Too Close

There is a house not far enough away from mine that has at least fifty of these mega-sized inflatable, illuminated yard ornament things in it. 

There is a Homer Simpson on their roof, Snoopy over by the garage, and snowmen of various shapes and sizes sprinkled throughout the yard. 

The most eye-catching of all these merry inflatables is this one:

It's Desert Camo Santa

There are just so many ways to go with the commentary on this one. Do I get all snarky and talk up the tactical advantages of having him on our side (ability to know when insurgents are sleeping and when they're awake, etc.)? Do I point out the irony of good ol' secular Santa invoking God's blessing on the USA and, apparently, fighting in a war in the Middle East?

I can't quite put my finger on why I find Camo Santa so compelling. Sure, Christmas has been secularized and sexualized (See earlier entry about Bratz dollz - or any Victoria's Secret ad.), but now is it being militarized? Or is this just someone making money by grabbing onto a non-copyrighted figure that has solid approval ratings to promote a message that they know "sells"?

Go ahead and insert your own comments. I'm still mulling this one over. (Click on his name to see another Camo Santa. Check out their blog if you have time.)

The oddest time to drive by this house of too much yard art is during the day, when all the characters are deflated piles of fabric heaped on the snow. There's a grisly horror movie quality to it that is disturbing and absurd. I call it Dead Christmas, and part of me wants to look away every time I pass. But I can't help but see it and know it's there.