snuggie commercial, take two

File under "I can't believe they beat me to it."

See more funny videos and Funny Videos at Today's Big Thing.

The Snuggie: Provider of Warmth, or Subversive Agent of Neo-Druid Agenda?

In recent days, many of my friends and loved ones have spoken fondly of the Snuggie, a blanket with sleeves. In some ways, it reminds me of a cape, only it is fleece. As with many products sold on television, it offers a solution to a problem most of us never knew we had: "Blankets are OK but they can slip and slide, plus your hands are trapped inside." Like many, I imagine, my hands have longed to be free of the stifling confines of my blankets.

Nonetheless, despite the promise of phalangel freedom, I approach the Snuggie phenomenon with a touch of caution. For centuries the now-periphery Druid religion has sought to regain adherents through the promise of flowing robes. A few of those lured in by these promotional efforts are depicted below:





























But, as these neo-Druids have likely discovered, the promised robes, while fashionable in a sort of earthy-goth way, lack the warmth necessary for a long night of Earth worship. They are not offered in a range of colors, nor do they look particularly comfortable for lounging on a couch.

Hence cometh the Snuggie, shown here:
















As can be seen the Snuggie promises both warmth, comfort, and a modicum of priestly grandeur. Plus it looks great with, or on, leather.

From behind, the same individual, seen walking through a field in his Snuggie, looks ready for a service at Stonehenge:





















Given market conditions, I would not want to speculate on what, if any, effect the Snuggie will have on the growth of Druidism.

New Year's Resolutions

1. Improve self, others.
2. Take out trash fortnightly.
3. Read instructions for all new consumer electronic purchases.
4. Purchase no new electronics.
5. Read Bible in its entirety. Create distinct voice for each new character, as they appear.
6. Act more independently.
7. Ask a friend to review list of resolutions before finalizing them.
8. Eat less figs.
9. Establish peace in the Middle East
10. Quit drinking bad gin.
11. Develop plan to delegate task of assembling next year’s list of resolutions.

Revisiting the classics of childhood

Deeper themes often underlie the seemingly facile terrains of our favorite childhood texts. I recently revisited one such classic, the tense, and at times chilling, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, by Beverly Cleary. As it had so many years ago, the story challenged my settled preconceptions regarding rodents, drawing forth the following reflection:

The text is, at once, stirring and provocative. The juxtaposition of Ralph and Keith's tense relationships with their mothers provides the poignant backdrop for this coming-of-age novel. Ralph's relationship with the motorcycle draws on the resources of Hindu mythology, representing a deliberate contrast with the relationship between Ganesh and his mount, or vahana. Like Ganesh, Ralph is a "remover of obstacles," coming to the aid of young boy sick with fever. It is at this point that east meets west when the god-like mouse incarnates on a new mount, a toy ambulance. Yet the succor he provides, in the form of an aspirin tablet found within the vast underbelly of a poorly maintained hotel, raises subtle questions regarding proper parenting and the perils of western medicine.

These questions are, I venture, still unanswered by the book's worthy sequel, Runaway Mouse.

Call for Submissions

This what I require of you:

to do sarcasm,
and to love satire,
and to walk humorously with your God.