I haven’t always felt this way. In
fact, I used to find Elf-boy annoying. He seemed a bit Eddie Haskell-ish to
me. (If you don’t know who Eddie Haskell is, this blog is probably not
age-appropriate for you, but here's a link to help.) When I first saw Elf-boy on a Facebook post
a couple of years ago, I breathed a huge sigh of relief—not for the first
time—that there were no longer youngsters in my household. I looked on the elf
as just one more self-inflicted pressure for mothers to add to their already over-taxed
lives. As if the holidays aren’t hectic enough, now—along with shopping,
baking, decorating, party-hosting...—mothers must think of original locations
to place Elf-boy, clever ways to pose him, and entertaining
stories of how he got in said place and position. For proof, go here. If that doesn't convince you, try here.
Don’t think for a minute I’m judging
today’s moms. My sympathy is real. We had our own version of Mommy Olympics
back in the ‘80s, and I threw myself headlong into the competition. I still shudder
to think of the guilt participants faced if we failed to acquire the must-have Christmas
toy of the year (think waaay over-priced Cabbage Patch doll), to throw the most
unique birthday party (think backyard beach “ball” in the middle of Oklahoma),
or to “assist” with the best Thanksgiving project (think 6,000 assorted beans
glued on a giant turkey poster). The saving grace for mothers of my generation,
however, was we didn’t have the added responsibility of sharing our
accomplishments—or failures—with half the world on Facebook or Pinterest. And
we didn’t have Elf-boy.
This year I’ve noticed Elf-boy’s
fame turning to infamy. All of a sudden, it is popular to tag him with labels
such as “creepy” and “tattle-tale” and to insist you’re glad you never
bought into the whole elf frenzy in the first place. (Like I’d believe that.) Some so-called experts have even accused him
of traumatizing innocent little darlings and turning them into compliant
victims of a “panoptic surveillance” society. Huh?
Frankly, I think these mean-spirited
accusations are a bit over the top and this name-calling borders on bullying. Furthermore,
the piling-on is unwarranted. Sure, Elf-boy is annoying, but really, what has
he done that’s so terrible? Unlike certain celebrities whose defrockings are the result of their own bad behavior, Elf-boy is simply a victim of his own popularity and, I suspect, frazzled mothers pushed to their limit. His intentions are honorable. All he wants to do is
remind children to be on their best behavior and to make a few million bucks in
the process. But as often happens with climbs to fame that are meteoric, they
fizzle just as fast. Elf-boy's decline
will be quick, and soon he will be as obsolete as a Rubik’s Cube
Christmas tree ornament. For that reason, I can’t help but feel a little sorry
for him. I hope he’s taking consolation in laughing all the way to the bank.
 |
| From the expression on his face, I don't think Elf-boy is taking recent criticism too hard. |
