…and to all a good night

Erik Kain

Erik writes about video games at Forbes and politics at Mother Jones. He's the contributor of The League though he hasn't written much here lately. He can be found occasionally composing 140 character cultural analysis on Twitter.

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16 Responses

  1. greginak says:

    Merry ChristmasReport

  2. mark boggs says:

    Not to rain on your parade, but I’m finding out that if kids are willing to believe that a fat, white guy manages to shove himself down chimneys and through hatched roofs all over the world on a single night to give every child numerous and very specific gifts, it also stands to reason with these kids that Santa has no budget; price is no object for Ol’ Saint Nick. And, in their defense, if we’re willing to perpetuate and stoke that myth of Santa, it seems that telling kids a guy capable of basically being omnipresent is somehow not omnipotent in terms of ability to provide any and all gifts is a bit contradictory, no?

    Now we’re busy trying to figure out how to tell a six year old why he isn’t getting the $500 LEGO Death Star for Christmas. We’re gonna tell him that it’s only for kids 12 and up, and that Santa, no matter how benevolent, is not going to let kids play with toys that are not age-appropriate.

    Strangely, our 8 year old daughter knows the tooth-fairy is a parental ruse, but still believes in Santa. Go figure.Report

    • North in reply to mark boggs says:

      Easy enough, the Santa Mythos comes with its own built in limiter; the naughty/nice paradigm. While coal sits firmly ensconced in the popular imagination at the lowest end of this spectrum it is easy and logical to explain to a credulous tot that highly expensive and desirable toys would require saint like juvenile behavior to earn them from the all knowing Mr. Claus.Report

      • mark boggs in reply to North says:

        North,

        I’ll give you my address and you can come tell this little, cherubic angel who sometimes acts like a little shit that he’s been kind of bad. ‘Cause I can’t take the face he’ll give you when you tell him. It kills me.Report

        • North in reply to mark boggs says:

          Alas, Mark, one of the benefits of not having children of my own is that I can wickedly spoil the children of others and then hand them off to their parents when the sugar highs kick in. You should see the toys I buy for my nephews. Loud, industrial strength sound generating machines. I can actually see my brother’s soul shrivel when I hand them over to his sons.

          In other words, I’m worse than an indulgent grandpa and I’m completely unrepentant.Report

    • Kevin Kato in reply to mark boggs says:

      My first thought was that any kid who believes in Santa isn’t going to be too versed in the concept of contradiction. Maybe when my three year old is six I will be eating these words.
      Try a few minutes of Socratic questioning. If this doesn’t work give the kid ice-cream for breakfast and beat a path out of the room.Report

  3. Mike Farmer says:

    Have a great Christmas. We can all use a mixture of a little myth, magic ansd shopping at least once a year.Report

  4. Jaybird says:

    I hope your Christmas is as good as the one you’re giving to your kids.Report

  5. E.D. Kain says:

    “Myth, magic, and shopping…” I will most assuredly drink to that!Report

  6. E.D. Kain says:

    Merry Christmas Greg. Jaybird I think it will be. A good Christmas for the kids pretty much ensures a good Christmas for the parents.Report

  7. North says:

    Merry Christmas E.D.Report

  8. Kyle Cupp says:

    Merry Christmas, sir!Report