Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Local columnist
I hear a lot of the protests of Christmas season, and find them to be short-sighted whining, finding the convenient problem with everybody else.
• “What’s wrong with kids these days? They’re asking for PlayStation 4, iPhones and iPads. Wow, when I was their age, I got toy guns and dolls and I didn’t complain one bit. Spoiled brats are what’s wrong with America.” I grew up with that guy; he got a $600 PlayStation and was upset he only got “Resident Evil” and “NFL Gameday” to go with it.
• “The problem with everything today is nobody has pride in America. They just buy crap from overseas, and they don’t shop at the neighborhood stores. We’ve gotten away from celebrating the real reason for the season, family.” That guy went to a big box store Thanksgiving night, where other people spent time away from their families working so he could save $100 on a 50-inch television.
It’s my turn to be whiny and short-sighted. If you disagree with my musings, chalk it up to that.
What does it say about our culture the way “Elf on the Shelf” has exploded, particularly the direction it’s going?
In case you haven’t seen it, and I admire your lifestyle if that’s the case, “Elf on the Shelf” was a book written in 2005 by Carol Aebersold and her daughter, Chanda Bell. The book set includes the story of how Santa outsources the job of knowing who is naughty and nice to a legion of elves.
The book includes a toy elf, which parents hide in a new spot each day for their child to discover. In that case, great fun. Also, a great job by Aebersold to have sold so many of these.
Congratulations on your success; my issue lies not with you.
My issue is how it became all the rage to post elf-hiding spots on Facebook. I’ve seen elves in “James Bond” death scenarios, having inappropriate fun with Barbie and defecating in the form of chocolate candies. So you’re teaching your kids the value of being nice, while showing your friends your naughty imagination?
“It’s just something I do with my child.” Your child doesn’t have a Facebook account. Log off for a minute and go play with the kid.
“I’m just showing my friends creative things they can do with their elf.” Except they’re the same people who will then pester friends about plagiarism.
It’s been criticized by more famous writers for being marketing masked as long-standing Christmas tradition, another nannycam in the era of helicopter parenting and a crutch for parents who see no need to teach that character is who you are when nobody watches.
My view: Parents playing with dolls online under the veil of parenting, and humanity for some reason sits one out.
Whiny, short-sighted commentary about what everybody else does? Sounds like tradition to me.
Kevin Wilson is a columnist for Clovis Media Inc. He can be contacted at 575-763-3431, ext. 318, or by email:
