The "I Love You" Stigma: Difference between revisions

* Brought up in ''[[The Giver]]'', where the society they live in is an obsessive [[Utopia]] that regulates everything from family units to emotions to painful memories, and everything must be kept to a strictly even-keeled norm. While they allow a degree of personal freedom and enjoyment, any emotion above caring for a friend is forbidden. The main character asks his parents if they love him, and they respond with the standard "Love is an innappropriate term..."

* An early episode of ''[[Scrubs]]'' has Turk generally grumpy, especially towards [[Beta Couple|Carla,]] and there isn't any real excuse for it. Carla, expecting him to break up with her, eventually just demands he say what he wants to say and get it over with. Turk marches up to her, tells her how annoying he finds her then says "I love you, I want to spend every annoying minute with you." This is a great surprise to Carla, who responds in kind. The following episode was actually about a degree of fall-out with them expressing their love for each other, as Carla started panicking about where this relationship is going. They eventually get married.

* ''[[Drake and Josh]]'' had Josh having a nice moment with his girlfriend Mindy, and at a goodnight kiss at the door Mindy told him "I love you." Josh was flumoxed and awkwardly hurried her away, and after an episode of [[Hilarity Ensues|misunderstandings and mind games]] they had a more honest conversation about the ordeal. Josh said he wasn't sure what loving someone actually meant and Mindy admitted to feeling weird after saying it. They agreed to be [[Just Friends]] for a time so they can better understand their feelings, and they get back together in the [[Grand Finale]].

* In ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'' Leonard and Penny had a nice little moment in bed where Penny quoted [[The Empire Strikes Back]] and knew the reference, which prompted [[Geeky Turn On|Leonard to say he loved her]]. Penny's response was a near catatonic blank stare before saying "Thank You?" The next several days was awkward until Leonard agreed to let the issue go cause, as he said "It's understandable we're in different places, I've been [[Dogged Nice Guy|in this relationship two years longer than you have]]." {{spoiler|By the end Penny decided to end the relationship because she didn't want Leonard longing for her reciprocation when she didn't know when/if that would happen.}}