Characterized by a heart-tugging plot, emotional melodrama is a subtype of dramatic entertainment that fosters deep emotional reactions on the part of the consumer. Often labelled “chick-flicks,” “tearjerkers,” or “human interest stories,” the importance of this form of entertainment is underscored by the popularity and success of movies like Titanic and the “Oprah Winfrey Show.” However, despite the apparent popularity of melodramatic entertainment, scant academic attention has been paid to the genre.