(Originally appeared on danieljhogan.com)
Swans, on a lake. That’s all it is, right? Photo by me.
[dc]I[/dc] am seeing Swan Lake this evening.
Getting a bit of “culture” by going to see the “ballot,” and wearing a shirt with “long sleeves.”
There is one problem, Pop Culture has pretty much ruined Swan Lake for me. The ballet has been featured or referenced in many TV shows and films (a favorite being, Brain Donors). However, it is the frequent use of Swan Lake in popular media which makes me want to see the original. Compare and contrast, as they say, and it is always a good idea to become familiar with the source material–and is why I often consider reading Twilight: so I can make more accurate jokes, and better enjoy the ones already made.
Swan Lake is not the only classic¹ dulled by Pop Culture. I recently (and finally) watched all of Gone with the Wind. I was already familiar with the famous lines, and scenes (“I don’t give a damn,” etc.) via the many references over the years, but, when seen in context they made MUCH more sense, and had more weight. When Rhett delivered his famous line in the waning minutes of the film, it hit like a truck—now I knew why he said he didn’t give a damn.
The same can be said when I watched Citizen Kane for the first time in my youth: I finally got a lot of jokes and references—ranging from The Simpsons to Tiny Toon Adventures.
Is it wrong that Pop Culture “ruins” works like Swan Lake or Gone With the Wind? No. I would probably A) not know about Swan Lake or B) not want to see it, if it weren’t for it being referenced over the decades. Jokes about, and references to, classic works keep them alive and at the front of our memory—kind of like what Barb Wire did for Casablanca.
Well. Let’s skip that example.
Honestly, I am just happy for an excuse to leave the house². I turn in to a bit of a hermit while the Snow Miser stalks the Michigan countryside during our nine months of “good sledding.”
I just hope the stage version of Swan Lake is less creepy than the last incarnation I saw.
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¹ To be clear: I am not lumping Twilight in with Swan Lake, Gone With the Wind and Citizen Kane.
² By which I mean “apartment” and not “my parents’ basement.”
Daniel J. Hogan actually blogs from the basement of the Alamo. Follow him on Twitter, @danieljhogan.
