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

Screenshot of Joey Jones
Fox News

Fox News Host Slammed After Criticizing 'Weak' Sailors Complaining About Deteriorating Conditions Aboard USS Lincoln

Fox News host Joey Jones was criticized for his complaints about the "weak" U.S. Navy sailors who have complained about the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed in the Middle East since November of 2025.

Jones is a Marine veteran who spent eight years in the military and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He was seriously wounded by an IED in Afghanistan in 2010, sustaining severe injuries to his arms and wrists and losing both legs above the knee.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot of AI Elon Musk as Austin Powers
@elonmusk/X

Elon Musk Brutally Dragged After Sharing Bizarre AI Slop Video Of Himself As Austin Powers

On Wednesday, AI content creator DFF posted another of their parody videos on X mocking a major political figure.

The politics of DFF aren't specified, as they appear to mock just about everyone, but the Trump administration and their allies seem to be frequent targets. The account name DFF stands for "Dumb F*ck Finder" and their bio reads "Fighting DumbF*ckery 24/7 via AI-powered music vids & memes. Don’t Be a DumbFxck."

Keep ReadingShow less
Rosario Dawson (left) revealed her cameo was cut from Tom Holland’s (right) Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images; Sony/Marvel Studios

Rosario Dawson Reveals Her Cameo In 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Was Cut—And Her Mom's Reaction Has Fans Cackling

Fans expected Spider-Man: Brand New Day to deliver its share of surprise cameos, but one familiar Marvel face apparently got caught in the editing web.

In resurfaced footage from July’s GalaxyCon in Raleigh, North Carolina, 47-year-old Sin City and Ahsoka star Rosario Dawson told fellow actor Vincent D’Onofrio that she had slipped back into her Daredevil scrubs as Claire Temple for the blockbuster.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jamie Lee Curtis
Errich Petersen/SXSW Conference & Festivals/Getty Images

Jamie Lee Curtis Clears The Air After Saying She Had An 'Awful' Experience Filming 'New Girl'

Every actor has their preferences when it comes to stage production, and Jamie Lee Curtis is no exception, especially when it comes to comedy.

Curtis was recently touring to promote and answer questions about her latest show, Newlyweds on NBC, which she co-created with Black-ish and Ugly Betty's Gail Lerner. The Freakier Friday actress explained that she was excited to create a story that centered around older characters and finding love later in life, following a couple portrayed by Tea Leoni and Tim Daly.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ashley Callingbull
@corrinaaligned/Instagram

Former Miss Universe Canada Praised After Calling Out Contestants' Costumes For Cultural Appropriation On Live TV

Ashley Callingbull, Canada's 2024 Miss Universe contestant, made history that year when she became the first First Nations competitor to win the pageant.

Now, she's using that platform to call out other contestants for cultural appropriation in their pageant appearances.

Keep ReadingShow less