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October 3, 2005
The Great Hunt
Having recently suffered the agony of the Birthday Card Hunt, I found myself contemplating that great mystery of what is socially funny. When once upon a time, in a pinch, there was always a good enough "Far Side" fall back, those are becoming rare themselves. Nowadays it's all vulgar, sexual, or age-related "jokes" that are mostly completely innapropriate and/or downright stupid if you're looking to give your friend a chuckle on their special day. One of my best friends didn't even send me a birthday card last month because of this problem, and I completely understood. It also confirmed that this wasn't just me not getting with it.
Entire stores are dedicated to cards, and the Humour section is always the largest. How is it that nobody in the card business can manage hit the right chord? Why is everything draw badly? Why are animals featured so prominently? What's with that old lady, and how did she get so popular? My co-worker said in response to the un-funny card question, "They haven't been funny in ages. I don't think anyone even tries...or cares." Hmmm....apathy. Card writers think the consumer doesn't give a shit, why should they? I suppose it's possible. I feel slightly insulted by card writers. Do they think we've all become stupider? Have we? Despite all of our advancements, has our collective sense of humor declined so far that bodily functions are the most amusing topics? Like we're all suddenly Beavis and Butthead and the word "boob" sends us into fits of hysteria?
Once or twice I picked out the sappiest card with the longest poem possible in order to have a good laugh at the card, rather than with it, but that requires dedicating at least another hour to the Hunt after all the "humorous" ones have been combed through. Not to mention, that only works with a few people. Sappy cards are another issue. Anyone else feel tortured trying to find somthing right for Mother's Day? Why are so many MD cards so BIG?
Then there's my own pickiness factor. I mean...it took almost my entire lunch hour to find a box of little "Thank you" cards. But why shouldn't it take a long time? Whatever you pick is a reflection of you. Whether you're looking for something funny or serious, there's the consideration of what the recipient will think of the item you chose to say in your stead whatever it is you're saying. I hope the people I end up thanking appreciate van Gogh's "Branch of an Almond Tree in Blossom." It's really quite lovely.
| By heidi | 2:25 PM