# Need urgent assistance--pre-Christmas issues **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027 "2014-12-23T16:30:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/41 "2014-12-23T18:27:24Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > (No, not the _same_ All-Stars for 30 years.)) See, you had my respect until this line. Should have kept that part to yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/42 "2014-12-23T19:00:40Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Here’s some advice: > > Don’t be a bitch. I actually laughed out loud if only for the\* truth\* of this simple statement. If only Santa had brought her a Ken along with her Barbie 50 years ago, she could have worked these dress-up issues out of her system long before they started to affect\* real people\*. I guess its too late now. She’ll just have to be the picky-but-psychotic “dress-up” fetish Aunt. She’ll be the one who has to host because… lets face it… she’s also the one _who-no-one-in-their-ever-lovin-mind-would-invite-into-their-home_. “Jesus, its Her…!” “Turn off the lights and For The Love of Og, DON’T MAKE A SOUND!” [panic]“…she’s tapping on the Glass! She’s tapping on the Glass!!!”[/panic] > [@Bullitt](#): > > **WonderingMom** , _ **what do you have against US Marines??!!** _ I thought SEABEES cleared away wreckage. _ignorance fought_ ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/43 "2014-12-23T19:06:22Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > BLASPHEMER! > > Why, everyone knows that Jesus wore [Bruno Magli](http://brunomagli.iw-services.de/index.php/herren/schuhe.html) hard-topped leather shoes! Jesus would never wear those ugly-ass shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/44 "2014-12-23T19:24:12Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Why, everyone knows that Jesus wore [Bruno Magli](http://brunomagli.iw-services.de/index.php/herren/schuhe.html) hard-topped leather shoes! > [@cochrane](#): > > Jesus would never wear those ugly-ass shoes. Especially the ones that list for over $2,000. Holy moly! ---
**Author:** ![Calatin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Calatin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calatin)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/45 "2014-12-23T19:41:03Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Jesus would never wear those ugly-ass shoes. Especially if they aren’t waterproof or water-resistant. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/46 "2014-12-23T19:43:58Z")
> [@Calatin](#): > > Especially if they aren’t waterproof or water-resistant. To be fair, he did walk on top of the water, not in it. Wait. Was that Moses? I never went to Sunday School. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/47 "2014-12-23T19:53:06Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > You know, I just changed my mind. > > You should ABSOLUTELY call your sister and tell her exactly how you feel. Make sure to get her husband on another line, too. > > That way, they’ll know to not bother spending time with you. > > Y’know, I can’t shake the feeling that this is still some kind of spam. All the links… Well, it was posted on at least one other MB: http://w\_w.voy.com/229344/252471.html I broke the link by deleting one “w” in “www”, but it’s the same post with the same links. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/48 "2014-12-23T20:03:25Z")
Slimy footwear promotion, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/49 "2014-12-23T20:37:15Z")
Hey, [The Doctor](http://wonderali.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/doctor2.jpg)wears Chucks with a tuxedo. And he rocks them! If it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/50 "2014-12-23T20:55:25Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > My church thinks both Chuck Taylors and New Balance shoes are fine. In fact, one of our long-term members, who’s over 60 and serves on the church board, wears sandals year-round. So the kids would be quite church-appropriate around here. > > As for the haircut, was the kid’s hair clean? That’s really the only thing I could possibly justify complaining about. > > Of course, if I drove my family 200 miles only to have my sister tell me my kids’ choice of shoes wasn’t acceptable to her I would a) tell my kids to take off their shoes in her house and walk around in their socks and b) not drive my family 200 miles next time. Hell, I wore _jeans_ to church. And we’re Catholic. And I’m so glad my family doesn’t do “formal/church attire” for Christmas or Thanksgiving. It’s jeans and sneakers. If I had a relative ask me to wear something dressy for Christmas, when we’d be sitting around all day, (on the floor!), drinking, eating, joking around and playing with the kids, I’d look at them like they had two heads. (Yeah, I know the OP’s most likely a troll, but seriously, do people actually do this?) ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/51 "2014-12-23T20:57:16Z")
Wow, you’re awfully picky. I’m in favor of dressing suitably for the occasion, but I’m not going to worry about teen boys, who are not my children, wearing sneakers with their nice outfits. They sound like perfectly nice kids. Choose which you want: nice family time/memories/good relationships or estranging your family by ordering them to wear exactly what you want them to. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/52 "2014-12-23T21:04:33Z")
For the sake of the teenagers, I do hope the OP’s sister doesn’t inflict the OP on said teenagers again. As everyone else has said, the kids sound like they were dressed nicely. If you don’t like their shoes or haircuts, tough. _ **They aren’t your kids.** _ You’re lucky; in my teen years, I would’ve shown up dressed in full Goth regalia (with makeup) if I’d had a snippy church-lady aunt who was more interested in people meeting her arbitrary standards of dress and hairstyle than in enjoying time with the family. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/53 "2014-12-23T21:09:41Z")
> [@WonderdingMom](#): > > I … want Christmas and Friday to be peaceful and nice with my sister’s family, _ **not have them all looking like folks who came straight from a high school pep rally into our home** _. Oh noes! Not the high school pep rally look! ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/54 "2014-12-23T21:19:57Z")
FWIW I look like a weirdo because I wear a tie to church (they’re used to it there, but I still get looks) and my son has a nearly identical haircut. I wouldn’t take fashion advice from me, though. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/55 "2014-12-23T21:31:46Z")
Is the OP’s name [Marney](http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2009/11/26/awkward-family-story-the-thanksgiving-letter/) perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/56 "2014-12-23T22:55:46Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Hell, I wore _jeans_ to church. And we’re Catholic. > > And I’m so glad my family doesn’t do “formal/church attire” for Christmas or Thanksgiving. It’s jeans and sneakers. If I had a relative ask me to wear something dressy for Christmas, when we’d be sitting around all day, (on the floor!), drinking, eating, joking around and playing with the kids, I’d look at them like they had two heads. (Yeah, I know the OP’s most likely a troll, but seriously, do people actually do this?) Yes, people actually do this. We will be spending the 24th-26th with my husband’s aunt who has a dress code for the whole three days. I’m seriously considering wearing a ball gown and tiara just to make a point about how goddamn ridiculous it is to get dressed up to sit in a folding chair in her dining room for dinner but I’m afraid she will love it and it will be the new dress code in the future. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/57 "2014-12-23T23:03:01Z")
no dress shoes. no dress shirt. no service. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/58 "2014-12-23T23:53:08Z")
> [@brainstall](#): > > Maybe you should just make everyone take their shoes off at the door and then you can hide the offending ones in the closet so no one has to see them and feel that the specialness of the occasion is ruined. Nope. Not gonna work. The shoes will still be in her house, and the same offense might be committed next year. The only solution is to cut the boys’ feet off. Oh, and the head off the one who dared get a new haircut. That’ll show them. > [@pbbth](#): > > Yes, people actually do this. We will be spending the 24th-26th with my husband’s aunt who has a dress code for the whole three days. I’m seriously considering wearing a ball gown and tiara just to make a point about how goddamn ridiculous it is to get dressed up to sit in a folding chair in her dining room for dinner but I’m afraid she will love it and it will be the new dress code in the future. I have a dress code, too. It’s called, “please make sure you have some pants on.” So far, we’re at about 75%. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/59 "2014-12-23T23:57:00Z")
Remembering in my punk rock teenage days when my friend came for Thanksgiving dinner and my father asked him to turn around the padlock chained around his neck so the swastika wasn’t visible. Glad the OP isn’t a member of my family. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027/60 "2014-12-24T00:03:20Z")
> [@pbbth](#): > > Yes, people actually do this. We will be spending the 24th-26th with my husband’s aunt who has a dress code for the whole three days. I’m seriously considering wearing a ball gown and tiara just to make a point about how goddamn ridiculous it is to get dressed up to sit in a folding chair in her dining room for dinner but I’m afraid she will love it and it will be the new dress code in the future. Yikes. My sympathies. When I was little, we got dressed up (just us kids), but nobody really cared if we played in our dress clothes. Hell, I usually take my shoes off, whether it’s required or not. It’s family, nobody cares. Sometimes I even bring slippers!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-urgent-assistance-pre-christmas-issues/708027.md?page=4)