Christmas Movies

While trying to get into the holiday spirit a little more last night, I decided to watch two holiday movies that I had not yet seen.  Christmas on the Bayou and Wish Upon A Christmas.

Both were equally cheesy and ridiculous.  Both involved a single parent in some way.  Both involved going back home and rediscovering what is "truly important".  Both involved discovering that the first love that got away was the true love.  Aside from all the incredibly obvious things that are wrong with these scenarios, I think what bothered me most about them is how they made me feel and how they portrayed women in general.

Maybe it was watching them back to back.  Maybe it's just me.  I had a hard time with the idea that being a career minded woman is somehow wrong or at the very least unfulfilling.  The idea that a guy is the only way a woman can be fulfilled or happy is a long standing trope that has always irked me.  It especially irks me around the holidays because these movies imply that the only gift worth receiving is the gift of love from an unexpected man.

Honestly this whole portrayal of women in movies is an entire other blog post.  It'll be a while before I can fully form the words to express my disdain for the majority of the movies out there.  One of the very first scenes in Christmas on the Bayou is of the main character behaving as though she is harried and scattered.  She thinks her life is together but it's not and she clearly needs to find a way to be grounded.  Oh no!  She accidentally played the video of her kid begging her to come to his soccer game.  Oh that pesky promotion she keeps getting passed over for!  But her boss is worried she'll quit after she completely flubbed a client pitch?  It makes no sense. 
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There I sat on my couch last night.  A fully formed and self-aware woman and I'm watching movies that make me feel as though I'm missing something.  And listen, I get it.  Love is an amazing thing.  I'd like to believe that someday I'll experience an actual reciprocal romantic love.  In the meantime though, my life is full.  I have a wonderful family, great friends, and a job that I'm really good at.  I feel like when love comes around for me it's going to be a nice addition to my life, not something that will replace some theoretical gaping hole.

So why do I still watch this drivel?  Partially because it's the only thing on TV right now aside from weird reality shows about the Real Housewhores of Plastic Surgery County or Little People wedding planners (side note, WHY ARE THESE PEOPLE ON TV AND I'M IN A CUBICLE?!?!)  Partially because despite all my gruff and complaints, I just like happy endings in whatever form they take.
There is so much hatred and anger and death happening in the world right now.  I need a little cheese.  I need a happy ending.  Even if it's fake.  It makes the rest of the BS on TV that we're bombarded with worth it.

I realize I'm a flip flopper on this one.  It happens to the best of us.  Do you have a favorite Holiday movie?