One of my guiltiest pleasures every holiday season, is watching cheesy Christmas movies. I love the romance and how over the top and predictable they are. However, this year as I watched the movies I couldn’t get into them as much, it really bothered me the way women are portrayed in Christmas movies.These movies feature women who are pining for love, and that is their main goal in life. I get it, love is great, but it isn’t necessary. These women seem needy, and aren’t self sufficient.
So instead of me just complaining broadly, let’s unpack some concrete examples of 3 movies I have watched recently. Also here is my spoilers warning.
This movie came out on Netflix last year just in time for the holidays. The plot of this movie is a spoiled woman who lives in a big city is next in line for her family’s inheritance, but her dad needs her to complete a task before she can inherit the company and its fortune. She must go to a small town to deliver a letter, but is stranded and lost and needs help. But don’t worry a hot guy swoops in to rescue her and remind her of her christmas spirit, as she falls in love with him.
This movie gets problematic for me because she is portrayed as this wild party girl who is really ditzy and needs to be rescued. She has a fiance but falls in love with another guy at the same time, but the viewer is just supposed to accept it. Yes she does end up helping the town and brings out the christmas spirit, but it’s only after she falls in love.
Women are strong independant people who do not need to fall in love to do something good or help people. My main problem with this movie was that the lead could not do that on her own she needed help.
This movie made its Netflix debut last year right before Christmas. Amber, a New York journalist, goes to a castle in a fictional country to write an expose on a womanizing prince who is in line to become king. However, as she is writing this article, the unthinkable happens, and love strikes. She is distracted and falls head over heels for him. He even rescues her from a wolf, how dreamy.
She ends up quitting her job after her article on how much on an amazing guy he is gets turned down. He proposes to her and there is a spinoff that is a million times worse than the original.
So how is this movie problematic you may be asking yourself? Well let’s talk about how this successful real woman puts her job on the line for love. Or how she gets so distracted by a dreamy prince that she has trouble writing her assignment.
This woman has a great job and is successful, but gives it up to marry a prince and move into a castle. It is so unrealistic and cliche. Plus, Amber is no Meghan Markle or Kate Middleton.
I saved the most cliche and unrealistic for last.This movie came out on Netflix this november, right around Thanksgiving. It originally caught my eye because it starred Vanessa Hudgens. The owner of a bakery in Chicago,Stacy, goes to a fictional country where she happens to run into a duchess, Margaret, who looks exactly like her. Obviously they trade places to see how the other half lives. Margaret falls in love with stacy’s baking partner and best friend, and Stacy falls in love with the prince Margaret is engaged to but doesn’t love. The men do not know the women switch places, but fall in love with them. However, this happens in the time span of less than 3 days?!
What could be problematic about that? Well, have you ever fallen in love with someone in 3 days? I didn’t think so, me neither. But don’t worry it all works out in the end when Stacy becomes a duchess and marries the prince and Margaret moves to Chicago.
All these women needed was to fall in love and completely change their lives. Easy peasy.
I just want to see movie where women do not need to fall in love to be happy, or to find their Christmas spirit. This blog highlights how women are often stereotyped in Christmas movies. I’m just tired of women being portrayed like they need love to be happy and successful, and men do not have that same pressure.
But to lighten the mood and to not seem like the grinch, I will highlight my favorite Christmas movie; Love Actually.
This movie has everyone looking for love, men and women alike. But it’s not a need for all characters. One woman is in love with her coworker but chooses her ill brother over him. 10/10 recommend this movie, you’ll laugh cry and fall in love with love and Christmas.
What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Tell me in the comments. And if you see a holiday movie that has a strong female character who doesn’t need a man let me know.