The Best of Love in Media

Image | Amy Jiao

Wholesome opinions held with sincerity

Eric McGarry, Web Editor 

Best love song? 

“Loving Is Easy” by Rex Orange County. 

It’s sweet, it’s simple, and it feels like a happy time in love! Romcom montage please! 

Best love triangle in a TV show, movie, or book? 

Diane, Mr. Peanutbutter, and BoJack Horseman from BoJack Horseman. 

Best breakup song?

“Ugotme” by Omar Apollo. 

Slow, suave, and sexy, this song makes you think about the one that got away. Even in the lyrics, Omar Apollo is struggling to comes to terms that with the fact that he’s still hung up on a past love. 

Favourite friendship, celebrity or fictional? 

John Mulaney and Nick Kroll. 

They are so wonderful, and they literally do literally everything together. They’re honestly friendship goals. 

Favourite breakup movie?

(500) Days of Summer

Ann Marie Elpa, Co-News Editor 

Best love song?  

“Till There Was You” by The Beatles. 

It makes the world seem like a better place. 

Best celebrity couple

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen.  

Lowkey want them to adopt me. 

Best couple in a TV show?

Ross and Rachel from Friends. 

I rooted for them throughout the entire series. 

Best love triangle in a TV show, movie, or book?  

Rory, Jess, and Dean from Gilmore Girls

It’s just so hard to choose, ugh. 

Tian Ren Chu, Associate Science Editor 

Favourite friendship, celebrity or fictional? 

Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet (aka Jo March and Laurie!!! Or Lady Bird and her boyfriend). 

They make a fantastic duo in movies, and they’ve got each other’s backs in real life! But deep down, I really wish Jo and Laurie’s friendship had evolved into something more… 

Ellen Grace, Associate Stranded Editor  

Best love song? 

A tie between “The Book of Love” by The Magnetic Fields and “My Favourite Book” by Stars. 

The two most important things in the world are BOOKS and LOVE! 

Favourite friendship, celebrity or fictional? 

Sam and Tim in Detroiters

An actually good representation of healthy male friendship devoid of the “no homo” vibe. 

Khadija Alam, Co-News Editor  

Best love song? 

“Misty” by Ella Fitzgerald. 

The lyrics of this jazz standard can be interpreted in different ways (i.e. whether your lover is ‘s making you misty-eyed out of happiness or sadness), and Fitzgerald’s take is my personal favourite because her voice just tugs at my heartstrings in such a way that this song resonates with me in times when I’m both falling in and out of love. 

Best love story or couple in a TV show? 

Chidi Anagonye and Eleanor Shellstrop from The Good Place.  

While the show has stated that soulmates don’t exist, Chidi and Eleanor’s relationship proves otherwise:; in every single reboot of their afterlives, they end up helping each other become better people—and isn’t that whatas love is all about? 

Best love story or couple in a movie? 

Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) and Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) from The Proposal

As many flaws as this movie may have, Reynolds and Bullock’s chemistry is undeniable (and I lowkey really enjoy the whole enemies-to-lovers trope). 

Best breakup song? 

“All Too Well” by Taylor Swift. 

I think this song is just a lyrical masterpiece; even though Swift writes about such specific details, I still find myself being able to relate to the story because of the overall emotions that those details evoke. I think it’s the intimacy that Swift creates between herself and the listener through the lyrics that makes this song all the more heartbreaking. Also, the bridge is ICONIC. 

Abbie Moser, Arts and Culture Editor 

Best love story or couple in a TV show? 

Gretchen and Jimmy from You’re the Worst

Jimmy Shive-Overly (Chris Geere) is a truly unbearable and hideous British novelist struggling to further his career, andwho he dates Gretchen Cutler (Aya Cash), a music publicist, who isse equally as terrible as he is. Their whole relationship is filled with red flags. Yes, they both are the worst both as individuals and together, but they’re also a perfectly matched couple. There’s none of the forced chemistry that is often seen in media—, the two click in every possible way;— and it’s partly because no one else should be subjected to either of them. There’s no hope of them bringing out the best in each other. Instead they encourage their worst impulses, behaviours, and actions, such as stealing clothes at an open house. While most rom-coms fail to or refuse to interact with their characters’ consequences in an authentic way, Gretchen and Jimmy are continually confronted with the ramifications of their actions, whether that’s stealing cats or putting off telling your boyfriend that his dad is dead for an absurd amount of time. Gretchen and Jimmy subvert the idea that there’s a single right way to make love work, and thats is what makes them so entertaining. 

Best breakup song? 

“Unfucktheworld” by Angel Olsen. 

Arguably the most prominent song she’s written, Olsen’s haunting voice grieves a lost love. Her husky tones sound like an exposed nerve as she conveys a woundedness that feels decades older than she wa is (Olsen was 27 at the time of the song’s release). As she leaves dreams of any rekindling behind, Olsen searches for healing, for the end to a past that clouds the present. “Unfucktheworld” isn’t a big ‘Fuck you’ to an ex, instead it expresses a feeling of “‘I’m forgetting about you and what we had, I’m busy focusing on myself.”’ . The lines “It’s not just me for you / I have to look out too / I have to save my life / I need some peace of mind” hit harder than some of my therapist’s advice.  

Favourite friendship, celebrity or fictional? 

Lucy (Britney Spears), Kit (Zoe Saldana) and Mimi (Taryn Manning) from Crossroads

This feel-good coming- of- age movie follows Lucy and her childhood best friends, Kit and Mimi, as they embark on a life- changing cross- country road trip to LA in efforts to strengthen their bond after drifting apart in high school. The (wrongfully) heavily criticized film tackles heavy topics like teen pregnancy, maternal abandonment, rape, physical abuse, and burgeoning sexuality. Written by Shonda Rhimes, the main characters are multidimensional, realistic, from diverse backgrounds, and just look like normal teen girls. Despite the movie’s bubble-gum tone, Lucy, Kit, and Mimi are honestly onesome of the best representations of female friendship in media ever. These girls literally do anything and everything that they possibly can to help, defend, support, amuse, and strengthen both each other and their friendship. The film and the friendships are so earnest, which is what makes it so important; there are’s no snarky remarks and these girls aren’t afraid to be corny and wholesome. Genuine and heartfelt friendships are what life i’s all about, baby!  

Haddiyyah Kuma, Features Editor 

Best love song? 

“LOVE.” by Kendrick Lamar feat. Zacari 

Best celebrity couple?  

Rebecca Gao and Leo Morgenstern. 

They run this bitch. 

Best love story or couple in a TV show? 

Kawhi Leonard gives the Raptors a championship and then breaks up with them (Raptors games ARE TV shows). A tragical romance situation.  

Best breakup song? 

“Sorry” by Queen Bey 

Why? I don’t know, I guess you better call Becky with the good hair. 

Favourite star-crossed lovers? 

Katniss and Peeta of The Hunger Games

Favourite messy celebrity breakup or celebrity love scandal?  

Hannah Montana and that one boyfriend Jake. 

He nibbled on another girl’s ear. NOT COOL, Jake. 

Favourite friendship, celebrity or fictional?

Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan of tThe Toronto Raptors. 

Look it up. 

Final remarks or comments.  

The Strand  IS the best of love in media. 

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