An idea for a new Christmas protest song:

[capri0mni]

An idea for a new Christmas song came into my head, today -- a protest song:

Do not give me diamonds for Christmas

I've had it up to my gills with all those "A diamond is forever," ads with the message that the best way to say: "I love you" is with a diamond something. This is an idea that strikes me as obscene. If you asked me, I'd tell you that simply saying "I love you," is a far better gift than a cold, hard, stone that does nothing but help you lord it over other people. At least, now that commercial season of Christmas is over, I'll get a bit of a respite.

Not sure if I can get those ideas into a song, though. Oh well, I have another 11 months before it will be that season again.

Comments

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

Hopefully, the movie Blood Diamond will open a few eyes. I've heard that it has started to have some effect in peoples' views about how those rocks on their fingers have fueled wars in Africa.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

That's my hope.

But even without the risk of blood diamonds making into your local Mall outlet jewelry store, the idea of trying to strengthen the bonds of love with extravegant gifts is something I just find desturbing.

I think I've got the germ of a chorus, already:

Give me the gift of your smile;
Give me a warm hand to hold,
A soft word of kindness
At the end of the day,
But give no diamonds or gold.

I haven't decided how far to push it in the social agitation direction, but I might write a verse about how Jesus walked among the poor, and died for justice and mercy....

[blinovitch.livejournal.com]

Respite from diamond-hawking? Valentine's Day is just a couple months away!

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Oh, damn. I forgot...

You know the ad I find most obscene?

It's the one with a married couple in Italy, and they're strolling through the public square, and the husband shouts to the heavens: "I love this woman!" until she demands he shut up. Then, he gives her a diamond whatever-it-is-they're-peddling-that-week, and she breaks into tears and hugs him.

That's the way to preserve a relationship, all right: shut up and throw wads of money at it.

From a song by Pete Seeger:

There was a young woman, who swallowed a lie
(I don't know why she swallowed the lie),
Perhaps she'll die.

There was a young woman who swallowed a ring --
Looked like princess, and felt like a thing.
She swallowed the ring to cover the lie
(but I don't know why she swallowed the lie),
Perhaps she'll die!

That was a song I learned when I was about 6, and might just be part of my skepticism toward conventional romance...

[blinovitch.livejournal.com]

It's bothered me for some time as well. The kicker is that, as a guy, if I protest the diamond-giving thing, it's obviously because I am cheap and don't really love my significant other.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

*nods*

Exactly. And, as a woman, if I don't fall into a man's bed arms after he buys me a diamond, it must mean that I'm unromantic, or "frigid," regardless of how big a loser he is.

[barbarafett.livejournal.com]

Did I mention that I agree with you? I'm so not into materialist ideas like that.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Frankly, I think a lot of women do (but it's just a hunch -- I haven't done surveys, or anything), but the diamond is such a deeply embedded symbol of "Romance" that it's hard to say you don't like them, for fear of being labled as "cheap" and/or "cold."