I think I prefer the "Troll in the Bowl" concept. Each morning leave a different hair colored ugly little troll floating face down in the toilet.
Interesting essay. It stretches to a degree though. Making thin connections between Santa Claus as a lie and suddenly children questioning everything their parents say - and indead the existance of God himself. I would posit the question: If this act of deception is so terrible, so damaging to children across the world, why is it, then, perpetuated by those very children? The answer is actually pretty simple. the Myth of Santa Claus is good for the human psyche. If it were not, it would not be perpetuated in the way it is. All the science, math, logical thinking and number crunching in the world cannot quantify Santa Claus. To try and do so is silly!
So drop the logic and accept that a childs imagination, wonderment and development is not hindered by the myth of a chubby dude delivering presents in a flying sleigh. Every child should have the opportunity to play make-believe growing up. Barbie Dolls, G.I. Joe, rocking horses, hot wheels, dump trucks and fire engines, toy trains, slot car tracks - even video games. They're all made to work WITH a childs imagination. They make fire trucks with working lights and sirens, Barbies dream home with a flushing toilet, slot car tracks and trains with vehicles that move because those features (and countless others) offer deeper buy-in for the child in their ability to make believe. I think it's fair to say that fostering imagination is the first step in fostering innovation.
A child's parent(s) that perpetuates the myth of Santa Claus isn't damaging their child, they're offering buy-in for the make believe winter wonderland of candy cane and gum-drop covered houses that make up Christmas-Land in their own imagination that centers around a jolly old elf that brings presents to all the boys and girls of the world. Elf on the shelf does the same thing. It's a chance for parents to "play" with their children.
Sometimes I think adults forget that childhood is less remembered for learning about the paraffin paradox and being logical and more for snow angels, Christmas plays, and Presents under the tree. Oh, and that fat-man in the red suit at that mall. There's plenty of time to learn to be an adult. Let the children believe.
And If that aint enough, here's another essay extolling he exact opposite opinion of the one you've posted.
http://www.livescience.com/42089-kid-s-belief-in-santa-is-healthy.html
You make some really good, and well reasoned, points. My response will take some time because I want to give it due attention, but I can't do it at this minute (it's finals week, and my students are crazy!). Thank you for your response, and I'll try to get back to this ASAP.
Understood. I'm wrapping up a paper and a proposal for classes and the wife is wrapping up three papers in her last semester of Graduate school. Last week was nuts, this week is worse. this forum is a happy diversion from things I should probably be doing right now.
I hate to admit it, but your logic and reasoning appeals to my engineer and science brain. I'm as logical as they come. Math is my art. Aviation is my therapy.
Still, it's Santa we're talking about here.
Merry Christmas.
I can take a joke but something creepy and inappropriate about a toy elf in adult situations. Waterboarding isn't funny, slipping a Barbie a roofie, doing some lines of cocaine... Just creepy. I can see it as kinda cute but I think it crosses some kinda line. Saw one pic with an elf lowering a bottle of lotion into a dungeon like the scene in silence of the lambs. "It puts the lotion on".
In this day and age, nothing goes untainted.
I laughed my ass off the first time I saw the waterboarding of the elf. I was hearing "Tell us how Santa can travel around the world in one night! How does he know what toy each child wants!" I guess we all have a different perspective on humor.
some funny ones I had not seen before in this video . Best if watched on MUTE!
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