I’m your self-professed hopeless romantic. What can I do? I fell in love with the very first once-upon-a-time and was forever hooked by the happily-ever-after. Here’s the catch to all those fairy tales and happy endings: they’re not real.

Do yourself a favor and throw any whimsical hope you have about love out the window right now. I bet you actually didn’t, right? The truth is that it’s not easy to dispel notions of love. The saying mind over matter has absolutely no ground in this area. I’m breaking my own heart by saying all of this; but what can I do when the facts are so glaringly obvious? No matter how many Prince Charmings I’ve drooled over on-screen, I’ve yet to see one ride around the corner and sweep me off my feet.

Now, I’m not trying to sound like a desperate single lady, but here’s the ugly truth: chick flicks are fake, and they corrupt the minds of hopeless romantics like me. Romances, romantic comedies, fairy tales and basically any form of a story not based on a real life story are the product of many imaginative, lonely and softhearted minds. Imaginations do what they do best—dream big. Needless to say, they aren’t true representations of what love in real life is like. There are scores of people, including my friends who constantly nag me to stop living on Cloud Nine, who can testify to the unpredictability and ferociousness of love in real life.

What’s the side effect? You could argue that chick flicks are merely a source of entertainment, a chance to laugh at the stupidity of on-screen couples without feeling the pain yourself and a way of adding a little bit more love to the world. Granted there are people who don’t get what the big deal is about chick flicks. There are also the other bunches of people who, despite knowing how unrealistic these movies are, can’t help but be drawn to these love stories over and over again.

But all that aside, the point is that chick flicks encourage girls to wait for their Prince Charmings. If they never realize that Prince Charmings don’t exist, then they just might have to wait forever. Chick flicks also breed damsels in distress—people that we could really do without. Girls might expect a guy to sweep her off her feet in times of distress, but remember that friends and family are rock solid. Guys, not necessarily so much.

Love might make the world go ‘round, but this shallow heart wrenching chick flick certainly won’t take you anywhere. So, cheers to all the Prince Charmings—just don’t come near me.