I know many people turn their eyes to those or other similar examples in movies. I’m here. But according to the CDC, common stalking tactics include unwanted phone calls, approaching the victim, or making unwanted appearances at home, work, or school. Actions or actions based on no contact. In each of the films I’ve listed, the women don’t seem frightened or hurt by these unwanted advances. How would you really feel if you started playing a song so loud and so personal that it was audible? How would I feel if you repeatedly approached me on campus and repeatedly violated my request not to see me again? Would it feel good or upset to secretly tell me they were obsessively in love with me, even to the point of filming me alone during the ceremony?
Through popular culture permeation, I’ve come to believe these are all expressions of wholesome, ambitious romance. Yet when I think about the most romantic things that defined the early days of my marriage, they never violated my demands or desires. , or entered the realm of persistent surveillance and tracking of me? Could I recognize these behaviors as stalking? Or do I misinterpret them as “Say Anything” moments and try to suppress my anxiety and fear and ignore them as important warning signs?
January is the month to recognize the importance of raising awareness of stalking by talking about how and where stalking is misrepresented as love and romance in popular culture. must be In my own family, I work to talk openly with my children about how a healthy, loving relationship may or may not feel. I have. And at the macro level, we will continue to support WomenSafe and other community organizations that do this important work every day, providing support and resources to help stalk victims through horrific experiences, and hopefully, whoever they are. We plan to reconnect them with the safety and security that everyone deserves.
Well, can we get a movie about something like that?