Category Archives: Devi’s Discourse

Happy Valentines and welcome to a whole new era of romance! Last time, we delved into the ‘60s, examining a shift from the shared male/female points-of-view characteristic of previous rom-coms to a new, male-driven variation. In these, females were often demoted to secondary roles often portrayed as hapless victims or inconsequential playthings. But by the […]

In the Sex Comedies of the 1950s, we saw manipulative men going to extreme and often toxic measures to lure reluctant women into bed. However, by 1960, with the emergence of the birth control pill and the sexual revolution (not to mention Kinsey’s earlier report declaring, “Yes, people, women actually do have and enjoy sex), […]

By the late 1940s, romantic comedies began transitioning into a new subgenre, retaining a few of the signature screwball traits but with a definite shift of tenor. Instead of the playful sparring that brought females and males together, the contention between them grew less amicable and, in some cases, downright mean-spirited, gradually driving them further […]