The one thing you know for sure when you're watching a romantic comedy is that it's going to turn out okay in the end. When you're living one? Not so much. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Romantic comedies usually don’t get much respect. Producer Neil Drumming explains what’s so great about them. (5 minutes)Act One: Actor Daniel Radcliffe reads a short piece of fiction, “The Present,” from Simon Rich’s book of short stories, “The Last Girlfriend on Earth.” (10 minutes)Act Two: Elna Baker interviews comedian Michelle Buteau about one of her first big romantic challenges. (14 minutes)Act Three: David Kestenbaum retraces the steps of Steve Snyder, a man who found himself running for love. (9 minutes)Act Four: Comedian Jillian Welsh tells Diane Wu about one of the most romantic—and stressful—nights of her life, a night that paralleled the plot of a rom-com in several ways. (16 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.orgThis American Life privacy policy.Learn more about sponsor message choices.
What makes romantic comedies beloved despite criticism?
This is American Life from WBEZ Chicago. I'm Ira Glass. And here at our radio show, we were talking about romantic comedies and how they don't get a lot of respect. I think it's maybe because of the bad ones. Every part of them just feels too obvious, you know? The couple meets, but they hate each other at first.
They go through some things that make them, you know, learn some important lesson about themselves. You know from the very beginning they're going to end up together, and then no surprise, they do. When it's not done well, it's all too obvious and tired, and you can feel the gears working in the thing.
One of the producers on our show, Neil, he wholeheartedly really loves romantic comedies, has favorite cities watched over and over dozens of times. He once collaborated with the producer of Sleepless in Seattle on a rom-com script that never got made. He has all kinds of thoughts about them.
And he realized this thing about rom-coms and what's so satisfying about the good ones that I really think is true.
I used to say that it was just watching just like close-ups of two beautiful people being funny and clever and witty to each other. Yeah. Being their sort of best selves or sometimes worse selves, but then eventually their best selves. And that was kind of enough for me.
Now why shut me out? You know what happens to people who shut everybody out?
They lead quiet, peaceful lives.
No, they fester.
That's Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline with a fake French accent in the movie French Kiss.
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