Hollywood: Ruining Dating Lives One Step at a Time

Don't get me wrong, I adore hollywood. I mean, I did after all want to be a film major at one point. But there's always been something that bothers me about it: the expectation of how the dating pool should be.

I used to be just like every girl, I loved "romcoms" (romantic comedies for those of you not familiar with slang) and quite literally expected some boy to come around and sweep me off my feet. My senior year of high school, I watched The Notebook for the first time, and to be honest, I did indeed cry. I didn't understand why I did, I mean **spoiler alert** the old couple dies together...OUT OF OLD AGE. It shouldn't be that sad. Sure it was seen as some weird romantic gesture that he told their love story every day to his wife so she could for a split moment remember who he was and suddenly forget again. But in all honesty, if I watched that movie right now, I'd probably want to throw the TV out the window because it's garbage. Yes, I said it. Any film that is "based on a Nicholas Sparks novel" is complete crap. Well, at least it is in my opinion (and probably most, if not all, men). But it doesn't just stop at Nicholas Sparks films, it's really any romantic comedy or romance movie. The Vow? Somebody hand me a puke bucket, NOW. Once I watched A Walk to Remember with some friends, and I laughed the whole time and the level of how unrealistic everything was.

Okay, I get it. At this point, you're probably sitting there saying, "RACHEL, YOU HAVE NO SOUL IF YOU DON'T LIKE THOSE MOVIES"

But why? Because I believe that love isn't some weird fantasy nonsense made up by Hollywood? Because I believe that happiness is decided for yourself and not because a man came by and gave you a box of chocolates or flowers? Because there isn't going to be some fairytale story where it's always been the guy right next to you that has been in love with you?

I suppose a "Chick Flick" that I do really enjoy is Legally Blonde. Why? Because Warner DUMPED her. He was supposedly the perfect guy and he said he didn't want her because she was too much of a "Marilyn" and not enough of a "Jackie" (also totally judging you if you don't understand that reference. Go study up on your American history) So what did Elle Woods do? She became that Jackie for him enough that he didn't deserve her anymore. GO ELLE. Any film that empowers women should be promoted and not garbage that you should wait in a tower for Flynn Rider to come. (Yes, indeed I am a hater of that movie as well) Why should a movie like Tangled be praised when it promotes the idea that a person will change for you, that you should just go for the first person you meet (or date in a realistic scenario) IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, PEOPLE. She's only 18, and the only way I can even begin to describe Rapunzel or Tangled is Provo Utah in itself. Which I get, Rapunzel = #relatable. Girl leaves home for the first time, girl finds boy, girl gets married.

Maybe that's why I had such a draw to the new Maleficent film that just came out. GIRLFRIEND IS SOOOO RELATABLE. **Major spoiler alert** She meets a guy, he tells her he loves her and other crap, betrays her, she gets revenge. CLASSIC. **Spoiler over**

So ladies, or even guys out there --> DON'T LET HOLLYWOOD DECIDE YOUR FATE. CHOOSE YOUR OWN. Because you deserve something even better than what Hollywood has to offer.

The Wave of Pretentious Return Missionaries

First of all, to my frequent readers of my blog, I am so sorry I went totally AWOL for an entire month and a half. I went off to Europe -- possible post coming -- and then I just had a lot of things to catch up on! BUT I'm back and that's what important right?


So lately I've noticed something different about Provo aka Mormonville. Back in 2012, President Thomas S. Monson changed the missionary age. This not only changed the lives of those that wanted to go on missions but also those that were planning not to as well.

Well, I'm guessing you know already that I was one of the few that chose not to go on a mission. But probably about 95% of my friends decided to. Or now that these two years are almost coming to a close I feel as if I should say "friends". The older you get, the more you realize who really are your true friends. Those that actually keep their plans they made with you or those that blow you off for "better" things. Because I knew a large amount of people leaving on missions due to this change in age, that means a large amount are returning which has amounted to something that I like to call, The Wave of Pretentious Return Missionaries. Now this includes all forms of RM's, full time and those that returned early.

If I've learned anything living a year away (or more like everyone else is away) from the majority of my high school friends is that life goes on without them. Many times as I sent off a friend, they'd say, "We'll do lots of things when I get back!" As if nothing was going to change. Within the past couple years or even within two months many people have been married, chosen a definite major, and learned life lessons. In other words, NOTHING is the same.

So this is what happens, these RM's come back, and quickly realize that they are left out of the loop completely. I mean, who wants to give a missionary bad news while they're gone? Probably not most people. So these RMs come together and tell their jokes and stories and stop including their friends that stayed behind. Don't get me wrong, I get it. These are the people that get you, because you're not ready to come back into the "real world" yet and these people understand you on a whole new level that those that haven't served a mission do. BUT HERE IS THE PROBLEM. The vibe you catch off these RMs is that they think they're better than you now, because why? Because you didn't choose to serve a mission. They give off this vibe that you are not "worthy" of their presence because they spent a certain amount of time to go off and serve the Lord. I'm definitely not saying that's a bad thing. But did you ever stop to remember your friends that spent time to write you letters or emails each week, while you were gone? Or did you just happen to forget them because your other RM friends are SOOOOOOO much better than them? A pattern has started and now there's a clear line of separation between those that have and haven't served missions and it honestly shouldn't be that way.

I'm sure a lot of guys are coming back from their missions saying "I need to marry a gal that has also served a full-time mission." Well, okay. That's fine. But also shame on you for being an ignorant person and thinking that girls that haven't served missions aren't worthy and that you should drop her if she hasn't. Last I checked it's still an OPTION for girls to go. Heck, it's an option for guys too. This kind of environment Provo has created has so much nonsense to it because there's such a high status to fulfill. If you're not on a mission you should be married or close to it. So this what I have to say back to the people of Provo that think this:

YOU ALL CAN SUCK IT. I'm not going to succumb to the pressures of this kind of environment. I am going to be me, and you can all deal with it. Because being fake is probably the worst thing a human being can be, and I refuse to be that.

Now I'm not saying ALL RMs are this bad, but for the majority of those that are actually from Provo, gosh I hate saying this but I kind of don't want to see most of you ever again because of your attitudes. Come back when you remember that you're no better than anyone else.

I mean, a lot of RMs will talk to/interact with those that haven't served a mission - as long as they didn't know them before the mission.

So take a stand, and prove to the world that LDS people aren't judgmental and don't segregate the people that have and have not served missions because aren't we just supposed to be one big happy family? Let's make it so.