The allure of Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast….. the Disney cartoon version came out in the 90’s.  I remember seeing it with my sister in law at the theaters.  TWICE at the time… one show, and the one right after….  My sister in law dragged me back into the theatre, and I was happy to oblige….

It was a cartoon…about a beauty…and a BEAST….  but it had allure, even back then.

But even before that, there was a TV show: Beauty and the Beast … same premise… I loved it.  For whatever reason…it spoke to me…and so many others….even back then…..

So what’s the allure?

If you honestly sit down and think about it… its absurd.  The premise is ridiculous and unrealistic….  WHO would ever love a large animal with fangs and fur and a bad temper and choose to become a partner??  EWWW….

…. but we do…. SO MANY OF US…..

…and WHY???

…. simply because of the IDEALS of it all….

The Beast is a symbol of strength, protection, completion…. The very idea of his likeliness is open to interpretation.

And we buy into it….even knowing the reality is such a huge departure……..

But still… there is something about the heart of the story that captures our romantic hopes.  And so we run with it.

There is no doubt that we know the difference between reality and fantasy.  But our hearts always hope for the best.  And if that means transforming a beast, to be a strong handsome prince, in our minds…then so be it.

The bottom line is this… We always go toward the fantasy.  Our hearts want it.  Even if it means we turn absurdity into reality.

The romance… the trust….  the love….

I am reminded of the Janet Jackson, Rhythm Nation late ’90s… She quoted in her songs… “in complete darkness, we are all the same”…..And so it is…

I wish we all lived so blindly.  The world would be an amazing place if we lived, not with our eyes, but with our hearts.  To be able to see each other by our intentions, not our looks…..

Beauty and the Beast… get down with your bad self.  I’m on your side.