Monday, December 11, 2006

Definition of Ironic: Holiday Edition 2006

You may recall this item I presented to you last Christmas. The irony then was turning the very meaning of the Christmas special and perverting it.
This year, however,
Urban Outfitters is selling a companion piece: The Linus Blanket. If you don't recall the special, Linus, after the tree has been "trimmed" by the gang, lays his blanket around the tree. It's quite a touching moment really, especially if you understand how hard it would be for Linus to do that.
So why is this ironic and what's my issue with it?
For starters, the blanket is thirty-four dollars ($34 for the word challenged). That's one pricey blanket to lay around your twenty-four dollar "pathetic tree" from the same store. I found it almost horrifying last year when they sold the tree, now comes the blanket. What's next? What else can they milk from the special except for action figures and a stage? Imagine:
You, too, can pretend to be Linus delivering the meaning of Christmas to the masses. Maybe you'd rather relive your bad days as (good grief!) Charlie Brown. Only $100 for the set...buy it now!
Now...there is a positive side to this irony. Some of the blanket's proceeds do go to charity, and that's great, but it still seems to be polluting (for lack of a better word) the very essence of the special.
The tree? You can still get one, but the blanket is sold out, boys and girls.
Then again what do I know? I'm still waiting for my Channukah Harry Channukah Bush. I could be wrong.
Namaste.

1 comment:

Arthur Willoughby said...

Lord almighty, I mean...you'll find no bigger Peanuts fan than myself...but is there anything Schulz's heirs won't stoop to?

I was at Kohl's yesterday and saw the Peppermint Patty lesbian home-insemination kit (endorsed by Mary Cheney).