What Makes the Great American Love Story?

From Old Hollywood to the early aughts, our culture can’t help but fall in love alongside iconic couples of the moment. But how do our country’s great love stories of the past compare to those we’re living through today?

A great love story is magnificent. 

As we’ve read in books, seen in movies, and heard in song, a love story can capture the hearts of its audience; it can remind us of the good things that are left in the world; and it can make you blush, even for just a second. 

But there’s something else to be said for the love stories that unfold right in front of our eyes. For decades, we’ve religiously tuned in to every scintillating detail of a celebrity couple, no matter how riddled with fame or controversy they are. From ‘Bennifer’ to ‘Brangelina,’ there’s something about a powerful, talented, and oh-so public couple that gets us all talking. We just can’t help ourselves… I certainly know I can’t. 

Our culture today is clearly no different. The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce effect seems to be the one phenomenon we’re all thinking about (and for the most part) agree on. Thanks to jumbotrons, friendship bracelets, and a winning football season, their relationship has taken on seemingly unmatchable fame and seeped its way into the monolith of pop culture moments we all know and love. 

But this certainly isn’t the first time that our culture has felt so deeply invested in a popular couple, for better or for worse, for rich or much richer. So what is it exactly that makes this moment, and this couple, feel different?

Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman have long been deemed Hollywood’s most legendary romance. Married for over 50 years and incredibly philanthropic, they were a lasting image of love and life for those who tuned in to their story. But their iconic and romantic past didn’t exist without a little scandal. When the two met rehearsing as understudies for a Broadway play, Newman was married with three children, and Woodward had frequently been seen with some of the movie industry’s most formidable, leading men. It’s been frequently documented that their lust-fueled romance wasn’t as pure as they always portrayed, but despite its drama, they persisted. When it comes to the classic couples of Old Hollywood, it’s no question theirs is top-of-the-list.  

Carolyn Bassette and John F. Kennedy Jr. are often included alongside iconic all-American couples, remembered for their secrecy and timeless sense of style. In their mid-nineties peak, the couple faced immense scrutiny and relentless paparazzi persecution. And while their engagement remained hidden from the public, their passion, for good or for bad, did not. An infamous, filmed fight in Washington Square Park sparked rumors about the state of their relationship, and even after their tragic passing, alleged affairs were brought to the attention of the press. As much as they tried to fight the public nature of their relationship, Bassette and Kennedy are an ingrained faction of New York culture and for so many remain a great love story that ended too soon. 

When we think of these great love stories, they’re beautiful, but intricately laced with impurity. There’s always something, whether politics, the media, or human error that disrupts the romance. 

Now that two of the most famous people on the planet, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, are dating, the world has been given new material to endlessly dissect and discuss. 

In many ways, their story is one that we can all recognize. Star football player dates the popular girl. It’s familiar, it makes sense. But what we’re watching is actually something much more complex than a simplistic stereotype from our days of high school past. 

Headlines first sparked in July after Kelce discussed his Eras Tour experience with his brother Jason on the second season of their football-inspired podcast New Heights, mentioning he was disappointed he couldn’t meet Taylor backstage. Hinting at a crush, Kelce said he made a friendship bracelet with beads of his phone number to give to the star, a tradition typically reserved for fans to exchange during the show, not necessarily one of the greatest tight-ends in NFL history.  

sidenote: we love a man who makes an effort for the things we care about. 

Then, in late September, Taylor returned to Arrowhead Stadium, this time to cheer on the Chiefs. Her appearance was a complete surprise to fans, but didn’t take long to cycle through group chats and family rooms alike. Before we knew it, the whole world was talking about the mere thought of Taylor and Travis as a couple; we found common ground.

They were quick to continue speculation after the game, seen holding hands and dining their way through New York City. Things were seemingly made official at Catch Steak after their joint Saturday Night Live cameo. 

While the intimate details of their relationship remain private, they’ve made no attempt to hide their newfound affection for each other. Over the past five months, we’ve seen more public appearances from the couple than during the last few years from both of their previous relationships combined. Supporting each other, meeting each other’s families, and deeply becoming a part of their lives, we’re watching it all develop in real time. 

But what keeps us all talking about them?

Whether you believe Taylor put him on the map or not, there’s something almost celebratory about the fact that two of the most famous people in the world are falling in love. It’s actually good news. Of course their relationship isn’t without flaws– let’s not forget that season of Catching Kelce. And yes, hearing the words “Viva las Vegas” also makes me feel a little differently these days. But there is something that feels clean, something that feels authentic, something that feels different about this couple. Simply put, it’s drama free. 

Because of the circumstances, we’ve been given an even rarer glimpse at the couple than most celebrities of the past. Between Travis being mic’d up on the field and fan recordings at concerts, we’re being fed so many more moments of their relationship than we’ve ever had the opportunity to see before. Less mystery, more clarity. Refreshing. 

It’s oddly comforting seeing them celebrate a win together on the field. Travis dancing next to Scott Swift in Buenos Aires is honestly unlike anything I’ve seen before. It serves as a reminder that they really are just two people, showing up and falling in love with each other. I can’t be the only one screaming and kicking my feet for that.

So I ask you, are Taylor and Travis the great American love story? 

Without its scandal, their relationship is something we can’t help but want to discuss.

It’s clear, theirs is a pop culture moment we won’t be forgetting any time soon. 

But is it still a great story without the drama? Or is it the controversy that we all secretly love?