Wednesday, December 14, 2005

The Dickens Caroler: Friend or Foe?


I’ve noticed lately that there are fewer and fewer things in this world on which I do not have an opinion. The Dickens Caroler concept is one of them. On one hand I love Christmas, Christmas music and all things Christmasy. Their musical quality is generally quite good, and a general admiration for performance art is called for in most social circles. But on the other hand, there’s just something about them that’s a little weird. I often feel as if they should turn the volume down on their stage-friendly facial expressions. And they generally remind me of the girls that used to walk down the halls of Evergreen Junior High singing “Wind Beneath My Wings” in an over-processed three part harmony.


And so my clever reader, I put the ball in your court. Discuss.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm all for carols, I like them in fact but the costumes??? Definitely not a good thing. I think I might put on some Christmas music right now! - Beth

Anonymous said...

I know! I know! I know!

I know a coule people who are Dickens carolers and they probably were the junior high kids you're remembering...they have extra energy to express and enjoy the tradition of it, but performing is NOT their full time thing. I think the annoying-overdone feeling you're getting is because they are not as polished as the performers we see on screen, etc. This is their hobby, they enjoy it, and I guess the nature of it means they're doing it in public...

Gus said...

how about the carol that AChiOs used to sing for us...

I'm a little tea pot short and stout, here is my handle here are my spouts,
when i get all horny, hear me shout,
bend me over, and eat me out.

That was an awesome carol during finals week.

and since the Sonics game is tomorrow, I take it gina and jose and the KDs aren't coming down? Damn you and your non-drinking-in-longview selves. I am totally drinking your Christmas present.

Lisaopolis said...

Dickens Carolers are a freak concept that I believe developed out of some marketer's deep brain that this is what Americans wanted, to add a little "Christmas Carol" to the Christmas mix.

But, since the U.S. did not have a Dickensonian era (I beg to be corrected if this is not true, for I have no reseach to support my claim here), the whole thing just seems dumb to me. Why not just dress in lederhosen and fake dirndls and do Sound of Muzak? Or dress as kung fu masters? I dunno, it's just another example of cheese.

OK, so if you are having a 'Christmas Carol" theme party, I can understand why one might want the carolers, but you'd have to also get all the dirt poor folk and dankness of that era of English life. And don't forget the figgy pudding.

But in the PacNW? It's all just kinda dumb, especially since some carolers can be downright startling with their extra zeal and zest and vim and vigor. Give me a group of carolers dressed fitting to the environment, any time.