Have audiences broken up with romantic comedies for good?

2/25/20 7:00PM

If you were starting a film studio in 1999 you'd be forgiven for thinking that the romantic comedy was going to stick around forever. Films like Notting Hill, 10 Things I Hate About You and She's All That were melting hearts... and making a fortune while they were at it.

The noughties however have been less kind to the genre. Data from The Numbers reveals that in 2019, just 1% of all North American box office receipts were for romantic comedy movies. In fact, the only rom-com made in the last 5 years that's broken $100m at the domestic box office was Crazy Rich Asians. The next most recent? You have to go all the way back to 2009 when Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock terrorised each other in The Proposal.

‍Why the rom-com break-up?

‍‍1) Dating culture is just different now. With so many couples meeting online, the anchor of most rom-coms, the "meet-cute", just doesn't relate as well anymore. Some stellar flirting over text messages doesn't make for amazing cinema.

‍2) Comedies have been getting raunchier. The comedy part of the innocent rom-com is struggling to compete with raunchier R-rated comedies like Deadpool or Bridesmaids.

‍3) Superheroes. Movie studios -- and Disney in particular -- realised just how much mileage was in superheroes. If you loved the first 22 Marvel movies you're probably going to go see #23, instead of a random romantic comedy you've never heard of.

‍4) Streaming. Netflix has changed the game here, making 30+ original romantic movies. That means you don't need to leave your house to get that warm fuzzy feeling, you can watch it on Netflix while on your phone. Easier and cheaper.

Max Knoblauch17h

American Airlines joins the flock, hiking bag fees amid higher jet fuel prices

American Airlines on Thursday announced that it, too, will be hiking the fees it charges customers to check luggage.

With the move, all four of the major US airlines, which together control about 80% of the US market, have now hiked their baggage fees in recent days amid surging jet fuel prices.

The change will go into effect on tickets bought on or after Thursday, the same day Southwest’s hike begins.

Since late March, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Canada’s WestJet, and Southwest have hiked their fees. Experts expect more major carriers to follow, and to potentially tweak the pricing of other ancillary revenue sources like seat assignments and carry-on luggage.

American Airlines updates bag fees and Basic Economy fares

The change will go into effect on tickets bought on or after Thursday, the same day Southwest’s hike begins.

Max Knoblauch18h

Less than a year after implementing them, Southwest is also hiking its bag fees

Southwest Airlines has joined the growing list of airlines opting to hike their bag fees amid sustained higher jet fuel costs.

Starting today, the first checked bag at the carrier — which implemented bag fees less than a year ago — will jump from $35 to $45, and the second from $45 to $55. Southwest quietly disclosed the change Tuesday.

Southwest assigned the decision to “part of an ongoing analysis of the business and against the evolving global backdrop.”

As of Wednesday, jet fuel prices dropped to $4.16 a gallon, per the Argus US Jet Fuel Index, down from $4.81 on Tuesday following President Trump’s ceasefire announcement, which sent travel stocks soaring. Major airlines have shed some of those gains in premarket trading Thursday.

With the move to hike bag fees, Southwest joins JetBlue, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Canada’s WestJet, all of which also boosted fees this month. Experts expect more major carriers to follow, and to potentially tweak the pricing of other ancillary revenue sources like seat assignments and carry-on luggage.