The Big Lie in Romance

I feel like "The Big Lie" that is presented in romance films and novels is that things will work out in the end, in some form or another. If a woman in the narrative is not paired up with some amazing man, then she will at least find solace in the company of her friends (even if they have already been paired up with the man of their dreams). I think this is unfair both to men and women because it creates ridiculous expectations for women to which no man can live up. This sort of leads into the issue of the "Happily Ever After" ending, which also creates rather ludicrous expectations. It has already been suggested that people go to movies to escape; that is, they do not want to see a sad ending or a "normal" ending in a movie. We have become so inundated with the "Happily Ever After" narrative that when we do encounter a movie that does not end "happily," we leave the theater feeling down and even depressed, even though it very well could be the ending we would expect in our own lives.