A Prop for the Season - The Festivus Pole

By PropMaster - staff writer

I haven't had a lot of time to blog lately. I have been busy preparing for the upcoming Festivus celebration. While preparing, I realized that something has turned very wrong in the last few years. If things weren't bad enough, our capitalistic society has stooped to the low point of trying to desecrate Festivus - the holiday, that is supposed to be, for the rest of us. In today's consumer oriented society, Festivus is unfortunately subjected to a sort of commercial 'pollution' that is in danger of altering its true spirit, which is characterized by the "Feats of Strength" and the "Airing of Grievances".

I believe we have lost the spirit that Festivus truly represents. Festivus is becoming nothing more than the greatest gimmick for corporations to make millions at this time of the year. From the commercial stores selling Festivus poles to Ben & Jerry's selling "Festivus" ice cream things are taking a turn for the worse.

Festivus was a very special time, however corporate commercialization of Festivus hit about three years ago. How sad that we have relinquished our spirit of tradition to the way of commercialization. Traditional Festivus festivities are effective ways of teaching the holiday's values to children. But, what are they being taught when we buy commercial, pre-printed forms to fill in with our list of grievances?

In the old days, our fathers used to make their own Festivus poles from left over aluminum stock they found in the garage. But today, Festivus is being desecrated with commercialization. There are actually people selling Festivus pole props on the Internet! And, the prices are greatly inflated. A six foot long, 2" diameter aluminum pipe won't break the bank, so why buy a commercialized one that will? I guess it is just a sign of the times.

But, it doesn't have to be that way. Frank, George's Dad, gave us all the detailed information we need to make our own Festivus pole. "It's made from aluminum. Very high strength-to-weight ratio." You can make your own Festivus pole and save some money in the process. It is an easy, screen accurate prop to make.

So, let's return to the old time, heart felt Festivus celebration and to the simple act of making a donation in the name of a friend or loved one to the Human Fund. I wish you all a very happy Festivus and a lengthy and emotional "Airing of Grievances" and "Feats of Strength" celebration.