There's something I need to get off my chest.

[bktheirregular]

The new "New Yorker" came in, with what I'm sure they thought was a poignant cover, of a soldier in the trenches, guns all around, jets streaking overhead, and the only spot of color in the drab brown landscape was the Valentine's card in his hand.

It's supposed to evoke a lot of feelings, I know. Well, it certainly evoked one for me:

I hate Valentine's Day.

I frelling hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate that holiday.

I think it was a bad idea when it was founded, way back when, and I think that the commercialism that has sprung up over the years makes it a thousand times worse. Everywhere you go, you see signs saying, "guys! If you love your sweethearts, you must buy them lavish gifts!" "Have you told your lady love you love her? Preferably by spending lots of money on her?" "Hey! Give us your money and show your special lady that she's special!"

The message between the lines: if you're not in that category of people with a special someone, you don't exist.

Between Groundhog Day and Valentine's Day, I know the feeling of being a forgotten minority. And there isn't even a National Association for the Advancement of Depressed Single Guys to complain to. I mean it's bad enough to have the holiday in the first place, but do they have to be so in-yo-face about it?

Did I mention that I hate Valentine's Day?

Close entry.

Comments

Re: I'm so there

[butterflykiki.livejournal.com]

(And now I can gloat to Mom that I'm not the only one who hates the intent behind those damn commercials -- "Your lady will only love you if you buy her expensive things." "Give diamonds, get sex." Bite me.)

"Every kiss begins with Kay." Bite, gag, shoot me, stuff me, mount me. Errr, perhaps not.

Uh, yeah. Not the message we want to send, Gnat. < g >

Totally on board with this, and willing to resent it on the guys' behalf too - especially since they all imply mind-reading abilities ("You *know* what she wants. Now you just have to buy it.") and deeper pockets than any guy *I've* recently met has.

Yes, I want to be in love. Yes, I want to do the whole conventional marriage-children thing. I am *so* not ready to be doing it now, and I haven't found Mr. Right Now yet to just hang out with.

Sing it, sister. Well, aside from the kid thing - but that's a whole other crusade. Either way, yes, would like to find Mr. Right Now, and am very annoyed that the idea of singletons is completely deleted from this holiday time period. *pout* I wanna see the commercial where the chick gets ten diamond bracelets and returns all of them, rolling her eyes, but telling the guys in question, "It was a really sweet thought. But we've only been dating a month, you know."

Or where some group of guys goes out to a bar and meet a group of girls doing the same thing, and no one hooks up, but they all have a good time playing pool and dancing 'til dawn.

'Cause jeez. Implied desperation much? Like we all *must* have a Someone for Valentine's Day, and every other day it's completely okay? Gah. Hate marketing majors.

Going to get more chockie.