A Christmas Carol Stave Three

[Tristram]

Vanessa wrote: "I thought the same, Xan -- 'apoplectic opulence' recalled the great oxymorons that Dickens peppered throughout Bleak House. I believe Sir Leicester Dedlock suffered an apoplectic fit (stroke), rela..."

Another apoplectic man in Bleak House is old Mr. Turveydrop, who is so apoplectic that his eyes are bulging out of their sockets and his manner of speaking is rather gaspful.

[Tristram]

Vanessa wrote: "Does anyone else see a resemblance between the Ghost of Christmas Present, with his robe and beard, etc, and Father Christmas? Not the 20th Century Santa, but the older figure."

I finally got the chance to watch "The Man Who Invented Christmas" on Sunday, and in the film it is even intimated that the Ghost of Christmas Present, at least its looks, are based on Dickens's friend Forster. I wonder whether the scriptwriter made this up or whether they had some source to go by.

[Mary Lou]

Vanessa wrote: "Does anyone else see a resemblance between the Ghost of Christmas Present, with his robe and beard, etc, and Father Christmas? ..."

I did, Vanessa. A friend and I were debating the best movie Santas. I don't think the ghost of Christmas present would truly qualify as Santa but, as an adult, I prefer him to most versions of Santa Claus.

[Vanessa]

Mary Lou wrote: "Vanessa wrote: "Does anyone else see a resemblance between the Ghost of Christmas Present, with his robe and beard, etc, and Father Christmas? ..."

I did, Vanessa. A friend and I were debating the..."

I prefer this spirit to the modern Santa, too, Mary Lou. The images I've seen of Father Christmas, with a full-length robe, I think are related to the ancient Green Man.

[Tristram]

I don't know whether this is an urban myth or not, but I have often heard people say that the image of modern Santa is based on a Coca Cola commercial.

[Kim]

Tristram wrote: "I don't know whether this is an urban myth or not, but I have often heard people say that the image of modern Santa is based on a Coca Cola commercial."

https://www.coca-colacompany.com/stor...

[Tristram]

Thanks for that interesting link, Kim! I might even use it at school!

[Peter]

Yes indeed. Thanks for the link Kim.

A great history on Santa.

[Mary Lou]

It's fascinating to me that two (that I know of) of our most popular Christmas images were the result of ad campaigns - the Coke Santa, and Rudolph, which was originally written as a promotion for Montgomery Ward. The store has gone out of business, but Rudolph will live forever.

[Tristram]

But it's also a bit eerie, isn't it, Mary Lou? Just to think of how much influence advertising has on our daily, and even our cultural lives. It reminds me of a scene in the Simpsons when the children are called upon to sing songs they used to hear in the family circle, and they come up with jingles ;-)

[Kim]

Tristram wrote: "But it's also a bit eerie, isn't it, Mary Lou? Just to think of how much influence advertising has on our daily, and even our cultural lives. It reminds me of a scene in the Simpsons when the child..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E0Q9...

[Tristram]

That's nice, Kim. I sometimes go on youtube to watch German commercials from the 70s and 80s. It makes you feel like being a child again ;-)

[Mary Lou]

Kim wrote: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E0Q9......"

Obviously a good jingle is long remembered. One wonders why they don't use them more in advertising now. Or maybe they do, and I'm just not the target market anymore, or I'm muting them or fast-forwarding through them.