“He isn’t much in the eyes of the world, he’ll never make history. No he isn’t much in the eyes of the world, but he means the world to me.” — Paul Peterson, 1963, “My Dad”
“What’s your name? Who’s your daddy? Is he rich like me? — The Zombies, 1967, “Time of the Season.”
It’s a damn shame, but I have long put Father’s Day into the same category as Mother’s Day, Valentines Day, Sweetest Day and a long line of manufactured holidays carefully crafted to be another enticement for us everyday working stiffs to spend more of our hard-earned money.
Former State Rep. Bob Bender (R-Middleville) used to make the partisan comment: “Whenever Gov. Jim Blanchard starts talking you’d better hang on to your wallet.” I submit the same can be said about every time you turn on your radio or TV, see a billboard along the highway or go to any web site on the Internet.
The effort to get us to buy something is ubiquitous, it’s a hallmark of capitalism. And we cannot escape the messages.
It’s even seeped into our celebration of holidays. Christmas is by far the worst, turning a religious festival into a shopping and spending frenzy. Halloween is second and the Fourth of July third, followed by Easter.
You might argue that all holidays are clever ways to get the unwashed and unwary masses to spend money they otherwise wouldn’t spend. Meanwhile, there are plenty of comments and images that insist these occasions are wholesome and contribute to the concept of family.
Mother’s Day nowadays seems to be all about taking Mom to brunch or dinner. Spend your money by eating out, buying flowers, chocolates or greeting cards to show your love to that special person.
Father’s Day seems to be a little less expensive because often it means simply grilling chicken or steak outdoors. But somebody’s got to open their wallet.
I have long discouraged my children to spend any money on me for a holiday that was created to provide an excuse for blowing some of your hard-earned money. The whole process is manufactured.
Like everything else, follow the money.
This is not to say it’s not a good thing to somehow show appreciation for Dear Old Dad all these years. But why must it fall on a certain day only? Wouldn’t it be better to take Dad out for a golf outing or a dinner or a ballgame just because the spirit has moved you to do just that?
No, we have to do these things on a designated day so marketing and advertising can kick in. They’ve got to make money, too.
I wish we all could be more spontaneous and treat Dad when we want to, not when we’re told.
“We’ll get together then… Gonna have a good time then.” — Harry Chapin, 1974, “Cat’s in the Cradle.”
