St. Paddy's Day

Ok, this is the second attempt at this post. Blogger ate the first one.

Let me start off by saying I love St. Patrick's Day. Part of it is the fact that I'm just about 100% Irish-American, while the other part of my enjoyment comes from the fact that it means the really nice weather is on it's way. And while there are some people who celebrate the day in a serious manner paying homage to Irish Republicanism/nationalism, I'm not going to act like the tongue-in-cheek atmosphere of the whole thing is some affront to my grandparents.

Having said that, I find a lot of Paddy's Day celebrations to be kind of insulting. Not in a "why do they have to call them the the Cleveland Indians" or "not all Italians are as they're portrayed in the Sopranos" kind of a way, but more in a "why are they talking to me like I'm a 4-year-old?" kind of a way.

The painting of everything green is a little cheesy, but forgivable; the leprechauns peddling Shamrock Shakes using horrible over-the-top (and not even close to accurate) brogues is pretty condescending. The addition of "O'" in front of everything is just tasteless American sensibility at its worst; the cartoonish portrayal of a country bumpkin smoking a corncob pipe and howling "top o' the mornin' to ya" is frustrating.

And like I said, I'm not one to get insulted by things like this. It isn't the images I find disturbing, it's the tone. I think Lucky Charms commercials are funny. I like the tradition behind the Notre Dame leprechaun.

But some of these commercials and festivities make me feel like I'm some little baby being distracted by a shiny rattle. It's Paddy's Day! Yes it is, snookums! Do you know what that is? Huh? Yes it is, it's Paddy's Day!

And Happy Green Day? Green Day? Blow me.