Of goblins and fairies
The charming prince met a beautiful princess, and they became good friends. They talked, they laughed, they kissed. He told her how much he was in love with her, and she reciprocated. And then they lived happily ever after...
The Merriam-Webster defines a fairytale as 'a made-up story usually designed to mislead'. Well, if you ask me, the most misleading part of any fairytale is not fantasy. Its not the fairies, the goblins, the wizards. Its not the evil witch or the magic potion. I think, the most misleading part is the happily ever after.
I have this very silly habit. Childish, really. I get so involved in a book or a movie, that it all starts seeming real, and I start looking for logical progress. Yes, dont even bother leaving me comments about how fiction is just fiction, or how media is for entertainment, not for logic. I already told ya... its a silly thing I do.
Anyway, since my teenage years, I've been a big fan of mushy movies. And I used to heave a sigh of relief, when eventually, all misunderstandings were resolved, all romance was back and the lead couple got back together... to live happily ever after!
But like all good things, those teenage years come to an end, and the die-hard romantic is forced to grow up. And then she becomes the skeptic, who then starts asking at the end of every such movie, what if they argue again? What if there is a misunderstanding again? What if there is a 3rd person in their lives, AGAIN? Given that the 2 hour movie just showed me a million and one ways in which the relationship could go wrong, how can they then promise me at the end, that all will be happy henceforth??!!
A relationship, or love, is not a destination. Its a journey. And however much we want it to be static in a way, it still is dynamic. People change, emotions change, environment changes. So one argument getting resolved, or one hurdle being crossed, does not mean that the happy times will last forever. No... we've got to work hard to keep it happy. And even then, it might not last till eternity.
You might sight a goblin or a fairy... but I doubt you've really see a 'happily ever after'. That's the kind of stuff, fairytales are made of ;)
posted by Casablanca at
6:48 PM
33 Comments:
u r a sweetheart...and sweetie the only thing static in this world is change....
yes people change,circumstances change....weather changes...
all we need to do is welcome the new ...new season,new blooming flowers, new love...
fairy tales are exaggerated stories of real events. the movie 'big fish' is the perfect example of real life stories being melodramatised. i aggree with your lifes a journey bit. but then again i also belive that theres some truth to fairy tales.
if so id like to be peter pan. "think happy thoughts"
As long as we understand that a relationship is a journey should we expect those poor filmmakers and story writers to include the whole mahabharatha:)..and in any case a movie which doesnt end with 'happily ever after' dont seem to have many takers
funny! i was just writing about this on my blog! thanks for the visit. please do come again :)
i dont think its childish. i lose myself in a book too. and i remember when i was a kid this growup uncle said he did too. it struck me as so startling when he said that that i still remember it :)
happily ever after is possible. i think. no, i know. look for it. u'll find it. keep looking. its out there.
Alice,
Brownie points for calling me sweet!
Ah yes, things change... I know. So then, can happy always remain happy?
Clint,
Now that's a nice thought... got me thinking who I'd wanna be if life was a fairytale.
*still wondering*
Shikha,
Yup, my sympathies for the authors and filmmakers.
I know I ask for too much :)
Prerona,
But here's the trick... until you live your whole life, you dont know if what you've found is gonna be ever after.
Right? Hope I didnt lose you there...
It's just a perspective right!
Why would you conclude most of those relationships are doomed? There is a equal probability they could, 'live happily' right?
And here fits perfectly your previous post of complications! They come in unwanted, and keep popping up off and on. How you can win over them is if you become strong enough to fight them and take them by surprise, instead of the other way.
reminds me of my teens where i was a die hard critique. Used to spoil others' party in the middle openly raising skeptic comments watching a movie/ listening to the songs.
Then i made myself used to looking movies only from teh glass of entertainment, or even fun n nothing else. So it doesnt pique.
Now, the 'happily ever after' part, is by n large 'assumed'. It's never portrayed.
Everyone luves happy ending. Imagine how wd it be if u watch a movie for 3 tiring hrs n in the end a scroll on the screen says, the couple aft all the stunts sequences that u saw in the movie, got separated after 2 years :).
So it's upto us to decide wot wd have happened.
There had been movies depicting the rift b/w the couple who were 'made 4 each other' till they got married n soon, doubts started arising in their trust etc.
i read ur 'swear' post n 'the plot thickens'. I like the idea of writing a story like this. Might try it out soon.
Thanks :)
hallo hallo,
regarding your comment on my blog,
yes, most unfortunately, melancholy and love do go hand in hand. but then really, is that all that unfortunate ,i sometimes wonder?
this is a nice post. i like your style very much.
but you know, i don't like happily ever after when it implies sameness, bland monotonous goodwill. although yes, often, the 'variey is the spice of life' can be a dangerous philosophy to put one's heart and soul into.
Jay,
No I dont assume they are doomed. But that doesnt mean its gonna be smooth all the way.
Maybe yea, 'happy ever after' doesnt have to mean a smooth ride. But then, what does it mean?
Cowlick,
Love the way you show me the solution in my own ramblings :)
Invincible,
No no, some of them do claim that and they lived happily ever after!
You like the story idea? Oh, lets hope the tag gets passed on to you then :)
Mrig,
Hey, I'd take monotonous happiness anytime, over 'happening' trouble ;)
Life would become very uneventful, if everyone had to live a happily ever after life...there would be no opportunities to learn anything new...cos u learn the greatest from bad times and not good ones...
....As for those movie endings...u should probably start watching their sequels too.....
u gave the answer, to the question that you asked in the post, in the same post, so i am left with just this to say :-
if blue boys do what they shld then i am going to have a treat ;)
:D
Clint- I so love that movie. Just bought the discs last month.
Casa-
Not that its really relevant, but a friend of mine played cupid to this couple..and the guy bought the girl a tiffany's necklace on the third date.
Very ermm..fairytale/old hollywood movie-ish don't you think?
Yes, I'm still looking for my jaw on the floor.
I also think that when the movie ends they probably fight a lot and get divorced and what not. I'm such a...should I say,a realist?
Pointy,
Yes I agree we need bad times to learn more, and probably appreciate the good times, but cant we cheat sometimes? Just a wee bit? :(
Burf,
We still have 1 match to go, mate!
Jupiter,
Yea man, you've got to be a realist.
Also, Tiffany's today, doesnt mean no tiffs tomorrow.. ya?
Uh.... have you seen Shrek?
Plus, its GREAT to see a fellow McLaren Mercedes supporter!!!!!! Kudos to Kimi!!!!!
well written, as usual!
The idea of happily ever after is the work of Mr. Yash Chopra. I bet there are some days even he would go 'are people actually gonna buy this'
Each person has a different sense of happiness and two people can be happy together when they come to realise that the other person's happiness is more important to them than their own.
great post casa...
jupiter. which one do u have? the disney one is the best. always wondered what i would look like in green spandex.
I sense shades of the fairytale i narrated to you whipped up with the dash of cynicism I dunno why I display on my posts too sometimes. Reminded me of this post I wrote loooong bac 'http://whoisane.blogspot.com/2005/08/and-they-met-again.html'
nice post, true there are no happy endings but as you said its a journey and we have to keep moving ahead with the changing times.
Rohan is back to his publicity campaign! WTH man! it doesnt matter what the post is about, you always have something already posted about it! damn you! :)
I didnt get that story on harley though? cud you enlighten?
Come to think of it, i sometimes wondered what happened after the movie ends! Happy endings are things that are restored to normalcy temporarily.What if the lead actor had died.Thats final.Unless, he shows up again somewhere in double role.I don't know where i am going with this :p
Fantastic post Casa, yet again! U write too well and very realistic stuff...great reads always :)
** think, the most misleading part is the happily ever after.
So true...Happily Ever After has made me puke many times lol!
**A relationship, or love, is not a destination. Its a journey.
true...the travelling never ends...in that journey u meet red lights and green lights equally :)
Thought-provoking stuff Casa!
Keshi.
Casa,
Every relationship needs working on it. As long as both parties are willing to work on it there could be a "happily ever after" of sorts. The minute one of them gives up thats the end of it.
Like Dr Kelso says in scrubs, nothing in this life worth keeping comes easy. There is no majical fix to problems. Life aint no fairytale. Maybe you cd write a poem on this.
Kazarelth,
Ah, Shrek... another one of those movies which everyone around me has watched, and I've missed. Will catch up.
Kimi.. yay!
Schumi... ha ha ha!
Shubhodeep,
Very generous, but I never say no to compliments ;)
Big Man,
Firstly, why do you have no public blogger profile?
Secondly, I think Pretty Woman and Notting Hill are far soppier fairytales than any Bollywood flick.
Clint,
You dont have to wonder. I'm sure there are shops in Doha selling Peter Pan costumes for sure :D
Rohan,
Have to agree with Totti on your publicity stunts :p Stop taking credit for my post!
Btw, have read that post of yours before (not so looooong back ya), but nice to refresh on how Harry met Sally :)
PS: On hindsight, I think the opening 'prince and the princess story' might have been because of a conversation I was having with an interesting storyteller ;)
Ad,
Happy or sad, I think there are no 'endings'. It goes on and on and on... :)
Totti,
You too?? Yes I always wonder what happens after 'the end'!
PS: 'Harley' story? What's that?
Keshi,
But I dont like traffic lights on my journey. Cant we take the expressway, please?
Ritwik,
And that is why, Dr.Kelso is one of my favourite characters in Scrubs.
Nothing in this life worth having comes easy.
Nothing in this life worth having comes easy.
Keep repeating...
PS: Didnt know you read my poems as well :D
lol expressways would be good...if only God had a car he would have realised that :)
Keshi.
@totti u get entrusted with the impossible and highly improbable of digging out 3 such instances.
Also I was just referring to the ending on that post of mine where I referred to not all love stories having happy endings
Keshi,
Yup, fast track everything! No stops, no arguments, no accidents.. just a smooth drive. Now, aint I dreaming?
Rohan,
Awwwww... dont get so defensive ;)
But as for your post, atleast it doesnt have a sad ending. It kind of hangs there... with hope. Know what I mean?
Totti,
C'mon, are you up to the challenge? :D
But in all fairness, he did say it reminded him of his post... not that it was similar to his post ;)
Haha! Clint- I have Tim Burton's Big Fish.. but yes, Disney's Peter Pan is easier on the eyes, than lets say, a German man in green spandex. (why German..err..Ill find that link and send it..)
You WANT to wear green spandex? If you said that out loud, I'd be the person saying "he's not with me"
Hahahaha... Jupiter, you really chased off Clint with that one :D
i do agree on the movies but i think theres much less portrayals of reality in bollywood.. saw 'the woodsman' the other day, think it will be a while to get those sort of stories out in the open.
Dont get me wrong.. have nothing against bollywood.
btw my profile is up now, if theres anything else you'd like to know.. just ask
I think 'happily ever after' is an ideal to strive for, but with the knowledge that it would most likely be one of those cases of 'ideal conditions' in physics, never achievable practically.
Big Man,
Hmm... maybe will have to dig up that movie.
Sherene,
I like that analogy. Very true I think :)
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