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valentine’s day

Books

Diagnosing Your Romantic Issues Based on Your Favorite Literary Couple

By Emily Temple on

Happy Valentine’s Day, literary lovers! Or literary loners, as the case may very well be. If you’ve been going through a rough patch this year, maybe your reading habits are to blame — or maybe they’re just clues to the source of your strife. After all, we can’t help but be influenced by our favorite love stories. After the jump, you’ll find our cheeky analysis of your romantic issues based on your favorite literary couple — whether you’re modeling yourself after them or just can’t get enough of their particular brand of crazy. See if you can find your favorite literary lovebirds below, and let us know if we’ve got you pegged in the comments. … Read More

Design

Adorable Valentine’s Day Cards for Typography Geeks

By Emily Temple on

Here at Flavorpill, we’d like to wish a very Happy Valentine’s Day to all the typography geeks and those who love them. If you’d like to send a note to that special nerdy someone, might we suggest these adorably tech-y valentines created by graphic designer Joanna Behar, which we spotted over at Wave Avenue? After the jump, check out a few of our favorites from the series, head here for more valentines, and then be sure to mosey on over to Behar’s website to check out more of her work. … Read More

Television

Exclusive: Illustrated ‘Arrested Development’ Valentine’s Day Cards

By Jennifer Lewis on

Valentine’s Day is less than 12 hours away, folks! If you’re still scrambling to find a mildly inappropriate pop culture-themed card for your loved one (or your cousin), you’ve come to the right place! We already shared our illustrated Wes Anderson cards, and now we’re bringing you some Arrested Development inspired valentines. Check them out after the jump, and hit the comments to let us know what you think. … Read More

Film

10 Romantic Movie Couples Who Were Actually Hopeless

By Jason Bailey on

Valentine’s Day is upon us, so it’s time to grit your teeth, load up your Netflix queue, and sit through a romance or two. Don’t get us wrong—they’re not all terrible, and some offer some very good advice. But too many hinge on hard-to-swallow coincidences, dated gender stereotypes, and insufferable cutesiness. What’s worse, even the good ones often ask us to buy a “happy ending” that puts together a couple who we all know isn’t going to last five minutes past the credits. After the jump, our votes for the movie couples least likely to actually make it — contrary to what the films that tell their stories insist. Be warned: minor spoilers are ahead. … Read More

Music

Stereotyping You By Your Favorite Love Song

By Tom Hawking on

It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow… so what better time for another bumper edition of our favorite stereotyping feature? This idea started a couple of years back with indie bands, and we’ve since applied it to everything from albums of the year to Monopoly pieces. Now we’re turning our attention to love songs — they’re all here, from the romantic to the saccharine, the bombastic to the touching. As ever, this is a lighthearted exercise that’s done in a spirit of fun, and as ever, our own stereotype is in here too. If we missed yours, feel free to add it to the comments section. Happy Hallmark-making-everyone-miserable day! … Read More

Pop Culture

Exclusive: Illustrated Wes Anderson Valentine’s Day Cards

By Jennifer Lewis on

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and who knows the glory and pain of true love better than Wes Anderson characters? With that in mind, we’ve created eight V-Day cards with quotes expressing varying sentiments from a handful of the twee auteur’s most beloved films. We guarantee that, regardless of whether you enjoy or despise February 14th, there’s a Wes Anderson card for… Read More

Film

The Film Lover’s Guide to Bad Romance

By Alexander Huls on

Movies – for better or worse – have set up a lot of standards for what qualifies as romantic, and taught us tricks here and there on how to pull it off ourselves. As much as films have provided positive examples to help demonstrate how to be romantic, there’s also a lot to be learned from its negative examples. After all, as life is prone to mercilessly teaching us, sometimes there are more valuable lessons to be found in doing the wrong thing instead of the right thing. With that in mind, we’ve equally mercilessly gathered together a list of movies that show characters doing all the wrong things. Their helpful demonstrations of ways not to be romantic serve as a guide to what you probably shouldn’t do whilst engaging in the grand affairs of the heart. … Read More

Film

The Best Pickup Lines in Film History

By Alison Nastasi on

The movies can teach us a lot about love, sex, and relationships — especially the crazy and foolish things we shouldn’t do. As Valentine’s Day approaches, so does a bold opportunity to let that special someone know you wouldn’t mind getting a little closer. If you need some guidance, try emulating these big-screen seductions. Cinema is filled with sexy, savvy come-ons that got the guys and girls  — and even a few that left wannabe lovers in the dust. Check out ten of the best pickup lines in film history that you wish you thought of first. … Read More

Pop Culture

Strange and Fascinating Courtship Traditions Around the World

By Alison Nastasi on

Soon, people the world over will be silently judging their significant others by the size of their bouquet, box of chocolates, and bling. Ah, modern love — it all seems so trite when compared to the traditions of yore. Before Beyoncé was telling us to put a ring on it and greeting cards were expressing our feelings for us, young lovers were vying for each other’s attention with strange and fascinating courtship rituals. Parts of the globe still practice these endearing and bizarre customs, and we bring you the best of the bunch after the break. … Read More

Film

10 of the Most Romantic Movies You Haven’t Seen

By Alison Nastasi on

The world is getting another adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel whether it wants it or not. Safe Haven, starring Julianne Hough as a mysterious woman with a dark secret who falls for a widower (Josh Duhamel), hits theaters on Valentine’s Day. The film joins paranormal teen tale Beautiful Creatures as one of several other romantic films celebrating the Hallmark holiday. Feeling like the occasion was a bit too obvious for our liking, we ventured off the beaten path to collect ten of our favorite romantic movies that don’t involve a sinking ocean liner, Meg Ryan, teen vamps, or the other usual saccharine suspects. See what strikes your fancy on our list, and feel free to leave us a love note about your favorite films. … Read More