{"id":1767245,"date":"2026-02-13T15:18:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T12:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1767245"},"modified":"2026-02-13T15:18:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T12:18:00","slug":"romance-is-booming-but-is-our-culture-less-romantic-than-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1767245","title":{"rendered":"Romance is booming. But is our culture less romantic than ever?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1095\/88-0-1095-730\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437342.jpeg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/life-culture\/article\/69640\/1\/romance-booming-our-culture-less-romantic-ever-wuthering-heights-valentines-day\" data-article-id=\"69640\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.78\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Wuthering Heights\" class=\"img\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1296\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437342.jpeg\" width=\"1296\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy Warner Bros<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-13T15:18:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"13 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"13\">13,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - life-culture\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\">Life &amp; Culture<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/opinion\">Opinion<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\">Life &amp; Culture<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/opinion\">Opinion<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Romance is booming. But is our culture less romantic <span class=\"nowrap\">than ever?<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>From the idealism of 90s R&amp;B to Valentine\u2019s Day cards about farting, we chart the decline of our <span class=\"nowrap\">romantic aspirations<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-13T15:18:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"13 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"13\">13,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-13T15:18:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"13 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"13\">13,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/JamesGreig\">James Greig<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Picture the scene: it\u2019s Valentine\u2019s Day, and you\u2019re meeting up with your new squeeze at an Italian restaurant. It\u2019s only been a few months, but you\u2019ve got a good feeling about the relationship; you don\u2019t believe in soulmates, but you might have finally met \u2018your person\u2019. They hand you a card, and you peel open the envelope, an irrepressible grin spreading across your face. What might it be? A tasteful Basquiat print from the Tate Modern shop? Vouchers for an upmarket hotel chain? Or simply a heartfelt declaration of their deep respect and affection for you?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>But the butterflies in your stomach turn to lead, and bilious saliva rises in the back of your throat, as you read the terrible words, printed in a bold serif font: \u201cHappy Valentine\u2019s Day, you stupid idiot! And by the way, can you please stop farting all the time!? It\u2019s disgusting.\u201d Obviously, you have no choice. You throw your glass of Malbec in their face and speed off in an Uber. The heart\u2019s desperate hunt continues\u2026<\/p>\n<p><span>Over the past few weeks, Instagram has been desperately trying to sell me Valentine\u2019s Day products very much like this one, even though A) I\u2019m single and B) I would rather die alone in a micro-apartment than receive a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/card\/really-satisfying-poo-cheeky-valentines-card-6582f661cf8c44733810da7d?utm_source=search&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=23291672121&amp;utm_adgroup=187504741805&amp;utm_targetid=pla-405896205729&amp;utm_keyword=&amp;utm_matchtype=&amp;utm_ad=785493626818&amp;utm_network=g&amp;utm_device=c&amp;utm_devicemodel=&amp;utm_target=&amp;utm_placement=&amp;utm_position=&amp;utm_aceid=&amp;utm_geo=9045999&amp;utm_geointerest=&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23291672121&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADez-HRAOC1N4JTrq7Ru3GTabAiBr&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAtLvMBhB_EiwA1u6_PgJ_U-CGwnhF88PnVb0uZfDDraR-aWMTaJ6-VareyXcY4169B5wrCxoChNEQAvD_BwE\">card<\/a> which reads \u201cI love you even more than a really satisfying poo.\u201d Some of them are boorishly scatological, others present a bleak, stultifying vision of (implicitly) heterosexual relationships centred on streaming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/card\/cute-valentines-day-card-netflix-and-fall-asleep-by-8pm-690c93d1e045c308a01f4b40?utm_source=search&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=23291672121&amp;utm_adgroup=187504741805&amp;utm_targetid=pla-405896205729&amp;utm_keyword=&amp;utm_matchtype=&amp;utm_ad=785493626818&amp;utm_network=g&amp;utm_device=m&amp;utm_devicemodel=&amp;utm_target=&amp;utm_placement=&amp;utm_position=&amp;utm_aceid=&amp;utm_geo=9045888&amp;utm_geointerest=&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23291672121&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADez-HT1x0mBHSC2kQ3-jHiBkWor2&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAtLvMBhB_EiwA1u6_PjleUteJgArb3kCiOkiNGVQhyhwP8mQBBqHwkFe4Fo8oDOkCQzfW9hoC8kAQAvD_BwE\">Netflix<\/a> and going to bed early; one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moonpig.com\/uk\/personalised-cards\/p\/lets-have-a-romantic-night-in-valentines-day-card\/abi039\/?srsltid=AfmBOopn2WRIi2Fm6SfZPTAb0j2sHWaxF_-mAKuGXXcH1IKYZfE5ebzc\">depicts a couple<\/a> ignoring each other, together but utterly alone, their blank faces turned away in bed as they scroll through their phones. These cards offer a chilling, perhaps realistic insight into a world where romantic love offers no salvation from the desperate alienation which engulfs us all. You might counter that it\u2019s not that deep, or even that they are \u2018just a bit of fun\u2019. But what if, instead, they represent the slow diminishment of our romantic aspirations, and a broader decline in how love is portrayed in popular culture?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>It didn\u2019t help that, at the same time that Instagram was bombarding me with these disgusting cards, I happened to be getting really into 90s R&amp;B, and especially Aaliyah: I wouldn\u2019t normally think to put these texts in dialogue with each other, but the contrast between \u201c<\/span><span><em>Your love is one in a million, it goes on and on and on\/ you give me a mighty good feeling, all day lon<\/em>g<\/span><span>\u201d and \u201cyou make my knob throb\u201d felt especially stark. The problem with trying to formulate any grand cultural theory is that you immediately run into dozens of counterexamples. Plenty of 90s R&amp;B is angry, sad or simply aloof (TLC\u2019s \u201cNo Scrubs\u201d, arguably <\/span><em><span>the <\/span><\/em><span>misandrist anthem, was released at the tail end of the decade), while today <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69411\/1\/olivia-dean-interview-2026-o2-show-burberry-her-fragrance\">Olivia Dean<\/a>, whose songs about love are mostly sweet, earnest and upbeat, is blossoming into a major star.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But broadly speaking, the 90s really did seem to be a more romantic time in music, across multiple genres. Quite a lot of songs by Aaliyah or Brandy, for example, have as their theme, \u201cwow, this heterosexual man I\u2019m dating is amazing!\u201d \u2013 a sentiment which would risk being received as corny or even treacherous in the era of<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vogue.co.uk\/article\/is-having-a-boyfriend-embarrassing-now\"><em><span>Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?<\/span><\/em><\/a><span>, when cynicism about heterosexual relationships is more widespread than ever. Sabrina Carpenter\u2019s <\/span><em><span>Man\u2019s Best Friend<\/span><\/em><span>, with its sarcastic, ambivalent and exasperated stance towards straight men, feels far more representative of the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Still, while the deterioration of romantic sentiment feels instinctively true to me, I\u2019m not sure the claim withstands much scrutiny. Beyond music, there is strong opposing evidence. After years of decline at the box office, romantic comedies have made a roaring comeback on streaming platforms, with films and series like<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/68571\/1\/conrad-fisher-growing-allure-fictional-man-the-summer-i-turned-pretty\"><em><span> The Summer I Turned Pretty<\/span><\/em><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69412\/1\/unpacking-the-heated-rivalry-discourse-gay-sex-fetishisation-lgbtq\"><em><span>Heated Rivalry<\/span><\/em><\/a><span> and <\/span><em><span>Red, White and Royal Blue<\/span><\/em><span> achieving a rare level of cultural saturation. But it\u2019s worth noting that two of these works are about gay gays and, as with the popularity of MLM fiction more generally, a significant share of the audience are women \u2014 maybe fictional straight men are no longer as viable as objects of romantic fantasy, their real-world counterparts too obviously disappointing.\u00a0<\/span><span>However well Emerald Fennell\u2019s <em>Wuthering Heights <\/em>does at the box office, and despite the early reviews being mixed, the film has undeniably captured the zeitgeist. This suggests there is an appetite for grand, tragic narratives and some good-old-fashioned yearning, but <em>Wuthering Heights<\/em> is hardly a model for a healthy, loving relationship: Cathy and Heathcliff treat each other terribly. That doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that it\u2019s not a love story \u2013 love in reality can be obsessive and self-destructive, too \u2013 but the novel\u2019s resurgence today doesn\u2019t contradict a broad sentiment of disillusionment or pessimism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It is also true that romance fiction writ large has never been more popular. But many of the books in the genre suggest a retreat from a popular, shared conception of romance into ever more niche micro-genres, catering with razor-sharp, algorithmic precision to ever more specific desires (\u201cshe\u2019s a librarian who hates showing skin! He\u2019s a cowboy who\u2019s crazy about her ankles!\u201d) Some of these desires can exist only in the realm of imagination, as seen in the rise of paranormal romance, which only romanticises the experience of dating, specifically, aliens, mythical creatures and Christmas demons.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If we really are lacking aspirational representations of romance, this isn\u2019t what\u2019s <\/span><em><span>causing<\/span><\/em><span> the crisis in dating, or at least the widespread perception that such a thing exists: the problem is not that we don\u2019t have Aaliyah or D\u2019Angelo (God rest their souls) to romanticise our lives for us, and provide us with the hope necessary to give the apps another spin or trundle out the door for what might be another evening of chemistry-free small talk about a stranger\u2019s job. It\u2019s the other way around: like it always has done, popular culture is responding to existing currents, and lots of people today feel disillusioned. But whether we are single or not, most of us know what it\u2019s like to be gassed on someone new, to be overwhelmed by how beautiful and interesting we find another person. We deserve art that speaks to the joy of that experience, and a more edifying vision of love than finding someone to watch<\/span><em><span> The Traitors<\/span><\/em><span> with or hand you the loo roll while you\u2019re taking a shit. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"article-footer\">\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<div class=\"article-series\">\n<h4 class=\"heading\">More on these topics<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-series\"><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\">Life &amp; Culture<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/opinion\">Opinion<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/valentine-s-day\">Valentine\u2019s Day<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/sex\">Sex<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/relationships\">Relationships<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/dating\">Dating<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<div class=\"grid\">\n<div class=\"lava-lamp\">\n<div class=\"lava-lamp-text-container\">\n<h3 class=\"lava-lamp-subheading\">Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid section-header\">\n<div class=\"section-header__link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69640\/1\/life-culture\"><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"section-header__title\">READ MORE<\/h2>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid tag-article-list\">\n<div class=\"swiper swiper-latest\">\n<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69605\/1\/impossible-to-find-love-in-the-club-dating-apps-nightclub-valentines-day\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"3895\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-1200-798\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436900.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Why do we think we can\u2019t find love in the club?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69613\/1\/what-to-do-caught-cheating-sturla-holm-laegreid-winter-olympics\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Bronze medalist Sturla Holm Laegreid of Team Norway\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1024-681\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436965.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">What to do (and not do) if you get caught cheating<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69485\/1\/escentric-molecules-latest-sultry-addition-molecule-01-champaca\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"optional-paragraph\">Escentric Molecules<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"d_HR_RGB_Champaca_16 (2)\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-96-3000-1995\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/5\/1435151.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Molecule 01 + Champaca is Escentric Molecules\u2019 latest sultry scent<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69592\/1\/does-the-internet-have-mummy-issues-ej-dickson-investigates-one-bad-mother\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Florida Project\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-1760-1171\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436680.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Does the internet have mummy issues? 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class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69529\/1\/the-women-fighting-for-trans-inclusion-at-hampstead-heath-ponds-sex-matters\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GettyImages-1005639160\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1024-681\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436091.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">The women fighting for trans inclusion at Hampstead ponds <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69535\/1\/adult-children-going-no-contact-with-their-parents-brooklyn-beckham-estrangement\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sentimental-Value-Review.webp\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/139-0-1218-810\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436129.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Why are so many young people going \u2018no contact\u2019 with their parents?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69545\/1\/fire-horse-alice-sparkly-kat-2026-chinese-new-year-snake-astrology\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Addison Rae\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-194-1440-957\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436437.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">The year of the Fire Horse: What does it mean for you?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69551\/1\/desa-potato-head-bali-hotels-sustainable-luxury\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Desa Potato Head, Bali, sustainable travel\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-2819-1875\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436274.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Desa Potato Head: The hotel fighting Bali&#8217;s sustainability crisis <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Picture the scene: it\u2019s Valentine\u2019s Day, and you\u2019re meeting up with your new squeeze at an Italian restaurant. It\u2019s only been a few months, but you\u2019ve got a good feeling about the relationship; you don\u2019t believe in soulmates, but you might have finally met \u2018your person\u2019. They hand you a card, and you peel open the envelope, an irrepressible grin spreading across your face. What might it be? A tasteful Basquiat print from the Tate Modern shop? Vouchers for an upmarket hotel chain? Or simply a heartfelt declaration of their deep respect and affection for you?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>But the butterflies in your stomach turn to lead, and bilious saliva rises in the back of your throat, as you read the terrible words, printed in a bold serif font: \u201cHappy Valentine\u2019s Day, you stupid idiot! And by the way, can you please stop farting all the time!? It\u2019s disgusting.\u201d Obviously, you have no choice. You throw your glass of Malbec in their face and speed off in an Uber. The heart\u2019s desperate hunt continues\u2026<\/p>\n<p><span>Over the past few weeks, Instagram has been desperately trying to sell me Valentine\u2019s Day products very much like this one, even though A) I\u2019m single and B) I would rather die alone in a micro-apartment than receive a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/card\/really-satisfying-poo-cheeky-valentines-card-6582f661cf8c44733810da7d?utm_source=search&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=23291672121&amp;utm_adgroup=187504741805&amp;utm_targetid=pla-405896205729&amp;utm_keyword=&amp;utm_matchtype=&amp;utm_ad=785493626818&amp;utm_network=g&amp;utm_device=c&amp;utm_devicemodel=&amp;utm_target=&amp;utm_placement=&amp;utm_position=&amp;utm_aceid=&amp;utm_geo=9045999&amp;utm_geointerest=&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23291672121&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADez-HRAOC1N4JTrq7Ru3GTabAiBr&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAtLvMBhB_EiwA1u6_PgJ_U-CGwnhF88PnVb0uZfDDraR-aWMTaJ6-VareyXcY4169B5wrCxoChNEQAvD_BwE\">card<\/a> which reads \u201cI love you even more than a really satisfying poo.\u201d Some of them are boorishly scatological, others present a bleak, stultifying vision of (implicitly) heterosexual relationships centred on streaming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thortful.com\/card\/cute-valentines-day-card-netflix-and-fall-asleep-by-8pm-690c93d1e045c308a01f4b40?utm_source=search&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=23291672121&amp;utm_adgroup=187504741805&amp;utm_targetid=pla-405896205729&amp;utm_keyword=&amp;utm_matchtype=&amp;utm_ad=785493626818&amp;utm_network=g&amp;utm_device=m&amp;utm_devicemodel=&amp;utm_target=&amp;utm_placement=&amp;utm_position=&amp;utm_aceid=&amp;utm_geo=9045888&amp;utm_geointerest=&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23291672121&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADez-HT1x0mBHSC2kQ3-jHiBkWor2&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAtLvMBhB_EiwA1u6_PjleUteJgArb3kCiOkiNGVQhyhwP8mQBBqHwkFe4Fo8oDOkCQzfW9hoC8kAQAvD_BwE\">Netflix<\/a> and going to bed early; one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moonpig.com\/uk\/personalised-cards\/p\/lets-have-a-romantic-night-in-valentines-day-card\/abi039\/?srsltid=AfmBOopn2WRIi2Fm6SfZPTAb0j2sHWaxF_-mAKuGXXcH1IKYZfE5ebzc\">depicts a couple<\/a> ignoring each other, together but utterly alone, their blank faces turned away in bed as they scroll through their phones. These cards offer a chilling, perhaps realistic insight into a world where romantic love offers no salvation from the desperate alienation which engulfs us all. You might counter that it\u2019s not that deep, or even that they are \u2018just a bit of fun\u2019. But what if, instead, they represent the slow diminishment of our romantic aspirations, and a broader decline in how love is portrayed in popular culture?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>It didn\u2019t help that, at the same time that Instagram was bombarding me with these disgusting cards, I happened to be getting really into 90s R&amp;B, and especially Aaliyah: I wouldn\u2019t normally think to put these texts in dialogue with each other, but the contrast between \u201c<\/span><span><em>Your love is one in a million, it goes on and on and on\/ you give me a mighty good feeling, all day lon<\/em>g<\/span><span>\u201d and \u201cyou make my knob throb\u201d felt especially stark. The problem with trying to formulate any grand cultural theory is that you immediately run into dozens of counterexamples. Plenty of 90s R&amp;B is angry, sad or simply aloof (TLC\u2019s \u201cNo Scrubs\u201d, arguably <\/span><em><span>the <\/span><\/em><span>misandrist anthem, was released at the tail end of the decade), while today <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69411\/1\/olivia-dean-interview-2026-o2-show-burberry-her-fragrance\">Olivia Dean<\/a>, whose songs about love are mostly sweet, earnest and upbeat, is blossoming into a major star.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But broadly speaking, the 90s really did seem to be a more romantic time in music, across multiple genres. Quite a lot of songs by Aaliyah or Brandy, for example, have as their theme, \u201cwow, this heterosexual man I\u2019m dating is amazing!\u201d \u2013 a sentiment which would risk being received as corny or even treacherous in the era of<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vogue.co.uk\/article\/is-having-a-boyfriend-embarrassing-now\"><em><span>Is Having A Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?<\/span><\/em><\/a><span>, when cynicism about heterosexual relationships is more widespread than ever. Sabrina Carpenter\u2019s <\/span><em><span>Man\u2019s Best Friend<\/span><\/em><span>, with its sarcastic, ambivalent and exasperated stance towards straight men, feels far more representative of the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instagram-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-instagram\" data-script-depends=\"instagram-embeds\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Still, while the deterioration of romantic sentiment feels instinctively true to me, I\u2019m not sure the claim withstands much scrutiny. Beyond music, there is strong opposing evidence. After years of decline at the box office, romantic comedies have made a roaring comeback on streaming platforms, with films and series like<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/68571\/1\/conrad-fisher-growing-allure-fictional-man-the-summer-i-turned-pretty\"><em><span> The Summer I Turned Pretty<\/span><\/em><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69412\/1\/unpacking-the-heated-rivalry-discourse-gay-sex-fetishisation-lgbtq\"><em><span>Heated Rivalry<\/span><\/em><\/a><span> and <\/span><em><span>Red, White and Royal Blue<\/span><\/em><span> achieving a rare level of cultural saturation. But it\u2019s worth noting that two of these works are about gay gays and, as with the popularity of MLM fiction more generally, a significant share of the audience are women \u2014 maybe fictional straight men are no longer as viable as objects of romantic fantasy, their real-world counterparts too obviously disappointing.\u00a0<\/span><span>However well Emerald Fennell\u2019s <em>Wuthering Heights <\/em>does at the box office, and despite the early reviews being mixed, the film has undeniably captured the zeitgeist. This suggests there is an appetite for grand, tragic narratives and some good-old-fashioned yearning, but <em>Wuthering Heights<\/em> is hardly a model for a healthy, loving relationship: Cathy and Heathcliff treat each other terribly. That doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that it\u2019s not a love story \u2013 love in reality can be obsessive and self-destructive, too \u2013 but the novel\u2019s resurgence today doesn\u2019t contradict a broad sentiment of disillusionment or pessimism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It is also true that romance fiction writ large has never been more popular. But many of the books in the genre suggest a retreat from a popular, shared conception of romance into ever more niche micro-genres, catering with razor-sharp, algorithmic precision to ever more specific desires (\u201cshe\u2019s a librarian who hates showing skin! He\u2019s a cowboy who\u2019s crazy about her ankles!\u201d) Some of these desires can exist only in the realm of imagination, as seen in the rise of paranormal romance, which only romanticises the experience of dating, specifically, aliens, mythical creatures and Christmas demons.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If we really are lacking aspirational representations of romance, this isn\u2019t what\u2019s <\/span><em><span>causing<\/span><\/em><span> the crisis in dating, or at least the widespread perception that such a thing exists: the problem is not that we don\u2019t have Aaliyah or D\u2019Angelo (God rest their souls) to romanticise our lives for us, and provide us with the hope necessary to give the apps another spin or trundle out the door for what might be another evening of chemistry-free small talk about a stranger\u2019s job. It\u2019s the other way around: like it always has done, popular culture is responding to existing currents, and lots of people today feel disillusioned. But whether we are single or not, most of us know what it\u2019s like to be gassed on someone new, to be overwhelmed by how beautiful and interesting we find another person. We deserve art that speaks to the joy of that experience, and a more edifying vision of love than finding someone to watch<\/span><em><span> The Traitors<\/span><\/em><span> with or hand you the loo roll while you\u2019re taking a shit. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69640\/1\/romance-booming-our-culture-less-romantic-ever-wuthering-heights-valentines-day&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1095\/88-0-1095-730\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437342.jpeg&#8221;] Courtesy Warner Bros February\u00a0 13,\u00a0 2026 Life &amp; Culture \/ Opinion Life &amp; Culture \/ Opinion Romance is booming. But is our culture less romantic than ever? From the idealism of 90s R&amp;B to Valentine\u2019s Day cards about farting, we chart the decline of our romantic aspirations February\u00a0 13,\u00a0 2026 February\u00a0 13,\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1767245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1767245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1767245"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1767245\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1767245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1767245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1767245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}