Valentine’s Day is over, which makes it the perfect time to look back at the romantic comedies that shaped how we think about love. From Can’t Buy Me Love and A Walk to Remember to the McConaissance era, makeover tropes, rewatchable classics, and modern rom-com debates, we break down what actually makes a romantic comedy work and why the genre feels different today. Plus, our favorite and least-favorite rom-coms, the “ugly duckling” formula, Shrek discourse, and what role we’d play if we were living inside one.

Timestamps

0:00 - Can’t Buy Me Love, A Walk to Remember 

1:53 - Favorite Rom-Coms

4:48 - Mcconaissance

6:07 - Ugly Duckling Trope, He’s All That

7:51 - Shrek

10:36 - What Makes a Rom-Com?

12:35 - 50 Shades of Grey

14:17 - Least Favorite Rom-Coms

19:16 - Rewatchable Rom-Coms

20:50 - If We Were to Put Ourselves in a Rom-Com

21:59 - What Valentine’s Means to Us

23:08 - Spelling Aaron

24:20 - Sydney Sweeney

26:00 - Outro