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anotheranonThe Xmas over-decorating extravaganza is in full effect, and I feel moved to bitch about the monstrosity in my neighborhood.
No fewer than 4 circular wreaths, and red velvet bows at every corner and railing. Cheesy cartoon cutouts of reindeer, Santa, and other Christmas-y things on every window (and some under - I wonder how they did that). And this is all topped off with an oversized American flag on a flagpole that is beginning to look kind of worn out. At night most of this is obscured by the rows and rows of lights along the eaves and windowsills (at least its all white light, and static - no brightly colored flashing in time to carols. So I suppose it could be worse).
None of this would be so over the top on a freestanding house, but on a 2 floor townhouse its just ridiculous. Its like Dolly Parton wearing even more makeup than usual.
Now, I'm all for tackiness because it CAN be done well. Tasteful tackiness has an element of wit, irony and awareness of its own tackiness about it. 1950's retro pink and green formica tackiness, for example - those who embrace it KNOW that its cheesy and that's part of the charm. Movies like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" are masterpieces of tackiness because they have no higher aspiration and they lay on the cheez with a trowel - that's ART.
But the thing across the street is just BAD. It could just be my opinion, being the Scrooge that I am, but somehow I think I'd still find it just as doG-awful if my neighbors had chosen to overdecorate with, say, 8 pumpkins, multiple leafy garlands and a smiley-face scarecrow for Halloween (wait: someone did. And I thought that it was too much).
What do you think? I invite my Friends (or anyone else who reads this) to submit a description of one of the most terrible, garish, offensive and WRONG things they have ever seen or heard. I also invite you to include an example of tackiness that has real class and wit. (Unfortunately, none of the '70's interior decoration at Lileks.com is currently up, though there is plenty else to see there. The items featured at Lileks.com are hellacious, but the website about these awful design mis-steps is truly stylish tackiness).
No fewer than 4 circular wreaths, and red velvet bows at every corner and railing. Cheesy cartoon cutouts of reindeer, Santa, and other Christmas-y things on every window (and some under - I wonder how they did that). And this is all topped off with an oversized American flag on a flagpole that is beginning to look kind of worn out. At night most of this is obscured by the rows and rows of lights along the eaves and windowsills (at least its all white light, and static - no brightly colored flashing in time to carols. So I suppose it could be worse).
None of this would be so over the top on a freestanding house, but on a 2 floor townhouse its just ridiculous. Its like Dolly Parton wearing even more makeup than usual.
Now, I'm all for tackiness because it CAN be done well. Tasteful tackiness has an element of wit, irony and awareness of its own tackiness about it. 1950's retro pink and green formica tackiness, for example - those who embrace it KNOW that its cheesy and that's part of the charm. Movies like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" are masterpieces of tackiness because they have no higher aspiration and they lay on the cheez with a trowel - that's ART.
But the thing across the street is just BAD. It could just be my opinion, being the Scrooge that I am, but somehow I think I'd still find it just as doG-awful if my neighbors had chosen to overdecorate with, say, 8 pumpkins, multiple leafy garlands and a smiley-face scarecrow for Halloween (wait: someone did. And I thought that it was too much).
What do you think? I invite my Friends (or anyone else who reads this) to submit a description of one of the most terrible, garish, offensive and WRONG things they have ever seen or heard. I also invite you to include an example of tackiness that has real class and wit. (Unfortunately, none of the '70's interior decoration at Lileks.com is currently up, though there is plenty else to see there. The items featured at Lileks.com are hellacious, but the website about these awful design mis-steps is truly stylish tackiness).
no subject
Wait...that's all on ONE house? I was thinking "that's not so bad" until I realized you didn't mean it was spread out over all the houses across the street. =)
Does having pink plastic Hello Kitty lights decorating the tree count as kitsch rather than tacky? ;)
no subject
Date: 2001-12-07 12:53 pm (UTC)I think so :) But to be truly marvellous you need PowerPuff Girl ornaments ;)
Ummm...
Re: Ummm...
Date: 2001-12-07 01:00 pm (UTC)