Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good Hallmark holiday movie. I’ve shared my love the cheesy movies on numerous tweets and Instagram posts as well as during an episode of my podcast! It’s no secret that one of my televisions is always on the Hallmark channel (channel 365 for those of you with U-Verse in Houston) starting Halloween night. Between the older ones and the two new ones they drop every weekend leading up to Christmas there’s no shortage of entertainment on the channel, but I have a confession to make.
I have a bone to pick with Hallmark about these holiday movies.
Yes, they’re typically light-hearted and always have a “happily ever after” type ending, but they could use some serious improvement.
Lack of diversity – And I’m not talking about a blond woman falling in love with a brunette guy. I’m talking about a woman of color as the leading lady instead of a sassy sidekick or dutiful assistant to the heroine. And I would love to see her fall in love with a hero who just so happens to be a person of color. While it’s nice to see my favorites like Candace Cameron Bure, Steven Lund and Alicia Witt on every other movie, it would be nice to get some new faces too. They did a pretty good job this year with Alexa and Carlos Pena Vega as the leading couple in one of the movies, but that’s just step one. There’s so much farther to go.
Infidelity is not okay – I cannot tell you how many movies I’ve seen where one party essentially cheats on and then leaves their significant other for a stranger they met in an elevator, on a train or in the lobby or their office building! Yeah, it might only be a kiss but it’s still infidelity and Hallmark shouldn’t be glorifying that because of a “soulmate”. Can we have these characters break up with their significant others before that first kiss climax?
Speaking of elevators – No more meet cutes in elevators please! I don’t know who keeps giving these the okay, but if we’re being honest this does not happen in real life. No one is falling in love (or lust) with someone they’re spending less than a minute with in an elevator. Just stop.
Women don’t need to give up their careers for love – Do you know how many Hallmark holiday movies I’ve seen where a guy gives up his career for the woman he fell in love with? Maybe 2. Do you know how many movies I’ve seen where a woman gives up her career to follow the man she fell in love with? DOZENS!! I don’t know why they keep pushing that storyline, but it’s not okay. These movies are supposed to be fantasy (I mean, who meets, falls in love and decides they want to marry someone over the course of a month), but this fantasy doesn’t have to set women back decades. We can have it all. The loving spouse, the awesome career and even better social life. I need Hallmark to recognize that and portray it in their upcoming films.
I know that the movies for this holiday season have already been filmed and scheduled, but I hope someone from Hallmark takes a look at this post and takes my suggestions to heart. If you guys have anymore to add please feel free to comment below and make sure your voice is heard!