Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down The Biggest Lies Pop Culture Teaches About Sex And Romance

People Break Down The Biggest Lies Pop Culture Teaches About Sex And Romance

A man and a woman hold one another and kiss passionately, between two trees, on a lake

Photo by Danie Franco on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

Since silent films began, we have been inundated with love story after love story, where happily ever afters are easily doled out.

Pop culture has molded the idea of romance and pleasure for everyone... just around the riverbend, it seems.

And guess what?

It's all a lie.

Sorry, that came off as bitter.

Actually, I'm not sorry. I am bitter.

Damn you, Julia Roberts, for the unrealistic expectations you've passed on to us through all your movies.


Redditor dwightanddilbert wanted to discuss and dig into the truth about how we've been duped on matters of the heart and lust, so they asked:

"What’s the biggest lie pop culture taught us about sex and romance?"

I learned long ago to give up on the movie love dream. But they're still fun to watch.

Being Real

bad romance....Giphy

"That love is easy and relationships will have romance just fall into your lap if it's meant to be. Real life is not a movie and it gives people a very wrong image of what a healthy relationship looks like."

trevmc1

Happily Now...

"That there is a point you reach where you get your Happily Ever After. Then you just get to coast. That's not how relationships work - it's not the moment he tells you at the NYE party how he loves that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out or when you get married in a big ballgown."

"It's all the little moments, the everyday caring, the small affections and the avoidances of trust pitfalls. They add up to a Happily Now. But there's not a point you can hang your hat up and say, 'Okay. I got this marriage thing sorted out. Now I get to do whatever I want.'"

Carl__Gordon_Jenkins

“What about sleep?!?!”

"That we’re supposed to have long sex sessions. Honestly a good 15-20 mins is pretty good for me."

ItsMeThereHair

"When I was 20ish I was in a car with a few coworkers. A couple of them got to talking about longest active session. The girl was 18 hours and the guy said 24 hours."

"All I could think was 'what about sleep?!?!' ( I’ve always loved sleeping). At the time I was with my now hubby and back then we were more the under 5 minute get the job done types. Now we appreciate longer sessions but I’m ready to tap out at 20 minutes. If we get to 45, he’s out of luck."

Environmental-Car481

Know the Difference

"Persistence usually isn't romantic. It's usually creepy."

Pissed_Off_Pacifist

"Yep, thanks for mentioning it. I wasted many, many years pursuing that one guy I thought was the one. His friends liked me. He made compliments on my looks and on my skills. Everything seemed promising, so why didn't it turn out the way I wanted?"

"Well, surprisingly, some people just aren't romantically interested in you, no matter how much work you put into it. So easy to understand, but so hard to accept. Neither my stubbornness nor a miracle could turn the friendship we had into a relationship. Plus, I must've seemed desperate, which is unattractive as hell."

"It's okay to take your time, but it's also necessary to know when move on. Really just better for everyone."

OneGhastlyGhoul

Shut Up!

Disney Wedding GIFGiphy

"For the love of God, DO NOT interrupt a wedding. It will not go how you think it will."

dcbluestar

"As a joke at our friend's wedding some girl stood up and said wait. Literally every head turned around so fast and although it was known to the bride and groom as a joke I think everyone was thinking wtf and she was about as red as a tomato."

Kyell

The drama queen in me knows it would be wrong, but who wouldn't love to witness a wedding interruption?!?!

Magic

Anne Hathaway Actors On Actors GIF by PBS SoCalGiphy

"If you just take off your glasses and put your hair down, you'll be Anne Hathaway."

Poorly-Drawn-Beagle

Gross Truth

"That there's no such thing as clean up afterwards. Everyone just has a slight, post-coital, glisten and that's about as far as it goes. No awkward wet waddle. No wet spot on the mattress that gets cold way too quickly so you both bend your bodies around it so you can still snuggle without touching it."

"No sex towel that probably should've been washed about two weeks ago and is getting to the point where it might make a worthy substitute for a crowbar with how stiff it is."

"Oh, and if you do it in a horror movie, you're 100% gonna die."

ACalcifiedHeart

Calm Down

"That sex always has to be very serious and profound. And I don't mean serious as in commitment, but as in how we behave. Some of the best sex I have ever had has involved cracking jokes."

Needydadthrowaway

"Or sleepy sex where the nights too late but you both just want to crank it out and sleep."

hogtiedcantalope

It can work...

"Opposites attract."

chingudo

"This is actually really untrue. While it is possible, and also, in my opinion, really rare for opposites to attract, they definitely do not a majority of the time. We tend to fall for people who are like-minded to us. People who have similar values, morals, thoughts, etc... to us."

AwesomeKitty6842

"So I married an opposite. Has not been easy but I think has been really good for both of us overall. That being said if it ever fell apart I would 100% look for someone more like me. Everything, and I mean everything, is a lot of work and requires so much communication between us."

notgreatnotbadsoso

Get a Chance

Brendon Urie Flirt GIF by Panic! At The DiscoGiphy

"Two extremes:"

"1- If you're a stalker, they'll eventually give you a chance."
"2- If you're the nice guy/the best friend, they'll eventually give you a chance."

"#2 messed me up for a very long time."

plasma_dan

Lesson learned. Never trust the love stories in pop culture.

And fairytales lie!!

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshots from @maddie_bado's TikTok video
@maddie_bado/TikTok

Woman Sparks Debate After Sharing The Signs That You Have A 'Loser Boyfriend' In Viral Videos

Every person who chooses to date will have a list of wished-for traits, attractive traits, and of course, dealbreakers that would likely end the relationship either immediately or, at least, eventually.

TikToker @maddie_bado shared a series on TikTok called "Signs of a Loser Boyfriend," which she believes more women should be aware of so that they can make the most informed decision about what they are gaining from their relationship and whether their partner is able to give them what they want, and vice versa.

Keep ReadingShow less
Matthew Lillard
I've Never Said This Before with Tommy DiDario/YouTube

Matthew Lillard Opens Up About Still Having To 'Fight For Jobs' In Hollywood After Being Misunderstood

Ever since Quentin Tarantino made disparaging remarks about Matthew Lillard's work as an actor, Lillard has been open about feeling typecast and limited in Hollywood.

But while appearing on the I've Never Said This Before podcast opposite Tommy DiDario, Lillard opened up about feeling truly misunderstood in Hollywood, and said that he has to fight for any jobs at all, let alone jobs that might demonstrate his strengths.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @julie.says.things' TikTok video
@julie.says.things/TikTok

TikToker's Viral Video About The Struggles Of Trying To Work In America Hits A Nerve

People in the United States who are trying to find a job will inevitably find it unnecessarily difficult to navigate or to be successful.

It's reached a point where people are better off laughing and making jokes about it, because if they don't laugh, far more negative emotions are sure to manifest.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson; Screenshot from Johnson's TikTok video
Kevin Mazur/Disney/Getty Images; @therock/TikTok

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Hilariously Stuns Fans After He Uses A Paper Plate In Viral TikTok

A lot of people use social media with the hopes of going viral and finding new opportunities or even fame. But many people who have gone viral would probably agree that their video became popular for a totally unexpected reason.

Even Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson isn't exempt from that possibility.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Win McNamee/Getty Images

People Just Noticed A Telling Detail About The Suit That Trump Wore To A Recent Rally—And Yikes

On Monday, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump was on the campaign trail in Grand Island, Nebraska. The POTUS was stumping for GOP candidates in a bid to retain the Republican majority in the Senate and House of Representatives.

From ranting about lawnmowers to suggesting that Iran should "take out" two cities in California, it was overall the chaotic, rambling, unhinged mess his MAGA minions love to hear and cheer for.

Keep ReadingShow less