The Nutcracker

I got to see this live at DAR Constitution Hall in high school, and two of my friends were performing, as well as the Christmas section of Handel’s Messiah.  It was quite stunning, and I highly recommend seeing the ballet!  Reader-land, I am going to share a very irreverent story! 

Tchaikovsky was a genius, in my opinion.  His music and ballet are exquisite and the pinnacle of what others aspire to.  I don’t know anything about his life, if he was a good man, or if modern historians think he was not good, none of that stuff.  I admire his art, because it is beautiful, and what have I told you all about beauty?  That is right, it’s one of the three transcendentals, very good, Reader-land! You did read my blog!

Well, I was first introduced to The Nutcracker at home, my family had a Vhs tape that we would watch.  No one explained it to me, so I just saw rats and men with huge heads jumping around, as well as a bunch of girls in bathing suits or underwear.  What?  I didn’t know what a leotard was!  And I wasn’t old enough to be interested in girls!  Get your minds out of the gutter!  We were exposed to other works of Tchaikovsky in Spain, because culture is important, and I will get to that later.

I also didn’t understand the title.  It’s a doll.  I had no idea that Nutcrackers looked like that, nor the origin story is, etc, I just figured out that they would move the lever on the back up and swiftly down to crack the nuts.  Now in adulthood, I know what the story is about, it makes a lot more sense, and I can appreciate the fullness of the story, the dancing, and music.  If you aren’t a fan, I beg you to give it another try, I bet there is at least one section you will like.

But that brings me to modern-day, and the sad and stark realization that we lack the ability of our forefathers to recreate not only such a beautiful piece of music, dance, and story, but even the romanticism to create a tool that is so whimsical and art as well for cracking nuts!  We are left with Arianna Grande, and what is that kid from Canadia’s name who choreographs his concerts, and then the ultimate, we can’t even design a nutcracker at all!  You want to see a modern one?

If that looks like a shower chair, you are seeing it correctly.  But it is a modern rendition.  This is how far we have fallen!  Are you confused?  Let me explain.

I use this type of shower chair.  Every time I shower, because I am a cripple, right?  I can tell you that this chair was probably designed by a committee or by someone who doesn’t need one.  Let me put it delicately, THIS CHAIR WAS NOT DESIGNED WITH MEN IN MIND!!!!  And that is how far we have fallen.  Gossamer beauty has been stolen away from us for bad utilitarianism, rendering our modern society with ugly, brutish, painful things.

I hope I made myself clear, in a humorous manner!!