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Remember when Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) stood outside Diane Court's (Ione Skye) house with the boom box playing, In Your Eyes? Easily one of the most romantic and memorable movies of the 80's. The idea is sweet and incredibly cheesy, which is why it's considered so romantic. In real life though, the idea of someone standing outside my house, looking up at my window, playing music with no expression on their face frickin weird.
The classic tossing-rocks-at-your-window-at-night is probably the creepiest of them all. Although some girls might see this desperate attempt as "cute", I see it as frightening. Imagine sleeping in your bed and waking up in the dark of night to little thumps on your window. You look outside and there is your deranged boyfriend/girlfriend/ex that you've gotten into some argument with chucking pebbles at your window. How many people do you know are pleasently sweet when they've been woken up in the middle of the night?
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Perhaps I'm a cynic but romantic gestures like these seem weird to me. Or maybe the times have changed too much. After all, a radio outside of your house and rocks tossed at your window are pretty old school. True romantic gestures in my mind are things like giving up immortality to be with your human lover, like Arwen to Aragorn.
Have you ever made a grand romantic gesture to someone you cared about? Did it fail miserably or work wonders?
Comments (24)
I agree with you 100%
that's why it's only in movies. do people actually do shit like that in real life? i would think those sorts of "romantic gestures" are uncommon at the very least.
to be completely honest, i don't really 'get' the word romantic. way too subjective and no clear direction, i'd prefer to just throw it out altogether.
I always thought those gestures were weird, creepy and stupid.
"True romantic gestures in my mind are things like giving up immortality to be with your human lover, like Arwen to Aragorn"
Why do I not find this romantic at all? Maybe because it's not a realistic example at all. What real legitimate actions do you find romantic? Because at least the rocks and radio are possible.
Who cares whether something is a "true romantic gesture" or not? If it works, great. You have yourself a romantic gesture. If not, try to dodge the restraining order that will undoubtedly come your way because you were one of those creepers with a radio.
@Hermeown@xanga - We wouldn't know if it was true or not cause it was billions of years ago and all the immortals moved to the Undying Lands! :P
well i'm wearin' the ring, ain't i?
ever seen breaking away? there's a great scene in that movie...
Back in January, my boyfriend's mother had called me and told me that he was cheating on me.
He ran, during a cold, rainy night (and he's not a runner) thirteen miles to my house to come and tell me he wasn't cheating, and that he loved me. He ended up vomiting in my yard from the intense run, and his ankles were cut to hell from his un-supportive skater shoes, but it was amazing that he would do that.
I'm still with him. He treats me so well. I love him with all my heart.
It is the only way of showing of affection.without doing anything about love is a waste of time.
i think the rock tossing is usually done when the person is still awake... just sayin...
and i feel like this should be on datingish not mancouchwalking few miles..going nowhere..all he could think is only you..realizing he could not breathe without u..that was a sweet thing.
I don't find those sort of gestures romantic at all really, but maybe that's just because we don't live in a time where those sort of things are appreciated.
My idea of a grand romantic gesture is cooking dinner and giving my boyfriend a blow job. Maybe I'm just weird that way...O.o
I do not think we should follow examples of romantic gestures for the sake of
doing something romantic.
I believe true romantic gestures are the expressions of how much
you love a person.
Sometimes it's simply saying what is immediately on that person's mind
or maybe some elaborate plan or some sacrifice. It is a gesture that
shows and proves how much you love the person.
@callherunique@xanga - wtf?! So she just randomly lied to you??
My grand romantic gesture was writing my ex a poem. I read it to him and ended with "I love you"- the first time either of us had said it. He said it back. All was well. Most people are probably thinking he didn't care for the poem but we used to write poems for each other all the time. So I think it was a nice way to say "I love you" for the first time.
My last grand romantic gesture was staying with my current boyfriend when most other girls would have ran the other way because of the baggage he came with. I stayed because I love him and everything worked out. The baggage is gone, just like I knew in my heart that it would be. It's been 4 1/2 years now and we're still going strong. I'm glad I trusted my heart and not my mind and stayed with him.
The closest my ex every got to a romantic jester involved ten tacos that said it all.
Throwing pebbles at someone's window was before Cellphones. Before cellphones, if you called the person, everyone would get woken up.
Radio outside the window: never saw the movie, and if my boyfriend did it, I would consider it romantic.
This doesn't seem Mancouch. It needs more...
Boobs.
Bacon.
Brazil.
Mindless sports.
Boobs.
Or video games.
Any of those would greatly improve this article. In fact, if the article had all of these, chances are all the readers of the post would die of testosterone poisoning! Just for future reference!
@Stephanie - Very true. :)
I'm disgusted by the sight of guys holding flowers, balloons, teddy bears and etc. on valentine'sday. But maybe it's different if you were totally head over heels with that person.
@Danigi@xanga - i changed my mind. if someone threw boobs or bacon at my window, i would definitely find that romantic.
The scenarios you refer to in your post, I don't classify as romantic. They are acts of desperation, which spring from troubled minds, so pretty much they are going to be extreme.
Romance to me is him asking me to grab him a beer since I'm up, and when I open the fridge there is a bouquet of flowers. Or me taping two concert tickets to his shaving cream can. Once I left a sexy note under the gas cap door on his car.
I think romantic gestures spring from positive, playful, loving moods, not crazed, desperate or paranoid episodes.
Romance is subjective. To each his own. In order to be romantic with your SO, you need to know them.
wooo arwen & aragorn for the win!! thats true love<3
Yea, showing up at your girlfriends house to resolve an argument... bad idea. Got all worked up and ran a few miles at 12 at night. Forgot my shoes and got arrested. Handcuffs and police brutality, not attractive. Waiting, now that seems to work better