romantic narratives, relationships, media psychology, narrative archetypes, cultural scripts, attachment theory 1. Introduction From Shakespeare’s sonnets to Netflix’s Bridgerton , romantic storylines have persistently captured human imagination. Approximately 65% of global box office hits include a central or subplot romance (MBFC, 2022). Yet scholarly attention often treats romance as either a trivial genre or a universal given. This paper argues that romantic storylines are complex narrative technologies —deliberately constructed sequences that model, provoke, and often prescribe relational behaviors.
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The streaming-era meet-cute increasingly the initial encounter, acknowledging awkwardness, ambiguity, and non-mutual desire. This reflects a cultural demand for realism but may reduce the escapist pleasure that traditional meet-cutes provide—a tension at the heart of contemporary romance writing. 6. Discussion: Romantic Storylines as Double-Edged Scripts Romantic storylines offer undeniable benefits: emotional catharsis, empathy training, and cultural visibility for marginalized relationships. However, they also carry risks. Yet scholarly attention often treats romance as either
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| Era | Example | Structure | Consent Cues | |------|---------|-----------|---------------| | Classic Hollywood (1940s) | The Philadelphia Story | Accidental encounter, verbal sparring | Implied, often ignored refusal | | Rom-Com Boom (1990s) | Notting Hill | Awkward stumble, celebrity/ordinary | Clear invitation (coffee offer) | | Streaming (2020s) | Starstruck | Post-hookup meet-cute, gender-reversed | Explicit negotiation of terms |