If film is anything to go by, the most romantic thing you can do for someone you love is to propose to said person IN PUBLIC, preferably five minutes before the credits roll so everybody ends the movie with a happy ending. You can do this before the title credits as well (You know, back when film used to do that), and highlight the failure or success of said marriage throughout the picture.
But, film isn't like real life, in most cases, so we do the same thing in television, right? What about books, or songs, or of the rare examples in video games? What about online? Proposing online to someone you love, or on a jumbotron during a sporting event?
I guess I should explain where I'm coming from on all of this. I ended up watching Indie Game: The Movie the other day (It's a very good documentary, watch it if you haven't, its on Netflix Instant as of this writing), and without spoiling too much of the documentary (It's not super-spoilerific, really), during the movie, Edmund McMillen (Co-Creator of Super Meat Boy), had, during a video game awards show, proposed to his girlfriend, whom he is married to, if Wikipedia is anything to trust.
Now, I'm a romantic at heart (Who isn't?), but the idea of proposing to someone you love in public... Doesn't seem all that romantic to me, really. In fact, by my rationale, it seems particularly kind of a dick move, when you think about it.
You are putting someone on the spot for a possibly life-altering choice, during which the said partners now have all eyes on them, and everything they do in five seconds to 5 minutes during said moment, everybody will be watching to say things that should seem romantic (Aww, that's so cute/I'm so happy for them/ETC), but really, doesn't that seem kind of rude?
If someone doesn't like you, guess what? Now, you have to stare down all those eyes and either admit the truth, where at worst case scenario, everybody villifies you for even considering marriage, and the person who said "no" is treated as Satan-Hitler Omega V.4 for "Embarrassing that person in public like that", and don't tell me that hasn't happened before.
And if you want to save face, you now must marry someone who you aren't sure of/Don't love/Don't know enough to marry/ETC in front of everybody to avoid the previously mentioned villification that might be hurled your way.
I'm not bitter as I write this (Far from it, I'm actually quite happy), It's just a thought I've had for a little while, and I can't seem to understand why people might do it, considering that while it is a big deal to make a step such as marriage, why would you choose to do it in a place where your soul might be crushed in just a big a step as it would be if they say "yes"?
Perhaps it says a lot about me by typing this up, but it's something that seems rather unfair to all the people involved. If you love someone, why make it publically displayed? Now, as I read this, I'm not condemning Mr. McMillen for having done so (From watching the documentary, he and his wife seem incredibly happy, and who am I to judge, being single and not a famous video game maker), and I'm not saying that all people who do this are anything, I just have to wonder why, and I'd like to ask everybody else here, married Escapists/Single Escapists, What do you think about public marriage proposals? Bad idea, good idea, ambivalent?
But, film isn't like real life, in most cases, so we do the same thing in television, right? What about books, or songs, or of the rare examples in video games? What about online? Proposing online to someone you love, or on a jumbotron during a sporting event?
I guess I should explain where I'm coming from on all of this. I ended up watching Indie Game: The Movie the other day (It's a very good documentary, watch it if you haven't, its on Netflix Instant as of this writing), and without spoiling too much of the documentary (It's not super-spoilerific, really), during the movie, Edmund McMillen (Co-Creator of Super Meat Boy), had, during a video game awards show, proposed to his girlfriend, whom he is married to, if Wikipedia is anything to trust.
Now, I'm a romantic at heart (Who isn't?), but the idea of proposing to someone you love in public... Doesn't seem all that romantic to me, really. In fact, by my rationale, it seems particularly kind of a dick move, when you think about it.
You are putting someone on the spot for a possibly life-altering choice, during which the said partners now have all eyes on them, and everything they do in five seconds to 5 minutes during said moment, everybody will be watching to say things that should seem romantic (Aww, that's so cute/I'm so happy for them/ETC), but really, doesn't that seem kind of rude?
If someone doesn't like you, guess what? Now, you have to stare down all those eyes and either admit the truth, where at worst case scenario, everybody villifies you for even considering marriage, and the person who said "no" is treated as Satan-Hitler Omega V.4 for "Embarrassing that person in public like that", and don't tell me that hasn't happened before.
And if you want to save face, you now must marry someone who you aren't sure of/Don't love/Don't know enough to marry/ETC in front of everybody to avoid the previously mentioned villification that might be hurled your way.
I'm not bitter as I write this (Far from it, I'm actually quite happy), It's just a thought I've had for a little while, and I can't seem to understand why people might do it, considering that while it is a big deal to make a step such as marriage, why would you choose to do it in a place where your soul might be crushed in just a big a step as it would be if they say "yes"?
Perhaps it says a lot about me by typing this up, but it's something that seems rather unfair to all the people involved. If you love someone, why make it publically displayed? Now, as I read this, I'm not condemning Mr. McMillen for having done so (From watching the documentary, he and his wife seem incredibly happy, and who am I to judge, being single and not a famous video game maker), and I'm not saying that all people who do this are anything, I just have to wonder why, and I'd like to ask everybody else here, married Escapists/Single Escapists, What do you think about public marriage proposals? Bad idea, good idea, ambivalent?
