Ah yes the 'loss of chivalry'

The concept of 'Romantic love' can be traced back to feudal chivalry where a fair maiden would be worshipped (from afar) as a 'symbol' of feminine beauty and virtue rather than a real person

Whatever turned into reality was really no longer this form of romanticized 'love'

Such courtly love remained an ideal and could actually never manifest itself sexually where there is no obstruction by distance etc often one has to be 'invented'

European and American culture constantly programs us to want 'romantic love'; our culture is preoccupied with it.
It's the most frequent theme in our music, literature, movies...even our fairy tales.

The classic model is Tristan (the quintessential white knight in shining armour) and Isolde

Continuing through Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and the more up to date Titanic 'romantic love' rarely is portrayed as long lasting or a psychologically balanced relationship

There's nothing surer than if a couple begin a film madly in love one or both of them will die :)

Romantic films subtly censor taking out the trash, washing dishes concentrating instead on overcoming the barriers and obstacles to being together

Robert Johnson even argues that, in our culture
'it has supplanted religion as the arena in which men and women seek meaning transcendence wholeness and ecstasy'

Well give me companionate love and affection please I feel it is more conducive to a long and happy partnership.
It's particulary scary that so so many marriages based on the myth of Romantic love end in divorce after just a few years