The Christmas Magic Returns
Do you believe in Christmas? Do you love Christmas?
Most people would answer yes to those questions without a moment's hesitation. And that's a shame, because it means they're not considering the implications. It means they don't actually know what Christmas is.
To many people, Christmas is silver bells, angels, and love. But that's not Christmas. Christmas is an angler fish a thousand feet long from the space between worlds; its tinsel and decorative lights are lures to draw us in, so the jaws can snap shut.
You think I'm being harsh? Think I'm just cynical? Then you don't know a damn thing about Christmas - you've never seen its teeth.
Have you listened to 20 versions of Silent Night back to back? Have you stared into the abyss long enough to see the icy stare of a snowman gazing back?
No? Then you don't know Christmas: you know only its shadow.
Last year, we descended into the wide maw of the holiday. We stared down its throat and returned to tell the tale. And what we saw was truly beautiful and horrible. Yes, there is beauty in the holiday. There is generosity.
But those who think that is the spirit of the holiday are sadly mistaken. Commercialism, corruption, and greed are not outside elements imposed upon the holiday, nor are tacky ornaments and gaudy lights things to shun. No, they are part of the Christmas spirit, part of its dark and tortured soul.
Once again, Mainlining Christmas is preparing to invoke the Christmas Spirit. We will watch specials, more than most can imagine - one a day is the minimum, most days you'll see us review two or three. We will listen to Christmas music, all the Christmas music we can find. We'll put on nothing else until the day itself is upon us.
We will eat, drink, and dream Christmas. We will inject it into our veins.
We invite you to roll up your sleeves and join us.
The second season of Mainlining Christmas is upon us. We have more than a thousand songs of holiday cheer, and more than fifty specials, movies, and holiday episodes to get through.
It starts now.
(Written 11/21/11, while sitting in the audience waiting for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular to begin)
Most people would answer yes to those questions without a moment's hesitation. And that's a shame, because it means they're not considering the implications. It means they don't actually know what Christmas is.
To many people, Christmas is silver bells, angels, and love. But that's not Christmas. Christmas is an angler fish a thousand feet long from the space between worlds; its tinsel and decorative lights are lures to draw us in, so the jaws can snap shut.
You think I'm being harsh? Think I'm just cynical? Then you don't know a damn thing about Christmas - you've never seen its teeth.
Have you listened to 20 versions of Silent Night back to back? Have you stared into the abyss long enough to see the icy stare of a snowman gazing back?
No? Then you don't know Christmas: you know only its shadow.
Last year, we descended into the wide maw of the holiday. We stared down its throat and returned to tell the tale. And what we saw was truly beautiful and horrible. Yes, there is beauty in the holiday. There is generosity.
But those who think that is the spirit of the holiday are sadly mistaken. Commercialism, corruption, and greed are not outside elements imposed upon the holiday, nor are tacky ornaments and gaudy lights things to shun. No, they are part of the Christmas spirit, part of its dark and tortured soul.
Once again, Mainlining Christmas is preparing to invoke the Christmas Spirit. We will watch specials, more than most can imagine - one a day is the minimum, most days you'll see us review two or three. We will listen to Christmas music, all the Christmas music we can find. We'll put on nothing else until the day itself is upon us.
We will eat, drink, and dream Christmas. We will inject it into our veins.
We invite you to roll up your sleeves and join us.
The second season of Mainlining Christmas is upon us. We have more than a thousand songs of holiday cheer, and more than fifty specials, movies, and holiday episodes to get through.
It starts now.
(Written 11/21/11, while sitting in the audience waiting for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular to begin)
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