For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for November 30, 2009

Rampant consumerism - sigh

It’s truly a shame what Christmas has become. ><

OpenWings - I agree … now, the Secular world starts displaying Commercial Christmas bleeep in September, and everyone forgets about Advent, and the true meaning of Christmas … it saddens and disgusts me. Christmas is about the Birth of Christ who is fully God and fully human to save our pathetic lives from sin.

C’est le vie I suppose …

I’m not sure I completely understand why Lynn is telling this story all over again. My kids (boy, girl) were born around the same time as these tykes the first time around. The strip followed me through all the stages of parenthood. Now, it just keeps reminding me of something I used to hear all the time: after they grow up, you only remember the good stuff.

It’s possible to detach from the crass commercialism of the season almost completely, but I’m afraid it does involve keeping theTV off for two months every fall. I tried that a few years ago, and I couldn’t believe what a difference it made. My bitterness about Christmas dissipated and I really enjoyed it for the first time since I don’t know when.

I remember when I was a kid, too many years ago than I want to think about, you didn’t hear about Christmas until the Thanksgiving Day Parade when Santa arrived. These days it, the Christmas selling season, usually starts arounf Halloween.

The most successful sales tool in the Patterson household seems to be whining. Elly sure bought it.

We don’t watch TV in my house very much year round (1 hour/week for me, only a movie a couple times a month for my kids, husband a couple of hours/night but only after the kids are in bed), and we don’t miss it at all. My kids don’t even know what zhu zhu pets are.

Stan Freberg said the same thing a half century ago in his “Green Christmas” commentary.

Sadly, they didn’t listen then, either.

I doubt things have changed much since I was a kid, only the toys have changed. All the commercials during that part of the year were about dolls and whatever boys were interested in. So the true meaning does get obscured. One thing is different though, at school we were allowed to sing Christmas songs with Jesus in them and now that’s not allowed. It’s a shame how people buy gifts for each other and forget the One Whose birthday it is. I totally agree with you Allan.

Zhu zhu pets? How have I survived so long and not known what that is?

Perhaps commercialism is the true meaning : ) That would explain everything.

this is one reason i stopped the giving of gifts, …Christmas is no longer about the birth of Christ, it is all about gimmie gimmie gimmie … buy buy buy..

I thank God for the mute button.

so is the continued ranting of lies for political gain……….repeat the lie over and over and over and over and over…..and sheep will believe

If it was this bad in the early eighties, think how much worse it is now! Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Yeesh.

Hi all. Open, I agree. Its not going to change though.

I’m thankful we don’t watch TV, unless you count watching DVD’s or tapes. I told my 17 year old son that he needs to start working on his Christmas want list, so I have some idea what to get him this year. He commented that he still money from his birthday & before (about $100) because he can’t think of anything he wants to spend it on. We do keep the catalogs that come in the mail during November, because I do almost all my Christmas shopping on-line. It is much easier to focus on the reason for the season, if we avoid doing stuff just because it is traditional, and not because we enjoy it. I quit decorating (except for the nativity scene), and wrap my guys’ presents in corregated cardboard boxes, sealed with duct tape, and labeled with a marker. I’m a lot less stressed out, which helps the whole family. Ironic that “Peace on Earth” is so rare during the Christmas rush.

October! Company I used to work for started sending us Christmas in June and we had to have the aisle set before the middle July.

Well, Susan, have a happy Channuka, and whats gelt?

To the fans of the Montreal Alouetes ( or who won the Grey Cup) Congrats, to the fans of the other team whos name I cant remember (or the Alouettes) you came close.

ZHU ZHU PETS, ANY RELATION TO ZAU ZAU PITTS, THE ACTRESS?

Hey mroberts88 welcome back :o)

And I think “gelt” is an informal reference to money.

Thanks Open, I was away from my laptop duirng Thanksgiving. I’d like money.

Susan, those are good.

Short answer: zhu zhu pets are electronic toy hamsters that race around, make noise and act hamster-ish/cute. So, it’s like having a pet without the hassle.

Long answer: While surfing around the Internet, I saw that these were on the “hot list” of toys this year. Since they cost only $10 and look like just the thing that my kids adore, I thought I’d try to get a couple. When I went to Toys R Us, they were out but said they were expecting a shipment the next day, but if I came, they recommended arriving early. This year, I have some spare time, so I arrived at 8:30am and was the 15th in line (since I made the trip, I thought why not?). Out of curiosity, I asked #14 why these toys were so popular and she said, “The commercials for them are on TV every 5 minutes, and they’re all my kids are asking for.” Needless to say, I didn’t get any zhu zhu pets that morning, but they are selling for $60 on Amazon. If I get any, it will be after Christmas and they will be birthday presents.

Welcome back, mroberts88!

Every year about this time I say to myself “Thank God I’m not a Christian.” I’d go into stores and they’d all be blaring Christmas music. I’d make a solemn vow that I wouldn’t set foot in another store until January, unless it was absolutely necessary. I felt bad for the Christians whose holiday was so corrupted.

But now I do remember one beautiful thing about this time of year. We would drive around the city, especially the areas where the rich people lived, and admire their lawn decorations. Some were quite elaborate, and most were very beautiful.

But now, in recent years, especially since those small strings of lights were invented, more and more people have been putting up something, not only the rich and conformist. The whole city shines.

Incidentally, “gelt” is the Yiddish word for money. The chocolate coins may be delicious, but I bet the metal wrappings aren’t! They would give my fillings a shock!

Geld is the German word for money.

Thanks for the welcome back everyone.