Merry Christmas…with an emphasis on the “meh”

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Merry Christmas…with an emphasis on the “meh”

December 11th, 2011 · 43 comments

In Joe’s Tuscaloosa neighborhood, a lot of folks go all-out with their Christmas decorations. While driving around the other night admiring the various Griswold-style scenes, Joe was especially amused to stumble upon this outlier.

Perhaps they took inspiration from the house below on the right?

FILED UNDER: Alabama · Christmas · most popular notes of 2011 · smartass

43 responses so far ↓

#1 Quite Contrary

The first ornament I put on my tree this year was a lovely glass ball with a blue moon and stars on the inside. When I bought it (for my tree), I neglected to read the inscription on the other side…”Baby’s First Christmas.” Have I mentioned I never had kids? “Meh” is an understatement.

Dec 11, 2011 at 9:59 pm rating: 90

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- #1.1 Palomon
  
  When is “meh” not an understatement?
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 12:20 am rating: 90
- #1.2 FeRD
  
  I’d think of an example, but… meh.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 9:21 pm rating: 90
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#2 juju-skittles

Whilst I always admire Xmas lights, I always wonder what it’s like to live next door to the over-the-top displays, with people slowly cruising past your house, parking on your lawn, walking over your garden to get to the neighbours…i guess I’m team MEH!

Dec 11, 2011 at 10:00 pm rating: 90

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- #2.1 KoS
  
  As someone who lives a couple doors down from a display like this, it does get a little annoying having all the cars driving slowly down the street. Though, in a similar vein, the people across the street from this house have a lit sign proclaiming “Bah humbug!”
  
  Dec 11, 2011 at 10:34 pm rating: 90
- #2.2 Dalamara
  
  I like looking at big holiday displays, but I would hate to ever live where you are forced to spend lots of money on decorations, then spend hours breaking my back (and hopefully nothing else!) putting them up, and then even more money providing the electricity for them for an entire month.
  
  Dec 11, 2011 at 11:26 pm rating: 90
- #2.3 The Elf
  
  I don’t know any place where you are FORCED to put up decorations. I know plenty of communities have regulations about the kinds of decorations allowed, but that’s not the same thing.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 8:09 am rating: 90
- #2.4 Mary
  
  In Portland, OR there is a street called Peacock Lane where the residents are required to decorate for Christmas.
  http://www.peacocklane.net/index.html
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 8:25 am rating: 90
- #2.5 Norma
  
  In reply to Mary: There is an area in Torrance, CA where all the residents for several streets do fantastic decorations. I’ve heard it stated that when you buy there you have to agree to decorate. No one minds and people come from miles around to enjoy the sight. My little granddaughter sent me the video they made the other night while walking around the neighborhoods.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 9:12 am rating: 90
- #2.6 unsatisfied
  
  @ norma…..I’ve been through that torrance, ca area where they do the decorations. being an east coaster, it was way to weird to see them: 1) amongst palm trees and 2) without snow.
  
  they have to agree when they buy? what happens if they agree, buy, but don’t decorate? are they passive-aggressived until they put up a santa, a rudolph and a frosty?
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 10:05 am rating: 90
- #2.7 The Elf
  
  I stand corrected.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 1:36 pm rating: 90
- #2.8 FeRD
  
  I just can’t believe they don’t find “Peacock Lane” to be a bit too on-the-nose. I mean, seriously? They’re probably petitioning to rename the cross street Ostentation Drive.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 9:26 pm rating: 90
- #2.9 Yvonne
  
  There is a steet in West Allis WI where everyone decorates their houses, it is called Candy Cane Lane. They have people outside in the evenings with collection bins and collect for local charites. Including food drives for the food pantry. They also have local celeberities,(like radio personalities, etc) on weekends.
  
  Dec 13, 2011 at 1:23 am rating: 90
- #2.10 beamingbeagle
  
  I can vouch for Yvonne. I grew up on Candy Cane Lane. Our house would shake from the tour buses that go up and down the street. My father would boycott the festivities every year and he would also drive recklessly when entering and exiting our driveway. If only I would have known that being a part of the festivities was as easy as “MEH” I could have saved many years of therapy.
  
  Dec 22, 2011 at 3:53 pm rating: 90
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#3 SeeYouInTea

I love this. People in my neighborhood pressure everyone to make their homes look like a Christmas Extravaganza. As an Alabamian, this makes me proud.

Dec 11, 2011 at 10:44 pm rating: 90

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- #3.1 Rattus
  
  You’re proud that you live in an enclave of people who don’t have the strength of character to not cave into peer pressure? How on earth did so many teenagers manage to purchase their own homes, and why are all living on the same block?
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 8:28 am rating: 90
- #3.2 Jimmy James
  
  Check above- these pictures come from Alabama as well, presumably he’s proud of the houses above in Tuscaloosa bucking the trend around where he lives.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 8:44 am rating: 90
- #3.3 Captain Hampton
  
  Every person in ‘Bama liked Christmas a lot,
  But Rattus, who frequented PAN’s comments, did not.
  Rattus hated Christmas — the whole Christmas season.
  Oh, please don’t ask why, no one quite knows the reason.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 9:37 am rating: 90
- #3.4 Rattus
  
  While my response was with respect to the information we’ve been given that there is an entire neighbourhood who apparently give in to pressure to decorate their homes and offers nothing about my opinion of Christmas, I will acknowledge that, indeed, I do not care for it. You chose not to ask why, but I’ll tell you anyway.
  
  Two reasons: Being raised by people who are condescending, mean-spirited assholes most of the year, jolly on that one particular day, does not endear it, or them, to me.
  
  And the whole gift-giving stress/oneupmanship/greed thing just appalls me.
  
  However, I do very much enjoy spending the day with my husband, and only my husband, going for a walk on the frozen beach, coming home to eat and watch movies with a roaring fire going. It’s the only day of the year we do that and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 10:39 am rating: 90
- #3.5 Palomon
  
  Scrooge shoulda stood ‘is ground!
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 11:40 am rating: 90
- #3.6 Captain Hampton
  
  Just poking fun, Rattus. You’re one of my favorites here.
  
  *hugs*
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 12:21 pm rating: 90
- #3.7 Rattus
  
  Absolutely no offense taken, Captain, and hugs back at ya. I was just mildly startled that my dislike of Christmas came through in a post that all about the dislike of something else entirely. It would seem that I’m not the woman of mystery I always thought I was.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 1:00 pm rating: 90
- #3.8 Who passed out the Haterade?
  
  Ex-Alabamian here, and proud.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm rating: 90
- #3.9 The Elf
  
  Somebody’s gotta be.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 6:40 pm rating: 90
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#4 Jennifer

My neighbor has a good-sized display going on. It’s brought me considerable entertainment watching him struggle nearly every night with rebellious light strands. I slapped a red bow on my door and called it a day. I sleep well at night.

Dec 11, 2011 at 11:45 pm rating: 90

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- #4.1 Quite Contrary
  
  I like Jennifer.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 12:16 pm rating: 90
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#5 Palomon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCAgWwW_GLg

Dec 12, 2011 at 12:20 am rating: 90

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#6 brobalt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAXMtUCcp7o

Dec 12, 2011 at 12:46 am rating: 90

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#7 Nahhh

I changed my desktop to a blue snowflake design, and my Windows color scheme to various pale shades of blue to match. That’s as far as my decorating goes, and it exhausted me.

Dec 12, 2011 at 1:53 am rating: 90

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#8 RedDelicious

I’m team Meh. There’s a decidedly large group of overly cheerful people who cannot understand the concept of ‘less is more’ and therefore force everyone within a square mile to black out their windows for a month.

Entertaining or not, you put that many inflatable yard sculptures on your lawn, you’re just plain tacky.

Dec 12, 2011 at 5:32 am rating: 90

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- #8.1 Jimmy James
  
  “But if less is more, than just think of how much more more would be!”
  
  My favorite tacky display was some old neighbors who must have LOVED those inflatable characters. They had a pool with a cast iron fence, and at Christmas they’d fill the whole pool area with at least a dozen of them. The fence made it look like a zoo, and we used to refer to it as “The Menagerie”*, except rather than being arranged in a way that looked natural, they were all in rows and columns, like soldiers standing ready for inspection. Really creepy.
  
  *You could make an “Away in the Menagerie” joke here, but I won’t.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 8:50 am rating: 90
- #8.2 infanttyrone
  
  How about “A Manger-a-trois” ?
  Wouldn’t that imply Joseph “keeping time” with the Ox and Lamb ?
  Yeah, I guess we can’t have that sort of animal husbandry at Christmas.
  
  What if the Little Drummer Boy brought along a friend ?
  Eeew, whaddya trying to do, summon the ghosts of Claw and TOS ?
  Yeah, PAN Standards & Practices would never let that one through.
  
  Oh, oh…what if we had the Three Gay-gi ?
  Now yer talkin’…dress ‘em up as the Village People of Bethlehem !
  But there’s only three of them…how would they do Y-M-C-A ?
  We’re gonna have to get the Holy Ghost to stand in as The Indian.
  Aw, man…you know how he hates being typecast as Indigenous.
  Dude, I know…but he’s already got the feathers…
  Aha, so we won’t have to spring for a headdress ?
  You got it…and he’ll get it too…budget considerations rule the day.
  I suppose…he is a team player, and Christmas is all about the money.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 4:29 pm rating: 90
- #8.3 FeRD
  
  “Three Gay-gi”, IT? Really?
  
  What, did “Three Queens” just seem a bit too subtle?
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 10:20 pm rating: 90
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#9 Nick

Merry Christmas. Or don’t.

Dec 12, 2011 at 7:13 am rating: 90

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- #9.1 The Elf
  
  I did, but then we divorced. Christmas is a dirty bastard.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 8:11 am rating: 90
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#10 jetjackson

MEH upside down is HEW – meaning to conform or adhere to, i.e. tradition.

Maybe it is a command to Santa to keep doing the rounds.

Dec 12, 2011 at 5:16 pm rating: 90

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- #10.1 Jimmy James
  
  Or perhaps “HEW” is a more specific exhortation to cut down a Christmas tree.
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 6:26 pm rating: 90
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#11 Sir Clayton Mathews

Hey! That’s my house! Last year, I wrote “HEYhi”

MEH doesn’t mean anything, guys. Just going for a laugh.

Look me up on Facebook – Clay Seymour Mathews
And no, my middle name is not actually Seymour

Dec 12, 2011 at 9:44 pm rating: 90

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- #11.1 FeRD
  
  And I assume your first name ain’t “Baby”?
  
  Dec 12, 2011 at 10:41 pm rating: 90
- #11.2 The Elf
  
  Awesome lights, Sir!
  
  Dec 13, 2011 at 6:49 am rating: 90
- #11.3 Sir Clayton Mathews
  
  Just left the courthouse… First name changed to “Baby”
  
  Dec 13, 2011 at 9:06 am rating: 90
- #11.4 Heavy Feet
  
  Sir Clyaton, the house looks awesome, and I look forward to the Christmas party Saturday and the deletion of a particular iphone video
  
  Dec 13, 2011 at 10:24 am rating: 90
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#12 latin-aggressive

whether considerably tacky or not, whether electricity usage spikes up thus contaminating more the environment, whether consumism reaches up disgusting levels or whether jolly cheerful people are even more obnoxious by then; those are not real reasons; at least to me, to dislike Christmas season. I think I fricking hate Christmas because I gathered that “humble/poor” people, specially children, would feel even worse that day, in places where poverty and strong division of classes is a problem. For a follow up: My orange Lemon Plant from Vasconcellos.

Dec 17, 2011 at 11:19 am rating: 90

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