December 04, 2005

• Santas are even being told not to go around saying 'Ho, ho, ho' because they may frighten children. WTF? I understand (but disagree with) the no touching rules, but what's wrong with Ho Ho Ho? Are the kids worried that Santa is referring to their moms?
• Apparently loud noises can now scar people for life.
• Not having grown up with the "sit on Santas lap and have your picture taken thing," I'd kind of like to see all of that go away. It's the one part of the commercialization of Christmas that I dislike the most. To me, when I was little, Santa was this mysterious spirit who brought you surpise gifts. I never knew I should have a list of demands and never sent letters off to the jolly big guy. But, on Christmas morning, there would be those treasures under the tree... That was years before television took gift giving out of parents' hands. Thirty years later, my daughter just had to have this doll which would "eat" some plastic "food" and eventually evacuate it into a diaper. It was such a big deal that stock ran out immediatly, and I had to enlist relatives to find it somewhere. One finally did, at the last possible moment, so my child played with it until the batteries ran out, but wasn't interested enough to care that I never replaced them. After that, I used my own imagination to find things from Santa. Since I never took her to sit on Santa's lap and get vague promises that she'd get what she saw on tv, she seemed delighted with what she did get. Yeah, I know that the Santa's lap thing may be a good memory for many of you, but it isn't something that developed independently of sales and marketing ploys, nor is it an ancient tradition. And, yeah, the new Australian rules are pretty silly, but the department store/mall santa seems even sillier to me.
• Well we knew that he wasn't the real Santa - he was always more like a Christmas Mascot kinda thing. Just like any other character dressed up. Like the characters at Disney who get mobbed and hugged by kids. Just a bit of fun really. (Which reminds me of the time I was hugged very tightly for a long time by Humphrey B Bear - my favourite childhood character. I was a nubile 18 years old though so there wasn't much mental scarring.)
• ...but what's wrong with Ho Ho Ho? Gives me whiplash when I'm at the Mall, that's what.
• Understand, I use this only rarely: LOL That is all.
• Only way to enjoy anything these days is to shut off the damn TV and start living the story instead of being a spectator. No, I don't think you have any self-control. Not sa smidge.
• I still have a badge with a printed picture of me and Santa taken at Boans dept store in Perth when I was about 2. It's a pity that we've become so paranoid and litigious that such things can't be enjoyed anymore. But perhaps it is an old fashioned thing that has little meaning to cynical kids of today, anyway.
• I object to the author's confluence of two separate body of constraints that are forcing people out of the Santa-ing biz: "political correctness" (ie, recognition that some people feel as uncomfortable with "Ho Ho Ho -- Merry Christmas" as others would be with "Fast Fast Fast -- Happy Ramadan") and -- more centrally -- fear of lawsuits. Seems to me that fear of lawsuits is a MUCH greater barrier to Ye Olde Santa Ways, but it's easier for a lazy writer to present it as the fault of "PC rules".. Grr.
• *bodies
• "He feared Santas in shopping centres and public areas would be shielded behind glass screens, away from children." Like the Pope! Seriously, I was raised with the same view on Santa as path's, and I've got only lovely memories of Christmas to show for it. We knew the store Santas weren't real, and so we weren't disappointed later on to find out that the "real" Santa wasn't real, either.
• Was it here on MoFi that I read a story about a Santa spanking one of the kids for pulling his beard? I don't think so. Santa was quoted as saying that he spanked the kid because he didn't want that kid ruining Santa for the other kids in line. To which the obvious response is, well, what are they going to think now that they know Santa is a spanker? In my family it was a tradition to get our photo taken with Santa every year at a now-defunct department store called DIC. We did it because it was free. Likewise for the last two Christmases I've taken my son and gotten the free Santa photo, because it seems weird not to. But I won't pay for it. :) Luckily Santa is still handing lollies out here, although I wonder how much longer.
• Santa just isn't fit for survival. Given that he's just a fictional character, he should rightly die.
• Put me on the list with path and The UM. Never sat on Santa's lap, and never had a long list for him. We didn't have a lot of money growing up, and we were so happy for whatever we got. I really won't be sad to see mall Santas go, if they do. Maybe it's a magical time for some kids, but it seems like it's a gimme gimme thing for so many more.
• I was in the mall with some friends a couple of years ago, including one lad of about 17 who was very gothed out. Makeup, spikes, black platform boots that brought him up to about 6"1', the works. We had to practically restrain him to prevent him from jumping into Santa's lap and asking for a pony.
• This is very sad, and very stupid.
• Thirty years later, my daughter just had to have this doll which would "eat" some plastic "food" and eventually evacuate it into a diaper. Do you mean Baby Alive? I had one of those. Are you my mommy?
• Koko, of course I'm your monny. So, why don't you call, or even write to me any more?
• mommy, Shit.
• GramMa! Mommy just said a bad word! Where's the soap?
• Santa didn't bring us any soap this year, honey.
• Honey, Monny's been drinking--AGAIN! But it's ok. Just put more water in the bottle when she takes her nap.
• I had Baby Alive! The new one is "Amazing Amanda", though. She not only eats and evacuates, she talks creepy gibberish in a Children of the Corn voice guaranteed to give any kid nightmares. If you've seen the ads that run nonstop on kids' TV channels, you know what I mean. If not, here's the press release from the manufacturer.
• I once heard a wise man (not one of THE wise men, but still wise-ish in his own right) say: "No one has any idea what's going on in a department store Santa's lap."
• "No one has any idea what's going on in a department store Santa's lap." He told me that was a Thermos he was saving for Mrs. Claus's present!
• God bless us, every one!
• What scartol said. I'm not sure how keeping Santa's hands in full view counts as PC behavior. I used to go see Santa and get my picture took every year. I would *beg* my mom to go! Then I'd wait in line, getting more and more tense by the minute. Then, the *second* my butt hit Santa's lap I'd scream my fool head off in terror. Ah, tradition...
• Kinda reminds me of dating
• You have to keep your hands in full view when you date, pete? When does that restraining order expire, anyway?
• It was more of a slap than an order, really. It's better now.
• why don't you call, or even write to me any more? Sorry, ma, I've been busy. Now send me money.
• Hm, well, if you don't turn your life around soon I'll write you out of my will. You know that salt and pepper shaker set you've mooned over for years, well, I'll donate it to the Salvation Army if you don't pay more attention to me in the future.
• She's thrown down her gage!
• petebest, interesting choice of word! I didn't know before that "gage" could be used interchangeably with "gauntlet" to denote a challenge invoked.
• And you KNOW Mama only uses a 12 gauge. No wussy gauges for her.
• Too late ma, I already nicked 'em while you were asleep in front of Wheel Of Fortune. But just to show you there's no hard feelings, here's a lovely poinsettia. See you next year! *runs*
• That girl ain't right.
• Hmm maybe you can't trust Santas after all... Santa drops pants at mall *hands out pinches of salt*
• At least Santa didn't show off his sack.
• No package?