"The holidays represent oppressive optimism," Vance wrote in her December 2022 op-ed for The Baffler . "Gonzo Xmas allows for the integration of chaos, stress, and existential dread into the ritual. It says: The tree is crooked. The turkey is dry. Your brother is a libertarian now. Let’s celebrate that. "
On the other side, traditionalist columnist Marcus P. Vale called it "a whimper of nihilism wrapped in tinsel." He lamented, "When you replace ‘Silent Night’ with a techno beat and a screaming goat, you have lost the plot of human civilization." gonzo xmas 2022
People didn't want a "White Christmas." They wanted a Weird Christmas. "The holidays represent oppressive optimism," Vance wrote in
It wasn't about commercialism or anti-commercialism. It was about surrealism as survival . When you can laugh at a three-eyed Rudolph or a fruitcake with a QR code to a Rickroll, you have conquered the holiday blues. The turkey is dry
Welcome to the retrospective of —the year the traditional "Silent Night" got replaced with a synth-wave metal remake, and Santa decided to trade his sleigh for a stolen shopping cart.
So raise a glass of eggnog (spiked with pickle juice, if you’re doing it right). Toast to the chaos. And remember: The ghost of Gonzo Xmas past is probably hiding in your attic, wearing your grandmother’s wig, and playing "Carol of the Bells" on a broken accordion.