Algernon: I thought you had come up for pleasure? …I call
that business.
Jack: How utterly unromantic you are!
Algernon: I really don’t see anything romantic in proposing.
It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a
definite proposal. Why, one may be accepted. One usually is, I believe. Then
the excitement is all over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If I
ever get married, I'll certainly try to forget the fact.
Jack: I have no doubt about that, dear Algy. The Divorce
Court was specially invented for people whose memories are so curiously
constituted.
Algernon: Oh! There is no use speculating on that subject.
Divorces are made in Heaven--
Most of the comedic elements in the first act of The
Importance of Being Earnest employ comedy of manners and farce to poke fun at
society’s careless treatment of familial and romantic relationships at the
time. When Algernon is discussing what he does and doesn't consider romantic
about a marriage proposal, the misinterpretation he makes is what makes the
audience laugh. Once in a relationship, monotony and a grudging routine of
saying we love each other can leave everyone involved unsatisfied and wondering
why they're together in the first place. The opposite of this is not fearful uncertainty about the future,
but variety and a sense of adventure. Contemplate how you would lead an
interesting life if you were on your own, and now consider that same journey
with someone whose company you enjoy. Go ahead and live your spontaneous,
interesting life, but also consider the future and keep it close at mind; so
many divorces seem to happen when people fail to envision how they will live
after the honeymoon is over.
After spending part of the four day weekend talking to a
friend I haven't seen in person since the end of seventh grade, and haven't
spoken to online since freshman year, I suddenly remembered videos made by prominent
YouTubers of the time that we would send to each other, among them many made by
Julian Smith. Looking back, I only see a vague shadow of why I found his absurdist
and pun-heavy humor entertaining, but I also feel fleeting nostalgia for the
cultural phenomenon that was ‘XD lolz sooooo random,’ which likely was a
catalyst for his popularity. In some circles, it seems that the internet, the
universe, and time are all looping back on themselves as we re-learn how to use
the strange and absurd to cope with the bleak world we live in by satirizing it.
I’ll leave you with these classics.
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