communication: let's talk about it

note:  I wrote this for my Creative Writing 10 class over the summer.  The original blog post, along with links to those of my classmates who wrote about their respective fields and interests, can be found here.

“Girlfriend mo na ba ‘ko?”

“Ayoko nga!  Demanding ang mga girlfriend.  Gusto gan’to, gusto ganyan!  Ewan.”

“Gusto ko lang naman ng McDo fries, eh.”

These lines from a commercial for the fast food chain McDonald’s best illustrate the major point of George Homans’ Social Exchange Theory: people in relationships seek to gain maximum rewards at minimum costs.  Rewards and costs can constitute anything from financial support, to a feeling of acceptance, to an order of fries.  The McDonald’s commercial featuring two preschool kids debating the status of their relationship concludes thusly: all the girl wants is fries, and the little boy, after making the life-changing realization that love can be bought, has his first girlfriend.