Musical Etiquette

Have I ever mentioned that I love musicals? :) Well, I do! Easter Parade, Singing in the Rain, all the Rogers and Hammerstein musicals......I never get tired of them! I love them for the singing and the dancing talent, I love them for the love stories and the fun outfits - but I think I really do love them most of all because they transport me into a time of chivalry and glamour. Into old time etiquette.

Did you know that there really was a time where men tipped their hats and bowed to ladies?
Did you know that people actually dressed-up in hats and ties and gloves, and went out for Sunday strolls?
Did you know that dancing used to mean soft music and lights, fancy dresses and no cleavage?
Did you know that a kiss and a hand hold used to mean that a couple was serious and committed?
Did you know that entertainment used to mean a good talk with friends or watching a live person with a real talent?
And so much more......

Now I know that some of these things may seem a bit extreme to some of you. Admittedly, some of this old time etiquette could - and eventually did - get out of hand. People were expected to always be dressed to the hilt, and common sense and practical means were never thought about. Women were treated as treasures, but they were also told to stay in their kitchens and homes. Polite manners and controlled sexual relations were encouraged, but legalism could still abound.

I think what makes these old timey ways seem so attractive to me, is that they are so opposite of today's culture. That is where I think we have made our mistake. Women may have needed liberating in the 1940's, but I don't think we needed to strip down to our bras and become superior to men to do it. Modest dress may have been a bit confining, but I don't think we needed to move to a place where people literally wear undergarments as clothing. Entertainment may have benefited from a little bit of electricity and computer graphics, but then again - what's so bad about listening to a barber shop quartet? Or seeing a lovely couple ballroom dancing? We automatically count it as boring and look away - but perhaps we should stop and see the beauty of the old ways.