Showing love for your partner to the world and being in love and adhering to the most basic essence of any relationship (i.e. being faithful and loyal) are two entirely different things. The internet and social media are obsessed with “show off culture,” or being pretentious online to make the world think you live a fairy tale life. In other words, many people romanticize words rather than actions. This glorification by celebrities impacts our lives when we start setting unrealistic expectations for our partners. It leaves us thinking, “Why can’t our man do the same and write hundreds of Instagram stories about us, post different things online, surprise us, etc.?” We’ve seen these male celebrities showcasing their love, but this boasting is just a facade.
It is not wrong to express your love for your partner through these platforms, as it’s a way for people to connect, express how they feel, and make others feel special. These channels help if you are in a long-distance relationship; expressing your love across borders. But stars like Ned Fulmer, John Mulaney, and Adam Levine (who writes love songs that would cause your heart to skip a beat, but cheated on his pregnant wife) have gained humongous followings by posting about their love. In reality, it’s just a gimmick to play with their followers. They get attention and make money from their expressions of love. These pouring posts look sweet but can be disingenuous and could be overcompensating for something.
There is no harm in expressing love – it’s about being genuine and respecting the essence of a partnership. Being loyal and respecting your other half is the bare minimum expectation from a partner. Glorifying men on the straightforward facet of expressing a sentiment is too low of an expectation, since partners in a relationship are supposed to represent love. A relationship is a two-way street; simple things like expressing affection should not be a big deal. In fact, it should be the foundation of a healthy relationship. However, the kind of love expressed by Mulaney, Levine, and Fulmer is narcissistic, and not love that roots out from loyalty, respect, and honor for the partner.