Earlier this month when we were decorating the house for Christmas we heard a Christmas song called "Angie the Christmas Tree Angel." The Andrews Sisters singing about the Angel that sits atop your tree and basically cares for the tree and helps decorate your home so it's perfect for Saint Nick. She also arranges the gifts perfectly after he apparently leaves all of your shit in a pile on the floor. This must be how Santa visits all of those houses in one night. He outsourced "neatly arranging the Christmas Gifts" to yet another job illegal Angel from heaven. I imagined the board meeting for Sears & Roebuck or some other vintage department store giant, shortly after Rudolph was created my Montgomery Wards to drive Christmas sales.
"Sales were down 2% last season and we need a Rudolph. Bert here has this idea about a Christmas Tree angel names Angie. If we roll it out with the Andrews Sisters we should be able to get a TV special and kids everywhere will be singing about Angie the Christmas Tree Angel for years to come."
Yeah, not so much...
Then there's "Suzie Snowflake." I was reminded of this gem through the fantastic selection of Christmas music at my job. At first it felt like I had heard it for the first time just like this Angie bullshit but then I remembered the song.
Suzie Snowflake is brilliant actually. The songs reminds us that without this new "Legendary" Christmas character we wouldn't have any snowmen to call Frosty; nor would we be free to go for that sleigh ride. Suzy is the most fundamental character of Christmas.
My favorite failed random vintage Christmas character marketing attempt has to be "Tingle the After Christmas Depression." Admittedly a spoof from MAD TV it is brilliantly crafted. I ws immediately reminded of it when I learned about this Angie chick. I can't find anything about this sketch on the web. It was from an early season and would love if someone could email me a link or a copy.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
More Merry
There's a little more merry this year. I hadn't realized it until the past couple of days leading up to Christmas but as I look back, people have seemed to be a bit more merry this Christmas. I hear the words themselves a little bit more often than in previous years. Something is afoot.
Just last year people were censoring Santa Claus' "HO HO HO" catchphrase, in what I can only believe was an attempt at protecting the pride and respect of the average hooker selling her services for 20 bucks on the night stand and a some cocaine. Are we truly that concerned about whores and those who conduct themselves as such or did we confuse our kids by calling hookers hoes with no regard of what kind of questions it may raise in the month of December. If you're going to call your cousin a hoe in front of your child its your fault you child thinks Santa is standing on the street corner calling everyone that passes a hoe. This year though, there was none of that.
In my customer service oriented full time job, I encounter many people in my average day. Over the past several weeks more of these people have been using the specific "Merry Christmas" salutation. Is it the crashing economy forcing people to focus more on the true meaning of Christmas. When you have a limited budget to buy gifts with you tend to make the ones you do buy more special and remind yourself that what is most important is that you are able to spend quality time with loved ones.
Maybe people are simply sick and tired of the sterile "Happy Holidays" and the ridiculously contrived controversies over whether Santa is cursing or not. Maybe collectively people are beginning to reclaim the "Merry Christmas" affirming that most people are not offended when they hear those words.
I'm not sure I understand the "why" of it all or not but I will say it has been refreshing.
Merry Christmas and God bless us one and all.
Just last year people were censoring Santa Claus' "HO HO HO" catchphrase, in what I can only believe was an attempt at protecting the pride and respect of the average hooker selling her services for 20 bucks on the night stand and a some cocaine. Are we truly that concerned about whores and those who conduct themselves as such or did we confuse our kids by calling hookers hoes with no regard of what kind of questions it may raise in the month of December. If you're going to call your cousin a hoe in front of your child its your fault you child thinks Santa is standing on the street corner calling everyone that passes a hoe. This year though, there was none of that.
In my customer service oriented full time job, I encounter many people in my average day. Over the past several weeks more of these people have been using the specific "Merry Christmas" salutation. Is it the crashing economy forcing people to focus more on the true meaning of Christmas. When you have a limited budget to buy gifts with you tend to make the ones you do buy more special and remind yourself that what is most important is that you are able to spend quality time with loved ones.
Maybe people are simply sick and tired of the sterile "Happy Holidays" and the ridiculously contrived controversies over whether Santa is cursing or not. Maybe collectively people are beginning to reclaim the "Merry Christmas" affirming that most people are not offended when they hear those words.
I'm not sure I understand the "why" of it all or not but I will say it has been refreshing.
Merry Christmas and God bless us one and all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
