Romantic comedies have taught us a lot. They’ve shown us that grand gestures lead to fairytale endings. A man standing outside a window with a boombox, for instance, is iconic. A surprise proposal in front of a crowd is supposedly the peak of romance. Or is it? However, for many women, some of these classic romantic gestures are actually uncomfortable. In reality, they can feel performative, pressuring, or just plain tone-deaf. These are the gestures that look great on screen but often fall flat in real life. Here are five so-called romantic gestures women secretly hate.
