Blogmas Day 16: All I Want for Christmas Is a Romcom Renaissance (kind of a book review)

So, we’ll start out with something a little more pertinent to blogmas, which is that I read a little holiday book and, spoiler alert, I loved it. 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston was a cutesy, nostalgic, quick read! 

Without giving too much away, our main character, Sophie, is going through some typical high school growing pains. She has huge holiday plans, but when those get derailed, at the suggestion of her grandmother, Sophie is set up on 10 blind dates spanning the winter holidays - each date chaotically curated by a member of her large extended family. This sugary sweet book touches on romance, friendship, and growing up. If you like TSITP and the like, you will love this. 5/5 read!

That said, it’s clear to me (and now you) that I’ve read a ton of romcom books this year, a notable departure from fantasy and (straight up) comedy, and why? 

I’ll tell ya why! It’s because the romcom is dead. Please save your arguments. I am well aware that there are a good bunch of new streaming romcoms, some gems, others, not so much. But, the concept of a blockbuster romcom, I’m talking grab all your girlies and make a day of it, that’s gone. It literally ghosted us! We were consistently delivered the likings of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Sweet Home Alabama, Bride Wars, Something Borrowed, Made of Honor (I could go on for days), and that just doesn’t happen anymore? 

Really, tell me, who is gen Z’s Kate Hudson? Cameron Diaz? Reese Witherspoon? SANDY B? Who is gen Z’s Ashton Kutcher? Jude Law? Ryan Gosling? HUGH GRANT? 

Like, why am I not buying tickets to see Millie Bobby Brown fall in love with Noah Centineo, trapped in a Nebraska airport because she was going from London to Anaheim to see her on again off again boyfriend for Christmas, and he was going from LA to London to visit his not-so-attentive-studying-abroad girlfriend for the holidays, and they got stuck in the middle because of SNOW?! (P.S. this is my idea and it’s great, so I expect compensation if it’s brought to life ©️™️)

The modern day version of The Devil Wears Prada seems to be an Avengers movie, and while I’m happy to watch handsome superheroes being handsome (I’m looking at you, Paul Rudd), it’s just not the same.

A Netflix release is not the same. 

And sure, my bellyaching over a general lack of romcoms is so trivial. Romcoms in general are pretty trivial (I would argue most blockbusters are), but a two hour escape from all the world’s problems, a two hour nudge into the realm of love at first sight, it’s at least a warm and fuzzy wish.

And finally, to quote quote my very favorite would-be-great-in-a-romcom-actress Mindy Kaling, “I have not yet tired of seeing hot people fall in love.” 

So, if you’re a big time movie producer reading this (not to be confused with a big time magazine editor… see what I did there?), call me. 

Currently listening to: “A Nonsense Christmas” by Sabrina Carpenter (bc it’s giving romcom)

xoxo LA