Loved the episode! I'm only commenting because I feel like both hosts missed the point about introducing a "harrowing social issue" into this movie. Right after Lucy learns her client was sexually assaulted, she has a key conversation in a bar with John that explains why this subplot was introduced. John doesn't know why Lucy is upset, and proceeds to make light of Lucy's job by implying that the job (and therefore dating) isn't a serious matter. Lucy rebuffs him by making the same point that Jane Austen continually made in her books: men have the luxury of being carefree romantics, but dating is actually extremely fraught and dangerous for women. The rom-com genre is light-hearted and fun, which masks the reality that dating is actually very serious for women in a way it isn't for men, generally speaking. While Lucy is deciding between money and love, the writer is showing us that there are more than two options. Anyway, love the podcast and can't wait for more!
So glad you liked the episode, Traci, and thanks for making these important points. You're right that the sexual assault plotline did play an important role in that way. I think another reason I didn't find it too jarring here is because this movie isn't really a comedy, so the tone felt appropriate to me. If it had been a joke a minute, that might have been different.
You also make a good point about the danger element for women when it comes to dating. Terri Conley has some great work on this topic, but overall, this topic is underappreciated in the science. We'll look for more studies to fold in!
Loved the episode! I'm only commenting because I feel like both hosts missed the point about introducing a "harrowing social issue" into this movie. Right after Lucy learns her client was sexually assaulted, she has a key conversation in a bar with John that explains why this subplot was introduced. John doesn't know why Lucy is upset, and proceeds to make light of Lucy's job by implying that the job (and therefore dating) isn't a serious matter. Lucy rebuffs him by making the same point that Jane Austen continually made in her books: men have the luxury of being carefree romantics, but dating is actually extremely fraught and dangerous for women. The rom-com genre is light-hearted and fun, which masks the reality that dating is actually very serious for women in a way it isn't for men, generally speaking. While Lucy is deciding between money and love, the writer is showing us that there are more than two options. Anyway, love the podcast and can't wait for more!
So glad you liked the episode, Traci, and thanks for making these important points. You're right that the sexual assault plotline did play an important role in that way. I think another reason I didn't find it too jarring here is because this movie isn't really a comedy, so the tone felt appropriate to me. If it had been a joke a minute, that might have been different.
You also make a good point about the danger element for women when it comes to dating. Terri Conley has some great work on this topic, but overall, this topic is underappreciated in the science. We'll look for more studies to fold in!