NO. NO. This is not good.

[gmail]

Elf on a Shelf is creepy enough, but now some yahoo has decided to capitalize on the American Jewish need to make Chanukah "just as important as Christmas" by making the.....wait for it....


Mensch on a Bench.
www.themenschonabench.com/

ARE
YOU
FUCKING
SERIOUS?


I realize I'm being grinchy (SWIDT?) about this, but really. Chanukah is so insignificant in terms of holidays, and American Jews feel the need to compete with Christmas and make Chanukah bigger than it is. No. I don't want to put a stuffed toy around the house to compete with "elf envy."

[gmail]

All my Jewish FB friends are excited about this.

"OMG! LOL! I have to get this! How fun for the kids!"

No. No. Chanukah is not supposed to be like Christmas. There was no "Moshe the Mensch" in the story of Chanukah.

[lime]

OMG - LMAO @ this. I need to send this to about 100 people.

[gmail]

Nov 7, 2013 19:16:42 GMT -5 lime said:

OMG - LMAO @ this. I need to send this to about 100 people.

It's totally sold out.

SOLD OUT

There are people who bought it!

[missmaddie]

Nov 7, 2013 19:13:53 GMT -5 gmail said:

All my Jewish FB friends are excited about this.

"OMG! LOL! I have to get this! How fun for the kids!"

No. No. Chanukah is not supposed to be like Christmas. There was no "Moshe the Mensch" in the story of Chanukah.

To be fair, there was no Elf on the Shelf back in Bethlaham in the story of Christmas either.

It's all a part of bigger and better commercialzation of everything. I refuse to start Elf on the Shelf in our house for fear I'll need to start coming up with bigger and better scenes - like on Pinterest.

[gmail]

Nov 7, 2013 19:18:45 GMT -5 HRH Queen Dick I, Orphan said:

I don't appreciate the Elf on a Shelf shaming in here, thank you.

Your elf is a little creepy sometimes.

And really, I'm mostly irritated at the larger picture here - that we've Americanized the ever loving shit out of Chanukah and feel the need to make it like Christmas b/c of material greed or a need to feel just like everyone else. Look, I totally enjoy looking at Christmas lights and eating Christmas cookies. I love some Christmas movies and all the sales. But there is something to be said for the really nice and simple traditions of a simple holiday - lighting candles with family, eating latkes and fried donuts, playing dreidel and singing songs.

::off soapbox::

ETA: I'm not Christmas-shaming, so I hope it doesn't sound like that. I'm just an old fuddy duddy traditionalist who gets riled up with stuff like this.

[gmail]

Nov 7, 2013 19:25:28 GMT -5 HRH Queen Dick I, Orphan said:

I was joking?

Sorry

[missmaddie]

Nov 7, 2013 19:21:57 GMT -5 gmail said:

Nov 7, 2013 19:18:45 GMT -5 HRH Queen Dick I, Orphan said:

I don't appreciate the Elf on a Shelf shaming in here, thank you.

Your elf is a little creepy sometimes.

And really, I'm mostly irritated at the larger picture here - that we've Americanized the ever loving shit out of Chanukah and feel the need to make it like Christmas b/c of material greed or a need to feel just like everyone else. Look, I totally enjoy looking at Christmas lights and eating Christmas cookies. I love some Christmas movies and all the sales. But there is something to be said for the really nice and simple traditions of a simple holiday - lighting candles with family, eating latkes and fried donuts, playing dreidel and singing songs.

::off soapbox::

ETA: I'm not Christmas-shaming, so I hope it doesn't sound like that. I'm just an old fuddy duddy traditionalist who gets riled up with stuff like this.

There are plenty of people that would agree with you about Christmas, Easter, etc. too. We do all the decorations, etc., but I certainly raise a few eyebrows when my SIL goes out and grabs random gifts off the shelf to buy/wrap so it looks like Santa brought lots of gifts in addition to the expensive X-Box type ones. I don't think Christmas should be about my nephews literally tossing gifts in a pile and not knowing what was from whom, and crying that their brother had 27 things under the tree to ther 24 (true story).

[lime]

I hear you on the overall commercialization of holidays. I honestly find that a little frustrating.

[wannabe]

I'm sorry, but that's really funny.

The addition of Grumpy Cat just made it better.

[gmail]

Nov 7, 2013 19:34:21 GMT -5 wannabe said:

I'm sorry, but that's really funny.

The addition of Grumpy Cat just made it better.

Grumpy Cat makes everything better.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

I don't often laugh about shit on here, but I for real laughed at this. And I'm trying to think which of my Jewish friends might appreciate this as much as me IRL.

ETA: I just clicked on the link. I'm DYING here. I might convert just to be able to legit use this.

[sharknado]

Nov 8, 2013 10:43:34 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

Elf on a Shelf freaks me the fuck out.

Seriously

[Jermys]

My favorite part about our bastardized Chanukah is that it's not commercialized and insane. Granted, we haven't been practicing Jews in my family since my grandfather became an atheist, but we kept some traditions and had sort of a Chrismakuh holiday when I was growing up, which I kept for my kids.

Chanukah in our house is lighting the candles, talking about the things for which we're grateful, and doing a fun family thing like looking at Christmas lights or making a gingerbread house or reading a book. I think it would be sad to cock that up with Moshe the Mensch.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

Nov 8, 2013 10:50:30 GMT -5 specialk said:

Nov 7, 2013 19:18:59 GMT -5 gmail said:

It's totally sold out.

SOLD OUT

There are people who bought it!

They must have made six units and sold them to their relatives.

I can't stop laughing about this.

Add more funnukah to your Hannukah!

Add more Funnukah to your Hannukah? Dead.

[gmail]

I made a meme and posted it on FB.


Comments rolling in 3...2...1....



**cuppyright intentionalsnarkshark

[lissaholly]

I feel like the only redeeming part of the elf is the incentive for kids to behave while he is around. This doesn't translate with klein Mensch.

[lissaholly]

Nov 8, 2013 12:27:58 GMT -5 specialk said:

Nov 8, 2013 12:16:23 GMT -5 lissaholly said:

Sure it does! You give him a candle to hold each day. At the end of the day, you use that candle to light the Menorah. If the kids are good, he "lets go of the candle easily" and if they are bad, he "holds it tightly" and they might not get any present.

The website also said he does not sleep...creepy.

Why doesn't he sleep?! I am not sure if a non sleeping mensch or a elf that magically appears and disappears each day is worse.

[angelaa73]

I will find a moab if it KILLS ME

[gmail]

One friend got all huffy and was like "I bought it. I have a different perspective than you because we live in a very Christian area." (she knows we live in a VERY Jewish area)

Uh...I don't get that. So you live in an area where your daughter will be raised around people celebrating Christmas. Why do you need to tweak your Jewish holiday to match their holiday? Why can't you celebrate Chanukah with her and teach her that they are different, and there is lots of fun stuff for this holiday, too?