The day is coming. We know it, because we are reminded constantly by seasonal displays in every store we visit, regardless of the type of shopping we are doing. If I had some sort of cable or satellite service, I would be bombarded with advertisements designed to shame me into purchasing jewelry, flowers, and overpriced candy in order to adequately express my affection and appreciation for my spouse. I should probably already have a reservation at a really expensive restaurant on the day, because marketing campaigns say so. Anything less isn't really love.
Despite my contempt for the over-commercialization of many holidays, no other holiday marketing campaign rubs me quite as raw as one that distorts harmony, companionship, and yes, love, in favor of the bottom line. What's more is the affect it has on the young and impressionable, creating ripples all of us have to navigate as we mature and seek a mate. I definitely do not want my daughter growing up to become Scarlet Johansson's character in "Don Jon (2013)," believing romantic comedies are a reflection of life rather than a fictional distortion. As entertaining as romantic comedies can be, it doesn't require much scrutiny to establish how firmly the genre remains grounded in fiction.
Regardless of my personal feelings toward the day (or romantic comedies for that matter), there is no shielding my children from pop culture, unless I want them to become social outcasts — which I don't. Rather than attacking the things they feel compelled to participate in, like faux holidays, or movies that shouldn't be watched more than once, we have discussions with our children to ensure they are not accepting things at face value.
When my daughter was six, she watched Disney's "Frozen (2013)" for the first time. It was a seminal moment for her because she was able to see a strong, female lead in Elsa, being shunned as a direct result of possessing far more power than any of the male characters in the story, with Elsa's inability to manage this power ultimately leading to her exile. The climax of the story is when Elsa is able to reconcile with her sister, manage her power, and return home.
"That's amazing, isn't it?" I asked my daughter.
"Yes!" She exclaimed. "Do you know how she was able to make everything better?"
"How?!" My wife and I chorused.
"It was love," declared my daughter nodding. "Uh huh." She added confidently, continuing to nod. "It was love."
Of course it was.
