Yes, it's about 2 am and I'm watching Netflix. Other than the fact that instant watch may be the best thing ever invented, I have serious issues with some of the movies I watch.
First, I'm a sucker for romance. I watch romcoms, read semi-romance novels, and basically lap up any really sentimental song that comes onto the radio. But come on, I'm not dumb. I'm a law student. I realize the majority of this stuff is crap, but I can't seem to tear myself away from it.
I've had discussions with people about whether this is the equivalent of porn for women, and after years of arguing that it's not, I have to believe that it really is. See... as women, we want to believe that this stuff isn't porn-like because it's real and it reflects some facet of reality, but the truth is that it's just as bad as whatever your boyfriend is currently watching.
"The Ugly Truth" is not a brilliant movie, but it does contain some truth... The first 30-45 minutes of it, that is. The rest of it, i.e., the transformation of the jerk into some really sensitive soul who's in love with her for being herself, that's a load of horse crap. The truth is really just as simple as it's presented at the beginning of the movie, though it's a little wrong on what women want.
See, male porn is what men want: naked girls available to do whatever new thing they think up... Or basically, a female version of themselves that exists for one purpose, to placate their flaccid egos and tell them just how wonderful they are and throw themselves at them. This is actually a little sad, to tell the truth. How bad is it that men are so desperate for some form of validation that they have to turn to augmented bimbos just so they can feel like they have some type of purpose or fill some function? I mean, I'd feel bad for them if they weren't the cause of their own descent into the obsolete. Really, just learn to adapt. But, as Gerard Butler's character points out: " For men, self improvement ends with toilet training". Of course, this is oversimplification, but in reality, men have issues with change. They don't enjoy it and don't think it's good for its own sake.
Regardless... I'm not going to pretend I know what men think about this movie. Frankly, I don't much care. I suspect that the whole "men want girls to look pretty and be nice" argument is fairly valid. Again, men aren't that complicated. They want to be useful. They want people to like them and think they're awesome. They want to feel necessary. But, is it my job to make them feel that way? The Ugly Truth seems to think so...
The place where this movie goes a bit off track is with women, which is odd, since it was written by women. That may explain the gag-worthy romance at the end. It makes it seem that all women want is a list of awesome qualifications that they will then throw away for someone who loves them despite their quirks.
Yeah... That may be true, but it's a little more complicated. Women, just like most men, want to be indispensable. However, they've got years of socialization telling them that they should be different and nicer and blah blah blah. Whereas men blame their insecurities on the situation and remedy it by imagining themselves in places where they could get all that attention if only they could find the right girl in the right mood, women place the blame of themselves. They think that they suck and that they can only have a good relationship with the guy who realizes that they suck but loves them anyway.
The problem is... Girls don't suck. They just try way too hard to play games with men and focus on them way too much. Feminism, romantic comedies, music, everything in the freaking world focuses on men and why they do what they do. Just face it, girls... We're all exactly the same. Maybe we want a guy who loves us and wants us, but in reality we just want to be cherished, feel safe, and have fun. Men want the same thing. So... maybe if we all stopped focusing on how to "Get the guy and still be ourselves" and just focused on getting to know people we like, we could stop going through the crappy relationships and spending all that money on emotional porn.
Does that mean the Ugly Truth is a good movie? Probably not if you're attempting to find some deep meaning on male/female relationships, but it's funny-ish, cute, and predictable. Perfect movie for 2 am. And guys... if you ever get the "Why do you love me" question... Apparently, the correct response is "I don't know... I shouldn't, but I do" at least according to the movie. But if you ever date me, let me tell you right now that that's a cop-out and it doesn't work... Try finding some minuscule detail like "You squeak in your sleep" and that'll help you out way more. Just a tip, there.
