Bloodthirsty shoppers

As a spinoff to my friend's blog about the PS3 craze, I got to thinking about nuttiness of our commercialized Christmas culture. It seems that every so often a product comes along that turns normally reasonable human beings into crazed, bloodthirsty shoppers...

Once upon a time there was a cute, red, furry monster from Sesame Street that loved to giggle when you squeezed is tummy. Sounds harmless enough right? Well, Tickle Me Elmo became the most sought-after toy of the season and then some. Stores were running short everywhere and fights broke out between parents desperate to fill their child's stocking. The Furby brought on similar chaos as well. These bizarre, but lovable little creatures were innovative for their time and it seemed kids and adults alike were hooked.

I personally experienced a little bit of this temporary insanity over the summer after the release of the movie Cars. Disney licensed a number of items that became immediately sought after. I wanted to get my son some of the die-cast miniature cars and so I went to Target. The shelves were barren. I tried again about a week later and experienced the same thing. I checked with the clerk and he told me that they can't keep them in stock.

Over the next couple months I periodically checked a number of Targets in the area and only managed to get a few the little cars. It became a little bit of a mission of sorts to track these cars down for my son's upcoming birthday. When I checked eBay and realized people were bidding insane amounts of money for these $3 cars, I threw in the towel. A few months went by and I thought I would check the shelves again and lo and behold the craze had died down and shelves were well-stocked again. I was grateful that patience won out and I got out of that one with my dignity still intact.

With all the craziness that comes with the Christmas shopping season, I wonder whether children would really care that much if they didn't get the hot ticket item of the season. Some might pout, but it is a sad commentary on the family today if it actually ruins a holiday. Hopefully, we are raising our children to realize that even though every wish may not be answered, they can still be happy. If parents become that nutty, then we can't be surprised when the kids follow suit.