The Bachelor finale celebrated a toxic myth about how romance should work

Vox

If Colton Underwood's pursuit of Cassie Randolph seems familiar, that's because it is, says Li Zhou. "Immortalized by countless romantic comedies, the idea behind this approach simply involves a man wearing a woman down, despite her protests or expressions of disinterest, until she ultimately decides she’s open to a relationship," says Zhou. "It’s one of the most troubling tropes in films like Say Anything, both because of how much it undermines a woman’s voice and agency, and because it often winds up indirectly endorsing negative behaviors like stalking. It’s also a myth that operates on a set of longstanding and gendered assumptions."