This is somewhat embarrassing, but I get a kick out of watching the glut of Christmas romantic movies on the Hallmark Channel and/or Lifetime Network. It's not because I'm sentimental, but rather because the predictable plots and treacly dialogue amuse me. Lovely woman gets divorced/dumped/widowed and starts to re-build her life when she bumps into a hunky guy who rubs her the wrong way at first, but who wins her over in the end. Along the way she must also run a gauntlet of "losers" who are vying for her attention.
But what's really interesting about these shows and similar films is how they portray love. If someone isn't "feeling it" any more, the undisputed conclusion is that the relationship is wrong and that love must be found somewhere else. This is the selfish conception of love, which tracks the Greek notion of eros and centers on a person's internal feelings. Yet the selfless decision to stay and give love -- even after the spark has faded -- is much more profound and fulfilling. Because modern society rejects such notions of agape, which entails the dreaded concept of self-denial, everyone is running around like drug addicts looking for the next fix. At least this keeps lawyers and shrinks prospering, though.
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