When it comes to rituals, I like to pick and choose. When it comes to Thanksgiving, I say yes to the traditional foods, because they're tasty, and I say yes to having a light lunch and eating dinner early, because that's the whole point, and while I disdain the stupid Macy's Parade on TV, I say yes to the National Dog Show.
Like most people who didn't give a crap about dog breeds, my introduction to the dog show phenomenon was the fantastic Christopher Guest / Eugene Levy collaboration Best in Show. Ever since, I like nothing more than kicking back with a beverage and cheering on some good-looking pooches. Except that, just like in Best in Show, there's always a goddam poodle. And this year, the goddam poodle won the fucking show. There were all of these funny cute puppies running around, and the stupid judge had to choose the stupid poodle. God, poodles suck.
It's also always interesting to watch dog shows knowing that they came out of the racist eugenics craze of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The vast majority of the breeds are about 100 years old; it's not like there have been Doberman Pinschers since Charlemegne (or whatever.) That being acknowledged, it's still fun to see puppies running around in a circle (as it is to see their awkardly-dressed humans running around in a circle), so I have no problem with it.
11.26.2006
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2 comments:
I haven't seen Best in Show, but I've heard it's a lot of fun. We should all watch it sometime. As someone who grew up with two well-meaning but alltogether clumsy and ummm not-so-bright dogs, I think I'd appreciate it (my parents named our dog Newton after Sir Issac Newton and he likes to eat drywall. That's what they get for naming him after a scientific genius).
I'm glad you had a great Thanksgiving.
Best in Show is fantastic. :) VERY funny. They have a new movie out, For Your Consideration, I'm looking forward to seeing that one.
And poodles are actually a proud breed of hunting dog that have unfortunately gotten associated with little old ladies with blue hair and querulous voices.
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