How Bette Midler made a cynical girl (kind of) enjoy Christmas
By my beloved Cris V.
Animation: Sammy Miro
I don’t remember if I really ever believed in Santa Claus. I remember going to my granny’s when I was about 5 years old and I remember one guy dressed in clothes that (I was told) were Santa’s. It is summer time in Brazil around Christmas and I couldn’t figure out what the hell he was doing in that huge coat, sweating his guts out…Poor Santa, my granny said, he comes from the North Pole and travels all over the world…with that suit! I also couldn’t understand how he could visit kids all over the world in ONE NIGHT! Come one granny, it can’t be true…
The next year I heard my uncle saying that Santa was injured in a motorcycle accident and they didn’t know who would replace him…that was it! If there was one chance to believe that Santa could actually come from the North Pole to drop me something, it was all over when I found out Santa didn’t ride the reindeers. He rode a motorcycle , just like the guys who deliver pizza…So, to tell you the truth, I never really believed in any of the things kids usually believe about Christmas. And I really don’t remember where it comes from…But nowdays I do have the answer for why I don’t like Christmas time.
The hypocrisy around Christmas celebration in our world bothers me. In our society your Christmas spirit is directly proportional to your bank account. Mom and dad buy toys for the kids, they drink and eat like pigs and then end up fighthing with their in-laws…Have yourself a very Merry Christmas too!
People run to the malls to BUY, BUY, AND BUY! If you don’t consume you are doomed for the rest of your life…How dare you not remember your relatives by BUYING something for them! People are yelling at each other because someone jumped in front of them while they stand in line at the store’s cashier. People only remember about Jesus to complain “Jesus Christ, do you think I have all day long? Move, I still have to get the damn turkey!” Christmas simply became one more date in which people could make and spend their money…and that bothers me. I’m not a religious person but I respect everybody who is and who believes in something greater than us. I think it is disrespectful what our consumerism has done to this religious celebration. I don’t celebrate Christmas. I don’t like buying gifts for people only because of Christmas, and I don’t like to hear Christmas songs. In other words: I hate Christmas time! It all reminds me of our hypocrisy. And then Bette Midler decides to record a Christmas album…
Oh well, I think, I’ve followed her career since I can’t even remember. I buy even shit if it carries her name on it…Let’s try this one…And, to my surprise, all the sudden, I find myself listening to a Christmasn album in November…and enjoying it! The reason is simple. Despite the fact I adore, worship and love Bette Midler unconditionally (this is a fan site, what did you expect?), she is singing better than ever…and most important of all, Bette is deeper and that just comes through in each song. This piece of work is not limited to any period of the year. She sings a whole concept, about the fun, about being with people we REALLY love, about dreaming, about spirituality, about everything we want to believe in Christmas, and the wait for a brand New Year can bring, but have forgotten at the shopping mall’s cashier. All of a sudden this cynical girl who didn’t believe in Santa, who gets so mad at Christmas night that so many people in her third world country don’t get to celebrate, who thinks humanity is full of shit, finds comfort and some joy in Christmas songs.
From now on I’m looking foward to eat my chester ( I don’t really like turkeys either!) and some wine while listening to her CD, resting after a long day of book SELLS (yep, I make a living by SELLING books, how ironic is that? Well, it is more honest than working as a journalist! LOL!) at the bookstore I work at.
Happy holidays to everybody. I hope this great piece of work by Ms. Midler will bring the best in you, the true Christmas spirit of love and comfort. I know mine is going to be a little better because of her.
Footnote: Just a reminder…This was inspired by a general concept I personally got from this piece of Bette’s work, in our occidental and Christian world. We can not forget that most people on this planet aren’t Christians nor celebrate Christmas…but if you do respect the differences, the main issues on each religion are common…I guess that’s pretty relevant nowdays, don’t you think?
