Bare Minimum vs Princess Treatment: Why Are We Fighting?

If you’ve been on Instagram lately, it is screaming about the Empire State Building proposal all over your feed. A couple literally climbed to the top of the building’s restricted spire, got engaged, got arrested and somehow the internet collectively went, “OMG, where do I find this kind of love?” The reels, edits, memes and comment sections have been absolutely insane, with people joking that the ‘bare minimum’ has officially shifted from flowers to risking jail time for love. Peak internet behaviour. That’s exactly why the whole “bare minimum vs princess treatment” debate has become so messy. One viral moment and suddenly everyone’s relationship standards are doing backflips.

 

The real problem? Social media has completely changed our expectations. One reel says, “If he doesn’t recreate the Empire State Building proposal, dump him.” The next one says, “A good morning text is enough, don’t expect too much.” Like….hello? Pick a struggle. The comments don’t help either. Half the internet is yelling, “If he wanted to, he would,” while the other half thinks basic respect is “simp behaviour”. Ab kare toh kare kya bhai….what even is the benchmark anymore? Here is my hot take: The Empire State Building proposal is cute to watch, but it shouldn’t become a standard. It went viral because it was dramatic, unexpected and straight out of a blockbuster movie, not because that’s what healthy relationships look like. Nobody should feel like their relationship is lacking just because their partner isn’t pulling off viral worthy stunts. A person who remembers your exam dates, sends you memes because they know they’ll make you laugh, listens to your 2am rants and actually shows up when it matters.Lowkey a bigger green flag than someone chasing clout with one over-the-top moment.

Also, can we also normalise the fact that boys deserve princess treatment too? Okay, maybe not ‘princess’ treatment but you get the point. Men deserve compliments, flowers, appreciation, reassurance and emotional support too. Healthy relationships aren't fan clubs where one person keeps giving while the other just receives. At the same time, expecting your partner to read your mind, entertain you 24/7, solve every one of your problems or constantly prove their love isn’t princess treatment either. That’s just exhausting. Your partner is a person, not your personal customer care executive available on call.

At the end of the day, this debate isn’t really about bare minimum vs princess treatment. It’s about effort over excuses. It’s about finding someone whose actions actually match their words and who makes you feel secure instead of confused. What actually matters most isn’t a viral proposal that’ll trend for two days, it’s a relationship where you don’t have to beg for the basics. So yeah, flowers are cute. Grand gestures are cute. Instagram worthy moments are cute. But Consistency? Communication? Mutual effort and peace of mind….. That’s real princess treatment. And that’s what deserves to trend next.