Those Inflatable Santas: Eyepoppers to Eyesores

[RedEarth]

HOLTSVILLE, N.Y., Dec. 19 — On a recent quiet afternoon, with few witnesses around, Homer Simpson, Santa Claus and a penguin perched on an igloo suddenly appeared here on the Long Island landscape as if from nowhere, unfolding slowly like Frankenstein monsters lurching to life on the table. As Homer’s extremities reached full size, his pink nylon fist puffed into Mr. Snow Man’s face — an involuntary attack, to be sure. Bop.

Such is the phantasmagoric, Disney-esque experience of the new Christmas custom sweeping the suburbs. Whatever else Christmas in America means — the birth of Jesus, holly wreaths, the Chipmunks, cultural tension — it now also includes these gargantuan, inflatable outdoor decorations, called “Airblowns” by their chief manufacturer.

They have been around for a while, but mark 2006 as the year these decorations became a full-blown fixture in the pantheon of holiday traditions — and, as is the holiday tradition, the subject of a rift.

Not quite a culture war. Call it an intramural disagreement among the Christmas crazed.

“Appalling,” Catherine Bruckner, a traditionalist who decorates only in holly and evergreen, sneered as she stopped her car in front of an inflated Santa playing poker with two shrewd-eyed reindeer in a menagerie totaling two dozen figures. “It’s bad enough to see those things on Halloween. At Christmas, they rise to a level of tackiness that is horrible.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/22/nyregion/22inflate.html?ei=5094&en=ac5e9d5d24da22ee&hp=&ex=1166850000&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print

[TlalocW]

1. The only one I've liked

Was the snow globe with a snowman inside. The air machine that keeps it inflated also blows around "snow" inside the globe. Other than that, I hate them at Halloween and Christmas.

TlalocW

[rurallib]

2. Gotta figure these are made by some very poor workers

in horrible conditions so Americans can satisfy their lust for bigger crap. Is that true anyone?

[Somawas]

3. Has to be.

You google "airblowns" and one of the first links up is Wal-Mart.

[KharmaTrain]

4. We All Have Our Obsessions, Don't We??

There's a dude a block from me that has his corner lot loaded with these "new big things". A couple years ago, the lawn was loaded with the lit up white reindeer...he's got so much crap on that lawn he has no room in his garage for his cars. During the day, that lawn is litered with what I've called "xmas prophelatics" along with all sorts of electrical wires that invite someone to trip over. The term "tacky" surely applies here, but the guy pretty much keeps to himself and if he wants to dress his house up to look like an amusement park...so be it.

I'm not a xtian, but I've always appreciated well decorated homes at this time of the year. It adds some life in what is generally a lifeless season and some much needed color and diversity to this otherwise ordinary suburb. I have more issues with the dude who uses his backyard as a dump or the neighbor who can't shut up his dog at 1am than with someone who wants to become a major consumer for the power company.

[senseandsensibility]

5. They're easy to store

because they are small when deflated. I don't like them or have them, but I think that is a major draw for people. They want BIG decorations that they can store for the rest of the year.

[David__77]

6. This is rather ghastly, but oh well...

Tackiness is hardly new to the cultural landscape. I prefer somewhat more "understated" decorations.

[MorningGlow]

7. So hideous they have given rise to new forms of vandalism

Nearly every week this season the "gotta vent" section of my Pennysaver features at least one message sarcastically thanking some vandal for deflating their precious lawn ornaments. I just giggle. They deserve poppin' and worse, sez I. (Despite the fact that I do kind of feel bad for the people who were separated from their hard-earned cash for these travesties, even if they did hand it over to Wal-Mart.)

Besides, they're a stupid decoration for true winter climes--one good steady wind/snowstorm and they become a mishmash of crumpled colored plastic on the lawn.

[Neecy]

9. This is so true...

My neighbor across the street has FOUR of these atrocities on his lawn - a huge Santa, a massive snowman, and two seven-foot-tall Nutcrackers on either side of his garage. What an eyesore!

It's become a yearly tradition to watch these things deflate and tumble onto the ground every time the wind takes hold of them - and this happens several times a week (and THEN talk about an eyesore!). You'd think he'd get tired of reinflating these hideous wrecks but no, I guess he thinks them so beautiful he MUST share them with the neighborhood! And of course they're all lit so they give you a grotesque feeling of driving through some kind of haunted forest every time you pull into your driveway.

These things are so trashy and crass and I can't imagine spending a dime on them, much less driving up your electric bill to have them illuminated like freak shows!

[MorningGlow]

10. Damn--two of 'em?

Those nutcrackers freak me out the most. :scared:

[annabanana]

8. To save electricity... they turn them off during the day.

Leaving them looking like big garbage bags, left on the lawn.. ugh...

[tridim]

11. Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tubeman?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqmn-jTU1SM

[fishwax]

12. I have a soft spot for anything that draws out the "tacky" sneer

“Appalling,” Catherine Bruckner, a traditionalist who decorates only in holly and evergreen, sneered ... “they rise to a level of tackiness that is horrible.”

:rofl:

[valerief]

13. Are there more lights than ever this year, too? Maybe I haven't

noticed in the past, but houses are lit up now like they can be seen from space. That's as handy-dandy a way to waste energy as those one-passenger mini-busses (aka suvs) that people drive.

[RamboLiberal]

14. Guess they're the new pink flamingos - How's the HOA's ruling

on these? Hope they have their shorts in a twist, I'm not a fan of HOAs and no I don't live in one.

With our troops and Iraqis dying in Iraq and Bush/Cheney still in power for another 2 years I could care less that my neighbor has "tacky" inflatables on their lawn. I wish that was the biggest problem we have.

My philosophy is it is their lawn and house and none of my damn business unless it is of some risk to me.

I got a kick out of the X-Files episode "Arcadia" which was a send up of the HOAs.

Another winner from the humorous side of "The X Files". This one goes out to every snooty, upstanding "neighborhood association" you've heard about or even come across. While I'm all for keeping ungodly looking permanent "rummage sale" yards from invading the suburbs, there are always a few people who like to take it to "Utopian Extremes".

Mulder & Scully do their best impersonations of an idealistic yuppie couple to move into a pristine subdivision and investigate the unexplained disappearances of a few previous homeowners. Turns out the head of the association controls a "Garbage Monster" (just go with it), who he can summon from under the landfill all of the homes are built on to wreak havoc on any nonconformists. Kind of like the first Poltergeist movie without the creepy little old lady or kids (as no one seems to have any...are they against the by-laws?).

Anyway, pink flamingos, midnight basketball, and front-yard reflection pools are just some of the no-nos which will bring said monster a-rumblin' after dark, so be sure to attend that next once-a-month Monday night association meeting if your thinking about moving into an "Arcadia".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0751076/