The Annual Anti-Valentine's Rant

[DeeCrowSeer]

Sorry, but I have the radio on in the background, and Valentine's Day appears to have extended its sinister grip across an entire week. So I feel compelled to profer my opinion to the blank stare of cyberspace...

A rose is *not* romantic. A big red teddy bear is *not* romantic. Remembering once a year to show some vague pretence of affection is *not* love. If you love someone, don't wait to let them know it. Don't rely on over-priced, tacky, cliche, recycled cheese-gifts to say how you feel. Prove you *know* who they are, prove that you understand their hopes and their dreams and plan to be a part of them.

As one who will be alone next Saturday night (well, not necessarily, but I don't want to jinx things) I beg all of you out there with significant others to start putting some creative thought in NOW, before it's too late.

I begrudgingly wish you all a happy Valentine's Week (month?) as I shuffle back to my lonely garret mumbling vaguely something about where "the love" might be.

Sorry.

D...

(This thread dedicated to Amelia and Jherek Carnelian)

[L'Etranger]

It seeps through from both the posts you have submitted by now that you are a very poetic and sensitive person, and all I can do is say that it is utterly important that there are people like you and to wish you luck and hope you do find whatever your heart yearns for, also on Valentine's Day, of course!
Best,
L'Etranger

[DeeCrowSeer]

That's very kind of you.

I felt a bit guilty storming in and ranting away, but I've been enjoying these forums as a lurking guest for a while now and was eager to finally throw my hat into the ring.

I honestly wish everyone the best of luck this Valentine's, whatever their feelings on the subject.

D...

[L'Etranger]

That's very kind of you.

I felt a bit guilty storming in and ranting away, but I've been enjoying these forums as a lurking guest for a while now and was eager to finally throw my hat into the ring.
D...

IT IS VERY KIND OF YOU, I am sure everybody will agree, that you honour us with your remarks, observations and presence. Hope to see/read more of you in future!
Greetings!

[VonWeiner]

Hey let's not forget "Sweetest Day", which is in my opinion an invention of Hallmark (the greeting card company).

One day, there I was, minding my own business, and WHAM, Sweetest Day arrives. Most people had never heard of it when I had girlfriends saying, "What are we doing for Sweetest Day?"

I know there is some goofy origin to it that I read somewhere and it would take all of two seconds to find it, but why would I.

Luckily my wife thinks it a marketing trick too. It is even on the opposite end of the year so people have to get all excited and boost card-makers sales (florists, candy shops, jewelers etc...).

Ahhhhhhhhhh! Valentines, Sweetest Day, just leave me be! :x

[DeeCrowSeer]

Thankfully Sweetest Day hasn't made its way over the Atlantic yet, so I've been spared that. If I didn't know better I'd suspect it was a ploy by U2 to get even more royalties for their song "The Sweetest Thing". Maybe that's why Bono *really* had a meeting with President Bush?

D...

[VonWeiner]

Then you have confirmed for me what I always suspected. This is some marketing ploy foisted on us by Hallmark Cards (or some other company).

Oh, found an article from my alma mater:
http://www.thelantern.com/news/2002/...t-300859.shtml

They agree.

[L'Etranger]

Much to the dismay of our marketing-influenced children my wife and I ignored "Mother's Day" each year. Poor kids annually got to make silly stuff for mom at school. Nowadays they see through it.
:lol:

[VonWeiner]

My kids ignore Father's Day and I never said anything to them! :lol:

Seriously though, good for you. My wife, when we had our first child, liked the Mother's Day thing, but now that we have three, she could care less.

[DeeCrowSeer]

I followed your link, and The Sweetest Day really does sound rather pointless... especially since it occurs in October, which (as everyone knows) is Halloween's month. I know which I prefer.

As for Father's/Mother's Day, my parents have never really enforced those either. I do object to being told when to care about other people and when it's okay to forget them. If you only think about the sacrifices made by your parents and/or war veterans once a year... well, you won't make it on to my Sweetest Day card list.

Then again, in England we have Guy Fawke's Night when drunken parents fire rockets near scared children and pets to celebrate the death of a man who tried to blow up parliament! Fun!!

D...

[VonWeiner]

Guy Fawke's Night! :lol:

That sound fun. Just the rockets, not the children and pets. Then again, right around July 4th (Independence Day - sorry ) we used to shoot each other with rockets when we were kids.

Good fun!

[DeeCrowSeer]

Wouldn't it make more sense to throw boxes of tea in to the harbour? Or make rude gestures at a picture of the Royal Family? Not that I have anything against fireworks, I just worry about how easy it is for undesirable elements to get their hands on weapons of mass annoyance.

D...

[Cypher]

'A rose is *not* romantic. A big red teddy bear is *not* romantic. Remembering once a year to show some vague pretence of affection is *not* love. If you love someone, don't wait to let them know it. Don't rely on over-priced, tacky, cliche, recycled cheese-gifts to say how you feel. Prove you *know* who they are, prove that you understand their hopes and their dreams and plan to be a part of them.'

Just saw your post and wanted to say how much I agree with it. The Valentine's Day industry seems to grow yearly, becoming even tackier if that's possible. What is it with the balloons and teddy bears? Do some people actually enjoy getting them?

[DeeCrowSeer]

What is it with the balloons and teddy bears? Do some people actually enjoy getting them?

Well, if someone were to hand me a teddy bear, I'm not likely to throw it back in their face, but I'd always be wondering what it said about them and how little they knew about me... but this is where I get into trouble with gifts, because people spend a certain amount of money and they expect to see an equivalent amount of gratitude. I'd prefer a gift that meant something, regardless of its monetary value or "cuteness".

For any British viewers, I would point to The Office Christmas Special and Tim's gift to Dawn as the perfect example, but I'm not going to spoil things for anyone out there who hasn't seen it.

D...

[Anonymous]

The Sweetest Day? The Sweetest Day?
Bollocks!!!!
This is a blasphemy! Even Valentines dfay with its incessant Pinkness and people being nice to each other and the jingly music and the T.V presenter saying "Happy Valentines Day!" Smug Gits. I mean when did Valentins day involve sending cards to people and buying Roses which almost alwys take your hand off and bleed you to death in an incredibly painful way! Bu the SWEETEST DAY?
What?
What happens does everyone go around smiling and saying "Isn't the lovely bunny nice, awww?" Do people point at the stars and say "Look, there's Gods daisychain?" (P.G Wodehouse quote by the by) I mean, what tit in Hallmark thought
'Hmmm, lets invent a day where everyone gets to be sickeningly nice,' I mean you just wouldn't would you, I mean come on! Do wars end on Valentines day? On the Sweetest day, does George Bush get his Generals round a table and say
"Heck fellas, lets let bygones be bygones and all that. Lets let Saddam go. It's the Sweetest Day after all!"
Good god. I can see that happening as welll.
I'll hae to go now, before I rupture my fingers and bore everyone to death.
Sorry all. Rant over. (For now....) Evil cackle and sound of Teddies and balloons being totured and burst