Valentine's Day

I know haters are going to hate, but...

I really like Valentine's Day.  A lot.  You know why?  Because it is a holiday and holidays are awesome.  And I have never been .5 of a couple, so you can't throw that, "You're not single" nonsense in my face.  So there.

You may claim that this is a day that puts unnecessary stress on relationships, is merely the capitalist construct of the greeting card/flower/chocolate companies, or that it singles out all of those (supposedly) sad single ladies.  But I cry no!  Every Valentine's Day, I dwell not on the fact that I do not have some Romeo, but rather bask in the memories of Valentine's Day elementary school style.  Those glory days when February 14th meant that most of the school day was not spent learning (though, we all know I loved learning), but going through all of the Valentines in your special, handmade, disgustingly red and pink mailbox.  In fact, there was even time spent earlier in the week, not on studies, but on festooning said shoeboxes with paper doilies.  And glitter.  GLITTER.  Enough said?  I'll go on.

I don't know about all of you, but my mom and I did not buy into the whole "buy the pre-made, pop-culturally relevant, tiny Valentines" schtick (destroying those capitalists' plans), because a) since when have I known what's going on in pop-culture, b) they never had Wizard of Oz Valentines, and c) we were super crafty, even back in the day.  Along with being perpetually crafty, I've also been a pretty consistent procrastinator, meaning that the week of Valentine's Day also meant I usually got to stay up kind of late to finish my masterpieces.  They usually involved extensive rubber stamping, and let me tell you, I was a very creative, detail oriented child.  These Valentines were spectacular... and almost always Wizard of Oz themed.  Yes, I own Wizard of Oz rubber stamps.  None of this should surprise you.  I have to say, my mom was a champ through all of this.  Kudos, Mom.  Love you and your patience.

Now, back to school.  Cookies, cakes, candy, and cards.  Ah, the alliteration and the sugar rush.  Sure, some of the more popular kids had extra boxes of candy in their little cubbies, but who cared?  I was still proud of the assembly line I had created to produce 27 handmade cards in one night.  I was sorting out my candy hearts so we could make a bar graph of all the different colors.  I was... a huge nerd.  But I had a cookie, so it was all good.

Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz

This is NOT a comparison between the two.

This IS a general acknowledgement that these four movies (we aren't even going to dignify Episodes I - III with inclusion) are probably the most referenced films of all time.  Now, please don't run off to your precious Google and look up what is "technically" the most referenced film of all time... that's not the point right now.  The point is that the internet is ruining the fact that I can't make up facts anymore.

No.  The point is that you can nary get through a day without... okay, I just went on Google to do a bit of light digging.  My claims are justified, even if they're not definitive.  Moving on.  

Not moving on.  In my searchings I happened upon a blog that had an entry titled "Top 10: Most Quoted Movies of all Time (With help from my facebook friends)".  It ended up being a list made from personal opinion and observation (much like what I'm doing here), but she put Star Wars at number 10... BECAUSE SHE HAD NEVER SEEN ANY OF THEM.  The blog is entitled "Ranting in the Dark".  Don't rant in the dark, ma'am, watch Star Wars  in the dark.  Rant in the light.

What I'm saying here is not these movies are the most quoted (though they all have some good ones), but rather they are alluded to in books, TV shows, advertisements, commercials (which no one watches), comedy sketches, daily conversation, and other films.  It is generally accepted that these allusions will be understood by the population at large, no matter their age, race, financial standing, or intelligence.  The book I am currently read (Lamb by Christopher Moore) has already referenced both, and thus far I have found Mr. Moore to be an incredibly witty individual who chooses his words and ideas well.  These are the movies, the relatable popular culture pieces of our collective history, he chose.  Because he knew that they, and he, would be understood.  If that particular piece of literature is a little too esoteric for those out there, how about this.  Think upon How I Met Your Mother, and what that show would be like if you had never seen Star Wars: Episodes IV-VI, or... well, let's face it, have you ever made it through a day without encountering something having to do with Oz?  I know, I know, the quotes and the concepts are so widely known, that there is really no point to watching the movies at this juncture, right?  WRONG.  Watch the movies.  They are excellent and part of our collective consciousness.  And I will openly judge you if you don't.  Just as I did a complete stranger at a museum one day (true story, and I hope she went home and watched The Wizard of Oz) and just as I did today when one of my former college roommates told me she had never seen any of her Star Wars. Her fiancé was on my side.

If nothing else, use these films as tools when meeting new people/trying to date.  It's a safe bet that everyone has seen these movies, and so they are a ready topic of conversation or a way to make a joke. Ladies, that guy you like probably has some strong opinions about Star Wars.  Dudes, why do you think ladies love red shoes?  These are crazy generalizations, of course.  Obviously, there are plenty of girls out there who love Star Wars, too.  Ladies, if your date brings up how much he loves the Wizard of Oz... well, that's probably going to be a very useful bit of information.