Do We Really Need Gaudiness, Glitter? Good Grief, Snoopy For Seasonal Beauty, Try Some Simplicity.

Fri., Dec. 22, 2000

By Scott Sines scotts@spokesman.com

Remember the part in Charlie Brown’s Christmas show where Snoopy completely overdecorates his doghouse with gaudy stuff and wins first prize in the neighborhood contest? When Charlie Brown sees the doghouse, he sighs and says, “Good grief.”

Are there any Snoopy houses on your street? Do you have a Snoopy house?

We certainly respect a person’s right to decorate their house in a manner that gives them great pleasure.

Those icicle lights in combination with regular outdoor lights can really jazz a place up. Those wire reindeer covered in lights are nice - at night. And this year there seems to be a lot of those lighted nets stretched over the shrubs. Why? Because they are the latest Christmas light fad. And, without the latest Christmas doodad hanging on the house your neighbors will be one up on you. What will the kids say? After all, it’s important that our children grow up remembering only the brightest houses in the cul-de-sac. Or is it?

There are a number of reasons to turn the lights down this year. Not blinding airline pilots is a good one. Energy conservation is another. One newsroom wag suggested that a family could estimate how much power they would save by not turning the lights on, then sell that energy back to the Bonneville Power Administration for a handsome profit! It’s been known to work.

It is ironic that we adore the message Charles Schulz sent us through Charlie Brown. Then, we turn right around and act just like Snoopy. Good Grief.

Charlie Brown had a point. It was more than the tired complaint about the overcommercialization of Christmas. How much commercialization we allow into our season is our choice.

Schulz was making a subtle but important distinction about Christmas decorations. Think about Charlie Brown’s skinny little tree. Think about Linus alone on the stage with only the bright star and his trusty blanket. And the way the kids sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” to end the show. The underlying themes of innocence and the beauty of simplicity are what endure. Less really can be more.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.