Why we need rom-coms to teach next generation how to date

In a world of "bare minimum" debates and "the ick," Reese Witherspoon suggests we have lost our way because we stopped watching romantic comedies.

During a recent episode of the Armchair Expert podcast, the Legally Blonde star argued that the decline of the genre has contributed to the chaotic state of the modern dating market.

She believes these films provided essential "dating skills" that helped younger viewers visualise courtship.

"It all has to do with rom-coms and sitcoms," Witherspoon noted, pointing out a fifteen-year slump in the genre.

She explained that television shows once allowed teenagers to imagine scenarios: "I like that girl, I'm gonna ask her out. Oh, what if she says no? Well, my favorite character on the television show did that."

Without these aspirational examples, dating has shifted to social media, where gushy gestures often feel trite or embarrassing.

The real value of the rom-com wasn't just the "kisses in the rain," but the permission to fail loudly. Characters like Elle Woods or Sex and the City’s Charlotte York showed that even if you uproot your life for the wrong person or kiss a series of frogs, you can survive and find someone who values your quirks.

Today, we are left with the harsh glare of social media, where the opinions of strangers dictate our romantic worth.

As Witherspoon suggests, perhaps we need to look back at the classics to remember that dating is a messy, universal struggle—and that’s perfectly okay.