Maybe It's Just Me, But...
SO, I'm enjoying my second full week of no school, and planning on going to apply for a job that I've been assured by three separate people who work there that I am most likely going to get the server job, and I'm watching "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." Now, normally, I love this movie; I love Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, and they're adorable together and wonderful playing off of each other.
But today, today is the day that this movie is kinda pissing me off. Sure, they both go in with less than honest intentions. Sure, she puts him through the wringer, acting all crazy and hilarious, and it is kind of a shitty thing to do, but there's really no chance of any long term damage. He, Benny-Benny-Boo-Boo or Krull the Warrior King or whatever the hell you want to call that fine piece of ass, plans to make her fall in love with him. For a job. Not because he's already in love with her, but just to prove that he can. Because apparently being extra smoking hot gives you a license to be a complete ass-hat douchebag that thinks playing with a woman's emotions is an okay way to spend 10 days. He takes her to "couple's counseling," he takes her to meet his family; he does these things, which would indicate to even us normal, not crazy girls, that he actually is invested in having a real relationship. What would have happened at the end of the 10 days if she hadn't been acting, if she had actually been that loony? Now she not only knows where you hang out and live, but also your parents! How is that a good thing?
And why does she have to apologize? Her side of things never called for him to become emotionally invested in her; point of fact, it was the exact opposite, to drive him away as quickly as possible. No harm, no foul. But Ben acts like she is the biggest two-faced bitch on the planet, even though they both did what they did for their jobs.
This is how it should have happened:
Ben: "I can't believe you lied to me!"
Andie : "Me?!"
B: "Yeah, you! You only used me for your damned article!"
A: "You did basically the same thing to me!"
B: "Yeah, but my job is more important than yours! And I didn't try to drive you crazy on purpose! So, HA!"
A: "If it hadn't been for your bet, you would have dumped me on our second date like any sane person! And wasn't your bet to make some poor unsuspecting woman fall in love with you in 10 days? How does that make you better than me? Actually, it makes you, like, a hundred times wore than me! There was never supposed to be a chance that you would fall for me! What were you going to do after tonight if you didn't actually like me? 'Hey, it's been nice, but now that I've gotten what I want, so long'? I can't believe I thought for even a second that I could fall for you! You know what my article is going to say? 'Sadly, I cuold not deliver the wisdom of what not to do when dating because the guy I picked turned out to be an asshole who wanted me to fall in love with him so that he could win a bet! Ladies, beware of Benjamin Barry! He has no concern for anyone's feelings but his own!' You are an asshole, and I hope you choke on the damn lovefern!"
Seriously, though, he never apologizes to her, even though he was far more in the wrong than she was, on every single level. He approached her, not the other way around. She writes that article about how she fell for him, and how bad she felt about it all, and how wrong she was. And it's really sweet that he chases her down and everything, but she put her humiliation and shame out there for all the world to see, her apology for her "bad behavior" for all the world to judge, and he never once says that he's sorry to her. And she just goes back to him because she loves him, which is romantic, and stupid. He chases her down and makes demands of her, and confronts her with the article. That would have been the time to say, "You know how you said you were sorry for acting like a crazy bitch? Well, I'm sorry, too, for attempting to play with your emotions." That is what he should have said instead of the charming, "Bullshit" that he kept tossing out there. You know what that says? Charming assholes need not repent, but need only to be more charming so as to distract from the fact that they are still assholes.
Boo on yet another movie where the woman gets a scolding and the man gets away fairly scot-free. Even if the man is Matthew McConaughey.
Where's my "Thelma & Louise"?
But today, today is the day that this movie is kinda pissing me off. Sure, they both go in with less than honest intentions. Sure, she puts him through the wringer, acting all crazy and hilarious, and it is kind of a shitty thing to do, but there's really no chance of any long term damage. He, Benny-Benny-Boo-Boo or Krull the Warrior King or whatever the hell you want to call that fine piece of ass, plans to make her fall in love with him. For a job. Not because he's already in love with her, but just to prove that he can. Because apparently being extra smoking hot gives you a license to be a complete ass-hat douchebag that thinks playing with a woman's emotions is an okay way to spend 10 days. He takes her to "couple's counseling," he takes her to meet his family; he does these things, which would indicate to even us normal, not crazy girls, that he actually is invested in having a real relationship. What would have happened at the end of the 10 days if she hadn't been acting, if she had actually been that loony? Now she not only knows where you hang out and live, but also your parents! How is that a good thing?
And why does she have to apologize? Her side of things never called for him to become emotionally invested in her; point of fact, it was the exact opposite, to drive him away as quickly as possible. No harm, no foul. But Ben acts like she is the biggest two-faced bitch on the planet, even though they both did what they did for their jobs.
This is how it should have happened:
Ben: "I can't believe you lied to me!"
Andie : "Me?!"
B: "Yeah, you! You only used me for your damned article!"
A: "You did basically the same thing to me!"
B: "Yeah, but my job is more important than yours! And I didn't try to drive you crazy on purpose! So, HA!"
A: "If it hadn't been for your bet, you would have dumped me on our second date like any sane person! And wasn't your bet to make some poor unsuspecting woman fall in love with you in 10 days? How does that make you better than me? Actually, it makes you, like, a hundred times wore than me! There was never supposed to be a chance that you would fall for me! What were you going to do after tonight if you didn't actually like me? 'Hey, it's been nice, but now that I've gotten what I want, so long'? I can't believe I thought for even a second that I could fall for you! You know what my article is going to say? 'Sadly, I cuold not deliver the wisdom of what not to do when dating because the guy I picked turned out to be an asshole who wanted me to fall in love with him so that he could win a bet! Ladies, beware of Benjamin Barry! He has no concern for anyone's feelings but his own!' You are an asshole, and I hope you choke on the damn lovefern!"
Seriously, though, he never apologizes to her, even though he was far more in the wrong than she was, on every single level. He approached her, not the other way around. She writes that article about how she fell for him, and how bad she felt about it all, and how wrong she was. And it's really sweet that he chases her down and everything, but she put her humiliation and shame out there for all the world to see, her apology for her "bad behavior" for all the world to judge, and he never once says that he's sorry to her. And she just goes back to him because she loves him, which is romantic, and stupid. He chases her down and makes demands of her, and confronts her with the article. That would have been the time to say, "You know how you said you were sorry for acting like a crazy bitch? Well, I'm sorry, too, for attempting to play with your emotions." That is what he should have said instead of the charming, "Bullshit" that he kept tossing out there. You know what that says? Charming assholes need not repent, but need only to be more charming so as to distract from the fact that they are still assholes.
Boo on yet another movie where the woman gets a scolding and the man gets away fairly scot-free. Even if the man is Matthew McConaughey.
Where's my "Thelma & Louise"?