“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”

Okay, I couldn’t resist a little sarcasm in using that song title as the title of my post, but even as somebody who likes Christmas, I find it a little over the top. And this photo cries out for the distancing effect of humor, since it’s so pathetic it’s almost funny already. Even though it’s the same date as my post from two days ago, it’s a got a completely different feel (and is, I believe, an unrelated household). This poor little girl is waging a valiant battle against the forces of ennui, wielding her limp balloon in an attempt to infuse a little holiday cheer into the situation, but even she doesn’t look convinced. I keep hoping that the slug on the couch isn’t her father, but a wayward uncle or something, the couch covered in anticipation of his dissipated occupation of it. I remind myself that this is a single photo, an image taken out of context, and that this may indeed have been a wonderful Christmas celebration that just didn’t photograph well in that moment. But then I notice that they haven’t even bothered to change the calendar over from November. *sigh* Don’t worry, cheerier photos for the rest of the week. 🙂 (By the way, ignoring the content for a moment, I also happen to like this photo for its visual composition. I like the way the lumpiness of the man matches the lumpiness of the couch, the way the couch’s edges form a point that direct our eyes to the nicely centered girl, and the way the man and couch form a horizontal base for the vertical lines of the windows, pipes and door. Just staring at the lines of the image, it dissolves into an abstract set of intersecting shapes and patterns for me, like a Diebenkorn or something, if that makes sense and doesn’t sound too naive.)

2 comments on ““It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year””

21 Dec 2011 at 9:46 pm Jenna
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This is such a sad, yet somehow funny, photograph. Your description of it made me smile. You made so many good points about how dreary this Christmas looks for this poor little girl. I look forward to the happier Christmas photos you’ll post (I check your blog almost every day), but really enjoyed this one, as well.
- 21 Dec 2011 at 9:55 pm usermattw
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  Thanks so much, Jenna! I agree it’s both funny and sad. I like it even though it’s a bit melancholy. (Of course, I like all the photos I post on some level, or I wouldn’t post them.) I’m really glad you’re enjoying my blog!

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