An acquaintance writes:
I just saw an ad on TV for Hallmark Cards. It showed a daughter visiting her mother for mother’s day and then leaving. The mother then goes to her desk and picks up a card for another child. The voice then says something like “Give her something she can keep for Mother’s Day. Give her a card.”
What the hell is the message here? It’s better to send a card to your parent than to visit? A card is better than being with someone you love? It seemed to me that Hallmark was putting down the visitor because she had to leave and suggesting that cards were better. Subtle, but nonetheless disturbing to me.
Here’s my greeting card-scrooge rant:
What totally mystifies me are people giving cards even though they go to see the person (like to a birthday party).
I mean, we go over to my in-laws (my parents happen to be dead, the story would be the same, however) and we give them a card for their fill-in-the-blank occasion (that’s in addition to a present if it’s their birthday for example).
But after having giving it some thought, I realized the whole point of “a card” was to send them a message, as in, you couldn’t tell them something in person / be with them so I sent you this card…
But since WHEN (cough*HALLMARK*cough) has “the card” become (part of) “the present”?
What a racket. Then to add consumerism to injury, the recipient, seemingly right out of the commercial, ceremoniously reads the damn out-of-the-box poem / saying as if the giver wrote that pap themselves.
I like to give cards, but you should give cards for those times YOU will be there.
I honestly don’t care, dear reader, if that’s always been the case in your limited experience, I’m saying it DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. *HALLMARK* *WANTS you to consider this some half-assed “tradition”. BREAK THE CYCLE! FIGHT THE SYSTEM!
If you’re THERE, YOU DON’T NEED TO GIVE A CARD. (only exception: money goes with it)
AND STOP GIVING CARDS FOR EVERY DAMN THING. Thanksgiving Day cards? HALLOWEEN CARDS? Oh come ON!
PEOPLE: TAKE BACK OUR CULTURE FROM THE MERCHANTS!
