Why We Romanticize Toxic Relationships
We are socialized to breed attachment due to old trauma and codependency.
We all were conditioned, from a very young age, with many different beliefs about love that are actually quite toxic. For some of us, it is religious and cultural but for all of us, it is the media that has brainwashed us with unhealthy ideas about what love is.
We have romance commanding an entire genre in books, movies, country music, rap, and television shows. Toxic portrayals of couples have become increasingly popular. From blurring the lines on consent to mistaking jealous behavior with “passion,” far too many shows, movies, and books have depicted romantic relationships in the wrong light.
Toxic Love Sells
Those profiting from dysfunctional and abusive characters understand that these storylines are very addicting to the public. Producers, songwriters, and romance novelists have displayed unhealthy couples and presented them as the epitome of romance.
There are many examples but I’m going to highlight three very popular toxic couples in the movies.
Christian and Anistasia
Fifty Shades of Gray completely normalized coercive and controlling relationships. The popularity of this book among…
