it was geared towards.

Here are a list of my favorite so-called "chick flicks":

• The Princess Bride (I didn't know this was considered a "girl movie" since I've seen it over a hundred times, but it's my favorite movie of all time so it's going on here)
• When Harry Met Sally
• 10 Things I Hate About You (seriously, one of the best movies I've ever seen)
• Clueless
• Made of Honor
• 27 Dresses
• Sleepless In Seattle
• An Affair To Remember
• My Fair Lady
• Miss Congeniality
• Sixteen Candles
• Legally Blonde
• Pretty Woman

What's your favorite romantic/romantic comedy movie? Favorite movie from another genre?

Why do you think we shun these "chick flicks"?

Tell me in the comments below!

Till next time xx,

Sierra