Is There Ever a True Fairytale Ending?

Every year, Europe holds a continent-wide competition to determine which country can produce the best musical performance, with as many as 40 to 50 countries competing. This past year, the above performance was the winner (it also set a competition record for highest point total ever): Alexander Rybak's "Fairytale", courtesy of Norway. Although many of us may not find the song to be that great, its treatment of the idea of a fairytale strikes me as a interesting commentary on just how obsessed people today can become with wanting their lives to be a fairytale. With people insisting on everything from "dream weddings" to the Princess-inspired engagement ring line we saw in class, the idea of the fairytale live has taken over our way of life. And while that might not be a horrible thing in and of itself, the song does a wonderful job of illustrating the negative effects that come hand-in-hand with an obsession for perfection, particularly in the song's chorus:

I'm in love with a fairytale
Even though it hurts.
'Cause I don't care if I lose my mind
I'm already cursed

Alexander shows us that seeking after the fairytale not only may cause pain, but it truly leaves us cursed. Understandably, people want the best in life. And yet, the curse of seeking the perfection is that, without knowing it, we may just pass up the best in life. Everyone is seeking that perfect fairytale, but perhaps they should recall Madame D'Aulnoy's tale The Ram. After all, not every fairytale has a wonderful and happy ending.