Romance in the media

Fairy-tale romance. Taking the literal meaning of the word itself, the word fairy tale refers to a "fanciful tale that talks about legendary deeds," meaning that it is obviously something far from reality. Yet the media portrays this ideal as achievable, and it is often seen on reality shows such as the Bachelor, or Bachelorette.

Shows such as these portray myths and stereotypes around love and courtship which will often fail to succeed in current times. In fact of all the bachelors that have happened, none of them have stayed committed to their relationship. One would think that this would deter the audiences from believing in their storytelling and construction on love and relationships, but somehow the audience keeps being dragged in. Maybe it is because the show is an escape, because it provides for them something that would not occur in their everyday life. Either way, the idea of that beautiful vulnerable woman, and the strong man still runs throughout the media - be it in a reality show such as the Bachelor, or a scripted television show such as Mad Men.