I spent Friday night strolling through "the Grove" in Los Angeles. While its name conjures trees bearing oranges, the Grove is actually an outdoor shopping center complete with shops, restaurants, a trolley and a dancing water fountain. In December, it also boasts a giant Christmas tree, Santa and 12 reindeers suspended in mid-air and a larger-than-life gingerbread house. At night, it "snows" on the hour.
Yes, yes; it is a tacky hot mess. But I love it. The lights, the scent of pine, the music, the color scheme, the hot beverages. It's the one time of the year when the schmaltzy schmuck in me revels in plain view.
Then I see the long line of parents and children waiting to meet Santa (for no small fee)... And I grow slowly livid. Why do parents do this, sell Santa to their own kids? Some people may compare this to parents telling their kids to believe in God. But parents who tell their kids about God actually believe in God. No adult in his or her right mind actually believes in Santa Claus. So parents who encourage their children to believe in Santa are intentionally deceiving their children and encouraging them to believe in a bald-faced lie. And to what end? Is it really better for kids to believe that a stranger will reward them for being good, than for them to know that their parents will give them good things simply because they're loved?
Meanwhile, atheists are paying big bucks for bus ads challenging the existence of God, Christians are buying counter-ads and Muslims are buying counter-counter-ads. Santa, however, gets a pass. And Madison Avenue, Santa's perpetuator-in-chief, pockets all the change.
1 comment:
Ahh the Grove I have a similular love hate relationship with that place, but I do say I miss the "snow" and the lights and feeling of christmas. Surprisingly it's still as busy during a christmas season in Thailand--even though they don't really celebrate Christmas--explain that one.
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