Monday

This is New...

Americans have long bought into the notion that if a little is good, then way too much is AWESOME. From Big Macs to overpriced coffee to inflatable holiday decorations, the phrase, "Less Is More" means nothing to the American Consumer. And American merchants know this all-too-well.

I wish I had been the first person to realize that you can take any icon of any holiday, enlarge it to 8 feet, make it out of nylon and inflate it, and Americans will buy it -- Santa, scarecrows, pumpkins, cupids, shamrocks, you name it.

I am no longer surprised at what all I see adorning people's yards. Amazed, maybe, but not surprised. Today, however, I was taken aback. So, aback, in fact that first I turned my car around to make sure I was seeing what I thought I saw. Then, continuing to be taken aback -- I went all the way "aback" to my house to get my camera so that you, too, could marvel at this holiday icon:

'Cause, you know, NOTHING says "Christmas Spirit" like the Christmas Seal.

14 comments:

Ruth said...

brilliant! absolutely brilliant! Oh how I long to adorn my little yard with fiberglass sea mammals :)

Ginger said...

Huh. Maybe I should do the Christmas Giraffe. Or the Christmas Toucan.

Strange. This world is so strange.

Anonymous said...

That may be terminally strange, but it's not as butt-ugly as those merry-go-round thingies. I wonder if I could get my city councilman to introduce an ordinance naming them as litter?

AbbieCRAZY said...

Hey! We have one of those merry-go-round things just down the street from us! There's one right around the corner, too.

I don't get it. Shouldn't it play music loudly or something?

AbbieCRAZY said...

Tee-hee-hee...your dad said "butt." Hee-hee....

Anne said...

Okay...I, too, am laughing 'cause your dad said "butt-ugly!" Cracks me up!!

And, it doesn't matter that I am not fond of the merry-go-round thingies...Natalie thinks they are awesome!!

Anonymous said...

There is not limit to the ways we can icon-ify Christmas!

Here's a Swedish Christmas Goat.
http://hem.passagen.se/cmp/julbock.jpg

Sarah - I'm impressed that you turned around, went all the way back to get your camera, and made a point to snap this for us :)

Roxanne said...

I LOVE it when people put those things in their yard, 'cause the kids can look at theirs while we drive around and love them all they want since we don't have the likes of them in our yard. :)

Lara said...

It's disgusting. The people who are buying this crap are probably going into debt to do it! If you can't live without it, just put it on your visa.

Anonymous said...

Haven't you ever heard of Christmas Seals?

Sarah said...

Ruth -- you made me laugh out loud. My your yard become a fiberglass Sea World!

Stephanie -- I'm all about the sacrifice for the blog!

Mindy-- I'll be on the lookout for YOUR sea mammal!

AM -- yes, they must be raising money for the March of Dimes,and this is their tribute to that!

Kendra -- I just can't imagine a Christmas seal OR inflatable thing in your yard, but I've stopped being surprised, remember?

Sarah said...

*sigh* Y'all KNEW the "Word Nazi" would have to do that.

Ruth, it's MAY your yard be a fiberglass Sea World! :-) Please not MINE! :-)

Roxanne said...

Good job, Kendra. . .way funny.

Anonymous said...

Have y'all seen the giant blown up snowglobes? I'm not crazy about the miniature ones, much less one your kids could fit inside.