Monday, December 22, 2008

Best Presents Ever

If you ever got a Big Wheel for Christmas (I never did, but Santa did bring me a Green Machine one year, which was rather like a Big Wheel on grade-A steroids) then you likely grasp the unblemished boyhood truth at the heart of this current Lexus ad:



I dig that commercial, as well as its current also-by-Lexus counterpart — the ad showing how downright glorious it was for us Gen Xers to wake up Christmas morning to a brand new Atari 2600 game system under the tree.

Oh, the joy of grasping those boxy red-buttoned joysticks for the first time. Oh, the visual (-ly horrific) fireworks of Activision's Pitfall series and Atari's own Yar's Revenge.

My heart practically bursts at the thought.

Please, Lexus, forgive my ambivalence toward your cars. But how dost thou know my kidhood so well?

And tell me, readers, on this holiday week: What were the best gifts you received as a kid — before receiving a freakin' car was even dreamt of?

(Not sure Santa's gonna be handing out many cars this year, anyway. I hear he's fallen on tough times.)

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— Posted by Michael @ 9:08 AM








2 Comments:
 

Definitely the Barbie hotel - complete with an elevator that you could make move with a string. It was the best. And Nintendo.

Anonymous her every cent counts
, at 11:41 AM, December 22, 2008  
 

Hey Michael, this is your wife again. :-)

I'm not sure what *the best* gift was, but the most memorable was from my dad way back in the 80s. He gave me a Billy Idol record. (HUH? What's a record?) I had been desperately wanting it, and had given up hope. He got a big box and wedged it in so that there was no rattle, and the shape gave no hint. I was absolutely giddy when I opened it.

All these years later, I can't remember if it was Whiplash Smile or Vital Idol. I had both of them. I lean towards Whiplash Smile.

Aaaahhh . . . LPs. What memories. Stopped doing cassettes after my expensive 1999 (Prince) was eaten up. (HUH? What's a cassette?)

Thanks for the flashback, Michael.

Anonymous The Battleaxe
, at 7:44 AM, December 23, 2008  
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