Bound to Bond: Gender, Genre, and the Hollywood Romantic Comedy

Bound to Bond: Gender, Genre, and the Hollywood Romantic Comedy looks at gender roles in a unique way--by examining what the last thirty years of romantic comedy films have argued, reflected, and implied. Mark Rubinfeld contends that, essentially, we are what we see, and by identifying four basic plots of the genre, representing four basic love stories, he studies the implications of filmic depictions of male/female relationships. Cultural changes that have transformed our society since 1970 are seen here as we see them on the silver screen, and the author analyzes notable examples of the genre with a rigorous sociological perspective. What he reveals may be surprising: during the seventies and, to an extent, the early eighties, the plot conventions of Hollywood romantic comedy seemed to challenge, rather than reinforce, existing gender stereotypes. Later, however--during what should have been a more enlightened time--the genre reversed course, reverting to more traditional types for men and women alike.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Part I: The Four Hollywood Love Stories The Pursuit Plot The Coldhearted Redemption Plot The Brokenhearted Redemption Plot The Prick Foil Plot The Dweeb Foil Plot The Bitch Foil Plot The Temptress Foil Plot The Permission Plot Part II: The Number Also Tell Stories A Sample and a Typology Constructing Inequality: By Point of View Constructing Inequality: By Plots Constructing Inequality: By Genre Types Constructing Inequality: By Themes Part III: The Four Other Hollywood Love Stories Once Upon a Time, They Did Not Always Live Happily Ever After Conclusion Bibliography

About the Author :
MARK D. RUBINFELD is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Loyola University New Orleans, where he specializes in popular culture.

Review :
.,."raises a number of important questions about the longevity and popularity, especially among women, of conservative romantic comedies..."-Religious Studies Review ?...raises a number of important questions about the longevity and popularity, especially among women, of conservative romantic comedies...?-Religious Studies Review ?This richly descriptive, immensely readable, and wide-ranging study calls up enjoyable comic bits and scenes even as it invites understanding. Highly recommended for all film collections.?-Choice ..."raises a number of important questions about the longevity and popularity, especially among women, of conservative romantic comedies..."-Religious Studies Review "This richly descriptive, immensely readable, and wide-ranging study calls up enjoyable comic bits and scenes even as it invites understanding. Highly recommended for all film collections."-Choice