# Inflatable Christmas decorations **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 17, 2006, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489 "2006-12-17T08:36:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hogwash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e57/32.png) [@Hogwash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogwash)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/41 "2006-12-17T20:04:57Z")
The worst offender has to be the inflatable Homer ‘Santa’ Simpson. Nothing says Christmas like inflatable TV merchandise. Actually, scrub the sarcasm on that. And don’t get me started on coloured lights… ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/42 "2006-12-17T20:24:36Z")
As King of the World, I give you permission to do this, providing you first take care of all the inflatable dinosaurs and apes outside car dealerships. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/43 "2006-12-17T20:33:25Z")
[QUOTE=Hogwash] And don’t get me started on coloured lights… [/QUOTE] Ooooh! I’m a big mean ol’ atheist, but I love colored lights! One of the prettiest displays I ever saw was in Secaucus, NJ, of all places, about 25 years ago. Smallish Evergreen bushes in someone’s front yard, each done up in a different color of non-blinking lights. One bush all in red, one blue, one green, etc. Breath-taking, in a _good_ way. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/44 "2006-12-17T20:38:48Z")
[QUOTE=hajario] There is a house a several blocks away from me that goes totally bonkers this time of year. We are talking dozens of blow up figures and moving around lighted things, some over ten feet tall. They’ve been doing it for like ten years now. Maybe five years ago the place two doors down got in on the game. I don’t think that they’re competing like in that new movie. It’s more like they’re in on it together. Between those two places is a house with a modest little string of white lights. I feel so bad for them. Over the last couple of years, other neighbors of their’s have started to follow suit. If it makes its way onto my block I am going to be seriously pissed off. [/QUOTE] You’re Jewish, right? So why don’t you go all out? Not on the Christmas angle or sticking out inflatible menorahs, but on the whole “Jews killed Jesus” angle! With lots of nasty implications that _your_ decorations are soon going to make their way into the neighbors yards and start slaughtering their decorations. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/45 "2006-12-17T20:47:32Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] You’re Jewish, right? So why don’t you go all out? Not on the Christmas angle or sticking out inflatible menorahs, but on the whole “Jews killed Jesus” angle! With lots of nasty implications that _your_ decorations are soon going to make their way into the neighbors yards and start slaughtering their decorations. 😃 [/QUOTE] Not a bad idea but probably more appropriate for Easter. Honestly, nothing I could do could kill the spirit of the real Christmas than Frosty the Snowman wearing sun glasses in a lawn chair and a ten foot tall Grinch. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/46 "2006-12-17T20:54:26Z")
> [@kung fu lola](#): > > The faaaaaaaaabulous matt\_mcl’s downstairs neighbour has an animatronic one… I’ll let him tell you about it. Here’s what **Hamish** (who’s in BC visiting his family) wrote in his blog: > [@](#): > > So, our downstairs neighbours have their Christmas display up. And it’s so bad, I wonder if we should have them brought up at The Hague. > > On their lawn is an inflatable, animatronic Rudolph lowering an inflatable, animatronic Santa into an inflatable chimney. I swear it looks like Santa is giving Rudolph head. > > This wasn’t the first atrocity on this street. Someone half a block down decided a giant inflatable portico guarded by giant inflatable nutcrackers was the proper way to get into the holiday spirit. > > But even that can’t compare with the people a street-and-a-half away who have a giant inflatable snowglobe with plastic flakes spinning around under the clear plastic bubble – across from which sits an inflatable merry-go-round with spinning reindeer, and another set of reindeer composed entirely of white skeletal frames and covered in Christmas lights – undead reindeer, presumably, returned from the grave to devour children who’ve been naughty. > > They say there’s no accounting for taste. But I feel there is accounting for taste, and some people need a serious audit. The people on this street need an independent accountant to go over their taste-books, and sound out the depths of their taste-mismanagement. > > Seriously, if there were accounting for taste, my neighbours would be Enron. To me the most amazing thing is that I was at the hardware store and saw the Santa-chimney one, and it was _seventy-five dollars!_ ---
**Author:** ![Hogwash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e57/32.png) [@Hogwash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogwash)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/47 "2006-12-17T20:56:37Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] As King of the World, I give you permission to do this, providing you first take care of all the inflatable dinosaurs and apes outside car dealerships. [/QUOTE] But their service is Tyrannotastic and their prices are a Dar-winner! ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/48 "2006-12-18T00:27:24Z")
The inflatables make me weep for today’s youth. In my day, my friends and I would have been all over a festive caroling party with enough rowdy carolers to disguise the one with the kitchen knife surreptiously sidling over to puncture each blown up monstrosity. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/49 "2006-12-18T00:34:23Z")
[QUOTE=Queen Tonya] The inflatables make me weep for today’s youth. In my day, my friends and I would have been all over a festive caroling party with enough rowdy carolers to disguise the one with the kitchen knife surreptiously sidling over to puncture each blown up monstrosity. [/QUOTE] Well, you know I’m not a big fan of inflatables either. However, while destroying someone’s property may be aesthetically justifiable it is not ethically (or legally) justifiable. Esp since (one hopes) a lot of these folks do it for young kids who think that they’re beautiful. After all, as a kid my favorite thing in the whole world were those aluminum trees with a rotating color wheel. I could look at that thing for hours. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/50 "2006-12-18T01:16:58Z")
Apparently **JillGat** isn’t the [only one](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/comics/Shermans_Lagoon.dtl) who doesn’t like inflatables. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/51 "2006-12-18T01:42:06Z")
[QUOTE=if6was9] Hee hee! _throws up hands_ They’re just decorarations. And rather cool ones at that, IMHO. Engineering at it’s finest. [/QUOTE] Do you realize how long it took for me to realize you were talking about inflatable decorations and not **Jillcat’s** daughter? ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/52 "2006-12-18T01:43:32Z")
[QUOTE=kushiel] Do you realize how long it took for me to realize you were talking about inflatable decorations and not **Jillcat’s** daughter? [/QUOTE] Sorry, **JillGat**! ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/53 "2006-12-18T03:00:56Z")
[QUOTE=Freddy the Pig] Apparently **JillGat** isn’t the [only one](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/comics/Shermans_Lagoon.dtl) who doesn’t like inflatables. [/QUOTE] hah, that’s great. And jeez, people, I’m **kidding** when I say I’m going to take a rifle to my neighbors’ “property.” Do I _HAVE_ to use little smilie icons when I exaggerate on the message board now? I’m not even going to let my daughter stab the inflatables to death so chill, will ya. I remember a couple of years ago a friend told me about a house in his neighborhood that displayed the nativity scene and Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the wise men, etc. were all Disney characters (Mickey, Donald, Pluto, etc.) In those days, that was as tasteless as it got. No more. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/54 "2006-12-18T03:02:50Z")
Originally Posted by if6was9 > [@](#): > > Hee hee! _throws up hands_ They’re just decorarations. And rather cool ones at that, IMHO. Engineering at it’s finest. [QUOTE=kushiel] Do you realize how long it took for me to realize you were talking about inflatable decorations and not **Jillcat’s** daughter? [/QUOTE] And yes, my daughter is engineering at its finest, too. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/55 "2006-12-18T03:24:06Z")
[QUOTE=JillGat] The big snowmen, Santa Clauses, grinches and snowglobes in front yards. Hate those things. My daughter suggested we get a b.b. gun. [/QUOTE] This is going to sound like I’m being sarcastic, but I’m not. I am SO with you on the inflatable snowmen/snowglobes/santas. I hate LED bulbs. I hate mini bulbs. I think everyone should use C9 bulbs. And no blinking. And no chasing. Solid color combinations are preferable. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/56 "2006-12-18T03:37:02Z")
I agree with you, **Runs** , though I’m not a purist about the smaller bulbs. I do oppose “theme” color Christmas tree decorations and most especially themes in gift wrapping on the presents under the tree. It should be all mixed up. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/57 "2006-12-18T03:50:06Z")
My brother-in-law gets all Clark Griswold around Christmas and, while I might think it’s tacky that he has an 8’ tall plastic snowglobe with spinning reindeer carousel inside, I’m very sure that it was straight up shitty when someone decided to throw a big chunk of ice through it. Merry fucking Christmas, huh? I understand you were kidding, **JillGat** so this isn’t directed at you personally but rather at whichever fuckwit thought that destroying people’s Christmas decorations is good times. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/58 "2006-12-18T03:51:08Z")
[QUOTE=Eve] Last year–I can’t find the thread–I was sorely tempted to slit Scooby-Doo’s inflatable throat (I lived in a much white-trashier neighborhood then). This year for sale at the Shop Rite I saw a huge (I’m talking 8-foot) inflatible Frosty, with a transparent midsection. Inside him were two elves, looking upwards, while “snowflakes” rained down on them. Except it looked like Frosty had swallowed the first two elves whole, and chewed up their unhappy companion, leaving his semi-digested remains to shower upon his survivors, who would soon be dissolved in snowy digestive fluids. [/QUOTE] So, you bought it, right? ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/59 "2006-12-18T03:59:09Z")
[QUOTE=Eve] Last year–I can’t find the thread–I was sorely tempted to slit Scooby-Doo’s inflatable throat (I lived in a much white-trashier neighborhood then). [/QUOTE] I remember that thread well, my neighbors had the same Scooby Doo. I kept an eye on that thread month after month; you see, I wanted to reply to it when my neighbors finally took there Scooby Doo down. When they removed it in July, I just didn’t have the heart left to respond. OK, and my kids enjoyed it all that time, so I felt a little guilty complaining. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489/60 "2006-12-18T04:05:33Z")
I’ve yet to see one of those things in-situ (I can only hope the entire city has caught a dose of taste), but the local hardware store has a bunch of them for sale. The inflatable Santa, the snow globe, and a Christmas ‘carousel’ where someone has managed to engineer a transparent gazebo structure containing three inflatable Christmasy figures that somehow rotate due to air flow. I admire the last one for its mechanical qualities, but they do seem to be a waste of electricity and space (both on your lawn and in your basement the other 11 months of the year). As soon as LED lights drop in price (and I figure out how I’m going to light them without an exterior outlet :dubious: ) then I’ll put some of them up, but the other stuff just screams “kitch!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inflatable-christmas-decorations/384489.md?page=4)