Ah, Valentine’s Day, the day where we have an excuse to buy chocolates, watch sappy movies, and think about our love life’s. Every year during Valentine’s Day, we see more and more people swept up into the spirit of this holiday.

As we know, there are many different ways to spend this holiday of love. Some of the more popular options are going out to dinners, going dancing, and just staying home and spending time together.

But one of the most popular things to do is to either go to the movie theater or stay at home and watch cheesy rom-coms.

Some of you may be asking yourself, “Why are rom-coms so popular? They’re not even good.” But the thing is, romantic comedies have been a popular genre for forever. According to www.movieweb.com, “The exceedingly popular genre of romantic comedy has prevailed throughout the extent of cinematic history and even dates back to Ancient Greece and the earliest forms of storytelling.”

What is it about this genre that keeps people coming back for more? Is it the cast or the chemistry between the two love interests? Or is it getting to see the different relationships a person can have on-screen? Well, I think it’s all of that and so much more.

Vox.com‘s writers have said that people like rom-coms because “They are about forging human connections and people changing each other for the better.”

People.com gave four reasons on why they think people like rom-coms:

1. Rom-coms are hopeful and happy.
2. Rom-coms are incredibly consistent.
3. Rom-coms are about human connection.
4. Rom-coms are bingeable.

And while I also think that these reasons are a huge basis people love to watch romantic comedies when they are feeling sad or for fun, one of the biggest reasons, I think, that rom-coms are so popular is because the body releases a “love hormone.”

The body makes a hormone called oxytocin. As I read on movieweb.com, “The hormone can be found in correlation with the budding stages of romantic attraction, and be vicariously felt by the audience as the on-screen romance unfolds. Oxytocin can contribute to the popularity of romantic comedies because of its association with positive relationship memories and its connection to ‘happy hormones.’”

The combination of hormones and the way these movies are designed to make you feel, creates feel-good movies that will have you coming back for more.

Maybe the next time you watch a rom-com, you can try to figure out why you like the movie. Is it because of how it makes you feel or does it remind you of happy memories?

Now, what would be my article without some movie recommendations?

Here is a list of 15 romantic comedies that you should check out if you haven’t seen them already:

1. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
2. Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
3. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
4. Pretty Woman (1990)
5. Clueless (1995)
6. You’ve Got Mail (1998)
7. Roman Holiday (1953)
8. It Happened One Night (1934)
9. 27 Dresses (2008)
10. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
11. Notting Hill (1999)
12. But I’m A Cheerleader (1999)
13. Love and Basketball (2000)
14. The Proposal (2009)
15. Life As We Know It (2010)

Thanks for reading, Bulldogs! I hope you had a great start to this semester. See you next time!