2013-02-08 - 4:21 p.m.
"When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
'Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
'Cause girl, you're amazing
Just the way you are..."
("Just The Way You Are" - Bruno Mars)
I can't wait for that new TV series "Beauty and The Beast" to air here in my country. The first season may have already aired in other countries, so I'll probably just sit tight and wait, rely on YouTube, or...simply download it. (Hey, I believe I won't be the only one here!)
However, when I first looked at the show's promotional adverts, I found myself a bit disappointed. There is only a small scar lined across on the right cheek of 'The Beast' - a.k.a. Vincent Keller (Jay Ryan). For me, he still looks much too handsome and 'normal-looking' for a beast.
Then again, I am not the creator of the show. Yes, I am still looking forward to watching it - just out of sheer curiousity. I also still love the idea of a tough beauty saving the day - along with her (creepy-looking) boyfriend by her side. Maybe it will not be so bad.
I grew up watching so many versions of this famous fairy-tale, from the Disney cartoon to an older version of the TV series back in late 1980's until mid-1990's. You know, where Catherine 'Cat' Chandler (Linda Hamilton) was a lawyer living in a posh apartment in New York, not a detective (Kristin Kreuk). Vincent (Ron Perlman) was a mysterious, creepy-looking lion-faced beast who climbed up to her balcony practically every night and always spoke in a gentle tone to her. He had no last name, and there was something seriously romantic and touching from the way he was fierce with his enemies and very protective of her. That had been my rather odd, teenage fantasy, having my guy climb up to my bedroom window, only so we could talk in hushed whispers at night or just watch the stars above in an undisturbed silence. (Although in real life, something like that would definitely freak your mother out and send your father running towards him...with a baseball bat to scare him off! Or if you happened to live alone, you'd probably panic and start calling the police first - thinking he might be a burglar!)
Still, I should give lion-faced Vincent a credit when he took Cat out on the most romantic - yet also daring - date ever: watching a classical concert for free...from the gap under a theatre building which leads to an underground tunnel! She even wore her formal dress under her overcoat, as if they'd really gone to a real, candle-light dinner instead!
If a guy knew how to sneak me into a venue where we could watch a rock concert for free and - most especially - unnoticed - I'd give him a serious thought for future dates and a possible relationship. Talk about saving a serious amount of money from buying a ticket or two, hehe!
Still, I have these critical questions regarding the idea of this 'unconditional love':
Is it really true? Does it even exist? If it does, how many who have experienced that and still do? And for how long? (Pardon my skepticism here, since we're talking about reality.)
What if it were reversed? Would "The Hunk and The Lady Beast" have the same effect?
I know there are rare stories regarding this issue, though. I once watched a short TV documentary about a girl who survived from a fire-related accident as a child. She'd had to undergo about 21 plastic surgeries! Still, there were mean people around her. 'An alien', 'a space witch', and 'Frankenstein's bride' were only a small few of name-callings her bullies had given her.
Did she find her soulmate? Yes. She'd met and been dating this guy for five months or so before he proposed her. According to her, she'd cried for five minutes before finally saying yes.
You know what I'll say to that:
Aww, so sweet...:) Really.
Did they live happily ever-after, just like in fairy-tales? Hmm, maybe not always - just like all couples in real life. I am sure they work things out, though. Isn't that the only way?
Still, I can't help but wondering:
I don't care if you're a girl or a guy. Would you go out with a person who literally makes the world stop and stare - in a not-so-pleasant way? I am also aware that this is such a sensitive and personal subject. I am not talking about you being in a relationship with that person for so long that you no longer care if the world thinks he/she is a...umm,'freakshow' and you deserve better. (Forgive my choice of words.)
I am talking about first dates. Would you go out with someone like that if they asked you? Would you ask someone like that to go out with you? If the answer is yes, why?
Not only that, though. How do we know that our own 'ugliness' (Kelly Clarkson calls it 'dark side' in her song) won't draw people away? How much tolerance do we have among each other's ugliness - inside and out?
No need to tell me. I am just being rhetorical here, hehe.
I hope that new TV show won't be disappointing - plot-wise, that is.
R.
