Pathetic Christmas
I'm sure most people who read this blog are familiar with A Charlie Brown Christmas, the 1965 television production that has become a welcome holiday perennial. Even God-hating atheists like me can overlook the cloying sentimentality of the show's message because it is presented honestly, charmingly, and simply. Plus the show features what IMHO is perhaps the greatest original Christmas music ever composed, and some of the only holiday music I have never grown tired of hearing.
One of the major themes of the show, in addition to reinforcing the Christian aspects of the holiday, is Charlie Brown's disillusionment over the commercialization of the season, a capitalist cancer that even affects his dog. As a means of fighting this monopolization of what is ostensibly a holiday celebrating the birth of the Messiah, Charlie befriends a limp, lonely little tree that needs love.
Leave it to the cynical minds at Urban Outfitters to capitalize on the lovely sentiments expressed by Charlie Brown. Yes, now you too can own your very own pathetic Christmas tree, and, as the advertising copy boldly states in what one can only hope is misguided irony, "learn the true meaning of Christmas." And whereas the beloved Peanuts characters learned the meaning of Christmas at relatively little cost to themselves, Urban Outfitters will charge you $24 for the privilege.
And just to add insult to irony, this lovely item is "imported," which probably means that Asian workers being paid slave wages have lovingly crafted this object d'art sometime during their 18-hour workday. No Christmas holiday for you, you godless fiends!
This is the kind of cynical bullshit that makes this holiday (at least as it is practiced in most of America) seem so pointless.
I'll try to be less cranky in my next post, which will probably be my last before I leave to join my mom and brother for the next week.
One of the major themes of the show, in addition to reinforcing the Christian aspects of the holiday, is Charlie Brown's disillusionment over the commercialization of the season, a capitalist cancer that even affects his dog. As a means of fighting this monopolization of what is ostensibly a holiday celebrating the birth of the Messiah, Charlie befriends a limp, lonely little tree that needs love.
Leave it to the cynical minds at Urban Outfitters to capitalize on the lovely sentiments expressed by Charlie Brown. Yes, now you too can own your very own pathetic Christmas tree, and, as the advertising copy boldly states in what one can only hope is misguided irony, "learn the true meaning of Christmas." And whereas the beloved Peanuts characters learned the meaning of Christmas at relatively little cost to themselves, Urban Outfitters will charge you $24 for the privilege.
And just to add insult to irony, this lovely item is "imported," which probably means that Asian workers being paid slave wages have lovingly crafted this object d'art sometime during their 18-hour workday. No Christmas holiday for you, you godless fiends!
This is the kind of cynical bullshit that makes this holiday (at least as it is practiced in most of America) seem so pointless.
I'll try to be less cranky in my next post, which will probably be my last before I leave to join my mom and brother for the next week.
posted by Chazzbot at 11:09 AM
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