Have We Lost the Magic?

This past Friday night I saw the movie Stardust, which is based on the book of the same name by my all-time favorite author, Neil Gaiman.
Gaiman is a master of creating worlds of fantasy that seem to be just five seconds to the right out of the corner of your eye. Worlds that could oh so easily exist if only we looked fast enough and quick enough. Books like American Gods, Neverwhere, Stardust and Coraline all speak to this.
But about the movie.
Stardust, while not adhering 100% to the book was a wonderful brilliant movie. The casting turned out to be excellent, and I even managed not to hate Claire Danes. But mostly the movie captured Gaiman's sense of wonder and sense of humor. A sort of dark and knowing humor pervaded the entire script and echoed the same senses in the book.
All in all one of the better movies I've seen this summer.
Something bothered me however. Not about the movie, no - but about the critical response. The Philadelphia Daily News's movie critic called Stardust "a fantasy adventure with too much icky romance for young boys, a movie driven by grown-up stars with too much fantasy content for adults." Yes, young boys do not like that "icky romance", at least not publicly. However, who said that adults can't deal with fantasy content? Is this true? Are all adults beyond the reach of fantasy?
The Lord of the Rings movie might say otherwise perhaps. Those movies were a veritable goldmine and I can't imagine that only young boys shelled out their pocket money to push these films into profits of millions upon millions. So-called adults must have seen them as well. Beyond that trilogy, so many high grossing films have contained within them aspects of fantasy, even Titanic (though the fantasy is more of the romantic variety).
I guess I'm just puzzled that adults are considered to be ill-equipped to be able to handle something that isn't firmly based in our world and reality. As children we are encouraged to use our imaginations and think big wild and crazy thoughts. Though as we get older and the real world becomes realer by the day and by the bill, we're supposed to shut off that part of ourselves. I say when better to indulge in our imaginations than when we spend our days dealing with real life? Why are we expected to become dour and unimaginative as we age? Is that because it happens? Or does it happen only because we are told it should?
A movie like Stardust provides not only an escape (from the sweltering heat and humidity as well as one's work-a-day cares), but can help bring back that spark of the creative in we adults who have been told such things are no longer ours. We should be able to dream of places where stars fall and become beautiful young women, of witches who enslave princesses with a slim silver chain, and of awkward young men who discover how to be men through love. What's wrong with any of that?

A Quandry

After coming home from a highly enjoyable evening with friends, I realize I am faced with a huge problem.
As much as I don't have a significant other, which is the bane of my existence, and as much as my dream is to move back to NY...I have friends here.
I have friends I can go to the movies with, friends to go out to dinner with, friends to come over and just hang with.
It's been years since I've had that.
I have no family, no Jewish community to call my own...things that worry me.
But I really do love the fact that I have friends again.
Do I stay or go?
Just not sure...

Are we that dumb?

I'm now watching Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America.
Before the program begins someone who sounds amazingly like Eric Idle of Python fame tells us the American viewers that the following program contains British accents and to find out what on earth anyone is talking about, to turn on closed captioning.
Seriously?
Do they think we are that so uncultured that we couldn't understand someone speaking in a British accent?
Please!

PSS

Last night I was out and about and it was BRUTALLY hot. I was convinced that I was sweating so badly that it was going to drip in my eyes...sexy, no?
But - lo, there was nothing there. Not a drop. I decided that I am suffering from a new disease, PSS or Phantom Sweat Syndrome.
As such, I have written my own commercial for Swealtex, a new medication that I believe will revolutionize the way people deal with PSS. (I mean hey, if they can talk about Restless Leg Syndrome, I can have my Phantom Sweat Syndrome...)
Here you go:
Do you find yourself feeling sweaty but there's nothing there?
Do you wake up at night to wipe your brow but find it bone dry?
Are there times when you know a bead of sweat is going to mess up your mascara, and yet, your makeup remains perfect?
If the answer to any of these questions is 'yes' you might be suffering from Phantom Sweat Syndrome.
Swealtex is a new drug to help with the symptoms of PSS. Side effects may include enlarged tongue, baldness, or instant lycanthropy. Women who may be pregnant or nursing should not be in the same room with Swealtex. Men who might come in contact with children should also avoid open bottles of Swealtex. If you take Swealtex and are still feeling the PSS, get yourself to the emergency room immediately.
Talk to your doctor and see if Swealtex is for you.
No one needs to live in fear of the next PSS attack.