The Male Notebook on Chick Flicks

 

Courtesy of 7Static.com

When 500 Days of Summer was released in September, critics said that this was finally a chick flick guys would like. With the DVD coming out on December 22, perhaps it is time to test it out – can guys really watch chick flicks? Cosmo Culture conducted a little experiment and made three guys watch the ultimate chick flick and all time favourite – The Notebook.

Most girls know all the words to this movie but hardly any guy has even seen it. So for those who haven’t – the movie revolves around Ally (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling), and the basic idea is that you will never forget your first love. Even when Ally has to go away for college and gets engaged to someone else, she finds her way back to Noah in the end.

Once they had to watch a true romantic movie, the tough guys who like action and war films soon became very tame. They not only gave an insight into their understandings of romance and relationships but revealed an interesting reason to watch chick flicks, all women should know about…

The three guys are:

  

From left to right: Michael Knight (21), Patrick Burke (20), Diederik van Vliet (21)

-Would you watch chick flicks once in a while?

Michael: No, definitely not by myself.

Diederik: He’s clearly not in a relationship.

-What makes a chick flick unbearable?

Michael: When it is too overemotional. It’s not very realistic. It’s not that I don’t like movies with a romantic plot. For example Forest Gump centres around him being in love with Jenny but it’s not a chick flick.

Diederik:  If it’s got funny parts and pretty girls in it I would watch it.

Michael: Not if it is shot in a fantasy way. I guess it depends on the way it’s presented – the lighting, the music, and the shots.

-What is a good reason for you to watch a chick flick?

Patrick: I can tell you about the “player line” on chick flicks. Do you want to hear this? This is genius. If you want to get a girl, you watch a chick flick, go to a party and talk to a girl. I mean guys don’t watch chick flicks or don’t admit it because they would be a loser. But if you admit it to a girl secretly that you do watch them and tell them you liked a particular one like The Notebook for example, you go ‘argh that movie really got to me’, and boom there goes the dynamite. The girl thinks you’ve got feelings and all that and that’s how it goes.

Diederik: That’s brilliant!

-Do you think guys who like chick flicks are more romantic than those who don’t?

Patrick: I can give you an example where that’s the case. I have two friends – both of them have a girlfriend. But the one who sees a future in their relationship enjoys watching chick flicks once in a while and the other who doesn’t see a future for the relationship never watches chick flicks at all. He can’t even be bothered.

Diederik: But to see that as a representative example you have to compare more than two guys.

Patrick: Well you can test the theory on yourself and see if it’s true.

Michael: I don’t think that’s true. Well actually, with the girl I just broke up with I never watched chick flicks. I’d rather make her watch action films with me. But the one before, whom I was going out with longer I did watch two, I think.

Diederik: But if you’re in a relationship you give a little bit and you take a little bit. So sometimes you would watch chick flicks for her and other times you say let’s watch Die Hard.

Patrick: Maybe you don’t want to admit it but there is a difference between those who watch chick flicks and those who just watch the killing and shooting. I mean did you like the movie?

Michael: No I didn’t like it.

Patrick: But you are not in a relationship and you are not looking for a serious relationship so there you go. That’s my point proven.

So Cosmo Culture found out that although these three guys tried to resist watching The Notebook at first, they ended up enjoying it after all. Even if they were sceptical, they got hooked by the time the first sex scene appears. Now, it is understandable that there are a few chick flicks that are just too much to handle for any guy- but don’t you think they should give the genre a chance? There is good stuff out there that would surprise them all.

Clearly, our little experiment has started a debate – one that might never end. While some guys really do enjoy a chick flick once in a while, others still find them unbearable. Do they just not like to admit it? Maybe there is a difference between guys who do and guys who don’t watch them. But all you single ladies out there – don’t trust a guy that says he likes them, as it might just be his way to chat you up!

Our three guys gave us a list of chick flicks they enjoyed watching. Take this as an example of movies you can watch with your boyfriend without him falling asleep:

America’s Sweethearts – Typical relationship trouble even a guy can relate to

As Good As It Gets – “Because it is with Jack Nicholson and he is not just a pretty boy” (Michael)

Notting Hill – It has ‘a funny humour’ your guy will love

My Best Friend’s Wedding – With Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz there is not just one, but two pretty ladies

Titanic – “I loved the sex scene” (Diederik)

What Women Want – A nice little insight into women’s thoughts he’ll appreciate

Love Actually – It’s got charm and a nice Christmas feeling to it

Closer – Natalie Portman plays a stripper – that says it all

50 First Dates – A light-hearted and funny movie

And this is a list of movies that are too much to handle for a guy, so you should probably avoid dragging your man to watch one of these:

Dirty Dancing – More dirt, less dancing and you have deal

Pretty Woman – Although Julia Roberts plays a hooker, there is too little sex

Clueless – There is shopping, drama and cosmetics – what is not to like?

Bridget Jones’ Diary – You would think this is funny – maybe guys don’t understand the humour

Mean Girls – There is too much drama for a guy to handle!