Usually this day doesn't bother me, but this year it's a bit of an irritant.
Valentine's Day. Grr. A paean to straight people, many of whom also chafe at its baggage and expectations.
Years ago, Jenny and I went to a Valentine's screening of CRUMB. It began with some great Betty Boop cartoons, then a wonderful set by the Penguin Cafe' Orchestra. During the intermission, the manager made a short announcement. "You may wonder why we're showing this film for Valentine's Day. Well, we think that most people's relationships are at least a little messed up, no matter how hard they try. And we thought that no matter how bad your personal relationships were, they had to be better than Crumb's, so we wanted to give you hope."
I can't quite hang with that level of cynicism about the whole thing, but my usual idealism about love and romance has been a bit tattered of late.
So I hope my ambiguity on this issue doesn't deter your enjoyment of the day. Please enjoy these images that reflect my current antipathy towards romance.
I love the Art Deco typography on that one! But I'll let the next two speak for themselves...
And then there's...
Charm School gives me hope.
This delightful comic from about 8 years ago tells of the romantic contest between a gorgeous butch vampire, a mortal and a witch.
And it's a book that openly acknowledges the lesbian relationships but treats them as a matter of course.
So refreshing.
Full of songs, spirit and passion, this book is just plain fun. I need to dig out my copies and get them to the binder, so the volume can hold a place of honor on my shelf, like it deserves!
Quite honestly, I had no idea what I was going to say when I started writing this. My love life has been mostly theoretical for the last 5 years. But even with all the frustrations relationships bring, I still want one.
I guess as messed up as romance can be, we still need it, and at its best, it's so amazingly joyous as to be worth the rest of the craziness.
There you have it. Hope springs eternal!
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