Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Say Hello to Another Holiday Icon

Hi folks.

I know, I know...long time, no post. I have no excuse. But I do have some good stories.

But you won't read any of them today.

No, today I want to discuss something entirely different: The Commercialization of Holidays.

Yes, it is a subject that is near and dear to my heart.

There is no such thing as a holiday being just about the day anymore, is there? I mean, I saw the Christmas decorations out by the end of August this year. August? No wonder people get cranky about it by the time it gets here.

Thanksgiving? What? What's that? You mean there's another holiday in between Halloween and Christmas? Really? And it's about what? Oh, giving thanks? You mean it's not about adding up the bonus points at the grocery store to get the free turkey? No? Well, whaddaya know!

And it's not just Christmas either. It's even infested Easter. Now, we Christians had enough trouble stealing the holidays from the pagans you would think the capitalists would just leave well enough alone. But no, they had to take Easter too.

And this, people, this is nothing compared to what I've seen today. Nothing. I can almost understand getting all wrapped up in Christmas, Halloween and Easter. Heck, I can even look past the big hoopla about Valentine's Day and the 4th of July. But this tkaes the cake, folks. I mean it really and truly does.

They have gone and commercialized Election Day.

Oh! the horror! I couldn't believe it either. And I know it may seem small to some people but I am more than certain it is going to take off across the country. Pretty soon we are all going to be inundated with this new holiday icon. Yes, you heard me right. They now have a mascot for Election Day. Pretty soon you'll see the Hallmark greeting cards with it's cute little picture on the front. Pretty soon you will see plush look-alikes in the toy department. Pretty soon you will hear the Election Day carols on the radio featuring the latest antics of this new character to grace our sick and twisted holiday celebrations. Pretty soon you will see lines of voters waiting to have a chat with our new cultural icon, whispering who they want to win the election.

What is it, you ask? You've seen the signs for Breakfast with the Easter Bunny. You've seen the signs for Breakfast with Santa Claus. Well, today I was driving past our local fire company - which just so happens to be a polling place - and saw this sign. Get a load of this...


Image hosted by Photobucket.com

You read it right. Breakfast with Mackerel. Never mind that it's spelled wrong. Who is this Mackerel and, what I really want to know is, who decided it was going to be the election day mascot? Hmm? Who? And why, why oh why, did they pick a mackerel?

I can just see it all now. The night before Election Day, all the registered voters will put out their coolers and creels hoping The Mackerel will swim up the drain pipe during the night and fill them with treats and wise decisions.

Well...now that I think of it, some wise decisions might not be such a bad thing.

But a Mackerel?

3 comments:

D.B. Echo said...

It's not a bad idea to commercialize election day. In a lot of countries Election Day is already a holiday, so people can't say "Oh, I was working, I was too busy." In Australia and other countries you get fined if you don't vote. I think the least we could do is create a happy, smiling icon to encourage people to vote and make voting the hip and cool thing to do - I don't know if the Mackerel works for me, but with the right people working on it, by gum, it just might fly.

And then we can create an anti-icon, a sort of evil Santa (or evil Mackerel - the Pike, maybe?) who knows if you voted or didn't vote, and then if you didn't vote he breaks into your house and violates your privacy and takes away your civil rights.

Or do we already have that?

Arkansawyer said...

Santa Claus was a Saint, right? I think, mackerel, ought be be appointed "King Mackerel". The name just seems fitting, somehow. Elections, politicians, kings.

"Three cheers for King Mackerel.
Hip, hip, hooray!"

Primaries are when? We should start working on posters, and fundraisers, and such...

Better watch out,
ya better not pout,
ya better get out and vote,
cause King Mackerel is coming,
to town.....

He knows when you voted,
He knows when you let it slide...

okay, so the lyrics need some work...
--

Have a great Turkey Day, and hope you find time to write some more soon!

josetteplank.com said...

Hey!

Happy Mackeral Day!

(I have questions about Chiken Pox. It's a pilgrim thing.)

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