Don't send a card - just sing!!

December 23, 2004 9:24 AM

Merry Christmas from James My sister sent me this link from a friend that didn't want to send out cards this year - he's not much of a singer but I thought it was a great idea! Hallmark could be in danger...
posted by matty (32 comments total)

It's awful.

And good.

And terrible.

Zee Goggles! (etc).
posted by psychotic_venom at 9:29 AM on December 23, 2004

i have been reluctant to join in the holiday spirit this year... that just pulled me in, and i wasn't even kicking and screaming.
posted by jennababy at 9:33 AM on December 23, 2004

Cheap bastard! I want my presents!
posted by graventy at 9:54 AM on December 23, 2004

Far from clever.
posted by bardic at 9:55 AM on December 23, 2004

That's awesome. Go to a Wal-Mart with a camera and your shopping's done!
posted by mathowie at 9:58 AM on December 23, 2004

That's awesome. Go to a Wal-Mart with a camera and your shopping's done!

...there's another way?
posted by felix betachat at 10:00 AM on December 23, 2004

That's kind of nice, actually. You all are grinches. This is what your doctors say to you:

"My god, your heart is two sizes too small! Why aren't you dead by now? We need to schedule immediate surgery. Oh, there'll be no Christmas for you this year, I'm afraid."

But you don't mind that one bit!!!!
posted by Hildago at 10:03 AM on December 23, 2004

That is butt-awful. I've made some crappy music in my time, but nothing that even approaches that level of crappiness.
posted by ba at 10:13 AM on December 23, 2004

I like it.... then again my name is james and i have been shamelessly pelting people on aim with the link.
posted by sourbrew at 10:26 AM on December 23, 2004

Sleigh bells really make a Christmas song come to life.

Unless you disallow them a role as a rhythmic element. *

Then they make your Christmas song suck. (Even more.)

* The best way to accomplish this is to record your guitar track without a metronome or other source of time (including your musical talent), then record the sleigh bells track with the guitar track muted. Instant suck.
posted by jmcmurry at 10:33 AM on December 23, 2004

Who cares if it's not a great song? It sure beats giving someone some stupid trinket from a store.
posted by cmonkey at 10:37 AM on December 23, 2004

The issues that jmcmurry mentioned may have been a drag for some people, but I loved the song. It was very touching.
James didn't make this for you all to critique his musical ability, he wanted to give you a piece of his heart, and now you're all ripping it away from him.
posted by whoshotwho at 10:42 AM on December 23, 2004

Kill me.
posted by mervin_shnegwood at 10:45 AM on December 23, 2004

James didn't make this for you all to critique his musical ability, he wanted to give you a piece of his heart

No, he didn't. He wanted to give his personal friends a piece of his heart. But by putting it on the public Internet without any security and forwarding the link, he's pretty much asking the whole world to critique him...
posted by mmoncur at 11:08 AM on December 23, 2004

Aw, I think the song (and James) is adorable. It may not be the best song ever written but it's a sweet idea, especially for friends he may be far away from and won't be able to see this year.
posted by LeeJay at 11:15 AM on December 23, 2004

Solicitor 1: "A few of us businessmen are endeavoring to raise a fund to buy the poor some meat and drink, and a means of warmth at this time of year when want is so keenly felt. You have been blessed with so much. Why not use it to do some good in the world? What shall I put you down for?" (Takes up pen.)
Scrooge: "Nothing! I support the prisons and workhouses with my taxes. Let the idle poor go there!"
Solicitor 2: "Many would rather die!"
Scrooge: "If they would rather die, they had better do it and decrease the surplus population! Good afternoon, gentlemen!"

Metafilter : Bah! Humbug!
posted by crunchland at 11:32 AM on December 23, 2004

Lumps of coal are too good for some of you, really.
posted by rushmc at 11:34 AM on December 23, 2004

From the post, it doesn't seem that he forwarded the link, mmoncur. One of the recipients forwarded it to a sibling, who then (inadvertently, I think) put a "Kick Me" sign on this guy's forehead.

And saying "Hey, he didn't password-protect it, so he's fair game" is a pretty mean-spirited rule to insist on during the holidays, too.
posted by LairBob at 12:18 PM on December 23, 2004

I think James knows it sucks and that's part of its intended charm. I think he was going for Suck Factor 10 with the sleigh bells, and I think he hit the mark.

It sucks, and it's charming. Everyone wins!

Happy Holidays!
posted by jmcmurry at 12:25 PM on December 23, 2004

From the post, it doesn't seem that he forwarded the link, mmoncur. One of the recipients forwarded it to a sibling, who then (inadvertently, I think) put a "Kick Me" sign on this guy's forehead.

I put it there because it's a nice Christmas wish from a nice guy, and the world could use more people like him...

Bah-Humbug to the Grinches out there!! :)
posted by matty at 12:31 PM on December 23, 2004

I think he's cuuuuuuute.
posted by u.n. owen at 12:55 PM on December 23, 2004

That's awesome. Go to a Wal-Mart with a camera and your shopping's done!

I am pretty sure that James went to a Target, based on the store layout, one of the signs I saw in the background, and the crappy looking picture frame he held up. Just one more reason I enjoyed this: no Wal-Mart.

Also, the pink adult store...
posted by MrZero at 1:01 PM on December 23, 2004

very sweet! what city is that?
posted by amberglow at 1:29 PM on December 23, 2004

Awww, how sweet!

And yeah, y'all are gonna get lumps of coal! It was definitely done tongue-in-cheek. I'd be choked up beyond words if someone I knew did something like that for me.

It might've been a Target. It also looks like a Zeller's (Canada's answer to Kmart).
posted by deborah at 2:04 PM on December 23, 2004

The domain (merrychristmasfromjames.com) is registered to a James Wilcox in Atlanta. While not sure, I suspect that's where he filmed his video greeting.
posted by ericb at 2:19 PM on December 23, 2004

What if I told you that guy DIED filming that, huh? Would you feel bad for mocking him THEN???

(he didn't, afaik, but still...)

Definitely a Target, from the signage
posted by First Post at 3:15 PM on December 23, 2004

Am I the only one who thinks this smacks of something along the lines of viral marketing? I'm not bah humbugging; I like it. It just seems like one of those things that's actually too well done to be what it purports to be. Like, at the very least the link was leaked on purpose to get the guy exposure.

Again, not slamming it. He's adorable. :)
posted by iguanapolitico at 4:31 PM on December 23, 2004

He's more creative than most broke people. Good for him.
posted by sellout at 4:41 PM on December 23, 2004

I was wondering the same thing as iguanapolitico. I liked it and enjoyed the link. Thanks.
Also Happy Holidays everyone.
posted by keithl at 5:07 PM on December 23, 2004

I don't know, iguana--he's not talented enough.

for folks that didn't like that: Pulp Xmas (quicktime and completely wrong in so many ways)
posted by amberglow at 5:44 PM on December 23, 2004

Chicks will dig it.
posted by mikeinclifton at 8:04 PM on December 23, 2004

I think he's a cutie too. And the song is now stuck in my head!

It looked like he was in a Target to me too.
posted by SisterHavana at 8:42 PM on December 23, 2004