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This dissertation takes a detailed look at the romantic comedy genre, from inception to audience response. Beginning with the 200 top-grossing films in the genre, we see how content has changed over time, increasingly focusing on stereotypical depictions of relationships and characters (ie, tropes). We connect this content shift to success in the film industry (via earnings, reviews, and awards), revealing a potential financial motivation unrelated to other accolades. Finally, we examine how audiences’ beliefs are influenced by these romantic messages and what types of information can prevent those belief changes. We find that the genre’s romantic ideals influence audiences’ perception of romance, and that reading a corrective article can reduce this persuasive impact with only slight decreases in viewer engagement (transportation and enjoyment). The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are …